Exeter's "bigger and better" Hole in the Wall pub to re-open in April

February 5, 2015, 4:51 am

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EXETER'S iconic Hole in the Wall pub, gutted by a devastating fire last summer, is set to re-open in April. Just seven months after being awoken by a neighbour at 3.30am to be told his pub was on fire, owner George Sloan was able to reveal that the pub was on course to re-open "bigger and even better" in two and a half months time. Despite the best efforts of fire crews – who were praised for their work by Mr Sloan - the old pub was gutted in the June 20 blaze with even the steel supports buckling in the heat. Faced with the enormous task of getting the pub back in business Mr Sloan set to work almost immediately. He said: "It wasn't easy. I thought I was insured with one company but it turned out to be five . Then there was early thinking that the fire was "suspicious" so we had all the CCTV checks. "The roof had gone and we had to spend three months clearing away the asbestos from the old building. "It was a nightmare. We had 36 parties booked for September which we lost and we missed the start of the new university term. "We tried to save the old solid oak tables but they were too far gone to be cleaned. Antique lighting, posters, rugby memorabilia were also all lost. "That's behind us now. We have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on making the Hole in the Wall bigger and better. "We have refurbished all the loos . We are looking to make the middle floor a bit more relaxed and "loungey" with the downstairs more of a little jazzy members club. "Of course we are still very much a rugby pub and with the World Cup coming we will have double reason to celebrate this year. "We wouldn't want fans to miss out and we will be showing all the Six Nations' games in Timepiece. "We are very much Exeter's rugby pub and we are the only pub that does rugby on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "In fact I had the Italian press around to interview me - thankfully in English - about the World Cup as we are being promoted by the city council as the rugby pub." The fire came shortly after Mr Sloan and his business partner Robert Skinner spent a year working on the pub giving it a major refurbishment Its popularity also saw it crowned the Express and Echo pub of the year, voted for by the public. Said Mr Sloan: "There is no looking back, only forward, and we have now come out the other side. "We will be up and running two and a half months time."

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Abusive husband jailed for crucifix attack

February 5, 2015, 5:45 am

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A drug crazed husband has been jailed for attacking his wife with a piece of wood and telling her he was going to 'beat the evil out of her'. Graham Winterbottom battered his terrified with a three foot long baton and held up two pieces of wood in the form of a crucufix as he said 'it is time for you to die'. He held police at bay during a siege at his Teignmouth home in which his children were seen looking out of the windows in a state of total terror. He refused to give up even after he had been sprayed with CS gas and tasered by police, Exeter Crown Court was told. Winterbottom had been abusive throughout his 17-year-long marriage and had become deranged in the days before the attack. He was suffering from psychosis induced by his heavy use of cannabis and his wife had pleaded with mental health nurses to help him just hours before his attack. His behaviour had been increasingly bizarre. He described the family's pet rabbit as evil, shone a blue torch into his face to give himself a ghostly look and talked about being on a burning crucifix. Winterbottom, aged 37, armed himself with a two foot long baton, a cosh, a hammer and a knife and attacked his wife in her bed. She suffered severe cuts and bruises to her arms as she fended off the attack, which was witnessed by three of their five children. Winterbottom, of Grove Crescent, Teignmouth, admitted causing actual bodily harm and possession of cannabis and was jailed for 18 months by Judge Phillip Wassall. He told him:"This must have been terrifying for your wife and the three children who witnessed it. You created a crucifix out of two pieces of wood. "It was a brutal and sustained attack in which she looked up to find you over her and suffered cuts and bruises as she defended herself. "When police arrived they saw the children at the windows looking terrified. How must this have affected them, to see their father doing this to their mother? This will traumatise them." Miss Eleanor Purkis, prosecuting, said Winterbottom's wife was worried by his mental state and heavy use of cannabis. He was barely sleeping and stayed downstairs at nights. He was already being treated for bipolar disorder and she contacted the mental health crisis team but they took no action. Winterbottom armed himself with the weapons and went upstairs where he attacked her without warning. Miss Purkis said:"He swung the length of wood and aimed it at his wife's head and if it had not been for her raising her arms to protect herself her injuries could have been much worse. "He said 'I'm going to beat the evil out of you' and 'It's time for you to die'. Three of their children, aged 15, eight and three, were present." He then stood over her holding two of the weapons as a makeshift crucifix. The police were called and there was a stand off after they were unable to arrest him despite using a taser and incapacitant spray. The victim made an imact statement saying the 17-year relationship had been abusive and she is terrified for the safety of herself and her family. Mr Piers Norsworthy, defending, said his client was suffering from a severe mental illness aggravated by his use of cannabis at the time of the attack. He said:"This offence occurred not because he is evil but because he is ill. He did not decide to get up one day and torment and beat his wife in front of their children. "He accepts the marriage is now over."

Exeter food charity delighted by £8,000 funding boost

February 5, 2015, 6:00 am

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The founder of an Exeter-based food charity has expressed delight after the organisation was given substantial funding to secure its future for another year. The Devon and Cornwall Food Association (DCFA) re-distributes large quantities of in-date produce that would otherwise be thrown away. Last year the Exeter hub, based on South Street, collected more than 26 tonnes of food worth in excess of £80,000. Now staff and volunteers are celebrating after the charity was given £9,000 of funding from the Exeter Coast and Country Methodist Circuit. Jon Curtis, founder of DCFA Exeter, said: "We live in a nation that's producing so much food, and we don't know what to do with it all. It's terrible how much food we waste. We're absolutely delighted by the funding in recognition of what we're achieving in Exeter." He anticipates the charity will collect more than 30 tonnes of food in Exeter this year. Mr Curtis said: "My pie-in-the-sky dream would be that there is no food waste this year and we can disband. More realistically we'd like every food producer to engage with organisations like us to make sure what they are throwing away is inedible rather than perfectly good." DCFC was established by Martyn Goss of the Exeter Diocese in 2010, and the city branch was launched a year later. Mr Curtis said: "I was amazed by how much food, which was perfectly fit for human consumption, was being thrown away by supermarkets on a daily basis. "A few of us got together and started ringing-up organisations to try to stop waste. I got hold of as many second-hand fridges and freezers as I could, and we started building a team of volunteers." Every day its team collect and temporarily store in-date foodstuffs, which were destined for landfill or incineration. They are then re-distributed to dozens of community groups, which support some of the most vulnerable people in Devon. Recipients include school breakfast clubs, homelessness centres, food banks, hostels, hospices and soup kitchens in and around Exeter. Mr Curtis said: "We've got a responsibility to look after the world for ourselves, other people and those who come after us. I'm constantly amazed by the goodness of the planet, and yet we seem to be doing our best to ruin it." A major report on hunger and food poverty, published in December 2014, called on leading retailers to cut the amount of surplus food disposed of in landfill, turned into compost or fed to animals. Mr Curtis added: "It's completely insane that something that's so commonsensical and could make such a positive change in the life of our nation could go nowhere. "Instead the clampdown continues and continues until nothing is allowed to be shared, or everything goes in the ground, or we're only eating perfect bananas!" For more information visit: www.devonandcornwallfoodassociation.org

'You'll never walk' - Devon Royal Marine suffers unfortunate Liverpool FC tattoo change when surgeons amputate his leg

February 5, 2015, 6:14 am

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For Royal Marine Andy Grant an operation to amputate part of his leg after he stepped on a bomb in Aghanistan had a surprising consequence. The former Devon Royal Marine has celebrated his sixth 'alive day' after he was blown up in Afghanistan. The Liverpool fan from Plymouth in Devon woke up to be told by his doctor that while the operation to remove his leg below the knee had gone well, his tattoo in tribute to the football club had suffered. Instead of reading 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the father-of-three discovered it now had the word 'Alone' missing after a flap of his skin had to be moved. Andy Grant was a 20-year-old commando on a routine foot patrol in Sangin on February 3, 2009, when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off. The blast severely injured Andy and his best friend and fellow marine, Iain Syme, who was thrown 30ft. The impact severed Andy's femoral artery and took out a "big chunk" of his thigh. His right leg came off worse, breaking both fibula and tibia. He also lost 6cm of bone. Andy, serving with 45 Commando at the time under the command of Plymouth's 3 Commando Brigade, was treated in Afghanistan before he was flown back to the UK within 18 hours of the blast. For the next 18 months Andy would go through vigorous rehabilitation sessions. During this time he became close friends with Derriford Hospital-based Surgeon Commander Anthony Lambert who he served with previously in Iraq. On November 26, 2010, after months of considering having his right leg amputated, watching his comrades with similar injuries enjoying activities with their prosthetic legs, Andy had the operation. And as he told The Herald – six years after the blast – that's when his life really changed. Such is his positive outlook on life now, the 26-year-old father of three says he feels like the bomb blast was "worthwhile". "It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions, and it's been bittersweet for me," said Andy. "On that day in 2009 I basically ended my career in the corps. I lost a bit of myself on that day and, as a 20-year-old I changed. "It's been hard when you look at it like that, but on the flip side I've had some amazing experiences that almost make it seem like it was worthwhile. "It is weird to hear myself say that, but it just shows the level of recovery. It's opened so many doors. I won two gold medals at the Invictus Games; I've abseiled off Europe's tallest building; I've jumped out of planes; my job is an inspirational speaker which takes me around the world; I've started amazing relationships with people; I have three children and an amazing family; I'm looking to row across the Atlantic; and I'm hoping to be picked for the Paralympics next year. "My life has moved on in an amazing way and it's all down to what happened. "It's given me more of a life than I probably would have had." Andy saw out the rest of his time in the marines serving with Devonport Naval Base's Hasler Company. The Liverpool Football Club fan left the Royal Marines in May, 2012, and the 26-year-old now works as a motivational speaker. TATTOO DAMAGE IT almost sounds like a joke – but the hilarious and bizarre interaction between Andy and his surgeon was unfortunately real. DOC: "I'm afraid I've got some good news and some bad news." ANDY: "What's the good news?" DOC: "The operation was a complete success." ANDY: "What's the bad news?" DOC: "Well, we had to raise a flap of skin on your leg to cover the bone ends... and it's meant that your Liverpool Football Club tattoos are a bit messed up. "The Liver bird is a bit all over the place, and your tattoo now says 'you'll never walk'." Realising the irony, Andy said: "The fact is that regardless of what the wording says, the operation allowed me to walk and run and do so much else. "You have got to see the funny side."

Over 65s and men are driving cosmetic surgery market in Exeter

February 5, 2015, 6:26 am

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THE over 65s and men are leading a surge in cosmetic surgery in Exeter. This trend is mirrored across the UK, as Nuffield Health's first annual Plastic Surgery insight survey reveals emerging trends in the market. Nationally, almost two thirds (64 per cent) of Nuffield Health surgeons, who between them carry out 1 in 10 cosmetic procedures in the UK, reported an increase in older people seeking surgery. This figure was slightly higher amongst surgeons in the South West – where 67% noted this trend. Nuffield Health's patient figures paint the same picture, with patients over 65 up by 49% in 2014 from 2007. Men are also continuing to drive the cosmetic surgery market, with more than four in five (83 per cent) of Nuffield Health surgeons in the South West saying they have noticed a rise in men seeking cosmetic surgery in the form of nose jobs, eyelid lifts and 'man boob' removal. All of the South West surgeons questioned (100 per cent) also reported a rise in the number of previously overweight or obese patients looking for surgery following weight loss. The Nuffield Health plastic surgeons believe the reasons behind the trend among the 'baby boomer' generation to be a direct result of people living longer, healthier lives and wanting to 'look well' too. For men, surgery has increasingly become 'the norm' in recent years, and the trend looks set to stay, with men accounting for one in ten of all UK cosmetic procedures. Mr John Palmer, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital said: "We've seen a definite increase in cosmetic surgery for men over the last few years. 10 – 15 years ago cosmetic surgery for men was quite rare, now about one in ten procedures we do are on men. "It has become much more socially acceptable and there has been a big change in the way men view health and fitness in recent years, with the media, consumer magazines and celebrities all having played a role. As well as keeping fit and active, we are seeing men place much more emphasis on looking well too."

Motorsport: Harry Tincknell joins Nissan team

February 5, 2015, 6:49 am

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Sidmouth's Harry Tincknell will contest the entire 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship with the Nissan NISMO LM P1 team. The 23-year-old starts only his second year of sportscar racing having enjoyed a prolific maiden season in the category. He also becomes the youngest driver to compete in sportscar's highest category for almost 25 years since Michael Schumacher in 1991. Tincknell, a multiple Formula Renault 2.0 UK plus Euro and British Formula Three Championship race winner, won the Le Mans 24 Hours LM P2 category last year and finished second in the European Le Mans Series for Nissan-powered JOTA Sport. He was confirmed as part of the factory Nissan squad at the annual Le Mans 24 Hours Press Conference announcing entries for this year's race staged by the organising Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) in Paris today. Tincknell enjoyed a fantastic debut season in sportscar racing in 2014. An amazing fifth overall in his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours plus personally scoring three pole-positions plus three podiums, including one win in ELMS set him apart from the rest confirmed by him being named the ELMS rookie of the year. Tincknell, who is expected to test the Nissan for the first time in the coming weeks, will race the Nissan for the first time in the opening WEC race at Silverstone on Sunday, April 12. Tincknell contests the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the highest category in world sports car racing. After Silverstone, the series travels around the world to Spa in Belgium, onto the Le Mans 24 Hours and Germany's Nürburgring, before going global with races in the US, Japan, China and the Middle East.

Judge issues warrant for man who is alleged to have frightened passers-by with a broken bottle in Exeter

February 5, 2015, 6:52 am

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A judge has issued a warrant for a homeless man after he failed to appear at his trial at Exeter Crown Court. Chay Bignall was due to be tried for an affray in Exeter in which he is alleged to have frightened passers-by with a broken bottle. Judge Phillip Wassall issued an immediate arrest warrant for Bignall, aged 21, who is currently of no fixed abode and whose last permanent address was in Farm Hill, Exwick. He denies an affray which allegedly took place in Commins Road, Exeter, in August last year.

Intruder admits attacking retired lecturer with a rock in his own home

February 5, 2015, 6:55 am

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A drifter is facing a jail sentence after he admitted attacking a retired lecturer with a rock in his own home. Tyrell O'Donnell broke into 76-year-old Peter Than's flat in Plymouth and used a heavy stone doorstop to attack him as he tried to shoo him out with his walking stick. Great grandfather Mr Than was left with cuts and bruises on his face after being battered by the drunken attacker, who was wearing just pants, a t-shirt and one sock. O'Donnell went into Mr Than's home in Albert Road, Devonport, at 7 am on Sunday August 31 last year and tried to get into the bed where he was sleeping. Mr Than, who is a retired engineering tutor from the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, ordered him to leave and hit him with his walking stick to try to force him out of his home. O'Donnell responded by picking up a heavy stone which Mr Than used a doorstop and using it as a weapon to batter him about the head. He escaped but was seen by neighbours walking away half dressed with no trousers and one sock. He went on to break into a house in Brixham and was finally arrested after police made a public appeal in December. O'Donnell, aged 24, from Brixham, admitted causing actual bodily harm to Mr Than and burglary of a house in Higher Street, Brixham, in September. His case was adjourned for sentence but he was told he faces a mandatory three year jail term because he has two previous burglary convictions. Mr Ben Darby, defending, said:"He is a three strike burglar as a result of his pleas this morning and in the light of the inevitable sentence I am not applying for a pre sentence report." Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, remanded O'Donnell in custody until next week and said:"It would appear that Mr Than found this defendant climbing into his bed and was hit about the head with a rock."

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Man in court over incident which sealed off Exeter's New North Road

February 5, 2015, 7:03 am

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A man from North Devon has appeared at Exeter Crown accused of a bottle attack outside an Exeter University hall of residence. Nicholas Towler will face trial in August over the incident in New North Road on January 10 this year which led to the street being sealed off by police. He is alleged to have lashed out with a bottle at a stranger who was walking past the Northfield hall of residence and using a mobile phone. Towler, aged 34, of Coronation Terrace, Ilfracombe, was not asked to enter a plea to two charges of wounding and one of assault. He was remanded in custody by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, and will be expected to enter a plea at the next hearing on April 17. He set a provisional trial date of August 4.

Tickets go on sale to sevens event in Exeter

February 5, 2015, 7:08 am

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Ticket have gone on sale for the European Grand Prix Sevens Series event in Exeter in July. Sandy Park is playing host to the final round in the series, which sees England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Georgia, Portugal, Germany and Lithuania battle it out. The teams will head to the city on July 11 and 12, having previously competed in Moscow (June 6-7) and Lyon (June 13-14). Adult tickets are available at £10 a day or a weekend pass costs £25, which includes entry to an event on Friday night. Tickets are available from www.sandypark.co.uk.

Nurses recruited from Spain, Italy and across the UK to fill vacancies at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital

February 5, 2015, 7:15 am

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Nurses are being recruited from across the country and Europe to fill vacancies at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, the trust has revealed. It comes as the nursing union, The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), expressed concern over a shortage of nurses at hospitals in Devon and Cornwall. New figures reveal there were around 800 vacancies in Devon and Cornwall health trusts at the end of January. The RCN has blamed a lack of training places. But the RD&E said that although recruitment is challenging, it is actively recruiting nurses from across the country and abroad. There are around 80 vacancies at the RD&E, compared with more than 200 at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and more than 100 at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. The total number of vacancies in the region is almost six per cent of the total 14,300 nursing posts. RD&E Deputy Chief Nurse/Midwife Tracey Reeves said: "Recruiting for new registered nurses is a challenge, which is in part due to a significant increase in our nursing establishment. "The RD&E is well regarded as an excellent place to work and in the last two years we have made a £3.5m investment in our nursing staff so we can continue to provide high quality care for patients. "We are actively seeking to fill our current vacancies locally, nationally and in other countries such as Spain and Italy. "The RD&E is committed to ensuring its nurses maintain and update their skills through training. "Health Education South West is responsible for the provision of funding for nurse training for acute hospitals and the RD&E would support any proposals to increase this funding to make more training places available." Sarah Zanoni, of the RCN in the South West, said: "We are facing a bit of a demographic time-bomb as nurses are getting older, many are nearing retirement age. "We have been watching this for quite a while and we are now in a position where trusts are having to spend an increasing amount of money bringing agency staff in." * Recruitment open days are taking place at Seaton Hospital on February 10, Axminster Hospital on February 15, North Devon District Hospital on March 16 and Tiverton and District Hospital on March 23.

More money for cycling in Devon

February 5, 2015, 7:31 am

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More money has been found for cycling in Devon. The county council has received a further £675,000 from the Department for Transport to fund more schemes as part of the Granite and Gears project, which aims to develop a network of multi-use trails to open up access to Dartmoor. The funding will be used to support five cycling schemes which Devon County Council is developing and joint-funding, with an additional £300,000, in partnership with Dartmoor National Park, National Trust, and Plymouth City Council. The money comes as the County Council announced that cycle trips in parts of the county have risen by over 20% in the past year.

Exmouth holiday camp manager jailed for pub knife terror

February 5, 2015, 7:37 am

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A holiday camp manager has been jailed after he threatened a stranger with a 13 inch carving knife in a crowded pub. Customers and doormen disarmed Kieran Wild who had gone home to fetch the knife after an altercation in the centre of Exmouth. He had sunk 20 pints of lager after splitting up with his girlfriend and had already caused trouble at another pub where he pestered guests who were celebrating a family christening. He caused one couple to leave the event but followed them and was pushed over in a confrontation in the street. An off duty police officer told him to go home but he returned with a knife to seek out the couple. Wild walked into the York pub with the knife concealed in his waistband and went up to the two people and pulled up his shirt to reveal the weapon. Victims Jordan Javadi and Olivia Graham were so frightened they ran out of the pub and Wild was seen brandishing the knife before he was grabbed by door staff and customers, who held him until police arrived. Wild, aged 23, of Victoria Road, Exmouth, admitted having a knife in a public place and was jailed for 12 months by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, at Exeter Crown Court. He told him:"You approached Mr Javadi and his girlfriend and made several aggressive comments. You had been binge drinking and were extremely drunk and admit you were waving the knife around. "You say you had no intention of using it to harm anyone but when people are drunk and in possession of knives the most appalling accidents can occur. "In this case it is of particular significance that you went home after the first part of the incident and equipped yourself with a carving knife." Mr James Taghdissian, prosecuting, said Mr Javadi and Miss Graham were at a family party in the Number Nine Bar in Exmouth on December 14 when Wild started pestering them. His behaviour caused them to leave but he followed and stopped them outside the Spoken bar, where he was pushed to the ground after raising his fists. The incident was witnessed by an off duty policeman who showed him his warrant card and told him to go home. Mr Javadi and Miss Graham moved on to the York. Mr Taghdissian said:"He walked in, asked who had pushed him, then approached Mr Javadi and raised his shirt to reveal the knife in his waistband. Mr Javadi feared what would happen next and grabbed his partner and got her into the street outside. "Other bar staff became aware he had the knife and door staff removed him and detained him on the floor until police arrived." He told them he had fallen out with his partner and drunk 20 pints. He said he took the knife to scare Mr Javadi and had no intention of using it. Mr Nigel Wraith, defending, said Wild was very upset after splitting up with his partner and moving into a bedsit. He said he come to Devon to start a new life working at the Sandy Bay holiday park where he had worked his way up from being a barman to being an assistant manager. He now plans to return to his roots in Oldham and would welcome help from the probation service to prevent further binge drinking. He is sorry for what he has done and has apologised to Mr Javadi via Facebook.

Video: Police appeal after theft of wine from Exmouth store

February 5, 2015, 8:01 am

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Exmouth police are appealing for information after an apparent theft from a store in the town. Devon and Cornwall police have released a video of a man entering the shop and appearing to remove two wine bottles before leaving without paying. Police said a white male takes two bottles of wine from cabinet then is seen to leave the store without paying. The incident took place on November 22 2014. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote crime no. CR/124347/14.

Man with Jill Dando obsession in court for pestering neighbours

February 5, 2015, 8:09 am

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A man with a Jill Dando obsession has been ordered to receive further treatment after his bizarre behaviour alarmed his neighbours. Jason Kerswell sent an incoherent letter and a £5 note to one neighbour and pushed his way into the home of a female resident, asking to see her husband. The 43-year-old is banned from causing harassment under an ASBO and was subject to a suspended sentence at the time of the two incidents at Kingskerswell, near Newton Abbot. A Judge at Exeter Crown Court decided he needs more treatment rather than punishment after hearing he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and has already spent three months in jail awaiting sentence. Kerswell has a history of causing arguments in the street and in the past has barged his way into the homes of strangers while talking about Jill Dando. He is also banned from posing as a police officer after approaching other people and claiming to have a connection with Crimestoppers. His latest offences occurred over the space of two days in October in Captains Road, Kingskerswell, where he lives. He admitted two breaches of his ASBO and was made subject to a community order with a condition that he receives supervision and treatment as recommended by the local mental health team. Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, prosecuting, said:"This strange behaviour took place when you were at home on leave from a Mental Health Act order and had apparently been taking legal highs. You would be wise to stay away from them. "I have a psychiatric report showing you are a paranoid schizophrenic. I sympathise with you for that. The doctor says it is important to stabilize your medication and recommends a community order with treatment and work on substance abuse. "You must do your best to comply. If you go on breaking orders somebody is say that the only thing to do with you is to send you to prison." The Judge made a new Criminal Behaviour Order which forbids Kerswell from causing alarm or harassment or pretending to be a police officer. Kerswell shouted from the dock:"It's against my human rights. I can't have a confrontation or an argument or a dispute." Miss Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said Kerswell was subject to an ASBO and a suspended sentence passed in 2013 for previous breaches. She said he sent his next door neighbour a message with a £5 note inside which could be read both as suggesting he was a police officer and carrying a threat. The next day he turned up on the doorstep of a female neighbour, asking if her husband was there and saying he needed to check the wiring. He forced his way a short way inside before she ejected him and shut the door. Mr Jeffrey Segan, defending, said Kerswell has already served the equivalent of his six month suspended sentence and is in need of help rather than punishment.

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Beautiful Days tickets on sale this week

February 5, 2015, 8:19 am

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Summer doesn't seem so far away now with the announcement that tickets for this year's Beautiful Days festival go on sale this week. They will be available to buy online as of Friday, February 6, at 10am, but festival goers will have to wait a big longer to find out who will be performing when the three-day event returns to its usual home of Escot from August 21 to 23. The full line-ups for the Main Stage and The Big Top, and also the Sunday fancy dress theme will be announced on Tuesday, March 24. A spokesperson for Beautiful days, a family festival founded by the Levellers which always sells out months in advance, said: "To say we are excited here at HQ would be an understatement. We have confirmed some of our favourite acts to play this year, including some acts we've wanted for over 10 years to join us at Escot Park." Tickets prices are: Adult weekend camping ticket,£135; 10 to under 16s weekend camping ticket, £65; five to Under 10s weekend camping ticket, £35; under 5s weekend camping ticket, £5, car parking pass, £15, and campervan pass, £40. For more details and to book tickets visit www.beautifuldays.org

Quiz: Test your knowledge of Exeter and East Devon house prices

February 5, 2015, 9:09 am

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It's quiz time….. Today at the Echo we want to test your knowledge on house prices in the area. Guess the prices in the multiple choice quiz, have a go and share your results with us below! Good luck.

Dawlish sex den case folds but teen faces jail over under age affair

February 5, 2015, 9:22 am

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A teenager has been cleared of having under age sex in a woodland den after police found texts on his phone which showed he may not have been there. Lewis Stewart was found not guilty of sexual activity with a child but could still face a jail sentence after he admitted having sex with the girl on six other occasions. Stewart was aged just 18 when he posed as a homeless person to gain the 15-year-old's sympathy and was allowed to move into her home in South Devon. He started a sexual relationship under the nose of her mother and even shared the girl's bed, Exeter Crown Court was told. The police and social workers were already concerned about his interest in young girls and he was subject to a restraining order which should have prevented him having any contact of any sort with girls under 16. Stewart, now 19, of Third Avenue, Dawlish, was cleared of one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of breaking the restraining order. He admitted six other offences of sexual activity with a child and one of breaking the restraining order. Judge Erik Salomonsen remanded him in custody and ordered the probation service to prepare a pre sentence report. He said:"There have been references in the papers to concerns about safeguarding and this defendant's sexual proclivities. The court needs to know more about him. "He clearly has an interest in young girls and from the evidence we have seen in this case, some of them had an interest in him. Sentencing will be a difficult exercise." Miss Ann Midgley, prosecuting, said the final allegation that Stewart had sex with the girl after paying for a taxi to take her to a woodland den in Dawlish is no longer being pursued. She said his mobile phone had been in the hands of police since his arrest but texts had not been analysed and there were some from an unknown number on the day of the woodland offence which suggested he may have been elsewhere. She said it was not in the public interest to adjourn the case to allow police to trace the source of the texts because Stewart has already admitted the other offences. She said these related to a period between March and May last year when Stewart formed a relationship and moved in with the schoolgirl in defiance of the restraining order. She said:"He met her through mutual friends and told her he was homeless and she agreed to ask her mother if he could move into their home. "Within a few weeks he began a sexual relationship at a time shortly after her 15th birthday. She gave an account of having intercourse four times and oral sex on two occasions." She said he had been made subject of the restraining order in 2014 when charges of child abduction were dropped. He has convictions for 38 previous offences but the only one relevant to this case is one of harassment and two for battery. The restraining order was made as a result of his contacts with two other under age girls and prohibited any contact with females under the age of 16. Mr Tom Bradnock, defending, said Stewart had accepted the six charges right away but always disputed the further allegation that he had sex with the girl in woods at Dawlish on Fathers Day in June last year. He said Stewart and the girl had shared a bed during their relationship with the agreement of her mother. Before the case folded, the jury heard the prosecution allege Stewart had contacted the girl and sent a taxi to take her to a hideaway in woods behind Dawlish fire station where he had sex with her. He denied seeing her at all and said he spent the day with his father at home or with friends in other parts of Dawlish.

Dog owners hot under the collar in beach bust up

February 5, 2015, 9:23 am

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A row over an unruly dog on a beach led one owner to knock out another who he accused of kicking his pet pug. Richard Wilding lashed out at victim Adam Carswell in retaliation after he used his foot to try to separate the pug from his German Pointer on the beach in Devon. He knocked Mr Carswell out cold and left him sprawled on rocks at Meadfoot Beach in Torquay, Devon, after both men became hot under the collar. Bar owner Wilding, aged 33, of St Margarets Avenue, Torquay, admitted causing actual bodily harm and was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid community work by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, at Exeter Crown Court. He told him:"You accept that the trouble started when you thought he had kicked your dog. When you told him not to, he pushed you and in response you punched him in the face, causing him to fall and strike his head on rocks. "You kicked him while he was on the ground but you have admitted what you did and told the probation officer you regretted losing your temper and had reacted excessively. "You have already sought help for anger management and the likelihood of another conviction is low, so unpaid work is a sensible punishment. "You took exception to him kicking your dog. That is not surprising. If it was my dog I might have taken exception as well." Mr Joss Ticehurst, prosecuting, said the incident happened in April last year when both men were walking their dogs on Meadfoot Beach. Mr Carswell said he shouted to Wilding to keep his dog under control and put his foot between the two animals to separate them. Mr Ticehurst said Wilding was seen to run towards him and knock him out cold before kicking him as he lay on rocks. He suffered two cuts to his head which needed to be glued in hospital. Wilding told police the other man had kicked his dog and pushed him to the ground before he retaliated. Mr Barry White, defending, asked the Judge to give his client credit for his guilty plea and his expressions of remorse.

AUDIO: Exeter City dealt triple injury blow ahead of match with Bury

February 5, 2015, 12:29 pm

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Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale has confirmed that David Noble and Scot Bennett have not recovered from their injuries in time to feature against Bury on Saturday. Goalkeeper James Hamon, who missed last week's game against Tranmere Rovers with a nasty cut to his leg, will also be missing from the starting line-up. Ryan Harley is rated as 50/50 for the match and could play apart having missed last Saturday's game with hamstring trouble. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Paul Tisdale also discussed new recruit Tom McCready who he signed a contract, until the end of the season, with the Grecians on Monday.