02/03/2017 Spotlight

Good evening. we have the writer and

Half of the community hospital beds in Mid

Health commissioners say 71 will go at Honiton, Okehampton,

Our health correspondent Jenny Walrond has the

It was decision day at Exeter Racecourse and the outcome

Health commissioners at New Devon CCG voted unanimously to close 71

of the 143 in-patient beds in East and Mid Devon,

leaving Honiton, Okehampton, Seaton and Whipton with none.

Just want to reassure people that nothing's

going to happen immediately, following this decision.

This is the beginning of the implementation phase

and I would anticipate that it'll be a number of weeks or months before

we actually start to see the first of any planned bed closures.

Health commissioners need to save money and say some people

But with problems discharging patients from acute hospitals

and a lack of social care, it's a controversial decision.

The consultation received five petitions and had written feedback

Some of those watching today were clearly angry

I'm very disappointed that people on a governing body would take

a decision on the basis of one document, this thin,

little document, and maybe some reports from sub-committees,

and personally I would have wanted to see all of the data

that they re-ran, supposedly, for Seaton and Sidmouth.

I would also want to see all the data that they supposedly

collected and re-ran for Hollerton before I would take a decision,

I would take a decision, -- Honiton if I was

I think the people on the CCG have forgotten that Seaton Hospital

When they closed Axminster's beds, they promised the people

of Axminster Seaton would serve them.

They've now, you know, the whole of the Axe Valley has no

This is just one step in a long process to close these beds.

Some campaigners are resigned to the decision, others

But they will be aware that previous campaigns to save beds

in places such as Torrington and Ottery St Mary have failed.

A lot of you have been in touch with us tonight

Joy says, "I cannot get my head around how

pathetic the commissioning group's argument is."

Jenny says, "This is so short-sighted.

Why can no one in authority see it will only make matters worse?"

And Robert says, "So much of our NHS has been ripped from the people

Thank you for your comments. Please keep them coming.

Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner has promised

to make sure improvements are put in place after a police

officer used social media to highlight her resignation over

As our home affairs correspondent Simon Hall explains,

the force has also been told it must do more to cut crime

Laura Beale was proud to be a police officer,

following in her father's footsteps and serving in Devon

She even featured in promotional leaflets.

But now she's resigned, criticising cutbacks and the service

"I'm expected to go on patrol, covering Mid Devon with one other

officer, most days," her resignation letter says.

"This is meant to be adequate staffing.

How this can acceptable is beyond belief.

I am leaving before this job kills me, both mentally and physically."

To be a police officer, without trying to sound

all dramatic, you have to have something to give

And I have that and I was desperate to give it to the people

that I wanted to help, but I just couldn't because I was getting

stifled because we have too much pressure, it's too dangerous,

And we're just not able to do the job that we're designed to do

I mean, the issue for me is it's sad that she feels she needs to leave,

but maybe it's the right thing for her.

I don't like to talk about individual cases.

What I do recognise is that the front line are stretched,

but are working really hard for the people of Devon,

Laura Beal's concerns were echoed today in a flagship report

from the police regulator, Her Majesty's Inspectorate

After producing a lengthy case file, they conclude Devon and Cornwall

police require improvement in cutting crime and

A particular concern is neighbourhood policing.

There is "some good work", the report says, but a lack

of a coherent strategy, which would help the police better

engage with communities and so prevent crime.

There's plenty to celebrate in the report and we're

However, many organisations, we're one in three police forces

across the country who have been required improvement in this latest

assessment and we're one of those forces,

we'll be working hard to look at the detail in the report to see

A police statement expressed sympathy for Laura Beal,

but noted Devon and Cornwall planned to take on nearly 100 new officers

Today's Inspectorate report will, nonetheless, be a concern

Devon and Cornwall police's performance in their

most important role - of cutting crime and

keeping people safe - has deteriorated since last year,

it says, and yet more budget cuts lie ahead.

Simon Hall, BBC Spotlight, Cullompton.

A look now at some of the other stories across the south-west:

Plymouth businessman Charles Howeson has been charged with 15 historical

The 67-year-old former naval officer is alleged to have committed

the offences involving teenagers and young men between 1985 and 1994.

The allegations will be heard by magistrates

The number of students at Falmouth University will rise

The rise has been approved by Cornwall Council despite opposition

A new purpose built campus at Penryn has also been given the go-ahead.

A Government minister has agreed to meet a Cornwall MP to discuss

the problem of plastic bottles left on the county's beaches.

Speaking in the Commons today, Conservative Stephen Double,

who represents St. Austell and Newquay, called

which would be refunded when they're returned.

A commercial recycling waste centre faces demolition

after being severely damaged by fire.

At its peak, 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at Marsh Barton

in Exeter, as John Henderson reports.

All the ingredients needed for a devastating fire -

tonnes of business waste came to this recycling plant.

Tucked away on one side, an electricity substation,

one of three helping power Marsh Barton industrial estate.

Little wonder the emergency services were not taking

At its height, it was approximately about 100

firefighters, we had 20 fire appliances, three

hydraulic platforms, and support appliances.

The alarm was raised just before 11 o'clock last night, the intense heat

caused the steel panel building to collapse in on itself as it's

But it meant hotspots kept flaring up.

It's well over 12 hours now but there are still

pockets of flame popping up in and around this building.

The area was blanketed in smoke but the

owners of the plant, on-site for five years, said it

For any office type waste, we don't deal with hazardous

Any hazardous waste goes to other places.

But yes, general office recycling, so it's paper, cardboard,

The damage has been put at millions but no-one was

hurt and the 90 or so staff will work from other sites.

A 15 strong fleet of waste trucks was saved,

this one had to be pulled free by a recovery truck with an

But the enviro hub is going to have to be demolished.

Another building in Exeter destroyed by fire.

Let's have a look at the weather now.

Some lovely sunshine today. Just one day. Good evening. Tomorrow, the

cloud will be back and it will bring rain as well. That cloud is crossing

the Channel, heading towards us. Before it get like tomorrow we will

have. Tomorrow is damp, that is the good news. Temperatures are at as

low as they have been, we should get double figures but the wet weather

is accompanied by a breast size or south easterly wind, particularly

along the south coast. Blustery and wet conditions for most of us. The

area of low pressure will be around not just tomorrow at the weekend. It

moves its position by the middle of the day on Saturday. Perhaps some

sunshine in between the showers, a blustery north-west wind and same

direction as we get into Sunday. The cloud is thicker on Sunday and more

wide spread and the rain more persistent and slightly cooler air

heading into Monday of next week. The rain will come in tonight, heavy

in places, hill fog developing, brisk south-easterly winds and as a

result, it will not be particularly cold. Six or 7 degrees the minimum

temperature for most of us, milder than that along the south coast.

Tomorrow we have rain. It might move away for a short while around the

middle of the day and then rain comes back from the size through the

afternoon. Ten or 11 degrees the maximum temperature and the winds

becoming south-westerly and easing somewhat. By Saturday, we have got a

mix of sunshine and showers. Quite a futurism around and brisk north west

winds developing. Temperatures just into double figures at 10 degrees.

Colder conditions heading our way for the early part of next week.

Good night. That's all for now.

Goodnight. weekend, we have more rain in the

forecast. Rain at times this weekend, not