The number of prison officers in the South West has been cut by 34 per cent in three years, figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform reveal today (Friday 11 July).
Research published by the charity shows that there were 1,275 officer grade staff working in the region’s prisons in September 2013, compared with 1,943 in September 2010.
According to the charity the number of officers at Exeter Prison has fallen by 32 per cent – from 176 in September 2010 to 120 in September 20123.
The drop in officer numbers nationwide has coincided with a deepening...
This September, in Exeter’s chic Southernhay quarter, an exhibition of Surreal works will launch at leading commercial gallery gloss - Art Exeter.
The exhibition, titled The Surreal and The Absurd, will feature over thirty original paintings, photographs, sculptures and film by a range of accomplished artists, primarily living and working in South West England.
Lucinda Cusdin, Gallery Manager and Exhibition Curator, said: ‘The Surreal and The Absurd will bring a range of challenging works together and, although we housed...
East Devon District Council is giving its support to a gruelling triathlon race that starts at Budleigh Salterton on Sunday 10 August. The event was first staged in 2013.
The Jurassicman race – nicknamed The Brutal – is a long distance triathlon that involves competitors in a sea swim at Budleigh, followed by a cycle ride to Swanage in Dorset and ending with a full-length running marathon, which again finishes in Swanage.
The organisers have been given permission to use part of EDDC’s Lime Kiln car park at Budleigh for the early stages of the event, which begins with a 2.4...
An East Devon District Council committee today (Friday) unanimously voted to defer a decision on a proposal for up to 300 new homes off Hayne Lane, Honiton, in the parish of Gittisham.
The decision came after late submissions from official bodies asked to comment on the possible impact of the new homes.
EDDC’s Development Management Committee (DMC) had referred the application to the Site Inspections Committee on 3 April and later that month the latter committee resolved to approve the proposal.
Since then, concerns have been raised by the EDDC ward member,...
Detectives investigating the death of a 17-year-old boy in Kingsbridge will be returning to the town one week after the tragic event to appeal for the public’s help.
A murder enquiry was launched after the death of Alex Peguero Sosa, from the Kingsbridge area, who was found with fatal injuries at a bus shelter in Prince of Wales Road around 2.20am on 6 July.
Lee Dent, 42, of East Portlemouth, Salcombe, has been charged with murder and remains in custody following an appearance at Exeter Crown Court on 10 July.
Detectives and local officers will return to Kingsbridge...
Devon County Council has today (Friday 11 July) received £1.1 million from the Government for sustainable transport schemes.
Devon has successfully bid for the Local Sustainable Transport Funding as a one year extension for its two projects which aim to help economic growth and cut congestion across the county.
The Department for Transport is providing £910,00 for 2015/16 to go towards the County Council’s “Unlocking Growth Through Sustainable Travel” scheme.
This will aim to improve integration between sustainable modes of transport, improve bus services, and...
Hedgehog numbers are on the decline in Britain, partly due to loses of suitable habitats, but students on the National Citizen Service (NCS) Government scheme are working in partnership with Petroc College, Tiverton and Knightshayes to help boost the local hedgehog population.
On Wednesday 16 July, from 10am onwards, students will share their newly gained hedgehog knowledge and expertise to help the visitors at Knightshayes learn how to encourage hedgehogs into their gardens. They will also be working with the rangers to create a hedgehog-friendly habitat by placing hedgehog box...
To tie in with the musical The Day We Played Brazil, Exeter City Football Club's unique history is celebrated in an exhibition at the theatre, which commemorates their match against the Brasileiros XI in June 1914.
The official exhibition is accompanied by a stunning display of artwork created by young people from the Clyst Vale Learning Community and is on view until Saturday 2 August.
You can view the exhibition between 10am and 6pm Monday to Saturday and Sunday an hour before the show starts.
The Day We Played Brazil celebrates the 100th anniversary of the...
With the school summer holidays almost upon us, and more drivers using its roads, the Highways Agency is urging road users in the South West to check and maintain their vehicles this summer – as figures reveal that 1,014 incidents on the region’s roads last summer were potentially preventable. It is also using data from previous years to analyse popular routes and times in the South West – allowing drivers to better plan their journeys.
Agency figures show that out of 5,006 incidents in the South West last year during the summer months, 1014 of them were potentially preventable –...
Children across Devon will have the chance to get involved in an exciting reading challenge in their local library this summer holiday, in conjunction with Devon County Council and the Reading Agency.
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge, entitled the ‘Mythical Maze’ also aims to improve children’s health and wellbeing and promote physical activity.
Over 9,000 children took part in the library service's Summer Reading Challenge last year - a record number of challengers.
This year the council is hoping for more, and is encouraging children to read six books or more...
