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Devon care home fined £200K after two disabled residents drowned

Devon care home fined £200K after two disabled residents drowned

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestDevon and Cornwall PoliceAlison Tilsley, 63, and former rugby player Alex Wood, 43, died in the incidentA care home has been ordered to pay more than £200,000 after two wheelchair users drowned and a third was seriously hurt when a leaking boat capsized during a day trip.Exeter Magistrates' Court heard Burdon Grange Care Home, near Beaworthy in Devon, failed to carry out basic safety checks before taking six residents to Roadford Lake, near Launceston, Cornwall, in…

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Navy engineers recreate photo after ‘surreal’ discovery

Navy engineers recreate photo after ‘surreal’ discovery

Two Royal Navy helicopter engineers have discovered their fathers also served together a quarter of a century ago.Harvey Lewis and Sam Skelson, who are based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, were maintaining a Wildcat helicopter aboard frigate HMS Iron Duke when Harvey made the discovery.He spoke to his father, Gaz Lewis, about his squadron, who mentioned the surname rang a bell as he had served with Andrew Skelson aboard HMS Exeter in 1999.Harvey said it was a "surreal"…

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Family’s grief over ‘wicked’ murder of grandmother in Exeter park

Family’s grief over ‘wicked’ murder of grandmother in Exeter park

PALorna England's family said they have a "permanent empty void" because they miss her so muchThe family of a woman who was murdered by a stranger in a park say they will "never come to terms with the death of such a wonderful lady".Lorna England, 74, was murdered as she walked home from a shopping errand through Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter in February 2023.Her family spoke after Philip Spinney, senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, concluded…

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Brazil’s President Lula announces he will seek a fourth term in 2026 | Elections News

The left-wing leader made the announcement on a trip through Asia, brushing aside concerns about his advanced age.Published On 23 Oct 202523 Oct 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareBrazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has announced he will run for re-election next year, seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term.Speaking during a state visit to Indonesia on Thursday, President Lula said he remains energised despite his age.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“I’m turning 80, but you…

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Plymouth triple-amputee wins armed forces inspiration award

Plymouth triple-amputee wins armed forces inspiration award

A former Royal Marine commando has won an award as part of a national platform which celebrates the achievements of the armed forces community.Plymouth-based triple amputee Mark Ormrod MBE won the 'Inspiration Award' at the Soldiering On Awards in London on Wednesday.Mr Ormrod, 42, lost both legs and his right arm when he stood on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve in 2007.When accepting the award, Mr Omrod said it was an…

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South West Water given red score over pollution

South West Water given red score over pollution

Caroline Robinson,South West and Kirk England,South West environment and tourism correspondentBBCSouth West Water has never risen above a two star rating for environmental performanceSouth West Water (SWW) has been rated "red" for its environmental performance for the 14th year in a row, meaning it is "significantly below target", the Environment Agency has said.The company was given two stars out of a possible four in the annual Environmental Performance Assessment report for 2024.The agency said the water firm had…

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University of Exeter Business School secures UK top 10 place in QS International Trade Rankings 2026

The University of Exeter Business School was seventh in the UK in the latest QS ranking for international trade programmes. The MSc International Business programme ranked third in the UK for ‘trade programme content’ in the QS International Trade Rankings 2026 and was 20th overall. The programme also performed well in areas such as reputation, graduate outcomes, industry engagement, innovative teaching and research. The influential rankings offer a snapshot of international trade-focused Masters and MBA programmes, with this…

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Bournemouth woman sets up group to help tackle loneliness

Bournemouth woman sets up group to help tackle loneliness

A woman has set up a community for women to make friends after sharing her story of post-university loneliness online.Alanis Sibley-Ware, from Bournemouth, said The Girl Collective BCP's first meet-up will be a yoga class for all levels on 8 November, followed by a coffee.The group for women in their 20s and 30s came about after Ms Sibley-Ware posted a TikTok, which gained more than 30,000 views, talking about the challenge of finding a "social space outside of…

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Cornwall NHS nurse celebrating 50 years has ‘loved every minute’

Cornwall NHS nurse celebrating 50 years has ‘loved every minute’

A nurse who is celebrating half a century working for the NHS said it had gone in a "blink of an eye".Trish Gwennap worked her way up through a variety of nursing roles over the years, spending 43 years working as an assistant nurse and children's nurse at West Cornwall Hospital.Her career in healthcare began as a domestic cleaner at St Michael's Hospital in Hayle in Cornwall in 1975.She said she had "loved every minute" and her proudest…

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Novelist Townsend Warner’s statue for Dorchester cast in bronze

Novelist Townsend Warner’s statue for Dorchester cast in bronze

Work to erect the first statue of a non-royal woman in a town has passed a major milestone with the figure being cast in bronze.Visible Women crowdfunded for the sculpture of novelist Sylvia Townsend Warner which will be installed on a bench in Dorchester town centre.It is the work of artist Denise Dutton, who also created the Mary Anning statue in Lyme Regis.The unveiling, outside Goulds department store in South Street, has been scheduled for 14 December.In a…

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‘Storm warnings’ and ‘boy’s remarkable surgery’

‘Storm warnings’ and ‘boy’s remarkable surgery’

ReutersStorm Benjamin is expected to bring lots of wet and windy weather to the westHere's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.Our pick of local website storiesITV West Country has shared the story of how a seven-year-old boy with a rare genetic condition can now eat and breathe unaided following a remarkable surgery that saw doctors use other bones to rebuild his jaw.People in Somerset…

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70 horses and foals rescued in 15-month operation in Devon

70 horses and foals rescued in 15-month operation in Devon

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestThe Mare and Foal SanctuaryA foal with bright blue eyes was taken in as part of an operation to rescue 70 horsesSeventy rare-breed Icelandic horses and foals have been rescued in a 15-month welfare operation by animal charities.Public concerns were first raised in May 2024 about the herds of semi feral horses kept at several sites around Devon. The reports prompted a complex welfare operation by The Mare and Foal Sanctuary and RSPCA.The sanctuary said there…

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