Business Daily

AS South West children prepare to start school, new statistics* released by Cancer Research UK today (Thursday) reveal the scale of the child obesity crisis facing the region. Every year, around 4,000 children in the South West who started primary school at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave. This worrying statistic adds to the fact that nearly one in five children (22.3%)in the South West are already overweight or obese when they start primary school. And by the time they leave, that figure rises to more than one in three (30.5%) in year 6. To highlight the...

A proposed cap on Housing Benefit could see the South West’s supported housing residents asked to make up a shortfall of more than £51 a week to pay rent. According to figures from the Starts at Home campaign, roughly 5,500 could be affected in the first year alone.

The Starts at Home campaign aims to highlight the importance of supported housing, a diverse sector made up of schemes that provide extra care and support ranging from women’s refuges and specialist dementia accommodation to veterans’ services. On 1 September, housing associations are taking part in ‘Starts at Home Day...

Work gets underway on a new flood embankment around Exwick playing fields next week (5 September).

The work, which aims to reduce flood risk to properties behind the playing fields, is part of the second phase of Exeter’s flood defence scheme.

Two out of the three playing fields will remain open during the works but the third playing field, which is closest to the health centre, will be used to stockpile material and provide onsite facilities until the embankment is complete. Although the construction is expected to be completed by spring 2017, the playing field will need...

Police are appealing for information relating to a burglary which happened at a rural home near Spreyton, Devon, whilst the occupiers were away on holiday.

The burglary is believed to have taken place between Thursday 14 July and Saturday 16 July 2016.

The intruders forced their way into the house through the patio doors and took £70 cash, a Hewlett Packard laptop, a Compact laptop, power tools, and jewellery of significant and sentimental value as well as some unique antiques [pictured].

Detective Constable Gavin Jordan said: “I would urge anyone who has...