Best remembered for his performance as Tom Good, alongside Felicity Kendal, in the 1970s BBC1 sitcom The Good Life , Actor Richard Briers has died at the age of 79.
The star, who was also known for his Shakespearean roles, had been battling a serious lung condition for a number of years.
Briers died "peacefully" at his London home on Sunday, his agent said.
Briers recently said years of smoking had been to blame for his emphysema.
Stephen Fry said in a tweet: "Oh no, I’ve just heard the news that Richard Briers has died. How sad. He was the most adorable and...
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority has agreed to increase its council tax precept by 1.99 per cent for 2013/14.
The average Band D household will pay £75.39 for the year for the fire service, an increase of £1.47 for the year.
The decision comes after Devon & Somerset received the third worst grant settlement nationally from the Government among fire and rescue authorities.
The Authority’s Government grant has been reduced by 10.3% in 2013 and a further 7.3% in 2014, which means the Service will lose £3.4m in the next financial year and a further £...
Police in Torquay have closed off a section of the town following concerns from officers who attended an address there earlier.
Police have set up a 100 metre cordon in the area of Falloway Close as a precaution following the discovery of an unexplained device in the garden of a property.
The cordon includes Happaway Road and extends as far as, but not including Barton Road.
The Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were called to the property to assess the situation.
The road closure and evacuation will remain in place as a precaution until further...
The octopus has topped a poll of favourite species at Living Coasts.
Staff and volunteers voted for their Living Coasts top ten - and the results make interesting reading. Alongside the obvious crowd pleasers like the penguins and seals, staff have highlighted the variety of unusual species at Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium.
Spokesperson Phil Knowling said: “It might surprise people who think Living Coasts is just about birds, because the top ten is made up of four marine species, three bird species, two mammals and a reptile!”
With 17 per cent of growers failing to turn any profit in 2011/12 and a further 44 per cent of horticulture businesses making less than £30,000, the NFU’s horticulture and potatoes board has set out an ambitious agenda for growth in 2013. It hopes this will create a fairer balance of risk and reward in the supply chain and create a science and regulatory framework that backs production horticulture.
NFU horticulture and potatoes board chairman Sarah Dawson said: “As we emerge from one of the worst seasons in living memory, with balance sheets to match, our vision and optimism for...
The risk posed by global warming and rising ocean temperatures to the future health of the world’s marine ecosystem has been highlighted by scientists studying fossil records.
Researchers at Plymouth University believe that findings from fieldwork along the North Yorkshire coast reveal strong parallels between the Early Jurassic era of 180 million years ago and current climate predictions over the next century.
Through geology and palaeontology, they’ve shown how higher temperatures and lower oxygen levels caused drastic changes to marine communities, and that while the...
The NHS in Devon has been nominated for a prestigious award for its efforts to promote the importance of getting vaccinated against flu to healthcare staff.
Public health bosses at NHS Devon developed an e-card that encourages healthcare staff to get protected against flu.
It has been shortlisted for a national NHS Employers’ flu fighter award and the local NHS will find out if it has been successful on 27 February at an awards ceremony in Leeds.
The e-card was sent to staff by email and the message was spread further on Facebook and Twitter – reaching NHS staff as...
A University of Exeter team raised over £15,000 after cycling over 1,000 miles in just 10 days to raise money for local charity Hospiscare.
The team was made up of five University of Exeter staff and Paul Gibbins, partner of J&A Gibbins local catering butcher and supplier to the University.
The journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats, was in memory of Karen Foggett, a former University employee who worked in the Campus Services Retail team. Karen sadly passed away in April 2012, but was cared for by Hospiscare and their dedicated team of staff.
Work is due to start on the much anticipated revamp of Elizabeth Road play park in Seaton during the week of 25 February, and the improvements will be those designed and voted for by local residents.
Seaton Town Council and East Devon District Council have been working closely together and with local people to make £42,000 worth of eagerly anticipated improvements to the Elizabeth Road play area.
The councils wrote a design brief for the play area following visits to Seaton Primary School and Seaton Community Festival, as well as many other local organisations, to find out...
The lives of 95 babies could be saved every hour – 830,000 a year – if new mothers around the world breastfed immediately after giving birth, Save the Children have said.
In a new report, Superfood for Babies , the charity says that if babies receive colostrum – the mother’s first milk – within an hour of birth, it will kick start the child’s immune system, making them three times more likely to survive. And, if the mother continues feeding for the next six months, then a child growing up in the developing world is up to 15 times less likely to die from killer diseases like...
