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Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale has confirmed that Clinton Morrison will be staying with the Grecians until the end of the season. The 36-year-old striker has been at the club on non-contract terms, but has now tied down a deal until the summer. Speaking ahead of the club's trip to Mansfield, Tisdale also hinted at a return to the side for Jordan Moore-Taylor.

AUDIO: Paul Tisdale confirms Clinton Morrison's deal and hints at return for Jordan Moore-Taylor

A cancer patient who turned to heroin to mask the side effects of chemotherapy has been jailed after he turned to crime to feed his habit. Matthew Smith's life spiralled out of control after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and he lost his job, relationship and home, and ended up living rough in Exmouth. He was jailed after he broke into the home of an 83-year-old woman and was seen trying to get into other bungalows in the same street. Smith, aged 37, tried to lie his way out of trouble by giving false details, but police caught up with him later in the day when he got into a drunken argument at a taxi office. He was found with a lady's gold watch, stolen from another bungalow, which he claimed to have bought from a stranger in a park for £10. Former soldier Smith, formerly of Oxford Road, Exeter, but now homeless, admitted burglary, handling, theft, threatening behaviour, and two counts of perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for a total of 18 months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC. He told him: "You have a very long criminal record, but I take into account this is your first conviction for a dwelling house burglary." Ian Graham, prosecuting, said Smith was seen acting suspiciously at around 7am in Nasmith Close, Exmouth, where a 83-year-old woman awoke to find him in her bungalow. He was seen looking through windows and letter boxes of neighbouring homes and trying door handles, and shoplifted two joints of lamb from the nearby Budgens store in Churchill Road. He had been arrested for shoplifting at Tesco in Exmouth four days before, but given a false identity. He gave the same alias and was moved on by police. Officers were called back after he returned to Nasmith Close and went on to cause a disturbance at a nearby taxi office. This time he was identified correctly as a man with a large number of convictions for shoplifting. Sarah Hornblower, defending, said the bulk of Smith's 160 previous convictions dated from a time when he was a heroin addict. He had succeeded in getting off the drug and for a time had lived a normal life with a home and a partner and a job as a barman. She said: "He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and became extremely ill, and received a very aggressive course of chemotherapy and an operation to remove a testicle. "He lost his job, lost his partner and lost his accommodation, and says the treatment made him so ill and feeling so sick he turned again to substance misuse. "He is very cross with himself for doing that because he says getting off drugs the first time was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. "In September last year, he was sleeping rough and was at a very low point and was desperate for money to buy drugs. This is his first conviction for burglary. He does not consider himself to be a burglar and he is appalled at what happened."

Cancer patient who burgled Exmouth pensioner to buy heroin is jailed

A man who attacked his mother and her partner has been spared jail after a judge heard how he could not cope with the strain of a long-running family dispute. Philip Davies was spending much of his time back at his mother's home in Barnstaple and tension built up between him and her partner John Caldwell. The stresses erupted into violence when he went into their bedroom, punched Mr Caldwell around the face repeatedly and threw his mother Heather aside so violently she passed out. Davies, aged 35, of Fort Street, Barnstaple, admitted causing actual bodily harm to Mr Caldwell and common assault on his mother Heather Leworthy. He was jailed for four months, suspended for a year and ordered to go on a probation-run Engage programme by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, at Exeter Crown Court. He told him: "The abh was a serious matter because you lost your temper and attacked your mother's boyfriend but I appreciate there were reasons why you felt there were difficulties in your relationship with him and your mother. "You also attacked your mother, which was disgraceful. You should not attack ladies at all and certainly not your mother." Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said Davies had spent some months living back at his mother's home, sometimes with some of his three children staying at weekends. She said there had been some tension between him and Mr Caldwell and there had been an argument with his mother the night before the incident. The attack happened in the morning when the couple were getting up and Davies returned to the house to collect an Xbox. Miss Eagles said: "He went upstairs and burst into the bedroom and started to be abusive towards Mr Caldwell. He described the couple as pathetic. "Mr Caldwell described being punched over and over again to the head. His partner says he was hit at least six times and sustained injuries from multiple punches. "The incident left the couple scared and nervous. Davies's mother intervened during the assault and she was physically thrown and struck a wall. She believes she lost consciousness for a short time. "She tried to call the police but the defendant took the phone from her and smashed it. When they rang back he answered the call on the landline downstairs and said the earlier call had been made by children messing around. "We say it is an aggravating feature that he tried to prevent the victims from calling for help." Davies then left the house and the police were called. Mr Caldwell needed hospital treatment for two black eyes and cuts to his nose and lips that needed gluing and butterfly stitches. Nigel Wraith, defending, said Davies should be given credit for his early guilty plea. He asked the judge to take into consideration the contents of a probation report which recommended he go on the Engage programme to improve the way he handles stressful situations.

Congratulations to Caroline Gower, the latest winner of our weekly photo competition. Caroline's photo is of Coryton Cove, near Dawlish. We'll now begin our search for next week's lucky photographer, so get involved by uploading them in your own online gallery here, post them on our Facebook page, tweet us, or email us eephotos@expressandecho.co.uk The only rule is your photo must be of Exeter or the surrounding area. We will announce the winner in next week's print edition of the Express & Echo and also feature a selection of other entries. We will also upload one of our submitted photos as our Facebook cover photo each week. You can see a gallery of other entries here

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: January 15

One of the region's busiest roads was closed yesterday after a giant hole opened up - and it is feared a whole network of old mines could lie underneath. The A30 was closed at Scorrier, near Redruth, after a hole believed to be 25ft deep opened up alongside the carriageway at around 1pm. Traffic was diverted while a team from the Highways Agency investigated. A spokesman for the organisation said it was hoped that one lane would reopen at around 6.15pm. "Our priority is safety, but we are also working very hard to get part of the road reopened," she said. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the hole, which opened on a verge alongside the carriageway. It is thought it might have something to do with the extensive network of mineworkings which run underneath the area and are often blamed for subsidence. The Highways Agency spokeswoman said they had a mining engineer at the scene, but were unable to say what caused the hole. "An investigation is ongoing," she said. Traffic has been diverted around the area and was reported as very heavy around Chiverton Cross, near Truro.

A30 closed after huge hole opens up in the ground

Exeter City Council has been forced to defend their labelling of the city as a 'capital'. The council labelled Exeter as a capital as part of the Vision Partnership marketing campaign in 2001 to "reinforce the city's role as the administrative "capital" of Devon and the regional capital of the South West and encourage businesses to move to Exeter". However, it would seem not everyone agrees with the label as the authority responded to a freedom of Information request questioning it in September this year. An FOI visible on the site whatdotheyknow.com asked the question 'When did Exeter become a capital city? Of which Country? (as far as I know only countries have capitals.)' In their response the council said, although the city is not a capital, the term is used in the sense of Exeter being the regional and administrative capital of Devon, adding "It has a double meaning in the sense of 'capital' meaning excellent or splendid." A total of six signs have been placed at entry points across the city since 2011 with a cost of £2,000. The request went on to ask: 'What was Exeter before it was a capital? What was the capital?' with the council responding "Exeter has been the administrative centre for Devon for hundreds of years, being the place where the Devon Court of Quarter Sessions was based (Rougemont Castle). From 1889 the Court of Quarter Sessions were replaced (under the Local Government Act of 1888) by Devon County Council."

Council forced to admit Exeter is not a capital city

Geoff Pringle, the chief operating officer at the University of Exeter, has been named as one of the most influential executive role models in the UK. Geoff has been recognised as being among the most influential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender executives in business today, in the Out at Work Top 50 rankings. He ranked 43rd in the prestigious list, published in the Telegraph today. The influential rankings recognise the contribution that prominent individuals have made to create and promote LGBT networks and initiatives within the workplace. Geoff is chairman of the university's Rainbow Group, which advises and makes recommendations involving the LGBT student and staff community, and well as co-ordinating the annual Pride event. Geoff said: "I am delighted and honoured to have been both nominated, and selected, to be a part of this list. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by colleagues and students throughout the university which make Exeter a vibrant, inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone." The Top 50 LGBT Executives In Business list was compiled via nominations, with each individual nominee considered against select criteria, before being consider by an advisory panel which included Lord Cashman of Limehouse and Aongus Hegarty, the president of Dell for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Geoff's award comes as the University of Exeter was named as one of the top 200 employers in Britain for lesbian, gay and bixsexual staff. Leading charity Stonewall ranked Exeter 176th – a leap of 92 places compared to last year – in its 11th annual Workplace Equality Index, published yesterday. The index is based on a range of key indicators which include a confidential questionnaire of lesbian, gay and bisexual staff, with more than 9,700 participants nationwide. The university joined Stonewall's Diversity Champions Programme, a good practice employers' forum for LGB issues in the workplace, in August 2013.

University of Exeter's chief operating officer named one of the most influential LGBT executives in the UK

A fresh weather warning of snow and ice has been issued for Devon on Saturday morning with disruption likely. Temperatures will drop in the region tomorrow with the Met Office forecasting hail, sleet, snow and ice. The Met Office issued the warning between 3am and noon on Saturday as a a band of rain, sleet and snow will spread east across the area. A chief forecaster for the Exeter-based office said: "Two to four centimetres of snow are likely in places above 200m, chiefly over Wales and the moors of southwest England, with the risk of temporary local accumulations to low levels. Icy patches may form, especially on untreated surfaces. "The public should be aware of the risk of some difficult driving conditions. "A weak occluded front will come east, associated precipitation falling into air which has cooled during the preceding night to bring a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow. "

Fresh weather warning of snow and ice issued for Devon tomorrow

Superdrug, the cosmetic store that has shops in Exeter, has released the first music track sex aid to help couples get athletic in the bedroom. The launch today sees the world's first-ever 'sexercise' music track designed to sync perfectly with calorie-burning sex sessions and encourage couples to work up a sweat between the sheets. Following researchwhich shows that couples can count love-making as 'moderate exercise', leading health and beauty retailer Superdrug commissioned the unique music track as a way to help them improve their fitness. And with UK couples having sex an average of 1.88 times per week and 80% prepared to change their usual sexual routine if it would help them keep fit or lose weight, it seems the track may deliver what they're after. The new track was created by a team of fitness experts who first developed a carefully choreographed sex routine to ensure optimum calorie burn and get the best bedroom workout. Then music producers analysed the sexual habits of 2,000 British couples to produce a continuous 22 min 48s sexercise track that compliments the average length of a UK sex session and encourages couples to pace their love-making movements to the changing beat of the music. Starting with a soft synth tune intro at 90 beats per minute (bpm), which sets the tone of what's to come, the steady 110bpm build, to the exploding, big bass crescendo at 130bpm and then the sudden drop to a 100bpm dreamscape to finish, the track perfectly times the ultimate sexercise workout to incorporate stretching; warm-up; low, moderate and high intensity exercise and cool-down. And, with the average man burning 101 kCal and women using 69 kCal per average sex session, it's certainly a lot more fun than pounding the treadmill at the gym. Speaking about the launch of the track, Caris Newson, Head of Retail Health at Superdrug said: "Over the years the many health benefits of sex have been well documented, from beating stress and relieving pain, to bringing couples together and boosting confidence, as well as, of course, as a form of aerobic exercise. We commissioned this track as a fun way to show the health benefits an energetic love making session can have. It's an easy way for couples to incorporate exercise in to their daily routine, but just remember to always practice safe sex. Whether it's advice on sexual health, family planning or weight management, our in-store healthcare experts at Superdrug are available to offer free advice to help customers with their health and wellbeing goals in 2015." When asked on her thoughts on the sexercise track, Dr Pixie McKenna, brand ambassador for Superdrug said: "I think it's a fabulous way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and I'd love to hear from couples who have tried it out. I recommend people aim for half an hour of exercise every day and sex can definitely play a part in this along with getting off the bus a stop early or taking the stairs instead of the lift. It needn't all be hours spent sweating down the gym for it to be effective." The research found that it's not just the physical benefits of sex which should be championed as, of those polled, 78% of Brits said they felt more body confident after having good sex too. This positive sentiment chimes with Superdrug's support of the recently launched Be Real body confidence campaign, encouraging a change in attitude to body image and putting health above appearance. Superdrug aims to support the campaign by promoting healthy living and wellbeing over just weight loss and highlighting how small, sustainable changes to normal routines can have both a physical and emotional improvement on overall health. As well as being available to stream free from Spotify, the new sexercise track can be downloaded free from www.superdrug.com/sexercise

Superdrug launches the world's first music track sex aid

Clothing shop H&M has been named among 37 firms "shamed" for paying workers less than the legal national minimum wage. Business minister Jo Swinson said in total the 37 companies owed employers £177,000 in arrears, including the shop that had a store in Exeter. Business Minister Jo Swinson said: "Paying less than the minimum wage is illegal, immoral and completely unacceptable. If employers break this law they need to know that we will take tough action by naming, shaming and fining them as well as helping workers recover the hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay owed to them. "We are also looking at what more we can do to make sure workers are paid fairly in the first place. As well as being publicly named and shamed, employers that fail to pay their workers the NMW face penalties of up to £20,000. We are legislating through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill so that this penalty can be applied to each underpaid worker rather than per employer."See the full list of employers below: 1. Kings Group LLP, Hertfordshire Neglected to pay £53,808.91 to 53 workers 2. Kings Group Lettings LLP, Hertfordshire Neglected to pay £26,893.43 to 49 workers 3. Chi Yip Group Ltd, Middleton Neglected to pay £15,566.78 to 13 workers 4. Kingsclere Nurseries Ltd trading as Abacus Day Nursery, Newbury Neglected to pay £12,904.19 to 8 workers 5. Ms Thap Thi Ly trading as Sweet N Sour, Fleetwood Neglected to pay £11,039.14 to 2 workers 6. Michael Kearney trading as Electrical Estimates, Ceredigion Neglected to pay £5,557.91 to 4 workers 7. ABC Early Learning and Childcare Centre UK Ltd, Wolverhampton Neglected to pay £5,329.25 to 68 workers 8. C J Hartley Ltd trading as Headwork, Sheffield Neglected to pay £4,762.64 to 4 workers 9. Mrs Kelly Jayne Lockley trading as Diva Hair Design, Walsall Neglected to pay £4,103.65 to a worker 10. Browncow Tanning Ltd trading as Fake Bak Hair & Beauty Boutique, Glasgow Neglected to pay £3,406.66 to 2 workers 11. J Wood Joiners & Builders Ltd, Edinburgh Neglected to pay £3,373.19 to 4 workers 12. Louise Ross Trading as Luxe Salon, Leeds Neglected to pay £3,368.13 to a worker 13. H&M Hennes & Mauritz UK Ltd, London Neglected to pay £2,604.87 to 540 workers 14. Building Projects Ltd, Dundee Neglected to pay £2,345.85 to 3 workers 15. David A Farrer Ltd, Morecambe Neglected to pay £2,261.00 to a worker 16. Julian's Hair Salon Ltd, Newbury Neglected to pay £2,131.35 to a worker 17. Motorists Discount Store Ltd trading as TMS Autoparts, Manchester Neglected to pay £2,025.19 to a worker 18. Ms Dawn Platts trading as Level 2 Hair Studio, Barnsley Neglected to pay £1,186.89 to a worker 19. Myers and Family Ltd, Wakefield Neglected to pay £1.598.82 to a worker 20. Welcome Break Holdings Ltd, Newport Pagnell Neglected to pay £1,318.70 to 19 workers 21. Callum Austin Ltd trading as Jason Austin Hairdressers, Kettering Neglected to pay £1,899.66 to 2 workers 22. Mrs Karen Riley Trading as Crave, Preston Neglected to pay £1,179.09 to 7 workers 23. RPM Performance Rally World Ltd, Maldon Neglected to pay £998.71 to a worker 24. Ego Hair & Beauty (Anglia) Ltd, Colchester Neglected to pay £985.55 to a worker 25. Mr Jinit Shah trading as Crystal Financial Solutions, Middlesex Neglected to pay £941.65 to a worker 26. Counted4 Community Interest Company, Sunderland Neglected to pay £930.73 to a worker 27. HAE Automotive Services Ltd, Harrogate (ceased trading) Neglected to pay £798.16 to a worker 28. Vision on Digital Ltd, Ossett Neglected to pay £683.86 to a worker 29. Ultimate Care UK Ltd, Ipswich Neglected to pay £613.79 to 7 workers 30. Century Motors (Sheffield) Ltd, Sheffield Neglected to pay £571.72 to a worker 31. Mr D Eastwell & Mr G Brinkler trading as The Salon, Letchworth Garden City Neglected to pay £409.85 to a worker 32. Rumble (Bedworth) Ltd, Nuneaton Neglected to pay £404.41 to a worker 33. Shannons Ltd, Worthing Neglected to pay £313.76 to a worker 34. Holmes Cleaning Company, Worksop Neglected to pay £240.48 to a worker 35. Learnplay Foundation Ltd, West Bromwich Neglected to pay £224.73 to a worker 36. Adrien Mackenzie trading as Maverick Models, Manchester Neglected to pay £205.52 to a worker 37. QW Security Ltd, Hartlepool Neglected to pay £126.20 to a worker

H&M ‘named and shamed’ as one of 37 employers who failed to pay workers minimum wage

A TOP NHS official has promised to reveal the financial reasoning behind controversial proposals to get rid of some community hospital beds and Minor Injuries Units (MIUs) across East Devon, and look into alternative options. Councillors, GPs and volunteers met to discuss, and challenge proposals first announced in September by the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is £14m in debt. The CCG said its aim was to improve care in the community, increasing the number of healthcare professionals and therefore close hospital beds to fund this change. The CCG launched a 12-week consultation process in September which was due to end in December, but it has been extended until February 15. Under the plans, all inpatient beds will close at Ottery St Mary, Axminster and Crediton hospitals, as well as Ottery's MIU. Meanwhile, Exmouth, Honiton and Tiverton will become Urgent Care Centres serving the surrounding communities. The meeting of the Wakley Stakeholder Group, set up to help the CCG deal with the challenges they face in Eastern locality which includes, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth, Seaton and Axminster, was held this month at East Devon District Council's Sidmouth headquarters. The CCG has not yet confirmed if there are going to be similar forums for other localities facing inpatient bed losses. Stakeholders include ward members, as well as GPs from Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary and Axminster, and Ottery St Mary, Colyton, Seaton and Axminster hospitals league of friends groups. In addition, the Save Our Ottery Hospital volunteer group are seeking membership. Speaking at the meeting, Tamara Powderley, head of commissioning for the Eastern Locality CCG promised to dedicate another meeting to the financial basis which has informed the CCG's current proposals. The group resolved that the CCG would set the agenda to reflect when desired information will be available. But, to the dismay of some members, there appears to be no timescale for decision making and Ms Powderley confirmed that there was no set date scheduled for an ultimate decision. The group suggested five alternatives to the current closure proposals, with points one and two due to come back before the group at its next meeting on February 4: No change to the current status quo Sufficient capacity to satisfy all staffing issues/resilience in each hospital Lobbying Government to address under-funding of Devon Provision the MIU at a level such that residents of local divisions do not need to attend the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (RD&E) Accident & Emergency department Develop an understanding of how are communities could benefit from the commissioning of integrated provision of community hospitals and acute hospitals Questions are also due to be answered at the next meeting, including how expensive community hospital beds are in comparison to RD&E beds. Honiton ward member, Councillor Mike Allen, said: "The key to good health care is rapid recovery and prevention so it seems rather silly to close facilities and fill them with administrators rather than patients." Dr James Vann of Axminster Hospital, for which around 7,000 have signed a petition against bed closures there, said he did not think there had been "sufficient discussion" before the decision to close beds at the unit. Ottery St Mary ward member, Councillor Claire Wright, who has long called for details of the financial justification for the proposals and said the lack of information is akin to a lack of transparency in the process, enquired about the level of threat for hospital buildings being transferred to NHS property services and therefore lost. She also called for clarity on how Devon's historical under-funding of the NHS England budget was having an impact on the CCG, and also, how many RD&E admissions could have been dealt with by MIUs. On behalf of the Patient Participation Group in Sidmouth, Di Fuller acknowledged that the town's hospital was set to increase its bed capacity, however expressed concern at the hospital becoming "swamped" with demand as beds are lost elsewhere around the district. Axminster ward member, Councillor Andrew Moulding also requested details of the CCG's financial reasoning behind their proposals because "inpatient beds are a very small percentage of the budget". "And experience tells me that you don't save money from the small bits, but the large," he added. Ms Powderley agreed to dedicate a meeting to finances "in relation to what the CCG is trying to achieve". She also agreed to refresh an "extensive" public transport survey. Dr Vann, added: "There are a lot of people suffering because of these proposals right now, those who have lost beds and staff. "The CCG has some responsibility to produce a result quickly, having made these proposals public some months ago. It can't go on and on."

England winger Jack Nowell will start in the centre for Exeter Chiefs against Connacht on Sunday (3.15pm). It is a new position for the 21-year-old, who progressed through the club's academy as a full-back but broke through at senior level in the No. 14 jersey. Head coach Rob Baxter has made five personnel changes and two position switches for the crunch European Challenge Cup Pool Two match. There is a new front row of Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Alex Brown, who makes a rare start as fellow tightheads Tomas Francis (back) and Moray Low (ankle) are injured. Dave Lewis is named at scrum-half, forming a new half-back combination with Henry Slade, who switches from centre. With Nowell taking the No. 13 jersey vacated by Slade, Ian Whitten starts on the right wing. Baxter expects a tough game in Galway, with the Irish province knowing they cannot top the pool unless they beat the Chiefs ahead of the final round of group games next Saturday. "We know it's going to be tough over there, but that's what rugby is all about at this level," said Baxter. "We have been away to some tough places in Europe before, the likes of Leinster, Toulon and Clermont, so we just have to get over there, enjoy it, and attack the game as best we can. "After the last few weeks we've had in the Premiership, it's a great challenge for us and one that will focus the minds nicely. We've trained well this week and I've been very impressed with the attitude of the players because it can sometimes be very easy to show your disappointment in the wrong way." Connacht will be looking to extend Exeter's run of four successive defeats, and also avenge a 33-13 loss at Sandy Park in October. "You expect them to be different," Baxter said of Sunday's showdown. "Like a lot of teams, they've made no secret that their home form is important to them - and if you get that right then you tend to have good seasons. "In this competition, they's won 10 out of 12 at home, so they have an extremely good record and it's just as good in the Rabo Direct League as well. As I said, it's a great challenge for our boys going over there and one that could potentially offer us great reward if we were to come away with a result."Exeter Chiefs: Dollman; Whitten, Nowell, Hill, Jess; Slade, Lewis; Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Brown, Mumm, Welch, Ewers, Armand, Waldrom. Reps: Bateman, Sturgess, Rimmer, Horstmann, Scaysbrook, Thomas, Steenson, McGuigan

Connacht v Exeter Chiefs: Team news

One of Exeter's best known businesses is quitting its home of almost 25 years. Brights of Nettlebed, leading national furniture specialist closing its landmark showroom in Topsham at the end of next month (Feb). The Old Gaol in Topsham has been home to Brights of Nettlebed for almost 25 years. Prior to that Brights first showroom opened in the mid 70s at 47 Fore Street, the business grew and two more shops were acquired in the Fore Street at 74 & 21. The Old Gaol was subsequently acquired to provide a single unit to house the various collections of furniture. Restoration of this heritage building took some two years to complete after excavations revealed historic evidence of its use as a jail to hold petty criminals prior to deportation overseas. In the early 1980s Brights set up their own workshops in Exeter to train their own cabinet makers. This was one of the first Youth Training Schemes available in the country supported by the local college and Brights own team of specialist cabinet makers. Furniture from this workshop was exported worldwide and two of the trainees went on to set up their own factories and workshops one in America another in Australia. Brights has continued to support cabinet making and has an established team of cabinet makers, carvers, gilders and marquetry workers in the Far East who produce fine quality and refined pieces for their specialist market Over the years Brights have established themselves as country house specialist furnishers and have decided to concentrate their expertise in London and the Home Counties to meet the demand their showrooms in London, Oxfordshire and Dorset will continue to provide a home approval ,bespoke service and supply furniture to clients nationwide.

Famed Exeter firm closes Topsham showroom

Guildhall Shopping Centre is remaining tight lipped about which eateries will open in its new restaurant quarter – but that doesn't mean we can't have a guess. As part of the £7m plans the existing Higher Market Ambulatory arcade and the former Poundland store will be converted into 13 restaurants of varying sizes, including a rooftop bar. In addition, a two-storey coffee shop will be created at the High Street entrance to the shopping centre. Those behind the scheme hope to attract a mix of national restaurateurs and "local food heroes" serving everything from breakfast to fine dining. Here at The Echo we welcome then news that 'local' restaurants are part of the plan, but which chains will be drawn down to Exeter?We want to know which national restaurants you would like to see open in the shopping centre so we have compiled a list of twelve (purely speculative) chain stores for you to vote on. Vote in the list below and we will reveal the winner on Monday – think we missed one out? Let us know in the comment box below.

Vote Now: What restaurants do you want in Exeter’s Guildhall Shopping Centre revamp?

Technology rules our lives, whether we like it or not. From banks to traffic lights, everything is great until all of a sudden, it stops working. Or the computer says no. But sometimes social media, to many a curse of our technological era, can come to the rescue.

Take for example a family's recent house move. The new place was fitted with a British Gas pre-payment card meter. So the new owner bought a gas card, registered it in the machine, went back out to the shop to put some money on it (cash payments only), and the gas flowed. Only the money was being used up at an alarming rate.

So she called British Gas, to be told by a friendly voice that the meter had been set up to repay a £1,000 debt left by the previous occupant. But don't worry, just prove you have moved in and we will wipe the debt from the meter. Which she did, and they sent out a new gas card. That didn't arrive, so she drove to a corner shop, bought a new special type of gas card and loaded it with money. But the cash was still disappearing too fast. Further inquiries revealed the meter was taking extra cash to repay two years of unpaid standing charge. A couple of days later an engineer arrived to wipe the meter, and you've guessed it, another new gas card was sent out. After spending more than £100 to load gas cards, she had finally had enough and asked for a credit meter, so she could pay by direct debit and get a cheaper rate. What could go wrong? After all, she has paid the gas and electricity bills on time for 20 years, including several years with British Gas. But the friendly call centre worker broke the bad news that she had failed a credit check and would have to keep the pre-payment meter. "What have I failed on?" she asked. "Sorry, we don't know, but you can try again in 60 days." She then asked to know what criteria British Gas used in their credit checks: "Sorry, no one knows." So she registered with a credit agency, did her own check, and found out her rating was 'good'. But British Gas still refused to change the meter. Computer says no.

After hours on the phone with no progress, she vented her frustration publicly on Twitter. And lo and behold, after a brief exchange and proof of the credit rating, an appointment was made to send round an engineer to change the meter. Whether you love or hate social media, it just goes to show going public with a complaint can make organisations take action to keep their customers happy and protect their reputation.

Comment: How Twitter persuaded British Gas to say yes to changing a meter

Exeter High Street will be closed to all traffic for two hours tonight while emergency highways works are carried out. While the street remains open to pedestrians, bus services are being diverted. In the past it has been feared the road surface could collapse without engineering work to reinstate a collapsed drainage system. Substandard repairs after bomb damage during the Second World War have been blamed for the structural problems. The works, which start at 8pm, are expected to be finished by 10pm. The following diversions to bus routes will be in place for the works. Service A, towards Alphington, will commence from Cheeke Street, into the bus station to Paris Street. The service will divert via New North Road and then onto Queen Street, Paul Street, North Street, to South Street, then into Market Street, to resume a normal route from the junction with Fore Street. Passengers can join or exit the bus at the Park and Ride stop, at the top of South Street. Service A, towards Thornpark Rise, will divert from Fore Street, onto South Street and then onto Western Way, and Paris Street to resume a normal route at the junction with Sidwell Street. Service D and H, towards Digby\RDE Hospital, will follow a normal route along Queen Street, then divert onto Paul Street, North Street, South Street and then onto Western Way to Paris Street where a normal route will be resumed from the junction with Sidwell Street Service D, H and X, towards the University, from Cheeke Street will divert from the bus station into Paris Street, then onto Western Way, via South Street, Market Street, Mary Arches Street and then onto Paul Street to pick up a normal route from the junction with Queen Street. Service E, F1, F2, P, Y and Z, towards Exe Bridges, from Sidwell Street, will divert onto Cheeke Street, and into the bus station. The service will then follow a diversion onto Paris Street and through to New North Road, then via Queen Street, Paul Street, North Street, South Street and onto Market Street to resume a normal route from the junction with Fore Street. Passengers can join or exit the bus at the Park and Ride stop, at the top of South Street. Service E, F1, F2, P, towards Sidwell Street, from Fore Street, will divert onto South Street and then onto Western Way, and Paris Street to resume a normal route at the junction with Sidwell Street. Service K, T and S, towards Countess Wear\Rifford Road, from Cheeke Street will divert from the bus station, onto Paris Street, then via New North Road and onto Queen Street, Paul Street, North Street to resume a normal route from South Street. Service K, T and R, towards Pinhoe\Rifford Road, from Fore Street, will divert onto South Street and onto Western Way to Paris Street and resuming normal route from the junction with Sidwell Street.

Bus diversions as Exeter High Street closed for emergency road repairs

A drug dealer has been jailed after police caught him pedalling around Exeter as he delivered heroin and crack cocaine to addicts. Paul Cunningham was trapped by a police sting operation in which under cover officers posed as drug users and arranged to have wraps delivered to an alleyway off Monks Road. He acted as a runner for a wider drugs conspiracy which used a phone which was answered with the code word CJ and run from a house in Chaucer Grove. He was supplied with his drugs by a higher level dealer called Mark Foggin who died while the case was awaiting trial, Exeter Crown Court was told. Cunningham is an ex convict who had overcome his drug problems with the help of the Chawleigh based Amber Project but drifted back into addiction after moving to Exeter. He started dealing after being offered a job by 52-year-old Foggin as his runner. Cunningham, aged 31, of Whipton Village Road, Exeter, admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was jailed for three years by Judge Phillip Wassall. He told him:"You have criminal experience and were very street wise and would have known full well what you were engaging in. You were receiving significant rewards in terms of feeding your substantial habit." Mr Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said an undercover police operation was launched in the summer to break up a drugs gang known as CJ which was operated out of Foggin's home in Chaucer Grove, Exeter. Cunningham delivered drugs by bicycle in exchange for being supplied with heroin for his own use and was observed cycling from the house to nearby alleyways off Monks Road. Mr Wraith said:"Officers arranged through the CJ phone to buy drugs and they waited their turn to be served with two other males before them in one of the three occasions. "They bought wraps of heroin and crack cocaine from Cunningham, who was later arrested and found to have five wraps in his mouth." Foggin's house was searched and 44 wraps found along with £1,000 cash, which was seized and some of which was used to pay for his funeral after he died. A further £150 was forfeited. Neighbours complained to police that men would come and go from the address up to 30 times a day, causing upset to other residents. Mr Piers Norsworthy, defending, said Cunningham had previously served a jail term for robbery and both he and his partner had become addicted to heroin and crack after his release in 2011. He said he agreed to act as runner in exchange for £60 worth of drugs a day but had no further role in the conspiracy. He has now come off heroin while in jail, where he has enhanced status and is working as a cleaner.

Exeter’s ‘CJ gang’ cycling drug peddler jailed

The Exeter BID business plan has been published online as traders in the city centre prepare to vote on whether to establish a Business Improvement District. The BID steering group is encouraging all eligible businesses to take part in the vote, which opens on February 2. The business plan is also due to hit doorsteps over the next few days. It has been put together by local business people for local business people and is the culmination of months of research into business owners' views on what could be done to ensure Exeter city centre becomes an even more prosperous, vibrant and successful destination. The proposed programme of investment and activity that the BID will deliver focuses on three key areas: Spread the Word (marketing the city), Welcome & Safe (managing the city) and Looking After Business (business services). Wayne Pearce, centre director at Princesshay, said: "The most exciting prospect of realising an Exeter city centre BID is the opportunity for commercial businesses within the city centre to have access to a fund of money to enable us to progress projects which will benefit the city centre as a whole." Initiatives in the BID Plan include:• Enhancing Exeter's events – building on established events and developing new ones to bring additional people into the city• Celebrating the independents – a focus on specific marketing campaigns for small independent retailers in Exeter• Creating Christmas magic – a dedicated budget for Christmas lights and promotions for the whole of the city centre• Partnership working - joint working with Stagecoach and Exeter City Council to find ways to ease parking and congestion• Keeping people safe – initiatives to improve night and daytime security• Finding your way around – a city website that includes a directory of businesses in the area• Making welcome visitors – a Welcome Team to assist visitors and be the eyes and ears of the whole BID area• Presenting a clean front – an improved street cleansing schedule across the City Centre• Lowering costs for city centre businesses – investigating joint purchasing opportunities to reduce business overhead costs, (energy, waste, insurance etc.)• And, last but not least, a collective voice to influence how the BID area is managed and planned by the Council and other organisations. The postal ballot will begin on February 2 and run until March 2, with voters receiving a notice of ballot within the next week. Helen Scholes, marketing manager at Stagecoach South West, said: "I think the BID is absolutely critical for the development of Exeter's city centre. We have come so far in a short space of time but the BID will really push us and give us an opportunity to deliver a fantastic experience now and further into the 21st century." The business plan can be found at www.exeterbid.co.uk.What do you think of the BID proposal? Have your say by posting a comment below or emailing grichardson@expressandecho.co.uk

Exeter BID business plan published as city centre traders prepare to vote

The Exmouth to Woodbury road is expected to reopen this evening after a serious collision. Ambulance, police and the fire service were called to the top of Hulham Road at 1.55pm today. The B3179 was closed in both directions because of the collision between two cars. Police said one woman has been taken to hospital with minor injuries after the collision. Recovery vehicles were at the scene at 5pm.

Update: Woman taken to hospital after collision between Exmouth and Woodbury

Jamie McAllister will be available for Exeter City in tomorrow's match against Mansfield Town having signed for the St James's Park club until the end of the season. McAllister was most recently playing in the newly-formed Indian Super League, where he helped Kerala Blasters to the runners-up position in the inaugural championship, under the stewardship of former England goalkeeper David James. Born in Glasgow, he began his playing career with Queen of the South, before moving on to spend four years with Aberdeen. McAllister then had a spell with Livingston, helping them to the Scottish League Cup title in 2004 – shortly before making his sole appearance for the Scotland national team – and then moved to Hearts where he would win the Scottish Cup in 2006. His first move south of the border came later that summer, starting a six-year stint with Bristol City. He won League 1 promotion in his first season and came close to making it consecutive promotions – it was Hull City that were 1-0 winners against the Robins in the Championship play-off final. McAllister then spent two years with Yeovil Town – earning League 1 promotion via the play-offs with the Glovers in 2013 – and featured 40 times for the Somerset club in their Championship campaign last season.

Jamie McAllister signs for Exeter City