Volunteers at a Devon charity clocked up a thousand days of help during 2012.

People who gave their time to Paignton Zoo Environmental Park and Living Coasts in Torquay helped raise over £72,000 and gave more than 24,000 hours - equivalent to 2.75 years, 143 weeks or over 1,000 full days.

For the year ending in October 2012 volunteers gave 24,142 hours - 2,677 more than in 2011. Volunteer Coordinator Neil Thomas-Childs is hugely impressed by these figures:

“It was a terrific year - volunteers have continued to support us in all weathers. By the middle of the season...

Devon County Council is pledging up to £3 million to repair and modernise the Grand Western Canal.

Council leader John Hart said the money would be included in the authority’s capital budget which will be examined next week.

The decision follows the catastrophic breach of the canal wall at Halberton in November following torrential downpours.

Mr Hart said today: “This is an historic feature with many listed structures along its length.

“It is a major tourist attraction and vital to Mid Devon’s economy and to Devon as a whole.

“I am awaiting a...

Sidmouth College is hosting an Open Evening for Year 11 students and their parents on Thursday 24th January (7pm-8pm), to introduce potential new students to the academy scheme which is being launched by Exeter City Football Club in September.

Exeter City’s college partnerships, which combine on-field training and matches with classroom-based study, have proven hugely successful at Bideford College and Exeter College. As well as giving aspiring footballers the opportunities to develop their talents, the course also gives the students BTEC qualifications, A-Levels and a wealth of...

Police are investigating an assault in Honiton High Street which left a man and a woman requiring hospital treatment.

The victims, from Honiton, were attacked after they attempted to break up a violent argument between another man and woman.

The arguing pair, plus another woman, assaulted the female victim outside Costa Coffee and the man outside the war memorial.

The 41-year-old man suffered serious injuries including broken ribs and the 40-year-old woman sustained black eyes.

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident just after midnight on...

Police and students in south Devon have undertaken a drive to restore a police car to its former glory.

The 1999 Ford Escort was retired out of police service in early 2006 and lay unused and deteriorating until 2008 when it was acquired by the police Heritage and Learning Resource (the Historic Collections of Devon & Cornwall Police) based in Okehampton.

In 2011 a sponsorship deal was struck with three local companies who agreed to supply restoration materials and the car was taken to South Devon College in Paignton who had agreed to supply the labour to return the car...

A study that aims to investigate how the brain processes stress and creates memories of psychologically stressful events will begin shortly thanks to funding of £758,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, led by Professor Hans Reul, aim to investigate the role molecular processes, known as “epigenetic modifications”, play in the regulation of expression of genes required to cope with stress. At present it is unclear how the healthy brain adapts to and learns from stressful events.

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Former MP and war correspondent Martin Bell will join Violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen next month for 'Celebrate Our Soldiers', one of the most unique concerts Exeter will see during 2013. A night of Classical and Choir Music will take place at Exeter Cathedral on 23rd February at 7.15pm, featuring some of Devon’s finest performers and musicians. The aim of the concert will be to help the Devon branch of ABF The Soldiers' Charity continue their support of Devon’s soldiers and families affected by war.

During 2012, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity disbursed over £106,000 to...

Wiltshire Police is appealing for the public’s help in locating a man officers would like to speak to in connection with an incident in Melksham.

Officers are keen to locate Richard Gordon Newton, 51 (DOB: 17/09/1961), from the Bowerhill area of Melksham.

This is in relation to the body of a woman being found at an address in Melksham yesterday morning (Sunday 13th January 2013).

Officers believe that Mr Newton might hold vital information on this incident and may be able to assist police with their enquiries.

A photograph of Mr Newton is attached.

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