A Newton Abbot building sub-contractor has been fined for safety failings that caused him to suffer a fractured spine while he was demolishing a temporary school classroom near Exmouth.

William Batten, 66, trading as Bill Batten Concrete Cutting and Demolition Service, was injured when he removed key timber supports at the corners of the roof, destabilising it and causing it to collapse on top of him. The collapse was witnessed by schoolchildren in a nearby playground on their lunch break.

Mr Batten suffered a fractured vertebrae and neck injury. He was hospitalised for a...

As violence continues to take its devastating toll on Palestinians in Gaza, Green MEP for the South West, Molly Scott Cato, has expressed her deep disappointed at the outcome of a European Parliamentary resolution on the conflict.

The ‘Escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine’ resolution was not supported by Molly or England’s other two Green MEPs Keith Taylor and Jean Lambert. The final resolution did not contain key demands put forward by the Green Group in the Parliament. Greens wanted the text to include:

• reference to a comprehensive UN arms embargo
...

Firefighters were called to a fire at a shed on an allotment in St Thomas, Exeter, last night.

Appliances from Danes Castle and Middlemoor attended the blaze just before midnight.

On arrival crews confirmed one shed building, measuring approximately 5x5 metres, in the centre of an allotment plot well alight.

Crews used one 45mm attack jet to extinguish the fire.

The allotment shed was completely destroyed by fire which is believed to be accidental.

Exeter Northcott Theatre has put its hardworking staff centre stage as it launches its autumn 2014 Season.

To celebrate receiving Arts Council funding, the new brochure pays tribute to the fantastic team at the theatre as they make a trip back to the 1940s through the costume store. Photographer Matt Austin spent an afternoon with Ed (box office manager), Hazel (box office assistant and bar steward), Vicki (senior bar steward) and Steph (usher) for a photocall which transported them to the Exeter Northcott of the 1940s and the result is a set of beautiful images.

The new...

Supermarket customers will have the opportunity to have a go at table cricket when disabled people’s charity CEDA launch their new partnership with Sainsbury’s Alphington Road on Thursday 31 July.

CEDA has just become the local charity partner of Sainsbury’s Alphington Road. The Exeter-based charity find imaginative and creative ways to provide support services to disabled people, with a focus on independence and empowerment.

Diana Cole, one of CEDA’s directors said: “As a small charity, this partnership with Sainsbury’s will make a big difference to us and we really want...

Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced 2 new measures (30 July 2014) that give the green light for driverless cars to take to UK roads from January 2015.

UK cities can now bid for a share of a £10 million competition to host a driverless cars trial. The government is calling on cities to join together with businesses and research organisations to put forward proposals to become a test location.

Up to three cities will be selected to host the trials from next year (2015) – and each project is expected to last between 18 and 36 months and start in January 2015.

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The number of people who lose their lives at work has dropped sharply by 85 per cent over the past forty years, from over 650 every year in 1974 to a record low of 133 today, new figures reveal.

The number of injuries at work has also reduced considerably by 77 per cent over the same time period, from 336,701 to 78,222. The statistics illustrate the enormous impact of an act that created a flexible, proportionate and world class regulatory system.

The 1974 Act paved the way for the creation of the Health and Safety Commission and the establishment of the Health and Safety...