Devon riding group marks 40 years of ‘horse therapy’

Post published:October 29, 2025
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BBCVanessa Tomas has been attending the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group in Devon for 34 yearsA woman who uses an equestrian facility for the disabled said riding was a form of therapy which gave her "freedom and movement".Vanessa Tomas, 46, who has a neurodevelopmental disorder called Global Developmental Delay (GDD), has been part of the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group for 34 years.The equestrian group, part of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA),…

Devon and Cornwall Police told to improve vetting of officers

Post published:October 29, 2025
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BBCDevon and Cornwall Police was rated "requires improvement" in three areasA police force needs to improve how it reviews vetting decisions, manages complaints and monitors the use of its IT systems, inspectors have said.His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assessed the effectiveness of Devon and Cornwall Police in three areas.It was graded "requires improvement" in its vetting of police officers and staff, professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements.Superintendent Alex Doughty, head of professional standards…

Animal charity seeks homes for ducks rescued in Cornwall

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Caroline RobinsonSouth WestBBCRSPCA Cornwall said it was working to find the ducks safe, suitable homesAn animal welfare charity is looking for homes for several ducks which were rescued from a neglectful home.The RSPCA said two women from Cornwall had been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after being found guilty of neglecting more than 60 animals, including 18 goats, 28 chickens and 16 ducks. Dave Rich, head of operations at RSPCA Cornwall, said: "The ducks were kept…

UK’s oldest carnival’s timings, parking, weather and squibbing

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Carys NallyWest of EnglandGetty ImagesBridgwater Carnival is the UK's oldest carnival and is visited by thousands of people each yearThe UK's oldest carnival is returning this weekend, when more than 150,000 are expected to descend on the area.This year's Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, which has been running since 1847, will feature an illuminated procession, fairground rides, concerts and fireworks.The event is set to take place on Saturday - and below, we've rounded up everything you need to know…

Call for apology over cancer-linked pregnancy drug DES

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Briony LeylandSouth of EnglandBBCJan Hall is campaigning for greater awareness of the impact the drug DES had on womenA woman is calling on the government to apologise over a cancer-linked drug that was historically given to women to prevent miscarriage.Jan Hall, from Bournemouth - whose mother was given Diethylstilbestrol (DES) - claims the UK government was too slow to act, despite research showing increased cancer risks for both the women who took it and their daughters."It's a shocking…

The teen who grew up in crisis but turned her life around

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Nikki MitchellSouth of England home affairs correspondentBBCChanyta Buckley asked social cervices to put her in foster care when she was 14"My mum was a drug addict for as long as I can remember," said Chanyta Buckley, "so I thought I'd end up choosing drugs over a future." Despite growing up in crisis, the Bournemouth teenager is striving to prove to other vulnerable girls and women that they too can turn their lives around. Chanyta, 19, has volunteered to…

As Trump and Xi near deal, few see letup in heated US-China rivalry | International Trade News

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Gyeongju, South Korea – As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet for the first time since 2019, Washington and Beijing appear poised to reach a deal to lower the temperature of their fierce rivalry.But while Trump and Xi are widely expected to de-escalate US-China tensions in South Korea on Thursday, expectations are modest for how far any agreement will go to resolve the myriad points of contention between the world’s two largest…

Venezuela declares Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister persona non grata | Conflict News

Post published:October 28, 2025
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Tensions have grown between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago over support for US military action in the Caribbean.Venezuela has declared Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister a persona non grata, as the two countries continue to feud over United States military activity in the Caribbean Sea.On Tuesday, Venezuela’s National Assembly voted in favour of the sanction against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has been sparring with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. It designates her as unwelcome in the country and…

Young woman from Bristol said she was ‘let down’

Post published:October 28, 2025
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Wera HobhouseA petition calling for improvements to eating disorder treatment has been handed into 10 Downing StreetA young woman who suffers from an eating disorder says she has felt "let down" and "misunderstood" by medics, as academics call for an overhaul of how such conditions are treated. Beth Yates, 22, from Bristol, sought help with her eating habits and mental health aged 20, but said doctors seemed unable to consider both issues as part of the same problem.It…

Devon conservation charity liquidation sparks fears for reserve

Post published:October 28, 2025
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Torbay Coast and Countryside TrustAlex Foley said many people were worried about the future of Berry Head National Nature ReserveConcerns have been raised over the future of a nature reserve after a conservation charity entered liquidation.Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust chairwoman Barbara King said on Friday financial pressures had proven "too great" despite the charity's best efforts.The trust looked after Berry Head National Nature Reserve and other sites including Cockington Country Park and Occombe Farm.Alex Foley, who runs…

Barriers installed at Taunton car park to deter unwanted visitors

Post published:October 28, 2025
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A council has installed two height barriers at a park and ride car park to deter illegal encampments. The work is to try to deter unauthorised visitors on the site at Silk Mills in Taunton, Somerset. Somerset Council is advising motorists with tall vehicles not to drive in as both the entry and exit points now have height restrictions.Councillor Richard Wilkins, the lead member for transport and waste services at Somerset Council, said: "These barriers are a practical…

Cornish man who sexually abused children over four decades jailed

Post published:October 28, 2025
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A man has been jailed for 18 years after he admitted sexually abusing children over four decades.Robert Squires, from Bossiney near Tintagel, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to 23 recent and non-recent child sexual offences including two rapes of a child, attempted rape and multiple indecent assaults.The 80-year-old targeted his victims from a young age and committed the abuse in and out of the county, said Devon and Cornwall Police.Police said he admitted most of the abuse after handing himself…