Exeter Chiefs assistant coach Ali Hepher is expecting the Aviva Premiership to be even tougher when it returns to full-on action in early September.

Last season the Chiefs finished sixth in arguably their toughest top flight campaign to date – an outcome which ensured the Devon club would be competing amongst Europe’s elite in the Heineken Cup once more. However, Hepher believes the 2013/14 season will see the standard rise even further and has issued a timely warning to his players of what to expect. “It always cranks up a notch,” said Hepher. “If you stand still you fall behind...

A public consultation to discuss what sort of Bishop Devon needs is to be held at County Hall in Exeter next week.

The consultation is open to anyone who would like to have their say on the person needed for the role, which becomes vacant at the end of August. Current Bishop, the Rt Revd Michael Langrish, has served for 13 years. A farewell service for Bishop Michael will be held in the Cathedral on Satuday 29 June.

The consultation meeting will be attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Appointment Secretary, Caroline Boddington, and the Prime Minister’s Appointment...

In a recent blog I highlighted the constructive dismissal claim being brought by former Apprentice winner, Stella English. Miss English subsequently lost the case.

In particular, I highlighted the comments of the Employment Tribunal Judge in the judgment that “the case should never have been brought in the first place”. I thought that might spark Lord Sugar’s company into making an application for costs, a rare thing in the Employment Tribunal.

Sure enough, it has today been reported (here) that Miss English is being pursued for up to £35,000 in costs, according to sources...

Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts from the East Devon area are invited to take part in a day of exploration of Dartmoor, with the East Devon branch of Devon Birds.

Meldon Reservior car park, near Okehampton is the venue for the group’s visit on 17 June.

“We arrange at least one visit to Dartmoor every year, to catch up with species we don’t get on the local patch,” event organiser for the branch, David Jannaway explained. “This visit normally looks to find ring ouzel, but with the poor year they are having we have altered the route slightly and we will be exploring the...

Police in Bideford are appealing for information after a 73-year-old man was assaulted in the town.

The incident took place outside the Burton Art Gallery on Kingsley Road at around 0920 hours today, Tuesday, 11 June 2013.

The local victim was walking through the park with his dog and he let his pet off the lead.

The offender approached him and told him that he should put the dog back on the lead.

He then took the nylon and chain lead from the victim’s neck and hit him on the back of the leg.

He then punched him to the jaw, knocking him to the ground...

An international expert in marine debris says that school children will be a driving force in bringing about a sea change in attitude towards marine pollution, which has reached crisis proportions across the globe in the past decade.

Plymouth University professor, Richard Thompson, who is working on UN and EU projects to find solutions to ocean debris, believes children have a major role to play by educating their parents, who were brought up in a 'throwaway' generation. He is carrying out a survey of over 300 children who are taking part in the Ecover Schools Blue Mile at the...

An unusually busy agenda at an East Devon planning meeting has seen several decisions made about major planning applications and issues in the district.

The meeting on Tuesday 11 June (which lasted for 11 hours) took in 16 applcations and reports on the Validation of Planning Applicaitons and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), discussing a fresh round of consultation on the council’s updated plans for charging developers per home they build, with money going towards infrastructure and community facilities.

With several high profile applications on the agenda the meeting...

There are only two weeks left for Sidmouth, Sidbury and Sidford residents, voluntary and community groups and other organisations to get their ideas in for how they want £150,000 to be spent on sport in the area.

East Devon District Council is inviting all Sidmouth, Sidbury and Sidford’s residents, voluntary and community groups and other organisations to send their proposals to Sidmouth Town Council before 28 June 2013. All the funds available have been accumulated by East Devon District Council from recent housing developments in the parish of Sidmouth (Section 106 money). It is...

The amount of homes sold in the UK over the past three months reached its highest level since January 2010 as buyers across the country began to return to the market, says the latest RICS residential market survey (11 June 2013).

Chartered surveyors in the UK sold on average 17.9 properties during the three months to May. While low compared to the market peak of six years ago, it still represents the highest reading since January 2010. Furthermore, sales are expected to continue their rise over the next three months with a net balance of 35% more respondents predicting transaction...

This pack of rugby "wives" are more used to their more illustrious other halves hogging all the attention, particularly from avid fans.

But the women, whose husbands all play for the top-flight Exeter Chiefs, stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight to promote a charity event.

They were helping to publicise a walk this Saturday which has been organised in aid of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, the only UK charity dedicated to women affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities.

Staff at Ashfords solicitors are helping with the Exeter walk, one of nine...