High-speed fibre broadband will be available to 44,000 Devon and Somerset homes and businesses within four months.
Connecting Devon and Somerset today takes a major step forward in the £94 million project to bring superfast broadband to rural areas by announcing the next communities set to benefit from the programme.
By the end of March 2014, fibre broadband will be available to a further 31 communities*. This extends the number of homes and businesses that are able to benefit from the programme to 44,000.
Those communities include: Bishop’s Hull, Bridford, Chilton...
Investigators have found no evidence of mechanical fault in the police helicopter which crashed into a busy pub in Glasgow on Friday 29 November.
A preliminary report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has found no evidence of engine or gearbox failure and had over 90 litres of fuel in its tank at the time of the crash.
Despite this investigators have also established that the police helicopter’s rotors were not turning at the point of impact.
The helicopter crashed into The Clutha in Glasgow at around 22:20 killing nine people including the three crew...
Devon's Luke Friend once again found himself in the bottom two of last night's X Factor - but is on his way to the final.
Luke, from Teignmouth, faced a tough sing-off against boy band Rough Copy choosing to perform Keane's Somewhere Only We Know, which was recently covered by Lily Allen and made famous by the new John Lewis Chistmas advert.
Commenting on both performances, judge Gary Barlow said: "It was an emotional sing off. I think you both did well. You've done amazingly well to get this far."
But Gary, as expected, put his own act (Rough Copy) through....
Time is running out for employer and training providers to nominate their apprentices into 2014’s Brathay Apprentice Challenge, with nominations closing on Friday13th December.
The Challenge has already seen entries flood in from organisations across England including NITP (National IT Partnership) a training partnership that delivers IT Apprenticeships, Southend Citizens Advice Bureau, Arqiva and last year’s winners Innovia Films from Cumbria who have entered to defend their title.
The Brathay Apprentice Challenge, which is supported by the National Apprenticeship Service...
A gorilla from Exmouth has won the people’s vote at Babbacombe Model Village.
The Torquay attraction hosted gorillas created by South West schools and colleges as part of Paignton Zoo’s Great Gorillas Project.
Carnaby, by Exmouth Community College, came first. Second place went to Andy, by Tower House School, and the third spot went jointly to Greg, by Torquay Academy, and Drake, by Brixham Church of England Primary School.
Carnaby, who spent the summer at the Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter, was designed by 12-year old Jack Woodthorpe. The red double-decker bus idea...
West Country Beef and West Country Lamb will become protected names across Europe from next year onwards.
Meat produced in six south west counties including Devon will receive the same protected status as Jersey Royal Potatoes, Scottish Wild Salmon and Cornish Clotted Cream through a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
The PGI means local goods will be given legal protection against imitation that will help them build a brand name without its reputation being damaged by inferior products.
Farmers and producers have welcomed the news which will see West Country...
Work on the Crediton Link Road is progressing well and is on schedule.
Devon County Council has confirmed that the scheme is on track to be completed by next Autumn and that earthwork operations will be temporarily suspended over the Christmas period, between 20 December and 6 January.
Since contractor South West Highways started construction in July, around 80% of the bulk earthworks have been carried out. Approximately 190,000 tonnes of excavated earth has been transported nearby to Dunscombe to create a water storage lagoon and to keep the A377 clean, the contractor is...
Katie Hopkins has courted even more controversy this week after commenting on the name of a sick child who was featured on the X Factor.
The programme featured an appeal for Kaychanel, a 10-year-old child from Norwich who suffers from a condition called Vacterl Sequence.
Severely ill Kaychanel has to take dialysis each week and has had an operation to help her to breathe.
Hopkins, who was live-tweeting throughout the programme, wrote: “Kaychanel has enough on her plate without me adding to it. Could have been worse. KayEsteeLauder. #xfactor”
Devon and Cornwall Police have tasered a teenage boy with special learning needs at Chelfham Senior School in Bere Alston, near Tavistock.
Police were called to the school grounds around 9pm on December 1 after an alleged assault on a teacher involving three teenage boys.
Two 14-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy were involved in the incident.Devon and Cornwall police have confirmed that a taser was used in their arrest
The boys will appear in Plymouth Magistrates court on December 20 to face a joint charge of affray.
A Marble Deity of Lord Shiva has finally arrived at the RD&E after a journey that took more than two years, many hours of craftsmanship and a four thousand mile trip from Jaipur.
The Deity’s presence was requested by members of the local Hindu community, who felt it would be helpful for staff and patients at the hospital. Lead Chaplain, Dr Simon Harrison, said: “At the time, we did not expect things to take quite so long, but were finally able to host a service of welcome on 14 October 14 (Murti Sthapna Puja) led by Panditjee Anirudh Bhatt, a priest from Bristol.”
