Exeter

The body recovered from the sea last Saturday (11 January) has been formally identified as the missing teenager Harry Martin today (16 January).

A formal inquest into the death of Mr Martin, who went missing from his home in Newton Ferrers during the height of the recent storms, is due to begin next Monday (20 January).

The 18-year-old’s body was found in Carswell Bay in the Noss Mayo area by friends who were aiding in the search effort using sea kayaks.

Police, the Dartmoor Rescue group, Coastguard, specialist search dogs and over 100 members of the public took...

Devon County Council has invited the Prime Minister to personally see the state of the county’s roads after the recent storms.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management and Flood Prevention, has written to David Cameron to ask him to discuss concerns over road maintenance with Ministers and Government officials.

The authority is currently facing an estimated £750 million backlog of repairs to bring the county’s road network up to standard.

Despite this backlog the Department of Transport has only made £136 million available...

Exeter City Council has proposed raising its charges for city council services by nearly 2% costing some residents over £260 a year.

The council has said the decision to raise their council tax charges by 1.99% is subject to the Government’s decision on how much councils can raise their tax by.

The average tax charge is set to rise to over £132 a year on properties in the band D property but can rise as high as £260 a year for those on the H council tax band.

Council Leader Pete Edwards said the rise was as a result of the government cutting Exeter's funding by 13.6...

Devon and Cornwall Police are urging motorists and garage owners to be vigilant following a spate of catalytic converter thefts. Catalytic converters are used to decrease air pollution by converting toxic exhaust emissions into non-toxic substances. The average converter contains one to two grams of platinum, palladium and rhodium, making them a target for thieves who can then attempt to sell these high value materials to scrap metal merchants. A steep rise in metal costs over recent years has led to significant increases in thefts of catalytic converters across the UK. In Devon and...

Officers from the regional organised crime unit Zephyr seized drugs and a large quantity of cash and three vehicles after raiding a property in Exmouth yesterday.

Supported by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police support group and neighbourhood officers, they executed a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at a property in Bankside at about 12.15pm.

Officers arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of the possession of drugs with intention to supply and also money-laundering.

Officers seized a large quantity of what is believed to be heroin with a street...

Dramatic footage showing the moment a prolific offender was captured by police has been released to the public. Filmed by the police helicopter, the video shows officers and a police dog track 29-year-old man, Dylan Taylor, who was later convicted of a series of offences across the Force area. The incident took place in Exeter in the early hours of 29 April 2013 after officers in the police helicopter spotted a vehicle acting suspiciously. After the offenders failed to stop for police, officers followed their vehicle to Haldon Woods where the offenders set off on foot through the woods...

WBW Solicitors has been recognised by Cancer Research UK after facilitating over £2 million worth of gifts in the last ten years from people choosing to support the charity through their Wills.

Catherine Causey of WBW solicitors was presented with a special certificate to acknowledge the support by Ros Fry, South West Legacy Manager for Cancer Research UK. Following the presentation she welcomed supporters at the Cancer Research UK shop in Queen Street, Newton Abbot alongside WBW solicitor Donna Rowland. Supporters were invited to come and say hello and discover how gifts in wills...

With the cold weather predicted to last for the rest of this week South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is urging motorists to slow down and ensure their vehicle is ready for winter.

A spokesman for the Trust said: "We have already received numerous call outs this week to motorists who have been involved in a collision due, in part, to the road conditions caused by the freezing weather.

"If you are travelling by road it is essential you take in to account the conditions of the road. During the cold snap please slow down, ensure your vehicle is properly de-...