devon

Man who tried to smuggle Iraqis sentenced after Devon arrest

An Iraqi national has been sentenced for breaching UK immigration laws after arriving on a yacht from France with a group of fellow migrants, including a baby.Failed asylum seeker Rasty Hassan, 27, was intercepted off the coast of Brixham, Devon, in September 2024 aboard the 26ft (8m) yacht Induna, Plymouth Crown Court heard.He pleaded guilty to arriving in the UK without entry clearance and to conspiring to facilitate illegal entry for others and was handed a two-year prison…

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Devon derby: Exeter City prepare to resume Plymouth Argyle rivalry

The bosses of both sides know a thing or two about derby matches.Exeter's manager Gary Caldwell was Celtic captain and led his side out against Rangers in one of the fiercest derbies in world football.Meanwhile Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley - a former Manchester United, Everton and Watford player - has been involved in big games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Luton. "Until you're in a derby you don't really know what it's like, so I don't think…

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Torquay return to winning ways with 3-0 Chippenham Town triumph

Torquay return to winning ways with 3-0 Chippenham Town triumph

Torquay United boss Paul Wotton praised an excellent first-half display after the Gulls beat Chippenham Town 3-0 in National League South.Jordan Young's 20th-minute free-kick gave Torquay the lead against his former club before Sonny Blu Lo-Everton doubled the tally from the edge of the box shortly before the interval. Louis Dennis rounded off the win 12 minutes into the second half with a close-range finish after good work by Callum Dolan.The win maintains the Gulls' excellent home form…

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Warning for wind and heavy rain in Devon and Cornwall

Warning for wind and heavy rain in Devon and Cornwall

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestMet OfficeA yellow weather warning for wind and rain has been issued for ThursdayHeavy rain and wind gusts up to 60mph (96.56 km/h) are forecast for the South West on Thursday with yellow weather warnings in place for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.The Met Office said the warning for wind would be in place from 04:00 BST to 18:00.The warning for rain is in place from 00:00 until 21:00 in Devon and Cornwall as…

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Pair going from Devon to Africa in ‘Sheila the three-wheeler’

Pair going from Devon to Africa in ‘Sheila the three-wheeler’

BBCThe journey will raise money for School in a Bag charityTwo men are hoping to break a Guinness World Record by being the first to travel from Devon to Cape Town in a three-wheeled car.Oliver Jenks, 34, from Newton Abbot, and Seth Scott, 31, from Canada, said they would be setting off on the 10,000 mile (16,093km) journey to South Africa in their Reliant Robin over the next few days to raise money for Yeovil-based charity, School in…

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Plymouth homeless man given hope after charity feet care

Plymouth homeless man given hope after charity feet care

BBCSteve began having his feet treated fortnightly at Shekinah's free podiatry clinicA man who had been living in his car for four months has spoken about the life-changing support he received from a charity's foot clinic.Steve, who found himself homeless in July this year, was not only battling physical pain but also struggling mentally."When I first came to Forgotten Feet, I was homeless," Steve, from Plymouth, recalled. "My feet were in pain, I was struggling to walk, it…

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Plans for ‘educatering’ site with 100 jobs in east Devon refused

Plans for ‘educatering’ site with 100 jobs in east Devon refused

Miles DavisDevon political reporterBBCThe site near Lympstone would be used for growing food and educating children about where food comes fromPlans to create 100 jobs in a food business that would provide local products for school meals and educate children about food production have been turned down.The Goosemoor company wanted to build what it calls an "educatering" facility near Lympstone in east Devon, which it said would generate an estimated £15m for the local economy.The business is based…

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A39 closed in West Somerset due to lorry fuel spillage

A39 closed in West Somerset due to lorry fuel spillage

A major A-road has been closed due to a lorry fuel spillage, after a collision involving a van and a HGV.It happened on the A39 in west Somerset, between Washford and Bilbrook at around 07:15 BST, with police saying the road closure is causing long delays for surrounding routes.A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: "The collision has resulted in a substantial amount of fuel to leak from the lorry. One occupant of the van suffered minor…

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Man who ran Plymouth teeth whitening salon jailed for rape

Man who ran Plymouth teeth whitening salon jailed for rape

Cameron Weldon andJohn HendersonSouth WestDevon and Cornwall PoliceRicky Stubberfield, who ran a teeth whitening business in Plymouth, was arrested in June 2024 A man who ran a teeth-whitening business has been jailed for 26 years for rape after luring women under the promise of free treatments.Ricky Stubberfield, 31, of Walnut Gardens, Plympton, was found guilty of 23 sexual offences including eight counts of rape against seven women between 2013 and 2024.Plymouth Crown Court heard how Stubberfield messaged young…

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Work to restore fire damaged cottages in Devon set to start

Work to restore fire damaged cottages in Devon set to start

Work to restore a row of thatched cottages damaged in a fire in Devon is expected to start next spring. The four Grade II listed cottages in Drewsteignton caught fire in March, with 25 crews required to tackle the blaze. The properties, which are owned by the National Trust, are covered in scaffolding and tarpaulin and are being left over the winter to dry out before the restoration begins in 2026. The trust said it hoped to commence…

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North Devon hospital gets £22.7m for staff accommodation revamp

A hospital has received funding to build new accommodation for staff and students.The North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple has received £22.7m from the New Hospital Programme for the redevelopment of its current facilities.The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said work would start on Monday, 27 October, with the two existing buildings demolished and replaced with 120 bedrooms that would "meet the needs of colleagues and students".Chris Tidman, Royal Devon deputy chief executive officer, said the…

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Treasure trove of Devon history set to be unearthed in new book

One of Devon’s last great untapped sources of history will reveal some of its best-kept secrets with the publication of a new book this week. Devon’s Home Front Diaries, 1937 to 1945, reveals for the first time the intimate reflections and views of scores of people living in the county who took part in the anthropological project, Mass Observation. Launched in 1937, Mass Observation surveyed and documented the opinions and experiences of UK residents on a broad range…

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