county news

Bodmin crematorium staff ‘hurting’ after £50k of equipment stolen

Bodmin crematorium staff ‘hurting’ after £50k of equipment stolen

Crematorium bosses say thefts have left staff distraught and having to deal with complaints about the state of the site.Bodmin's Glynn Valley Crematorium was targeted by burglars on separate occasions in May and June with about £50,000 worth of gardening equipment stolen from the 10-acre (40,470 sq m) site.Business manager Karen Stewart said staff had been forced to transport their equipment to a separate storage unit off-site and had issues maintaining the crematorium, leading to complaints from grieving…

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Live in Somerset concerts in doubt after ‘clerical error’

Live in Somerset concerts in doubt after ‘clerical error’

A music festival which usually takes place over several days in the summer is now in doubt after a "clerical error", organisers have said.Live In Somerset usually takes in Vivary Park in Taunton every summer, hosting the likes of Busted, Status Quo and Sophie Ellis Bextor.However, organisers LCC Live said they have been unable to book the venue for the August Bank Holiday weekend, and now need to find an alternative.It comes as a new 80s-themed event, run…

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Promise of new £1.1m Exeter quayside bridge disappears

Promise of new £1.1m Exeter quayside bridge disappears

Miles DavisDevon political reporterBBCHeather Baker from Saddles and Paddles says the missing bridge is a key part of the jigsaw for riverside routesThe promise of a new £1.1m bridge for the quayside in Exeter has evaporated.One business owner had said the bridge was vital to connect riverside walkways and cycle paths in the city and around its historic quayside.Devon County Council had said it would construct a new bridge with a £1.1m grant from Active Travel England to…

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Record low salmon count in River Frome for second year

Record low salmon count in River Frome for second year

Marcus WhiteSouth of EnglandChris ConroyAtlantic salmon are classified as "vulnerable" in English chalk streamsA river has recorded a "catastrophic" salmon count, hitting a record low for a second successive year, a charity has said.Since 2002, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has spent about four weeks in late summer catching and tagging juvenile Atlantic salmon in the River Frome in Dorset.Numbers fell to 3,226 this year, from last year's low of 4,593.The charity said the species was…

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Biker in hospital with life-changing injuries after Devon crash

Biker in hospital with life-changing injuries after Devon crash

A biker has suffered life-changing injuries after a serious crash in Devon. Devon and Cornwall Police said it was called to Post Hill, Tiverton at about 00:10 GMT on Sunday after a KTM 125CC black and orange motorcycle hit a telegraph pole. The force said the rider, a man in his 20s, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Derriford Hospital. His next of kin are aware. Police said local road closures were put in place and officers…

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Vitality Blast fixtures: Somerset start title defence with rematch of 2025 final against Hampshire

Vitality Blast fixtures: Somerset start title defence with rematch of 2025 final against Hampshire

Men's Vitality T20 BlastNorth Group: Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Durham, Yorkshire, LeicestershireCentral Group: Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire Bears, Somerset, Glamorgan, WorcestershireSouth Group: Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Essex, HampshireVitality Blast Women's Competition (Tier 1): Warwickshire Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire.Vitality Blast Women's League 2 (Tier 2): Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids. Source link

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Stroke survivors invited to join new rehabilitation study using gaming technology 

A new study is inviting stroke survivors with limited movement to take part in research that has turned rehabilitation exercises into a fun online game.   The University of Exeter study is exploring whether game-based exercises can help people regain movement and confidence at home, even several years after a stroke.  Stroke affects around 100,000 people in the UK every year, and more than 1.2 million people are living with its effects. About 70 per cent of them are left with upper limb impairments.  While rehabilitation is known to improve…

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‘Beloved and cherished’ red panda dies at Cornwall wildlife park

‘Beloved and cherished’ red panda dies at Cornwall wildlife park

Zookeepers have said they are sad after a "beloved and cherished" red panda died.Suri, who was more than 10 years old, had been at Paradise Park in Hayle, Cornwall, since 2016, where she had taken part in visitor handling sessions, the keepers said.They said the wildlife sanctuary had given more than £20,000 the Red Panda Network, a conservation and research group, from donations from the sessions.Keeper Becky Waite said Suri had been very popular with visitors as she…

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Burnham-on-Sea defibrillator paid for by heart attack survivor

Burnham-on-Sea defibrillator paid for by heart attack survivor

A man from Somerset has paid for a defibrillator for his neighbourhood after discovering a lack of them in the area.Dennis Wood, 80, from Burnham-on-Sea, had a heart attack in 2016 and wanted to see where his nearest machine was just in case.He said: "I just thought why not get ahead and purchase a defibrillator? Everyone was so thankful in our street."I have a weaker heart than most so I thought, the more defibs in the area, the…

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Career milestone for Grand National winning trainer Venetia Williams

Career milestone for Grand National winning trainer Venetia Williams

A horse trainer responsible for a 100-1 winner at the Grand National has marked 30 years in the sport. Venetia Williams, who trained outsider Mon Mome when he won the Aintree-based race in 2009, said she was looking forward to "hopefully many more years still to come". The Herefordshire-based trainer said it was one of her most memorable wins. "It's the race people know the world over really. It's probably the only jump race that a lot of…

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Hospitality businesses ‘falling like dominoes’ as costs rises

Hospitality businesses ‘falling like dominoes’ as costs rises

Kirk EnglandSouth West environment and tourism correspondentBBCFormer restaurant owner Kelly Broderick said hospitality businesses are "falling like dominoes" due to increases in costsKelly Broderick wipes away tears as she cleans her restaurant ahead of handing the keys back to the landlord. After eight years, the woman from Newquay says "insurmountable" increases in costs - from wages to the price of cooking oil - have led to her to make the "heartbreaking" decision. It comes as Cornwall Chamber of…

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Work on new Bridgwater primary school to start in the spring

Work on new Bridgwater primary school to start in the spring

Work on a new primary school is to start in spring next year in an area where new housing developments are increasing the demand for school places.Somerset Council confirmed in March that a new £7.7m primary school would be built between Bridgwater and North Petherton as part of the Wilstock Village Development.It has now formally approved the new school, which will provide space for 210 students alongside a 40-space nursery. At the moment, families living in one of…

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