Looe

Cornwall has a new world champion... in gold panning.

BBC

James Linnett, pictured above left, works at RAF St Mawgan as a survival trainer.

He won the championships panning for gold in Finland this summer and says he's pretty chuffed.

Virgin Orbit

Plans to build a 'Spaceport' in Cornwall have taken a step forward with a proposed £12m funding from Cornwall Council being approved by the the council's cabinet.

The proposal, which passed by a 6-4 margin, will now be subject to approval by the full council in November.

The cash is a key part of getting the Virgin Orbit satellite launch system off the ground at Newquay Airport.

It is the biggest part of a package including £7.85m from the UK Space Agency and £2.5m from Virgin Orbit.

The plan is to create create a horizontal launch site, Spaceport Cornwall, at Newquay to launch satellites into orbit.

Virgin Orbit

The £12m means the Virgin Orbit jet, a modified Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl, is closer to operating out of Newquay in 2021.

Claire Barcham, commercial space director at the UK Space Agency, told the cabinet meeting in a letter that Spaceport Cornwall would "help Cornwall to take a leading role in the UK's emerging spaceflight sector".

She said it was an "extremely exciting time for the South West, which is home to a variety of unique space sector facilities, expertise and assets, including Cornwall Airport Newquay, which have the potential to play a significant role in shaping our future economy".

Virgin Orbit envisages jets carrying satellite launchers slung underneath the fuselage.

The launchers are released and then accelerate and release the satellite into space.

The Spaceport could also be used in the future to send fee-paying passengers on sub-orbital flights.

The number of women smoking throughout their pregnancy in Cornwall is almost 50% higher than the England average.

BBC

Figures from Public Health England show that nearly one in six women in the county are smoking at the time they give birth.

The Royal Cornwall Hospital has introduced new signs and voice recordings to stop people lighting up outside the maternity services.

Plans to improve public access to the coast have been unveiled by Natural England.

Businesses should be encouraged to prepare for the benefits and pitfalls of Brexit says the president of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce.

BBC

Toby Parkins said he was concerned that some firms are only preparing based on their own opinions on Brexit.

Mr Parkins, who is director of technology firm HeadForwards, made the comments during a Brexit preparedness debate at the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board.

He said: "Because people don’t know which way it is going to go some people are just saying let’s wait and see.

"But I think it is important for businesses that are going to be affected, that they don’t just wait and see and that they do at least plan ahead, particularly businesses that are exporting."

Blue Marine Foundation

More than 60 people have fallen ill after an outbreak of food poisoning, believed to be linked to oysters.

Public Health England (PHE) said it had received reports of diarrhoea and vomiting from people across the south of England who had eaten the molluscs since the start of September.

Some of the reports have come from Cornwall, Isle of Wight and London.

PHE said operations had ceased at the production site and suppliers had quarantined products.

A spokesman said PHE was working with the Food Standards Agency and councils to identify the cause of the outbreak.

A care home crisis in could lead to people having to be sent out of the Cornwall says the county council.

BBC

It says the loss of nursing and dementia care home beds has reached a critical level.

The council had to step in last month to keep one home open and says if any more beds are lost vulnerable people face not being able to get care locally.

It will be a dry and fine day with almost unbroken sunshine.

It was also feel pleasantly warm with mainly light northeasterly winds that will be moderate at times towards the south coast.

Max temperature: 19C (66F).

BBC

An emergency incident that caused part of the Royal Cornwall Hospital site to be cordoned off has ended with nobody injured.

Police, fire and ambulance crews attended the Truro site from about 10:00 on Tuesday due to concerns over "the welfare of a woman on the grounds, who is in crisis", police said.

The woman was detained under the mental health act.

Part of the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro has been cordoned off as emergency services deal with an ongoing incident.

Police, fire and ambulance crews are on the scene, with the road beside the Princess Alexandra maternity wing cordoned off.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the incident relates to "the welfare of a woman on the grounds, who is in crisis".

BBC

More than 1,100 nursing and health care assistant shifts went unfilled in just one week across three of the region's hospitals, according to figures gathered by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

BBC

The figures suggest almost double that number had been filled with agency and bank staff.

Trusts say they are working to recruit more staff and deploy existing staff to ensure patient safety isn't compromised.

The RCN has launched a petition and says it is a problem that affects everyone:

Susan Masters, from the RCN, said: "We need the citizens of this country to understand that nursing affects all of them, that we need to have the numbers in place, the right numbers of staff in the right place with the right skills to care for them and their families."

• Nurse numbers rise 'eclipsed by jump in patients'

Any patchy cloud on Tuesday morning will largely clear and will otherwise be dry with good spells of sunshine.

Feeling pleasant in the sun.

Highs of 20C (68F).

BBC

Apart from the odd spot of drizzle on Monday evening, a mainly dry but largely cloudy night is anticipated. Later in the night, clear spells will develop from the north. A chillier night.

Minimum temperature: 9C (48F).

BBC

A dry Tuesday with some areas of cloud initially, but there will be more in the way of sunshine later in the day. Gentle northerly breezes.

Maximum temperature: 19C (66F).

Reuters

People objecting to Cornwall Council's support for plans for Europe’s first spaceport have accused the council of “greenwash” and argued Virgin founder Richard Branson should pay for it himself.

The council will consider a report into a proposed £12m expenditure on Spaceport Cornwall on Wednesday.

Based at Newquay Airport, the spaceport would be used for small satellite launches by Virgin Orbit and used as its European base for the LauncherOne system, being developed in the US.

The council has said that it would bring hundreds of new jobs to Cornwall and generate millions for the economy by attracting space sector businesses.

Via LRDS

But the plans have attracted criticism from environmental campaigners, who have accused the council of hypocrisy after it declared a climate emergency and published a climate change action plan.

The council said that Virgin Orbit launches would only add 0.1% to its current carbon production by 2030.

However, these estimates have been contested, with claims lodged by the public that the 'carbon audit' on the environmental project produced by the council is flawed.

In its report the council stated that it will offset carbon emissions produced by the spaceport by planting 50,000 trees.

Under the proposals Cornwall Council would provide £12m of funding, with £7.5m coming from the UK Space Agency and £2.5m from Virgin Orbit.

There are plans to create a museum to house some of the thousands of paintings by south west-based artist Robert Lenkiewicz.

The artist, who died in 2002 aged 60, moved to the region from London in the 1960s, painting in Lanreth near Looe for a year before ending up in Plymouth.

His sometimes controversial work, which included themes such as vagrancy and sexual behaviour, was popular with the public but not the critics. He is thought to have produced about 10,000 pieces.

He had three wives, many partners and 11 children.

His son, Reuben, is behind the idea for his studio in Plymouth's Barbican to be transformed into a museum to a revive a space that he remembered as a child as always being "larger than life".

BBC

There’s been a big increase in the number of accidental deaths around the Devon and Cornwall coast this year, according to new figures.

Data from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency shows that, in the 12 months up to September, 28 people died in the sea and in rivers, compared with 11 the previous year.

Experts said men were more likely to take risks, along with people who were away from home and on holiday.

BBC

There's a lot of research about tourists versus home behaviour and it proves people on holiday perform more risky behaviour than those at home."

A dull and overcast start to Monday with low cloud giving misty conditions over high ground.

It will remain pretty cloudy with some drizzle at times, especially over the moors and along the north coast, where mist and fog patches will persist.

Max: 20C (68F).

BBC

There’s been a big increase in the number of accidental deaths around the Devon and Cornwall coast this year, according to new figures.

The figures from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency show in the 12 months up to September, 28 people died in the sea and in rivers compared with 11 in the previous year.

Experts say men are more likely to take risks along with people who are away from home and on holiday.

BBC

There's a lot of research about tourists versus home behaviour and it proves people on holiday perform more risky behaviour than those at home.

A dull and overcast start to the day with low cloud giving misty conditions over high ground.

It will remain pretty cloudy with some drizzle at times, especially over the moors and along the north coast, where mist and fog patches will persist.

Max: 20C (68F).

BBC

Any lingering cloud will quickly clear overnight on Friday to leave it dry with lengthy clear spells. Winds will fall light too.

Minimum Temperature: 7 to 11C (45 to 52F).

A dry and settled Saturday tomorrow with lengthy sunny spells and winds remaining light. Turning a little warmer.

Maximum Temperature: 17 to 21C (63 to 70F).

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall will head to London this month to argue that the force should receive an additional £15m to compensate it for the cost of policing a "summer surge" of visitors.

Alison Hernandez says the force is put under additional strain because the two counties host more domestic visitors than any other.

The Special Grant Application is being finalised by staff at the PCC’s office.

It contains detailed facts and figures that explain the additional pressures placed on officers and staff between April and September.

BBC

The tourism sector is vitally important to the South West, and contributes at least £300m a year to the Treasury through VAT. This application is about trying to get some of that money back so we can help to keep visitors and our resident population safe. We have invested heavily in additional resources like a rural and wildlife crime team, collaborations with other blue light services and additional roads policing teams to help to cope with a rise in requests for help because of the summer surge."

Patches of low cloud and any light drizzle will clear towards the south coast and it'll become brighter with spells of sunshine developing more widely through Friday morning.

Light or moderate northeasterly winds will make it feel a little cooler.

Maximum temperature: 20C (68F).

BBC

A cloudy start to Thursday night with a few spots of rain. Turning drier through the night with a few clear spells developing. Breezy again.

Minimum Temperature: 10 to 15C (50 to 59F).

A dry and largely settled Friday as high pressure starts to build, with plenty of sunny spells and a gentle to moderate northeasterly breeze.

Maximum Temperature: 16 to 20C (61 to 68F).

A four-year-old girl is set to be given a "prestigious" award for bravery after calling Devon and Cornwall Police to alert them to her mother's fall.

Isabelle Wilkinson dialled 999 because her mother, Natasha, had fallen unconscious and she could not wake her up.

Officers said although no speech was heard, it was enough for them to head to the address and request the correct medical treatment for Natasha.

BBC

Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said Isabelle "displayed courage and initiative far above her years".

"Through alerting the police to her mother’s situation we were able to get her the help she required and ensure she could make a full recovery," he said.

"Everyone at Devon and Cornwall Police is incredibly impressed by Isabelle and proud of her.

"I wish to pass on my warmest congratulations for a well-deserved recipient of this prestigious award."

Isabelle will be presented with her award at a ceremony on Friday.

Calls to allow councillors to take part and vote in meetings from home have been rejected by just one vote.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jesse Foot had led an impassioned bid to get Cornwall Council used as a pilot area for remote voting access for councillors.

Ironically by the time a vote was taken on his motion a third of councillors had left the chamber at County Hall. It was defeated by a single vote with 40 councillors in favour and 41 against.

Mr Foot said the public sector was far behind in terms of making use of IT and said he was tabling his motion 12 years after a government minister indicated that they would consider allowing councillors to vote remotely.

LDRS

Having opened his speech with the sound of a dial-up connection from about 20 years ago Mr Foot said the council needed to make sure it wasn’t still “buffering” by 2021.

However, independent councillor Tim Dwelly, who said he had lobbied for better use of technology, said he was not in favour of remote voting.

He said many people in Cornwall already considered that the council was “remote” and that allowing councillors to vote and participate from home would not help.

Thursday will be a dull and damp start with some mist and fog around.

Through the morning, the cloud will lift and in the afternoon there will be some brightness and even some sunshine breaking through for a time.

BBC

Later in the afternoon and the evening, the cloud will lower and thicken again from the west, with a return of some drizzle, mist and fog.

It will be breezy with moderate gusting strong south-westerly winds, which will be fresher in the north.

Maximum Temperature: 16 to 20C (61 to 66F).

Cornwall Council has admitted that it is responsible for the delay in getting work underway on the Stadium for Cornwall.

In July Cabinet member Bob Egerton claimed the deal to transfer the land needed for the stadium, which would unlock funding from the government, could be done by the end of that month.

However, despite his claim that it could take “days if not hours”, nothing happened.

At a meeting of full council yesterday Conservative councillor David Harris asked Mr Egerton for an explanation.

The cabinet member for economy and planning said the reason for the delay was because the council needed more land for the planned Northern Access Road, which will serve the Langarth Garden Village development that is planned for the area around the stadium site.

Mr Egerton said: "I promised it in good faith. I believed at that time that we were about to get it signed off but subsequently we did find there was a bit of a problem."

He told the council more land is needed for the new road and said that once it had been done the land for the stadium could be secured.

While Mr Egerton apologised for the delay he was reluctant to say when the deal might be complete.

He said: "“I am hesitant to give you another timescale having been wrong before. All I can say is that we are actively working on it. It is in the interests of us as a council as well as the stadium partners to get this through and done as soon as possible."

• Stadium for Cornwall: Cornish Pirates set to be handed land for project
• Government to pay for £47m road to 'new town' in Cornwall
• Stadium for Cornwall: Work could begin in spring 2019

Getty Creative Stock

Devon and Cornwall Police have become the first force in the world to install life-signs monitors in its custody suites.

The OxyHealth life-signs monitors allow health professionals to keep an eye on the breathing and heart rates of detainees in custody.

The announcement comes following a recent joint report into the force's custody procedures, which concluded that the force displayed a "strong culture of treating detainees with care and consideration".

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Colwell described the "positive" report as a "reflection of the hard work" of custody staff.

ACC Colwell said "further investments" had been made into a "state-of-the-art policing hub and custody centre" in Exeter.

Devon and Cornwall Police are proud to be leading the world with some of the safety equipment that we have installed in our custody. Treating those in custody with dignity, care and respect is not only ethical and the right thing to do, but is more likely to influence positive outcomes for victims and witnesses."

An "over-reliance on overtime" was an area that needs to be improved, a report into Devon and Cornwall Police's custody procedure identified.

The report outlined that the force could improve its staffing "to ensure safe detention and avoid excessive use of overtime".

Inspectors saw staff working "extended shifts and on rest days" in order to "meet minimum staffing levels".

"Custody officers were sometimes required to work overtime to cover the role of detention officers," the report added.

Sexual grooming crimes in Devon and Cornwall have almost doubled with record numbers of children being targeted on social media, according to police.

More than 100 offences were recorded across the two counties last year whereas the previous year it was about 50.

Officers said many of the victims were under the age of 11.

The NSPCC said social media platform Instagram is especially being used to target children.

It added it wants the government to bring in new laws to make accounts more private and stop online grooming.

BBC

An unannounced inspection of the running of police custody suites in Devon and Cornwall has been released, concluding the force was "generally delivering good outcomes for detainees".

However, the report did outline a "cause of concern" around the data collation and monitoring, describing the process as "insufficient" and having "gaps" which led to "inaccurate and unreliable" data in several areas.

The report recommended the service must collate "accurate data on all areas of custody" in order to "scrutinise" and improve the custody process.

The joint inspection was conducted by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in May.

It examined the "effectiveness of custody services and outcomes" throughout the detention process, as well as the safe detention and the treatment of detainees, with a particular focus on vulnerable people and children.

Nineteen additional "areas of improvement" were also identified by the report, including over staff deployment and the excessive use of overtime.

A rather cloudy Wednesday with the odd patch of rain.

It should dry up later though.

Highs of 19C (66F).

BBC

BBC

By the end of Tuesday night, cloud will cover hills and parts of the coast exposed to moderate or fresh southwesterly winds, which will become strong at times.

Minimum temperature: 10C to 13C.

Wednesday morning will be cloudy with further outbreaks of light rain or drizzle.

Cloud will cover hills and parts of the coast at times, but in the afternoon it should become drier and a little brighter for areas towards the north coast.

Moderate or fresh southwesterly winds will be initially strong at times, but will turn towards the northwest later.

Maximum temperature: 15C to 19C.

Four people were injured in the crash - one was reported to be in a serious condition.

The road was closed for more than four hours.

Cornwall Council has agreed to spend up to £62m of taxpayers’ money on new rubbish trucks and improving processing facilities for the council’s new waste and recycling collection service.

The council is currently negotiating a new contract for the service, which will start in April 2020.

As part of the contract, the council is looking to change rubbish and recycling collections so that black bag waste is collected fortnightly and recycling and food waste is collected weekly. The changes to the service will not start until June 2021.

The full council backed moves to increase the authority’s capital programme by up to £62m as part of the changes.

However, despite agreeing the money needed for the vehicles and facilities, some councillors claimed people in Cornwall were not happy about having the collection service changed.

LDRS

St Columb Major independent councillor Paul Wills said the "majority of people out there don’t want to see any change.

He said: "They want to continue to put out their recycling once a fortnight and black bags picked up once a week."

Mr Wills also claimed that the responsibility of cleaning up left-behind rubbish could fall on parish and town councils which would have to increase their council tax to pay for it.

Independent councillor Mark Kaczmarek said the change to fortnightly black bag collection would result in an increase in people going to household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) to dispose of waste. He said the council should make a pledge not to close any HWRCs and also to build more for communities across Cornwall.

Environment cabinet member Rob Nolan said he welcomed the opening of a new HWRC in Truro this week and the council would be aiming to have centres close to the most populated areas. However, he could not promise that none would close.

He added: "I am confident that when we get going (with the new collection service) it will work well and people will get used to it."

More than 250 whales, dolphins and porpoises have been washed up on Cornwall's beaches in a 12-month period - a figure the Cornwall Wildlife Trust describes as "sadly a record-breaking year".

Figures on cetacean strandings have just been released covering the seven-year period to the end of 2017.

Across the UK, nearly 5,000 mammals and fish were washed up in that period, including 21 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, as well as a selection of turtles and sharks.

Records for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been kept for 27 years and, in 2017, there were 255 strandings - the highest figure ever recorded, the trust said.

The trust said the main reasons for the incidents was "entanglement in nets and other fishing gear", with marine animals founds with marks and wounds consistent with such entanglements.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Unemployment in the South West has continued to fall to a low of less than 2.5%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The latest 2.4% figure of people aged 16-64 unemployed between May and July 2019 is lower than the UK-wide figure of just under 3.8%.

The official figures also showed earnings nationally grew at an annual pace of 3.8%.

The ONS said rising employment was being driven mainly by more women in work, partly due to the rise in the state pension age.

BBC

Watercraft users who behave dangerously around swimmers are being warned police and the coastguard could take action against them.

It follows concerns from a group of swimmers in Penzance who said their lives were being put at risk because those on the sea vehicles were getting too close, adding they believed it was a growing problem.

James Instance, from Falmouth Coastguard, said those who used the craft must behave responsibly.

There have been cases in the past where people have acted recklessly and incidents where people have been prosecuted. So let's not say this is an entirely lawless area although there are some very grey areas around it. But if you are acting recklessly and you undertake something that causes someone else harm, it is going to be a very difficult time."

BBC

Beekeepers are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for Asian hornets, which are trying to establish themselves in the UK.

The invasive predators are able to eat up to 50 honey bees in a day and can decimate bee hives.

The British Beekeepers Association has launched Asian hornet week in the hope people will look out for them, photograph any and report sightings.

In the British Isles, they have already been reported in Hampshire and in Jersey this year.

One beekeeper who looks after hives at Torpoint has been using a new device to help stop attacks from the predators.

Tim Payne, from Plymouth City Bees, said fitting a false floor - a so-called hornet floor, developed in France - and dummy entrances in some of his hives had been "working well" in preventing an invasion.

In the meantime, Doctor Peter Kennedy from the University of Exeter has been attaching radio tags to some hornets to find out where nests are.

Anyone who does spot an Asian hornet is asked to report it to the GB Non-native Species Secretariat.

BBC

It will be a cloudy start to Tuesday with a few isolated showers.

However, the showers will die away during the morning and it will become dry and brighter from the west with longer spells of sunshine developing.

Moderate or fresh northerly winds will slowly ease and turn to the northwest.

Maximum temperature: 15C to 19C.

BBC

Much of the rain will clear on Monday evening, leaving just a few isolated showers by Tuesday.

The cloud should also break at times and allow some clearer periods to develop.

Northerly winds will become light or moderate to the east, but remain fresher to the west.

Minimum temperature:10C to 13C.

BBC

Although starting quite cloudy with just a few isolated showers, it will become generally dry as spells of sunshine develop on Tuesday.

Light or moderate north or northwesterly winds will turn to the west by the end of the day.

Maximum temperature:14C to 18C.

A councillor has questioned how the UK government chose which towns in Cornwall will benefit from new funding, saying that it was political and not based on need.

It was announced last week that four towns in Cornwall – Penzance, St Ives, Camborne and Truro – had been added to those which will benefit from its £3.6bn Towns Fund.

However, the announcement took some by surprise as two of the places chosen to get the cash boost were not on a shortlist submitted by Cornwall Council for funding.

Labour councillor Jayne Kirkham said she was “confused and frustrated” by the announcement and there were other towns in Cornwall which were more in need than some of those selected.

The Falmouth councillor also said her own town would have found any funding “invaluable”.

LDRS

People on social media also reacted to the announcement and questioned the towns which had been chosen.

Karen Tomlinson said: “Why St Ives? it’s one of the richest places in Cornwall. Not sure I agree with Truro either.”

And Jane Willis added: “St Austell [pictured] is a must we need it badly, most shops have closed down we need something to attract people to our town please.”

Rob Hamblett asked: “Surprised to St Ives on the list. Maybe I’m wrong but surely it’s one the busiest and richest areas in Cornwall?”

The government said the idea of the fund was to "support towns to build prosperous futures".