Devon News

Towns and villages across the region are being helped to improve community safety, catch criminals and reduce offending through the launch of a new CCTV funding scheme. 

An hour-long session aimed at young people who have an interest in the cyber industry, will be delivered to students across Devon and Cornwall to give them the tools they need to avoid getting involved in unlawful computer activity or becoming a victim themselves.

South Western Railway is expanding the use of body-worn video cameras for frontline colleagues, such as train guards and gateline assistants, to help tackle a rise in assaults and abuse

Police are warning residents to be cautious over a seasonal scam – known as the winter fuel scam – in which fraudsters attempt to trick unsuspecting individuals into handing over their personal and financial information.

Police commissioner Alison Hernandez says it’s unlikely there will be money to recruit more regular police officers but 49 new police community support officers (PCSOs) across Devon and Cornwall will make an impact.

Devon and Cornwall has seen an 11.7 per cent rise in crime over the past year and dropped from sixth to ninth in the table of the safest places to live

Returning students and those heading to universities in the South West for Freshers Weeks are being urged to use condoms to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as the UKHSA’s latest quarterly data shows that gonorrhoea and syphilis remain very high in England.

South West Water is working in partnership with the University of Exeter through the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), to develop an upgraded model to predict the location of lead pipes across its network.

Details of the financial settlement awarded to former suspended Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Will Kerr following his decision to retire are now able to be publicly shared by the Police and Crime Commissioner

Devon & Cornwall Police has launched a survey to better understand victim experiences of reporting rape and serious sexual offences to the police.

Less than half of Devon’s foster carers have claimed a council tax discount they are now eligible to receive.

Devon County Councils Cabinet has given its backing to the draft Get Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Working Plan. Which is a two-year framework aiming to address longstanding economic challenges in the region such as high inactivity rates in Torbay, and low pay in coastal and rural areas.

Police are offering drivers and passengers with additional needs free seatbelt covers to help make communication easier after incidents including road traffic collisions.

Devon looks set to spend more than £50m over its annual budget on special needs and disabilities education.

Four former Royal Marines will leave CTCRM during the afternoon of ‘Families Day’ on 14th September and embark on a 1,664-mile motorcycle ride to every Royal Marines unit in Britain, in seven days.

​Devon and Cornwall Police are warning residents to be vigilant against pension fraud. Criminals are actively targeting people's life savings, with data from Action Fraud showing significant losses to this type of crime.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been rated the top-performing trust in the South West for inpatient experience in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) Adult Inpatient Survey (2024).

A major project to replace the deteriorating Baulk Bridge on the B3181 near Cullompton have been greenlit.

Crimestoppers, the independent charity, is launching a new campaign across South West England to disrupt money laundering and prevent criminals from profiting off the proceeds of serious and organised crime.

Councils all over Devon are putting the final pieces into what one Town Hall leader has described as the toughest jigsaw he has ever seen.

Overall complaints from households to water companies fell by 8% in 2024-25. But complaints brought to the consumer watchdog CCW reached their highest level in nine years. Bills dominated customers’ concerns on the back of the highest water bill rises since privatisation of the industry.

Devonians have been urged not to vandalise the areas where they live with graffiti and to use flags instead to prevent taxpayers’ money being wasted on repairs.

The local hospice for Exeter, central and east Devon is bringing back its hottest event to raise vital funds for patient care.

Local groups that improve people’s well-being, reduce isolation, help families eat nutritiously or aim to provide a warm safe space this winter can now apply for a grant.

Library users are now able to borrow a blood pressure monitor and a book at the same time with the launch a new service available in Devon’s public libraries from today (Monday September 8).

An innovative and pioneering home building scheme that helps rehabilitate prisoners and ex-offenders by providing employment and skills in construction, enabling them to turn their lives around, has received national recognition at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Devon County Council have launched a new £150,000 grant fund aimed at supporting and kick-starting activities, projects and schemes that will help enrich the lives of Devon’s young people.

Controversy erupted in a Devon council chamber after the member behind a hate crime debate appeared to suggest anyone who didn’t support it could be called a racist.

As the summer begins to draw to a close and schools start to return, this Sunday (7 September) marks the end of RNLI lifeguards' peak season in the south west.

A countywide ban on student smartphone use during the school day from the start of the next academic year in September 2026 has moved a step closer after our councillors overwhelmingly endorsed the principle.

Julian Brazil, the Leader of Devon County Council, has reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable and has called on asylum seekers to be treated with the ‘dignity and compassion they deserve’.

Flu vaccinations are now available for pregnant women and children aged 2 to 3 years, school-aged children and children with certain long-term health conditions.

Opposition politicians have refuted suggestions their views have been included in a central strategy that will dictate Devon’s priorities.

Substantial funding, that includes seizing assets from criminals, is being made available by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to organisations, charities and voluntary groups to help deliver projects committed to tackling burglary and theft, and its root causes. 

Cameras which use AI to detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences are having a positive effect on road user behaviour in Devon & Cornwall, according to the latest figures.

Thousands of children and young people across Devon will continue to benefit from summer holiday activities clubs after the Government confirmed this week that it would continue to fund them for at least the next three years.

The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (DTCCA) is calling on local farm businesses to apply for funding via the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) Fund.

Just five of Devon’s 60 councillors have yet to dip into a budget they’re given to support local organisations and initiatives.

New research has found more than a third of children don’t play outdoors after school and one in five don’t at weekends, raising concerns about children’s physical and mental health.

The idea to bring a dental van to Devon to help tackle the county’s significant dental crisis has been parked.

Winter Fuel Payment fraud, or Winter Fuel Payment scams, are a type of "Phishing" scam where criminals attempt to trick individuals, particularly older and vulnerable people, into giving up their personal and financial information.

The Devon, Plymouth & Torbay (DPT) Careers Hub has launched its new employer brochure, inviting businesses across the region to play a key role in preparing young people for the world of work.

A Devon golf club is ready to stake its future on a massive makeover – losing six of its holes but gaining padel and pickleball courts, a revamped clubhouse and holiday accommodation.

Grant cash that was unspent by former Devon councillors is being redirected into two larger funding pots.

On Sunday 7th September at 3 pm, the Government will be testing the Emergency Alarm system on mobile phones.

Bake a difference this September for local end-of-life care.

Devon County Council elected members will discuss a new strategic plan at their Full Council meeting on 4 September and also consider whether to debate a range of issues.