During the summer holidays, Lydford Gorge has a number of events to tempt children and their families away from their television and computer screens, outside and closer to nature with all the benefits that this brings.

The Lydford Gorge walk is stunning at any time of the year and through the holidays there is also a butterfly trail. This trail is designed to teach people the differences between the butterflies found on Dartmoor, making that learning a fun experience so that everyone can then have a go spotting and naming real butterflies in the wild. There is a prize for all...

A major gas leak has closed part of Exeter city centre.

Properties in Longbrook Street have been evacuated and the road has been closed.

Fire crews from Exeter have confirmed a ruptured gas main on the corner of Longbrook Street.

A spokesman said: “A 100 metre cordon has been set up and the road has been closed. All the properties within the one hundred metre cordon have now been evacuated.

“The flow of gas has been stemmed but not completely isolated.

“Fire crews are at work with a positive pressure ventilation fan to assist with gas ventilation and...

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter will use pre-season as a chance to experiment a new role for imposing Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki.

Having been sidelined for much of last season with a troublesome knee complaint, Baxter is looking at switching the 33-year-old into the forwards this season to help utilise his considerable frame.

The former Stormers star - who is set to begin his fifth season at Sandy Park - initially arrived as a winger, making his debut in Exeter's maiden season in the Aviva Premiership in an away game at Northampton Saints.

Over time, however,...

Devon Community Foundation is delighted to announce that its Summer Grant Round is open with £125,000 available for Community Projects across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay helping to build thriving communities.

For this round the Foundation are looking to support community projects mainly run by volunteers with an income of less than £30,000 pa which are helping to bring the local community together, with grants between £500 and £1,000. For those looking for grants on a larger scale the Foundation does have a limited number of grants between £1,000 and £10,000, but the grant must be...

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a substantially increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in older people, according to the most robust study of its kind ever conducted.

An international team, led by Dr David Llewellyn at the University of Exeter Medical School, found that study participants who were severely Vitamin D deficient were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The team studied elderly Americans who took part in the Cardiovascular Health Study. They discovered that adults in the study who were moderately deficient...

Scientists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol have conducted a study that shows eels are losing the fight to survive when faced with marine noise pollution such as that of passing ships.

The study, published today (August 7th) in the journal Global Change Biology, found European eels were 50% less likely to respond to an ambush from a predator, while those that did had 25% slower reaction times. Those that were pursued by a predator were caught more than twice as quickly when exposed to the noise.

Lead author Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology...

There's still time for people to have their say on proposals to extend the principles of licensing for houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) not already covered by the current scheme.

Landlords, tenants, partnership agencies and the public in general are being encouraged to complete a short questionnaire by visiting the City Council's website at www.exeter.gov.uk/additionalhmolicensing

Exeter City Council wants to broaden its licensing to cover rented properties in buildings which have been poorly converted into self-contained flats or flats in multiple occupation above...