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Destructive floods bring death and misery on long night of rain

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Flooding has once again hit the Westcountry bringing death, destruction and misery to a region which has barely dried out after the last deluge.

Swollen rivers burst their banks causing landslides which in one case cost the life of a woman in South East Cornwall.

In the north of the county, a woman was declared dead at the scene of a collision at Kilkhampton.

In Newlyn, West Cornwall, residents were yesterday again sluicing out their homes and businesses as water washed down into the village.

Josh Sim, who owns the Forty-Five Degrees North with his partner Kate Dyer, was only recently able to reopen the gallery flooded in November.

He said that he was able to rescue all of the artworks this time round, but the situation had almost made him want to throw in the towel.

"It's heartbreaking," he said.

"After all the hard work and all the effort we put in to have something like this happen again knocks the wind out of your sails."

Mr Sim said that they had received the flood warning in time to get merchandise and furniture off the floor and out of harm's way.

However, he said that the water had washed into the gallery and ruined the floor meaning it was unlikely he would be able to reopen for several weeks.

"This will have a big impact on us because it is over Easter," he said. "When it happened I did feel like shutting the doors and not bothering any more."

Norman and Janette Hoblyn, who live in a cottage next to the Newlyn Coombe River, which burst its banks, said they feared the raging torrent would again engulf their home.

"High tide was at midnight (Thursday) and we were prepared. It wasn't quite as dramatic as last time, but it was very worrying."

The terrible weather continued to batter the Westcountry yesterday – 20 years to the day since four students from Southway Community College in Plymouth drowned on a kayaking trip in Lyme Bay. The anniversary of the tragedy was marked with four bouquets of flowers left outside the lifeboat station in Lyme Regis.

A dozen flood warnings remained in place across the region, mainly concentrated on Devon.

The atrocious conditions brought chaos to the roads causing flooding to major and minor roads, closures through landslips and terrible driving conditions.

Devon bore the brunt of the weather yesterday with the South Hams, Ivybridge, Newton Abbot, Bovey Tracey, Exton and parts of East Devon worst affected after about 50mm (2 in) of rain fell in 24 hours.

The 136-year-old Jubilee Bridge in Modbury collapsed on Thursday night amid the deluge. The bridge had been closed as a precautionary measure last month after engineers found significant structural damage caused by flooding

Ashburton Primary School was closed after part of the road outside collapsed.

Engineers were yesterday assessing the damage and the impact on the school.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: "We cannot inspect the culvert at Ashburton until water levels have gone down,"

Earlier in the morning a three-metre section of wall at Third Avenue in Teignmouth collapsed.

The heavy rainfall caught many drivers out and in Sidmouth, just before 6am, the owner of a Porsche had to be rescued with ladders after its driver successfully negotiated the rising River Sid, but then became trapped by the closed flood barrier on the other side.

Half an hour later, two fire engines were sent to Teigngrace, Newton Abbot, to rescue another driver trapped by floodwater.

At 9.15pm the previous night, crews rescued a driver who had become stuck in their car at Wembury Road, Plymstock.

Overnight fire crews said they dealt with numerous calls from residents whose homes had been inundated by the floodwater.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said the weather had inflicted a lot of damage.

"Our highways teams are working hard to deal with a number of incidents – flooding, landslips, fallen trees, and blocked roads, so do expect the possibility of delays but we are trying to minimise disruption as much as possible," he said.

See related content on the floods in Cornwall:Three die as storm strikes Devon and CornwallForecasters say worst of wet weather is overVIDEO: Body discovered in Looe building which collapsed following landslideWoman dies after being thrown from car in two-vehicle crash on A39 at KilkhamptonVIDEO: Newlyn floods after river bursts its banks as authorities deal with widespread flooding in CornwallFriday love blog: Cornwall floods cause landslides, road closures and river flood alerts

Destructive floods bring death and misery on long night of rain


Forecasters say worst of wet weather is over

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Torrential downpours will give way to some sunshine as forecasters offered a glimmer of hope for the rain-drenched Westcountry.

According to the Met Office, the worst of the terrible weather is behind the region and today will see a brighter picture, for Cornwall at least.

A spokesman for the Exeter-based organisation said that it would be a different tale for Devon and Somerset.

"It is an improving picture," she said.

"West of Plymouth we have no rain on the forecast and for Cornwall it should be a bright and sunny day.

"But for East of Plymouth, including Exeter, Salcombe and Torquay it will be dark, heavy and cloudy."

The rain in Devon and Somerset will be heavy at times, she said.

However, this will become more "fragmented and patchy" during the course of the day.

The temperatures will also be split, with Cornwall experiencing milder temperatures of between eight and 10 degrees.

Meanwhile in Devon it will be colder with temperatures between five and six degrees and in Somerset it will be positively chilly with the thermometer hovering around the three to four degrees mark.

The Met Office says that no weather warnings have been issued for the weekend and that "the worst of the weather is over."

See related content on the floods in Cornwall:Three die as storm strikes Devon and CornwallDestructive floods bring death and misery on long night of rainVIDEO: Body discovered in Looe building which collapsed following landslideWoman dies after being thrown from car in two-vehicle crash on A39 at KilkhamptonVIDEO: Newlyn floods after river bursts its banks as authorities deal with widespread flooding in CornwallFriday love blog: Cornwall floods cause landslides, road closures and river flood alerts

Forecasters say worst of wet weather is over

Three die as storm strikes Devon and Cornwall

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Rescuers faced a perilous battle against the forces of mother nature yesterday as a devastating storm hit the Westcountry, leaving three people dead.

Strong winds and heavy rain battered Devon and Cornwall for almost 24 hours, threatening dozens of homes with flooding and leaving roads covered in debris and surface water.

In Cornwall, a woman in her 60s was killed in the early hours when her home collapsed under the weight of a landslide thought to have been caused by a torrent of floodwater.

The body of mother-of-two Susan Norman, who had tragically only returned home on Thursday evening, was recovered by specialist search teams from the wreckage of a building in Looe yesterday afternoon.

The weather is also thought to have been a factor in a fatal rush-hour crash on the A39 in North Cornwall which claimed the life of a woman in her 40s and left another driver in hospital.

The woman, who has not been named but is from the Bude area, was thrown from her car in the impact. She was found trapped under a 4x4 in what is thought to have been a head-on crash near Kilkhampton at 7.15am.

A passenger died in a crash on the A38 in Devon during the severe weather. The single vehicle accident happened at around 5.50pm yesterday near Endsleigh Garden Centre, Ivybridge, on the Plymouth-bound carriageway, police said.

There were two people in the car, the driver and one passenger, according to police.

Eyewitnesses said that the car had left the road and gone through a hedge and into a field.

It is not known if the weather conditions were a factor in the crash.

Police, fire and ambulance attended the scene and were still there late last night, police confirmed.

In the teeth of the storm and battling 20ft seas, Devonport-based HMS Echo helped in the rescue of an injured French fisherman in the Irish Sea.

More than two-and-a-half inches (67mm) fell on some areas of the region, prompting the Environment Agency to issue 14 flood warnings across the South West.

Forecasters say there is no end in sight to the chilly weather this side of Easter, predicting dry but cold days followed by freezing nights well into next week.

Meanwhile, highways bosses fear rain-soaked roads will turn icy and crack open, reversing efforts to repair a chronic pothole problem which is already costing millions to fix.

Woman's body found after house landslide collapse

The body of a woman was yesterday found in the precarious remains of a house in Cornwall which collapsed after being hit by a landslide. Susan Norman, a mother-of-two, was the only person unaccounted for after the rear of the property in Looe was hit by mud and water in the early hours.

The force of the impact pushed out the front wall. Neighbours who went to try to help when the alarm was raised at 5am described how the whole building was moving while windows were "popping out". It was initially deemed too dangerous for firefighters to enter the remains of the house, which had been converted into three flats.

After the building was stabilised, it was searched by specialist investigators who located a body. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the grim discovery but said no identification had taken place. Dave King, from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Crews have now been able to go safely into the building. Early investigations suggest that she (Ms Norman) is in there." He said: "The building has got significant damage to it. Specialist crews have come down to assist us in propping the building up, to make it as stable as possible so we can commit firefighters inside and actually find this missing person. "It's a very fluid situation. We have to monitor the stability of the building throughout the operation. If we feel at any time that anybody is put at any risk, we will withdraw everybody and make a reassessment. "It is stable at the moment and we are carrying out a rescue operation. A significant amount of earth has moved at the back of the property and has caused the damage to the property – it (the building) has moved forward." More than a dozen residents in Sandplace Road, which has been closed for three months after another landslide nearby, were evacuated after most of the front of the building crumbled away, with debris and mud crashing on to the back of the property from the road behind it. Retired police officer Pete Temlett, who phoned the emergency services after being woken by a panicked neighbour shortly before dawn, described how everyone was in a "state of shock". The 59-year-old said: "I got a knock on the door at about 5am from the young man who lives in the top-floor flat. "He was obviously in a state of shock and said his house had collapsed and he had to escape. I immediately got dressed and went down to the house with him, but I could see it could collapse at any moment. The windows were popping out and you could see the house was moving. "My immediate thought was for the safety of the woman who lives in the bottom flat, but I couldn't go in there. I thought if I open a door it could collapse and cause her more injury." The cause of the landslide is being investigated by Cornwall Council.

Nightmare scenario as weather causes chaos on region's roads

The wave of thundering downpours which swept across the Westcountry caused chaos on the region's roads and left one driver dead, others in hospital and many injured. A woman was pronounced dead at the scene of an incident two miles outside Kilkhampton on the border of Devon and Cornwall. Emergency services were summoned at 7.15am after a silver VW Polo and Ford Maverick collided. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the crash had left the car and van both in a ditch. The driver of the Polo, a woman in her 40s from the Bude area, was declared dead at the scene. Police said her next of kin were being informed. "The man who was driving a Ford Maverick was air-lifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he is said to be stable and not thought to have life-threatening injuries," said the spokesman. "He is understood to be in his early 40s and is from the Bideford area. "Officers from the serious collisions investigation team have begun a detailed investigation and are carrying out work at the scene." The road was closed while investigations were undertaken and was due to reopen last night. Police have issued an appeal to motorists who were travelling in the area at the time and who may have seen the silver Polo travelling on the A39 heading north towards Bideford to get in touch. Meanwhile a crash on the A386 in Meeth left one man in hospital and the road closed for a number of hours Emergency services were called to the Petrockstowe junction at around 1.10pm yesterday following reports of a collision. A white VW Transporter van and a silver Volvo lorry collided head on and the crash left the male driver of the Transporter with minor injuries for which he was taken to hospital by ambulance. A collision on the A361 at Tiverton left debris on the road. The road was partially blocked eastbound between the A396 Heathcoat Way junction in Tiverton and Sampford Peverell. Police said other drivers had to swerve to avoid debris after a silver Vauxhall Vectra crashed leaving the driver with minor neck injuries. Six firefighters from Mevagissey attended the scene of a single vehicle crash near the Lost Gardens of Heligan at midday yesterday. The driver was not thought to have been seriously injured. Meanwhile, three people received minor injuries in Somerset when two cars collided at Monkton Elm in Somerset. A crew and rescue tender from Taunton both attended the scene and made the vehicles safe.

Forecasters say worst of wet weather is over

Torrential downpours will give way to some sunshine as forecasters offered a glimmer of hope for the rain-drenched Westcountry. According to the Met Office, the worst of the terrible weather is behind the region and today will see a brighter picture, for Cornwall at least. A spokesman for the Exeter-based organisation said that it would be a different tale for Devon and Somerset. "It is an improving picture," she said. "West of Plymouth we have no rain on the forecast and for Cornwall it should be a bright and sunny day. "But for East of Plymouth, including Exeter, Salcombe and Torquay it will be dark, heavy and cloudy." The rain in Devon and Somerset will be heavy at times, she said. However, this will become more "fragmented and patchy" during the course of the day. The temperatures will also be split, with Cornwall experiencing milder temperatures of between eight and 10 degrees. Meanwhile in Devon it will be colder with temperatures between five and six degrees and in Somerset it will be positively chilly with the thermometer hovering around the three to four degrees mark. The Met Office says that no weather warnings have been issued for the weekend and that "the worst of the weather is over."

Perfect storm likely to be followed by a deluge of potholes

Forecasters suggest the Westcountry could be about to experience the perfect conditions for the creation of potholes: a deluge followed by a penetrating frost. Council chiefs fear that this damaging combination of weather patterns could provide a major setback to efforts to repair the region's crumbling roads.

A major survey in January revealed the huge network contains an average of 5.2 potholes for every mile, a massive 65,000 ruptures and breaches throughout the 12,500 miles in Devon and Cornwall. Local authorities need as much as £10.5 billion to bring Britain's "crumbling roads" back to a good condition, according to a report published just a week ago. Councils in England and Wales filled in more than two million potholes last year – a 29% increase on 2011, the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) calculated. At the height of the "crisis" in 2010, following a similar downpour followed by a prolonged cold snap, Devon County Council, the authority which oversees the longest road network in the country with some 8,000 miles, repaired a staggering 200,000 potholes. But despite those efforts, torrential rainfall brought large scale disruption at the end of November last year, dumping more than a month's worth of rain in just eight days. This has left councillors in Devon, where six bridges were lost, scratching their heads as to how they are going to find much of the £13 million needed to shore up the roads. The council's cabinet member for Highways Stuart Hughes yesterday said there was concern that the huge effort and expenditure could be about to face another setback. "We had made real progress tackling the numbers of potholes which had reached unprecedented levels after three harsh winters in a row," he added. "If there is still a lot of water run-off on the roads and the weather turns cold again as forecast, we could see problems with ice which will intensify the damage and weaken the roads further." In Cornwall, where frosts tend to be rarer and the road network smaller than its neighbours at around 4,500 miles, the council has filled in 7,802 potholes potholes in the ten months since the drought broke last April, but fresh damage caused in November and December could drain an extra £7 million. With each pothole repair costing somewhere between £80 and £130, the authority said managing the problem amid harsh central Government grant cuts of as much as 28% was "challenging". A spokesman for Cornwall Council said: "Our priority is to identify and repair potholes and damage to the county's principal routes. "However, these are challenging times for local authorities, with a substantial cut in government funding already placing pressure on our budget. "This has not been helped by the prolonged poor weather conditions throughout 2012 which accelerated the rate of damage to roads and created many more potholes." Devon County Council was handed a share of a £100 million fund set up by the Labour Government in 2011, after the winter freeze of 2010. It received £12.9 million in Winter Damage Grants from the Department for Transport in 2010 and 2011, funding about 800 road report schemes across Devon, covering 80 miles of roads in more than 50 communities. In 2011 the council repaired 130,000 potholes, down a third on the previous year. The authority predicts it may have to find up to £10 million to keep up with the worsening surface damage, a figure which Conservative leader John Hart, admitted members "don't know" where to find. On the rails, Network Rail reported problems yesterday, with a branch line closed near Newton Abbot and a flood warning outside Exeter.

Farmers dismayed by horrific conditions

Flooded fields and sodden ground, and no sign of spring, have added heartache to existing frustration for Westcountry farmers. Unable to get machinery on to their land, and facing mounting debts from last year's climatic catastrophe, they are now confronted with a very late spring and a farming calendar weeks behind schedule. With lambing in full swing the early mornings have been a miserable prospect for sheep farmers and shepherds striving to save new-born lambs and keep ewes dry and comfortable.

"It's absolutely horrific, particularly for anyone just starting their lambing, who are now completely in trouble," said Colin Rowland, chairman of the Devon branch of the National Farmers' Union (NFU). "You simply can't put out young lambs in this weather." Mr Rowland, who has 1,000 North Country Mule ewes lambing at Bampton, near Tiverton, said he had been up for three nights ensuring all his sheep were lambing safely. "If you haven't enough room in your lambing sheds you're in trouble," he added. "For most farmers, once they get into the second week of lambing they have enough space. "Hopefully the weather is improving and the lambs will be able to go out. Farmers make the best of what they've got – but inevitably in this weather, anyone lambing out of doors will find themselves picking up a lot of dead lambs." He has 150 pairs currently indoors and counted himself lucky only to have lost three lambs overnight, which he attributed to foxes. And there has been no sign of the Schmallenberg Virus, which causes ewes to abort or give birth to deformed lambs, he said. The region's arable farmers, too, have been hit hard by the conditions, said Mike Hambly, chairman of the regional arable sector board. "This is taking us back to square one," said Mr Hambly, who farms near Callington. "We've had such trials and tribulations with the weather, from last harvest right the way through the autumn. We were fortunate to have a break in February so we could get onto the land – but what we so badly need now is some warm sunshine to help those early crops. And there are still opportunities to plant spring barley." Long days and nights of continual rain had come just at a time when warm, dry conditions were most needed, said Andrew Butler, Devon county adviser of the NFU. "We were hoping for a good start to spring, after last year, but it just hasn't arrived," he said. "Sheep farmers are all involved in lambing right now, and though a lot of arable farmers caught up with their schedules during the cold, dry spell, this continuous rain is clearly disruptive, when the ground should be drying. "Farmers want to be cracking on with a vast range of jobs, but very wet conditions are making it impossible."

Met Office inundated as weather just gets worse

Incorrect weather forecasts are met with brickbats while accurate predictions are greeted with silence, perhaps rightly, many would say, given the money spent on expensive state-of-the-art equipment and the advances in science. Nevertheless, the Met Office's reluctance to forecast far into the future is understandable, following the backlash it received for its famously bad claim that the UK was "odds on for a barbecue summer" back in 2009. That year was a complete washout and left the Exeter-based organisation sheepish when tourism bosses responded with anger. But amid the daily battle through the latest weather front, few spare a thought for the 1,800 staff when – as has been the case all too often during the past 12 months – the weather turns extreme. Rain, wind and above all snow, generates a deluge of calls from the public, businesses and of course reporters demanding statistics, a forecast and a few colourful lines to illustrate the point. A resilience plan is in place to deal with unforeseen circumstances such as the second wettest year on record in 2012. This means staff from other departments, such as internal audit, are trained and ready to man the phones, email accounts and Twitter feeds. Helen Chivers, a press officer who briefs the media, said it is a 24/7 operation. "When the weather gets bad we get a huge increase in enquiries – we have had to bring extra people in more often in the past year than before," she added. "When the weather is extreme – particularly when it snows – we can have up to eight people on the desk dealing with enquiries. "People want to know what the weather is going to do where they are, where they are going and how the roads are." Forecasters at the Met Office yesterday revealed that temperatures had dropped two degrees below average so far this month, with no end to the cold snap in sight before the Easter holiday next weekend. This compares to the average mean temperature for March, which in Devon stands at 4.4C and in Cornwall, 5.3C, not far away from the coldest on record in 1962, when the mercury reached 3.1C and 3.9 in the two counties. Temperatures are set to drop as low as -4C in rural areas and snow is expected on Sunday and Monday. Mrs Chivers said an area of high pressure had become stuck over the UK and was bringing cold air from northern Europe and Russia. She said it was "a bit early to predict Easter" but added there was "no chance of a heatwave any time soon".See related content on the floods in Cornwall:Destructive floods bring death and misery on long night of rainForecasters say worst of wet weather is overVIDEO: Body discovered in Looe building which collapsed following landslideWoman dies after being thrown from car in two-vehicle crash on A39 at KilkhamptonVIDEO: Newlyn floods after river bursts its banks as authorities deal with widespread flooding in CornwallFriday love blog: Cornwall floods cause landslides, road closures and river flood alerts

Three die as storm strikes Devon and Cornwall

Perfect storm likely to be followed by a deluge of potholes

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Forecasters suggest the Westcountry could be about to experience the perfect conditions for the creation of potholes: a deluge followed by a penetrating frost.

Council chiefs fear that this damaging combination of weather patterns could provide a major setback to efforts to repair the region's crumbling roads.

A major survey in January revealed the huge network contains an average of 5.2 potholes for every mile, a massive 65,000 ruptures and breaches throughout the 12,500 miles in Devon and Cornwall.

Local authorities need as much as £10.5 billion to bring Britain's "crumbling roads" back to a good condition, according to a report published just a week ago.

Councils in England and Wales filled in more than two million potholes last year – a 29% increase on 2011, the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) calculated.

At the height of the "crisis" in 2010, following a similar downpour followed by a prolonged cold snap, Devon County Council, the authority which oversees the longest road network in the country with some 8,000 miles, repaired a staggering 200,000 potholes.

But despite those efforts, torrential rainfall brought large scale disruption at the end of November last year, dumping more than a month's worth of rain in just eight days.

This has left councillors in Devon, where six bridges were lost, scratching their heads as to how they are going to find much of the £13 million needed to shore up the roads.

The council's cabinet member for Highways Stuart Hughes yesterday said there was concern that the huge effort and expenditure could be about to face another setback. "We had made real progress tackling the numbers of potholes which had reached unprecedented levels after three harsh winters in a row," he added.

"If there is still a lot of water run-off on the roads and the weather turns cold again as forecast, we could see problems with ice which will intensify the damage and weaken the roads further."

In Cornwall, where frosts tend to be rarer and the road network smaller than its neighbours at around 4,500 miles, the council has filled in 7,802 potholes potholes in the ten months since the drought broke last April, but fresh damage caused in November and December could drain an extra £7 million.

With each pothole repair costing somewhere between £80 and £130, the authority said managing the problem amid harsh central Government grant cuts of as much as 28% was "challenging".

A spokesman for Cornwall Council said: "Our priority is to identify and repair potholes and damage to the county's principal routes.

"However, these are challenging times for local authorities, with a substantial cut in government funding already placing pressure on our budget.

"This has not been helped by the prolonged poor weather conditions throughout 2012 which accelerated the rate of damage to roads and created many more potholes."

Devon County Council was handed a share of a £100 million fund set up by the Labour Government in 2011, after the winter freeze of 2010. It received £12.9 million in Winter Damage Grants from the Department for Transport in 2010 and 2011, funding about 800 road report schemes across Devon, covering 80 miles of roads in more than 50 communities.

In 2011 the council repaired 130,000 potholes, down a third on the previous year.

The authority predicts it may have to find up to £10 million to keep up with the worsening surface damage, a figure which Conservative leader John Hart, admitted members "don't know" where to find. On the rails, Network Rail reported problems yesterday, with a branch line closed near Newton Abbot and a flood warning outside Exeter.

Perfect storm likely to be followed by a deluge of potholes

Police seek Dobwalls diesel theft suspect

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Devon & Cornwall Police are looking for a man they believe to be responsible for the theft of over 200 litres of diesel from Lantoom Quarry, Dobwalls, Liskeard.

The incident happened between 11.00 p.m. and midnight on Thursday 21 March, when a man was seen to enter a yard.

He is described as medium build with light-coloured hair, wearing a Orange high visibility jacket with horizontal stripes across the chest and back. The jacket also had two horizontal stripes on each arm with two words printed above, which may be a company name. This writing was in black.

If you have any information in relation to either the theft or the orange high visibility jacket please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting incident BD/13/451.

Police seek Dobwalls diesel theft suspect

Weather plays havoc again with Cornwall sporting programme

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The atrocious weather has played havoc with the sporting programme for Cornish clubs.

The highest profile casualty was the Cornish Pirates' Championship game at Rotherham Titans, which was  postponed for a second time this morning because of heavy snow in the Rotherham area.

The match had originally been scheduled for today but was put back 24 hours in the hope of it being able to go ahead but a new date will now have to be agreed.

In football, the entire Carlsberg SWPL premier division programme has been wiped out, although the l Division I West games,  at Helston, Porthleven, St Dennis  and Wadebridge do  go ahead.

And Truro City's home match with Blue Square South leaders Welling United also passed an early morning pitch inspection  after some great efforts by groundsman Mark Brent and his helpers and goes ahead with a 3pm kick-off.
Club secretary Tracey Finemore said: "Without the help of these volunteers, there would be no game today."
In the Jolly's Combination League the Penryn v St Agnes match has been swicthed to Tuesday evening, but all other matches should be played.

Weather plays havoc again with Cornwall sporting programme

Car fire closes Truro road

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Five firefighters from Truro attended a call to a car on fire in Truro at around 10am on Saturday morning.

The car, stopped on the roundabout at the bottom of Morlaix Avenue, was well alight when the firefighters arrived.

Crews closed Morlaix Avenue to traffic and then used breathing apparatus and a hose reel, with a covering jet, to extinguish the fire.

Crews refilled from a hydrant and used the water to cool the vehicle before making safe. Police attended and highways were requested to attend to the damaged road surface.

Car fire closes Truro road

Accident waiting to happen.

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There is an old dividing wall in our small backstreet, which may have been built when our miner's cottages were in the 1800s. Recently, during all the bad weather, somoene must have bumped it with a large vehicle. The Cornish stone wall is now leaning over an access road and has a menacing crack in it. The rain is washing the dirt from between the large boulders and sooner or later the whole piece will fall off.
Fearing for the children's safety, two of us in the square called the council independently. They came to visit quite quickly but declared that it wasnt their wall; they didnt know who it belonged to; but they did place two completely useless cones next to the wall. 
Now what do we do? Do we have to wait until a small child gets crushed and then say" we told you so"? 
Is there anyone out there that knows what to do?
I have photos!

Accident waiting to happen.


Police and fire service investigating body found following shed fire at Coronation Park in Helston

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The emergency services are carrying out a joint investigation after a body was found in a shed following a fire at Helston last night (Friday).
Fire crews tackled the blaze at Coronation Park, near a boating lake, at about 10.40pm.
Police and ambulance paramedics also attended.
After the fire was put out, a body was found inside the structure.
Devon and Cornwall Police and the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service are carrying out a joint investigation into the cause of the fire, which was extinguished quickly.

RNAS Culdrose squadron pays tribute to lost crew members

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Members of 849 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, paid their respects to six members of their aircrew who lost their lives in a helicopter crash during the early stages of the Iraq war, at an emotional ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict. 
Serving and past members of the squadron, along with family and friends, gathered for the ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Invited guests and squadron comrades read tributes to those who lost their lives in the crash. 
The accident happened on March 22 2003, when two Sea King helicopters collided over the Northern Gulf, killing all six Royal Navy Aircrew and an American Navy exchange officer who was based on the Aircraft Carrier HMS Ark Royal. 
They were supporting land operations and carrying out airborne surveillance across Southern Iraq during the Al-Faw assault by Royal Marines of 42 Commando and the Junglie Sea Kings from Commando Helicopter Force
The Reverend Simon Springett, Padre at RNAS Culdrose in 2003, and Reverend Tudor Botwood, HMS Ark Royal's Chaplain during Operation Telic, lead the act of worship, remembering the shock both in Cornwall and on the ship on hearing the sad news 10 years ago. 
Lieutenant Commander Dave Crimmen, who was the senior pilot on A Flight of 849 NAS at the time, said: "We were a close knit group then all of a sudden there was this accident. It's important to remember the men who died. It's an emotional time for a lot of us who were serving at the time." 
He and 14 other serving and past squadron members had cycled over 400 miles to the memorial service from RNAS Culdrose to raise money for Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charities.
A memorial plaque and an anniversary bench dedicated to the crews who lost their lives were also unveiled during the day. 

RNAS Culdrose squadron pays tribute to lost crew members

Knight-mare as Helston title hopes are hit

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Helston Athletic 2, Dobwalls 2

JOE Knight scored an 89th minute equaliser as Helston Athletic's title hopes suffered a setback at Kellaway Parc on Saturday.
The Blues looked on course to cut leaders Godolphin Atlantic's lead to 11 points thanks to Mark Goldsworthy's first half double.
But despite dominating after the break, Helston couldn't add to their lead and it proved costly as substitute Knight volleyed in a dramatic equaliser.
It could turn out to be a vital two points dropped for Sid Taylor's men, who are now 13 points behind Godolphin with three games in hand.
With several key players unavailable, Paul Andrews' Dobwalls turned up with just one substitute, and that was goalscorer Knight, making Saturday's dramatic draw all the more impressive for the visitors.
Dobwalls have been on a good run of form lately, and they even took an 18th minute lead when Jack Bartlett fired home from the edge of the box.
Cornwall Senior Cup finalists Helston took just seven minutes to level when Goldsworthy latched on to Dan Stidwell's lofted pass, before placing the ball past Dobwalls' goalkeeper Tom Beman.
Helston were in front after 36 minutes, Goldsworthy this time smashing the ball past Beman.
The hosts would surely go on to win this comfortably after the break, but after failing to make the most of their possession they were punished by Knight with a minute of normal time remaining.
Helston almost snatched victory moments later when Goldsworthy's effort came down off the underside of the bar before bouncing out of player, and with virtually the last kick of the game the striker was denied by a fine save from Beman.
Helston: J Robertson, K Davies, C Strike (B Stidwell 59), J Thomson (C Young 59), A Collick, H Howlett, J Adlard, D Stidwell, L Eddy (J Miller 72), M Goldsworthy, T Russell. Sub (not used): M Fox.
Dobwalls: T Beman, S Tapper, B Oliver, S Hill, A Frost, J Eke, D Lawrence, J Bartlett, J Notman (J Knight 65), M Glendinning, D Tapper.

Dan's the man as Wadebridge fight back to beat Penryn

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Wadebridge Town 2 Penyrn Athletic 1
Top scorer Dan Jennings fired a goal seven minutes from time to clinch an important victory for promotion-chasing Wadebridge over rivals Penryn at Bodieve Park on Saturday.
The Bridgers, third in division one west of the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League, were trailing 1-0 at half-time to fourth-placed Penryn, who had been given a 34th minute lead by Greg Hobbs.
But a brilliant 25 yard strike from midfield man Liam Ames three minutes after the break put Wadebridge on equal terms and the home side went on to dominate the second half.
They had several decent chances to secure all three points before Jennings took advantage of indecisive defending in the penalty area to place a close range shot past goalkeeper Chris Symons.
Victory opened a gap of five points between these two sides and also drew Wadebridge level on points with second-placed Helston, who were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Dobwalls.
But both Helston and Wadebridge are 13 points behind leaders Godolphin Atlantic, although they both have games in hand.
The Bridgers have a chance to close the gap on Good Friday when Godolphin are the visitors to Bodieve.
Full Wadebridge v Penryn match report in Wednesday's Cornish Guardian and Thursday's West Briton.

Tributes paid to Susan Norman following Looe landslip tragedy

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Tributes have been paid to a woman who died after a landslide caused her home to collapse in the early hours of yesterday morning.
After hours of searching, the body of a woman, who has been named locally as Susan Norman, was discovered at a property on Sandplace road in Looe.
Cornwall Councillor for West Looe and Lansallos Edwina Hannaford said: "My condolences go to Susan's family and friends.
"This is a tragedy and the town is in shock.
"Susan was a lovely, friendly and well liked lady who was a much valued volunteer."
Caroline Tremlett who lives on Sandplace Road, said Mrs Norman was a very popular woman with many friends in the area.
She said: "She was very pleasant lady.
"She knew a lot of people and was very popular."
Pior to the landslide many residents had raised concerns to Cornwall Council over the stability of the land, Mrs Tremlett said.
"It is such an unnecessary waste of life," she added.
Emergency services were called to the building at 5.40am yesterday morning following reports that a landslide at the rear of the property had caused it to partially collapse.
The search for Mrs Norman, who is believed to have been in her 60s, involved a specialist urban search and rescue team from Exeter as well fire and rescue teams from Looe, Bodmin, Lostwithiel and Launceston.
Today Mrs Hannaford paid tribute to the emergency services.
"I would like to thank the emergency services who worked tirelessly all day," she said.
She added: "The town demonstrated on Friday that it is a strong and resilient community with residents and businesses offering help and assistance, from emergency accommodation to refreshments.
"It's at times like these when Looe demonstrates its solidarity and strong sense of community."
A representative from Cornwall Council said: "The council is continuing to work with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive to carry out a thorough investigation into the cause of the landslip."
The A387 and B3253 into Looe remain closed and rail services to and from Looe have been suspended.

Fowey teenagers gear up for canoe marathon challenge

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Four Fowey teenagers are planning to canoe around their local harbour for a marathon 12 hours to raise money for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.

Fergus de Grey-Warter (14), Ben Bridge (14), Oscar Sioufi (13) and Jake Sandy (14) will take to the water in shifts from 7am on Saturday 30 March.

The boys, who all go to Fowey Community College, have enlisted help from their families and the local lifeboat station and plan to stay on the water until 7pm in the evening. Fergus says they want to raise as much money as possible:

"We all spend a lot of time on the water and we know the RNLI will always be there for us so we want to give something back. We think the actual canoeing will be relatively easy for us, but the hard part will be keeping warm, not getting too tired and changing over between shifts in the canoes. We're using one two-man canoe so will be taking to the water in shifts.

Guy Botterill, RNLI Fundraising Manager, says he's really impressed by the challenge and the commitment of the teenagers involved;

"Teenagers get so much bad press that it's really exciting to hear from four lads willing to put so much effort in to supporting our charity.  Their commitment is as impressive as that shown by our volunteer crews and I wish them every success with the 12-hour challenge."

The 12-hour canoe will start from Town Quay in Fowey at 7am on Saturday 30 March and RNLI collectors will be there throughout the day. Supporters can also contribute via the Internet on JustGiving

Fowey teenagers gear up for canoe marathon challenge

Bottom club Truro City go down to league leaders

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Truro City 0  Welling  United 3
City battled hard, but found Blue Square Bet South leaders Welling United  just too strong on a bitterly cold afternoon at Treyew Road, in  a game which only went ahead after some sterling work on the ground by officials and volunteers.
The teams went into the match separated by 52 points  and while there was not that big a  disparity in the sides,    in what was a rather scrappy encounter,  the clinical finishing   of the Kent outfit  ensured there was never really any likelihood of a shock result.
 City gave a debut to new signing from Frome Town, Jason Copp and the 19-year-old former Plymouth  Argyle midfielder  looked the part in a promising first display
He came in for the injured Marcus Martin and City also had  to make a late change when player-manager Lee Hodges failed a  fitness test, with Ben Williams taking his place.
The game started slowly, but it was Welling who took the lead after 18 minutes when a quick break by  Jake Gallagher ended with him  finding  Theo Fairweather-Johnson in space on the right and he drove the ball low past a helpless Luke Payne in the City goal.
Stung by  conceding the goal, City came back well, with Andy Watkins unlucky to see his effort come back off the inside of the post before being hacked clear, while defender Paul Kendall headed over from a deep a free-kick to the far post by Martin Watts.
But five minutes  before half time City went 2-0 down when Ross Lafayette hammered the ball home after Payne had blocked a Lee Clarke drive.
In  the second half  City rarely  looked like getting back into the match and suffered an early blow when Watts had to go off injured, to be replaced by Matt Wright, forcing another reshuffle.
Their fading hopes were then dealt a killer blow midway through the half when Cody Cooke brought down Anthony Acheampong for a blatant penalty.
Although Payne produced a great diving save to his right from Lafayette's spot kick, he could only push the ball on to the inside of the post before it trickled over the line for Welling's third goal.
A clash between City skipper Jake Ash and Gallagher, which sparked a bit of a melee, saw both players booked, but it was a rare moment of excitement as the game rather petered out.
Wright missed a good opening for a City consolation goal when he headed wide at the far post from a cross by Watkins, while at the other end Payne saved well from  Jack  Obersteller.
And there was perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon when Stewart Yetton came on for the final few minutes after some five months out with injury.
But in the end City were well beaten by a Welling side now nine points clear at the top of the table while City are a massive 17 points adrift of safety.
  Truro City: Payne; Williams,  Gerring, Kendall, Watts (Wright 51), Cooke, Copp, Ash  (capt),  Afful, Watkins, Hayles , Yetton (85). Subs (not used:  Broad.
Yellow cards:  Ash, Copp, Hayles.
Welling Utd: Turner;  Franks, Obersteller, Day, Martin, Acheampong, Gallagher (Kinch 73), Clarke, Reid, Lafayette (Guthrie 76).
 Fairweather-Johnson (Hughes-Mason 70). Subs (not used):  Main, Fakinos.
Yellow cards: Day, Gallagher.
Half time: 0-2.
Goals:  Fairweather-Johnson  (18) 0-1, Lafayette (41), 0-2, Lafayette (pen 65) 0-3.
Crowd: 448.
Referee: Christopher Powell (Poole).

Bottom club Truro City   go down to league leaders


JOIN THE FUN AT PORTHMEOR FOR DOG DAY AFTERNOON

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ITS PARTYTIME at Porthmeor Beach today (Sunday, March 24) from 4.30pm when dog owning residents and visitors hold a dog-day afternoon of fun and games as part of the campaign to show support for current summertime dog control orders.
Fun and games organised by St Ives Dog Owners Group (SIDOG) will begin at 4.30pm whatever the weather and end with a massive beach sweep cleaning up the whole beach.
Come along whatever the weather! None dog owners welcome too to show your support.
The weather forecast is for brighter spells later this afternoon so the group is hoping for a good turn out.

The event today coincides with the planned introduction of the beach control orders that would have prevented dog owners and their pets accessing the main beaches 24-hours a day until the autumn. St Ives Town Council has delayed the introduction of the new orders until May 1 after a legal challenge was mounted against the proposal. SIDOG support the exisiting orders which restrict access to evenings from 7pm and before 8am when most of the beaches are free of bathers.


JOIN THE FUN AT PORTHMEOR FOR DOG DAY AFTERNOON

Angler swept into sea near Porthleven

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A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being washed off rocks whilst fishing by Trewavas Head near Porthleven.

A member of the public witnessed the incident and dialled 999 at around 4pm on Saturday.

Falmouth Coastguard tasked Rescue Helicopter 193, the Porthleven Coastguard Rescue Team and two lifeboats from Penlee to the scene.

The helicopter crew were first to arrive and managed to locate the man and winch him to safety. He was taken to Treliske in a critical condition. 

A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said: "Conditions yesterday were quite rough, there was a strong swell and although it is generally sheltered in this spot, a wave came up and swept the man into the sea while he was fishing.

"The water is pretty cold at this time of year and he was not well at all when he was picked up. It is lucky someone saw him go in, if not I think he would probably have lost his life."

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man was still in hospital and that officers are trying to establish his identity and contact next of kin. 

Angler swept into sea near Porthleven

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A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being washed off rocks whilst fishing by Trewavas Head near Porthleven.

A member of the public witnessed the incident and dialled 999 at around 4pm on Saturday.

Falmouth Coastguard tasked Rescue Helicopter 193, the Porthleven Coastguard Rescue Team and two lifeboats from Penlee to the scene.

The helicopter crew were first to arrive and managed to locate the man and winch him to safety. He was taken to Treliske in a critical condition. 

A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said: "Conditions yesterday were quite rough, there was a strong swell and although it is generally sheltered in this spot, a wave came up and swept the man into the sea while he was fishing.

"The water is pretty cold at this time of year and he was not well at all when he was picked up. It is lucky someone saw him go in, if not I think he would probably have lost his life."

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man was still in hospital and that officers are trying to establish his identity and contact next of kin. 

Angler swept into sea near Porthleven

Portreath Life Saver excels 'Down Under'

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George Haynes, a member of Portreath Surf Life Saving Club, has been crowned New Zealand Surf lifesaving champion in the surf swim and runner-up in the prestigious iron man final, behind  World silver medalist and new team-mate Max Beattie.
The former Redruth School pupil  decided to further his lifesaving career this winter by taking a life guarding job in New Zealand  and training with Portreath SLSC's  sister club, Mount Maunganui.
This has provided him with the opportunity to train with other world class athletes in the run up to the World championships in Montpellier, France in May.
He is  now planning to  compete in Australia later this month, meeting up with fellow Portreath team mates Tom Bolt, Matthew Hewitt and Dan Humble, who have been busy training there over the winter.
Then its back to the beaches of Cornwall and the RNLI.

Portreath  Life Saver excels 'Down Under'

Cornwall's Helen Glover strikes gold with new partner

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Penzance Olympic champion Helen Glover, partnered with rookie Polly Swann, has won the women's pairs at the Rowing World Cup in Sydney.

The new combination, stroked by Swann - who had to miss the Olympics with a back injury - dominated a strong field.

At the first quarter their lead was over two seconds and by the 1000m mark it was up to nearly five seconds - a distance they kept, to beat a strong American crew.

Helen, a former Humphry Davy School pupil whose family own Jelberts ice cream shop in Newlyn, said: "To be honest, I was surprised that we had so much on the field at half way.

"We've moved on each race here and today felt really good."

Her partner Swann underlined the strength of the combination, adding: "It's been great rowing with Helen. She's made it really easy for me."

The rest of Britain's rowers also had a fantastic day on the Australian water, picking up three other golds, a silver and two bronze. 

Cornwall's Helen Glover strikes gold with new partner

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