A beach alert was sounded at Exmouth today after three children and an adult were reported in difficulty in the sea near Orcombe Point.
Exmouth and Sandy Bay RNLI Lifeguards were sent in to investigate .
All four were then found by lifeguards safe on the beach and no medical attention was required.
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Exmouth beach alert as children and adult reported in difficulty in sea
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Mid Devon star Joss Stone plays match maker as Prince Harry turns 30
MID Devon singer Joss Stone will attempt to play match maker for one of the world's most eligible bachelors on a TV documentary which will screen in the run up to Prince Harry's 30th birthday.
ITV programme Harry at 30, which will be shown at 8pm on Tuesday, September 2, attempts to go behind the headlines and find out more about the Prince's path from mischievous youngster to respected soldier.
The programme will discuss many aspects of Prince Harry's life including love, with his pal Joss Stone speculating on the kind of woman who could convince the Prince to take a leaf out of his brother William's book and settle down.
Stone tweeted two days ago that she was certain Prince Harry would find love, despite media speculation that she had said otherwise.
On September 15, Prince Harry will turn 30. Prince Henry of Wales, to give him his official title, has grown up in front of the cameras, and while there may be some photographs he'd rather forget, he's gone on to become one of the most popular members of the royal family.
Among those contributing to the programme are some of the royal correspondents who have charted his life, including Ingrid Seward of Majesty Magazine, and the Evening Standard's royal editor Robert Jobson, who speaks about a run-in with the young prince.
He said: "I remember once he had a pop at me because I'd written a story about him. But I quite admire him for that, he will stand up for his position he won't just smooth it over - he will say what he wants to say and then that will be it."
But it's not just press attention that Harry has had to deal with; he also lost his mother in 1997, when he was still just 13.
Former press officer to the Queen, Dickie Arbiter, talks about the devastating impact of Princess Diana's death, and the programme also explores how Harry has found his own way to continue her legacy by working with disadvantaged children and issues around HIV and AIDS in Africa, and helping to set up the charity Sentebale.
That's not the only cause close to his heart - Harry is also passionate about the military, even serving on the frontline in 2007.
Former army Chief Lord Richard Dannatt talks about the difficulties involved in sending an heir to the throne to a combat zone, while press photographer John Stillwell remembers how the prince defied the cynics.
He said: "Other photographers before I went were all saying to me exactly the same thing - Harry will be in Camp Bastion in a 30ft deep bunker, he won't even see daylight, and it wasn't like that at all. It was probably the worst conditions that I've seen. It was a bombed out college on the front line."
Injured former service men Ben McBean and Jaco Van Gass also talk about Harry's desire to be treated like any other soldier, and there's a look at his latest project, The Invictus Games, a brand new Olympic-style event for wounded soldiers.
But in one respect, Harry can never be like any other soldier - he's arguably the one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet.
OK magazine's royal editor Chrissie Reeves and journalist and writer Celia Walden will also feature in Harry at 30 as the programme looks at what the future holds for him.
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Manager at Dawlish caravan park denies using axe robbery as cover to steal from safe
A manager at a seaside caravan park has denied using an axe robbery as cover for stealing £8,000 cash from a safe in his office.
Joshua Youens-Stunell was one of the victims of the armed raid at the Golden Sands holiday park in Dawlish but is alleged to have taken it as an opportunity to commit a separate theft.
The 39-year-old was the manager of the entertainments complex at the resort which was the target of an armed gang from Bath who struck as bumper bank holiday takings were being banked in a safe.
They attacked security man Timothy Harrison with an axe, leaving him seriously injured, and forced Mr Youens-Stunnell to open the main safe in the reception area.
The manager called the police and ambulance but when they arrived he allegedly sneaked back into his own office and removed £8,270 from a safe.
He turned out the lights before opening the safe but did not realise the CCTV system had a night vision facility which caught him taking the money, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Youens-Stunnell, of Fore Street, Seaton, East Devon, denies theft. He says he was confused after being hit over the head in the robbery and was trying to protect the cash from any further raid.
Mr Adrian Chaplin, prosecuting, said the caravan park was attacked by a group of four men in balaclavas who attacked Mr Harrison with an axe and a hammer after a Bank Holiday evening in August last year.
He said Youens-Stunnell opened the safe in reception and handed over £10,000 and then dialled 999 and spent 18 minutes speaking to the emergency services before the first police and paramedics arrived.
He said while his colleague was being treated Youens-Stunnell went to his office in the man entertainment block, switched off the lights, opened the safe, and removed the money.
He left with the cash, which he hid under an empty caravan before going home after giving an initial interview to the police.
He returned the next day but in the meantime a holidaymaker had found the stash of money after some of the banknotes started blowing across the site.
Mr Chaplin said Youens-Stunnell had credit card debts of £70,000 at the time and had put his home on the market to raise money.
He said Youens-Stunnell's dishonesty was shown by his decisions to turn off the lights before opening the safe, to hide of the money, and not to tell the police about it on the night.
He said:"During the time he was involved with the police that night not a word was said by him about the movement of this cash from his safe.
"Our case is there is no honest explanation of what he did in turning off the lights. It must have been done in ignorance or forgetfulness that the CCTV recorded with night vision.
"He picked up the money for his own means when everybody was distracted by a very grave robbery.
"He now says he was motivated by a desire to safeguard the money, having received a knock on the head and was not thinking entirely straight."
The trial continues
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Exeter judge shows mercy on £125,000 benefit swindler
A mother who swindled £125,000 in false benefit claims has escaped jail so she can care for her three children and dying father.
Louise Reilly posed as a single parent for eight years so she could claim extra benefits when in reality she was being supported by her long-time partner Mervyn Davey.
She pretended to be a lone mother but neighbours blew the whistle after seeing her boyfriend sneaking into her home through a hedge.
She is now paying back the money at a rate which means it will take almost 20 years to clear the debt, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Reilly started claiming a raft of benefits when she was living in Callington and carried on after being evicted and moving to Polisken Way, St Erme.
She and her three children have now moved away from Cornwall to West Yorkshire so she can be nearer her father, who has been given just months to live.
Reilly, of Eleventh Avenue, Huddersfield, was found guilty of eight counts of benefit fraud by a jury at Truro Crown Court last month.
She sobbed in the dock as she was jailed for nine months, suspended for two years by Judge Graham Cottle sitting at Exeter.
He told her:"This was blistering dishonesty. You claimed benefits you were not entitled to over something in the order of eight or nine years in which you failed to disclose you were living with Mr Davey.
"It was clear from the evidence that you were and that the total amount was £125,000. There has to be a custodial sentence. The only question is whether it can be suspended.
"You have had without doubt a hard life. You have brought up three children and looked after two others when their father died.
"You have a history of depressive disorders which has been exacerbated by this case and I have read the statement from the pupil support officer about how you have confronted the problems of bringing up your children.
"I have read letters from your daughter and sister and along with all that I take into account the fact that your own father has only been given a limited time to live. In these exceptional circumstances I am just able to suspend the sentence."
During the trial at Truro the jury heard how Reilly lied about being supported by her partner to claim income support, employment support allowance, housing and council tax benefits.
She was caught when neighbours spotted Mr Davey going to and from her home through a hedge and CCTV from her landlord confirmed he was living there.
Mr Ben Thomas, defending, said Reilly had become pregnant for the first time when she was just 16 and that her children were traumatised by the prospect of her going to jail.
He said she did not come from a benefit culture and one of her brothers worked at the Jamaica Inn pub on Bodmin Moor. She is now hoping to go back to college so she can get qualifications and a job.
In the meantime she is trying to repay the money at £25.60 per fortnight.
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Trial of two men accused of murdering driving instructor delayed
The trial of two men accused of murdering a driving instructor has been delayed until next year.
Kevin Cooper and Trewen Kevern had been due to stand trial in front of a jury at Truro Crown Court on November 11 but a Judge has vacated the date.
The delay has been caused because Cooper was originally charged alone and his co-defendant Kevern was only accused of the murder earlier this month.
They are both charged with murdering 72-year-old retired driving instructor David Alderson, whose body was found at the disused Wheal Maid copper mine at Carharrack, on January 18 this year.
Cooper, aged 33, of Poldary View, Carharrack , and Kevern, aged 21, Ashfield View, Falmouth, both face charges of murder.
Cooper was remanded in custody in his absence by Judge Graham Cottle at a preliminary hearing at Exeter Crown Court. Kevern was released on bail.
They will next appear in October at a plea and case management hearing at either Exeter, Plymouth or Truro and the trial date has been put back to April 28 next year.
The trial will be at Truro Crown Court and is expected to take at least a month.
Mr Martin Meeke, QC, prosecuting, said the Crown would be ready for the original date in November but Mr Simon Laws, QC, for Kevern, said more time will be needed to prepare his case.
Judge Cottle set the new date after deciding the original one was now unachievable.
Mr Alderson's death was initially treated as a cycling accident but a murder inquiry was launched after it was found that he had driven to the mine from his home in Falmouth.
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Railway worker jailed for wooing underage girl on facebook and having sex with her
A heritage railway worker has been jailed after he had sex with a 15-year-old girl who he chatted up outside a supermarket and wooed through Facebook messages.
Former Royal Navy sailor Christopher Wilson arranged to visit the girl's home in Devon when he knew her mother was out and they had sex despite a nine year age difference.
Wilson, aged 27, lost his job with the Dart Valley Steam Railway after admitting having sex with the girl and was working as a fork lift truck driver until he was jailed.
He met the girl and knew her exact age because he kept in touch with her by her Facebook page which included her accurate date of birth, Exeter Crown Court was told.
He seduced the teenager when his long-term partner was eight months pregnant but their relationship broke down when she found the Facebook messages which showed he had been seeing the girl.
Wilson, of Kings Road, Paignton, admitted sexual activity with a child and was jailed for eight months by Judge Erik Salomonsen.
The Judge told him:"You met the victim outside a supermarket and spoke with her again on Facebook and went on to have consensual intercourse. You knew exactly what you were doing.
"You were a man of good character but I must have regard to the disparity in ages. She was vulnerable and you knew her age."
Mr Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said Wilson met the girl in 2010 when he was 24 and she was 15 but she did not reveal the offence for more than two years.
Wilson met the girl as she waited outside a supermarket in South Devon while her mother was inside. He told her she was pretty and they exchanged Facebook details and started messaging each other.
Mr Crabb said there had been one instance of consensual sex at her home after it was arranged over Facebook for him to visit when the girl's mother was out.
Mr David Evans, defending, said Wilson has already paid a very high price for his actions. His relationship with his partner has broken down and he has been denied contact with his son, now aged three.
He has also lost his job at the Dart Valley railway, which he had taken up after being forced to give up his initial career with the Royal Navy through illness.
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Exeter Airport bosses advise passengers to leave extra time to get through roadworks
MANAGEMENT at Exeter International Airport are appealing to passengers to leave more time for catching flights.
Work to upgrade the access road to the airport started this week and is adding at least 20 minutes to the journey.
Stephen Ayres, spokesman for the airport, said: "The widening works, with traffic lights on the road, are causing delays.
"We are advising that passengers and taxi drivers should give themselves an extra 20 minutes to get to the airport from the city."
The £1.4m scheme will increase the width of the B3184, improving the link from the A30 to Exeter Airport and nearby Exeter Airport Business Park.
The current narrow width of the road causes traffic congestion, particularly for larger vehicles and HGVs.
Widening the existing layout will improve traffic visibility and increase safety for road users. It will also support growth of the airport and would enable the road to cope with any increase in vehicles.
Two way traffic lights will be in place during the first phase of the project which will last until mid-October.
The scheme is not due to be finished until March next year.
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Family fun day in Wonford to raise money for grieving family of Exeter schoolgirl Nicole Hartup
CROWDS are expected to turn out at a family fun day on Sunday to raise money for the grieving family of Exeter schoolgirl Nicole Hartup.
The event at Wonford Playing Fields will take place between 11am and 5pm on Sunday will host a range of stalls and activities with something on offer for all the family.
It is being organised by Lynnette Olding who, in addition to supporting Nicole's family, is raising money for the Snowdrop appeal. This is charity that helps women who stuffer stillbirth, miscarriage and early baby loss.
She organised a similar event at Heavitree in June which raised money for the Snowdrop appeal and to support a friend who had been paralysed in a car crash.
She said: "This time around with are raising money for Snowdrop and are also raising money for a grieving Exeter family after the loss of their beautiful young Nicole."
Nicole, 12, a pupil at Isca College died in May after falling from a wall at the Phoenix Youth Club in Wonford.
Shortly after her death hundreds of family, friends and neighbours descended on Wonford Playing Fields to remember her and there is expected to be a large turnout from the community again this weekend.
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Woman and young boy seriously ill after being found unconscious in sea off Devon beach
A woman and a nine-year-old boy are seriously ill in hospital after they were rescued from heavy surf by lifeguards.
Both the woman, aged in her 40s, and the boy, were unconscious but breathing when they were pulled from the water at Woolacombe beach.
They are now being treated at North Devon District Hospital, where they were airlifted by the crew of a Sea King helicopter from RAF Chivenor, and where their condition was said to remain "serious"
Police said officers had taken statements from witnesses at the beach following the incident, adding that the surf conditions were particularly heavy at the time the woman and boy ran into difficulties on Tuesday afternoon.
The RNLI has dealt with a number of incidents in the North Devon area as a result of the conditions, police added.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: "The Chivenor search and rescue helicopter, the Mortehoe Coastguard Rescue Team and Woolacombe Lifeguard, together with Devon and Cornwall Police, responded to a call, received by Swansea Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at 2.45pm, that a person had got into difficulties and had been pulled from the water at Woolacombe.
"It transpired that two people - a woman and a child - had been pulled from the water and were in need of immediate medical assistance."
At 3.05pm Woolacombe TIC tweeted: "Thank goodness for the amazing emergency services today in #Woolacombe #RNLIlifeguards #rescuehelicopter #coastguard -keep up the great work"
At 3.28pm Jo Owen tweeted: "Beach red flagged. Helicopter and lifeguards working hard to keep everyone safe. Amazing work #rnli #woolacombe"
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Exeter City to look at ticket pricing after gate falls to lowest in almost eight years
Exeter City vice-chairman Julian Tagg says the ticket pricing is something that needs looking at again after the attendance at St James's Park fell to its lowest level in almost eight years.
Just 2,741 people attended the game against York City at the weekend, which is the poorest gate for a Saturday league match at the Park since September 2006 when City played St Albans in the Conference.
Tagg says the attendance for Saturday's game falls below what had been predicted by the club, with City expecting to get upwards of 3,000 people through the turnstiles for weekend matches.
It could represent a short fall of anywhere up to £5,000 and with the club suffering from continuing cash-flow problems during the summer it is something they need to look at.
"The gate for Saturday was below what was predicted," said Tagg, who is currently the interim chairman of the club following the departure of Ed Chorlton in late July.
"That prediction was made last season by the gates committee in order to predict club budgets, but primarily the playing budget."
Tagg admitted it was something the club needed to address quickly, but it could take time as there were plenty of people to consult and lots of opinions.
"We do need to look at the detail but I think it is important to avoid an immediate knee-jerk reaction at this point," said Tagg.
"Ticket pricing is very difficult as you often get opinions that are diametrically opposed.
"Some people believe prices should be higher, that you need more revenue and the result would lead to a better product.
"While there are others who think lower prices will mean more people come through the gate, although ultimately, when the numbers are crunched, that often means ironically less revenue.
"You also have to consider those that have already committed, for example season ticket holders. Your existing customers are extremely important.
"Either way it is a concern, of course it is. It has to be addressed as falls like that can translate into cash of anywhere up to £5,000 less than anticipated.
"That won't help the well-documented, and as yet unsolved, cash-flow problem.
"It is a difficult balance, as it always is with ticket pricing. But, particularly now with all the changes we have had at the club, it needs to be looked at.
"Paul (Tisdale) is developing a young and exciting team, which for the most part is made up of home-grown players.
"This has been facilitated primarily because supporters have backed and funded youth down the years.
"They (Paul Tisdale and the players) need and appreciate the backing and support they get, which is inextricably linked to attendance levels that are critical and underpin everything."
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Devon Air Ambulance calls on public to support them through Dragon Boat Festival in Exeter
DEVON Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) is calling on businesses and groups of friends throughout the county to join them in a great fundraising event in Exeter to mark the end of National Air Ambulance Week.
The Dragon Boat Festival on Exeter Quay will feature a dramatic fleet of up to 20 highly colourful vessels, each paddle-powered by 16 rowers straining at the oars to the beat of a drum under the watchful eye of a Chinese dragon head.
Two local businesses who have already got on board are South West Highways and Crisp Marketing Associates.
Shaun Durham of Crisp Marketing Associates said: "We supported DAAT last year as our charity of the year and we are always interested in hearing about fun and exciting ways to support local charities – the Dragon Boat Festival fitted the bill perfectly."
Lauryn Mann, business development co-ordinator at South West Highways, said: "The Dragon Boat Festival provides the perfect opportunity for our staff, and other DAAT supporters, to get together and raise money and awareness for a local charity."
DAAT fundraising director Caroline Creer said: "We want as many teams as possible to enter.
"Each boat takes 16 rowers plus a drummer. But you can have up to 20 in your team, so you can mix and match. Team members can pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship sum of £60 per person which includes boat hire or businesses can sponsor a boat at £300 plus VAT with team members pledging to raise a minimum sponsorship of £40 per person."
The DAAT Dragon Boat Festival takes place on Exeter Quay on Saturday, September 27. Information packs are available at www.daat.org or by calling 01392 466666.
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Organisers say Exeter's summer of table tennis has "created a buzz" as event is planned at castle
THE success of Exeter's summer of table tennis – or Ping – is being celebrated at an event in the city.
The event, called Ping of the Castle, takes place at Exeter Castle, on Thursday, September 4, from 6pm to 8pm.
It will feature a workplace table tennis tournament, music and entertainment. There will be food on sale as well with a chance for everyone to get active, have fun and enjoy a celebration of Ping! Exeter.
All abilities and all ages are welcome, and there will be free for all Ping after 8pm at the castle. For more information go to www.activedevon.org/pingofthecastle or www.pingexeter.co.uk
Ping! Exeter has been in full swing since July 17, and has seen thousands of people across Exeter and the surrounding areas play table tennis in landmark locations including Exeter Central station, Northernhay Gardens, Exeter Library, Princesshay shopping Centre, Southernhay and the quay.
James Bogue, senior development manager at Active Devon said: "The buzz from Ping Exeter has been incredible, everywhere you look people of all ages are having a go and enjoying the game."
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Exeter court hears allegations that uninvited guest beat up host
An uninvited guest allegedly beat up his host and stole his laptop after leaving him with two black eyes and a split lip.
Loui Guinan let himself into victim Andrew Harris's home in Bideford and drank whisky with him but is alleged to have turned nasty during a petty argument.
A laptop taken from his home was later recovered at a second hand computer shop in Holsworthy where it was sold for £170 by Adrian Clark, who is a friend of Guinan.
Guinan, aged 23, of Tower Street, Bideford, denies causing actual bodily harm and theft. Clark, aged 24, of Old Town, Bideford, denies handling the computer. All the offences date back to June last year.
Mr Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said the 44-year-old victim Mr Harris had been drinking heavily on the night of the attack and his home in Silver Street, Bideford, was insecure because he had locked himself out and then used a broomstick to break in.
He was sat inside drinking whisky and watching television at around midnight when Guinan, who he knew, let himself in and joined him.
Mr Wraith said Mr Harris offered him whisky and they drank together while Guinan watched music videos on a recently bought £379 LeNovo laptop.
All went well until about 3 am when there was an argument which started when Mr Harris started talking about Guinan's uncle, who he described as a thief.
Mr Wraith said:"Guinan moved to the area where Mr Harris was sat down and began to punch him to the face and head. He found it difficult to keep count of the number of blows and believes he lost consciousness.
"The next thing he was aware of was waking up the following afternoon in bed and hearing Guinan outside his room asking for the password for the laptop which he refused to give him."
Mr Wraith said Guinan left but Mr Harris found his computer and wallet were missing and called the police, who found him with facial injuries which led them to ask paramedics to attend. He was advised to go to hospital but refused to do so.
He later heard from a friend that his laptop was on sale at a shop in Holsworthy and alerted police who recovered an identical machine from the PC Box shop, where it had been sold for £170 by Clark within hours of the original incident.
Guinan denied carrying out any assault. He says Mr Harris injured himself when he fell down drunk or when he suffered a fit which was induced by his heavy drinking.
He says Mr Harris had no idea what had happened and he denies taking the computer, which he says could have been stolen by anyone during the 14 hours when Mr Harris was comatose.
Clark says he had no reason to believe there was anything suspicious about the laptop.
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University of Exeter Business School to launch free online course
Anyone will be able to study business for free at the University of Exeter Business School thanks to a new collaboration between the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and online learning platform FutureLearn.
They have teamed up to launch a massive open online course (MOOC) – Discovering Business in Society – which is free to study and open to anyone in the world with access to the internet.
The eight-week course, starting in September, is aimed at anyone interested in learning the principles of business, including prospective undergraduate students, working professionals without a background in business and people looking to return to work after an absence. And for those interested in entering the finance profession and seeking a route to ACCA membership, the MOOC can be a starting point.
Robin Mason, dean of the Business School, said: "If you are interested in learning about how businesses work, their main challenges and opportunities, and how, more broadly, business is an integral part of society, then sign up for the MOOC. We have designed the course to appeal to people from a wide range of backgrounds, countries and experiences.
"It will also provide an introduction to key business issues, while challenging some of the standard ideas of what business is about."
He added: "We would encourage anyone who is interested in learning a bit more about how businesses work, the main challenges and opportunities and how business integrates into the wider economy, to sign up for the MOOC. In particular, we'd love to have lots of 'students' from the region using this as a taster to see what we have to offer."
Clare Minchington, ACCA executive director, said: "The whole point of this MOOC is that it is all encompassing. Yes, it can be a way for someone looking to begin their journey into the finance profession with ACCA, but equally it could be useful to someone seeking to start a business to get a better understanding of what's involved, or a parent looking to return to work with a new set of skills.
"It's not unusual today for those people already in work to look to change career, and this gives them an idea of what it might be like in a business environment. It's open to anyone, anywhere, of any age who wants to do it.
"Because it is entirely online, anyone in the world with access to the internet can study it, even though it is delivered by a prestigious UK university. Even if those who study it choose not to use it to further their careers or become entrepreneurs they will have a deeper understanding of how business is relevant in society."
The Discovering Business in Society MOOC will cover a range of topics, including:• Purpose and types of business organisation• The changing world of business• Environmental and regulatory factors• Economic factors• Internal organisation and governance
First steps to accountancy
For those who complete the course and choose to take the optional assessment at the end of the course, which does have a fee attached to it, it could be the first step on the ladder to becoming a qualified ACCA accountant.
Those who are successful in completing the optional examinations can claim exemption from the ACCA F1 paper, Accountant in Business.
Clare added: "The option is there to get that first part of the ACCA qualification under your belt should you decide a career in accountancy is for you. However, we didn't launch the MOOC just to give people the opportunity to study our globally recognised qualification. Those who study it are under no obligation to take the examination at the end. When we say it is open to all, we don't just mean those looking to become ACCA accountants. Our ethos has always been open access and this MOOC is testament to that thinking."
To find out more and register, visit: www.futurelearn.com/courses/discovering-business-in-society
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Police release CCTV of biker wanted in connection with alleged theft
Police have released CCTV of a biker they are trying to trace in connection with an alleged theft in Axminster.
The image – released under Devon and Cornwall Police's Caught on Camera initiative – is in relation to an allegation of theft from the Mole Avon store in the town on June 11.
A police spokesman said a male entered the store and stole an inverter welder that had been concealed in clothing after being removed from its packaging.
The suspect police are looking to trace is described as a white male aged late 40's to mid 50's with short dark very receded hair, greying beard and moustache, of large build and wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket. He also had blue jeans and was carrying a black full face motorcycle helmet.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting ref cr/080549/14
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Exeter Airport owner Rigby Group targets growth after takeover of Capital Air Charter
Exeter Airport owner the Rigby Group Plc has strengthened its presence in the South West by snapping up Capital Air Charter Ltd.
The acquisition by Rigby Group Plc's aviation division for an undisclosed sum follows a year in which the group has invested £50 million in the region, including the purchase of Exeter Airport and British International Helicopters.
Operating both the Capital Air Charter and Capital Air Ambulance services, the Exeter-based company was founded in 1991 and provides executive corporate and private chartered flights, medical repatriation and urgent freight services throughout Europe.
Both services are based at Exeter Airport, with 35 full time staff and a roster of more than 70 part-time medical staff available on call. They currently operate eight aircraft, and will continue to operate under their own brand as plans for new growth are finalised.
"This is a hugely significant announcement for both companies, one that will allow us to develop and realise its potential in a way that simply wasn't possible in the past," said Capital Air Charter managing director and chief pilot Malcolm Humphries.
Rigby Group, which under its British International Helicopters (BIH) brand already represents one of the UK's largest domestically owned commercial aviation and offshore helicopter services company, plans to grow Capital Air Charter's market share extensively over the next few years and to develop both its aero medical services and its contracted charter capabilities.
Group chairman and chief executive Sir Peter Rigby said: "Regional aviation is vitally important to the economic development of regions, not just in the UK but across the world. I am delighted to welcome everyone at Capital Air Charter to our fast growing team.
"Over the last two decades they have worked hard to establish the company as the South West's largest air ambulance and private air charter operator with an enviable reputation, and I am very much looking forward to working together as we continue to expand operations and build on that success."
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Witches world record attempt in Exeter hopes to re-ignite calls to pardon three women hanged in the city
A world record attempt for the largest gathering of witches takes place in Exeter this weekend - and the event is being used to re-ignite calls to pardon three women hanged in the city more than 300 years ago.
Rougemont Castle is the venue for the largest ever gathering of witches together, which is being called The Grand Witches Tea Party. Organisers need to attract more than 765 to beat the record set two years ago at Warwick Castle.
The date has been chosen to mark 322 years since three women were hanged for the crime of being witches on August 25, 1682.
Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards and Mary Trembles, all from Bideford, are regarded as the last women in England to be hanged for the offence.
Apparently, the women were convicted on hearsay evidence, which included one of them being accused of turning into a magpie. Even the Assizes Justices at the time did not believe they were guilty but were forced to respond to an angry mob that was baying for a hanging.
Last year author Christine Nash set up an online petition to call for their public pardon but despite support, which included Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw, it was unsuccessful.
Modern witch Jackie Juno, 51-year-old, who lives in Bovey Tracey with her husband and daughter, hopes this second attempt will persuade Exeter City Council to take them seriously and reconsider.
"By getting them pardoned we are making a statement that this bigoted behaviour should not be tolerated nowadays. It would prove that humanity could change for the better," she says.
"It would also be laying the women to rest in a way that resolves the mistakes of history."
Anyone attending the tea party will be able to sign their names in a book, which will then be presented to city councillors.
Jackie feels an empathy with these women whom, she says, may have been guilty of simply being different.
"If you were unmarried or childless or sometimes simply owned a cat you were regarded with suspicion," she says. "What these women suffered really struck a chord with me."
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Tributes to father of two from Devon who died when his car ended up in nature reserve
Tributes have been paid to a father of two who died after his car ended up in a nature reserve.
Jethro Alsop, 38, who had moved from his home in Devon to live in Holland with his partner and two children, died after his vehicle entered the water at Slapton Ley near Kingsbridge.
Emergency services were called to the nature reserve at Torcross after reports that a car had travelled across grassland and come to rest in the water.
Jethro was treated by paramedics but was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later.
Following his death, his family have released the following tribute to him:
Jethro was born on December 20th 1976 in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital. The first child of Jon Grosvenor Alsop and Susan Alsop. When he was three years old, his parents sold up their house and sail making business in Norfolk to move on board their new home, Camelot, a gaff rigged teak ketch they bought in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Jethro learned to row, swim, drive an outboard motor, sail a lateen-rigged dinghy and free dive to check the anchor was holding well in up to 20 feet of water before he learned to ride a bike.
Always a mischievous character, when living on a boat the equivalent of the naughty step was to hoist him up the mast in a bosun's chair and not uncleat him until he said he was sorry. From up there he would wave to all his friends on other boats – so not much of a punishment. He attended Passea Kindergarten school and St Georges infant schools in Road Town. When Camelot sailed down the Caribbean Island chain Jethro would go to any other local school where they were based for more than a few weeks.
When Jethro was four and a half his new baby brother Oliver joined the crew of Camelot. As he grew into a toddler he provided endless swimming and diving practice for Jethro who would put on a mask and fins to retrieve dinky cars and belaying pins thrown overboard from the porthole in his playpen/bunk. By the age of seven, Jethro was responsible for most of the navigation up the Intra coastal Waterway from Fort Lauderdale in Florida right up to Annapolis – following the magenta line on the charts, calling out the numbers on the marks as we worked down to zero in Virginia.
The floating home was sold in Annapolis in 1985 and the family moved to Devon where Jon set up a sail loft in Salcombe, and Jethro went to Malborough primary school. Still not very skilled in kicking a ball or riding a bike due to lack of such experiences, it took a while for him to settle into the discipline of regular school, and his tales of whale spotting or swimming with turtles seemed like crazy fantasies to his classmates and teachers. Having to sit in the corner with the Dunce's cap in Mr Lapthorn's class became a frequent occurrence. That was probably the start of him playing the role of class clown and funny man to the amusement of his class mates but not the staff. By the time Jethro was fourteen years old, it was apparent that he had a form of dyslexia, and was still not reading or writing fluently. Extra private coaching helped tremendously, but he was disruptive in class. The headmistress summoned Jon and Sue to school to say "something must be done" or he would be expelled.
Salvation came in the form of Pete Morris who had a home in Malborough and skippered an 80 foot yacht called Natasha based in Camden in Maine in the summer and Antigua or Bahamas in the winter. He agreed to take Jethro on as unpaid deck hand and act in loco parentis until Jethro reached the official school leaving age of sixteen. So off he went to the USA and learned at first hand the skills he would need to be a useful member of a boat's working crew. He also treated himself to a pierced ear and driving lessons out of the tips he earned.
Back in Devon, he went to night school to study for Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and eventually Yacht master in the RYA system to help with his chosen career. With extra time allowed for the written exams, he doggedly managed to pass on the theory. He then worked on various yachts including a two year stint on Thallia, a 160 foot yacht based in Palma Majorca. He saved up enough to buy an old school bus converted into a camper van in Perth in Western Australia . With his good mates John Glover and Andrew Beech they spent a year working and travelling around Ausralia clockwise from April 2000 until March 2001.
In the Spring of 2003 Jethro was working on a yacht in Dartmouth when casting director of a feature film being made locally asked if he would be prepared to a small speaking part in the movie Churchill The Hollywood Years. With his 6'4" height and blond hair he made garet.a perfect Price Ludwig and danced with the actress playing Princess Margaret.
In Antibes in the South of France in 2003 he fell in love with Louise, who has been his partner and mainstay ever since. They went back to Australia together where he worked for a company called Dreamboats on the Swan River skippering and maintaining a fleet of five boats. Jethro managed to get back from Australia just in time to spend the last few days with his father before his death in February 2011. And only a couple of weeks after that funeral, Louise gave birth to Mia Isabella Alsop in Amsterdam. Their son Alexander was born there in October 2013.
Any witnesses to the collision or anyone with information to assist the investigation are asked to contact police on 101, quoting log number 10 of 22/08/14.
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Exeter named in top 10 'hot list' of places in UK to live and work
If you're young and single or middle-aged with a family and you're in Exeter, then here's the news you've been waiting for...
The city has been named as one of Britain's top 10 places to live and work during the economic recovery.
Exeter is described as a "growing country city" in a Sunday Times 'hot list' of locations in the UK for young professionals and families to find a decent job and get onto the property ladder.
Ben de Cruz, treasurer of Exeter Chamber of Commerce and Partner at Haines Watts chartered accountants, said: "There is an increasing view nationally that Exeter is a 'destination' city. We believe that Exeter can offer the ideal work/life balance that people desire."
Derek Phillips, vice president of Exeter Chamber of Commerce, added: "It is great to see national recognition of Exeter's continuing success."
Researchers at Knight Frank estate agency analysed the best towns and cities for job prospects and salaries.
The other 'hot list' destinations were: Aberdeen, Bradford, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Hastings, London, Reading and Solihull.
"Regional cities are back," said Grainne Gilmore, Knight Frank's head of UK residential research to The Sunday Times. "Vacancies are up almost everywhere and the patterns of company decisions show a desire to invest in cities and towns across the country."
In Exeter the predicted long-term job growth year-on-year over the next five years will be 0.7-0.9%.
The average annual salary in Exeter for 22- to 39-year-olds is £25,522, while house prices in the city have dropped by 5.8% since the 2007 peak.
The Sunday Times described St Leonard's and Pennysylvania "desirable suburbs" because of their proximity to the university, schools and a 'new' shopping centre (presumably Princesshay).
On the outskirts Woodbury, Exton and Topsham have "snob value and good community spirit" according to Simon Cooper, head of residential sales at Stags.
Middle-aged people are said to be ahead of the curve, having begun moving to cities rather than the countryside over the past 18 months.
"It's been a trend for the past 18 months," said Martin Lamb, head of Savills estate agency's Exeter office.
"Modern families want to be able to walk their children to school, get to work easily and buy a house they can lock-up and leave when they go away.
"The older generation with grown-up children want to be where they can see their children. It's more convenient for them to buy a town house than live in the country."
Removal company director George Rose and his partner Debbie Boulter, a medical marketeer, have recently moved from Copplestone, Mid Devon, into a five-bedroom home near Exeter city centre for £650,000.
Mr Rose told The Sunday Times: "My firm often has six to 10 jobs a day, increasingly within Exeter rather than outside. It's more convenient to be in the city."
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Update: Police confirm 12-year-old boy has died after collision with lorry on zebra crossing in Exeter
A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has died after being involved in a collision with a lorry in Exeter this afternoon.
At around 3.10pm today police attended a road traffic collision on Topsham Road, near Countess Wear.
It happened on the zebra crossing on the Topsham side of Countess Wear roundabout and involved a 12 year old boy, who was a pedestrian and a skip lorry.
The boy was initially treated at scene by a member of the public and then paramedics. He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where he was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival.
The lorry driver was uninjured.
The road remains closed whilst serious collision investigators carry out an examination at the scene and diversions are in place.
Any witnesses are requested to contact police on 101 quoting log 480 of 28/08/2014.
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