Devon & Cornwall Live: 21-25 May

Tonight looks set to be mostly dry with clear spells and variable cloud cover.

The odd shower cannot be ruled out though.

Minimum temperature: 8 to 11C (46 to 52F).

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Saturday will be rather warm and humid with sunny intervals, variable cloud and the increasing threat of some heavy and thundery downpours, especially later in the day.

Maximum temperature: 18 to 21C (64 to 70F).

The Beast from the East has left dozens of routes across Dartmoor in poor condition.

Heavy snowfall that hit the national park earlier this year has significantly increased the cost of annual repairs that it has to make.

Chief executive Kevin Bishop has met Central Devon MP Mel Stride to ask for help in lobbying the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for more funding to help cover the repairs.

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Quote Message: The heavy snow we experienced in March has significantly increased the cost of annual repairs leaving dozens of routes in poor condition. This is not a one-off, we are seeing more sudden intense rainfall and this is leading to erosion of the access network." from Kevin Bishop Chief executive, Dartmoor National Park

The heavy snow we experienced in March has significantly increased the cost of annual repairs leaving dozens of routes in poor condition. This is not a one-off, we are seeing more sudden intense rainfall and this is leading to erosion of the access network."

Multimillion-pound plans to expand Honiton Primary School have been revealed.

Extra classrooms are set to be built at the site in Clapper Lane.

Devon County Council is planning to complete the project, which will raise the school's capacity to 630, in one phase at a cost of approximately £2.7m.

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A planning application for the expansion of the school has now been submitted.

If approved, building work is planned to start in the autumn and will be ready by September 2019.

Devon County Council's cabinet meeting next month is expected to approve the council's contribution to funding the plans.

Nearly 1,000 fly-tipping incidents were reported in Teignbridge during 2016/17 with the council collecting about 500 tonnes of dumped rubbish.

Clearing up cost the taxpayer an estimated £57,000 with 939 incidents reported.

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Teignbridge District Council has launched a new campaign to help curb fly-tipping and is telling people to "check who you pay to take it away".

The main idea is to highlight the dangers of choosing someone other than a licensed waste carrier to dispose of unwanted items and prevent residents from running the risk of prosecution or heavy fines.

A temporary walkway is opening across Sutton Harbour Lock to help people cross while the pedestrian footbridge is closed for repairs.

People will be able to use a new walkway across the inner lock gates for short periods of time in the day, depending on waiting marine traffic and tide times, to cross from the Barbican to the Fishing Quarter.

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The temporary walkway will be in addition to the option of catching the daily Sutton Harbour ferry service or walking around East Quay and North Quay.

However, the temporary solution will not be suitable for small children, pushchairs, prams, bicycles, wheelchairs or anyone with mobility issues.

It is hoped permanent repairs to the pedestrian footbridge will be complete in time for the bridge to reopen during the autumn.

A north Devon resident has been handed a suspended sentence for non-payment of council tax.

The unnamed person was taken to court by Torridge District Council after refusing to pay his bills over "many years".

The resident must also pay back what he owes, or face jail.

Councillor David Hurley, lead member for customer services and deputy leader of the council, said: "The debtor was found guilty of culpable neglect and was issued with a suspended prison sentence for 90 days and ordered to pay the outstanding debt on arrangement.

"They were simultaneously advised that should they default on any payment then they will need to attend court again and would be imprisoned for the 90 days.

"This action by the council shows the importance of paying council tax and that any avoidance is deemed a serious offence and it is regrettable that this course of action has had to be taken."

The lack of improvements on a road through east Devon has been labelled "scandalous" by councillors.

Three years ago, Highways England's consultants recommended a scheme to improve the A35 through Wilmington.

But nothing has been done yet and there are fears it could take at least another two years before anything is started.

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More than five million vehicles drive through the village each year.

The Wilmington A35 Action Group is calling for a pedestrian crossing to be installed in the village, extending the 30mph speed limit, a pavement to be installed on the north side of the road on the east side of the village and the junction at the Offwell turning to be redesigned.

Quote Message: It is the worst living situation I know of in the area. It is scandalous that after years of pressure we still have not a single safe crossing and no agreed programme of improvements. Highways England needs to urgently devote more resources to this case." from Martin Shaw Devon county councillor for Seaton and Colyton

It is the worst living situation I know of in the area. It is scandalous that after years of pressure we still have not a single safe crossing and no agreed programme of improvements. Highways England needs to urgently devote more resources to this case."

More than 8,700 schoolchildren could benefit from Bikeability cycle training this year after Devon County Council successfully bid for £272,000 from the government.

The training includes places for younger children, with another £10,000 going towards cycle training for up to 250 adults in the county.

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Devon is among the top six authorities in the country for delivering Bikeability training.

To meet the demand for level two of the programme, Devon County Council is also providing additional funding on top of the Department for Transport grant.

Over the past 10 years the authority has successfully bid for nearly £2.5m to deliver cycle training.

Quote Message: In Devon, child cycle casualties have decreased by 63% since 2007. We believe the delivery of Bikeability to 60,000 children in Devon has been a major contributory factor in achieving this." from Councillor Stuart Hughes Devon County Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for cycling

In Devon, child cycle casualties have decreased by 63% since 2007. We believe the delivery of Bikeability to 60,000 children in Devon has been a major contributory factor in achieving this."

A man has been jailed for a series of "appalling" driving offences in Cornwall that included a high speed police car chase.

Gareth Healey, of no fixed address, was given a 30-month sentence at Truro Crown Court.

The offences happened on three dates between 10 August 2017 and 28 March 2018.

On the last occasion he was driving a stolen MG at speeds of up to 95mph while being pursued by police, and did nearly 70mph through the village of Grampound, where the speed limit is 30mph.

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Devon and Cornwall Police officers deployed a stinger device and used their own vehicles to make "tactical contacts" with his stolen car, eventually managing to stop him.

He was found to be over the drink-drive limit and had already been disqualified from driving.

Healey, 29, was sentenced for dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, drink driving, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified and failing to supply a breath for alcohol analysis.

Judge Simon Carr said: "This is an appalling series of driving offences all while in drink.

"The fact nobody was killed or seriously injured is simply a matter of luck.

"You have shown a disregard for driving laws, and contempt almost of the rules under which we operate".

People at risk of having a mental health crisis should be able to access new support in Cornwall under plans announced by the government.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is getting a share of £2m for local services to pay for clinics and cafes where people can seek out help.

Two other projects in Plymouth are among five in the South West to receive a share of the money from the "Beyond Places of Safety" scheme.

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Sheets of metal, street cones and a corroded old bike were among items removed for the Exe Estuary in a recent clean-up event.

About 150 volunteers helped to collect rubbish from the nature reserve in Exmouth.

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Other items found were a razor blade, a rusty railing, a large knife, a clay smoking pipe and a large amount of shoe soles.

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A tractor owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was used to remove large items from the reserve.

East Devon District Council provided free parking for volunteers, equipment and removal of the rubbish collected.

Devon Contractors has been awarded the contract to build the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon's Long Bridge Wing Extension, after the original contractor, Herbert H Drew, went into administration.

North Devon Council has committed a further £55,000 towards the £2m project, which will begin next month and take a year to complete.

Councillor Dick Jones, said: "It was really important that we acted quickly to appoint an alternative contractor.

"Devon Contractors is a Devon-based firm with lots of experience and I'm sure they'll do us proud."

One of the last few remaining lollipop ladies in Devon says she has been forced to quit the job after Devon County Council cut her travel expenses.

A quick-acting policeman who has a train named after him turned into a firefighter this morning - after he spotted a blaze at his childhood home, which he said was caused by the elderly owner attempting to kill weeds with a blowtorch.

There's slow-moving eastbound traffic at Ashcombe, on the B3192 at Telegraph Hill which is partially blocked by an accident.

The afternoon will be mostly dry with patchy cloud and spells of sunshine.

There will be a few showers, but these should die out by mid afternoon.

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Moderate or fresh northwesterly winds turning southwest during the day and maximum temperatures between 12 and 15C (54 and 59F).