police

Fraudsters who preyed on vulnerable people across the UK and Channel Islands, by stealing money from their bank accounts, have been jailed.

Six offenders, aged between 21 and 45, have been jailed for a total of more than 20 years at Bristol Crown Court for their crime, which involved duping more than £1.3m from vulnerable and elderly victims, including many living in the south west of England. A seventh person has been given a nine month custodial sentence (suspended for two years).

More than 40 victims were conned out of a total of £1.3m by the well-organised gang, who...

A small safe has been stolen from St Mary’s Cottages, Exeter Street in Dawlish.

The burglary took place between 10am and 6pm on Thursday 9th June.

The burglar entered the property through a front groundfloor window, stealing the safe from inside.

The safe is a black ‘Sentry’ fireproof model, about the size of a home printer with a handle and a key lock on the front.

Police are keen to speak to anyone who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area, and ask the public to be aware than the safe and its contents may have been dumped.

Anyone with...

A man has made an emotional appeal for thieves to return his father’s war medals, after they were stolen from a train earlier this week.

The 64-year-old was returning from his father’s funeral on the 11.17am train between Birmingham New Street and Exeter St Davids on Tuesday.

He left his bag, which contained the medals, on the luggage rack but found it missing when he exited the train at Exeter.

The medals were won by the victim’s father (pictured) between 1945 and 1948.

He said: “I inherited these medals from my father’s estate only a couple of weeks ago...

Devon and Cornwall police are investigating the death on an 8-month-old boy in Brownhills Road, Newton Abbot.

A spokesperson for Devon & Cornwall Police said: "Officers were called by the ambulance just after 10.30am this morning (15th June) informing us of the death.

"Police and scenes of crime officers have attended the house to undertake initial investigations and we are currently treating the death as unexplained.

"A 27-year-old man is in police custody in connection with this matter and awaits questioning."

On Friday 3 June 2016 a number of teenagers in Sidmouth took a prescription only drug called Alprazolam, which is manufactured as Xanax.

Five teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were seriously ill as a result and were treated in intensive care at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

Officers form CID and the local policing team in Sidmouth are investigating the matter and enquiries are continuing.

An 18-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying the drugs and is currently on bail until 22 August pending further enquiries.

PC Simon Blyth,...

Police are appealing for information after a man exposed himself in the St Thomas area of Exeter.

A woman called police at 3am on Sunday 12 June to report a sighting a man who was walking barefoot and naked from the waist down. He was wearing a hooded top and is described as white, of medium to stocky build and in his late thirties to early forties.

The incident happened near St Thomas the Apostle’s Church. Officers from the neighbourhood policing team conducted an area search but were not able to locate the man.

The man did not approach the woman and he was not...

A man has been left with serious injures following a suspected hit and run in Bradninch.

Police were called to reports of an injured man in the middle of West End Road just after 11.30pm on Saturday (11 June).

The 53-year-old local man was found in the road with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle

The type of vehicle involved remains unknown.

The collision is believed to have occurred in the hours of darkness and weather and road conditions were good although they deteriorated during time at the scene.

Officers from the Serious...

Police are appealing for anyone with information about a series of car fires in Exeter this morning (9 June 2016) to contact them.

Police were made aware just after 2am that two cars were on fire in Church Terrace. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service attended to extinguish the fires and no further damage was caused to other vehicles in the road.

The fire service was already dealing with another car on fire in a driveway of a property in Magdalen Road, and another car was reported on fire in Fore Street, Heavitree.

The fires are being treated as suspicious,...

Police are appealing for witnesses after a female pedestrian carrying a child was seriously injured following a collision with a car in Newton Poppleford, near Sidmouth.

A 61-year-old woman, from Otterton, was walking along School Lane, carrying a three-year-old girl, when she was involved in a collision with a silver Vauxhall Zafira. The collision happened at around 8.55am on Tuesday 7 June, outside Newton Poppleford primary school.

The woman was taken by air ambulance to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, with serious and life-threatening head injuries. Her condition is...

Devon and Cornwall Police’s latest domestic abuse campaign warns potential offenders of the consequences of letting their emotions get the better of them during the Euro 16 football tournament.

Statistics show that domestic abuse increases during the summer, especially when a large sporting event taking place.

Police ask people to be aware of their behaviour and mood when watching the football. Emotions run high and frustration and competitiveness can cause tempers to flare. Police warn people that they could face a one month ban from seeing their families if they use or...