Local News

Last call for patients eligible for Covid-19 spring vaccine

NHS Devon has issued a ‘last call’ for at-risk patients eligible for the spring 2025 Covid-19 vaccine.

The spring booster campaign ends on June 17, and patients who meet the criteria are being urged to book before it’s too late.

Covid-19 is more serious in older people and those with certain underlying health conditions. For these reasons, the vaccine is being offered to people:

Aged 75 years and over
In care homes
Aged six months and over with a weakened immune system.

Devon GP Dr Alex Degan, who is also Primary Care...

Full story

Police crackdown on illegal raves

Devon and Cornwall Police are fully prepared to prevent and disrupt any illegal rave activity across the two counties this coming August Bank Holiday. In summer months the counties can be vulnerable to illegal incursions and raves, such as the problems encountered at Bellever and Davidstowe in the past. Each year police have to remove a number of illegal raves which diverts valuable resources away from regular policing and has a damaging impact on the affected communities and the local environment. As part of Operation Derig, beginning on Friday 22nd August, dedicated officers will patrol...

Cricket club bowled over by energy savings

St Thomas Cricket and Sports Club in Marsh Barton is reaping the rewards of a new 12kw solar installation that could slash the clubs electricity bills by up to 50%.

The club, which is now run as an event, conference and function venue, decided to go ahead with the 48 panel installation after the club manager cut his own electricity bills by 20% following the installation of solar panels on the roof of his own home.

Cricket Club Managers Mike and Sue Evans had panels installed on their home in Exeter by MIG Renewable Technologies just over a year ago and have so far received...

Your local fire station needs you!

Ottery St Mary Fire Station is hosting an open evening for prospective on-call firefighters on Wednesday 27 August 2014 starting at 7pm.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is looking for people in the Ottery St Mary community to be on-call or ‘retained’ firefighters.

No previous experience of fire-fighting is necessary for this role – the ideal prospective firefighter starts with a commitment to the community, a positive attitude and a good level of fitness.

This is an opportunity for men and women who live and/or work within five minutes response time...

Lloyds strengthens SW team

David Beaumont, new SME area director for South West England has strengthened the support for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking customers with the appointment of ten senior managers. Previously area director of Devon and Cornwall for five years, David is now responsible for supporting SMEs across Bristol, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

David (pictured) will manage one of the bank’s largest relationship management teams of 80, supporting firms with a turnover up to £25 million. He joined Lloyds Banking Group 31 years ago and has since worked in a variety of roles looking after SMEs of...

WARNING: Week-long blitz on speeding drivers

Devon and Cornwall Poilce officers are joining their colleagues across Europe in a week-long speed enforcement operation.

During the campaign, co-ordinated by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL), officers will use a number of speed detection methods across all types of road.

The purpose of the operation is to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding, and to remind drivers of the benefits for all road users of driving at speeds that are both legal and appropriate.

“We urge all drivers to challenge their own attitude to speeding,” says TISPOL President Koen...

Millions spent on 'needless' remand

Courts wasted an estimated £230 million of taxpayers’ money last year by needlessly locking up people on remand, figures published by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today. During 2013, more than 35,000 people who had been remanded in custody went on to be either acquitted or given non-custodial sentences. The money spent on keeping them in prison would have been enough to build 16 new secondary schools, pay 10,000 nurses for a year, or reverse the government’s cuts to the criminal legal aid budget. Of the 36,044 men, women and children who were remanded into custody by...

Volunteers help with footbridge repairs

A group of volunteers from Culm Valley Young Farmers Club are donning their work gear for a day of hard graft at one of Devon’s rural communities.

The group have kindly agreed to help Devon County Council’s Public Rights of Way team carry out some important repair and restoration work at the footbridge over the River Culm in Hemyock.

The bridge near Hemyock has taken a battering over the past two years and is in danger of becoming permanently surrounded by water.

Getting stone to site needs to be moved to the location by buckets and wheelbarrows and that’s where the...

Record crowds at Dartmoor Folk Festival PICS

Record crowds enjoyed three days of music, song, dance and crafts at the 37th Dartmoor Folk Festival held from August 8 to 10.

Local and national artists entertained audiences at the event held at South Zeal, near Okehampton.

The festival included concerts, dances, a Dartmoor Fayre, a ceilidh, folk service, craft displays, music hall, pub sessions, a ramble on Dartmoor and music, song and dance workshops.

The packed programme of events also included a dedicated children’s festival.

Hotly-contested competitions included the Dartmoor Broom Dance championships...

Exeter study dispels magpie folklore

Magpies are not attracted to shiny objects and don’t routinely steal small trinkets such as jewellery, according to a new study.

In European culture, it is widely accepted that magpies (Pica pica) are the pilferers of the bird kingdom, unconditionally attracted to sparkly things and prone to pinching them for their nests, almost as a compulsion.

But psychologists at the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) at the University of Exeter are now countering this folklore, having shown that the species is actually frightened of new and unfamiliar objects, rather than...

Cadets pass out at Exmouth Fire Station

A passing out parade took place at Exmouth Fire Station after cadets proudly completed a ten week course.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service worked in conjunction with the cadets from Exmouth Community College and Devon & Cornwall Police.

Matthew Reece, Master Equipment Technician who organised the event said: “We had a total of 16 cadets for five of the ten weeks.

"Every week we set new goals, so starting with the very basics of using ladders and hoses to finishing with a visit to Control and Station 60 to see practical applications. Due to the size...

Local News

Last call for patients eligible for Covid-19 spring vaccine

Police crackdown on illegal raves

Cricket club bowled over by energy savings

Your local fire station needs you!

Lloyds strengthens SW team

WARNING: Week-long blitz on speeding drivers

Millions spent on 'needless' remand

Volunteers help with footbridge repairs

Record crowds at Dartmoor Folk Festival PICS

Exeter study dispels magpie folklore

Cadets pass out at Exmouth Fire Station

It's your Daily

You make the news

Top video

Selco Builders Warehouse | England Rugby star Jack Nowell visits Exeter Saracens junior teams

Exeter Weather

Search form

Local News

Top video

Exeter Weather