:00:11. > :00:11.Good evening. we have the writer and
:00:12. > :00:13.Half of the community hospital beds in Mid
:00:14. > :00:18.Health commissioners say 71 will go at Honiton, Okehampton,
:00:19. > :00:23.Our health correspondent Jenny Walrond has the
:00:24. > :00:30.It was decision day at Exeter Racecourse and the outcome
:00:31. > :00:37.Health commissioners at New Devon CCG voted unanimously to close 71
:00:38. > :00:43.of the 143 in-patient beds in East and Mid Devon,
:00:44. > :00:47.leaving Honiton, Okehampton, Seaton and Whipton with none.
:00:48. > :00:49.Just want to reassure people that nothing's
:00:50. > :00:52.going to happen immediately, following this decision.
:00:53. > :00:56.This is the beginning of the implementation phase
:00:57. > :00:59.and I would anticipate that it'll be a number of weeks or months before
:01:00. > :01:04.we actually start to see the first of any planned bed closures.
:01:05. > :01:07.Health commissioners need to save money and say some people
:01:08. > :01:12.But with problems discharging patients from acute hospitals
:01:13. > :01:17.and a lack of social care, it's a controversial decision.
:01:18. > :01:25.The consultation received five petitions and had written feedback
:01:26. > :01:30.Some of those watching today were clearly angry
:01:31. > :01:36.I'm very disappointed that people on a governing body would take
:01:37. > :01:38.a decision on the basis of one document, this thin,
:01:39. > :01:41.little document, and maybe some reports from sub-committees,
:01:42. > :01:45.and personally I would have wanted to see all of the data
:01:46. > :01:48.that they re-ran, supposedly, for Seaton and Sidmouth.
:01:49. > :01:51.I would also want to see all the data that they supposedly
:01:52. > :01:58.collected and re-ran for Hollerton before I would take a decision,
:01:59. > :02:01.I would take a decision, -- Honiton if I was
:02:02. > :02:06.I think the people on the CCG have forgotten that Seaton Hospital
:02:07. > :02:10.When they closed Axminster's beds, they promised the people
:02:11. > :02:12.of Axminster Seaton would serve them.
:02:13. > :02:15.They've now, you know, the whole of the Axe Valley has no
:02:16. > :02:23.This is just one step in a long process to close these beds.
:02:24. > :02:25.Some campaigners are resigned to the decision, others
:02:26. > :02:31.But they will be aware that previous campaigns to save beds
:02:32. > :02:35.in places such as Torrington and Ottery St Mary have failed.
:02:36. > :02:42.A lot of you have been in touch with us tonight
:02:43. > :02:45.Joy says, "I cannot get my head around how
:02:46. > :02:48.pathetic the commissioning group's argument is."
:02:49. > :02:51.Jenny says, "This is so short-sighted.
:02:52. > :02:55.Why can no one in authority see it will only make matters worse?"
:02:56. > :02:58.And Robert says, "So much of our NHS has been ripped from the people
:02:59. > :03:03.Thank you for your comments. Please keep them coming.
:03:04. > :03:06.Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner has promised
:03:07. > :03:09.to make sure improvements are put in place after a police
:03:10. > :03:12.officer used social media to highlight her resignation over
:03:13. > :03:17.As our home affairs correspondent Simon Hall explains,
:03:18. > :03:20.the force has also been told it must do more to cut crime
:03:21. > :03:25.Laura Beale was proud to be a police officer,
:03:26. > :03:28.following in her father's footsteps and serving in Devon
:03:29. > :03:32.She even featured in promotional leaflets.
:03:33. > :03:34.But now she's resigned, criticising cutbacks and the service
:03:35. > :03:41."I'm expected to go on patrol, covering Mid Devon with one other
:03:42. > :03:45.officer, most days," her resignation letter says.
:03:46. > :03:47."This is meant to be adequate staffing.
:03:48. > :03:50.How this can acceptable is beyond belief.
:03:51. > :03:55.I am leaving before this job kills me, both mentally and physically."
:03:56. > :03:57.To be a police officer, without trying to sound
:03:58. > :03:59.all dramatic, you have to have something to give
:04:00. > :04:05.And I have that and I was desperate to give it to the people
:04:06. > :04:08.that I wanted to help, but I just couldn't because I was getting
:04:09. > :04:10.stifled because we have too much pressure, it's too dangerous,
:04:11. > :04:16.And we're just not able to do the job that we're designed to do
:04:17. > :04:22.I mean, the issue for me is it's sad that she feels she needs to leave,
:04:23. > :04:24.but maybe it's the right thing for her.
:04:25. > :04:26.I don't like to talk about individual cases.
:04:27. > :04:28.What I do recognise is that the front line are stretched,
:04:29. > :04:31.but are working really hard for the people of Devon,
:04:32. > :04:37.Laura Beal's concerns were echoed today in a flagship report
:04:38. > :04:38.from the police regulator, Her Majesty's Inspectorate
:04:39. > :04:45.After producing a lengthy case file, they conclude Devon and Cornwall
:04:46. > :04:47.police require improvement in cutting crime and
:04:48. > :04:52.A particular concern is neighbourhood policing.
:04:53. > :04:55.There is "some good work", the report says, but a lack
:04:56. > :04:57.of a coherent strategy, which would help the police better
:04:58. > :05:01.engage with communities and so prevent crime.
:05:02. > :05:04.There's plenty to celebrate in the report and we're
:05:05. > :05:11.However, many organisations, we're one in three police forces
:05:12. > :05:14.across the country who have been required improvement in this latest
:05:15. > :05:18.assessment and we're one of those forces,
:05:19. > :05:22.we'll be working hard to look at the detail in the report to see
:05:23. > :05:32.A police statement expressed sympathy for Laura Beal,
:05:33. > :05:35.but noted Devon and Cornwall planned to take on nearly 100 new officers
:05:36. > :05:38.Today's Inspectorate report will, nonetheless, be a concern
:05:39. > :05:42.Devon and Cornwall police's performance in their
:05:43. > :05:43.most important role - of cutting crime and
:05:44. > :05:47.keeping people safe - has deteriorated since last year,
:05:48. > :05:50.it says, and yet more budget cuts lie ahead.
:05:51. > :05:55.Simon Hall, BBC Spotlight, Cullompton.
:05:56. > :05:58.A look now at some of the other stories across the south-west:
:05:59. > :06:00.Plymouth businessman Charles Howeson has been charged with 15 historical
:06:01. > :06:05.The 67-year-old former naval officer is alleged to have committed
:06:06. > :06:12.the offences involving teenagers and young men between 1985 and 1994.
:06:13. > :06:13.The allegations will be heard by magistrates
:06:14. > :06:19.The number of students at Falmouth University will rise
:06:20. > :06:25.The rise has been approved by Cornwall Council despite opposition
:06:26. > :06:31.A new purpose built campus at Penryn has also been given the go-ahead.
:06:32. > :06:34.A Government minister has agreed to meet a Cornwall MP to discuss
:06:35. > :06:36.the problem of plastic bottles left on the county's beaches.
:06:37. > :06:41.Speaking in the Commons today, Conservative Stephen Double,
:06:42. > :06:43.who represents St. Austell and Newquay, called
:06:44. > :06:51.which would be refunded when they're returned.
:06:52. > :06:52.A commercial recycling waste centre faces demolition
:06:53. > :06:55.after being severely damaged by fire.
:06:56. > :06:58.At its peak, 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at Marsh Barton
:06:59. > :07:03.in Exeter, as John Henderson reports.
:07:04. > :07:06.All the ingredients needed for a devastating fire -
:07:07. > :07:13.tonnes of business waste came to this recycling plant.
:07:14. > :07:20.Tucked away on one side, an electricity substation,
:07:21. > :07:25.one of three helping power Marsh Barton industrial estate.
:07:26. > :07:27.Little wonder the emergency services were not taking
:07:28. > :07:32.At its height, it was approximately about 100
:07:33. > :07:34.firefighters, we had 20 fire appliances, three
:07:35. > :07:37.hydraulic platforms, and support appliances.
:07:38. > :07:42.The alarm was raised just before 11 o'clock last night, the intense heat
:07:43. > :07:46.caused the steel panel building to collapse in on itself as it's
:07:47. > :07:50.But it meant hotspots kept flaring up.
:07:51. > :07:53.It's well over 12 hours now but there are still
:07:54. > :07:56.pockets of flame popping up in and around this building.
:07:57. > :07:59.The area was blanketed in smoke but the
:08:00. > :08:02.owners of the plant, on-site for five years, said it
:08:03. > :08:08.For any office type waste, we don't deal with hazardous
:08:09. > :08:16.Any hazardous waste goes to other places.
:08:17. > :08:20.But yes, general office recycling, so it's paper, cardboard,
:08:21. > :08:26.The damage has been put at millions but no-one was
:08:27. > :08:31.hurt and the 90 or so staff will work from other sites.
:08:32. > :08:34.A 15 strong fleet of waste trucks was saved,
:08:35. > :08:37.this one had to be pulled free by a recovery truck with an
:08:38. > :08:43.But the enviro hub is going to have to be demolished.
:08:44. > :08:48.Another building in Exeter destroyed by fire.
:08:49. > :08:58.Let's have a look at the weather now.
:08:59. > :09:04.Some lovely sunshine today. Just one day. Good evening. Tomorrow, the
:09:05. > :09:10.cloud will be back and it will bring rain as well. That cloud is crossing
:09:11. > :09:16.the Channel, heading towards us. Before it get like tomorrow we will
:09:17. > :09:20.have. Tomorrow is damp, that is the good news. Temperatures are at as
:09:21. > :09:25.low as they have been, we should get double figures but the wet weather
:09:26. > :09:28.is accompanied by a breast size or south easterly wind, particularly
:09:29. > :09:33.along the south coast. Blustery and wet conditions for most of us. The
:09:34. > :09:38.area of low pressure will be around not just tomorrow at the weekend. It
:09:39. > :09:43.moves its position by the middle of the day on Saturday. Perhaps some
:09:44. > :09:48.sunshine in between the showers, a blustery north-west wind and same
:09:49. > :09:51.direction as we get into Sunday. The cloud is thicker on Sunday and more
:09:52. > :09:55.wide spread and the rain more persistent and slightly cooler air
:09:56. > :10:01.heading into Monday of next week. The rain will come in tonight, heavy
:10:02. > :10:06.in places, hill fog developing, brisk south-easterly winds and as a
:10:07. > :10:10.result, it will not be particularly cold. Six or 7 degrees the minimum
:10:11. > :10:16.temperature for most of us, milder than that along the south coast.
:10:17. > :10:19.Tomorrow we have rain. It might move away for a short while around the
:10:20. > :10:23.middle of the day and then rain comes back from the size through the
:10:24. > :10:26.afternoon. Ten or 11 degrees the maximum temperature and the winds
:10:27. > :10:33.becoming south-westerly and easing somewhat. By Saturday, we have got a
:10:34. > :10:37.mix of sunshine and showers. Quite a futurism around and brisk north west
:10:38. > :10:41.winds developing. Temperatures just into double figures at 10 degrees.
:10:42. > :10:43.Colder conditions heading our way for the early part of next week.
:10:44. > :10:45.Good night. That's all for now.
:10:46. > :11:03.Goodnight. weekend, we have more rain in the
:11:04. > :11:04.forecast. Rain at times this weekend, not