South West Water is urging customers not to steal water from its public supply network or they could run the risk of prosecution. A standpipe hire service is available instead.
The advice follows the prosecution of several businesses earlier this year:
Keily Bros Ltd, a road surfacing company from Birmingham, contravened the Water Industry Act 1991 section 174 after using an unauthorised standpipe to access the water supply via a hydrant at Red Ball, near Wellington, on 21 May 2014 without permission of South West Water.
Thousands of rent or mortgage payers across the South West might be facing a not-so-happy new year, as new research reveals one in nine are worried they will be unable to make payments this January.
Research from Shelter and YouGov paints a bleak picture for many this winter, with 65% of rent or mortgage payers in the South West revealing they are already struggling to keep up with their housing costs.
Shelter is warning that ignoring money worries rather than seeking advice could lead to people’s home being put at risk. Worryingly, over a quarter (27%) of people in the...
When traipsing through a busy city centre or strolling through rural areas, pulling out a huge paper map that takes 10 minutes to pinpoint where you are, is a thing of the past. It seems now that we no longer rely on once trusty maps but have near enough fully turned to digital navigation, as 85% of 18-24 year olds do not know how to read a map.
It was around six years ago that maps became available for mobile, revolutionising the way we navigated. Now, around 45% of 18-24 year olds utilise maps on their smartphone to navigate and a third (32%) are totally reliant on the internet...
As the Christmas and New Year celebrations conclude, solicitors around the region will be preparing themselves for the influx of calls they will receive regarding divorce.
Known as ‘D day’, this is first day legal offices open after the festive break and it is traditionally the busiest day of the year for divorce enquiries.
Zoe Porter has recently joined Everys Solicitors as its newest partner and has experienced 13 D days in her career.
She said: “A lot of couples drag themselves through Christmas before picking up the phone to their solicitor. The majority of...
People in the South West believe children should be taught CPR in schools, according to new research by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The BHF polled over 2,000 people and found that 89% of people in the South West thought that children should leave secondary school knowing the life-saving skill.
More than 30,000 people have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital, but less than one-in-ten survive - partly because people don’t have the skills or confidence to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Survival rates in the UK are much lower than other countries...
Exeter based charity Dream-A-Way recently provided a holiday grant to young Tom from East Devon and were delighted to meet up with him and to hear about his wonderful holiday experience Tom flew to Rome with his carers in November for a 5 day holiday at the Star Hotel Metropole. Tom is an absolutely delightful young man and it was a real pleasure to spend some time with him and his lovely carers, Julie and Kate. He has no vision whatsoever and is autistic. Nothing though, has stopped him from researching foreign countries and cuisines and cultures.
Unlike Game One of their Aviva Premiership existence, Exeter’s 100th top flight encounter failed to bring the same rewards for Rob Baxter’s side, writes Mark Stevens.
Back in September 2010, the Chiefs stunned the rugby world when they saw off visiting Gloucester 22-10 thanks to a Mark Foster try and the deadly boot of Gareth Steenson.
Five years down the line, Devon’s finest have grown in stature, forging themselves as one of England’s leading lights.
On this occasion, though, Steenson was unable to repeat the...
Exeter City opened the calendar year with a disappointing defeat at home to Accrington Stanley, who came from behind to win 2-1.
Tom Nichols’ ninth goal of the season had Exeter in the ascendency at the interval, but Seamus McCartan had the visitors level midway through the second period.
Just minutes after Tom Aldred denied Nichols a winner with a goal-line block, the Stanley centre-half slotted in a rebound at the other end to secure the points in stoppage-time.
As in City’s previous home game against Cheltenham,...
For many people it will be a stressful start to the New Year, as thousands of people pick up the phone to a lawyer to start divorce proceedings.
The post-Christmas and New Year phenomenon is so well established in legal circles that it has become known as ‘Divorce Day’.
And one of the country’s top divorce lawyers is warning couples to steer clear of so called “DIY divorces” as the motivation to save money on divorce can actually lead to couples losing out significantly financially in the long term. Liz Allen from Stephens Scown LLP in Exeter has received the top ranking...
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Trevor Stratford has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2015 New Year’s Honours List for services to the Fire and Rescue Service.
The honour follows a year in which Trevor managed the fire service response to the flooding on the Somerset Levels and the impact of the severe weather at Dawlish last winter.
As Director of Operations at Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, Trevor has responsibility for all operational and resilience matters across the organisation.
He said: “I am extremely proud to receive this award and...
