Fire crews were called into action in Exeter in the early hours of this morning after building blaze in Howell Road.
Two appliances from Danes Castle and Middlemoor were mobilised to reports of a building fire at 00:52.
On arrival crews discovered there had been a small fire in a waste paper bin that was now out.
Crews used positive pressure ventilation to clear the smoke and make the room safe.
The fire was deemed to be accidental.
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Crews called to fire in Howell Road, Exeter
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Exmouth Seafront owners 'in the dark' over regeneration plans
OWNERS of seafront businesses in Exmouth say they still don't know if they will lose their livelihoods as part of East Devon District Council's ambitious regeneration plans.
Councillors on the Development Management Committee have now approved the £10m, 3.6 hectare Queen's Drive Leisure Zone proposals.
The scheme will include the realignment of the road, a water sports centre, a large indoor and outdoor play and recreation area, retail areas, restaurants and cafés, holiday accommodation, a public square and parking for 250-plus cars.
In addition, the Harbour View Café will be either extensively refurbished or demolished and rebuilt to provide a modern café and restaurant, with the Coastwatch tower facility still provided above.
However, Dawn Hirst, whose family has been the tenants and managers of the café for around 35 years, said she still has not been informed by council officials if she can be involved in the proposals. Chris Wright, who owns Exmouth Fun Park, which has been in his family for almost four decades and is included in the redevelopment zone, also said he does not know if his livelihood may disappear.
In August, a council spokesperson said officials have had conversations with tenants "from time to time" and are always available to discuss any queries. But in September Exmouth town councilors refused to back the scheme because they did not feel that existing tenants within the redevelopment zone had been "properly" consulted.
However, a council spokesperson has confirmed that both tenants have been invited to submit "innovative" design proposals which meet the requirements of the planning consent and then the council will put these forward to a future development partner. In October the authority hosted a meeting for current tenants and following the meeting all tenants received a briefing setting out the next steps in the development timetable.
Both Mrs Hirst and Mr Wright stressed they are not opposed to the regeneration of the area but are beset with worry because they don't know what will happen to them. Both say there hope to be involved.
"There are three scenarios," said Mrs Hirst. "Either the café is refurbished and I am invited to continue being the tenant, it is knocked down and it is given to someone else to run and I am involved elsewhere, or I lose my livelihood completely," she said adding that the worry is making her ill.
"I don't know what is happening or whether there will be any compensation. There are so many ifs and buts."
The businesswoman said she understands that the council may not be in a position to give definite options but she hasn't received any guidance from the council on her involvement.
"I understand that the council doesn't know itself what is happening," she added. "But I don't feel part of their plans in any shape or form, there is a real lack of communication.
"Even if jobs are created, I don't think they've considered how many local people are going to be put out of business.
"I'm not against improvement, but it's the not knowing that is worst thing.
"I have 20 staff so this affects 20 families, not just mine."
Mr Wright said he is also "no further forward" in knowing where he or his business stands in the development plans. He previously described not knowing as a "killer worry".
"I am very keen to be involved and included in the scheme but whether this will happen, I don't know," he said. "My concerns are still the same, nothing has changed."
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Plans submitted for Honiton Premier Inn
Proposals for a four storey hotel on the outskirts of Honiton have been submitted to East Devon District Council.
Property developers, Yelverton Properties has submitted a planning application for a 66 bedroom hotel at the site of the Honiton Motel on Turks Head Lane.
The plans include the demolition of the existing motel buildings and the erection of a replacement hotel building with ancillary restaurant/bar.
Premier Inn has been proposed as the operator of the hotel. The plans also include a 63 space car park and associated landscaping works.
It is anticipated that 25 full time staff will be needed.
Richard Pearson, Acquisitions Manager for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants said: "Honiton is a town where we are keen to invest and where we want to grow our business."
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Video: Young Exeter Chiefs fans star in new TV advert
TWO youngsters from Sidmouth will get the chance to appear on TV alongside their rugby heroes after filming a starring role in a new series of adverts for Premiership sponsor Aviva.
Jack Garner and Finn Cotton, both eight, were selected to represent the Exeter Chiefs in the adverts after a nationwide hunt at every Premiership ground. (Watch the video below)
A film crew visited the pair at Sidmouth Rugby Club last month to catch them in action at a training session with some of their teammates, where the boys were interviewed and filmed playing rugby, as well as having their photos taken by a professional photographer.
"It's been really exciting for them, they're big Exeter Chiefs fans anyway so to be filmed doing what they love is fantastic, they've been talking about it all week," said Jack's dad Tom, 37, an estate ranger for Clinton Devon Estates.
"My parents especially are big rugby fans and love the Aviva Premiership Rugby programme so to tell them Jack was going to be on TV was really special."
The lads, who go to St Peter's Primary School in Budleigh Salterton, wowed casting directors from Aviva who scoured the country looking for the biggest fans from each Premiership club.
After impressing a camera crew at Exeter Chiefs' 40-6 victory over Worcester on October 26 with their love for everything Exeter, Jack's mum Rachel Garner, 38, admitted she was blown away to get the phone call telling them the pair had been selected.
"We weren't expecting it, I think I went into a bit of a flat spin thinking they were going to be on the telly," said Rachel, a teacher at Kenton Primary School
"They eat, breathe and sleep rugby and it's a great opportunity for them.
"Jack Nowell is Jack's hero, he has pictures all over the wall of him, we've umpteen numbers of autographs from programmes of all of the Chiefs players - in fact I know most of the Chiefs players now - and if he's not at school or asleep he's playing rugby, watching rugby or reading about rugby."
The new adverts are due to be debuted on ITV on December 22, and will wrap around the Aviva Premiership highlights show.
Fans from every Aviva Premiership Rugby club have been selected to star in the adverts, which aim to highlight the real, grassroots heroes of rugby across the country.
And the pair can't wait to have their day in the sun, with Finn adding: "It's brilliant because it's a once in a lifetime experience, I just couldn't believe it."
Jack was equally thrilled after an evening in front of the cameras.
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WINNER: Photo of the week - week 9
Congratulations to Twitter user @JuLouisePhoto, the latest winner of our weekly Facebook cover photo competition, whose image of a Topsham sunset caught our eye.
Once again the standard was very high, with images being submitted on Facebook, Twitter and via email.
We'll now begin our search for next week's lucky photographer, so get involved by uploading them in your own online gallery here, post them on our Facebook page, tweet us, or email us eephotos@expressandecho.co.uk
The only rule is your photo must be of Exeter or the surrounding area.
Click here for a gallery of other entries.
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Exeter City Council respond to 13.6% central government funding cut
Exeter City Council has played down the effect of a reduction of 13.6% in central government funding to the city.
Despite the Council saying that 'difficult decisions' will have to be made to save money Council Leader Pete Edwards said: "We are fortunate to be in a very strong position. Financially we are a very robust council and set the fourth lowest council tax in the country.
Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis announced an average 2.9% cut in the "spending power" for local authorities from April 2014, and the same again for the following year.
But the "spending power" measure favoured by the Government – which bundles together all Whitehall grants, and makes assumptions over council tax, business rates and other revenues authorities can raise – masks the full extent of the cut to the central government grant each authority receives.
Responding to the announcement that Exeter City Council will receive a reduction of 13.6% in central government funding Pete Edwards added:
"We have been preparing for this, and further budget cuts, and have found several ways to be more efficient without touching frontline services; like reducing the costs of running our offices, restructuring to cut management costs and generating internal service efficiencies. This has enabled the Council to introduce a number of new initiatives such as the Living Wage to its lowest paid employees and to continue to support economic growth across the region.
"Despite these difficult times, we are still growing as a city, building new homes for families and supporting the local economy. However, we need to be realistic. We must find more ways of saving money and will be working with community groups to find new ways of running local services. This will involve some difficult decisions, but standing still is not an option."
Devon County Council will have to make do with spending power reduced by £9 million from April, or a 1.6% fall. It will actually see a £3 million increase the year after, or a 0.5% jump.
The leader of Devon County Council, John Hart, said: "We need to work through the small print of the settlement which we'll be doing over the next few days.
"However, an initial review suggests that our estimate of £100 to £110 million of cuts by 2017 still stands.
"I've already warned that there will be no sacred cows as we review our spending. A number of consultations on our services are currently under way and we'll be making our final budget decisions for 2014/15 in February.
"There is some positive news. The Government has recognised the merit of our campaign about the extra cost of providing services in sparse, rural areas and awarded us almost £1 million towards this.
"Obviously that doesn't go anywhere near bridging the gap between what urban and rural councils receive but it is, at least, recognition of the rightness of our argument and we will continue to campaign for Devon on this issue."
Other losers include East Devon (less 0.6% and 0.8%), Exeter (down 3.5% and 4.1%), South Hams (a drop of 1.2% then 1.9% the following year), Teignbridge (a loss of 1.4% of spending power then possibly an 1.8% loss) and West Devon (down 2% and then 3%)
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A Letter from Hugo Swire: Economy's future is looking bright
A BUSY start to the month. First off came the Autumn Statement in which growth forecasts were upgraded. Forecasts of employment growth were also revised up from staying flat to rising by 400,000 this year.
Moreover there was an improved picture on the deficit which was 11 per cent in 2010. It is now projected to fall to 6.8 per cent this year – lower than the 7.5 per cent forecast in March – and 5.6 per cent in 2014/15. By 2018/19 there should even be a surplus. Again, debt is falling faster than predicted. We might care to remind ourselves that Labour said there would be no growth without more spending.
Ed Balls had commented: "We could well be in for a long lost decade-style period of slow growth and high unemployment...I don't see what it is which gets an economy out of (trouble) now when you have got such a fiscal clampdown."
Labour kept telling us that our plan would lead to the disappearance of a million jobs – in fact there are 1.1m more people in work under this Government. The truth is that the biggest risk to Britain comes from the same old Labour Party, who would abandon our plan and spend and borrow more.
The only way to a sustainable rise in living standards is by sticking with our long-term plan to secure a responsible recovery for all hardworking people. The alternative would be higher mortgage rates and higher taxes.
MEANWHILE I went to China for a two-day trip with the Prime Minister. It was an important visit especially now that China has become the world's largest trading nation. Next year the country is set to become the world's largest importer of goods and later this century it will become the world's biggest economy.
We should be clear there is a genuine choice for every country over how to respond to the growing openness and success. They can choose to see China's rise as a threat, or as we do – an opportunity. It is why we are happy China is investing in Britain's nuclear power and has shares in Heathrow Airport, Thames Water and Manchester Airport. It is a positive sign of economic strength that we are open. We now want to set a new long-term goal of a comprehensive EU-China free trade agreement, which would be worth tens of billions of dollars each year. Part of our long-term economic plan is to make sure that Britain is a success in global markets – that we're a winner in the global race. It is how we will secure a responsible recovery that raises hardworking people's living standards.
On the trip the main emphasis was to boost trade. Our delegation struck deals worth £5.6bn. We agreed a UK-Chinese healthcare deal worth more than £120m, signed a new football partnership between the Premier League and the Chinese Super League, championed an EU-China free trade deal which could be worth £1.8bn a year to the UK economy; Signed an agreement for a five year programme of cultural exchanges which will see 2014-15 tours of China by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Ballet and Shakespeare's Globe among others and we launched a campaign to make Britain the most welcoming destination in Europe for Chinese visitors. I even had a building named after me, the Hugo Swire Centre at Wellington School in Shanghai!
But the trip was not only about trade it was also about broadening our relationship. We want to work with China to tackle 21st century challenges. We signed a treaty to strengthen our ability to tackle cross-border crime, we are working together on nuclear negotiations with Iran and have agreed to share expertise and strengthen peacekeeping missions in Africa.
Labour of course could do nothing but snigger from the wings; they said if we had a more strategic approach we would have engaged on issues of human rights.
The truth is we have a strong and full relationship with China, including a human rights dialogue. The full range of reform challenges in China is part of our discussions. We should approach these with mutual respect and understanding and we have agreed to hold a human rights dialogue early next year.
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Two people rescued after flood drama at Haytor
Two people had to be rescued by fire crews after their vehicles got stuck in flood water near to Haytor on Wednesday night.
With torrential rain flowing, the water congregated at Moorland Corner, near to the Moorlands Hotel.The rescue operation took place just before 7pm."It's a well known flood site," said Rod Steemson, headranger at Dartmoor National Park.
"When we have down pours, the drain gets blocked and water clogs the area.
"Two people in separate vehicles needed assistance and had to abandon their cars as they were swamped by water."There was no obvious damage, but I should imagine their vehicles will need some care."
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Six arrested in Chard and Yeovil in sex exploitation probe
Six people have been arrested as part of an investigation into sexual exploitation of girls and young women.
Police raided four addresses in Yeovil and Chard in Somerset as part of the inquiry, which began in August.
Avon and Somerset Police said the investigation was launched after information was received relating to sexual offences allegedly being committed in Yeovil.
Yesterday's raids saw four warrants executed at two residential properties and a business premises in Yeovil, and a residential address in Chard.
The warrants were made under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act and led to the arrest of five men and a woman.
Four remain in custody for questioning and two have been released on bail until early January.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Since August we have been building up a picture of intelligence surrounding the sexual exploitation of girls and young women in the Yeovil area, resulting in these warrants.
"Our ongoing priority is to support and protect the victims of these offences and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice."
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In Court: Cases heard at Central Devon Magistrates' Court
Every week, the Echo will list the results of cases heard at Central Devon Magistrates' Court. As these details are in the public domain, please do not contact us asking if we will leave cases out.
James Webber, @ 42, of Westcliffe Terrace, Seaton, has been banned from driving for 20 months after admitting a charge of drink driving. He was found on September 14 driving a Vauxhall Vectra with 66 mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He was also fined £250 and must pay £85 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.
Michael Richards, @ 77, of Wotton Lane, Lympstone, was found guilty of driving without due care and attention on November 18. The offence was committed in the car park of the Kings Garden and Leisure Centre in Upper Hulham Road. He was found guilty of a second offence in the same location on the same date of causing an accident and not giving name and address or reporting an accident after causing damage to another vehicle. He must pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £780. He licence was also endorsed with five penalty points.
Steven Hart, @ 48, of Pinhoe Road, Exeter, has admitted being found drunk in a highway, namely New North Road, Exeter, on November 16, He was given a six-month conditional discharge and must pay a victim surcharge of £15.
Matthew Lewis, @ 23, of Charles Street, Exmouth, stole, with another, three joints of meat worth £18 from Co-op in Exmouth. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge He must pay £6 compensation and a £15 victim surcharge.
Thomas Northcott, @ 26, of Younghayes Road, Exeter, admitted drink driving on London Road, Rockbeare on August 30. He gave a reading of 203mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. He was banned from driving for 22 months, was fined £250 and must pay £85 costs and a £25 victim surcharge. He was given no extra penalty after admitting driving without due care and attention.
Corey Collinson, @ 22, of St Peter Street, Tiverton, has been jailed for assaulting a male victim by beating. The incident occurred on November 17 in Tiverton. Magistrates gave him a four week sentence because "the offence was so serious as it involved violence on an individual carrying out a public service". He was also in breach of a suspended sentence given for drugs offences and a six-week sentence was added to run consecutively meaning a total sentence of 10 weeks in prison.
Keith Davey, @ 58, of Church Road, Exeter, has admitted damaging a communal front door worth £60 in Exeter on November 17. He was given a six month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £40 costs.
Laura Coloumb, @ 31, of no fixed abode, has admitted being in possession of 1.15g of cannabis and 0.26g of diamorphine in Exeter on November 18. She was given a six-month conditional discharge and must pay a victim surcharge of £15. An order was also made for the drugs to be destroyed.
Nicolas Mingo, @ 21, of Coleford, Crediton, drove an Audi A1 Sport on an unnamed road between Crediton and Coleford after consuming so much alcohol that he gave a reading of 113mg in 100ml of urine. He was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £200 and must pay costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.
Alexander Pickering, @ 27, of Poole, Dorset, has been banned from driving for 18 months and must pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £525 after being caught drink driving in Okehampton on November 14.
Kurtis Coyle, @ 21, of Polsloe Road, Exeter, has pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a knuckleduster, in a public place at Fore Street in Exeter on November 15. He was given a two week prison sentence suspended for 12 months. He was given another two week suspended sentence, to run consecutively, for possession of 1.4g of cocaine. Magistrates said the offence was so serious as it involved possession of a knuckleduster on licensed premises. He must also pay costs and a victim surcharge totalling £165.
Amanda Docherty, @ 48, of St Davids Hill, Exeter, stole Armani aftershave, worth £49, from the Exeter John Lewis store on November 18. She was given a six month conditional discharge and must pay a victim surcharge of £15.
Luke Down, @ 26, of Salutary Mount, Exeter, stole a pedal bike on November 16. He was fined £70, and must pay £30 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
Gemma Small, @ 37, of Mossop Close, Ottery St Mary, drove a BMW car on Strawberry Lane, Ottery St Mary but failed to stop when she was involved in a collision, which injured another person on November 5. She also admitted a second charge of driving without due care and attention. She must pay fines, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £170. Her licence was also endorsed with six points.
Matthew Harris, @ 36, of Galahad Close, Exeter, has been jailed by magistrates for 20 weeks after he admitted stealing a Nokia mobile, iPhone tools, white phone charger, a Samsung mobile, screwdriver, stanley knife, karma sutra playing cards, a white envelope and a torch belonging to a named victim. Magistrates said he was given a custodial sentence as the offence was "so serious because of the record of offending and failing to engage with the probation service". Eight weeks of the total sentence was activating a suspended sentence for previous offences.
Daniel Hutchings, @ 22, of Bennett Square, Exeter, has admitted assault by beating during an incident on November 20 in Crediton. He was given a community order and must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay a £60 victim surcharge and £40 costs.
Tina Morgan,@ 41, of Old School Close, Tiverton, has been given an 18 month conditional discharge after admitting stealing food, pet food and flowers, worth £94.50 belonging to Morrisons in Tiverton on August 16. She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £15.
Simon Turner, @ 27, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, admitted a charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour during an incident on July 23 in Exeter. He was given a community order and by magistrates and must attend a series of appointments. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £60.
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Actor Tom Hardy visits the Lympstone Royal Marines Commando Training Centre
ACTOR Tom Hardy, best known for his roles in Batman and Star Trek, has visited the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre (CTC) in Lympstone where he pledged his support for the Baton.
The Baton, a stretcher handle used at Afghanistan's Camp Bastion, has become a national symbol of remembrance for our armed forces and their families.
It was founded by Honiton barber Alan Rowe MBE.
While on a visit to CTC the actor met Baton trustee Royal Marine Baz Gray who told him about the cause.
"Tom has the reputation of being a very thorough professional with a desire for detail in all his roles," said Alan. "We are truly inspired by his interest in the Baton's cause of conscience."
Pictures were posted online of the stars visit, see just a few of them below:
Met tom hardy tonight pic.twitter.com/ToCkUNI1dh
— ed (@edjcunningham) December 18, 2013As if my boyfriend just met Tom Hardy!!! There is defo bonuses to being in hunter @hgroves28 pic.twitter.com/YNimUGkH9t
— Nats (@NatalieWhite23) December 18, 2013Just met tom hardy !!!
What a legend #heropic.twitter.com/7J2oo40hkK
— levi hopkins (@levishopkins) December 18, 2013Tom hardy in Exeter/exmouth! Get me to him NOW!!!!
— Amber (@AmberBambilini) December 18, 2013Wanna meet TOM HARDY!! Please, pretty please. Wish I lived in Lympstone, just for a few days. Stupid Exeter :(
— Jem (@LilMissChanning) December 18, 2013
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Sidmouth bayonet murder suspect to undergo psychiatric assessment
The case of a man charged with a murder in Sidmouth has been adjourned to allow more time for psychiatric reports.
Nicholas Jamieson, aged 41, of Old Fore Street, Sidmouth, was not present at Exeter Crown Court where Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned proceedings in his absence.
He is currently on remand at Long Larton prison accused of the murder of Brian Kemp, a 71-year-old tourist who was in Devon on holiday from Nottingham in September when he was allegedly attacked with a bayonet.
Mr Michael Fitton, QC, prosecuting, and Mr Simon Laws, QC, defending, both told the judge that more time is needed for psychiatric assessments before the case can progress.
Judge Gilbert remanded Jamieson in custody and did not set a date for the next hearing.
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Snow, ice and heavy rain possible for Devon tomorrow as Met Office issues weather warnings
DEVON could be dreaming of a white Christmas as possible snow is forecast to hit the region tomorrow.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings of ice and rain for tomorrow afternoon, which could lead to a dusting of snow across the region - particularly on higher ground.
A chief forecaster at the Met Office said a band of rain is expected to cross parts of the South West later today which could lead to a risk of ice on untreated surfaces.
The forecaster said: "There is some uncertainty over the timing and intensity of this band of rain, but where any heavy bursts occur, rain may quickly turn to snow.
"At low levels, several centimetres of wet snow is possible.
"Hail may also affect some areas, leading to slippery surfaces, before clearing skies allow temperatures to fall and increase the risk of ice on Thursday night."
The severe weather warning of rain is in place from 3pm on Friday until 3pm Saturday. The ice weather warning is in place from 3pm on Friday until 10am on Saturday.
Drivers are being told to take care as the rain and snow is expected to lead to icy driving conditions over the coming days.
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Depressed drug factory couple must sell house to pay back cash
A couple who ran an industrial-scale cannabis growing operation are being forced to sell the building after being stripped of all their assets.
Julie and Harry Watmough have been given an extra six months to repay £125,000 which they have been ordered to hand over under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The couple, who ran a cannabis farm at Burlescombe, near Tiverton, went back to Exeter Crown Court to ask for more time to pay because they have been unable to sell their home, which is their principle asset.
Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned the confiscation case until June after being told the house is on the market for £285,000.
Drugs squad officers believe the couple could have made up to £200,000 a year out of the cannabis growing operation, which started when Julie Watmough began growing a small amount for herself.
She was using cannabis to help her cope with the death of her son in a horrific car crash but found she was so green-fingered she turned her hobby into a cottage industry.
Her husband Harry used his struggling garage business to launder the profits.
Julie, aged 49, was jailed for three years in February last year but has already been freed on early release. Her husband received a suspended sentence.
At a POCA hearing in June the court assessed Julie Watmough's benefit from crime at £110,000 and her husband's at £100,000. She was ordered to repay £62,044.89 and he was told to repay £63,810.45.
They are both liable to serve two years in jail if the money is not repaid.
Mr Joss Ticehurst, defending, told the Judge they had expected to have complied with the order by now but had failed to sell the house.
He asked for an extension of six months and said:"I am told the house is on the market for £285,000."
Judge Gilbert commented:"Their ability to sell may depend on their enthusiasm for doing so and the price."
The original hearing was told how Julie Watmough started growing the drug to help her cope with the grief after her son was killed in a horrific fireball car crash.
She and her husband expanded the operation into a big business and made large amounts of cash by selling the drugs.
The operation in the attic of their country cottage was so large they used £13,000 worth of electricity keeping the growing plants warm and running fans and ventilators to remove the fumes.
Mrs Watmough started growing cannabis after the death of her 18-year-old son David Kerslake when his car crashed on the way back from a night out in Exeter in 2006.
She suffered depression as a result of the bereavement and gave up her job as a shop worker. Her husband Harry's garage business was failing and she then supported the family through growing and selling cannabis.
Watmough admitted producing cannabis and possessing the drug with intent to supply. Her husband admitted concealing, disguising, converting or transferring the proceeds of crime and being concerned in her production of cannabis.
She was jailed for three years by Judge Phillip Wassall and he was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years and ordered to do 300 hours unpaid community work.
Police raided the couple's home in December 2010 and noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the loft where they found 189 plants.
Experts estimated the likely size of the crop as 4.8 kilograms with a maximum value of £50,000. That meant a potential annual income of up to £200,000, based on a yield of four crops a year
The couple used £13,000 electricity over the two years and paid off £20,000 of their mortgage. Police found electrical items and consumer goods at the house which were through to have been bought with drugs money.
Defence lawyers insisted the profits were not as high as police estimated and amounted to just £30,000 a year. They said the operation was "a cottage industry".
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Racist jailed for vile rants at man who slept with his partner
A jealous boyfriend has been jailed for bombarding an Asian man with vile racist abuse after accusing him of having a one night stand with his partner.
Dean Jefferies threatened to kill the victim in a two day long barrage of voice and text calls which only ended when the other man called in the police.
He used the most extreme racist language and in one text described the other man as 'a f***ing Muslim', Exeter Crown Court was told.
Jefferies, aged 31, of Chatto Road, Torquay, admitted racially aggravated harassment, and assaulting his girlfriend Fiona Wright by beating.
He was jailed for 12 months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, who told him:"You bombarded this man with foul racial abuse which threatened this man with extreme violence.
"Such conduct is always unacceptable and will always be met by immediate custody."
Mr Gareth Evans, prosecuting, said Miss Wright had known the victim of the racial abuse for many years and he had visited her at her home in Torbay a few weeks after she started a relationship with Jefferies.
They had slept together on one occasion and he returned to his family in Cardiff. Jefferies found out about the fling from friends and slapped and grabbed Miss White when he confronted her about it in November.
He then rang the other man and threatened to kill him and to tell his wife about his infidelity. He also sent a stream of messages in which he used racist abuse including the word Paki.
The victim went to his local police station in Cardiff to seek protection and Jefferies was arrested and told police he sent the texts because he was 'very angry'.
Mr Brian FitzHerbert, defending, said:"This happened at a time of emotional turmoil and he very, very ashamed of his behaviour."
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Gallery: Behind the scenes at Cinderella, Exeter Corn Exchange
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in a theatre? What's happening during a show in the parts of a theatre that the audience rarely, if ever, sees?
Photographer Matt Austin was given completely free access to take photographs backstage during a performance of Cinderella at Exeter Corn Exchange.
Matt's photos reveal a complex and sometimes frantic environment, but always professional and inhabited by a supremely talented group of people, from crew to performers. The photos also show that amongst the serious duties of delivering a spot-on performance every time for every audience, there's time for a bit of fun too.
Matt said: "This was a great little project. It's a great show...very funny, beautifully colourful and with a great cast and crew on and off the stage."
Cinderella is the fourth pantomime to be staged at the venue by Kickline, the only company now producing professional pantomime wholly in and for Exeter. The show runs until January 5.
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A pensioner has been branded a 'wicked old man' at Exeter Crown Court after lashing out in parking dispute
A pensioner has been branded as a 'wicked old man' after he lashed out at a young fisherman during a parking dispute and then rang 999 to claim he was the victim of the attack.
Albert Bryan, aged 82, gave police a false account of the incident outside his home in Teignmouth which led to a completely innocent man being arrested and held for five hours.
When police went to check CCTV footage from the flat where he lived the pensioner feigned senility and said he could not remember the security code number needed to play back the images.
Bryan left his home in Ivy Lane, Teignmouth, to confront two men who had parked their VW car in a private space while they nipped into a tackle shop next door to buy bait.
Police uncovered the truth after finding a way to watch the CCTV and seeing that Bryan attacked victim Calem Hughes, and not the other way round.
Bryan, of Ivy Lane, Teignmouth, admitted assault by beating and perverting the course of justice and was conditionally discharged for two years and ordered to pay £100 compensation and £600 costs by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC at Exeter Crown Court.
The judge told him:"You are 82 and have no previous convictions but you are a wicked old man who lied to the police in order to get a young man into trouble.
"This man had parked his car in a private area and gone into a nearby shop. You rang 999 and made a false allegation which led to the driver being arrested and held for five hours.
"He explained to police he had been the one assaulted by you and asked the police to view the CCTV, which showed that you attacked him."
Mr Gareth Evans, prosecuting, said the case was unusual and arose from an incident in July which started when Bryan was sat at his home watching images from a CCTV camera.
Mr Evans said:"He made a 999 call to the police saying he had seen youths in a garage area and when he had approached him they had attacked him. Police took his allegation very seriously.
"His false allegations led to a man being arrested nearby and held in custody. Police recovered the CCTV and Bryan told them he did not have the PIN to enable it to be viewed, but officers were able to do so."
Mr Hugh Ogilvie, defending, said his client was a man living on his pension who had limited means to pay any costs or compensation. He urged the judge to give credit for him pleading guilty.
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Exeter Chiefs and City stars spread Christmas cheer on Bramble Ward
Exeter Chiefs players took time out from gearing up for a busy festive period of fixtures to pay a visit to the Bramble Children's Unit at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.
Dean Mumm, Tom Johnson, Brett Sturgess, Jack Yeandle, James Hanks, Jason Shoemark, Carl Rimmer, Hoani Tui and Chris Whitehead took on the role of Santa Claus and made their annual visit to the hospital to spend time with youngsters who are facing up to the prospect of remaining on the wards for Christmas and beyond.
Ahead of their Aviva Premiership clash with Newcastle Falcons the players arrived at the RD&E armed with a stack of presents and clutching a collection of goodie bags filled with Chiefs merchandise to distribute to children on the wards.
Spending time not only delivering presents, but also sitting down and chatting with the young children and their families, the rugby stars helped to bring some festive cheer to the Bramble Unit.
It followed a recent visit by Exeter City squad members including Danny Coles, Pat Baldwin, Sam Parkin, Matt Gill, Craig Woodman, Tom Nichols, Jacob Jagger Cane, Elliott Chamberlain, Scot Bennett, Tommy Doherty and Jacob Wannell.
Chiefs prop Brett Sturgess said: "You have mixed emotions coming here because it's nice to put smiles on people's faces and try and cheer the kids up, but some of the wards are really tough. The cancer and intensive care wards are really difficult to cover, but we enjoy coming here and spending some time with the kids.
"For us as players and also as parents ourselves, it's about giving something back to people who are suffering around Christmas time. We aim to cheer the kids up, give them a few presents and try to bring a smile to their day. It's something that's very important for all of us at the Chiefs."
As well as the visit from the Chiefs, youngsters on the ward had a second treat when they got to see a pair of reindeer from Cotley Farm in Whimple brought down to the unit's outdoor play area for them to admire.
Play specialist Cara Bennett said: "We're always pleased to see the Exeter Chiefs players here and appreciate the time and effort they make to bring gifts for the children and put a smile on all their faces.
"The reindeer were popular visitors too, so our thanks go to Cotley Farm for bringing them down."
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What to do if you need medical treatment over Christmas: Advice from Devon GPs
If you find yourself in need of medical attention over the Christmas and new year holiday period then don't panic – help is at hand!
Contrary to many people's perceptions, your doctor's surgery won't be closing for the duration. Rather, it will be open for business as usual every day, from Monday to Friday, except for the three bank holidays of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
"GP practices will be open as normal on Christmas Eve and, with the exception of New Year's Day, from Friday, December 27 onwards," said Angela Edmunds, director of operations at Devon LMC, which represents and supports GPs across the county.
And Devon Doctors' out-of-hours GP service will be accessible when GP practices are closed, though this service is available only for those whose problem is urgent and cannot wait until their surgery reopens.
Historically, the Christmas and new year period sees a sharp increase in people making unnecessary calls to emergency services, Devon Doctors and nurse-led Minor Injury Units which can create problems for people who have a critical need for these services.
"I'm not sure everyone realises that their doctor might well be available and this can place unnecessary pressure on other services which aren't intended to deal with more routine issues," said Mrs Edmunds.
Remember, if you need general medical advice you can call the new NHS 111 service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, while pharmacists are also able to give advice on minor problems such as that cold you might be trying to shake off before the festivities get under way.
Of course, if you have a life-threatening condition you should dial 999 or go to the emergency department at your nearest acute hospital without delay.
Healthcare professionals are also reminding people to help themselves by stocking up on any medication – in particular repeat prescriptions – they envisage they might need, well in advance of the bank holidays.
Some helpful suggestions for your medicine cabinet include plasters, bandages and cleansing wipes, safety pins, sterile gloves, scissors and tape, a thermometer, painkillers such as paracetamol/infant paracetamol for children, aspirin (not to be given to children under 16) or ibuprofen, cough medicine and anti-diarrheal medicines.
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Mum allowed Exeter home to be used for growing cannabis
A judge has shown mercy on a young mother who allowed her Exeter home to be used by drug growers.
Alex Humphreys rented out her 18-month-old child's bedroom to a skink cannabis farmer who paid her £2,000 to set up a high tech hydroponic unit.
Police found 15 plants which were capable of producing more than a kilogram of skunk worth £9,000, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Humphreys, aged 20, of Poppins Court, Exeter, had one child at the time but has subsequently given birth to a second.
She admitted permitting her premises to be used for the production of cannabis and was jailed for ten months, suspended for two years.
Judge Francis Gilbert, QC told her:"Police found drugs growing in the second bedroom of your flat where you lived with your 18-month-old child.
"It was said to be the child's bedroom, according to a sign on the door, but inside was a hydroponic system with 15 cannabis plants which were clearly being grown for sale.
"You said you were offered £2,000 by a friend for the rent if three months and it was a business deal. You expected substantial financial gain.
"The sentence has to be one of custody but in view of the fact that you have two young children I shall suspend it. You would be well advised to stay well away from cannabis because it is harmful to health, especially skunk."
Gareth Evans, prosecuting, said the flat was raided in July and a police expert estimated the likely yield to be 1.26 kilograms of skunk with a street value of £9,000.
Nick Bradley, defending, said Humphrey's role in the growing operation was very limited and she is now living with her mother in Dorset after giving birth to her second child.
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