An East Devon councillor alleged to have influenced planning decisions has been suspended by the East Devon Conservatives.

Graham Brown has also been removed as Member Champion for Business and Tourism on East Devon District Council as an investigation into this morning’s revelations by The Telegraph gets underway.

Mr Brown, the Conservative councillor for Feniton and Buckerell, who also runs a planning consultancy firm, was secretly filmed by the Daily Telegraph claiming he had "access to all the right people for the right clients".

Cllr Paul Diviani, Leader of the...

Today Age UK launched a definitive report into the lives and health of people over 85, the fastest growing demographic group in the UK redefining the frontiers of human existence.

People over the age of 85 are now the fastest growing demographic group in the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates there are currently 1.5 million people in the UK over the age of 85; by 2050 this will have grown to 5 million.

But in spite of the size of this social group, to date there has been a lack of comprehensive information about them.

Today Age UK hopes to...

Exeter-based digital design agency Digibug ( www.digibug.co.uk ) celebrated its 5th birthday on Sunday.

The team puts a big emphasis on high quality design, mixed in with keeping things fun and friendly. This along with the high level of customer service they give their customers, wins them new customers on a regular basis, with a majority being recommended – something that the team is incredibly proud of.

What sets Digibug apart to other agencies is the one-to-one access their clients enjoy with their designers. This gives the customers a first-hand experience that can...

East Devon District Council (EDDC) is about to launch a new teaching and learning pack for schools, which focuses on the River Axe.

EDDC Education Ranger Meg Knowles and Primary Curriculum Advisor David Weatherly are leading a teacher training day on the Axe Estuary Wetlands on Monday 15 April.

The government has made it clear that the new slimmed-down national curriculum will only identify ‘’the essentials of human knowledge and understanding’’, providing more professional space for schools to design their own (broad and balanced) curriculum using their local environment...

Four teenagers have been found safe and well after they became separated from the adults they were with while training for Ten Tors. The alarm was raised at 7.45pm on Saturday 9 March 2013 when the missing youngsters rang the police, but were unable to give their exact location. Although dressed appropriately, they had no shelter with them. The weather prevented the force helicopter from lifting, and the Dartmoor Rescue Group was called in to take part in the search. Through careful questioning of the missing people the officers organised a systematic search and found them just after...

Residents in East Devon have been advised to check their sheds and outbuildings following a spate of burglaries in the area.

Officers are investigating 16 burglaries, which have targeted sheds, garages and outbuildings over recent months.

Offenders have forced locks and taken items including gardening and building tools, vehicle parts, bicycles and fuel.

Particular areas affected are Ottery St Mary, Whimple, West Hill, Woodbury and Lympstone.

PC Rob Poole commented: “I would request members of the public who live in rural and semi-rural locations to check...

A new Special Olympics club in Exeter will celebrate gaining full accreditation from Special Olympics GB in an official opening this week.

Bob Billson from Special Olympics GB (a provider of year-round sports training and competition programmes for children and adults with intellectual (learning) disabilities) will make the presentation to Special Olympics Exeter & District Club at 7pm at The Stansfield Centre on Falcon Road.

The club has been running activity sessions for young people with disabilities since January and caters for the community of Exeter and its...

The Exeter Daily has been shortlisted for a national newspaper award.

We are in the running for the coveted title of Digital News Service of the Year along with, among others, thesundaytimes.co.uk, metro.co.uk and guardian.co.uk.

The winner will be announced at a high profile event at the Hilton in London's Park Lane.

Exeter Daily editor Natalie Vizard said the success of the site was down to the way it had been embraced by the local community.

She added: "People seem to love our concept of a free website which allows them to become journalists and write...

Aspect Windows staff will don their red noses on Friday 15 March as they attempt to raise money for Comic Relief 2013 with a bake sale at their Exeter showroom.

Aspect Windows has joined property guru Kirstie Allsopp in the Twitter Million campaign, a challenge on the social networking site to raise £1 million for the charity, and hopes to raise £100 for the cause.

The company has invited the other businesses around Trade City, off Sidmouth Road, and hopes for a good turnout in the name of charity.

Managing director Steve Cooling said: “We joined Kirstie’s Twitter...

Apprenticeship completions over the next decade are forecast to contribute £3.4 billion a year to the economy through productivity gains by 2022. That’s according to a new report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) released today to mark the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2013.

The report, Productivity Matters: The impact of Apprenticeships on the UK economy, presents Cebr’s analysis of the contribution of Apprenticeships to the economy, examining current trends and future developments and exploring the productivity impact of Apprenticeships. Key...