Shoppers in Exeter are being given an early Christmas present as the City Council gets behind Small Business Saturday this weekend.

Anyone spending £10 or more in participating small businesses this Saturday (6 December) will be issued with a parking permit allowing them to double their stay next time they come into Exeter.

The permit will be valid in any Council pay and display car park during a subsequent visit to Exeter throughout December. The holder simply has to display the correctly dated permit next to a valid parking ticket to receive twice the parking time...

Palm Oil is washing up on some beaches along East Devon’s Jurassic Coastline. Although it is not normally harmful to humans or birds, it can prove toxic to dogs if they eat it.

East Devon District Council is warning dog owners to beware of their pets eating the substance. And the council is offering to pick up any clumps of congealed palm oil that are reported to it.

If you find this substance on the beach, please contact East Devon District Council to arrange removal. You can call 01395 516551 or tell us via the Report Litter form on the East Devon App.

Councillor...

Early figures from the Met Office show 2014 is on course to be one of, if not the warmest, year on record both globally and for the UK.

Recent Met Office research also suggests breaking the existing global and UK temperature records is much more likely due to human influence on the climate.

The global mean temperature for January to October based on the HadCRUT4 dataset (compiled by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit) is 0.57 °C (+/- 0.1) above the long-term (1961-1990) average. This is consistent with the statement from the World...

Arts and voluntary organisations in Exeter are being invited to apply for a share of a new Arts Project Fund.

Bidding for the Fund will begin on 9 December and will be aimed at supporting one-off Exeter-based arts projects taking place during 2015/16.

Grants between £1,500 and £10,000 will be available and priority areas of funding in 2015/16 are:

• Festival of Rugby events • Community festivals • Art Form festivals • Partnerships between artists and communities

Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate that the project will benefit residents of...

Emergency services were called to a road traffic collision on the M5 near Exeter on Wednesday.

Police were called around 11.20am to an overturned lorry on the motorway at junction 31, at the A30 slip road.

The Daf lorry has a container with sea salt on board and has overturned.

Two other vehicles were involved in the collision, namely a Blue Ford Transit van and a silver Saab.

None of the drivers are seriously injured.

One lane remains closed and traffic is slow on the A30 westbound, between Exeter and Alphington.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is delighted to be reopening their Heavitree, Exeter charity shop on Saturday 6 December at 10am.

Martin Bell, Retail Director of Devon Air Ambulance Trust said “We are often asked why we spend money on refurbishing our shops. There are many reasons for this. In the case of our Heavitree shop we are at the end of the current lease so we are obliged to ensure that the premises are fit for purpose. We plan to continue trading from these premises for many years to come. Therefore at the same time replacing the lighting and heating to low running cost...

As temperatures start to fall PHE is urging people to think now how the onset of cooler weather could impact their health. Every year more than 25,000 extra people die in England over the winter period and many of these deaths are, experts say, preventable.

The Met Office warned that later this week we will get our first taste of cooler weather and temperatures are expected to fall to about what we’d expect for this time of year.

Mark Wilson, a meteorologist Met Office, said: "This week looks likely to see temperatures falling closer to the early December average. This...

Whitbread PLC is to open its brand new Premier Inn on Exmouth Seafront early in 2015.

The new property will contribute extensively to the local economy and beachfront environment whilst generating more than 30 new permanent and seasonal jobs for the residents of Exmouth. The brand new 60 bedroom hotel is situated on the Esplanade directly opposite one of the best beaches in Devon and a short walk from the main town centre, providing access to all that Exmouth has to offer for tourists and residents alike. The hotel provides private car parking and water sports storage for guests...

Police Scotland have issued a nationwide appeal for information about a man missing from Drumchapel since 10 September 2014.

Jonathon Kelly (pictured in a forensic artist’s drawing) had his licence revoked after failing to comply with imposed conditions following his release from Lowmoss Prison on 21 August 2014.

Police have undertaken extensive enquiries to locate Mr Kelly, however attempts so far to trace him have proved unsuccessful. There have also been no confirmed sightings of Mr Kelly.

Officers believe he may have travelled further afield than Scotland and...