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Illegal vapes and tobacco worth £50k seized from Taunton shops

Illegal vapes and tobacco worth £50k seized from Taunton shops

Two shops have closed after police found illegal tobacco and vapes worth £50,000 on their premises.The Taunton Market and Top Market shops, both on Station Road in Taunton, have been visited by Trading Standards officers, police, and tobacco detection dogs, who found illegal products.Taunton Magistrates Court granted three-month closure orders on both premises.Alex Fry, operations manager at Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service, said: "Combatting the supply of illegal tobacco and vapes is a high priority…

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Reduced speed limit comes into effect on A38 Plymouth Parkway

Reduced speed limit comes into effect on A38 Plymouth Parkway

Alex Green,South WestandHattie McCann,in PlymouthBBCThe speed limit has changed on a stretch of the A38 around PlymouthThe permanent speed limit on a busy stretch of the A38 in Plymouth has changed from 70 to 60mph.National Highways announced plans to reduce the speed limit on the A38 Plymouth Parkway between the Marsh Mills interchange and Tamar Bridge earlier this year. Jack Mason, from National Highways, said the number of collisions on the parkway was double the national average.Ch Supt…

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Woman seriously injured in car and van crash in Churchstow

Woman seriously injured in car and van crash in Churchstow

A woman is in hospital with serious injuries following a crash in a village near Kingsbridge, according to police.Devon and Cornwall Police said emergency services were called to the A381 at Elston Cross in Churchstow at about 11:20 GMT on Friday after a silver Nissan Note and a green Ford Transit van crashed.Police said a 70-year old woman from Kingsbridge, who was a passenger in the Nissan, was taken to Derriford Hospital where she remains in a stable…

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New executive programme to give business leaders edge on quantum technologies

A new professional education programme designed exclusively for senior executives will address the critical need for strategic foresight in the coming “quantum economy”. Announced by the University of Exeter and cybersecurity firm Cystel Limited, the programme will launch in the new year and is the first of its kind to focus on managing governance and quantum risk during a company’s quantum transformation.  It is specifically tailored to empower business leaders to capitalise on the technology’s “unprecedented growth opportunities”…

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Owen Dale: Plymouth Argyle winger suffers significant ankle injury

Owen Dale: Plymouth Argyle winger suffers significant ankle injury

Plymouth Argyle winger Owen Dale could be out for up to three months with an ankle injury.The 27-year-old, who is on loan at Home Park from Championship side Oxford United, was hurt in the 1-0 win over Rotherham United.Dale had travelled up to Doncaster Rovers with the Argyle squad, but a scan on Friday showed he has grade three ligament damage in his ankle. Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley said Dale's intent to try and play in the…

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‘Spending Christmas Day alone is so freeing’

‘Spending Christmas Day alone is so freeing’

Beth CruseandRoss Pollard,West of EnglandAdela MeiAdela Mei enjoys riding up the Cheddar Gorge on her motorbike on Christmas dayFor many, Christmas means family gatherings, gifts under the tree and plates piled high with festive food. But for some, the day looks very different – and that is exactly how they want it. Across the West Country, people are stepping away from tradition and creating their own ways to spend 25 December.Each year on Christmas Day, Adela Mei, 51,…

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Japan set to restart world’s biggest nuclear power plant | Fukushima News

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa will be the latest plant to restart 15 years after the Fukushima disaster shut down the country’s nuclear energy programme.Published On 22 Dec 202522 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareJapan is set to resume operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant: Kashiwazaki-Kariwa.The partial restart of the plant got the green light in a vote on Monday by the Niigata local government. Japan has reopened several nuclear facilities as it seeks to reduce emissions, reversing…

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University Hospital Dorset buys remainder of Wessex Fields

University Hospital Dorset buys remainder of Wessex Fields

An NHS trust has bought the land next to a hospital from a council to temporarily use as additional parking. University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) has bought the land adjoining the Royal Bournemouth Hospital site, called Wessex Fields.Other plans for the land include a possible site for generating geothermal energy, homes for key workers, and an education and research centre.Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council deputy leader and cabinet member for finance Mike Cox said the sale was a…

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Does this ‘Toy Town’ find its soul at Christmas?

Does this ‘Toy Town’ find its soul at Christmas?

Curtis LancasterPoundbury, DorsetBBC"There are streets full of decorations," say the residentsAn experimental town in Dorset and a passion project of King Charles III has long been a lightning rod for criticism.Since construction began at Poundbury, on the outskirts of Dorchester, in 1993, architects and commentators have taken aim at its neo-Georgian façades and detailed design rules, dismissing it as "soulless" and a "toy town".Last month those debates resurfaced after it was widely reported that Grand Designs tv presenter…

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Cost of living fuels rise in dogs needing homes, charity says

Cost of living fuels rise in dogs needing homes, charity says

BBCMoose was caught by a member of the public after being seen wandering loose for a few daysOn a wet December morning in Cornwall dog welfare and enforcement officer Jason Williams is off to collect a stray.Moose had been running around in Troon near Camborne for a few days before somebody managed to catch him and report it to Cornwall Council so he could be taken to the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) in Hayle.Last year, the council…

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Devon and Cornwall Police make Christmas 999 call plea

Devon and Cornwall Police make Christmas 999 call plea

Anna VarleHome and social affairs correspondentBBCDevon and Cornwall Police is urging the public to only call 999 in a genuine emergency during the Christmas periodDevon and Cornwall Police is urging the public to only call 999 in a genuine emergency during the Christmas period.The force receives an average of 1,000 emergency calls and 2,000 101 calls a day over the festive period, which is one of the busiest times of year, the police said.Examples of inappropriate calls police…

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