BBC Local Live: Devon & Cornwall

Paul AtkinsonCopyright: Paul Atkinson

Patch Harvey has been praised by the RNLI after serving for 25 years as a coxswain.

The Newlyn fisherman was asked to join as a volunteer crew member by then coxswain Neil Brockman.

Patch follows in the footsteps of his grandfather and great grandfather, who both volunteered on the crew, and after more than 600 lifeboat shouts he says he has no plans to hang up his yellow wellies.

RNLICopyright: RNLI

Quote Message: I have stayed with the RNLI because the job is so rewarding. I feel quite proud to reach 25 years but it seems to have gone very quick. I can remember my first shout as if it was last week. It was a baptism of fire." from Patch Harvey RNLI Penlee lifeboat coxswain

I have stayed with the RNLI because the job is so rewarding. I feel quite proud to reach 25 years but it seems to have gone very quick. I can remember my first shout as if it was last week. It was a baptism of fire."

BBCCopyright: BBC

Alison Hernandez, Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner, will ask her scrutiny body - the Police and Crime Panel to approve an increased budget that will allow police officer numbers to increase for the second year in a row.

A change in government policy means that the amount people pay for the police through their council tax precept could be raised by 6.8% - if approved at a meeting next Friday.

Ms Hernandez says the proposed increase would bring in an extra £7.2m for policing across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in 2018/19.

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A survey about the changes, which is open to the public, closes on Sunday.

Other proposals include:

• Increasing the number of police officers to 3,015 by 2020
• Early completion of previously proposed recruitment
• 20 joint funded blue light officers, focused on delivering neighbourhood functions in rural areas
• The development of a modern county police headquarters for Cornwall at Bodmin
• Significant increase in technology including the roll out of body worn video and improvements to handling of both emergency and non-emergency calls

The increase in the policing precept would mean householders in a Band D home paying an extra £12 a year in council tax.

Quote Message: I remain committed to achieving previously identified savings and the chief constable will deliver £9.6m of savings by 2021/22 through a combination of efficiency, productivity and transformation." from Alison Hernandez Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner

I remain committed to achieving previously identified savings and the chief constable will deliver £9.6m of savings by 2021/22 through a combination of efficiency, productivity and transformation."

Historians at the University of Southampton have mapped the trading routes of medieval shipping which helped "sow the seeds of the British maritime empire".

More than 50,000 ship movements from 600 ports around England, Wales and the Channel Islands, dating between 1400 and 1580 have been compiled for the interactive map and database.

Researchers found most shipping at the time was done between local ports rather than going abroad with traders opting for ships rather than using the country's mud-track roads.

They also found that, as well as familiar ports still in use such as Southampton, Falmouth, Cardiff and Liverpool, a large number of smaller coastal and river towns were once bustling ports, including Bewdley on the River Severn in Worcestershire, which has 200 voyages logged in the database.

Peter FaceyCopyright: Peter Facey

Quote Message: At the start of the late medieval and Tudor period, English shippers were mainly coastal traders, but by the end, [Sir Francis] Drake had set out on his voyage of circumnavigation and Walter Raleigh was close to planting England's first settlers on Roanoke Island in North America." from Dr Craig Lambert Principle investigator at the University of Southampton

At the start of the late medieval and Tudor period, English shippers were mainly coastal traders, but by the end, [Sir Francis] Drake had set out on his voyage of circumnavigation and Walter Raleigh was close to planting England's first settlers on Roanoke Island in North America."

BBCCopyright: BBC

Plymouth-based Victoria Vincent has finished sixth in the final of the women's 1m springboard competition on the first day at the British Diving Championships.

The final, which was won by City of Leeds Diving Club's Katherine Torrance, took place this afternoon at the Plymouth Life Centre.

Another Plymouth diver, Kayleigh Sinclair, just missed out on the final earlier.

In the men's 1m springboard competition, Plymouth's Alex Kostov and Alfie Brown were both unsuccessful in reaching the final.

A young person in Devon has died, and tests have confirmed they had the flu. Further tests are taking place to determine if this was the cause of death.

Dr Bayad Nozad, Consultant in Health Protection for Public Health England (PHE) South West, said: "We are aware of the very sad death of a young person who was confirmed to have had influenza infection.

"Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time.

"The exact cause of death is yet to be established, therefore we are not yet able to comment on whether flu was the cause of death."

PHE said it was an isolated case and not linked to a flu outbreak.

PHE Medical Director Professor Paul Cosford, said “In terms of hospital admission, this is the most significant flu season since the winter of 2010/11 and the preceding pandemic year of 2009 although it is not an epidemic."

You can find additional advice and information on the flu here.

Devon & Cornwall PoliceCopyright: Devon & Cornwall Police

A caravan stolen from outside a house in Torquay earlier this week has been recovered in Ideford, Newton Abbot.

A 26-year-old man from Teignmouth was arrested on suspicion of theft and has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.

Police say information received from a member of the public helped them to locate the vehicle.

PC Phil Johnson from Devon & Cornwall Police said: "It's a relief for us as police and the owner to find the property undamaged and we will eventually return it to its owner."

Steve RogersCopyright: Steve Rogers

A holiday home has been damaged in a fire at Wheal Friendly, Cornwall.

No-one was injured in the blaze but a group of holidaymakers staying next door to the property had to be evacuated and climb up a hill to safety.

Two fire engines from Perranporth and two from Tolvaddon Community Fire Station attended the blaze at the self catering eco-lodge just outside St Agnes.

It was reported to the fire service by a member of the public just after 10:00.

Steve RogersCopyright: Steve Rogers

A second driver has died following a two-vehicle collision between Bodmin and Camelford last week, say Devon and Cornwall Police.

A 34-year-old woman from Bodmin, who was driving a Skoda Fabia, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 30-year-old man from St Austell, who was driving a Citroen Xsara Picasso, suffered multiple serious injuries and was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where he died of his injuries on Wednesday.

The crash took place on the B3266 at about 12:10 on Friday, 19 January.

Officers are asking witnesses to come forward via 101@dc.police.uk or by calling 101 quoting log number 288 19/01/18.

Exeter Chiefs have picked an experimental side for their Anglo-Welsh Cup trip to Worcester on Saturday.

Skippered by back-row Kai Hortsmann the pack does have two internationals in prop Moray Low and hooker Elvia Taoine, while Julian Salvi is also picked at flanker.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

There are chances to impress for young forwards Marcus Street, Toby Salmon and Tom Lawday while the likes of Harvey Skinner, Pete Laverick and Harry Strong will be making their first starts for the first team.

Exeter:Skinner; O’Flaherty, Laverick, Hendrickson, Strong; Simmonds, Townsend; Low, Taione, Street, Atkins, Salmon, Horstmann (capt), Salvi, Lawday

Replacements: Malton, Kenny, Owlett, Van Der Sluys, Lonsdale, Maunder, Morley, M’Boge

Cornwall CouncilCopyright: Cornwall Council

Vicky’s Bread in Helston has been fined more than £1,000 after an inspection found a mouse infestation and droppings throughout the bakery in January 2017.

Equipment was also found to be dirty and owners David and Victoria Harford were convicted of not maintaining an effective food safety management system.

Cornwall CouncilCopyright: Cornwall Council

The couple were ordered to pay Cornwall Council's costs of just over £5,000 as well.

The business was closed for four days while the building was cleaned and made pest proof.

A police officer is being praised for saving an elderly man from a fire at his home in Cornwall.

A tweet says the officer entered the property in Nanpean, near St Austell, last night and managed to get the man and a neighbour to safety.

The Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service says crews put out a fire in the kitchen of a flat in the village just after 18:00 using breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera.

Head teachers in Devon say they are close to emptying their reserves as they try to plug gaps in their budgets.

They say a new funding formula will make little difference to the amount of cash their schools get.

GoogleCopyright: Google

Paul Cornish, principal of Newton Abbot College, told BBC Radio Devon: "It is true that more money is going into schools than ever before.

"But we have more pupils to teach than ever before and much higher costs than ever before, so the reality is, in real terms, funding has been cut and cut severely."

The government says it is giving Devon an additional £7.5m next year and that funding is distributed according to the individual needs of schools.

If you have any family heirlooms lying around at home, you may have the chance to have them valued in Devon later this year.

BBC One's Antiques Roadshow is visiting Buckfast Abbey on Thursday 13 September.

The Benedictine monks are celebrating 1,000 years of worship on the site in 2018.