Industry leaders have given their support to a £30 million development of a new beach front hotel in Falmouth.

The plan by Nigel Carpenter of St Michael's Hotel and Spa has been hailed as "a shot in the arm" for Falmouth and Cornwall.

An iconic building has been designed for the site where the Falmouth Beach Hotel once stood - it was destroyed by fire in 2012.

Malcolm Bell of VisitCornwall said: "The proposed development is a real shot in the arm, not just for Falmouth but also for Cornwall.

"Going forward the only way Cornwall can compete is on quality and quality not only brings increased spend, but improved quality of employment. So this development is a win/win/win.

"It's a win for Cornwall in terms of jobs and employment, its a tremendous win for Falmouth in progressing its national and international reputation as a top-tier holiday destination as well as a win for St Michael's as an excellent local business."

Mr Carpenter said he had been delighted at the level of support given.

"When the rest of the industry, town and your peers get behind you that is great," he said. "If all you wanted to do was make money you would build a rectangle building, but I have Falmouth running through me and wanted to do something special."

The scheme, which will create more than 90 jobs, includes a new spa, health and wellness facilities across the site and a major upgrading of facilities.

The accommodation on site will be a mix of hotel bedrooms, suites, apartments and eco-lodges.

Steve and Jane Grey, who run a local guest house, said: "As well as the new jobs it will create, this innovative development will draw more visitors to the area and therefore indirectly support those already locally employed."

Simon Tregoning, former chair of VisitCornwall partnership, said: "I admire the ambition of this project and believe that, if Cornwall is to continue to grow as contemporary visitor destination, our built environment must reflect that ambition."

Tim Light, managing director of Fal River Ltd, said the scheme would be of economic benefit to Falmouth.

"This kind of investment is exactly what the county needs to create employment and improve the counties GDP gross domestic product)," he said.

CORNWALL-BASED SW1 Productions, best known for their breakthrough music shows and programming for festivals such as Boardmasters, are branching out into comedy.

Launching this new move will be one UK's most prolific comedians, Richard Herring, who plays in November at Falmouth's Princess Pavilion.

Herring has a career spanning 30 years and has appeared at 23 Edinburgh Fringe Festival's earning him the title of "King of Edinburgh" (BBC 6 Music).

Lord of the Dance Settee is Richard Herring's 11th stand-up show in 11 years. Having sorted out politics, religion, love, death and spam-javelins in previous shows he is in a frivolous mood with a show about daftness, being uncool and bouncing joyously on a sofa.

Described by the British theatre guide as "one of the leading hidden masters of modern British comedy", Herring is also recognised as pioneer of comedy podcasting. H

is latest project is Sony and Chortle Award-winning 'Leicester Square Theatre podcast' where he interviews top comedians such as Stephen Fry, Russell Brand and Stephen Merchant.

He has also gained a cult following of his blog Warming Up which he started in November 2002 and he has written an entry for every single day for almost ten years, making it what is believed to be the second longest consecutive daily blog in the world.

Some may know him as one half of the comedy duo Lee & Herring and from This Morning with Richard Not Judy.

Referred to as "a superior comedian … hilarious" (The Guardian), "stimulating and exhilarating… utterly hilarious" (Chortle) and "the best comedian of his generation" (GQ), he has enjoyed phenomenal cult success as a writer and performer appearing on BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 4, Dave, Sky One.

Supporting Herring is Chortle award-winning comedian Ed Gamble who brings part of his debut show Gambletron 5000 showcased at this year's fringe festival.

He has also toured with comedians such as Greg Davies and Russell Kane and is currently starring in BBC America's first original comedy commission Almost Royal which will broadcast on E4 this autumn.

Warming up and keeping things in order will be North Devon stand up comedian, Luke Honnoraty. With his stories on life and embarrassing moments combined with his infectious personality, Honnoraty is an engaging performer and his brand of comedy is easily identifiable, which leaves you feeling like you've known him for years.

Amie Pinfield, of SW1, said: "We are really excited by the expansion into this genre. We have a genuine passion for comedy and combining this with our experience in show production we look to deliver some of the UK's best comics to comedy lovers here in the South West. To have a line-up of this calibre to perform our first show and round up 2014 is simply amazing. We have big plans for 2015 so watch this space."

Richard Herring plus support plays the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, on November 19. Tickets are £15 from See Tickets and Princess Pavilion (01326 21222).

Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has defended his role after hosting a public meeting where just one resident turned up - and wasn't even allowed to speak.

Tony Hogg, PCC for the Devon & Cornwall force, was expecting a keen turnout when he organised an 'accountablity' session to discuss anti-social behaviour.

His team hired a huge room at the County Hall in Exeter, Devon, and assembled a team of senior officers to debate the issue.

But the hall was left virtually empty when just one resident, Gail Hickman, 64, attended.

And she was gutted to discover that members of the public were only entitled to observe the meeting rather than join in the debate.

The farce comes just days after Labour leader Ed Milliband revealed he will scrap the PCCs if he is elected next year.

Gail said: "I wanted to talk about how unhappy I was with the force's response to 101 call outs.

"The police tell people to report anti-social crime if they see it but then you can be left waiting on hold for 17 minutes.

"People don't want to wait that long. It feels like we are doing the policing for them.

"This is what I wanted to talk about at the meeting but when I got there I realised that members of public weren't allowed to talk.

"The room was so empty. I was the only person at the meeting and it wasn't even what I expected."

The meeting was organised after Gail and other local people handed in a petition calling for action on anti-social behaviour in Bideford, Devon.

Despite the pitiful turnout, Mr Hogg defended the meeting and said he was keen for people to see him doing his job.

He said: "The essence of the police and crime commissioner's role is to hold the chief constable to account against his performance in the police and crime plan.

"And also the essence of this role is transparency in all that I do and I want the public to see that I am doing what they have asked me to do in terms of holding him to account."

Several boats at Helford Passage may have been damaged by a collision with another vessel.

Police are investigating after complaints that three boats has sustained "considerable damage".

PCSO Chris Braddon of Falmouth Boatwatch said: "It is unknown at this stage how this has been caused.

"It is suspected the damage has been caused by a collision with another vessel as all three boats have been left with traces of red paint.

"If this is the case it is possible that the vessel involved was red and will likely have sustained some damage itself."

Officers are also investigating the theft of two dinghys from the Falmouth and Penryn area.

An 8ft bright orangy dinghy was taken from a mooring in Penryn River near Waterside House between September 19 and 22.

The fibreglass boat looks like a small catamaran and has a metal plate on rear for the outboard engine and no seats inside.

An inflatable dinghy was stolen near Greenbank Hotel, Falmouth between September 24 and 25.

It is described as 10ft, grey with light blue stripe around it. It was fitted with a Black Mercury 2.5hp outboard engine.

Anyone with any information about the incidents are asked to contact Falmouth police on 101.

Scouts from ITV's Britain's Got Talent will be in Falmouth this weekend to see if anyone has what it takes to be part of the competition.

Auditions are taking place at Falmouth University and the Princess Pavilion.

Lisa Ann McNally at Cornwall Dance School was contacted by producers who said they struggle to get Cornish acts as many are unable to travel to auditions.

So she has organised a showcase at the Princess Pavilion on Sunday night for members of her school and the wider public.

"We have lots of people coming, from the Pirates of St Piran, to a pole dancer," she said. "There will be lots of singers and lots of dancers."

The youngest dancer taking part is 3-years-old.

"It is fantastic to be contacted by them and what a brilliant opportunity. We have been working with our dancers in their spare time to rehearse for the showcase."

There are a few spaces left to audition at the event. For details and to book a slot contact Lisa Ann on 01637 851662.

The auditions at the Tremough campus in the Chapel Lecture Theatre run from 10am until 4pm on Saturday.

PLUMMETING staff morale at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is leading to the amount of money spent on agency staff rising by almost £5 million, an MP for Cornwall has said.

Truro and Falmouth MP Sarah Newton plans to challenge the trust's board tonight following the publication of a report which reveals the cost of employing agency staff over the next year.

The Finance and Performance Committee Report outlines a projected £7.6m spend on agency staff for 2014/2015 compared to £2.9m during 2012/13 – a hike of £4.7m.

Mrs Newton said she believes the "increased need for agency staff is the direct result of the low morale and subsequent departures amongst staff members that has been highlighted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)."

She said: "This low morale has plummeted further in recent months with the proposed increased in staff car parking rates."

The trust's most recent CQC report found improved staff morale following investment but noted that while the work was ongoing "some staff felt under particular pressure", which was felt "most keenly in the medical and surgery wards at Treliske hospital."

And fewer than half of all staff working at the hospital would recommend it to their friends and family, according to a recent drive which allows NHS staff to rate their place of work. 

The trust was among 39 health bodies rated below the national average in terms of staff opinion with just over 43 per cent of employees giving it a favourable review.

Staff morale descended lower still after hospital bosses refused to back down over its decision to hike staff car parking charges up by 500 per cent for some.

Chief executive Lezli Boswell has said the new parking permit charges, which come into force in October, will see staff working over 22.5 hours a week will have to fork out £330 a year to park.

Consultants and trust board members working similar hours will pay £500 a year.

The chief executive defended the decision by saying that the trust is facing "financial challenges" and that it "can no longer justify spending £40,000 per year (rising to £70,000) to support staff car parking when we need to prioritise clinical services.

The announcement prompted outrage from unions and staff launched petitions against the unfairness of the move.

Mrs Newton is expected to ask the board at the hospital's Annual General Meeting tonight whether the estimated £40,000 saving from the new charges pales into insignificance when compared to the £4.7m plus cost of low staff morale.

She will also question whether the trust's counter-productive approach to savings be revised to reflect the fact that the staff morale is integral, not only to care quality, but to costs as well.

''It saddens me to have to publically criticise the board of RCHT. However I feel very strongly that the trust is neglecting its most important assets – its staff", she added.

The Annual General Meeting, at the Knowledge Spa, starts at 6.15pm tonight. 

WOULD you like to see one of the biggest rock bands in the world to play in Cornwall?

The organisers behind Heartlands Music Festival which featured UB40, the Happy Mondays and Boomtown Rats, said they were confident they would be able to bring Foo Fighters to the county.

If they receive over 1,000 likes on their Facebook page, festival director Angela Young of Live At Heartlands said they would launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise the cash needed to fund a gig in Cornwall.

She said: "Dave Grohl has always said the band is happy to go where their fans want them and they have supported crowd funded campaigns before.

"We would be able to convince their management that we can do this in Cornwall. If we put together a successful crowd funded campaign I would be very disappointed if we did not get them in Cornwall next year or in 2016.

"It would put Cornwall on the map but we need at least 1000 likes to show there's enough interested to make this campaign worthwhile."

Ms Young said she was unable to specify where in Cornwall the band would play.

A group of Foo Fighters fans have raised more than £90,000 in a bid to fund a private Foo Fighters concert in Birmingham. Modelling the venture on a successful US campaign, organisers hope to "stop the touts" by "putting the power of ticket sales back into the hands of the fans".

The project was launched on Kickstarter on 19 September and five days later, the fans are more than halfway to their £150,000 goal; around 800 people have pledged at least £50, corresponding to one ticket, in the hope that the band will accept their invitation to play a 2015 show in the city.

To like the facebook post visit https://www.facebook.com/liveatheartlands?fref=nf

THE fire service was called out this evening to help a horse which had become trapped.

It was reported that the animal was stuck under a farm trailer.

Firefighters from Truro and Camborne were sent to a farm in Ladock, north of Probus.

The fire service said the crews were helping with the rescue but there was no information on the condition of the horse.

THE coastguard agency said the public "won't notice any difference" after it closes a series of stations around the coast.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's centre at Falmouth will remain open and it will take on extra responsibilities.

Coastguard centres at Brixham and Swansea are among those that will have closed by next June.

In a statement issued today, the agency said its modernisation process would help search and rescue operations.

The agency said: "If you call 999 and ask for the coastguard, or issue a mayday broadcast, there will still be someone there to help.

"There will be no reduction in rescue resources either.

"The coastguard rescue teams, lifeboats, rescue helicopters and other rescue units that are sent out to help you will be unaffected.

"In a search and rescue operation, there will be a much bigger and better support network available nationally to help coastguards who may be dealing with multiple incidents at once."

The stations that will close are Solent, Portland, Brixham, Swansea, Liverpool and Thames. 

A PUPIL needed hospital treatment after being attacked by an older boy as they travelled home on the school bus.

About 70 children from The Roseland Community College were travelling on the bus, run by Roselyn Coaches based in Par, when the attack took place.

The victim is thought to be a Year 8 pupil at the school, while his assailant is believed to be older, possibly in Year 11.

The driver pulled the bus over and administered first aid to the child who, the West Briton has been told, sustained injuries to his eye and was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske in Truro for treatment.

The Roseland Community College has refused to comment on exactly what happened, but issued a statement saying it had taken steps to address the situation.

The statement from head teacher Neil Wilkinson-McKie said: "We can confirm that there was an isolated incident involving two students from The Roseland Community College while they were travelling home by bus at the end of the school day on Monday [last week].

"The school takes any such incidents very seriously and has dealt with it appropriately."

The boy's mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told the West Briton the school had acted appropriately in response to the incident, and the family wished to draw a line under it and was not taking any further action.

She also praised the bus driver and staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

She said: "Treliske A&E and the children's ward were absolutely fantastic; we couldn't have asked for better care from them."

Since then, she said, her son had made a good recovery, returning to school on Friday.

He would continue to travel on the bus, she said, adding: "I have never known anything like this to happen on the bus before and I am as confident as I can be that nothing like this will happen again."

Lezli Boswell, the chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, is to retire.

Ms Boswell's departure comes at a time when the Trust's financial position is getting worse each month, board members were told at the end of their Annual General Meeting last night.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust runs West Cornwall Hospital, St Michael's Hospital (Hayle), Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and St Austell Hospital - Penrice Birthing Unit.

Ms Boswell took over as chief executive three years ago. The Trust's deputy chief executive, Andrew MacCallum, is to take over pending the recruitment of a replacement.

Last month Ms Boswell called for one single NHS provider for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, suggesting that joining forces with Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Peninsula Community Health would ensure better patient care.

ONE lane of the A39 remains blocked after three vehicle crash this morning.

The accident happened on the southbound stretch of the road between Carland Cross and Buckshead, at 8.05am.

A blue Renault Clio, registered to a driver in the Cheltenham area, ended up in the middle of the road.

Police said the driver suffered minor back injuries.

A yellow Peugeot 206, registered to the Truro area, and a silver Volkswagen, registered to Newquay, were also involved.

Police, ambulance and fire were called to the scene and closed the A39.

The section of road into Truro was reopened at 8.45am but the outbound section remains closed while the vehicles are recovered. 

Spectacular Trebah Garden is enjoying a bumper crop of hydrangeas as big as a human head - leaving the estate looking like a large Monet painting.

The combination of heavy rainfall over winter followed by prolonged sunny spells and warm temperatures has produced the most colourful season for the flowers.

Pictures at the attraction show hydrangeas and lilies near a water crossing - looking like Monet's famous work Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge.

Caretakers at Trebah in Mawnan Smith, near Mawnan Smith, say the climate has produced the biggest hydrangeas ever.

Head gardener Darren Dickey said: "This year has been one of the best flowering displays ever and with more flowers still forming the hydrangeas will continue to light up the valley for weeks to come.

"The older flowers also bring added interest during the autumn with the whites taking on pinkish tinges and the blues going a lovely emerald green."

The garden is home to more than two acres of hydrangeas which normally flower from mid-July to late autumn and occasionally as late as Christmas.

Their signature blue or pink colours are determined by the acidic soil in the area.

More unusual form sat Trebah include Hydrangea quercifolia with its white flowers and Hydrangea arborescens with large white pom poms.

A THREE day celebrating Cornish food and drinks gets underway at the Great Cornish Food Festival in the heart of Truro today.

Previously known as Cornwall Food & Drink Festival, the free event takes place on Lemon Quay, and is a veritable feast for food-lovers across Cornwall and beyond.

Organisers have dubbed the festival the largest event dedicated to Cornish food and drink and features some of the best of the chefs in the west.

The main food hall will house a cornucopia of cuisine, featuring rare-breed meats to proper Cornish pasties, clotted cream ice cream to craft beers.

Festival veteran and chef Nathan Outlaw, will be taking to the stage today and cooking up a storm with recipes from his new book, Nathan Outlaw's Fish Kitchen.

The weekend has all the right ingredients for a fantastic event with the crème de la crème of Cornish chefs taking to the stage, including Fifteen's Andy Appleton, Stein's very own Jack Stein, and a welcome return to the festival for two of West Cornwall's best-loved chefs, Ben Tunnicliffe from the Tolcarne Inn and Mick Smith from the Porthminster Beach Café.

Newcomers this year include Jamie Porter from the St Moritz Hotel on the north coast and Mark Apsey, of the recently refurbished Idle Rocks down on the south coast at St Mawes.

Demonstrations will run every hour right through the three days.

Food-lovers of the future will be able to head to the Discover Zone, where parents can take their kids find out all about where their food comes from, who makes it and how to eat it, with lots of fun activities and taster sessions to get them going.

Ruth Huxley from festival organisers Cornwall Food & Drink said: "We have probably the best line-up and the fastest-paced schedule we've ever had, so we're gearing up for the festival to be a real treat and even more popular than ever."

For the full programme of events, opening times, exhibitors and activities visit the greatcornishfood.co.uk/festival

THE 32nd Duchy of Cornwall Open Badminton Championship, a Badminton England silver circuit ranking tournament, was held at Carn Brea Leisure Centre and again proved a great success, writes John Tresidder.

The event attracted another bumper entry with players from the host country being joined by others from across 15 English and Welsh counties along with some from the Channel Islands.

As in 2013, two junior internationals from Berkshire again dominated the women's and men's Blue Ribband Singles competitions, as well as the mixed doubles. Abigail Holden, 15, daughter of former England international Paul defended her women's singles crown, beating Somerset's Amy Reddaway, a former champion, 21-16, 21-14.

Meanwhile Abi's county compatriot David Jones, 16, lifted the men's singles crown, comfortably defeating Basil Tallah (Essex) 21-10, 21-14.

The two singles winners then joined forces to win the mixed doubles the following day, beating No2 seeds John Hepworth and Beulah Moody 23-21, 21-15 in the final.

Also on the Sunday, Devon's Preece sisters, Hannah and Sarah from Crediton, came up trumps in the women's doubles, overcoming Beulah Moody and Emily Trebert from Hampshire and Guernsey respectively, 22-20, 21-15 in a three-ended thriller.

As in previous years, however, the men's doubles final was to prove the most exciting and pulsating match of the tournament, with Essex duo Basil Tallah and Viknesh Rajendran coming from behind to beat Sussex pair Mark Burtenshaw and Wojtek Poszelezny 13-21, 21-14, 21-16.

The organisers wish to thank all the sponsors, including main joint sponsors, Graphic Solutions (Hampshire) and The Countryman Inns (Redruth), along with the management and staff at Carn Brea Leisure Centre, Lisa Govier and her staff at the Zestcafe for serving meals throughout the weekend.

The 33rd Duchy Open is scheduled to take place on September 19-20 2015 at Carn Brea.

Full results:

Women's singles: A Holden (Berks) bt A Reddaway (Somerset) 21-16, 21-14.

Men's singles: D Jones (Berks) bt B Tallah (Essex) 21-10, 21-14.

Women's doubles: H Preece & S Preece (Devon) bt B Moody & E Trebert (Hants) 17-21, 22-10, 21-18.

Men's doubles: B Tallah & V Rajendran (Essex) bt M Burtenshaw & W Poszelezny (Sussex) 13-21, 22-20, 21-15.

Mixed doubles: D Jones & A Holden (Berks) bt J Hepworth & B Moody (Dorset) 23-21, 21-15.

Plate Competition (for all first round losers):

Women's singles: S Preece (Devon) bt E Treburt (Guernsey) 21-8.

Men's singles: H Prothero (Wilts) bt A Jones (Berks) 24-22.

Women's doubles (round-robin): Winner: H Downs & S Nickels (Devon); R-up: R Willis & E James (Cornwall); 3rd: K Moore & A Polglase (Cornwall).

Men's doubles: T Lyle & K Tse (Cornwall) bt S Spencer & A Clarke (Cornwall) 28-26.

Cornwall players competing - Men: Matthew Bick, William Bick, Jason Fang, David Harrington, Sam Laity, Ross Lashbrook, Tom Lees, Shane Maton, Sam Payne, Noah Semonin, Liam Sillifant, Tyle Sillifant, Sam Spencer, Richard Townsend, Kahoo Tse, James Whetter, Tony Wong. Ladies: Emily James, Hester Luke, Kellen Moore, Amy Polglase, Rose Willis.

After he hosted a public meeting where just one person turned, the spotlight is firmly on Devon and Cornwall Police Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg.

At the meeting, the lady who made up the entire audience simply wanted to ask why she waited 17 minutes for a call to the 101 number to be answered.

However, she was not allowed to speak, and left unable to raise her concerns.

Click here to read the full story.

Two years after the role was introduced, do people know what the Crime Commissioner does? Is he good value for money? And is it time the job role was axed.

Let us know what you think by taking part in the poll on the right hand side of this page.

THE dream of creating a Stadium for Cornwall on the outskirts of Truro lives to fight another day after Cornwall councillors ignored their own legal experts to delay making a decision on rival developments which could have scuppered the sports ground.

The council's strategic planning committee met this morning to consider three planning applications for separate sites on the outskirts of the city - all three include a supermarket.

However a fourth application has been submitted - also including a supermarket - which developers Inox say would fund the building of the Stadium for Cornwall which would be home to the Cornish Pirates.

Last week Inox said that if the council decided to approve one of the other three applications then it would "kill" the stadium.

At the committee meeting this morning senior legal officer Liz Dunstan explained that the council had been receiving correspondence from the various developers and their legal teams right up to the start of the meeting.

She also told councillors that the Inox application for West Langarth had only been registered formally by the council days before the meeting.

She explained that the application would not be ready for determination before February 2015 at the earliest and said that despite representations from the developer and their legal team they were still of the opinion that the committee should determine the three applications which were on the agenda.

However, she did say that it was up to councillors to decide whether the West Langarth plan had enough weight that it should be a material consideration in determining the rival applications.

But, she warned, if the council did decide to defer the plans then the other applicants could apply for non-determination as the council would have exceeded the time limit allowed to make a decision on the applications. That could also lead to the council having to fight a costly legal battle and end up paying costs if any decision is not in their favour.

She said: "The officers think the overriding reasons that you don't defer is to make sure that the application that were submitted to you at the end of 2013 and early 2014 are determined in a timely manner.

"To have something put in at the last minute - we would never finish the planning process if every time we had something come in that is comparative put back applications."

The committee heard that Inox had not engaged in the pre-application process with the council and its consultants and that work needed before a decision could be made includes economic analysis, consultation and highways assessments.

Councillor Jackie Bull asked if the council could "make an allowance" and "speed up the process" so that the West Langarth application could be brought back in November, but was told that would not be achievable with planning officers stating that even having it ready by February was uncertain.

Councillor Bernie Ellis proposed that the committee defer the applications on the ground that the West Langarth application carried such weight that it should be considered alongside the others. It was seconded by Cornelius Olivier.

In a close vote the decision to defer was approved by 11 votes to 10.

Commenting on the decision, Rob Saltmarsh, managing director of Inox Group, said: "We are grateful that after a thorough and high quality debate, members have voted to consider all four applications together so that a full comparative assessment can be made. We are committed to working with all to ensure that this can happen as quickly as possible, and we look forward to our proposals being presented to a future committee. Today's decision keeps alive our aspiration to deliver a Stadium for Cornwall, and the hopes of thousands of people who want to see it become a reality."

The Cornish Pirates will be bidding to end a tough September programme on a high note when they welcome fellow early season strugglers Moseley to the Mennaye Field in the Greene King IPA Championship on Sunday (3pm).

Pirates player-coach Alan Paver has described Sunday's home clash against the Midlanders as a "must win" for his side, after three successive defeats.

Games against Yorkshire Carnegie, London Scottish and Bristol have all resulted in losses for Pirates, who have the chance to end that run back on home soil this weekend.

The Birmingham-based side have had a marginally better start to their Championship campaign – but only just.

Moseley have also failed to win any of their three league clashes so far, although they did draw against Jersey (22-22) in the opening weekend of matches.

They followed that draw with defeats at Worcester (23-7) and at home to Yorkshire Carnegie (32-28).

Prop Paver has already hinted he is looking to make a first Championship appearance of the season himself, shoring up an injury-hit Pirates' forward line. But despite the emphasis on improving their level of performance in their opening clashes, Paver said getting a result was vital.

"That's the aim for this week – we see this as a must-win game for ourselves," he said.

Despite suffering a heavy defeat at Bristol last weekend, Paver has said that mixing youth and experience at the Pirates is the right thing to do to build for the future.

He also believes there are enough experienced heads to provide both strength and guidance to their younger players this season.

"We've said that we want to improve on the performances we've shown over the last three weeks, with building a stronger brand and having some of these younger boys alongside some of the more experienced players," Paver added. "We have got an older crew that obviously give us an infrastructure.

"I do feel we've got enough Championship boys in place to be competitive all the way through the season.

"But this weekend is a must-win for us, as we do need to get points on the board so we move forward in that respect, but also the importance is that we're improving."

Paver also said this weekend's clash will be a chance for their hard-pressed young players to express themselves a little more, having been thrown in against top-quality opposition over the first three matches.

"The last three weeks they [the Pirates' young players] have been put under a lot of stresses," said Paver. "We've played three quality sides – especially last weekend. Bristol really did show why they are in contention for the title, together with Worcester, so this week it's a different team and a different challenge.

"But with the experience we've gained over the last three weeks, I think they should be relishing the opportunity to show what they can do.

"They've got that three weeks of experience, and will be alongside the usual crew."

The Pirates welcome back Matt Evans whose return to wear the No.15 shirt sees Kyle Moyle move to the wing. At inside centre Tom Hendrickson comes into the starting line-up in place of Rheon James who has been unwell with a stomach bug.

In the forwards, Jack Andrew and Alan Paver are named as the propping pair, Laurie McGlone moves back to No.8, and Will Carrick-Smith will partner Darren Barry in the second-row.

Paver added: "If we show further improvement from our games to date and can play with lots of energy then we should be in a position to win. 

"We do understand the challenge that a Moseley side littered with experience will pose, but we have experienced performers too – plus there's the support of our terrific home crowd."

Moseley head coach Kevin Maggs has made two changes to his starting line-up, both enforced by injury. In the back row Charley Thomas makes his first start in place of Neil Mason, and Mike Penn replaces Anthony Carter at full-back.

Cornish Pirates: 15 Matt Evans, 14 Kieran Goss, 13 Tom Riley, 12 Tom Hendrickson, 11 Kyle Moyle, 10 Kieran Hallett, 9 Tom Kessell; 1 Jack Andrew, 2 Aaron Carpenter, 3 Alan Paver, 4 Will Carrick Smith, 5 Darren Barry, 6 Chris Morgan (capt), 7 Joe Atkinson, 8 Laurie McGlone. Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Tyler Gendall, 19 Will Graulich, 20 Matt Bolwell, 21 Mike Pope, 22 Alex Dancer.

Moseley: 15 Michael Penn; 14 Drew Cheshire; 13 Greg King; 12 Will Owen; 11 Scott Armstrong; 10 Caolan Ryan; 9 Sam Brown; 1 Craig Voisey; 2 Adam Caves; 3 Simon Gardniner; 4 Greg Charlton; 5 Mike Powell; 6 Charley Thomas; 7 Joe Carpenter; 8 Ed Siggery. Replacements: 16 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi; 17 Scott Tolmie; 18 Stefan Thorp; 19 Alex Wooldford; 20 Harry Hone; 21 Dave Brazier; 22 Sam Olver.

Referee: Andrew Jackson (RFU) Assistants: Dino Maddern & Lionel Spooner.
4th Official: Veryan Boscawen.

Match Day Collection: Sunday's collection is for CLIC.

Tickets for Sunday's game will be available at the gates on the day, but in advance they can also be purchased on-line at www.cornish-pirates.com

Also, as recently announced, Cornish Pirates' advance adult & concession tickets are now on sale at the following Rowe's Cornish Bakers shops: Camborne -Commercial Square, Falmouth - Market Street, Helston - Meneage Street, Penzance - Causewayhead & Market Jew Street, Redruth - Fore Street, Truro - Victoria Square & Piazza, Back Quay.

Tea grown in Cornwall is to be served to passengers on First Great Western (FGW) trains.

The operator's new partnership with Tregothnan will lead to one million bags of the tea blended by the estate near Truro being brewed on trains over the next year, making it one of the plantation's largest customers.

This has it helped recruit six new employees in propagating, horticulture, guest services, website and social media, processing, blending and packing at Tregothnan, contributing to its expected growth of 60 per cent this year.

Tregothnan, home to the Boscawen family, began supplying England's first and only tea, which partly comprises locally-grown leaves, in 2005.

Jo Elliott, from FGW, said: "We are thrilled to be working with yet another local supplier to bring quality, home-grown produce to our passengers.

"We aim to source all the produce on our trains from local suppliers and producers, and by choosing a Cornish supplier from within our network, First Great Western is a step closer to achieving that goal."

Jonathan Jones, director of Tregothnan, said: "This is a truly historic partnership for Tregothnan. It is great to see a company like First Great Western investing in the region ans supporting local suppliers.

"One million tea bags will see us hire new staff and roll out more goods than ever - a gain for the whole of the county."

The tea will be available from FGW's Express Café, Night Riviera Sleeper Café and the Pullman from late October.

The teas will be available to try as part of a presentation at the Cornish Food Festival at 11.30am tomorrow (Saturday), where First Great Western is the official sponsor.