county news

Man jailed on ‘vicious’ murder of partner in Plymouth flat

Man jailed on ‘vicious’ murder of partner in Plymouth flat

Devon and Cornwall PoliceMark Fitzgerald was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 168 daysA man who concealed the murder of his partner in his flat has been jailed.Mark Fitzgerald, 62, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 168 days after being found guilty over the murder of Lisa Paris, 54, in March 2024. Plymouth Crown Court heard Fitzgerald pretended to find her unconscious in his Rendle Street flat…

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No 10 says it backs pubs as landlords bar Labour MPs in tax protest

No 10 says it backs pubs as landlords bar Labour MPs in tax protest

Downing Street has insisted the government backs pubs, as a growing number sign up to a campaign to bar Labour MPs from their premises in protest at tax rates.The Labour MP ban was kicked off a week ago by Andy Lennox, landlord of the Old Thatch in Dorset, championing the ban and more than 250 pubs, restaurants and hotels signing up all over the country.Mr Lennox said the ban was a last resort after multiple campaigns spelling out…

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Zoe Tucker ‘devastated’ by theft of gold medal-winning bike

Zoe Tucker ‘devastated’ by theft of gold medal-winning bike

Dave GilyeatSouth of EnglandDuathlon World ChampionshipsZoe Tucker won gold at the world championships in JulyA duathlon world champion has described the theft of her racing bike as a "devastating loss".Zoe Tucker, from Sherborne in Dorset, had her £7,000 measured-to-fit Giant Propel, alongside another similar model, stolen from her garage at some point during Thursday night and Friday morning.Ms Tucker rode the bike during her gold medal victory at the world championships in July, and was using it to…

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Traders relieved as ‘challenging’ Tavistock roadworks conclude

Traders relieved as ‘challenging’ Tavistock roadworks conclude

GoogleNational Grid said the works were needed to supply electricity to a new housing developmentThe end of roadworks that had caused delays and disruption in a Devon town have been welcomed by traders.There were three-way traffic lights around Drake's statue in Tavistock which had caused congestion on a main route into the town.National Grid said the works, which began on 17 November, were necessary to provide an electricity connection for a major new housing scheme in the town.The…

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Man jailed after flipping car during police chase near Bodmin

Man jailed after flipping car during police chase near Bodmin

A man who flipped his car during a police pursuit has been jailed for 16 months.Jean-Luc Coombe, 29, of Forth an Venegh, Bodmin, Cornwall, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Thursday and was sentenced for dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to stop for police.He had previously admitted the offences at Bodmin Magistrates' Court on 8 November.He was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay a surcharge of £187.Coombe, who…

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Child reveals murder plot as man guilty in double jeopardy trial

Child reveals murder plot as man guilty in double jeopardy trial

Surrey PoliceRobert Rhodes, 52, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Dawn Rhodes, in a trial at Inner London Crown CourtA man has been found guilty of murdering his wife eight years after being cleared of the crime - after their child gave new evidence.Robert Rhodes stabbed his wife Dawn in the neck but was acquitted of murder in 2017 after claiming she had tried to attack him.The retrial came after new evidence from Rhodes' child – disclosed…

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Crafters warn of ‘overpriced tat’ sold at Cornwall fairs

Crafters warn of ‘overpriced tat’ sold at Cornwall fairs

BBCCrafters in Cornwall are asking shoppers to seek out genuine, handmade Cornish goods like this woolly sheepMembers of the crafting community in Cornwall have said they are seeing a rise in cheap imported goods being passed off as handmade local produce.There are concerns some stallholders are bulk-buying mass produced items off the internet, then selling them at a substantial mark-up at events marketed as Cornish craft fairs.The organisers of some of the fairs say they are carefully checking…

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Man jailed over murder of partner in Plymouth flat

Man jailed over murder of partner in Plymouth flat

A man who concealed the murder of his partner in his flat has been jailed.Mark Fitzgerald, 62, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and 168 days after being found guilty over the murder of Lisa Paris, 54, in March 2024. Plymouth Crown Court heard he left her dead body under a duvet in his flat on Rendle Street in Plymouth, Devon.It heard the relationship between the two was marked by his repeated violence…

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Man admits starting fire at Bournemouth International Centre

Man admits starting fire at Bournemouth International Centre

A video from Picnic Park Deli showed smoke rising from the Bournemouth International CentreA man has pleaded guilty to intentionally starting a fire at a seaside concert and conference venue.Smoke was seen billowing from the roof of the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) on Exeter Road in August, with fire crews fighting the enveloping blaze on the outside roof fascia.Shane Wilson, 38, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered at…

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Planned new secondary school in Perranporth cancelled

Planned new secondary school in Perranporth cancelled

Plans for a new 1,050-pupil secondary school on the north coast of Cornwall have been cancelled by the Government.Perranporth Academy had been due to open in September 2026 as a free school to ease pressure on other secondary schools in Truro and Newquay.A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said the evidence had been "carefully considered" and it had been concluded "there is not sufficient need for additional places to justify building a whole new school".In a statement Truro…

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Surrey man guilty of wife’s murder after child reveals plot

Surrey man guilty of wife’s murder after child reveals plot

Surrey PoliceRobert Rhodes, 52, has been convicted of murdering his wife, Dawn Rhodes, in a trial at Inner London Crown CourtA man has been found guilty of murdering his wife following a retrial under double jeopardy rules, eight years after being cleared.Robert Rhodes stabbed his wife Dawn in the neck and was acquitted of murder in 2017 after claiming she had tried to attack him.The retrial came after new evidence from Rhodes' child – disclosed during therapy –…

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Family ‘proud’ of grandmother killed in Badbury Rings SUV crash

Family ‘proud’ of grandmother killed in Badbury Rings SUV crash

The family of a grandmother who died in an SUV crash in Dorset have said they are "forever proud" of her.Rebecca French, 51, and a man in his 30s were travelling in a white Vauxhall Grandland on the B3082 Blandford Road near Badbury Rings when it crashed on Sunday shortly before 21:55 GMT.Dorset Police said there were no other vehicles involved in the collision and the pair were both pronounced dead at the scene.In a statement to police,…

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