Local News

Commissioner warns about the Serious and Organised Crime groups selling Spice-laced vapes to children

The Police and Crime Commissioner national lead for tackling Serious and Organised Crime has urged parents and guardians to be extra vigilant after trading standards officers seized thousands of vapes containing highly toxic drugs.

Illegal vapes were being sold in shops and on social media or on the street, with the trade linked to organised crime groups, trading standards officers said.

Heart of the South West Trading Standards, which covers all of Devon and Somerset, seized about 8,000 illegal vapes in 2023.

Some illegal vapes seized had five times the legal...

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News Desk

News Desk

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Queen Elizabeth’s Celebrates GCSE Results

Crediton students achieve brilliant exam results. Students and staff from Queen Elizabeth’s School, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, have been celebrating exceptional GCSE results today (22nd August.)
Pictured: Martin Wilson, Managing Director, Scot Group with a newly branded Switch van

Nationwide rollout begins for 7,000 Switch branded rental vehicles

Exerter-based new vehicle rental business Switch is now operational across the entire Scot Group Ltd network of 90 UK locations.

The new Switch brand launched in June this year as part of Scot Group’s strategic growth plans to provide more flexible forms of car and van rental.

To date, 500 vehicles dual branded with Switch and Thrifty signwriting have hit the roads and Switch expects to badge 40 vehicles a day. The business estimates that approximately 3,000 vehicles bearing the new brand will be on the road by September.

Martin Wilson, Managing Director of Scot...

Devon Sight Loss Conference returns to Exeter!

Devon in Sight, the county’s leading sight loss charity is hosting their second County Sight Loss Conference at the Mercure Rougemont Hotel, Exeter on Tuesday 10th September.

Devon in Sight have been supporting people with little or no sight in the county since 1925. The charity offers a range of holistic services for anyone affected by sight loss including their families, carers and friends across Devon.

Devon in Sight’s Chief Executive Officer Grahame Flynn said, “We are delighted to be hosting our conference at the Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel again this year in...

Power Tools for Small Spaces: How to Avoid Clutter

Authored by David Banks
Posted: Wed, 08/21/2024 - 7:31am

Working in small spaces presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to storing and using power tools. Whether you’re tackling a DIY project in a compact workshop or working in a small apartment, keeping your workspace organized and efficient is crucial. This article explores strategies for managing power tools in limited spaces and highlights how these strategies are successfully implemented in Exeter, featuring popular brands like DeWalt .

Understanding the Challenges of Small Spaces

Small workspaces, such as those found in apartments or compact workshops, often face...

Dogs Trust Welcomes Introduction of New Pet Theft Law

Authored by Daisy Hall
Posted: Tue, 08/20/2024 - 9:01pm

Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog welfare charity, has welcomed the new Pet Abduction Act which comes into force this Saturday, 24th August.

From Saturday, anyone found guilty of stealing a dog in England or Northern Ireland will face up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. Previously, despite the very distressing nature of having a dog stolen, pet theft has not been a specific crime and has instead been treated in the same way as the theft of household items such as phones and bikes.

Under the new Pet Abduction Act, dogs and cats are no longer treated as inanimate...

Local care home embraces National allotment week

Authored by Daisy Hall
Posted: Tue, 08/20/2024 - 8:55pm

Residents at Cumberland Grange in Exeter celebrated National Allotment Week which took place from 12-18 August. Founded by the National Allotment Society in 2002, National Allotment Week is a way of raising awareness about allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities.

The theme for this year’s National Allotment Week is celebrating biodiversity on UK allotments. Residents found out about all kinds of useful and informative topics about biodiversity including introducing...

National Trust trials pioneering NaviLens technology to aid blind and partially sighted people

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 08/20/2024 - 8:37pm

The National Trust will be trialling the use of a pioneering navigational app for partially sighted visitors at Saltram in Plymouth this summer to improve access to heritage and nature.

NaviLens is a free navigation app which can help give greater independence and freedom for users to navigate their way around places with less or even no aid.

The technology is currently in use on transport systems across Spain and in some parts of the USA and UK, as well as in some museums and food products in UK supermarkets.

The app uses QR-style codes that users can detect on...

Phil Domville-Musters, Martin Meredith, Pete Cain and Marc Millon with grandson Sol Millon-Martinez

Founder Marc finally completes 25th Nello ride

The man who founded one of the biggest charity rides in the region has completed this year’s event seven weeks after everyone else!

Topsham-based wine, food and travel writer Marc Millon set up The Nello in 2000 to raise money for FORCE Cancer Charity in memory of his great friend Nello Ghezzo.

He was all set for the special 25th ride in June this year when COVID struck and for the first time, he was forced to sit it out.

Marc and wife Kim usually complete the 100-mile ride, which starts and finishes at Topsham Rugby Club, on a tandem.

“Both Kim and I...

Devon Air Ambulance to host Medi-Connect Conference in Exeter

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 08/19/2024 - 11:19pm

Devon Air Ambulance will host their first Medi-Connect conference, kindly sponsored by Zoll and SES, next month. The charity is looking forward to welcoming attendees to Exeter Racecourse on Tuesday 24 September for this fully interactive and educational experience, the first of its kind in the Southwest.

The 2024 Medi-Connect Conference designed for those in the pre-hospital emergency services will focus on rural responding, emphasising agricultural incidents. This new and innovative day of sharing knowledge and learning from each other is relevant to those already working in...

Can you beat the antiques experts?

Three local antiques experts who have featured on popular TV shows will be doing their best to baffle an audience at a special charity event next month.

Cristian Beadman, Brian Goodison-Blanks and Nic Saintey are hosting a Call My Bluff evening for FORCE Cancer Charity on Thursday September 19.

“Call My Bluff is light-hearted, antique-based entertainment,” said Nic.

“We bring ten objects, some valuable and some worthless, and the three experts attempt to bamboozle you as to what each one is and what value it has.

“But we warn you, we are adept at wrong-...

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