‘Green’ offices with plants make staff happier and more productive than ‘lean’ designs stripped of greenery, new research by academics in Exeter, Cardiff, Holland and Australia have revealed.

In the first field study of its kind, published today, researchers found enriching a ‘lean’ office with plants could increase productivity by 15%.

The team examined the impact of ‘lean’ and ‘green’ offices on staff’s perceptions of air quality, concentration, and workplace satisfaction, and monitored productivity levels over subsequent months in two large commercial offices in the UK...

Damp and mould in homes could pose a significant health risk to people with asthma according to a new study by Exeter academics.

By critically reviewing the findings from 17 studies in eight different countries, the research published the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that the presence of several types of mould can lead to breathing problems in asthma sufferers, as well as increasing the likelihood of developing the condition.

The research has been conducted by a team at the University of Exeter Medical School and is the first time all of the information...

Optometrist Kieran Loft, from the Royal Devon and Exeter’s West of England Eye Unit (WEEU), is on the lookout for your old spectacles.

In January 2015, Kieran will be going on an aid mission with local charity the Plymouth-Bissary Aid Project to perform eye tests and distribute glasses to people in a remote part of the Gambia.

Kieran is asking for old or unneeded glasses to be donated at the reception desk of West of England Eye Unit, just near the main entrance to the Wonford hospital, before they are shipped out to West Africa in November.

He’ll be utilising his...

Driving Instructors across Devon are using social media to help with a police appeal for information following the death of a 12-year-old in an accident with a lorry.

Exeter Advanced Driving Instructors reported the incident on their Facebook page and asked for witnesses to come forward.

One of them, Martyn Morris, who runs Trident Driver Training, said: "We are trying to find out if anyone was in the area or if anyone saw anything. We realise in situations like this any snippets of information can help."

Mr Morris (above) said there had been a massive amount of...

Detoxification can help to remove harmful chemicals from your system, and this is an important step in ensuring your optimal health. While there are many detox kits on the market, they are not one-size-fits-all. Each person has unique biological and chemical needs, so it is wise to consult with a health care professional before you embark on a serious detox regimen. However, there are some foods that can give you a daily mild detox.

Here are seven of the best detox foods to eat.

1. Organic Apples

Apples provide many beneficial nutrients, including vitamins,...

Over the past three years Orvis UK has introduced over 2,500 people to the sport of fly-fishing with its free “Learn about Fly-Fishing” sessions held at Orvis stores around the UK.

Many of these are new anglers and families learning the sport together, which is a positive and heart-warming sign for the fly-fishing industry.

In 2014 more sessions are planned from now until October and anyone is welcome to attend!

The “Learn about Fly-Fishing” classes are a free two hour session, which teach basic knots, rigging up a rod and focus strongly on learning to cast in an...

Prayers will be said this weekend for an Exeter community in mourning over the death of a 12-year-old boy.

The youngster died after a collision with a lorry on Topsham Road, close to Countess Wear roundabout on Thursday.

He was taken to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The lorry driver was uninjured.

The road was closed for five hours while serious collision investigators carried out an examination of the scene.

Rev Juliet Horwood, Curate for the Mission Community, St Luke's, Countess Wear, said her thoughts...

Exeter City lost 1-0 to a late Marc Richards goal at the hands of Northampton Town at Sixfields.

An open game saw chances at both ends, with City looking particularly potent in the first half but unable to beat Matt Duke in the Cobblers net.

Christy Pym was called upon on several occasions after the break and made a string of good saves as the hosts pushed forward, and City looked to have secured at least a point from the visit.

But the Exeter defence was breached a minute from the end when Richards volleyed in acrobatically to give Northampton all three points and...

Local charity Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau today publishes its latest advice trend statistics which shows that at the end of July 2014 it helped 2090 people directly with advice and information in the first four months of the financial year.

The amount of advice that the charity has been able to provide has increased in the following areas compared to the same period last year:

Welfare benefit enquires • 59.4% increase about local support for council tax • 34.7% increase about tax credits • 30.7% increase about attendance allowance • 27.2% increase about housing benefit...