Witnesses sought following attack on Exeter Quay

Police have issued an EVOFIT image of a suspect following an assault in Exeter.

Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident along The Quay in Exeter on the evening of Friday 7 December 2012.

At about 7.50pm a woman in her thirties was running along the canal path between The Port Royal pub and Trews Weir Bridge when she was approached by a man from behind and pushed against a wall. She screamed and the man ran off.

The suspect is described as Indian or Asian in appearance, aged approximately 28 to 30 years old and of a slight build. He has thick wavy...

Have a Merry Chick-mass from Living Coasts!

Authored by Paigntonzoo
Posted: Fri, 12/21/2012 - 1:33pm

Christmas has come early for one Devon zoo.

Living Coasts, on the English Riviera, has seen 7 African penguin chicks hatch in the last few weeks.

Clare Rugg, Operations Manager at Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium, said: “This time last year we had 5 chicks and the year before 2, so 7 is quite a good number. African penguins tend to have more chicks in the spring, but they are known to breed all year round.

“The chicks are coming out of their burrows and sitting in the winter sun, they are plump and fluffy – they are great to see!”

For more information go...

Devon & Somerset firefighters promote gas safety

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is warning of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning after attending two separate incidents at the same time on Wednesday night.

At 9.15pm, crews were called to a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a home in Ashleigh Close, Redhills, Exeter. A detector had alerted the occupants and the fumes were found to be coming from a defective gas cooker.

Less than 15 minutes later, crews in North Devon were called to Meddon Street, Bideford, where a detector had given warning of fumes coming from a...

Badger sleeping habits could help target TB control

Sleeping away from the family home is linked to health risks for badgers, new research by the University of Exeter and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) has revealed.

Scientists found that badgers which strayed away from the family burrow in favour of sleeping in outlying dens were more likely to carry TB.

The 12-month study of 40 wild badgers was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and could have implications for the management of bovine TB in parts of the UK.

The behaviour of individual animals is thought to be a...

Further awards for Ashfords' conveyancing team

Ashfords LLP's multi award-winning conveyancing team has gained further recognition for the quality of its service at the 2012 Equity Release Awards, which took place at the end of last month (note: 27 November) at Merchants Taylors’ Hall in London.

The firm’s Equity Release team, led by Partner Peter Barton, was the overall winner in the National Equity Release Conveyancing category, beating Equilaw and Goldsmith Williams to win the award, which was voted on by participating advisors and providers.

Peter Barton, Partner and Head of the Equity Release practice at Ashfords,...

Equality South West slams Pickles' plans for local government

Equality South West has condemned a government move to allow local authorities to publish official documents only in English.

ESW says the move – published in a money-saving guide by communities and local government minister Eric Pickles – will marginalise the thousands of migrants living and working in the region who do not have English as their first language.

ESW's Brenda Weston said: "The South West is home to thousands of families from outside the UK, many of whom do not speak English as a first language, but work here and pay their taxes here.

"To suggest...

Exeter Racecourse’s unwanted sandwiches to feed the homeless

Authored by Lucy
Posted: Thu, 12/20/2012 - 4:20pm

Exeter Racecourse was left cursing the weather after its meeting was abandoned today following the latest deluge of rain, but the homeless of Exeter were smiling when they become the beneficiaries of dozens of unwanted sandwiches.

Rather than discard the pre-prepared food, catering staff at the racecourse called St Petroc’s in Exeter who collected dozens of sandwiches and distributed them among Exeter’s vulnerable citizens. General manager Tim Darby said: “It was a huge disappointment that we were unable to stage our Christmas fixture, but at least we were able to help St Petroc’s...

Roman settlement remains discovered near Kingskerswell

Archaeologists carrying out investigations in advance of the construction of the South Devon Link Road, near Kingskerswell, Devon, have uncovered the remains of a 2000 year old Roman settlement and a stone-constructed 800 year old medieval building.

The Roman settlement appears to have comprised a large rectangular ditched enclosure, which appears to have been modified three times, probably as a result of ever-increasing wealth and the construction of more elaborate buildings inside the enclosure.

While no evidence for a building survives due to subsequent quarrying, some...

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