A 79-YEAR-OLD died due to a fall in her home, an inquest heard.

Jenefer Mary Parnell, of Paynters Lane, Redruth, died on May 27 last year in Camborne and Redruth hospital.

Cornwall Coroners' Court in Truro was told that Mrs Parnell fell over on May 3 while trying to sit down in a chair.

She had previously fallen on Boxing Day, 2012, and was described by her GP as "very frail" and "slow to mobilise", despite her receiving physiotherapy.

Her husband, Gerald Parnell, said: "She had walked to the toilet with her friend and was just coming back.

"To this day I don't know what happened; I went to assist her and she just went."

Pathologist Rolfe Hohle gave a cause of death as bronchial phenomena with underlying causes as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an operated fracture.

Assistant coroner Barrie van den Berg recorded a verdict of accidental death.

A SEMI-NAKED obese recluse was found dead in the hallway of his house by a policeman after a milkman noticed he was not collecting his milk, an inquest has heard.

PC Andrew Shorten found 70-year-old Anthony Wesley Teare at Redruth on January 27.

The inquest, held at Truro, was told that the officer from Camborne police station called at Mr Teare's house after his local doctor's surgery was informed that he had not been collecting his milk.

PC Shorten said: "When I first got there the door was shut but unlocked, before I even got to the front door the garden was completely overgrown.

"It didn't appear that the front door had been opened recently, as it was stacked up with rubbish.

"I went in to the hallway and found Mr Teare deceased. He was naked from the waist down."

After calling an ambulance the officer went to make inquiries with Mr Teare's neighbours who said they had not seen him for a number of months and described him as a "recluse".

PC Shorten told the court that it looked as if Mr Teare's house contained "years' worth" of rubbish.

Pathologist Rolfe Hohle said Mr Teare had an enlarged heart and was classified as medically obese at a weight of 139kg, with a body mass index of 39.

He gave the cause of death as firstly cardiomegaly and secondly obesity.

Assistant coroner to Cornwall Barrie van den Berg gave a verdict of death by natural causes.

ADAM SCOTT BURGOYNE, 24, of Webber Hill, Falmouth, was before Truro magistrates alleged to have attempted to cause grievous bodily harm to Ricky Sutton at Falmouth on July 27. No plea was entered and the case was sent to Truro Crown Court on August 19.

Burgoyne was remanded in custody.

PLANS for eight houses on farmland in a small village between Falmouth and Helston have been submitted to Cornwall Council.

David Martin, of Graceloft Ltd, has applied for permission to build the two-storey homes at Trebarvah Farm.

The seven three-bedroom homes and one four-bedroom house will include affordable rented accommodation and housing for sale.

Mr Martin will be asked to contribute a minimum of £2,736 per home to create more school places in the village as part of a Section 106 agreement – a contract which obliges developers to contribute to local schemes and infrastructure.

SIXTH FORM students had an interesting end to the school year when lessons were replaced with a 'progression week' to give the opportunity to have fun, develop life skills, work as a team and prepare for the road to university, apprenticeships and employment.

John Ross, director of Key Stage 5 at Camborne Science and International Academy (CSIA), said: "Progression week gives our Year 12 students a week of amazing opportunities, and also equips them with some vital skills for when they leave sixth form.

"From listening and learning from past CSIA students who talked of their experiences since leaving the academy, it was a very beneficial week."

Students were able to take part in TV-inspired activities such as Ready, Steady, Cook, The Cube, The Great Camborne Bake-Off and a gardening tutorial given by principal Ian Kenworthy.

The week ended with a trip to Thorpe Park as a reward for the students' hard work over the year.

CREATIVE thinkers have the chance to win an unconditional place on an advertising degree course at Falmouth University.

The institution has launched a competition to attract the next Don Draper – the fictional creative director in American TV hit Mad Men – to join its creative advertising degree in 2015 free of charge.

Anyone who is eligible to apply for university in 2015-16 can enter by selling something they own in the most creative way possible. Deadline is December 1.

AN OUTBOARD engine was stolen from Ponsharden foreshore overnight on July 23.

The 3.5hp Mercury has no kill cord, the top seal is starting to come away from the case, the clamping screws on the engine are new and it has a new gear lever. Anyone with information is being asked to call 101; reference is CR/092416/14.

IT'S worrying when you get to the age where you can no longer trust your own eyes.

The pound coin in your hand turns out to be a Euro, the only F1 car you can tell apart on the tele' is a Ferrari and the beautiful woman in the nightclub no longer looks like Scarlett Johansson in the morning.

As Obi Wan Kenobi once wisely said: "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."

And so Alec Guiness's ghostly voice was whispering cynical things to me when I read the e-mail from Renault's Cornish Sales Hero, Danny Fox. I'd been cheeky and asked at short notice if he had something sizeable for me to transport lots of guitars, amps and additional people to a series of my band's gigs.

We'd tested most of Dales' larger vehicles, so it wasn't an easy ask.

But he came up trumps when he got his hands on a brand, spanking new Renault Megane Tourer. So new, in fact, that Danny also had to knock up a new registration plate for it.

Nothing too unbelievable for the eyes so far, you may think. And you'd be right.

But the next line claimed the car would retail at £13,995 – including metallic paint.

I checked with Mr Fox, assuming he'd hit a wrong key.

But, no, he insisted the price was correct.

Having paid not much less for a second-hand Megane a few years back, I assumed these must be ex-demonstrators or briefly used as company cars. But no. "These are brand new cars," came another reply.

So what on earth does a sub-£14k Renault buy you in 2014?

Aircon, Isofix seats, push-button start, cruise control with limiter, Bluetooth, six airbags are all there but the Dynamique Tom Tom model we had on test also comes with Tom Tom live sat nav system, keyless entry, anti-whiplash headrests, dual zone climate control, a vertical safety net, leather steering wheel, automatic rain wipers and light-sensitive headlights.

There's a 1.5 diesel engine with 110bhp that is capable of nought to sixty in 12 seconds.

It's not break-neck performance but easily gets the job done, even with a big load.

Emissions are low enough to get you out of paying tax and Renault claim you can get over 80 miles to the gallon. With the loads I was carrying, 80 was optimistic, but it definitely gave a good return on fuel. And it's fair to say the car went back to Renault with more fuel than I intended ...

But surely it just feels a bit cheap to drive?

Well we've already mentioned the level of kit you get, and you can't really knock the materials inside either.

Sure, there's the now-fashionable central control system that aspires to emulate a German alternative that feels a bit unrefined if you were to compare directly, but everything else in the cabin is solid.

I've always found Renault's "R" and "O" labels on steering wheel controls a tad mysterious and the smaller stereo buttons might need better focus than my retinas provide, but otherwise everything is easy to use. The heating controls are especially user-friendly.

Comfort-wise, the Megane is top-notch, with lots of room and supportive seats. There's lots of space in the back to load your worldly possessions, too, without compromising back seat passenger legroom.

And those anti-whiplash headrests are really comfortable (not that you should be resting your head on them while driving, of course ... )

Okay, so it's a bit of a dog to drive then? The term "sport tourer" might be a bit misleading.

We know it's doesn't have sporty pace and while it may not be the most "fun" car to drive, it is a solid performer that doesn't put a foot wrong – and has a smooth gearbox.

If anything, the black and white digital speedo does make me yearn for the more outlandish designs of Renault gone by – sweeping readouts across the top of the dash and airplane-esque handbrakes. But the best part of this £13,995 Megane is it's not a 13,995 Megane. It's actually a £20,770 practical estate that Dales are offering for silly money. It's quite a looker, too ... though I'd suggest you see it with your own eyes.

GEORGE ROBERT FOXTON, 69, of North Corner, Coverack, Helston, entered a guilty plea at Truro Magistrates' Court to drink driving at Helston on March 8 and was fined £600 and banned from driving for a year.

THE St Martin craft and horticultural show will take place on August 23 between 2.30pm and 4.30pm at the Barn in Trewince.

It will include stalls, a raffle, refreshments and face painting with music provided by the Cober Valley Accordion Band.

All proceeds from the charity sales table will be split between the Poppy Appeal and military sailing charity, Turn to Starboard.

YOUNG Farmers from Threemilestone and District are doing a sponsored stationary cycle ride in front of Sainsbury's on Saturday between 10am and 4pm to help fund new equipment for the physiotherapy department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Donations can be made on the day or by contacting organiser Natalie Brown on 07885 510740.

AGRICULTURAL workers Mantas Chazanavicius, 18, and Jonas Grocas, 19, both of Black Rock, Camborne, appeared before Truro magistrates charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Kane McIlroy and Jake Slater in a Penzance nightclub on July 27.

Both men were remanded in custody until August 19, when they will appear via video link before Truro Crown Court.

A PROGRAMME that aims to brighten the prospects of young people in Cornwall has already helped 1,200 into further education, employment, training or apprenticeships. The Re-Engage programme run by Careers South West supports 16- and 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training – so-called NEETs – and includes one-on-one mentoring and work towards qualifications. Developed by Prospect Training Services, it is funded by the Education Funding Agency and the Department for Education. Sarah Powell, from Prospect, said it was delighted with the success of the programme so far in Cornwall.

FAMILIES affected by a Cornwall Council decision to axe funding for lifeline services said it could leave people as prisoners in their own homes.

As the West Briton exclusively reveals the full list of charities which had their contracts cut, their stories bring to life the reality of the changes.

Jenny Wraith said the lives of herself and her husband George changed forever when he was knocked off his bike 20 years ago – and one of the charities affected was there to help them ever since.

Mrs Wraith, 68, of Truro, said: "Our lives changed overnight."

Headway, which supports people with brain injuries and strokes and helped them through the high and lows, is at risk following Cornwall Council's decision to terminate the contracts of 14 organisations which had been providing services under the wellbeing, intervention and prevention service.

Without Headway, Jenny said people such as George, who had been the county's top veteran triathlete, would become prisoners in their own homes.

"They will not see anyone apart from their family, they will be housebound, there will be nowhere else for them to go and nowhere else that understands someone with a brain injury," she said.

Headway offers the chance to forge friendships, gain confidence and a six-hour break once a week for their often round-the-clock carers.

"They talk about what they have been doing, what they are having for lunch," she added. "Simple things to you and me but to them it means so much. It gives them a sense of worth."

Mrs Wraith is holding onto the hope Cornwall Council will change its decision, which has led to Headway outreach centres in Penzance and Hayle being stopped.

"It's heartbreaking. This is not just about George and I but all of those who rely on this vital service."

Down the road, 98-year-old visually impaired but active Eric Corner has spoken of his concern about the decision by Cornwall Council to cancel a contract with the Cornwall Blind Association.

He relies on the Talking Support therapy telephone service run by the charity's volunteers, which will see its council funding cut.

He said volunteers Pat and Bernard were more than just voices at the end of the phone once a week, but friends whose calls he looked forward to.

"I feel stressed about it," he said. "I value their contribution so much. It's very much a lifeline. My daughter lives in America and I have no family left since my sister died. With Bernard and Pat we talk about anything and everything from local politics to the weather, to problems at the blind association, you name it we talk about it."

Cornwall Council said all the charities were made aware the contracts would be terminated as they had not achieved performance targets it had agreed with them.

A HOMEOWNER has praised a "great community" after neighbours dragged his beloved dog from his burning house.

Tony Woodhams, from Methleigh Parc in Porthleven, was sipping his first drink during a mid-week mini-break away with partner Karen Wake when he received the call from an employee alerting him to the fire.

Mr Woodhams, who owns an ice-cream kiosk and Tony T-Shirts Harbourside Shop, rushed back not knowing whether his dog, Breeze, had been a victim of the blaze.

He said: "My sister and her husband had arranged a little break for us in St Austell and we had just sat down on the veranda with our first drink when I got a call telling me that there had been a fire at my house.

"I immediately rang my mother who was working in the shop and, despite being 70 years old, she shut the shop and ran up to my house where she found lots of people waiting outside.

"The drive home was the longest drive because I didn't know if Breeze was alive until my mum called back and told me that a group of people had smashed the front door and pulled her out."

Another neighbour immediately took Breeze, who can often be seen greeting customers outside of the kiosk, to the vet where she was given a check-over and some cream to combat the effects of the smoke.

Mr Woodhams describes his six-year-old pet as a "popular character" as she has already appeared in the Harbour to Harbour book of photographs of faces from around the village.

"I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of the neighbours who helped, especially the three or four guys who went in and saved breeze.

"I've received amazing support from people around the village and it really is a great community."

One of the men who entered the burning house to save Breeze was Paul Richard, who lives nearby.

He braved thick smoke to crawl into the house and beckon the terrified dog from hiding out onto the street.

He had told the West Briton: "I think the dog was just too afraid to move until it saw me.

"It was probably a foolish thing to do but it would have been cruel to have left the dog to die."

The fire started in Mr Woodhams' hot tub and the blaze destroyed much of the house and its contents.

Mr Woodhams and his family have moved into a holiday let bungalow for about six months while the damage is repaired.

THE Cornish Pirates have spent this week at a training camp on Guernsey ahead of their opening pre-season fixture against the island side on Saturday when they meet at Garenne Stand, St Peter Port (6.30pm).

It will be the first ever meeting between the Pirates and Guernsey, who finished fifth in National League 3 London & SE last season, with the trip designed to build stronger ties between the Cornish club and their Channel Island hosts.

The Pirates already have two Guernsey men in their ranks. with young wing Luke Jones joined during the summer by highly rated 18-year-old back row George Collenette.

Director of Rugby Ian Davies has taken a travelling party of 30 to the island out of his total squad of 53 and after a pre-season which began at the end of May, admits that the players are ready to finally take to the field.

"We are ready for a bit of rugby," he said. "There is nothing like a competitive game and it will be good to play against some teams this summer who don't know how we play and the patterns we run."

He added: "We intend to have an intensive training week featuring some kids coaching and also seniors coaching. We want to build relationships with the coaches and physios working in Guernsey, culminating in a game against their team on Saturday evening."

With five pre-season fixtures scheduled in August along with several Cornish Pirates Roadshows, Davies expects a "hectic month" with the squad only operating out of their Mennaye Field base for seven days during that period.

The Pirates boss stated that he is happy with the way the big squad is shaping up and also how the younger players are fitting in.

He said: "We have got a large squad featuring a wide age range and for some of the new young players it has been a massive jump up to what they are used to. We have had to tailor training to reflect this, but some of these youngsters have the ability to become regular first team players quite quickly."

The match against Guernsey will be played over a three 30 minute game format before the squad return home to prepare for a home fixture against Rosslyn Park on Saturday August 16.

Davies added: "When we finalised our pre-season games we based it on having a squad of just 26, which is what we had at the time, so no Premiership sides were factored into the fixture list."

"If we had known then that we would end up with a squad of 53 maybe we would have included a Premiership team."

Pirates squad: P Andrew, J Ford-Robinson, A Jamieson, T Gendall, J Tyack, T Channon, A Carpenter, L Williams, D Barry, M Garratt, W Graulich, J Parker, M Bolwell, C Morgan, T Duncan, T Lowry, A Cheesman, J Atkinson, T Kessell, S Marland, K Hallett, A Dancer, R James, T Riley, C Holland, K Goss, K Moyle, L Jones, M Evans, O Snook, G Collenette, G Cattle, A Paver.

Cornish Pirates supporters travelling to Guernsey for the match can purchase tickets by emailing administrator@grfc.gg or by calling Katie on 07781-410777. Tickets are priced at £8 (Stand), £5 (Ground), or £20 (Family ticket – 2 x Adults & 2 x Under-16s).

Cornish Pirates Pre-Season Fixtures: Aug 9 – Guernsey (a) 6.30pm; Aug 16 – Rosslyn Park (h) 3pm; Aug 23 – Aberavon (a) 4pm; Aug 27 – Camborne (a) 6.30pm; Aug 30 – Redruth (h) 3pm; Sept 5 – Bath University (h) 7.30pm.

Pirates AGM news, page 63.

A BOY from Bengal who grew up weaned on fish has taken on a mission to help fishermen from Cornwall whose livelihoods were decimated by last winter's storms.

Now 36, Sanjay Kumar is a boy no more, but the senior sous chef from Newquay's Headland Hotel still has a boundless energy for all things fishy.

He has immersed himself in Cornwall's fishing heritage and its current industry, becoming a well-known face at fish markets and events like Newlyn Fish Festival.

And while learning about the wealth of fish brought ashore by Cornwall's fishermen, he has taken it upon himself to learn about the difficulties and hardships of their unique livelihood.

So when Sanjay saw the damage wrought by the power of the storms on the Cornish coastline, he knew the devastation would be visited most on local fishermen.

Already a staunch supporter of healthy eating groups and foodbanks in Cornwall, he contacted Cornwall Community Foundation, which raises money to distribute to needy groups, to see how he could help.

One of the first outcomes of their collaboration will be a fundraising fish feast where guests will pay to eat at a swish barbecue put on by Sanjay and fellow chefs at the Headland to raise money for fishermen.

On one of his regular visits to Newlyn Fishermen's Mission last week, Sanjay talked about the difficulties fishermen face, their tough lifestyle, and how little the general public knows about this key industry.

Sanjay says: "In India people call Bengalis the 'fish and rice people' like here you call people from Liverpool Scousers.

"When people are born their first taste of food is a piece of fish, when people get married they get a piece of fish for luck. That is how I grew up, surrounded by fish.

"When I was first working in the UK as a chef, in places like Kent, a lot of the produce I used was coming from Cornwall, and I wanted to know more about it."

Sanjay marked his move to Cornwall in 2008 with a visit to Mousehole Christmas Lights, and has been cooking at Newlyn Fish Festival since 2009.

He also became immersed in Cornish fish and fishing.

He says: "As I read more and more about the fish species available in Cornwall I got more and more shocked at how little people in Cornwall know about what's out there.

"So I decided to try to help educate people through my menu, to help bring about a change, to let people know what is out there, and then they can decide for themselves.

"We have this great source of protein but people aren't using it – just the ones they know like cod and haddock.

"But my fish and chips is always hake, because it is more sustainable than cod."

Finding out more about fish brought Sanjay closer to the people who land it and the people who record its heritage, like Nick Howell of Newlyn's Pilchard Works.

Cooking at Newlyn Fish Festival every year, Sanjay always involves local schoolchildren, and teaches them their heritage as well as how to cook.

He says: "It is about giving their story back to them."

"That all got me closer to the person and the life of those landing that fish," he says. "The social cohesion around fishing."

He also read up on the practicalities and costs.

"People say to me 'fish is too expensive' but I say it is valuable ... it all made me really aware of the need to bring a change in Cornwall by letting people know about fishing, and I wanted to do that through my menu."

Then, when the winter storms took their toll, every one of Sanjay's suppliers and his friends in the fishing industry were telling him how hard a time the fishermen were having and he wanted to help. He said: "The Family Fish Feast is a chance to connect with the fishermen rather than always feeding people at a premium."

Sanjay knows a fisherman can sometimes only get £5 per kilo for larger lobsters, but half a lobster in a high end restaurant will still cost more than £20.

He says: "I make my bread and butter, my living, because the fishermen go out at night, work long, unsociable hours, working with the endless chugging of the engines and the rough seas, to land that fish. I know the lifestyle is so hard.

"I went out with a fisherman from Newlyn hoping for mackerel and all he caught was whitebait – they never know what they will get.

"Cornwall Community Foundation's Family Fish Feast will celebrate the best of Cornish produce but also create a real awareness of that danger, that lifestyle.

"I also try to help the fishermen understand how to eat better at sea."

AN EXHIBITION of work created by family members aged two to 82 has been on display at Tate St Ives. Our Exchanges showcased paintings, sculptures and photographs made by those took part in learning activities.

ANTHONY DALTON, aged 70, of Penwarne Road, Mawnan Smith, entered a guilty plea at Truro Magistrates' Court to a charge of speeding and was fined £75.