Exeter

House prices and the number of potential new buyers in the South West rose in December, bucking the general trend across most other parts of the UK, according to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey.

In the region new buyer enquiries turned positive, with 23% more chartered surveyors seeing an increase in December 2014. 22% more respondents in the South West are also seeing prices continue to rise.

Across the UK as a whole, 10% more surveyors saw the number of potential new buyers decrease in December 2014 and London saw the weakest demand with 45% more surveyors...

Sense, the national deafblind charity, is offering budding athletes from Devon the opportunity to take the challenge of a lifetime and run this year’s London Marathon.

The charity that supports and campaigns for people who are both deaf and blind across Devon, has guaranteed places for the iconic race in April.

Tara Hamdi from Sense, said: “The London Marathon is one of the world’s greatest but getting a place can be difficult, so Sense wants to give local runners the chance to run for a cause close to home. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a novice we’ll support you...

Ten Scouts from 7th Exmouth Scout Group were on hand to help Coastal Recycling put up bat boxes, bird boxes and install a reptile hibernacula on their recycling site at Kenbury Wood, Kennford, near Exeter.

Coastal Recycling, working with BlueSky Ecology, has developed a new sustainable environmental management plan for the 40 acre site to include a biodiversity enhancement project. The project has involved a complete review of the local habitat and the creation of a plan to support a number of species.

The bat boxes will support the local bat population and are aimed at...

A man has died following a serious collision in East Devon this morning.

A car and tractor were involved in the collision at Broad Down in Southleigh at around 11.35 today (Wednesday 14 January).

Police confirmed that one male driver has died and enquiries are currently underway to locate the next of kin.

Highways have been informed, as well as the Serious Collisions Investigation Unit who will carry out an investigation of the scene.

Police are still at the scene and the road is expected to be closed for some time.

Road closures have been put in...

Environmental Health staff at East Devon District Council are working with colleagues at Exeter City Council and in the Fire Service to deliver free training and awareness sessions for owners of Bed and Breakfast establishments.

The sessions will help B&B owners understand what they need to do to comply with fire safety orders and food hygiene legislation.

The events, which start on 27 January and run through until 12 February in a number of East Devon and Exeter venues, will cover what business owners need to do to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order...

A local soldier is challenging himself to cycle 1000 km on a stationary bicycle for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision impaired ex-Service men and women. Steve Tonking, aged 34 and from Exeter, enjoys tackling fitness challenges and will be running the London Marathon for Blind Veterans UK later this year. He is now set to raise the bar and cycle a distance of 1000 km which is equal to cycling from Beeston, Nottingham to John O’Groats. Steve said “I wanted to challenge myself physically whilst raising as much money as possible for Blind Veterans UK at the same time. My...

A car driver has died following a collision with a lorry on the A39 near Bideford this morning (Wednesday 14 January).

Police and other emergency services were called shortly before 6.53am to the collision.

The red Volvo lorry, registered to Bideford, overturned, shedding its load of logs across the carriageway on the A39, two miles from Bideford, towards Barnstaple.

Paramedics treated the driver of the silver Subaru Impreza at the scene before taking him to North Devon District Hospital with life threatening injuries.

He sadly died later in hospital. The...