The emergency services 999 line has provided a lifeline for members of the public to contact the Police, Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard for the last 80 years. It is the most memorable number in the UK and provides a vital service. Six BT call centres handle the nation’s 999 calls in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the North of England, passing calls to the relevant emergency service. In the past year, BT’s committed team handled more than 34 million calls at an average of 93,000 per day. Of those calls connected to the emergency services, 49% were for the Police, 47% Ambulance, 4%...

Major resurfacing work will resume on the A361 North Devon Link Road near Tiverton early in the New Year.

Work on the current phase of the £5 million project ended yesterday (Thursday 20 December) and lane closures have been removed from the A361 for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

When the scheme resumes on Monday 7 January, the outside lanes of both the eastbound and westbound carriageway will be closed, from east of Gornhay Cross to west of Sampford Peverell, for one week.

There will also be overnight closures from 7pm until 7am each evening during this...

Kind-hearted customers at Tesco stores across Exeter have donated thousands of meals to people in need this Christmas.

Shoppers gave 11,171 meals for food charities FareShare and The Trussell Trust during the Tesco Food Collection, which ran in stores in Exeter from 29 November to 1 December.

Customers were asked to donate long-life items to help people in need as part of their usual shop. With this year’s UK-wide total of 3.5 million meals donated to the charities, the overall total given by shoppers since the Tesco Food Collection scheme began in 2012 is more than 52...

Every Spring and Autumn Freemasons from around Devon meet to give support totalling in excess of £50,000 to local charities & organisations throughout the county who are in need of assistance, Cruse Bereavement Services Charity were one of the groups who were nominated by their local lodge St Michaels who meet in Dawlish and we were very grateful to receive a cheque for £1000.

The money is raised by the “WAKE Fund” a trust conceived by the Right Worshipful Brother William Alexander Kneel, our Provincial Grand Master from 1970 to 1984, the late owner of Kneels laundry & dry...

It has been well reported in the UK that personal loans provider Wonga faced serious trouble and has collapsed into administration, but details of how the company has fared in other countries has not been as well documented.

Wonga, which was originally started in the UK by South Africans Errol Damelin from Klerksdorp and Jonty Hurwitz from Johannesburg, still operates their South African website , and has been unaffected by the issues overseas. It has been promised a money boost by its shareholders, two venture capital funds, and all seems to be ‘business as normal’.

Wonga...

Exeter City fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Grimsby Town in Sky Bet League Two.

The Grecians dominated much of the match with having no less than 30 shots, whilst Town defended bravely with key clearances off the line and some excellent saves from James McKeown.

Martyn Woolford got the game's first goal when he popped up at the back post to fire in after 14 minutes before the Grecians levelled through Jayden Stockley in the second half.

But just moments later, substitute Mitch Rose converted from the penalty spot after Ahkeem Rose had been brought down by Dara O'...