county news

FA Cup: Exeter City ‘will not get millions’ from Man City tie – Gary Caldwell

FA Cup: Exeter City ‘will not get millions’ from Man City tie – Gary Caldwell

Exeter City Supporters' Trust, which owns the club, has lent it more than £600,000 in the past few months after an overspend last season. Liverpool University football finance expert Kieran Maguire estimates the tie could earn City around £350,000, as the club will get 45% of the gate receipts after match costs are deducted. With Exeter not having wealthy backers, they struggle to compete financially in the third tier."If you take a look at League One, where Exeter…

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Missing hitchhiker and the DNA breakthrough that caught killer

Missing hitchhiker and the DNA breakthrough that caught killer

Alistair Binneyin Worcestershire ShutterstockThe body of Celine Figard was found dumped in woods in Worcestershire It is 30 years since a French teenager hitchhiked to the UK to visit her cousin for Christmas and vanished. Those who were close to the case talk about the lasting impact it had on them.Celine Figard was heading to a holiday job at a hotel in Hampshire where her cousin was working as a waiter. The 19-year-old set out to hitchhike almost…

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Repairs due to start next month on Portland’s Ferry Bridge

Repairs due to start next month on Portland’s Ferry Bridge

Essential repairs to a bridge in Dorset are due to start in the new year.Cracks have formed beneath the surface of Ferry Bridge, between Portland and Weymouth, and need to be repaired to stop further damage.The route will be partially closed from 19 January with traffic signals initially expected to be in place until 1 March.Councillor Jon Andrews, Dorset Council's cabinet member for place, said: "We understand these works will cause inconvenience, and we're very sorry for that."In…

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‘Putting our home in a trust was a legal nightmare’

‘Putting our home in a trust was a legal nightmare’

Amy Gladwell and Charlotte CoxBBC South West InvestigationsBBCJoyce Gifford says she still has trouble sleeping due to the stress it has causedWhen Joyce Gifford found out her name had been removed from her house deeds after it was transferred to a "family protection trust", she says she felt "sick".The 72-year-old signed her home in Cornwall into the trust in 2018 with McClure solicitors, who she says told her it would protect it from having to be sold to…

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Bigger and complex household debts concern charity

Bigger and complex household debts concern charity

Anna VarleSouth West social affairs correspondentBBCTom Kehily from Ilfracombe started falling into debt after he lost his job and his relationship broke downAverage debt owed by households in part of Devon have risen by more than £4,000 in two years, a charity said.Christians Against Poverty (CAP) said research it had carried out showed the average household debt in North Devon was £14,330 in 2025, compared to £10,139 in 2023.Reverend Ben Warrender, a debt centre manager for the charity…

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Exeter care agency put into special measures by Care Quality Commission

Exeter care agency put into special measures by Care Quality Commission

Yui Mok/PA WireHorizon Care (South West) Ltd has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality CommissionA home care agency which helps more than 200 people living in their own homes in Exeter has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).The watchdog inspected Horizon Care (South West) Ltd in September after receiving "information of concern" about the service. It issued a warning notice that "rapid and significant" improvement was needed to safeguarding, care…

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Tips on how to avoid delays in the South

Tips on how to avoid delays in the South

Chris McHughSouth of EnglandHampshire County CouncilA key section the M27 in Hampshire will be closed between 24 December and 4 JanuaryWith Christmas on the horizon, thousands of people will soon be heading home - but finding a way to beat the rush can be a daunting task. The RAC has predicted this year will be the busiest festive getaway since it began recording the data in 2013, with Christmas Eve alone set to involve 4.2m trips.But with several…

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Warnings and disruption as flooding hits the south of England

Warnings and disruption as flooding hits the south of England

Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandLocal resident Alina Jenkins showed what it was like to drive through the flooded Tollbar Way in SouthamptonParts of the south are experiencing flooding and disruption as warnings and advice are issued to those affected.The Environment Agency (EA) has issued multiple flood warnings for Hampshire and Dorset, along with 21 flood alerts for Oxfordshire and 15 for Berkshire.Local fire and rescue services have issued advice to travellers, including not to drive through flood water.Several venues…

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Devon and Cornwall PCC pledges to fight for a directly elected mayor

Devon and Cornwall PCC pledges to fight for a directly elected mayor

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has pledged to fight for a directly elected mayor for the region to protect it from losing out on government investment.Conservative Alison Hernandez said she was concerned that without it the region would "get left behind" when her role comes to an end in 2028.Last month, the government announced it was going to scrap the role of PCCs to save money and that it…

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Johnly Yfeko: More injury woe for Exeter City defender

Johnly Yfeko: More injury woe for Exeter City defender

Exeter City defender Johnly Yfeko faces more time on the sidelines after suffering a fresh injury.The 22-year-old centre-back missed the second half of last season after a series of hamstring injuries.He has played 11 times this campaign but the former Rangers defender injured an abductor muscle last week and has undergone a scan. "It doesn't look great," Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon. "It's another huge frustration. We were going to start him again on…

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Consultation for Cornwall Council draft budget set to be launched

Consultation for Cornwall Council draft budget set to be launched

Views are being sought by Cornwall Council on a plan for to save £50m in its budget for 2026/27.The authority said its draft budget would go out for public consultation between December 29 and January 27.It said the draft budget would have investment in services which were "critical for residents", including more than £37m to continue the transformation of adult social care services, along with plans to reduce spending through efficiencies.The council said the consultation would be made…

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Failed asylum seeker denies raping woman in Bournemouth

Failed asylum seeker denies raping woman in Bournemouth

A failed asylum seeker has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in Dorset.Mohammed Fathi Eltbie, from Egypt, denies attacking the woman in her 30s in a wooded area in Bournemouth on 5 November.During a plea hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court, the 24-year-old was represented by barrister Nick Robinson and assisted by an Arabic interpreter.He was remanded in custody until his trial, set to start on 26 May 2026, with a further preliminary hearing set for 23 March.…

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