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A MEMBER of the public caused a coastguard alert when they mistook a patch of discoloured stonework at Dawlish for a person in trouble. The false alarm with good intent 999 call to Brixham coastguard came in at just after 8am on Bank Holiday Monday morning. A coastguard statment said: "Teignmouth Coastguard investigated a report of a person clinging to a breakwater at Dawlish. "The object was found to be a patch of discoloured stonework. "A search of the area suggested no persons were in danger."

TWO burglars who targeted pensioners in Newton Abbot, stealing war medals and valuables, have been jailed for a total of more than ten years. Bowsey Bowater and Martin McCann, both aged 24, stole or tried to steal from seven households in less than 24 hours, Plymouth Crown Court heard. They escaped with irreplaceable items including World War Two medals and a locket of hair belonging to one victim's husband. Judge Paul Darlow jailed McCann for five years six months and Bowater for five years for plotting to burgle homes in Newton Abbot, South Brent and Plymouth. He said: "It is difficult to describe just how mean and nasty and repulsive this was. This involved the deliberate targeting of the elderly. "The youngest was 74 and the oldest was 94 or thereabouts. Both of you are a disgrace. You are a disgrace to that part of the travelling community, which though leading an unconventional lifestyle, is law-abiding." Martin McCann, of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and Bowater, of Bolsover in Derbyshire, both admitted conspiracy to burgle between October 20 and October 23 last year. Bowater also admitted disqualified driving on the M1 in that county on November 11. Jason Beal, for the Crown Prosecution Service, described how Bowater and McCann called at four houses in Newton Abbot within a couple of hours on October 22. He said they told the elderly residents a variety of lies such as needing to fix a tap or simply sneaked in through unlocked doors. Mr Beal added they stole a jewellery box from a 94-year-old woman which contained two medals for her wartime service in the Women's Royal Air Force. He said: "They have never been recovered. The officer in the case has contacted the RAF to try and replace the medals." The court heard that a suspicious neighbour noted down the number plate of the pair's car. Mr Beal said Bowater and McCann then moved on to South Brent. He said a 75-year-old man turned them away, but they tricked their way into the home of an 85-year-old neighbour. The man was confronted by two men running down his stairs, the court heard. Mr Beal added: "Bowater grabbed him by the clothes and span him around, and pushed him over backwards, so he fell against a radiator." He said the pair then targeted a home in Glenholt. Mr Beal added one of the men came down the drive to speak to a woman in her 70s or 80s. He said he mentioned some trees – which by chance she had complained about to the council. Mr Beal said the man's phone made a noise as they were talking in the garden and he turned and ran. The woman returned to her home to find £900 in cash and jewellery had been taken. Mr Beal said: "She has made a statement to say how upset she was. She had the jewellery for years and it has particular sentimental value. "There was a locket taken which contained a piece of her husband's hair. A locket was recovered but it cannot be identified because the picture had been removed." He added the Ford Mondeo was spotted on the M1 a couple of weeks later, with banned driver Bowater behind the wheel. Police seized £1,500 in cash, stolen property and the new car. Judge Darlow ordered that they be formally confiscated and the cash distributed among the victims. Ed Bailey, for Bowater, said: "At the time he had descended into a vortex of addiction. He had a £120-a-day habit for crack cocaine and heroin. "All he could think about was obtaining money for his next fix." But he added that he shown remorse and had sobered up in prison. Ali Rafati, for McCann said he never intended that the man in South Brent should be injured. He added he had written a letter of apology to the man. Officer in the case DC Jessica Fewings, of Newton Abbot CID, said after the hearing: "The sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes. The offenders deliberately targeted vulnerable and elderly victims in their own homes. "The victims lost sentimental items which can never be replaced and are happy with the sentence given. Devon and Cornwall police will always seek to deal robustly with the perpetrators of this type of crime."

'Repulsive' burglars preyed on Devon pensioners

A passenger aboard a hot air balloon who spotted a fire near Cullompton has described the moments he witnessed the blaze. Three fire engines were sent to a wooded area at Hele after the blaze broke out in an outbuilding at 8pm last night. Kevin Jones, from Willand, said: "We took off from Rockbeare and were flying towards Hele and spotted smoke. First thoughts were that it was from the mill but as we got closer realised it was further over than the mill and that it was a big fire." Kevin, who works as a self-employed chimney sweep, said: "It was too big to be a bonfire or chimney fire – chimney fires are quite common this time of the year at the end of the winter season. "At one point it looked as though the trees had caught fire as well as the building. The pilot contacted Exeter airport as we were under their control and they called the emergency services. "By the time we flew over the fire thankfully it had started to die down. We enjoyed the rest of our lovely flight and landed at Chettiscombe." Crews from Cullompton, Middlemoor and Danes Castle found a single storey brick-built shed alight. They put out the fire before it spread but the building was severely damaged.

Pictures: Hot air balloon passenger alerts fire service to burning building near Exeter

A TERRIFYING abduction in Devon last night saw police scrambled - for what turned out to be the shooting of a new film. The response came after police received numerous reports of a woman being bundled into the back of an ambulance at just before 7pm yesterday. A number of teams, including dog units, were deployed in a bid to track down the suspects. Officers located the decommissioned ambulance, reported to have been involved in the abduction, on the A361 North Devon Link Road near Ashford - only to find out the true nature of the incident minutes later. Croyde filmmaker Alex Poray, who had been involved in the shooting of the abduction scene, explained: "It was the last day of filming for my first feature length film yesterday. "The last thing we had to do was film this short abduction scene which we shot at the leisure centre car park, leaving it as late as we could. "We did about four takes and got it nailed. "Coming over the Taw Bridge after we wrapped up we saw an ambulance and police car racing the other way. I just thought ' I hope that's not for us'." After being stopped by police while on the A361, Alex said the group were quick to clarify the situation with officers. He said: "I apologised profusely, I hate to waste police time. As soon as he was happy he radioed in and said it was all fine. We were told next time a courtesy call would be appreciated. "We had a good laugh about it, everyone saw the funny side. This is what happens with guerrilla film making. "If we needed a few more takes we could have been surrounded by armed police at the leisure centre." Although filming for the scene took a number of takes, Alex said he understood people's concerns - with cameras not being visible during the filming. "I was filming inside the back of the ambulance so I had no idea whether there was anyone nearby watching," he said. "It also meant no one would have seen the camera. "We just want to set the story straight for those people who called in, it was not a real abduction and no one has been hurt. "We just want to put their minds at rest." Following the incident, Detective Inspector Praveen Naidoo said: "While it was quickly established that this was a filming project, if you are making anything like this please do get in touch before hand and make us aware." The scenes will feature in Alex's first feature length film, horror story The Slayers - Portrait Of A Dismembered Family. The Slayers is due to be released later this month. More information can be found on the group's Facebook page.

Video: Police swoop on Devon road after horror movie kidnapping mix up

Fire crews had to be called to Exmouth seafront on Sunday after a member of the public became stuck in the the new public toilets. A fire engine was sent to Queens Drive at 22:22 to release a person locked in public toilets after an electronic lock had failed. Crews used small tools to release the person. The new toilet block was opened on the seafront last month.

Rescue after fault locks person in new Exmouth toilets

Rob Baxter believes new signing Elvis Taione will be a vital member of Exeter Chiefs' squad next season, after securing a move from Jersey. The 30-year-old hooker has been recruited as a replacement for Chris Whitehead, who was forced to retire following the Devon club's LV= Cup success in March. Head coach Baxter wasted little time snapping up Tonga international Taione, who he had previously looked at during a front-row injury crisis. The 5ft 11in, 17st 9lb player will link up with his new employers in the summer and Baxter thinks he will add good competition to Jack Yeandle and Luke Cowan-Dickie for the number two jersey. Baxter said: "After what happened to Chris [Whitehead], which was a great shame for him, it was always going to be key for us to try to get a hooker. "The nice thing with Elvis is that we had a good look at him before when we were struggling with the hooker injuries we had. I was aware of the qualities he was bringing to Jersey and I was able to look at some international performances, when he's performed really well. "He's a little bit different to our other hookers, so they'll all add something different. He's a bit more up and down, he likes to knock people over and run hard and straight, but his set-piece is improving all the time. "He wants to move to the Premiership for all the right reasons – he wants to be in a really good environment in the build-up to the World Cup. He's very ambitious to play well in that tournament and he knows, if he trains hard and plays well in a real pressure environment in the Premiership, it will hold him in good stead. "I'm really pleased with the signing, I think he'll really add to the competition in a position in which we're very strong, and he'll be a vital member of the squad that's got a big job next year." Baxter confirmed Taione's arrival in the wake of the Chiefs' 30-29 defeat at home against Harlequins yesterday, which ended their chance of being in the play-offs for the final place in the new European Champions Cup. Exeter can finish no higher than eighth in the Premiership, with their season coming to a close at Newcastle this Saturday. However, Baxter thinks that may be no bad thing as being in the second-tier European Challenge Cup will allow him to rotate his squad and give his less experienced men a chance to show what they can do in a less pressurised environment. That includes players who are stepping up from the Championship. As well as Taione, that includes London Welsh lock Mitch Lees and London Scottish prop Tomas Francis, while Newport Gwent Dragons centre Adam Hughes is currently on loan at Bristol. "A good, proven Championship player can step up and get up to speed pretty quickly with a good pre-season and with good guys around him," Baxter said of his signings. "It's always a balance between bringing in guys you see and giving them opportunities as well as adding quality, and I think we're doing pretty well with both for next season. "We still might be one or two signings away from where we want to be next season, especially with James Hanks retiring, but we're getting there and I'm comfortable with where we're at. "The disappointment of not being in the Heineken Cup next year because of the great games you get involved in is countered by the fact you can manage your squad a little bit through the Amlin, and that has often proved to be very successful as well."

Exeter's Rob Baxter praises quality of new signing Taione

It is not uncommon for footballers to live a life in the shadow of their fathers, but that is a challenge that Exeter City youngster Jordan Tillson is facing up to. The 21-year-old made his Grecians debut in City's 2-0 League Two win at Hartlepool United last Saturday and turned in a classy performance that his father, Andy, would have been proud of. Tillson Snr forged a fine career for himself as a centre-half for Grimsby Town, Queen's Park Rangers, Bristol Rovers, Walsall and Rushden & Diamonds. He was Rovers' record buy when they forked out £370,000 for his services in 1992 and is widely regarded as a club legend, after making over 250 appearances for the Pirates. Now Jordan is looking to follow suit. Tillson Jnr's time at Rovers was less successful and he was released by the club when his scholarship finished in May 2011, having not made the grade at first-team level. But, before the disappointment of being released had even set in, Tillson was picked up by Exeter, where his father was working at the time as part of manager Paul Tisdale's coaching team. Andy may have left Exeter since, but Jordan remained and quietly progressed to the point where he was handed his first-team debut as one of three centre-halves in Exeter's superb win in the north-east. "It was hard. It is not as easy as it looks when you are watching up in the stands, but I was chuffed to get a start and hopefully I can build on it for next year," Tillson said. "Jordy [Moore-Taylor] and Scot [Bennett] know what they are doing, so I just played off the back of that, really. "It's been hard because I have been in the squad quite a lot, but the older boys have been really good to me and talked to me all season. "Pat [Baldwin] has been unbelievable this week and really helped me out and spent extra time with me after training. We shared a room before the game and it's given me a head start on the game, because he talked me through it. He didn't stop talking all night!" Tillson's development this campaign has been outstanding. He started pre-season playing at right-back, but there is no doubt that he feels more at home playing at centre-half, where he has been a consistently impressive performer for the club's Under-21 side. Despite making the bench on occasions and travelling to several away games, Tillson has had to bide his time before being given his chance. However, it was one he took with both hands, despite conceding a penalty at the end of the first half, which was saved by Christy Pym. "It was never a penalty," Tillson said. "I went shoulder-to-shoulder with him and he fell over. I think he saw me coming and went down and the ref gave it. It was a bit soft, but it happens. You have to learn from it and make sure I don't do it again next time. "Christy bailed me out with a great save, so I have to thank him for that. He said before the game that he knew where he was going to go and he stuck to it." That aside, it was a faultless performance from Tillson, with Tisdale claiming post-match it was as good a debut as he had seen from a young player. It was also nice that Tillson's father was there to see it. "It was nice to see him. He's come a long way to watch and I didn't want to let him down," Tillson said. "He's already had a word about the penalty and he's not happy! But I'm sure he gave away his fair share during his career. "He didn't make his debut until he was 21 either, so maybe [being a late developer] is in the genes. I am actually younger than he was when he made his debut. But, if I have half the career he had, then I'll be chuffed."

Exeter's Tillson thanks teammates for support following debut

A REFEREE who was hospitalised after being punched by a player during a match in Ashburton says the game will probably be his last. Former Mayor Don Distin, 49, was officiating an amateur football match between Torre FC and Ashburton FC Reserves when he was felled by a single punch. Police are investigating the incident which happened 30 minutes into the match on Saturday. The electrician and Ashburton councillor was rushed to Torbay Hospital with a suspected fractured jaw. On Monday Mr Distin said: "The bruising is so much worse today. The police are still investigating the incident, and other allegations involving Torre at Stoke Fleming on Thursday. "After that the League and Devon County Football Association will carry out their own investigation." He says the incident has left him feeling 'despondent' about the state of the game he loves. He added: "I had an x-ray at the hospital and at the present time they can't see any fracture and there is just bruising and trauma. "But I can't open my right eye and there is a lot of bruising around it and swelling to my cheek. "It is difficult to eat and I am a bit despondent." Mr Distin has been a referee for 13 years and thinks players are showing less respect than ever before towards officials. "This could be the last time I referee and I am seriously contemplating stopping," he said. "I have received a lot of texts and messages from people wishing me well and that is much appreciated." He says his main regret is that he will not be able to referee a South Devon cup final next week. "I do it for the love of football," he added. "We get a match fee and expenses but it is really because I love the game." Mr Distin, a retained firefighter, only officiated in the match so he could also be on-call in his home town should a blaze occur. "This meant that I was not available which effectively put lives at risk," he said.

Pictures: Devon referee punched at match says game may be his last

Friends and family have paid tribute to John Hurst, son of Exeter City star Stan Hurst, who died suddenly after watching City's last home game of the season against Scunthorpe United. John, 69, was born in Exeter and grew up in Crediton, where he attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. His father, Stan, made 123 appearances for the Grecians, scoring 35 goals between 1932 and 1936 and leading the scoring in 1933-34. He netted the winning goal in the inaugural Division III South Cup in 1934 against Torquay United which City won 1-0. John, who taught in Swindon until his retirement in 2000, regularly travelled to St James' Park with his son, Chris. He had a heart attack shortly after returning to his car and was taken to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital where he died later that evening. John studied English and History at Lampeter University where he met his future wife Daph. They married in 1970 and had three children: Kathy, now 37, Suzy, 34, and Chris, 31. Daph died in 2010 and after his retirement worked with his son building houses. His children said: "Alongside our mum, Dad created a warm and loving home filled with creative energy, humour, stories and Springsteen. He passed on his passion for sport to all three of us. "He was committed to the importance of education, to the beauty of the English language, and to his family. We loved him very much and will carry him with us forever." He was also grandfather to Dylan, 6, Carys, 5, and Seren, 1. His fourth grandchild, Summer, was born on 1 May. One of John's great passions was football. He played for Exeter City Reserves, Crediton Utd and represented the University of Wales. He also helped to set up the Swindon Town Football Club Youth Academy. Long-time colleague Jim Goodard said: "I worked with John from 1984 and without doubt he was the best teacher I ever knew." John's family would like to thank bystanders and the owner of the Neptune Fish and Chip Shop on Heavitree Road who showed exceptional kindness as paramedics attended the scene.

Tributes paid to son of Exeter City legend who died after watching City’s last home game of the season

Fire crews were called to Exeter last night following to reports of a fire within a cooker. Fire control received a call from the occupier of the home on Denamrk Road at 19:21. One appliance from Danes Castle and one appliance from Middlemoor attended the incident. On arrival crews confirmed that this was a small fire involving a cooker. The properties kitchen suffered slight smoke damage and crews used positive pressure ventilation to clear any remaining smoke.

Dominos Pizza is planning to move into the former Blockbuster store in St Thomas shopping centre on Cowick Street. Earlier this year the city council granted planning permission for a change of opening hours for the shopping unit –it may open between 9am and 11pm throughout the week, including bank holidays. In a move to attract possible business users the owners of the St Thomas precinct shopping centre applied to change the opening hours for the former Blockbuster unit. In May the city council granted permission for a change of use for the unit, allowing it to be used as a take-away. Blockbusters closed last year following administration

Domino’s Pizza set to move into former Blockbuster store in St Thomas, Exeter

Councils must do more to reduce the impact of light pollution – at the same time saving hundreds of thousands of pounds for the taxpayer – campaigners have said. New research conducted by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) found fewer than two thirds of councils in England are looking to minimise the impact of bad lighting, despite changes to planning laws which encourage them to do so. Its report "Shedding Light – a survey of local authority approaches to lighting in England" is the first to quiz councils specifically on how they control light pollution. It found the proportion of people living with severe light pollution around the country is growing. And while eight in ten councils said they considered the impact of lighting on the open countryside when considering lighting on building developments or highways, more than a third have no policy in place to help them control light pollution. It highlighted work done by Cornwall Council which has invested £17 million to upgrade its lighting infrastructure. The system can be controlled centrally with dimming which changed with the flick of a switch via the Internet. Dimming lights during the middle of the night has saved the council some £9 million between 2010 and 2013. It has also run a trial in nine villages across the county where some lights have been switched off and other dimmed. Devon County Council has agreed a package of measures for street lighting that will cut carbon emissions and reduce energy costs. That includes changing hours of operation from all-night to part-night on all non-main roads and all new residential developments. In residential areas, street light hours are being changed from all-night long to between dusk and 12.30am and again from 5.30am until dawn. It said town centres would remain lit all night although consideration will be given to dimming lighting where possible. Main road lighting will be risk assessed to determine whether street lights remain lit all night, are converted to part-night lighting or dimmed. Emma Marrington, corr CPRE Dark Skies Campaigner, said: "The results of our survey show that many local authorities are taking steps in the right direction to manage lighting more effectively. But much more can be done to encourage all authorities to take this issue more seriously. "We urge councils to do more to control lighting in their areas, and ensure that the right lighting is used only where and when it is needed. "We often hear concerns that changing street lighting can impact on public safety but our research revealed no evidence to support this. "We're not advocating changes where they're not appropriate, but why shine bright lights on residential streets, quiet roads and open countryside throughout the night when it's not needed? "Genuine dark starry nights are becoming harder and harder to find which is why councils should take action to control it now. "Light pollution blurs the distinction between town and country, ruins the countryside's tranquil character and denies us the experience of a truly starry sky." Street lighting in England costs councils approximately £616 million per year and can account for up to 30% of their carbon emissions. CPRE said tackling light pollution would have the "triple benefit" of preserving dark skies while cutting costs and carbon emissions. The campaign group's survey, which posed more than 20 questions to councils, found almost a third were switching off street lights, typically from midnight to 5am, while almost half said they were involved in dimming street lights in their areas. The research found dimming schemes are significantly more popular than switch-off schemes with residents, with 68% of respondents saying local communities had been very supportive. As a result of the research, CPRE is calling for councils to do more to control lighting in their areas. The report makes nine recommendations including preserving dark skies by having a presumption against new lighting in existing dark areas, allocating lighting zones to help determine where streetlights should and should not go, and preventing inappropriate and badly designed lighting of development that masks views of the night sky.

Councils urged to do more to control light pollution

RE-OPENING later this month, Exeter Central Library has not only had a £4.1m face-lift it will now have more books than ever before. According to the county council, when the library reopens, there will be approximately 4,000 more adults' fiction books than the library previously held. There will also be more large print books, increasing from 1,360 books to 2,300; and children's books will expand from 103 shelves previously to 188 shelves in the new library, allowing for more attractive forward facing displays to tempt young readers. Teenagers too will have their own area with more books, and have been working with the library stock managers to choose teenage stock for the library. The spokesman added: "The quantity of adults' non fiction remains broadly the same with approximately 23,000 items on the shelves. The number of items held in the stack item, 128,000, will also remain unchanged. "We are also offering the same amount of language courses on CD, newly supplemented by Transparent Languages, which provides unlimited access to online language courses." The temporary library will close on April 17 and there will then effectively be no Exeter Central Library until May 22, the time being needed to transfer the books into their new home.

Exeter Central Library to add more than 4,000 new books for re-opening

UKIP has cancelled its freepost address after receiving packages containing blood and faeces. Nigel Farage's party, which is currently leading the polls for the European elections later this month, has been inundated with packages from hostile voters. As previously reported by the Echo a Newton Abbot address for UKIP was bombarded with unwanted mail as disgruntled voters send discarded flyers, parcels and even housebricks to the UKIP Freepost mailbox. And earlier this week a bomb disposal team was called in to deal with two suspicious packages containing faeces that were destined for an address in Devon. Staff at the Royal Mail sorting centre in Peterborough sounded the alarm at around noon on Thursday after messages attached to the parcels raised concern. The packages were immediately isolated and the police and bomb disposal unit alerted. Ordnance experts X-rayed the packages which were found to contain excrement. Senior staff then disposed of both parcels, which had been addressed to South Devon. UKIP has since confirmed that the Freepost address had been cancelled. UKIP Bexley tweeted a memo which read: "You may be aware that there have been incidents of inapproriate mail items being sent to a UKIP Freepost address. This includes items which are prohibited (such as blood/human faeces) and present a health and safety risk both to you and our Royal Mail colleagues. "The Freepost address for UKIP has been cancelled." Freepost allows someone to send mail without a stamp because the recipient pays the postage. The news comes as a Devon Ukip roadside sign has been vandalised with the word "racists". The billboard, on a grass verge on the busy A-road between Trerulefoot and Polbathic has been emblazoned with the slur in grey spray paint. It's thought the message has been daubed at some point over the bank holiday weekend. Plymouth UKIP chairman David Salmon said: "It's disgraceful. Totally totally undemocratic. Total moronic idiots."

Ukip cancels freepost after bomb disposal team deal with Devon-bound packages containing faeces

Exeter Chiefs' players could be proud of their display against Harlequins, according to scrum-half Dave Lewis. The 25-year-old scored his side's opening try as they lost 30-29 against the visitors at Sandy Park on Sunday. However, having been beaten by a record 55-12 in their previous outing against Sale, Lewis felt there was a significant improvement against Harlequins. "We talked about having that bite in defence again and I thought the boys put in a great shift," said Lewis. "There were some big hits going in, we made a mess of the breakdown, and the boys can hold their heads up high." Lewis felt the improvements were down to a focus on doing the basics well and building from there. As well as his score, that approach saw Matt Jess cross for a try in the second half. Gareth Steenson converted both and landed five penalties. "I think it was just remembering what we were good at a couple of weeks ago and trying to work on that," Lewis said of the Chiefs' upturn in form. "We didn't want to over-complicate things, we wanted to go through the basics and work really hard. "That's what we did out there and it showed it works. We scored 29 points and if you do that you'd like to think you'd win, so it's frustrating we didn't, but we need to keep doing it." Exeter's display against Quins was far from perfect, as several times the visitors replied within minutes of the Chiefs scoring. Lewis felt his side could have won comfortably if they had been more disciplined, but admitted it was not the first time this season they have come up just short. He said: "Again it's one of those games that's got away from us that you can pinpoint specific things, like if we'd been more accurate in certain areas we wouldn't be talking about a loss we'd be talking about a win by about 10 points. "That's frustrating and something that's happened all season, and we need to address that for next season." He added: "We worked hard to get our points and then we seemed to give them away easily. "It's a massive improvement on Sale, we have to build on that for this weekend and next season as well. We'll take the positives, learn from the mistakes and move on." Exeter have one more match to go this term as they end their campaign at Newcastle this Saturday. Lewis thinks the Chiefs can travel to Kingston Park in high spirits as they look to bring the curtain down on the season in style. "If we can carry on the form we showed on Sunday, and iron out those little mistakes, we will go up to Newcastle feeling very confident," he said. "We want to put in a good performance and get a win up there." Sunday's match was also the last at Sandy Park in its present form, with development work continuing on the West Grandstand to add 2,000 extra seats while the East Terrace is replaced by a new structure with double the capacity and the pitch re-laid. Lewis and his teammates are looking forward to the transformation for next season. "The fans have been brilliant. They've been very loud all year, whether it's been at Sandy Park or whether it's been away from home," Lewis said. "You can always hear the tomahawk chop and that's fantastic. "They were very loud again on Sunday and it really does help you out on the pitch. "All the boys are looking forward to coming back and having larger changing rooms, and to have an extra two or three thousand people here will make the atmosphere even better." See expressandecho.co.uk all this week for build-up to the Chiefs' last game of the season.

Exeter Chiefs players can be proud, says Dave Lewis

A leading Exeter historian and author has joined the campaign to bring back the city's Women's Refuge. The refuge closed earlier this year after nearly 40 years offering a safe haven to vulnerable women and children. Thousands signed a petition to save it and now supporters, led by the Stop Abuse for Everyone(SAFE) group are fighting to re-establish a refuge. One idea being floated is to use one of the closed children's homes in Exeter as a refuge. Dr Todd Gray has joined the fray by organising a fund-raising lecture in support of SAFE – taking as his theme Exeter's Women and the Great War The lecture starts a 12pm on Tuesday, May 27 at the Exeter Guildhall in High Street. Dr Gray said: "I feel quite strongly, as I know many others do, that women who feel their personal safety is threatened should have a place to go to. " Support for a Refuge crosses all the boundaries - I know many men as well as women who are just as supportive for a Refuge here in Exeter. "It also crosses the age barriers. I am hoping that we will have a full crowd on the 27th and give a strong message that the public feels a Refuge is one of the hallmarks of a civilised society. "I appreciate that we live in financially-pressed times but I cannot bear to think that there are women today in Exeter who would be uncertain as to where they can go to be safe. "All of the proceeds of the day will go to helping establish a new Refuge in Exeter. " I am giving my time as is Stormpress in printing the tickets and Topics is designing them. This is only a small gesture but I hope that we can raise a thousand pounds which will make a positive contribution to what is a very serious issue." Chris Collier, chairman of Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE) Chris Collier, chairman of trustees for Stop Abuse for Everyone, said: "We are very appreciative of Dr Gay's contribution. There has been a great deal of public support for the campaign but so far no one has been able to come forward with an offer of funding or an alternative site. "Exeter City Council have been very good along with some county councillors. There are a few children's homes in Exeter that might become available. They would be ideal. "We are just hoping someone will see sense as, while there area outreach services that can provide a superb service there is a significant number of women with children with high risk who need a safe haven in crisis." Tickets for Dr Gray's lecture are £10 (all proceedings to SAFE) and are available from the Guildhall .

UNDER-16s ST MARTINS 2 STOKE HILL 0 ST Martins won the Exeter & District Youth League Cup for the sixth year in a row with a 2-0 win against Stoke Hill. Joe Boyne and Sam Cockram scored on Sunday to complete a remarkable six seasons. Mike Whitfield, who is assisted by Neil Chamberlain, has managed them since they were under-8s, and their cup run started in 2009 when they beat Twyford Spartans 4-0 in the final. The following year, they beat Brixington Blues 2-1 before Stoke Hill were beaten 2-1 and 5-1 in successive seasons. Last term they won 2-0 against Heavitree United in the final. Whitfield said: "I'm so proud of all 15 players, they all played really well in the final. It's a fantastic record we've had in the cups, we've never been the best team in the league and have only won the league once in that time." UNDER-14s PINHOE SPEARS 3 TEDBURN ST MARY 0 Pinhoe Spears sealed the Devon Cup with a comfortable victory over Tedburn St Mary. Will Dean's penalty, which came after Brad Edwardson was brought down, gave them a first-half lead. Man of the match Jamie Vaughan-Ryall then bagged a second-half double to wrap up the game, with Morgan Cullen and Connor Densham both hitting the crossbar late in the game. AC HEAVITREE 0 PINHOE SPEARS 5 A convincing victory from the away trip to AC Heavitree saw Pinhoe Spears wrap up the league title. First-half goals from Bradley Frost, Brad Edwardson and Dan Cullen put them firmly in control. Tom Crees and Morgan Cullen then added second-half goals, while Bayley Radford scooped the man-of-the-match award. STOKE HILL CELTIC 1 PINHOE SPEARS 2 Pinhoe Spears secured the treble as Will Dean's double helped them overcome Stoke Hill Celtic in a tight match in the Exeter & District Youth League Cup final. Krystian Struminski gave Celtic the lead before Spears responded with a fantastic Dean free-kick. Spears edged ahead in the second half when Jamie Vaughan-Ryall was brought down in the penalty box, allowing Dean to slot home what turned out to be the winner from the spot.

NEGOTIATIONS are under way over the future relocation of Exmouth Rugby Club to make way for a supermarket. The pitch at the Imperial Recreation Ground is located within the regeneration zone earmarked in East Devon District Council's ambitious Exmouth Town Centre and Seafront Masterplan. The site is one of the three main priority areas for potential development in the town in the coming years. Following discussions with the club, the council has carried out a detailed search for alternative locations. Further negotiations are under way between the council and the rugby club regarding its relocation. A council spokesperson has reconfirmed the authority's ambition for the construction of a supermarket on the site in order to generate the income to enable further improvements to the area. District council cabinet members are due to discuss the latest proposals in private at their meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14. It is understood that the options for consideration include the previously suggested relocation of the club to the former Rolle College playing fields next to Douglas Avenue, with space for three pitches. This was the club's preferred option. Another option is the realignment of the current pitches, with space for two pitches. Other options are also thought to be on the table. A council spokesperson, said: "The council is exploring the available options for the relocation of Exmouth Rugby Club to enable the development of that site to include a supermarket as part of the implementation of the Exmouth Masterplan, adopted in 2011 following widespread public consultation. "Due to the commercially sensitive nature of the negotiations we are unable to give any more detail until such time as an agreed way forward has been reached."

Exmouth Rugby Club begin negotiations for site to make way for new supermarket

A huge aquatic pub crawl in Exeter has been cancelled after fears were raised that people taking part would die. Almost 4,000 people had pledged to participate in an alcohol-fuelled challenge called 'Inflatables down the Exe' as part of unofficial post-exam celebrations for university students. Revellers were due to float along the River Exe using an eclectic range of blow-up objects – from wild animals to pirate ships – on a mammoth 4.5-mile journey from the Quay to Topsham, via various drinking establishments. Organisers then decided to reduce the scale of the event – in an effort to prevent authorities calling a halt to proceedings – and yet were still keen for participants to visit a number of local taverns along the route. But the efforts to create a version of 'Spring Break' in the city on May 22 were punctured when police put an end to the hazardous plans. PC Ian Lugg, neighbourhood beat manager for the University of Exeter community, explained that the decision to cancel the event had followed talks with organisers involving other local authorities. "We have called off the event, due to the serious risk to life it would bring. Alcohol and water simply don't mix," he said. He added that officers would be prepared to "act" on the day, if necessary. The event had snowballed in popularity among students as well as local residents, after it was first advertised on Facebook last month. But a number of people raised safety and logical concerns, with some warning that anyone taking part would be risking their life. It is understood Exeter City Council refused to sanction use of the waterway for the event, and would have held the organisers liable for any issue arising. In a message on the event page, organiser Pierre Keyzar said: "Unfortunately the event scheduled for the 22nd can't go ahead and we advise no one turn up on the date. We will look into doing a council approved one at a later date." Co-organiser Tom Shopland added: "It's not illegal, but the event officially can't happen." Several people expressed disappointment on Facebook at the decision to cancel the event. A spokesman for the Cellar Door nightclub joked: "We think it is absolutely abhorrent that people were even considering using the river for something enjoyable and in no way should anyone ever consider taking pleasure by combining inflatable watercraft and alcohol on a sunny day in May, disgraceful."

ST Martins are Premier Division champions after a 4-1 win at Exeter University on Monday. The victory, which came courtesy of goals from Lee Parker, Darren Bingham, Dax Vincent and Dan Norman, saw the Saints stretch their lead to 11 points with two games left. The ambitious Minster Park side have applied for promotion and hope to be playing in the Peninsula League next season. However, Newtown face a battle to finish in the top two as they fell to a shock 2-1 loss against Beer Albion. Tiverton Town are two points behind in third, but can overtake them if they win their game in hand. The loss to Beer undid all of Newtown's good work on Saturday as they beat Topsham Town 6-1 after goals from Cory O'Donoghue (2), Dale O'Donoghue, Ben Howard, Jake Hobbs and Carl Lavis. Newtown face Chard on Saturday then Topsham on Tuesday. Tiverton Town were 4-1 winners against Thorverton on Saturday, with Danny Bailey (2), Jake Searle and Jesse Howe scoring. They then beat Topsham Town on Monday, with Josh Searle getting the only goal. Feniton secured fourth with a 1-1 draw against the University. Dave O'Connor got their goal. Thorverton are fifth after Monday's 5-0 win against Budleigh Salterton. The goals came from Adam Place (2), Dave Osman, Lee Riggs and Lawrence Khoo. Havitree United gave themselves a chance of avoiding the drop as they beat Seaton Town 6-1 on Monday. Dan Gill (3), Shaun King, Taz El Zahri and Luke Nickles got the goals which made up for Saturday's 1-0 loss to Clyst Valley. Clyst, who went in last, are now out of the bottom two after Monday's a 2-0 win over Hatherleigh. Nathan Cooper and George Todd got the goals. Bow AAC must win their last two matches to deprive Sidbury United of second place in Division One after a 3-3 draw with the University on Saturday. The College also drew 3-3 with Alphington on Monday to end their chances of the top three. Ryan Moody (2) and Joey Byrne scored for the Alphas. Sidbury United completed their season with a tough 3-2 victory at Heavitree. Ash Small, Connor Hannaford and Constantine Rusi scored. Cullompton Rangers are clinging to safety after drawing 1-1 with Beacon Knights and need to win their final match tonight (Thursday) against Witheridge to avoid the drop. Dolphin are on the brink of capturing the Division Two title after their 2-0 victory against Halwill. Ben Harris got both goals in the win that secured them promotion. Exwick Villa were held 2-2 by Halwill on Monday, but both they and Honiton Town, whose match with Lympstone was postponed, are up. Culm United ensured their safety by winning 2-0 at Colyton, with Martin Loader and Tom Keating on target. Clyst Valley have a slim chance of avoiding the drop after they beat Pinhoe 4-2. The University made sure of being at least runners up in Division Three by winning 2-1 at Exmouth Amateurs, and could overtake leaders Upottery if they win their last two. Exmouth Town are Fourth Division champions, beating Axmouth United 1-0. Cheriton Fitzpaine claimed second and promotion, with a 2-1 win at Sandford on Monday. It followed Saturday's 0-0 draw with the University, who are also going up. Sandford beat Hatherleigh 3-1 on Saturday, but both teams will finish in the bottom three. Bampton are safe thanks to a 2-0 win against Awliscombe and a 4-4 draw with Axmouth. Langdon are top in Division Five, with a 15-0 victory at Seaton Town and a 4-1 win at home to Morchard Bishop. It means Saturday's match at home to second-place Lapford will decide the title. St Martins are assured of promotion thanks to a 4-2 win at home to Morchard Bishop. Countess Wear Dynamoes enjoyed a 6-3 win at Seaton Town, with Richard Gilbert (2), Shane Tregale, Rob England, Sam Ballett and Sam Elson scoring. Ricky Baker was Westexe's scorer in their 1-1 draw with Bow AAC. The scrap for the Division Six title race between Uplowman Athletic and Otterton will be sorted when the pair meet at Uplowman on Tuesday. Uplowman stayed top with a 2-1 win at Halwill on Saturday, while Otterton won there 3-2 on Monday. Kev Pitt scored twice. Otterton also won 2-1 on Saturday against Topsham thanks to a pair of penalties from Si Tuley. Third place is up for grabs. Topsham are in the hot seat, but can still be caught by Stoke Hill, Starcross and Halwill. Henry's Cronies completed a perfect season in Division Seven with a 10-3 succes at Tedburn St Mary. Niall Martin hit five, while Stuart Tyrer (3), Dom Gibbons, Mike Benyon and James Evans added singles. Henry's finish 25 points ahead of Kentisbeare, who are also promoted along with Alphington. Newtown won 7-5 at Woodbury, with Dylan Wilson, Adam Smith and Josh Staniford all scoring twice. Luke Scholfield netted as well and Woodbury had two players red carded. In Division Eight, Elmore swamped Bradninch 12-0 on Monday, and could take third from Cheriton Fitzpaine if they win at Sandford on Saturday.

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Exeter Chiefs players can be proud, says Dave Lewis

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