county news

Plan to transform special educational needs in Devon

Plan to transform special educational needs in Devon

Miles DavisDevon political reporterPA MediaDevon County Council wants to transform services for children with special educational needsDevon County Council wants to transform its services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).The council said it wanted to focus on early intervention, getting children into local schools and making schools more inclusive to tackle the increasing demand for services.The council - which has built up more than £160m of debt in Send services - has asked the government…

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Rare Amur leopard cub born at Dartmoor Zoo is named

Rare Amur leopard cub born at Dartmoor Zoo is named

A zoo has revealed the name and sex of a rare leopard cub born in captivity.Dartmoor Zoo said Zeya was born at the Devon park in September.Staff said the cub was named after the River Zeya, a major tributary of the Amur River, within the animal's native range.CEO David Gibson said there were fewer than 200 Amur leopards in captivity globally.Mr Gibson said: "Now that we know for definite that the cub is healthy and thriving, we can…

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RNLI moves into Dartmouth station previously used in 1800s

RNLI moves into Dartmouth station previously used in 1800s

RNLIDart RNLI said its D class lifeboat was now housed in the purpose-built boathallAn RNLI crew has moved into a new "state-of-the-art" building, which was first used as a lifeboat station in the 1800s.Dart RNLI said its D class lifeboat was now housed in the purpose-built boathall with the station, based in Dartmouth, Devon, operational.The charity said the building had undergone extensive renovation and included a first floor open space for crew training, an office and a purpose-built…

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Study into £500m Dorset wind turbine plant gets green light

Study into £500m Dorset wind turbine plant gets green light

Tristan PascoeDorset political reporter, PortlandGetty ImagesThe site at Balaclava Bay, seen here on the far side of the breakwater, would be about 50 acres and could employ 1,000 peopleA study into whether to build a wind turbine manufacturing plant on the Dorset coast has been approved.The plant at Balaclava Bay, next to Portland Port in Dorset, could be used to make and supply offshore wind turbines and blades and could create more than 1,000 jobs.The Crown Estate which…

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Bude school closes in bid to break the spread of flu and strep A

Bude school closes in bid to break the spread of flu and strep A

A secondary school has been closed for two days because of an outbreak of flu and streptococcus infection.Head teacher of Budehaven Community School in Bude, Dominic Wilkes, said there had been more than 270 pupils and 32 members of staff off sick with the illnesses on Wednesday.He said the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Cornwall Council and the school's governors and senior staff had agreed "a firebreak" was "the best decision was to move to a remote curriculum…

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Murder and burglary arrests after woman’s death in Poole

Murder and burglary arrests after woman’s death in Poole

Two men and a teenage boy have been arrested on suspicion of murder and burglary following the death of a woman in her 80s.Dorset Police said the sudden death of the woman at a home on Higher Blandford Road, Poole, was reported by ambulance crews on 1 December shortly after 16:50 GMT.The force said officers who attended the address at the time noticed signs of a possible burglary inside. Cordons remain in place at the home and the…

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Fundraising pin badge reveals Cerne Abbas giant’s cheeky side

Fundraising pin badge reveals Cerne Abbas giant’s cheeky side

Steve HarrisandRos Tappenden,South of EnglandNational TrustThe pin badges are being sold to raise money to buy land surrounding the giantFor decades, the chalk hill figure of the Cerne Abbas giant has been replicated on gifts and memorabilia – but a new pin badge is thought to be the first to reveal his "cheeky" side.The National Trust, which owns the giant, is launching a set of three limited edition pin badges as it fundraises to buy the surrounding landscape…

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Penzance library book returned 45 years late

Penzance library book returned 45 years late

A book which was loaned out from a library in 1980 has been returned - 45 years later.Music Notation by Gardner Read was loaned out from Penzance Library and, according to its record card, was due to be returned by 25 March 1980.It was eventually handed in at St Ives Library in November this year anonymously as part of a book amnesty. Councillor Sarah Preece, the cabinet member with responsibility for libraries and culture at Cornwall Council, said…

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Recruiting staff ‘biggest issue’ says Somerset Council boss

Recruiting staff ‘biggest issue’ says Somerset Council boss

A shortage of experienced, qualified applicants for vacancies is making a local authority "difficult to run", according to its chief executive.Duncan Sharkey, of Somerset Council, said the "biggest issue" facing the authority now was the ability to recruit, with most departments struggling to find enough suitable candidates for vacant jobs.Mr Sharkey also admitted that council bosses "got it wrong" in at least three departments, when they cut more than 500 posts at the authority in the last year.He…

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Epilepsy can lead to earlier deaths in people with intellectual disabilities

A combination of missed prevention opportunities and health inequalities can result in the early deaths of people living with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities, a study has shown. Around 1.2million people in England have some form of intellectual disability, with epilepsy estimated to impact 20-25% of them – up to 300,000 people – compared to just 1% of the general population. However, until now there has been no national-level population-based evidence on the risks and protective factors specifically contributing…

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Removal of Yeovil Hospital’s stroke unit to begin in the spring

Removal of Yeovil Hospital’s stroke unit to begin in the spring

The removal of a hyper-acute stroke unit at a hospital will begin in the spring, health bosses have announced.It means that, instead of being treated at Yeovil District Hospital, stroke patients needing urgent care will be transported to either Dorchester or Taunton.The removal has attracted considerable criticism from locals, while both Yeovil MP Adam Dance and Yeovil Town Council have urged the Department for Health and Social Care to review the decision.NHS Somerset's integrated care board voted for…

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