THEY were two young lovers with their whole lives ahead of them and a little boy who loved nothing more than giving his family a hug when they were sad.

But they will never be forgetten: not by their friends and families, nor by the community which has shown extraordinary support after the fire that killed three innocent young people.

Rosie Bennellick, 17, her brother, Harvey Bennellick, three, and Rosie's boyfriend Andy Gunn, 18, all died following a fire at the family home in Honiton.

They were rushed to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital but the two teenagers died later that day and the toddler died the next day after being treated at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

A huge community fundraising campaign has been launched following the tragedy.

In a statement the Bennellick family said: "We have lost two of our beautiful babies, Rosie, our beautiful daughter who was the most amazing big sister anyone could ever ask for. She was always smiling, singing, dancing and most of all, loving to everyone she met.

"She was our daughter, our best friend and our rock. She always put a smile on everyone's face and looked after anyone who needed help.

"She loved life and gave us more joy than she will ever know."

It added: "Harvey our beautiful baby boy was a lot like his big sister, he loved to sing and dance around with her.

"He was funny and very loving. He didn't like to see anyone upset and would always hug you if you were sad.

"He loved being around his brothers and sisters and other children.

"He would always ask to play and share and make everyone laugh. Harvey always smiled and made us smile, he was our baby.

"Everyone who ever met Rosie and Harvey will have seen just how amazing they truly were and have some funny memories about them.

"They touched many people's hearts. Our own hearts are broken, we loved them more than we will ever be able to say."

Rosie and Harvey's family also paid tribute to Andy. "Rosie and her boyfriend Andy, who sadly also died, loved each other more than words can say.

"They were together for almost three years and Andy will always be a big part of our family.

"Harvey particularly loved to see Andy, he would drop everything when he knew Andy was coming, to run for a cuddle. our family are so thankful that Andy loved Rosie so much and we know that she loved him just as much. Our thoughts are also with Andy's family in Bishopsteignton."

Fiore ripped through the family home at Lee Close in Honiton at around 7.30am on Friday, April 5.

An appeal set up by friends of the family who own Clyst Honiton-based Beaumont and Mills Removals, attracted hundreds of donations, both items and cash for the family who have lost everything, within hours. The family also gave their thanks to the support they have received, added: "We would like to thank everyone for all of the help, support and care they are giving our family at this difficult time, it is truly overwhelming.

"We are particularly grateful for all of the lovely flowers and cuddly toys kindly left by friends and neighbours at the scene of the fire.

"We have asked that the toys be collected by police to place at the grave of Harvey and Rosie at a later time.

"We would also like to thank all the emergency services and the hospital staff for the care they gave to our babies."

Rosie's boyfriend Andy lived in Bishopsteignton.

Andy's family issued the following statement: "Andy died along with his girlfriend Rosie, who was the love of his life.

"He had his whole life in front of him.

"He lived in Bishopsteignton, a village he loved, and worked in the village at the Cockhaven Manor Hotel, where they considered him family.

"He will be missed by so many and leaves behind devastated and grieving parents, an older brother, and many friends who have a void in their lives from this loss."

Rosie had been working as an optical assistant in Specsavers Exeter for four months where she was undergoing lots of in-house training. Store manager Haley Palk, also paid tribute to the teenager. "Rosie made such a big impact on the store in such a short space of time. She was the life and soul and will be sorely missed."

Around five fire crews rushed to the property with police and ambulance crews who battled to save the youngsters.

The Devon Air Ambulance and the police helicopter also attended the scene but were stepped down.

Also in the house at the time were Rosie's parents and three other children.

Smoke was seen by neighbours billowing out of an upstairs bedroom. It is thought most of the damage centred on the upper floor and roof.

Floral tributes and teddy bears were left outside the charred two-storey house, owned by East Devon District Council.

Forensic officers spent hours over the weekend at the property, searching for clues – although the fire is not thought to be suspicious.

LAST week in a supermarket distribution centre in Sittingbourne George Osborne, the Chancellor, made a groundbreaking political speech designed to coincide with the key changes he is making to the tax and welfare system, changes which he said were all about making sure that money went back to hard working people who want to get on in life.

Mr Osborne argued that for too long there was a system in place where people who did the right thing – who got up in the morning and worked hard – felt penalised for it, while people who did the wrong thing got rewarded for it. In effect this was the inspiration behind the reforms.

This month, nine out of 10 working households will be better off as a result of the changes we are making. This month work will start to pay.

I'm sure those who defend the current benefit system are going to complain loudly.

But here's the rub; defending benefits that trap people in poverty and penalise work is defending the indefensible. Let's face it, the benefit system is broken. In 2010 alone, payments to working age families cost £90bn.

That means about one in every six pounds of tax that working people pay was going on working age benefits. To put that into perspective – that's more than we spend on our schools. It is also one of the reasons why we've got such a big deficit because not only is it fundamentally broken it is simply unaffordable.

The system also became so complicated, and benefits so generous, that people found they were better off on the dole than they were in work. And the figures speak for themselves; even at the end of the economic boom in 2008 there were more than four million working age people on out-of-work benefits. And here's the saddest fact of all, we had nearly two million of our children living in families where no one worked – the highest proportion of any country in the European Union, including countries much poorer than us. Once it becomes the norm in an area not to work, welfare dependency can become deeply entrenched, handed on from one generation to the next. Governments of all colours let too many unemployed people get parked on disability benefits, and told they'd never work again.

Why? Because people on disability benefits don't get counted in unemployment figures that could embarrass politicians. It was quick-fix politics of the worst kind – and the people who lost out were hard-working taxpayers who had to pay for all this – and those on disability benefits who could have worked but were denied the opportunity to do so.

These reforms have one simple principle at their heart – making sure people are better off in work than on benefits.

The message is clear: reform restores fairness to claimants by making work pay, and fairness to the taxpayer who pays for it.

MARGARET Thatcher's place in history is secure as the first woman to lead the Conservative Party and the first female Prime Minister of this country.

Even her detractors are forced to concede that she was a remarkable politician who transformed this country from being 'the sick man of Europe' in the late 1970s to a competitive thriving economy. She restored pride to this country during the Falklands war, enabled people to get on the property ladder for the first time by selling council houses, reformed the trade unions – whose power had got out of control – and transformed the City of London into the economic powerhouse it is today.

Love her or loathe her, Margaret Thatcher's legacy will continue and she has earned a place in our history books.

Flybe Mini Masters' tennis finalists battle it out to become the next mini Murray and mini Watson 

Leading regional airline's support of regional 'grass-roots' tennis reaches exciting Winter Finals  
   

Last weekend saw Devon and Cornwall's most talented young tennis players serve it out on the court to become Flybe's Winter Mini Masters' Champion.  Flybe, Europe's largest regional airline, is a long-term supporter of grassroots tennis in the region, with many young players benefiting from the airline's continued involvement.

The event, held at the South Devon Tennis centre, marked the final weekend in a series of Flybe Mini Masters events held at tennis clubs across the region. Eight top players from each county and age group were invited to compete for their own Flybe Mini Masters' trophy. The matches were incredibly close, but this season's rising stars are as follows:

Mini Green (10 and under) category – Winner, Tynan Hill from Exeter; runner-up, Nathan Woo from Barnstaple

Mini Orange (9 and under) category – Winner, Tommy Poli from Exmouth; runner-up Sebastian Stanbury-Flood from Exmouth and Exwick

Mini Red (8 and under) category – Winner, Parker Caleshu from Plymouth; runner-up Lucas Urquiza from Chagford

 Simon Lilley, Flybe's Director of Marketing, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to play a key role in giving the region's budding tennis players a chance to further their dreams in becoming a future Wimbledon tennis star.  Both the winter and summer Mini Masters' series have given talented young sportspeople from throughout Devon and Cornwall the opportunity to experience competitive tennis.

"It is a privilege to have helped give junior tennis a higher profile and the popularity of our Mini Masters' series has resulted in a heartening growth in volume and quality of young players taking up the game. We are proud to have seen children who have come through the mini masters progress into Team Flybe and now are attending National tournaments and are some of the UK's leading players in their age groups."

Georgina Loosemore, LTA Tennis Development Manager, said: "What a fantastic weekend of tennis, it was amazing to see everyone playing so well and enjoying doing so. It is so exciting to bring players together from all over the two counties to compete, make new friends and be a part of British Tennis. The standard of tennis gets better and better each season and this is a credit to the players and coaches of Devon and Cornwall. Many coaches were present at the finals, which further spurred players to perform well. Many thanks to Flybe for their continued support of tennis within the counties, it is enabling so many more children to play and be enthused by the sport".

The event was refereed by Cornwall's Sue Eames and presentations were made by John Allen MBE and Hilary Webster of Devon and Cornwall LTA.  Hilary said, "It was such a pleasure to see so many young players enjoying the competition and their behaviour and attitude both on and off court has been exemplary and inline the LTA Fair Play campaign.  Devon and Cornwall LTA are so grateful to Flybe for this vital support to grassroots tennis in both counties. "

The competition was open to tennis players up to the age of 10 years old with heats being held across 14 tennis centres and clubs across Devon and Cornwall.

New Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Hunter began work at Sandy Park this week and he is already predicting a bright future for his new club.

The former England Under-20 coach worked with a number of the Devon club's talented youngster this season. Sam Hill, Jack Nowell, Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie all started England's Under-20 Six Nations title clincher against Wales last month.

Now, with three Aviva Premiership games remaining for Chiefs, Hunter has taken the opportunity to get to know the rest of the squad before the real work begins for him over the summer.

"It has been quite a fast week," said Hunter. "There has been a lot to learn in a very short space of time. In that sense, it is a pretty good time of year to arrive.

"There is still a bit for us to play for, the squad are very settled and they have been great at walking me through everything and I can start to understand how things work.

"With the old job, I would be spread out all over the country and, while that is very interesting, getting around and seeing the lads at their clubs, you miss that day-to-day contact.

"Even in this first week, that day-to-day contact has been fantastic. There are a lot of familiar faces in the youngsters here and that is great credit to the club and the region."

Hunter worked with backs coach Aly Hepher at Northampton Saints' Academy before taking the job with England's Under-20 squad, and he has equal respect for fellow coaches Rob Baxter and Ricky Pellow.

Hunter said: "The coaching staff here – I know Aly from coaching with him a few years ago – deserve a huge amount of respect. Ricky, Aly, Rob and all the other guys have done a huge amount of good work down here.

"Coming here and seeing that, you start to think that it is something you would really like to be a part of. I have missed club life, and if you want to join a club, you want to join one that has a great identity.

"Anybody coming into the club also wants to know there is a really good pipeline of young, local talent coming through. That is important for the health of any club.

"It is a good time to start from a coaching point of view because it gives me a chance to get to know everyone before pre-season. I get to see the guys on a match day and have a little bit of a look around to see where we can add value for next season.

"There is not much you can add at this stage, this season. You have to be very careful not to unsettle guys when there are only a few games left and things have been going well."

The timing of Hunter's arrival has allows him to offer Baxter some advice before Chiefs' head coach begins his own international coaching career.

Baxter will assist Stuart Lancaster on England's tour to Argentina in June. Hunter said: "It is brilliant for Rob, it is well deserved and the experience will be fantastic for him. He will really enjoy the tour and benchmark the players against some of the best players in the country as well.

"There is a limit to what you can do when you are away each week. You have short periods of time with them, so you have to be clear and simple.

"Rob will know a lot of the guys well through Premiership life, coaching with and against them through the season. International rugby is different but exciting."

Corrosive aluminium chloride was illegally discharged into the East Looe River in 2010 because of a fault at a sewage treatment works near Liskeard.

Hundreds of prized salmon and sea trout were later found dead in the river, although tests failed to prove the cause was the toxic spill.

The water company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay the Environment Agency's £50,000 costs after a case heard at Plymouth Crown Court.

Rob Hocking, from the agency, said: "The toxic nature of aluminium chloride places a special responsibility upon water companies and other users of this chemical to ensure this chemical is handled and stored with great care.

"Every effort should be made to minimise the risk of it escaping into the environment."

The court heard that an agency officer visited Lodge Hill sewage treatment works on August 22, 2010, and was told by a member of staff there had been a chemical spill at the site.

The previous day, a member of South West Water staff went to check the level of aluminium chloride – a yellow corrosive liquid used to improve the quality of the final effluent before it leaves the works – and noticed a pipe had broken.

He turned off the valve and called for an engineer to fix the broken section.

Within 24 hours of the spill, the agency received reports of a fish kill in the East Looe River.

More than 300 sea trout, trout and salmon were found that day over a four-mile stretch downstream of the sewage treatment works.

Despite extensive analysis, tests and research, the agency could not prove what might have killed the fish.

At Lodge Hill, the chemical is pumped from a tank and into the sewage treatment process via a small pipe.

The storage tank is surrounded by a concrete bund – to minimise the risk of it escaping into the environment – with a sealed drainage system that feeds back into the works.

Months later, after examining the chemical storage area more closely, South West Water discovered it was possible for any spillage of the hazardous chemical outside of the bund to make its way, via a buried manhole, into the East Looe River.

The Environment Agency was then informed.

It is not known how much aluminium chloride – known as "Claral" and which is toxic to fish at particular concentrations – reached the river.

The court was told South West Water should have kept records of its use and the amount stored at the treatment works, but it didn't and failed to follow its own storage procedures.

South West Water, based in Exeter, was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £50,000 costs after pleading guilty to an offence under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010. The case was heard on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the company said: "South West Water accepts responsibility and apologises for an accidental discharge from Lodge Hill sewage treatment works into the East Looe River in August 2010.

"We reported the discharge to the Environment Agency and took immediate steps to repair the faulty pipe.

"Following extensive investigations by experts for both parties it was agreed with the Environment Agency there was no conclusive evidence to link the discharge with environmental damage.

"The court in fact found that South West Water did not cause the fish to be killed and we have been sentenced on that basis."

Campaigners have renewed calls for a 50mph limit on rural roads after new research revealed the extent of risk-taking by motorists.

As many as 44% of men have broken the 60mph speed limit on rural roads, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found.

The survey, based on responses from 1,000 UK drivers, showed that, in the past year, 24% of men and 18% of women motorists admitted overtaking when they could not be certain nothing was coming.

A total of 24% of women admitted breaking 60mph rural road speed limits, while 20% of men and 9% of women were involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident while driving in the past year.

Brake senior campaign officer Ellen Booth said: "Overtaking dangerously or driving too fast on rural roads puts yourself and others in grave danger, risking needless deaths and injuries.

"Some people kid themselves they can get away with excessive speeds and dangerous manoeuvres because they know the road. Yet driving on rural roads is highly unpredictable, and the consequences of risk-taking often horrendous."

Brake is pressing the Government and local authorities to lower speed limits on rural roads to 50mph or lower. In 2011, the latest statistics available, six in ten UK road deaths were on rural roads.

Direct Line spokesman Simon Henrick said: "More than three people die on rural roads in the UK each and every day and many of these deaths could be prevented. Our own data suggests that young drivers and their passengers are even more likely to die on this type of road."

RAC technical director David Bizley said: "It's clearly worrying the sheer number of motorists who admit to speeding, particularly on country roads, which are the most dangerous of all. Our own report reveals 37% drivers speed in 50-60mph zones.

"The fact that the number of accidents and fatalities is higher on country roads highlights the need for motorists to apply the highest levels of responsibility when driving both in urban and rural areas."

Give your views in our online poll at www.thisisdevon.co.uk

Anger is growing over proposed cuts to emergency fire cover and controversial privatisation plans for search and rescue helicopters amid claims the authorities are trying to silence opposition.

Budget reductions by Devon and Somerset Fire Authority are set to scale down three of Plymouth's seven fire crews to "on-call", doing the same with one crew in Taunton, one in Torquay and another in Ilfracombe.

In a separate move, RMB Chivenor is to lose its Sea King helicopters, along with RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, as part of £1.6 billion deal to replace the cover with new Sikorsky aircraft based in Newquay and St Athan in South Wales.

The fire service has faced a furious public backlash over its consultation.

Fire chiefs have been forced to hold fresh meetings at bigger venues in Ilfracombe and Torquay after complaints that promotional posters had not contained address details or been properly organised.

Ilfracombe town councillor Mike Edmunds said forcing the public to register for an event before being told where the meeting was to be held was "absolutely disgusting".

Fire Brigades Union chairman in the South West Bob Walker said he was shocked and embarrassed by the behaviour of the fire service, which said it was "managing numbers".

Mr Walker added: "It's obvious they don't want people to attend this meeting but I'm amazed they would stoop this low.

"The point of this consultation is to hear what people have to say but they just aren't interested, it completely defeats the point.

"I'm shocked by the fire service's behaviour, it's getting ridiculous."

The fire service admitted the poster did not list venues but denied its intention was to prevent people attending.

A spokesman added: "By asking people to register if they are attending it helps us to know how many staff we need to support the discussions.

"There is also some leeway for people to turn up at the door on the night but we will be restricted to the size and layout of the venue."

It has now changed the venue to Ilfracombe Junior School, next Thursday, from 7pm until 9pm.

North Devon Council has thrown its weight behind the campaign to stop Ilfracombe fire station moving from a manned to a retained service, which has attracted 500 signatures.

Councillors also reacted angrily to the decision to take the helicopter search and rescue service away.

They hope to persuade the new service providers that at least one helicopter could be based at Chivenor, thereby retaining the local knowledge, an idea also discussed by Devon County Council on Wednesday.

Council leader John Hart said: "It is something I feel very strongly about and wants scrutinising in detail."

The issue should be considered by the new council after the election, he added.

North Devon MP Sir Nick Harvey has questioned the Government about the deal announced two weeks ago to allow Texas-based firm Bristow Helicopters to take over the operation of the search-and-rescue service in Britain.

Residents in the English Riviera resort of Torbay will lose out more than anywhere else in the region when changes to the benefits system kick in, academics at Sheffield Hallam University said.

Working-age residents in Torbay will lose an average of £704 each through cuts to state hand-outs – the seventh hardest hit area in the country. It is almost three times more than the least affected area.

Elsewhere in Devon, residents in Plymouth will be £551 out of pocket on average and those in Torridge will lose £522. In Cornwall, the impact will be £521 per person. All losses are above the £470 national average.

MPs, union leaders and people relying on welfare in the region warned the Westcountry's poor economy would get poorer and the most vulnerable would be forced into debt.

Professor Steve Fothergill and Professor Christina Beatty, from Sheffield Hallam's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, who led the study, argued the figures underlined a north-south national divide as the most deprived local authorities across Britain would be hit hardest. Residents in Hart in Hampshire will lose just £240 compared to £910 in Blackpool.

But the study – which assessed the financial impact of changes to housing benefit, disability living allowance, child benefit, tax credits, council tax benefit and several other hand-outs – showed the far South West peninsula will also suffer, indicative of decades of industrial decline and failing seaside resorts leaving a low-wage economy in their wake.

Many welfare reforms came into force last week, and by the time they take full effect they will take nearly £19 billion a year out of the economy. This includes £343 million in Devon and £171 million in Cornwall.

Michelle Kent, 47, from Penryn, Cornwall, is registered as partially sighted, and estimates she will lose more than £1,000 a year through reform of housing and council tax benefit and the Disability Living Allowance.

The mother-of-three, who lives with her 15-year-old daughter, said: "The benefit cuts are too much in one go. I find it upsetting, and I don't think people realise how it will hit them until now. I really don't think MPs knew what they were voting for when they put the Welfare Reform Act through."

Adrian Sanders, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, said the area was hard hit because of expensive rents, high unemployment and the end of council tax discounts. The Liberal Democrat MP called for ministers to swell the coastal communities regeneration fund. He added: "Seaside resorts have been in a slow, inexorable decline for decades, and it has gone under the radar."

Stuart Roden, the Unison union's organiser for the South West region, said: "I can see a lot of people being put in serious financial circumstances."

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has challenged his men to show their Heineken Cup ambition when they face London Irish this weekend.

The eighth-placed Chiefs have three Aviva Premiership games left to secure a top-six place and qualification for European rugby's top club competition.

The Exiles, who visit Sandy Park tomorrow, have too many points to worry about relegation but not enough to fight for a position in the top half of the table.

Baxter believes such a position makes them dangerous, rather than less motivated. He said: "I've said to the guys that we have to challenge ourselves and our ambition has to be greater than London Irish's.

"We won't make light of the game at all. We know they are a very good side and we have lost to them here at Sandy Park before.

"They have got themselves into what you might describe as a nice situation – they spent most of the season in a relegation battle but fought their way out of that extremely well, under a lot of pressure. They can now look towards the end of the season, seeing what they can get our of it ahead of the start of next year.

"We have been in that situation before where you know you are safe and can enjoy your rugby. That will make them very dangerous.

"When they are on the attack, we are a real handful. We are very aware of that but, at the same time, we have got a good home record. We have to make sure we put in a big shift and work very hard. There are still some big things for us to aim for this season."

Two of Chiefs' three remaining games are at Sandy Park and, while they have lost nine games in the league this season, only two of those defeats have come at home.

Baxter said: "You would always like to say it doesn't matter that we are at home for two of the last three games. You want to always go out there challenging and feeling as though you can win.

"But it is nice playing here and, for whatever reason, we have a good record here and we have to make sure we make the most of that. Home records and away records rely on the performances you put in.

"If we show the crowd how important it is to us, this crowd gets right behind you."

Baxter, however, would settle for his side showing the same composure they demonstrated during a 24-18 victory at Worcester Warriors' Sixways in their last outing.

He said: "First and foremost, we have to knuckle down and work hard to show a really good competitive edge this weekend otherwise things could slip away from us very quickly.

"We kept our composure against Worcester and kept attacking the game in the last 20 minutes. It is relatively easy to let a momentum shift get away from you. The hardest battle you can have on a rugby pitch is when you feel like you have been in control for long periods and then all of a sudden you lose field position and end up points down.

"When you analyse the last 15 minutes, you realise we had total control of territory and built pressure really well. We didn't score immediately but we never lost momentum or attacking intent.

"It always felt like something was coming – a try or penalty – it was there and the guys showed a lot of character to keep at it. I would class that as a really good win. It was a fantastic four points that has kept us right in the hunt."

Ministers have been warned the Westcountry's economy will suffer and the vulnerable pushed into debt as research revealed £514 million a year will be slashed from the region's welfare bill.

A raft of benefits started to be axed last week, which will take £343 million from Devon's economy and £171 million form Cornwall's annually when in full effect, according to a Sheffield Hallam University report.

Torbay on the South Devon coast will be hit hardest, with residents out of pocket on average by £704 a year. Cornwall will lose £521 per person. Academics examined the impact of changes to housing benefit, disability living allowance and several other hand-outs, and found hard-pressed areas such as the far South West would fall further behind – with the South East emerging relatively unscathed.

Michelle Kent, from Penryn, Cornwall, could lose more than £1,000 a year. "The benefit cuts are too much in one go," she said.

Stuart Roden, South West organiser for Unison union, said: "I can see a lot of people being put in serious financial circumstances."

But Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps, in the Westcountry yesterday, said welfare reform is "popular" among voters in the region. He told the Western Morning News: "We want to support people that want to get on. Do you think it's right that someone should be better off on benefits?"

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has made a fierce defence of the Government's controversial welfare reforms, arguing ministers want to ensure work is always more attractive than a life on benefits.

Mr Shapps also suggested polling of voters indicated cuts to benefits were "popular". The Government argues the bill for state hand-outs has spiralled out of control, and has introduced measures including cutting housing benefit and introducing a welfare payments cap.

The senior Tory MP, in Devon and Cornwall to back Conservative candidates for the 2015 general election, told the Western Morning News: "I've seen the figures and welfare reform is popular in Cornwall – everyone agrees that it pays to go out and get a job. We want to support people that want to get on. Do you think it's right that someone should be better off on benefits? The majority work hard. The Government is working very hard to put things right."

The Department for Work and Pensions also defended the crackdown following a report by Sheffield Hallam academics that said £19 billion would be taken from the economy from the measures, including £514 million in Devon and Cornwall.

A Government spokesman said: "Around nine out of ten working households will be better off by on average almost £300 a year as a result of changes to the tax and welfare system this month.

"By raising the personal allowance to £10,000, we will have lifted 2.7 million people out of income tax since 2010. Our welfare reforms, including reassessing people on incapacity benefit, will help people back into work – which will benefit the economy more than simply abandoning them to claim benefits year after year.

"These changes are essential to keep the benefits bill sustainable, so that we can continue to support people when they need it most across the UK."

But Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter and former South West minister, said: "The tragedy is most of the people hit are in work struggling to pay the bills and feed their families. We have a higher proportion of people on low pay in the Westcountry than elsewhere.

"People on low pay are also more likely to spend than the better off, so by clobbering people on modest and low incomes to give a tax cut to millionaires who live mainly in London and the South East, the Government is doing the opposite of what our economy needs."