A 53-year-old van driver has died after his vehicle left the road and hit a wall, police have said.The crash happened on the A375 at Sidbury near Sidmouth in east Devon at about 14:30 GMT on Wednesday, the Devon and Cornwall force said.It said the driver, a local man, sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash and his next of kin had been informed.Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash which happened as the van…
BBCDorrie Pack completed the challenge at her local gymA 98-year-old former land girl has cycled 25 miles in a month for charity. Dorrie Pack, who joined the Land Army when she was 16 years old, set herself the goal at the beginning of November but completed the distance before the end of the month. She said she wanted to raise funds for the charity Hospicecare but could not decide what challenge to take on before settling on an…
BBCVolunteers working at the Marldon Community Composting site A council has launched an initiative to cut garden waste through composting.South Hams District Council in Devon said there were already eight community garden waste composting sites in the area but it wanted to encourage more.It has offered up match-funded grants worth up to £7,500 towards the cost of creating community composting sites, which allow people to recycle their green waste as well as providing compost to take home.Sustainable South…
Stephen Richards/GeographAlan Harris is accused of sexually abusing clients in the cells at Charles Cross Police Station (pictured) and Plymouth Magistrates' CourtA former criminal defence solicitor has denied he sexually abused and raped clients.Alan Harris, of Thorn Park, Plymouth, Devon, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of 18 charges of indecent assault, eight charges of sexual assault, three charges of rape and one of another serious sexual offence.The 72-year-old, who has denied all 30 charges, is…
Georgina BarnesSouth WestBBCJohn Brown says increased wages will come at an "extra cost for businesses"Workers aged between 18-20 will see a minimum wage increase to £10.85 an hour, up from £10, and those aged 21 and over on the living wage will receive £12.71 an hour, up from £12.21.Teenagers aged 16 or 17 on the minimum wage will be paid £8 an hour - a 45p raise.Mr Brown said businesses needed more support with the rising wages.He said:…
A fire at a "very dangerous" derelict hotel is being treated as arson, police say.Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said crews from multiple fire stations were called to the blaze in Seaton, Devon, at about 03:13 GMT on Wednesday.Devon and Cornwall Police urged people not to visit Seaton Heights Hotel, which it said was "now much more dangerous following the structural damage caused by the fire".The force said the blaze had a "great effect on the…
Almost 30 knives have been handed in as part of a police operation in south east Cornwall.Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police carried out a series of activities between 17-23 November in Liskeard, Saltash, Torpoint and Looe, which included amnesty bins, patrols on trains and visits to shops.The force said the exercises, which were part of Operation Sceptre - a national initiative focused on tackling knife crime - led to 29 knives being dropped off in amnesty bins.Insp…
A woman has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car. Devon and Cornwall Police said it was called to Common Lane in Beer, Devon, at 16:55 GMT on Tuesday following a collision involving a pedestrian and a Renault Kangoo.The force said the injured woman was in her 80s and from Beer.Police have asked for witnesses or those with relevant dashcam footage to get in touch. Source link
Torquay United manager Paul Wotton says he will have to bolster his depleted squad after they came back from 2-0 down to beat Worthing 3-2.The victory moved the Gulls up to third in National League South, leapfrogging Worthing who drop to fifth. But Dan Hayfield, Louis Dennis and Dylan Morgan sustained injuries that might add them to Wotton's list of absentees, including suspended duo Matt Worthington and Callum Dolan."I'm not sure what we're going to do to be…
A documentary focusing on a crucial battle in the Normandy campaign of the Second World War has received its regional premiere at the University of Exeter. A CANTERBURY TALE: Albert Figg and the Battle for Hill 112, created by award-winning filmmaker Peter Williams, tells the story of the eponymous battle through the words of some of the West Country veterans who survived its fierce fighting. It also explores the efforts of Sergeant Albert Figg, a Royal Artillery veteran…
The debate over whether UK farming can continue to feed us, be commercially viable and conserve our vulnerable natural environment is set to be addressed by a major new research project combining history with business analysis and environmental science. Researchers at the University of Exeter will examine archival records over a 600-year period – from the Middle Ages to the Victorian era – and assign a sustainability rating to each historical era. It is hoped that the £1.4m…
A group of mushroom enthusiasts in East Devon are working to bolster fungi conservation efforts.The Three Counties Group of the Fungus Conservation Trust photograph and record the mushrooms they find in a database which is used by organisations that need it.Trustee Hazel Jordan said: "It is used for various different things - whether it be planning, the National Trust, Natural England, students, conservation groups - an amazing amount of things."The charity-run trust wants to encourage more people to…