Strength and balance classes have been launched at Moretonhampstead Hospital and are already proving a hit with patients.

The weekly classes, which started in November, are designed to boost the health, wellbeing and confidence of people who suffer from falls or are afraid of falling.

The sessions run for 12 weeks and include a range of exercises aimed at improving balance and preventing falls, with advice from therapists on how best to manage them when they do happen.

Falls account for over half of hospital admissions for accidental injury, and about a third of...

City, national and international law firm Trowers & Hamlins have announced that Rachel Carter, a lawyer based in the firm's Exeter office, has been promoted to partner.

Rachel has over 20 years of experience in the property sector and works in the firm's Housing and Regeneration department. She acts for private developers, social landlords and local authorities, giving her a full understanding of the complexities and commercial arrangements needed to tackle development issues. In addition to development projects and joint ventures, Rachel has experience advising on purchases...

A national survey commissioned by Van Guard, a market-leading British manufacturer of commercial vehicle accessories, has revealed that 97% of van drivers who responded said they were more likely to buy a van accessory if it was manufactured in the UK. Not only that, but 92% said that buying British is somewhat or highly important to them.

The survey, which targeted over 2,500 van drivers in the UK, also highlighted that over 95% of those questioned associated British-made products with high quality, whereas 96% would choose British-manufactured van accessories over foreign-made...

The A379 coast road between Torcross and Strete offers an important transport link between local communities, as well as providing a secondary emergency route to Dartmouth.The road sits atop a shingle barrier between the sea and Slapton Ley.

In last year’s storms, significant damage was caused to the single ridge and bastions. A substantial amount of shingle was washed away from the beach, including up to nearly half from individual bastions which provide protection for the road.

Although seasonal weather usually ensures that the shingle returns during the summer, this hasn...

Stress hormones in the mother can affect foetal development, according to a study published today in The Journal of Physiology.

To test whether high stress levels in pregnant mice had an impact on their offspring, pregnant mice received the natural glucocorticoid corticosterone at different times during pregnancy, either from day 11 to 16 (20 females), from day 14-19 (31 females), or not at all (74 control females).

Researchers found that increased levels of glucocorticoid stress hormones in pregnant mice caused the mother to eat more but reduced the ability of the placenta...

Bishop Robert will be one of two bishops who will present Rev Libby Lane for consecration as the first woman bishop in the Church of England.

The historic service is taking place at York Minster on Monday.

Bishop Robert has worked and known Libby for many years. She is succeeding him as Bishop of Stockport, a post he left to move to become Bishop of Exeter last year.

He said: “I am proud and delighted to be one of the two bishops presenting LIbby for consecration as the first women bishop in the Church of England. She is a person of great warmth and character who...

New services to help children at risk of sexual exploitation are being planned in Devon with a cash boost of almost £120,000.

The County Council’s Cabinet member for children, Cllr James McInnes, said that Council Leader John Hart had agreed more cash to expand Devon’s prevention services.

The announcement came following a series of hard-hitting recommendations from an all-party task group set up to look into child sexual exploitation in Devon.

The task group found that there is no intelligence to suggest organised child sexual exploitation networks are operating in...

East Devon District Council is organising a neighbourhood planning referendum in Lympstone to invite residents to approve a draft planning blueprint for the village.

Lympstone is one of only a handful of parishes, across England, to have got this far in creating their own Neighbourhood Plan, under new national planning guidelines.

The neighbourhood plan will give the village and planning officers from the district a benchmark with which to consider any future planning applications for the area.

National interest in the proposal was underlined this week when Brandon...

An Exeter man is set to join a determined group of fund-raisers who are planning a midnight trek to the peak of Mount Snowdon to raise funds to help find a cure for dementia.

Stoke Canon resident Andrew Harris’ mum Jackie was diagnosed with vascular dementia three years ago and is cared for on a day to day basis by her 84 year-old husband Douglas.

37-year-old Andrew, who works in the IT department at Gregory Distribution, said: “My sister, Melissa and I help out at any opportunity. Although diagnosis and treatment are available there is no cure, yet. We have found it...

A powerful second half display from Exeter Chiefs saw them blitz visiting Bayonne to secure a first-ever home quarter-final in the European Challenge Cup.

Having led 11-0 at half time thanks to an early Jack Nowell try and two penalties from Henry Slade, Rob Baxter’s men upped the ante on the resumption adding a further five tries to secure a Sandy Park showdown with Aviva Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons this Easter.

Matt Jess, Dave Ewers, Carl Rimmer (pictured), Kai Horstmann and skipper Dean Mumm all went over for tries, three of which were converted by replacement...