A statuette of the Madonna and Child has been stolen from  a church rectory in Bodmin. 

A 100 year-old,  four foot high china  structure was a gift to the Reverend Canon Graham Minors  from a group of nuns while he was living in Gloucestershire and was  popular with churchgoers, particularly children.

Now someone has placed a small teddy bear where the statuette once stood.

It has disappeared from  an alcove at the car park of the rectory and Mr Minors would like it returned.

He said: " People are very upset that it has gone. Flowers were often left there and it was very popular with some of our European visitors, some of whom said prayers there.

"It was given to me by a group of nuns in Cheltenham who were disbanding. The Madonna and Child was likely to have been destroyed, and they gave it to me for safe keeping,'' he explained.

Mr Minors said it was not the first time the statuette had been removed.

"Someone took it some years ago and placed it on the roundabout at Church Square, which must have surprised motorists approaching the roundabout to see a  Madonna there.

" I am  now appealing for its return. Whoever has it, I would ask them to simply put it back where they found it or bring it to the church - no questions asked.''

Penryn booked a Cornwall Senior Cup quarter-final trip to Torpoint Athletic next month with a comfortable 3-0 win over Jolly's Combination League leaders Illogan RBL at a chilly  Kernick on Wednesday evening.

Goals by Ryan Chinn, Dale Band (penalty) and Kayne Trevaskis eased the Carlsberg SWPL Division One West outfit into the last eight against a battling Illogan side, who can now concentrate on their main aim of winning the Combination League title.

Tonight's third round tie should have been played last Saturday but was postponed because Penryn's pitch was unfit.

Tonight's other scehduled third round tie, between Liskeard and St Blazey, was postponed for a second time with the Lux Park pitch unplayable due to a combination of ice and rain. It will now be played on Tuesday.

The other unresolved third round tie between Dobwalls and Truro City, which was also postponed last Saturday, is scheduled to go ahead this Saturday, weather permitting of course.

Revised quarter-final draw ( games due to be played on Saturday February 16): Dobwalls or Truro City  v Bodmin Town; Liskeard or St Blazey  v Helston; St Dennis v Newquay; Torpoint Athletic v Penryn.

The Torpoint Athletic v Bodmin Town Throgmorton Cup tie, which was postponed for a second time, will now be played next Wednesday.

Five police forces, including Devon and Cornwall Police, are being taken to employment tribunals after hundreds of officers were "forced" out of their jobs after 30 years, it has been confirmed.

Under regulation A19, officers below chief officer rank with 30 years' service can be made to retire.

The Western Morning News reported last year how around 90 former officers, backed by the Police Federation, had lodged claims at employment tribunals.

Hundreds of officers were required to leave under the rule.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Nottinghamshire would now join Devon and Cornwall, North Wales, South Wales and West Midlands police forces in being taken to tribunal.

Chairman of the Nottinghamshire police federation Phill Matthews said a small number of test cases will be heard, starting on February 11.

A total of 153 officers from the force were made redundant under the rule, and a similar number from Devon and Cornwall.

He said: "This is a wholesale, indiscriminate way of making large swathes of the workforce redundant with no compensation other than their pension, which they are entitled to anyway, to fall back on. This is age discrimination.

"We're saying that the force has used the regulation to balance its books rather than for the individual efficiencies that it was designed for."

He said that because police officers are classed as crown servants they cannot be made redundant.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: "We can confirm we are one of the five forces involved in the tribunal.

"We understand it is due to start on Monday, February 11, and we are going to be robustly contesting it."

A spate of attacks which has seen cattle and ponies released onto roads could result in somebody being killed, Devon and Cornwall Police have warned.

The attacks on farms in West Cornwall started in 2008 and have intensified over recent weeks with one farm being hit more than a dozen times in just five months.

The incidents usually involve gates and fences being removed or sawn through or holes being cut in water troughs.

As a result, cattle and ponies have escaped on to roads or been left without a water supply.

Grazing on the moorland, near Penzance, has been ongoing for years and some of the fences and gates that have been damaged have been in place for 15 to 20 years.

Sergeant Cara Trott, neighbourhood team leader for the area, said: "Police are investigating these incidents and anyone caught will be prosecuted for criminal damage.

"Whatever the motive, these incidents are criminal and are also extremely dangerous. Cattle and ponies getting onto the winding roads where people are not expecting them could result in someone getting killed.

"One of these farms has been attacked at least 15 times since September alone.

"I would urge anyone carrying out these offences to stop before someone is seriously injured.

"We will do everything we can to find out who is responsible so that these farming families can live without the fear of continually being victimised".

A new research hub is being launched to help Liskeard residents trace their family roots and research local history.
Developed by the Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project and the Stuart House Trust, the new facility will give users access to newspaper files from the 1800s, parish records, census material and information on births, deaths and marriages.
The research suite, which will be based at Stuart House, will be open to the public free of charge from Friday February 1. However there will be a cost for printing material.
Iain Rowe, from the Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project, said: "CHAHP is a Heritage Lottery Fund Living Landscape Partnership Project helping to recognise, conserve and enhance the area's special character."
Mr Rowe added: "We aim to involve local residents in all aspects of their heritage and landscape, to celebrate local distinctiveness. The ability to be able to find out about the physical and social past of the area through contemporary documents is crucially important to those seeking to understand how the area we live and work in today evolved."
Anyone interested in using the research suite should contact the Stuart House Trust via info@stuarthouse.org.uk or 01579 347347 or visit www.stuarthouse.org.uk.

This year's Liskeard Show is set to return on July 13, organisers have announced.
More than 6, 500 people attended last year's show, which was postponed until September due to bad weather over the summer months.
Organisers said it was a great success and profits made from the event were donated to local charities and organisations including the Liskeard Lions, Liskeard Round Table, Precious Lives Appeal, Heartswell SW and Friends of Liskeard.
Chairman of the organising committee, Jerry Masters, said: "I am pleased that the weather was good for the 2012 show and thanks to all the hard work of the volunteers the show was a great success. Now the hard work starts all over again for next year's show."
The Liskeard and District Agricultural Association recently elected George Hocking as the new president for this year's event.
Mr hocking said: "I am honoured to have been asked to be president for this year's show and am already looking forward to the day."
The show will include a wide variety of animal displays competing for that all important "best in show."
It will also feature equestrian events, shopping areas and a range of entertainment including performances by the Jez Avery Stunt Show.
Organisers are welcoming sponsors for the event.
For more information visit www.liskeardshow.org or call 01579 342955.

Cornwall Council leaders have been accused of ignoring the wishes of members after passing recommendations to make all householders pay at least 25% in council tax including the poorest.

Yesterday, Cornwall's cabinet members voted unanimously in favour of bringing in a local council tax benefit scheme after the Government ceases running the national system on April 1.

Last week during a full council meeting at County Hall, Truro, members voted to knock back the proposal to pass on the Government cut to the 20,000 people of working age claiming the benefit, with members arguing the least well-off would suffer. Council officers then drew-up options where the £4.2 million needed to continue giving council tax discounts at current levels.

On Tuesday a list of services where cuts could be made to meet the cost was released, including libraries, the withdrawal of funding for tourism and rises in some social care services.

Yesterday, the rejected proposal came back to cabinet with an additional £130,000 to pay for the Citizen Advice Bureau to help residents who may struggle to pay the 25% and are in debt.

Following the vote, Alex Folkes, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said he believed cuts could have been made elsewhere to fund the local scheme.

He said: "I'm disappointed but not surprised with how the cabinet voted. Bearing in mind what happened last week they have ignored the will of the full council.

"Cuts have to be made – we know that.

"But there are other areas they should be looking at. "People on the lowest incomes will on average be faced with a council tax bill of £274 which is unacceptable."

Over the next four years the council has to make £170 million worth of savings after the Government announced a major squeeze on funding.

Before the vote yesterday, cabinet members took turns arguing why their particular department could not afford to take a further hit.

All said they were unhappy bringing in the minimum 25% levy, adding tough choices had to be made.

Lance Kennedy, portfolio holder for community safety, public protection and waste management, said: "I'm certainly not comfortable making these cuts but they are beyond our control.

"Central Government want it but we have to implement it."

Bert Biscoe, portfolio holder for transportation, highways and environment, said: "We are where we don't want to be. We are being drawn towards and inevitable conclusion."

The recommendation goes back to full council on January 29 for approval.

The Westcountry boasts a "dynamic" economy despite a round of job losses in the region, the employment minister has said.

Official figures yesterday showed national unemployment fell by 37,000 in the latest quarter to just under 2.5 million, the lowest since spring 2011.

South West unemployment fell by 10,000 to 147,000 people – meaning the region's unemployment rate was 5.5%, the lowest in the UK. But Exeter-based Flybe's announcement yesterday (see story, right) that it is to cut 95 jobs in the city followed Bideford-based manufacturer TE Connectivity revealing 250 jobs are to go.

In Devon and Cornwall, official figures showed 28,315 people were on the dole in December – 220 more than the previous month.

But Employment Minister Mark Hoban pointed to 200 jobs created in Nailsea, North Somerset, by GE Oil and Gas and 50 at Proper Cornish pasty maker in Bodmin as evidence there are "jobs being created and jobs being lost".

"The fact there are some good news stories in the South West is a reminder of how dynamic the economy in the South West can be," he added.

The Cornish Pirates will now travel to play Newcastle Falcons in the RFU Championship on the weekend of February 22-24 after tomorrow night's game was called off following a pitch inspection at Kingston Park.
 Both clubs are in talks to finalise a date  and kick off time for the rescheduled fixture. 
 Tickets purchased for the game   will now automatically transfer to the rearranged date.
The Pirates are   next in action on Sunday February 10 when they take on Doncaster Knights at The Mennaye (2.30pm).

For the second day in a row – after the hail and ice which brought misery for motorists along the A38 corridor in East Cornwall and South Devon – travel on all but the main routes was almost impossible.

Overnight, 30 people were forced to spend the night in Nether Stowey village hall after being rescued by police when they became stranded in their cars on the A39 between Bridgwater and Williton in Somerset.

And as dawn broke, it was North and East Devon which were hardest hit with snow lying more than a foot deep in places, effectively cutting off some communities accessed by untreated roads.

Dozens of schools had to be closed while highways teams struggled to keep some key roads open to traffic.

Hugh Griffith, highway operations control centre manager for Devon County Council, said the "snow front" which had tracked across the county during the night and into the morning was "hitting us quite hard".

"We did have a problem on the North Devon link road between Tiverton and Barnstaple," he said. "At one point we had to close the road and stack the lorries near Tiverton so we could clear it and get it going again.

"Later we had a massive snow shower around Ilfracombe and Lynton, in that north corner of Devon. It came off the moor and threw down a lot of snow so we had to get some ploughs and diggers up there as well.

"At about 9am we had a very heavy snow shower from Ashcombe down to Kingsteignton and the A380 was down to one lane for a while."

By lunchtime, problems were mounting in East Devon with heavy snow flurries in the Axminster, Honiton, Seaton and Sidmouth areas.

The A39 at County Gate was also impassable while the B3223 at Simonsbath was closed overnight because of drifting snow.

The A35 at Honiton had to be closed temporarily at 12.15pm following a four-vehicle crash on the eastbound carriageway although there were no reports of any injuries.

Similarly the A3052 at Sidford, near Sidmouth, was blocked for an hour by a heavy goods vehicle which was unable to move on the snowbound road.

Devon and Cornwall Police also reported accidents at Cheriton Bishop, where a car crashed and rolled onto its side, and at Woodbury Common, near Exeter, where a car skidded off the road and crashed into the trees.

The 29-year-old driver, from Exmouth, was taken to hospital with head and back injuries although they are not thought to be serious.

Then at 3pm, the emergency services were called to Fairmile, near Ottery St Mary, where a BMW had spun on the snow and collided with a fence. No-one was hurt.

By the early afternoon, police were warning drivers in East Devon "not to travel unless absolutely necessary".

"Snow is still falling in the area, making driving conditions extremely hazardous and motorists have been advised only to make essential journeys," a spokesman said.

"Road conditions are said to be difficult anywhere east of Honiton – particularly on the A375 Honiton to Sidmouth Road and the A3052 in the Seaton area. Officers have dealt with a number of minor collisions."

No issues, however, were reported on either Haldon Hill, on the A38 near Exeter, or Telegraph Hill, on the A380 to Torbay, which have suffered major winter weather problems in the past.

A "snow plan", which was instituted after hundreds of motorists were stuck on the road for several hours following sudden blizzards in 2010, had "worked very well", Mr Griffith said.

The severe conditions did, though, result in the closure of more than 30 primary and secondary schools, mainly in the north and east of the county, giving hundreds of pupils an unexpected day off.

Others delayed opening or closed early to help students and staff get home safely.

Council services in both areas were hit with rubbish and recycling collections being cancelled in the worst affected areas.

East Devon District Council leader Paul Diviani, who lives close to the A303 near Yarcombe, said there was about 18 inches (450mm) of snow on the ground. He added: "When you get this amount of snow there is not much you can do to ameliorate it."

CORNWALL can claim another rugby success with the news that Worcester Warriors flanker Matt Kvesic has been called in to England's Six Nations training squad.

The 20-year-old's mother Julie (nee Kaczmarek) was born and brought up in Cornwall and is the sister of Cornwall Council cabinet member Mark Kaczmarek, from Lanner.

Matt gets his chance to push for his first full England cap, following an injury to England's current reserve number seven, Tom Johnson, of Exeter Chiefs.

Matt has already been capped at England under 20 level and is now targeting selection for England's first match in the 2013 campaign, which is against Scotland.

He made his debut for Worcester Warriors in 2011, and with his contract due to end, is currently considering offers from Bath, Gloucester and Exeter.

Fancy living in a magistrates' court or buying a barracks?

A new website going live tomorrow (Friday) will for the first time provide the public with details of property being sold off or put up for rent by the Government.

Launched by Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith, Find Me Some Government Space will operate similarly to commercial property sites, allowing searches by postcode or area keyword at www.gov.uk/find-government-property.

It will initially feature more than 300 properties available to rent and 900 to buy across the UK, including Launceston Magistrates' Court and land and buildings at Truro, Camborne, Falmouth and across Cornwall.

Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, Chloe Smith said: "We're making the civil service more efficient and cutting waste, as a result we will have a number of properties both owned and rented that we need to do more with.

"Not only will this website help to save government money but we will see new opportunities, jobs and growth in local economies as new life is brought into empty, unused properties."

Property will be displayed with photographs and building guides where available.

The National Property Controls introduced by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, which stop signing of new leases and renewals of existing leases, were said to have cut government costs from May 2010 to September 2012 by £362 million a year and raised more than £640 million by selling over 250 surplus buildings.

A LOVING young husband and father of an eight-month-old baby died in a tragic accident at work.

Ryan Thomas, a keen sportsman and 28-year-old linesman for Western Power Distribution (WPD), died following an accident involving an electricity pole.

Ryan, originally from Truro and known as 'Smiler', had set up home in Grampound Road with his teenage sweetheart Zara. Their daughter, Maisy, will be eight months old next week.

Zara Thomas, Ryan's wife of two years, said: "He always had a cheeky smile on his face, he would make anyone laugh. Whenever I think of him all I can see is his smiling face – he always seemed so happy. Maisy is always smiling – she gets that from him."

The couple who met at Truro College ten years ago spoke for the final time when Ryan called home two hours before the accident.

"He rang from work to find out how Maisy had got on at nursery school and to give her a goodnight kiss," said Zara.

Ryan's parents, Trevor and Christine, and older brothers Malcolm and Nigel, said it was difficult to put their grief into words.

Trevor said: "He idolised Maisy, and when Zara was expecting her he told me he couldn't wait to be a father. Zara and Maisy were his life."

Ryan's best friend, Lewis Orient, who was best man at his wedding, remembered Ryan as "the happiest man I have ever met".

He added: "We were thick as thieves, did everything together. I don't play cricket but I would go down to the cricket club with him. He was more like a brother to me."

His mother recalled taking him to the Boscawen Park cricket ground in his pram when he was just two weeks old.

Ryan played for Cornwall Schools, with a reputation as a good batsman and fielder that led him to play for Truro Cricket Club, along with his brothers. He was also a respected footballer.

Truro Cricket Club secretary Roger Heayn said news of his death left members "stunned".

"We just cannot believe it," he said. "He was a lovely lad, very friendly and no one ever had a bad word to say about him.

"It is a tragic loss."

Ryan was at the club from an early age and, apart from a short spell at Perranarworthal, always played for Truro.

Perranwell Football Club cancelled its game against Goonhavern at the weekend as a mark of respect to a stalwart of the reserves.

A spokesman said: "All of us at the 'Well' are still in shock to lose a young man who was everybody's friend. Our love and thoughts at this time are with his wife and daughter, who has not even had a birthday for him to enjoy.

"He was, as many of his closest friends have said, an honest, lovely, funny and caring guy who played the game the way it should be.

"He has been taken from everyone far too young."

The former Penair School pupil worked from WPD's Bodmin depot and knew people throughout Cornwall. His wife described his colleagues as "like a second family".

Mike Rogers, distribution manager for WPD in Bodmin, said: "Ryan was an excellent and much respected employee and a valued member of the team who will be greatly missed."

The electricity pole that Ryan was working on at Pier Lane, Cawsand, on January 16 is believed to have collapsed.

A full investigation is being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.