Pets across Devon and Somerset have a better chance of surviving household fires – thanks to new oxygen masks for animals being carried on selected fire engines.
The funding for the sets of specially-designed masks has been provided by Pets at Home through its instore reward scheme.
Eight fire stations in the Devon and Somerset area are to benefit from the scheme: Barnstaple, Bridgwater, Brixham, Burnham-on-Sea, North Tawton, Ottery St Mary, Topsham and Wellington.
Station Manager Dean Hastie, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “I appreciate...
Neil and Alison Heard will head to the Glastonbury Festival with WaterAid this week to rally support for the charity’s #ToiletsSaveLives campaign that calls on world leaders to reach everyone, everywhere with taps and toilets.
The couple have supported WaterAid for many years, and this will be the third year they have volunteered at Glastonbury the charity. They will be working alongside an army of 470 dedicated WaterAid volunteers making a splash at Worthy Farm this year.
They said "We're really proud to have been selected again to represent WaterAid at Glastonbury. We're...
On Friday 22nd April, 31 West Buckland WI members visited Tone Dale House, for a talk & tour - the first of its kind - possibly many more to come for groups/parties. It was an honour to have these ladies see some local history - in exchange for some scrumptious….. home made cakes and biscuits... of course! The ladies had such a successful time they are looking for a return visit, to look in more detail at the 100’s of memorabilia items, photographs etc.
Huge thank to their President, Jean Morris (please see far below) for organising the trip. Ben was also reminded of another...
Connection vouchers worth up to £500 are now available to residents and businesses across Devon and Somerset.
The vouchers will cover the cost of connecting to an improved broadband service to boost broadband speeds from 2Mbps, or under, to a minimum of 10Mbps.
The scheme will provide a subsidy of up to £500, in the form of a voucher code, to fund the installation of a new broadband connection which will be available for at least the next twelve months. Eligible residents and businesses that are in receipt of a voucher code can choose redeem the voucher with one of...
More than 200 people attended a black tie ball in Sparkford to celebrate St Margaret’s Hospice’s 35th anniversary.
The ball, which was organised by West Country accountants and financial planners Old Mill, raised a staggering £12,426 to help fund St Margaret’s vital work in Somerset.
The theme of the evening was ‘Springtime in Paris’; Old Mill’s Adam Sealey serenaded people as they arrived on his violin while professional model makers Nigel Keen and Tim Bee created a light sculpture of the Eiffel Tower which was displayed in the hall.
Council chiefs and business leaders say they want a ‘devolution revolution’ to boost prosperity in Devon and Somerset.
They have agreed to submit a prospectus to Government that would result in higher productivity and better-paid jobs, improved road, rail and broadband links and more homes for the region’s growing population.
There would be radical reforms to integrate health and social care to allow the ageing population to be better looked after, tailored support for growing businesses and the creation of a centre of excellence for skills development.
Work to replace a safety barrier and road surfacing on the A396, north of Cove, Tiverton, will begin on Monday January 25 and last 16 weeks.
The works will seriously disrupt traffic travelling between West Somerset and Mid Devon.
Throughout this period a mixture of traffic management will be used including traffic signals with a convoy vehicle and road closures.
During periods the road will be closed to traffic entirely. During the times that the road is closed, traffic will be directed to a designated diversion route which will be towards Tiverton, via the A361,...
Firefighters have issued a warning to owners of thatched properties.
The warning comes following a fire which destroyed the Ring of Bells pub in North Bovey yesterday (Wednesday 13 January).
Ten fire engines attended the incident and fire crews worked throughout the night to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby thatched properties. A crew is still at the scene today to dampen down hotspots.
Firefighters covered neighbouring thatched properties with foam to prevent the fire spreading and worked hard to save as much of the building and its...
Dozens of firefighters are tackling a large thatch blaze at the Ring of Bells pub in North Bovey, Dartmoor.
Fire appliances from across Devon and Somerset were mobilised to reports of the thatch roof alight, shortly after 11.30am today (Wednesday 13 January).
Crews from, Chagford, Bovey Tracey, North Tawton, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Ashburton, Torquay, Exeter Danes Castle, Totnes and the High Volume Pump from Taunton (crewed by Wellington) are in attendance.
A spokesperson for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service said: “This is a thatched public house,...
The M5 remains closed in both directions between junctions 23-24 after a tanker overturned this morning resulting in a substantial chemical spillage on the carriageway.
It is expected that the southbound carriageway will reopen at around 6pm this evening once the recovery of the tanker has been completed.
A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said: “The northbound carriageway will need resurfacing overnight but Highways England is doing everything possible to get one lane open after 6pm to help release traffic diverting through the centre of Bridgwater and...
