Devon

Where is Cornwall on the map of Britain? It may be down in the bottom corner if you’re talking road maps or OS sheets, but that’s not the only way of thinking about the position of the county, according to a new book by a University of Exeter academic. Britannia Obscura: Mapping Hidden Britain explores alternative ways of thinking about the shape of Britain. Where are its main highways if you’re a pilot, or a canal enthusiast, or a dowser in search of ley-lines? Where’s the centre of Britain if you’re a caver? Or one of Britain’s megalith hunters, in search of prehistoric stone rows and...

Police have hailed a roads policing operation which took place yesterday (22 December) on the M5 aimed at combating the ‘Fatal Four’ driving habits as a success.

As part of Operation Vortex, police used a number of unmarked vehicles to help target motorists who disregard road traffic laws and cause danger to others.

The operation focused on tackling the ‘Fatal Four’ behaviours - namely excessive or inappropriate speed, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not wearing a seat belt and driver distractions including the use of mobile devices whilst behind the wheel...

Accountants and financial advisers Old Mill have turned £50 into £5,772.40 for Children’s Hospice South West.

Old Mill’s Exeter office took part in Ashfords Solicitors CHSW £50 challenge, where businesses are given £50 which they then use to raise as much money as they can for charity.

Six local businesses, including Ashford’s who put in five teams, Optix Solutions and Somerset College, took part in the challenge, which took place over 10 weeks. Old Mill raised by far the most with almost £6,000; in second place was AC Mole, with a total of £2,314.20 and in third was Bishop...

Businesses and consumers are being warned to be on the look out for counterfeit Smirnoff vodka which could potentially pose health risks.

Trading Standards has discovered that the fake spirits have been sold in the Weston-Super-Mare area. Concerns were raised after the complainant reported that a batch of the vodka sold to a nightclub had a hint of an acetone or nail varnish smell.

Initial examinations found problems with the labelling and, following a sample analysis by Trading Standards officers, the contaminated bottles were found to contain industrial solvents, possibly...

Devon County Council will receive £220m to spend on repairing potholes and improving roads, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced today.

The cash is part of a record £847 million that will be spent on improving local roads between 2015 and 2021 in the South West.

It is the first time councils have been given locked-in funding over this length of time, which will help them plan ahead and save money for the taxpayer. Patrick McLoughlin said: “Roads play a significant part in everyday life. Poorly maintained local roads, blighted by potholes, are a menace to all...

Work to reinstate the depleted shingle on Sidmouth’s Main Beach will start early in the New Year, now that East Devon District Council has received approval for the job and funding has been agreed.

The council announced in October that it was looking into the possibility of accessing Government funding to reinstate both Main Beach and East Beach to the levels they were at before last winter’s storms. Work will go ahead early in the New Year on Main Beach, whilst East Beach has already been improved by natural shingle movement.

Councillor Andrew Moulding, the council’s...

Two rare and distinctive fungi species have been spotted on Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves in one week. Hazel gloves (Hypocreopsis rhododendri) fungus can be found in hazel woodland in western Britain. It was recorded for the first time at Devon Wildlife Trust’s Vealand Farm nature reserve, near Holsworthy, last week. Likened in appearance to miniature rubber gloves, this fungus sometimes grows on blackthorn, but is primarily found on hazel. Hence the name ‘hazel gloves’, though in Sweden it is known as ‘trollhand.’ The fungus was found by DWT reserves assistant Adam Rhodes, who said...

Millions of UK workers are putting their health at risk by postponing important medical appointments because of their work, according to new research by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The BHF polled over 1,300 UK workers and found more than two thirds of workers (71%) had gone to work despite being too unwell to do their job. Two fifths (40%) had put off going to the doctors because of their job while almost two in ten (19%) had postponed a scheduled hospital appointment.

The findings showed two fifths (41%) of workers felt their job has had a negative impact on their...