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Devon and Somerset fire service told to make improvements

Devon and Somerset fire service told to make improvements

BBCStaff have been urged to record faults and escalate them to senior leadsDevon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has been told to make improvements when it comes to issues that may affect the time taken to get to incidents. A revisit inspection of the service by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services in July found "long-standing issues" with the system which had "not previously been resolved in a timely manner".It said some of…

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Tonnes of rock to protect crumbling east Devon coastline

Tonnes of rock to protect crumbling east Devon coastline

Miles DavisDevon political reporterMiles Davis/BBCThousands of tonnes of rocks are being used to protect the coast at Seaton Hole Thousands of tonnes of rock are being delivered by sea to protect crumbling cliffs.About 6,500 tonnes of rock are being brought by barge to Seaton beach on the south coast of Devon, East Devon District Council (EDDC) has said.It said the rock armour would be used to reinforce the base of the cliffs at Seaton Hole where there have…

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Eight Devon fundraisers are finalists in BBC’s Make a Difference

Eight Devon fundraisers are finalists in BBC’s Make a Difference

BBCOarsome Foursome raised £1,000 for YMCA ExeterEight local fundraisers who embraced their own hobbies to raise nearly £100,000 for local organisations are finalists in BBC Radio Devon's Make A Difference Awards.Kayaking the Exe, climbing Everest, swimming in the North and South Poles and baking have raised thousands of pounds for charities across the county.Jamie Lake climbed Everest to support others living with Huntingdon's Disease, while Adam Baker and Charlie Fleury swam in the North and South Poles for…

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‘My son’s donated organs saved nine lives’

‘My son’s donated organs saved nine lives’

Angela FergusonSouth WestFamily handoutLisa Wilson pictured with her late husband Graham, son Tom and daughter Pippa at Tom's graduation from Nottingham Trent UniversityA university student's decision to sign up as an organ donor led to him saving nine lives after his death at the age of 22.Tom Wilson died after being hit on the back of the head with a hockey stick during a training session, his mother Lisa Wilson said.Mrs Wilson, from Barnstaple, Devon, said her son's…

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Forensic markers to deter Devon and Cornwall sports club thefts

Forensic markers to deter Devon and Cornwall sports club thefts

BBCJames Ewan said thieves "cleared out" Bridestow Cricket Club before the start of the summerSports clubs are being offered forensic markers to help protect equipment, following a rise in thefts. Devon and Cornwall Police said tractors, mowers and other high-value equipment had been stolen from clubs this year, and the crime prevention team had worked with victims to find a solution.Hannah Denton, crime prevention officer, said about 35 incidents had taken place throughout Devon and Cornwall since 1…

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Call-outs to automatic fire alarms reducing in Devon and Somerset

Call-outs to automatic fire alarms reducing in Devon and Somerset

BBCDevon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said only 1.7% of automatic fire alarms attended by the service were classed as emergenciesFire crews will no longer respond to all automatic fire alarms, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has announced.It said automatic alarms alerted the service almost 58,000 times in the five years leading to March 2025 with an average of 1.7% being emergencies.The service said "this places an unnecessary burden on the service's resources and ability…

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Dartmoor prison staff and inmates sue over radon gas levels

Dartmoor prison staff and inmates sue over radon gas levels

Angela FergusonSouth WestBBC"Higher than normal" radon levels were found at HMP DartmoorAround 60 prison staff, prisoners and former inmates of HMP Dartmoor have launched legal action over radon levels.Solicitor Mladen Kesar said he was acting on behalf of more than 500 claimants in total, with between 50 and 60 claims already issued on behalf of prison staff, prisoners and former inmates.All inmates were moved from the prison in Princetown, Devon, after the Prison Service found "higher than normal"…

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Rape survivor urges public to report predatory behaviour

Rape survivor urges public to report predatory behaviour

Andrea Ormsby andArchie FarmerSouth WestGarrett White/PA WireProject NightEye has been launched to tackle violence against women and girlsA rape survivor is supporting a campaign, aiming to tackle violence against women and girl, by urging members of the public to call out concerning behaviour.As part of Project NightEye, Devon and Cornwall Police are asking members of the public to help them collect intelligence on sexual predators.Police said the aim was to prevent sexual and other crimes by identifying predatory…

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New Hilary Mantel prize to help emerging writers

New Hilary Mantel prize to help emerging writers

Emma RuminskiSouth West arts reporterBBCDame Hilary Mantel was former honorary president of the Devon's Budleigh Salterton Literary FestivalA new literary prize in memory of author Dame Hilary Mantel has been set up to champion new writers.The Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction is being launched on the third anniversary of her death after her private correspondence revealed she had mentored aspiring writers throughout her life.Organisers of the new biennial prize said it was open to unpublished writers without an…

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Arson investigation after fire at Sherford flat block

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at a block of flats in Sherford, Plymouth.Emergency services were called at 02:30 BST on Friday, after the fire started in the communal entrance of the four-storey building on Aquila Drive.A total of 28 people were trapped and had to be rescued by the fire service, with 18 people treated for smoke inhalation.Det Insp Katy Deer of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "This fire put the lives of 30 people at…

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Police appeal after woman sexually assaulted on Exeter canal path

An investigation has been launched after a woman was sexually assaulted on a canal path in Exeter.Devon and Cornwall Police said a woman had been attacked near the canal path running alongside Water Lane between 23:30 and 23:35 BST on Friday."A man dressed in dark clothing riding a push bike sexually assaulted a woman who was walking along the canal path in the Double Locks direction," the force said.Officers are appealing for anyone with information about the incident…

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Plymouth Argyle’s number one goalkeeper to be decided this week

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley says he will make a decision on who will be the club's number one goalkeeper by the end of this week.Summer signing Luca Ashby-Hammond has been ever-present this season as Northern Ireland international Conor Hazard recovered from a knee injury he suffered in June while playing for his country.But having returned to full fitness, Cleverley says Hazard will start Tuesday night's Vertu Trophy tie against Tottenham's Under-21s.Plymouth's 18 goals conceded is the…

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