Summary

  • Police investigate drones flown at fireworks event

  • Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston switches to Liberal Democrats

  • Banning sale of new homes 'won't work' in Cornwall

  • Heavy rain expected across Devon and Cornwall

  • Updates from Thursday 15 August.

  1. BBC Devon & Cornwall Live: 16 Augustpublished at 08:06 BST 16 August 2019

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

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  2. Boy charged over drug death of girl, 15published at 07:06 BST 16 August 2019

    Hannah Bragg was found unwell at a disused viaduct near Tavistock last June.

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  3. British Firework Championships winner crownedpublished at 02:09 BST 16 August 2019

    Five of the country's top firework companies competed at the championships in Plymouth.

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  4. Premature twins were born at less than 23 weekspublished at 01:18 BST 16 August 2019

    The parents of the boys thank search teams and medics who saved their lives a year ago.

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  5. Legal bills double at dozens of councilspublished at 01:05 BST 16 August 2019

    Campaigners fighting council cuts label the amount spent on outside law firms "ridiculous".

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  6. Exeter's Chrisene has 'top level' potentialpublished at 17:32 BST 15 August 2019

    Exeter City manager Matt Taylor says the club's youngest-ever player, Ben Chrisene, has the chance to make it at the highest level.

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  7. Voters react to Sarah Wollaston joining Lib Demspublished at 16:59 BST 15 August 2019

    The former Conservative MP has changed political parties twice in 2019.

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  8. Boscastle flooding: 15 years onpublished at 16:49 BST 15 August 2019

    Massive thunderstorms developed over the Cornish village of Boscastle on the afternoon of 16th August 2004.

    Phenomenal amounts of rain deluged the village and surrounding valley, sweeping cars, trees and bridges into the sea. Helicopters recued over 100 people during the storm.

    We look back at a dramatic day of weather.

  9. GP unlawfully killed by wife at homepublished at 16:03 BST 15 August 2019

    Geraint Hughes was stabbed to death by his wife who was on home leave from a mental health unit.

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  10. Free parking on Saturdays in Mid Devon set to be rejectedpublished at 15:17 BST 15 August 2019

    Daniel Clark
    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A bid for free parking in long stay car parks in Mid Devon on Saturdays is set to be rejected as it would "fly in the face" of the climate change agenda.

    Earlier this year, Councillor Frank Letch had proposed the motion as a way of helping to save the high street of Tiverton, Cullompton and Crediton.

    Mid Devon’s Economy Policy Development Group had initially considered the motion in June and agreed to postpone a decision as to whether or not to support or reject the motion pending a report from the re-established Car Parking Working Group.

    Tiverton Market Centre car parkImage source, LDRS

    But, at an extraordinary meeting of Mid Devon’s Full Council at the end of June, members voted unanimously to support an ambitious cut in carbon emission.

    They agreed to work to the Devon-wide target of 2050, but will aim for Mid Devon to become carbon neutral by a more ambitious date of 2030.

    Proposing that September’s full council meeting reject the motion, the Economy Policy Development Group agreed as the council had recently signed up to the climate declaration and aimed to be carbon neutral by 2030 - plus the fact cars were significant carbon emitters - if the council were to support the motion it would be seen as encouraging the use of cars.

  11. Rare quilt goes on display at Topsham Museumpublished at 15:01 BST 15 August 2019

    BBC Radio Devon

    A rare quilt – made in 1889 but recently rediscovered in Devon - is on display at Topsham Museum.

    The so-called "Topsham Quilt" was found in the museum's loft and was made by Emily Seward - a disabled woman who lived with her father in the town.

    It's made of black velvet with a mixture of plain and patterned silks making out figures of tigers, elephants and camels as well as historic characters like King Louis of France and Mary Stuart.

    Topsham MuseumImage source, Google
  12. Power cut in Exeterpublished at 12:45 BST 15 August 2019

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  13. Truro road rage: Man hit over head with bottlepublished at 12:30 BST 15 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A man was hit over the head with a bottle during a road rage incident in Truro, police have said.

    It happened at about 19:30 on Monday on the A390 at Threemilestone.

    The man, in his 60s, was treated in hospital for his injuries.

    The suspect was believed to have been a passenger in a white VW Transporter Van.

    He is described as white, about 5ft 11in (1.8m) tall and of skinny build with dark hair.

    Any witnesses are asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via 101.

  14. Greta Thungberg has 'bumpy' night on Atlantic voyagepublished at 12:18 BST 15 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    Environmental activist Greta Thunberg says she slept "surprisingly well" on the first "bumpy" night of her two-week journey across the Atlantic ocean.

    The 16-year-old left from Plymouth on the Malizia II, a solar-powered racing yacht with underwater turbines, on Wednesday.

    She is bound for UN climate summits in New York and Chile.

    The Swedish teenager refuses to travel by air because of its environmental impact.

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  15. Triple amputee Mark Ormrod 'humbled' by university honourpublished at 11:45 BST 15 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A former Royal Marine from Plymouth, who lost both legs and an arm in Afghanistan, is set to have an honorary doctorate of laws conferred upon him.

    Mark Ormrod says he is "humbled" after receiving a letter from the University of Exeter.

    "You know some days when I wake up and things are going wrong, I think to myself ‘What did I do in a previous life that was so bad to make times in my life so challenging?’," he said.

    "And then other days I wake up and I think to myself ‘I must have done a couple of good things in that previous life to get so lucky'."

    In September, the triple amputee was awarded an honorary degree at Plymouth University.

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  16. Heavy rain expected across Devon and Cornwallpublished at 10:56 BST 15 August 2019

    Hayley Westcott
    BBC News Online

    A yellow weather warning for heavy rain across Devon and Cornwall has been issued.

    The Met Office said the warning comes in force from 08:00 on Friday.

    More information can be found here., external

    Weather warningImage source, Met Office
  17. Cornwall road closed due to caravan firepublished at 10:22 BST 15 August 2019

    fireImage source, Looe Community Fire Station

    Between Widegates and Hessenford, the A387 is closed in both directions due to an earlier caravan fire.

    Devon and Cornwall Police is investigating the blaze.

    fireImage source, Looe Community Fire Station
    fireImage source, Looe Community Fire Station
  18. Banning sale of new homes 'won't work' in Cornwallpublished at 10:04 BST 15 August 2019

    Tamsin Melville
    Political Reporter, BBC Radio Cornwall

    Supporters of a policy to clamp down on second homes in several Cornish communities say they need more time to prove it works.

    It comes as a report from the London School of Economics looks at the impact of a 2012 vote in Switzerland to ban the construction of new second homes in popular tourist places.

    It says it slows development, pushes up prices and damages local construction and tourism industries.

    It also points to places like St Ives and says an annual tax on the value of a second home would be more effective.

    Cornish homes
    Quote Message

    To be perfectly honest, I don't think there's been enough time. I certainly think it was a positive step, I fully supported it and I still do. But, with what's going on in the UK economy and the housing market, I don't think there's been enough planning applications to judge whether it's been good or bad.

    Andrew Mitchell, Housing cabinet member and Cornwall Councillor in St Ives

  19. Monkey skulls found in police raidpublished at 09:56 BST 15 August 2019

    Police seized 30 macaque skulls as part an investigation into illegal trading of endangered species.

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  20. British Firework Championships 'a spectacle'published at 09:37 BST 15 August 2019

    Six of the country's top firework companies compete in the championships in Plymouth.

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