Exeter

Adam Isaac helps Barnstaple get festive

Exeter singing star Adam Isaac helped the people of Barnstaple begin their festive celebrations by performing at their Christmas lights switch on.

Adam, who was mentored by Sir Tom Jones in the 2012 series of The Voice, performed material from his own album Train Tracks and also covered tracks by artists such as Lenny Kravitz and Eurythmics. Girl band Stooshe and Britain’s Got Talent stars The Luminites also performed.

Adam will next be performing at Timepiece on Saturday 30th November. Please visit Timepiece at Little Castle Street for more information.

Murder suspect appears in court

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Tue, 11/26/2013 - 10:25am

Update: The 43 year-old who died after being severely injured at a house on Alphington Road has been named as Stephen Michael Crook.

Ryan Singleton, 25, appeared in court today and will begin preliminary hearings on December 12.

Singleton will also return to court for a bail hearing tomorrow.

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A 25 year-old man charged with murder has been named as Ryan Singleton from Coventry.

Mr Singleton is appearing in Exeter Magistrate’s court this morning to begin initial hearings.

Mr Singleton is being charged...

South West better off on energy bills

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Tue, 11/26/2013 - 10:20am

Energy consumers in the South West are better off than elsewhere in the UK according to the energy watchdog, Ofgem.

A report by Ofgem shows that five of the ‘Big Six’ energy companies were not sufficently demonstrating value for money.

The report however praises Western Power Distribution’s (WPD) for putting in place a plan to reduce costs for customers.

WPD only operates in the South West, The Midlands and South Wales meaning that those elsewhere in the country must use another provider.

Ofgem’s Head of Distribution, Hannah Dixon said: “Western Power...

Exeter Christmas Market in full swing

Event Date: 
21/11/2013 - 6:15pm to 19/12/2013 - 9:15pm
Venue: 
Exeter Cathedral Green

Exeter’s Christmas market is in full swing today with dozens of bespoke stalls trading on the Cathedral Green.

A mix of local traders and specialist stalls from overseas are trading in the alpine style market.

Local trader Mary Tempest, 63, won the Market’s Pitch-Perfect award designed to promote start-up businesses.

Mary, a local artist, is selling a range of her illustrations of local landmarks and historical sites, with designed key rings and mugs also on sale.

Mary also works for Exeter City Council’s tourism department, she said: “my day job is drawing...

19 year sentence for child sex offender

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Mon, 11/25/2013 - 11:09pm

John Bidmead a 65 year-old former lorry driver has been sentenced to a 19 year prison sentence for child sex offences in Exeter Crown court today.

Bidmead from Cullompton was found with over a million images and videos of child pornography on his computer.

Police began investigating Bidmead after Interpol alerted them that Bidmead had been downloading the images.

A raid on his house caught Bidmead in the act of watching child pornography.

Officers at the Child Exploitation Unit forensically catalogued Bidmead’s collection of child pornography but had to stop...

Report into RBS passed to watchdogs

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Mon, 11/25/2013 - 5:31pm

Business secretary Vince Cable has passed a report that claims RBS has put some “good and viable” businesses into default financial regulators. Government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson has released a report today which focuses on the way that RBS has been operating its Global Restructuring group (GRG).

The GRG is the ‘turnaround’ division of RBS which takes loans viewed as risky. The GRG is understood to have the power to scrap loan deals and charge penalties.

This has proven to be a profitable system as the fees bring in further money to the bank and if the business goes...

Clare's Law goes national in 2014

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Mon, 11/25/2013 - 4:55pm

The government has announced plans to give police powers to disclose certain details of people’s criminal pasts to forces across England and Wales next year.

The Home Office led scheme gives people the ‘right to ask’ police if their partner has ever had convictions for domestic abuse and allow police to disclose details of a criminal in certain circumstances.

All requests must go through a panel of Police, Probation services and other agencies to ensure that the information is only passed on where appropriate.

The scheme also offers support to victims to help during...

Ceremony marks Exe Estuary Trail milestone

A special ceremony will be held tomorrow to mark the completion of the eastern side of the Exe Estuary Trail.

The £2.6 million Clyst Bridge and connecting route through Goosemoor RSPB Nature Reserve has filled the missing link of the Trail. Together with the Ebford Link and Fishers Mill Bridge, this new section over the River Clyst completes the route between Exeter and Exmouth and connects with the local cycle network to Ebford and Clyst St George.

The new route forms part of the National Cycle Network. From Bowling Green Road in Topsham, it runs through the nature reserve...

Axminster Carpets handed back to Abbey

Authored by Newshound
Posted: Mon, 11/25/2013 - 3:16pm

The former Axminster Carpets’ spinning mill will be handed back to its new owners Buckfast Abbey in December.

A team of administrators have been stripping the assets for the past eight months with machinery being relocated as far afield as Belgium, Turkey, India and Pakistan. Some of the machinery has also been moved to areas within the UK including Telford, Gloucester, Axminster, various parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Buckfast Abbey’s Financial Director Jonathan Deacon, said: “It was incredibly sad when the former mill had to close with the loss of so many jobs.”...

Australian Cricket Captain fined

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Mon, 11/25/2013 - 1:34pm

Australian Cricket Captain, Michael Clarke, has been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct in the first Ashes test.

Clarke was fined 20% of his match fee for “using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match” the ICC has said.

Clarke was picked up on the stump microphone saying: “get ready for a broken f******* arm” to England’s James Anderson.

The charges were not contested and have been handled witout a formal hearing.

Meanwhile Jonathon Trott has left England’s...

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