Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for Devon and Cornwall

Alex Osborne
BBC Weather

Still a slight risk of a shower into Wednesday evening but most will stay dry.

Overnight will be mainly cloudy with clear spells and variable cloud. There will be a light breeze.

Minimum temperature: 11 to 15C (56 to 59F).

There will be sunny spells but cloud will tend to build.

This may lead to a scattering of showers but most will stay dry. Any showers will be slow moving.

Maximum temperature: 20 to 24C (68 to 75F).

Hamish Marshall
BBC Spotlight

A classic car enthusiast from Dawlish is trying to bring a 1930s Rolls Royce - hidden away for years - back to life.

The car was lost for a decade after being hidden to avoid German bombing during World War Two and spent most of the next 70 years inside a barn on a farm in Wales.

It has fewer than 8,000 miles on the clock.

Classic car enthusiast Mike Waters said it would take lots of work to get it on the road but it would be worth it.

Richard Whitehouse
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cornwall Council has asked for an extension to the consultation being carried out over plans to merge Devon and Cornwall Police with Dorset Police.

An emergency debate was held at Cornwall Council on Wednesday after it was added to the council agenda after a request from the Liberal Democrats group.

The council voted in favour of asking the police and police commissioner Alison Hernandez to extend the consultation over the merger, and to request a full business case for the merger to be given to the council so that it can make an informed decision as to whether to support the plans.

The police have said that the proposed merger was driven by operational reasons and say that, if approved, it would provide an additional £3.2m which would be invested in 100 front line staff.

But with Dorset residents currently paying more for their police, there would be a need to equalise police precepts and people in Cornwall could face paying an extra £18 a year.

Any request to extend the consultation would have to be considered by chief constables from both forces and the forces' two commissioners.

A consultation survey is currently open until 27 August.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Police have released a series of CCTV photos of women, external they want to talk to after a man died when he was run over on the A30 in May.

Twenty-three-year-old Joseph Nickless, from Perranporth, was involved in a collision with a small silver van near Scorrier on 19 May at about 01:15.

Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police

Officers said they wanted to identify three woman because "they may have vital information which could help with their investigation".

Police said the women pictured may have spoken to the victim before the collision and may be able to help them.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

West Devon Borough Council could close public toilets as part of plans to tackle a financial black hole of millions of pounds it faces over the next five years.

A report on the medium term financial position of the council reveals that it could face a £3.7m budget shortfall by 2023/24.

The council currently spends £181,000, excluding salary costs, on 12 public toilets.

Image source, Google

The council is targeting savings of at least £50,000 towards that by reviewing the public toilets in the district, and a report to the council's hub committee outlines four options:

• Close, or devolve to parish councils, six facilities at Brentor, Bedford Bridge at Horrabridge. Chagford, Hatherleigh, Lydford and Yelverton, to make savings of £63,053
• Close one facility in Okehampton and one in Tavistock, where other options are available, to make a saving of £75,324. The facilities in Market Street, Okehampton, and Bedford car park, Tavistock, would close
• Close, or devolve to parish councils, six facilities at Brentor, Bedford Bridge at Horrabridge. Chagford, Hatherleigh, Lydford and Yelverton, to make savings of £63,053, and introduce pay on entry at car parks in Fairplace, Okehampton, Bedford car park, Guildhall Square and the bus station in Tavistock, and in Chagford and Yelverton to generate income of £22,000.
• Close all public toilets as it is a discretionary service provided by the council and would save much more than the target of £50,000

The hub committee meets on 17 July to decide which option to take forward.

Andrew Segal
BBC Local Live

People with tickets to see Tom Jones in concert in Exeter on Sunday have taken to social media to share their anger over its clash with the World Cup final.

He'll be performing at Powderham Castle that day, which could be England v France if England manage to beat Croatia in Wednesday's semi-final.

Bosses at Powderham said they and Tom Jones' management team were "delighted" to confirm that the game would be broadcast on giant screens prior to his show, "regardless of the outcome of England's semi-final match".

They added: "Depending on the outcome (extra-time and penalties permitting), the music will start following the final whistle.

"The concert timings have been unaffected with Tom Jones scheduled to finish at 21.45."

BBC Radio Devon

In Chulmleigh, there are reports of a crash on the A377 northbound between Leigh Road and King's Nympton.

BBC Radio Cornwall

On the A39, there are reports of a crash between Winnard's Perch and the Trekenning roundabout. There is slow traffic.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Exeter City Council is planning to build a winter night shelter and community facility for homeless people, external.

The authority has submitted applications to create the facility at one of two locations in the city centre.

The preferred option is the former Spice Island restaurant in Magdalen Street, at the top end of Magdalen Street Car Park.

Image source, Google

The council said it was planning to lease the property for three years and it wanted planning permission to use the site from October until October 2021.

It wants to create a 26-bed winter shelter to provide overnight sleeping accommodation for homeless people between October and March.

At other times of the year it could be used as a community facility for the homeless, providing educational courses, arts and crafts and other activities, the council said.

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Two defendants in a trial into the high-value robbery of a jewellery shop in Truro have changed their pleas.

Tomas Bakierskis, 24, and Rogertas Slekaitis, 25, who are both from Lithuania, have admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The pair had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery.

The trial of three remaining defendants continues at Truro Crown Court:

• Andrius Buinevicius, 41, from Lithuania, denies conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
• Gytis Inokaitis, 36, of Stuart Road in Plymouth, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery

• Harijus Jackiaskis, 33, of Partington Lane in Manchester, denies assisting an offender

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that nearly £1m of jewellery and watches was stolen in the daylight raid on 10 January.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

Detectives have launched a new appeal after a sexual assault in Falmouth.

Police released an image of a man they wanted to trace, who they believed had vital information in relation to the incident in January.

However, the man has not been identified so far.

The assault took place between 02:00 and 03:00 on Sunday 14 January as the victim was walking along Church Street after a night out.

A man followed her and made advances towards her. The man then touched her inappropriately.

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

The Archdeacon of Gloucester, the Venerable Jackie Searle, is to become the next Bishop of Crediton, Downing Street has announced.

Jackie was among the first women to be ordained as priests when she was a curate in London.

She served curacies in Harrow and Ealing, before joining the staff of Trinity College, Bristol, where she was lecturer in applied theology.

Image source, Diocese of Exeter

She moved to be vicar of Littleover in the Diocese of Derby, also serving as Dean of Women’s Ministry and as Rural Dean.

In 2012 she took up her current appointment as Archdeacon of Gloucester and Canon Residentiary of Gloucester Cathedral.

She is married to the Rev David Runcorn and they have two grown up children, Josh and Sim.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Multimillion-pound plans to improve the north Devon link road are set to move forward this week.

Image source, LDRS

Devon County Council's cabinet is recommended to approve the layout of the upgrades between South Molton and Bideford and to start the process of compulsory purchase of land along with beginning the formal planning process.

The £93m scheme would see the South Molton to Barnstaple stretch of the link road widened to provide more overtaking opportunities - up from the current 10% to about 50% of the total.

Image source, LDRS

Devon County Council will fund £5m of the scheme, with £5m from developers.

Subject to a full business case being submitted and approved, the government would provide £83m of funding, which would potentially allow construction to start in late 2020.

The road would continue to have a 60mph speed limit with the use of average speed cameras recommended to improve safety.

Janine Jansen
BBC Spotlight

An advanced type of kill cord, inspired by a powerboat accident in Padstow five years ago, has been launched that could help save lives at sea.

The "lifecord" has an audible alarm which goes off unless it is properly attached to the skipper.

Its inventor says he came up with the idea following the incident in the Camel Estuary in 2013.

London man Nick Milligan and his eight-year-old daughter Emily were thrown into the water and then hit by their own boat.

The cord's inventor, John Barker, who is based in Dorchester, Dorset, says he realised he had to help after the Camel Estuary incident.

"The intention was to wear the kill cord," he said. "They were powerboat level two trained. The will was there to wear the cord. But there was nothing to tell them that it hadn't been reconnected."

Lauren Haly
BBC News Online

Beach-goers in south east Cornwall have been warned to be careful of weever fish after RNLI lifeguards were told of more than 25 incidents of stings in a week.

The venomous fish buries itself in the sand and can be found in shallow waters. If stepped on, it can cause severe pain lasting up to two hours.

Posting a picture of one on Facebook, external, lifeguards said they had 26 reports of stings across the county's beaches last week.

Image source, RNLI

BBC Spotlight

The Church of England is investing more than £2m in Plymouth.

It is creating three new worshipping communities across the city using existing buildings.

Church bosses said they wanted to put the resources into Whitleigh, Ernesettle and North Prospect, where traditional congregations had dwindled.

The Bishop of Plymouth, the Right Reverend Nick McKinnel, said the churches would be serving their local areas and will be involved in the community...

Del Crookes
BBC News Online

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Devon and Cornwall.

Heavy showers, which could be thundery in places, are expected from Friday morning, through the afternoon and into the evening.

Some areas may see up to 20mm of rain in an hour.

Cornish Stuff

Cornwall Councillors overwhelmingly show their disapproval of plans to merge Cornwall’s police force with Dorset, external.

Devon Live

Torbay's health boss has thanked NHS staff for their support after reluctantly stepping down following a personal tragedy.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Mairead McAlinden has decided to take early retirement following the death of her husband, external.