Plymouth Live - What's On

POLICE have released shocking pictures of a builder left needing 60 stitches to his forehead after he was head-butted by a thug on the Barbican. Investigators hope the images of the man's injuries will prompt witnesses to come forward and name his attacker. Neil Rogers, of Weston Mill was on his way home at around 9.45pm on December 18 after a works do at the Barbican Kitchen. As he moved through a crowd on the pavement outside the Cider Press on Quay Road he was attacked and left in a pool of blood. Treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Derriford Hospital, he did not regain consciousness for another six hours. Neil, aged 47, said: "I'm at the age when I know when I've had enough and it was time to go home and get a taxi. "I was walking along Quay Road and it was pretty busy. I saw a bit of a scuffle on the harbourside so I thought I'd take the footpath between the pubs and the outside eating areas." However, as Neil made his way through the crowd he believes an innocent nudge may have sparked the attack. He said: "I was merry. I am not a fighter at all. I honestly don't know if I may have knocked into someone and didn't realise. Something must've happened though. "I remember I went to turn my head – and that's it. I was told later I was one-and-a-half hours on the floor, face down. It was six hours before I woke up. I remember lifting my head up and then passing out." Piecing together information from paramedics Neil learned he was head-butted, but as he collapsed his forehead clipped a glass barrier, ripping his scalp open, before his head then struck the pavement. He said: "The doctor said it was like a razor cut even before my head hit the granite. "He told me I had 'won the lottery'. He said 'how you're not brain damaged I do not know'." However, Neil's serious injury developed complications and he was back in hospital undergoing more surgery. He said: My core temperature went up, I was shaking, delirious, my blood pressure went up. Stuff was constantly leaking out [of the wound] and I had blood in the ear. I was quite worried." He returned to hospital to be told the wound was infected and needed to be re-stitched, leaving him with around 60 internal and external stitches. The attack has also left Neil deeply unsettled. He said his teenage daughter was in tears at the sight of him and he knew the matter was serious when he woke up in hospital as his wife had brought along her brother for support. He said: "She calls him when it's something really bad so when I came round and saw him there next to her I knew something serious had happened. "I'm a big bloke, 17 stone, and my head took all the impact when I fell. "I'm looking at it now thinking it could've been so much worse. "I could've been dead and never had chance to say goodbye to my family. "The person who did this probably didn't mean to hurt me this bad, but they have to take the consequences of what they did. Apparently a witness said they just walked away. "I went out to the shops the other day and while I'm not a person who's scared, I found myself feeling worried and vulnerable. I was looking at people wondering if they were the one who did this to me. It's a horrible feeling, it's like being paranoid, worrying about who your attacker is." Lead investigator Det Con Christian Ferris said CCTV footage from the area was being gathered in an attempt to identify the suspect. He said: "This is a horrific attack and it is being investigated as grievous bodily harm. "It has had a severe impact on the victim's life, both immediate and ongoing. "We are appealing to anyone who was in area at time who either saw or knows the offender to come forward to police or contact Crimestoppers anonymously." If you can assist police with their inquiries contact them on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference number CR/087704/15.

POLICE are investigating an alleged road rage incident which left a man suffering injuries to his face. The alleged victim, Derriford-based paramedic Phil Mayes, said his attacker appeared to be under the influence at the time of the incident. Police say they received a report that two cars, a blue Peugeot 207 and a green Volkswagen Polo were involved at shortly after 3pm on December 29. Mr Mayes said he told police the Volkswagen pulled out in front of his vehicle in Tavistock Road and the driver began to make a number of hand gestures whilst veering across the street. Both cars pulled up near the Tesco store in Roborough and Mr Mayes told police the driver of the Volkswagen, described as a young male, got out of his car, approached Mr Mayes and punched him in the face, leaving him with scratches and a lump to his lip. Police are keen to hear from anyone who saw any part of the alleged incident involving the vehicles. The Volkswagen bore the registration V804 JKM. Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting police log number 425 of 29/12/2015.

A NOTORIOUS one-legged beggar has been jailed for asking a man with cerebral palsy for money in the street. Homeless Anthony Fox, aged 53, asked the stranger for money "for a beggar to get a burger". He breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order banning him from begging – for the sixth time in 2015. His solicitor told Plymouth magistrates he was "destitute" and had no choice but to depend on the charity of others. Magistrates, who heard he has more than 120 offences on his record, jailed him for 40 days. Fox, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to breaching his ASBO by begging on December 28. Gareth Warden, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Fox approached a man who has cerebral palsy and walks with a stick. He added the man tried to avoid eye contact but Fox struck up a conversation in Union Street. Mr Warden said: "He asked whether the man had any spare change 'for a beggar to get a burger'." He added the man said he had no money and Fox told him: "No worries, thank you." The court heard that the exchange was seen by a nearby doorman who knew of the ASBO. Fox was arrested nearby. The heroin addict was jailed for 27 months last year for pressuring a man with learning difficulties to hand over more than £11,000. Julian Jefferson, for Fox, said it was a "desperately unhappy situation". He added Fox, who lost a leg as a teenager, had no home and no benefits. Mr Jefferson said he was destitute because his benefits had been stopped during a previous prison sentence and had not yet been restored. He pointed out that Fox had not been menacing during the exchange with the stranger. Mr Jefferson said: "How much more polite can you get?"

A CALLOUS bank worker faces jail for plundering more than £60,000 from a lottery winner's account. Customer adviser Gerard Brannan, aged 27, siphoned the man's money away for nearly two years, Plymouth magistrates heard. He pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between September 2013 and June 2015. Brannan dishonestly acted against the financial interests of the account holder to take £61,570. The bench ruled that their power to jail him for up to six months may not be enough – and have sent him to be sentenced by a judge. The money has been repaid to the customer by the bank. Gareth Warden, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the victim was "extremely distressed". He added: "This was a huge amount of money taken regularly over a long period of time. The victim was vulnerable and this was a major breach of trust." Graham Kinchin, for Brannan, said he had no previous convictions and added there was "substantial mitigation". Magistrates released him on unconditional bail to appear at Plymouth Crown Court for sentence on January 29. Brannan, of Efford Road, will see a probation officer for a report to be prepared on his background.

PLYMOUTH'S pubs and clubs are preparing for one of the busiest nights of the year as thousands of people are set to see in the New Year with a night out on the tiles. Party-goers are expected to flock to the Barbican, North Hill and Union Street to wave goodbye to 2015 in style. Police are also set to be there in force – with typical New Year's Eve nights in Plymouth ending in up to 800 emergency calls and 120 arrests. Officers are also set to be deployed to nightspots in Looe, where hundreds – many in fancy dress – will gather to welcome 2016. According to research, the average New Year's Eve reveller will splash £54 on their night out, despite as many as two thirds saying they would be staying indoors this year. Research shows how people in their 30s are expected to spend an average of £84 each on tonight's celebrations.

Police are hunting vandals who killed thousands of bees at the historic former home of Sir Francis Drake.

Bees have been kept at Buckland Abbey for centuries and are thought to have been there when the famous explorer lived there for 15 years there in the late 16th century.

But the ten hives containing 35,000 bees at the National Trust property in Yelverton, Devon were badly damaged on Saturday evening after being knocked over.

And despite the best efforts of beekeeper David Milford at least 5,000 of the insects have perished in the attack.

David, 68, now fears for the wellbeing of the rest of the swarm and voiced his shock at the "stupid" act of vandalism.

He said: "I got a phone call on Saturday evening saying that someone had been in the evening and knocked down all my hives.

"Most of the hives which were knocked over were relatively intact, which made life easier, but it was so dark and there was only so much we could do.

"I went back on Sunday and set about clearing it up.

"There was no doubt that it could have been caused by anything other than vandalism.

"The wind was strong but the hives were too heavy to be knocked over.

"It had to be human beings, because they knocked over every single hive and two stacks of empty boxes that I had there, and spread the contents all over the place.

"It was a right mess but it the bees that suffered - I lost around 5,000 all together."

David, chairman of the Plymouth branch of the Devon Beekeepers' Association, said the bees drowned while trying to find their way back to their hives in the heavy rain.

He added: "This is a stupid act of vandalism and although I keep bees of a generally quiet temperament, I hope the perpetrators got stung as many times as I did putting them all back together again.

"I would just like to meet these people to explain to them what the damage they have caused and what bees do for us as human beings."

The honey bee is considered to be the most important pollinator in the world, responsible for pollinating at least 90 per cent of commercial crops.

But the number of bee colonies in the UK has been in decline for years because of various threats to their survival.

David said: "Every hive is vital, the people who damaged these hives need educating into the damage they could have done.

"It is vital that we keep honey bees going to pollination of plants.

"Pollination is the most important thing that they do, the honey-bee is one of 250 variety of bee in the United Kingdom, and they all have a part in pollination.

"If crops are not pollinated effectively, yields drop dramatically and that means less food for the population.

"There are a lot of challenges for bees at the moment, not only do we continue to fight the onslaught of the varroa mite, which has been with us since 1992 and has decimated colonies country wide.

"There is also the debate about neonicotinoids, which we are awaiting the outcome of the investigation which has been taken place."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact them on 101.

A four-year-old girl has been left injured after glue was put on a toilet seat at a McDonalds restaurant in Devon.

Kaya Langmead used the toilets at the High Street branch of McDonalds in Exeter.

Kaya went to the ground floor bathroom and was left in pain when strong glue covering the toilet pulled some of the skin off her leg when she got up.

Police are now investigating the incident and are keen to talk to two teenage girls who were in the area before the incident.

Her mum, Nicole, said: "I was waiting outside the toilets with my two daughters for quite a long time.

"We were just about to give up when these two girls came out of the bathroom laughing. They were probably in their early teens. I didn't think too much of it and Kaya went into the toilet.

"A short while later she came out in tears and told me that she had become stuck to the seat."

Nicole and McDonalds staff investigated the bathroom and found that glue had been spread across the toilet and surrounding area. The police were informed.

Praising staff at McDonalds, Nicole added: "They were really good. We were all just shocked that people would do something like this or fund it funny. My daughter was left in tears and the skin was ripped off the back of her legs. She has gone into the new year in shock and sad that someone would do this to her."

Following the incident at around 2.30pm on New Year's Eve, Nicole posted a message on Facebook to warn others of the prank. She wrote: "To the two young blonde girls that thought it would be so hilarious to put super glue on the disabled and baby changing toilet in McDonalds, I just want you to know that I'm still having to console my four-year-old daughter who was unfortunate enough to use the toilet after your little prank. The backs of her legs and bum are red raw after the glue had stuck her to the seat and she has been in tears on and off since, I hope you're proud of yourselves! The police are looking into it and the staff at McDonalds are checking all their CCTV footage but already seem to know who you are! Your families must be so proud!"

Kaya was left with glue stuck to her and some skin ripped off her legs but recovered over the weekend.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "We were called to the Exeter High Street McDonalds just after 2.30pm on Thursday after reports of criminals damage to the downstairs toilets. We would like to talk to two girls were on the scene shortly before the incident."

One of the girls is described as white with shoulder length brown hair and was wearing an Adidas tracksuit. The other is white with long blonde hair and was wearing a red and white check shirt and blue skinny jeans. Both are thought to be aged 16 to 18.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting crime reference 089567/15.

A dog named Pirate is to be put down - after biting a human for the fifth time. The black and white border collie sank its teeth into the arm of a young boy who playfully tried to pick up its ball on a beach. After hearing it was the fifth time the dog had bitten someone, magistrates gave an order that Pirate should be destroyed. The dog's owner Kenneth Alford, 64, of Paignton, Devon, was also given a four-month suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping dogs for five years. Shaun Tipton, prosecuting at Torquay Magistrates' Court, said Alford had taken the dog to Goodrington Beach in September 2015 and let him off his lead. The dog then ran off and bit the child. He said: "You might have been doing your best to look after the dog and stop it from attacking others, but that was not good enough for those who have been injured by your dog. "It appears that the dog bared its teeth and jumped up and then bit the child on the arm." Defending himself, Alford said that it was out of character for the dog to have bitten someone. He said: "To people he knows, he is a lovely dog, but he does have a problem with strangers when they try to touch him. He is not an aggressive dog. "On the day I heard him snarling. I rushed to see what was going on. He carries a football and is very protective about it. "What I assume happened is the person went to take the football and throw it for him and he injured him with puncture marks. "I am not saying it is right to bite anyone but it is out of character for the dog." However, Mr Tipton told the court that this was the fifth time that the dog had bitten someone and that he had failed to adhere to police advice and warnings about looking after him. Magistrates ordered that the dog to be destroyed, unless an appeal is lodged within 21 days. Alford pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dangerous dog which was dangerously out of control. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £250, a victim surcharge of £80 and costs of £85, and was given a rehabilitation activity requirement.

A reckless Devon motorcyclist was arrested when he tried to take off his jacket - while moving along a road. Devon and Cornwall police also arrested a man driving his car with a broken arm and another who had a carpet sticking out of his side window. The alarming incidents were among the worst examples of dangerous driving recorded by Devon and Cornwall police last year. A spokesman said: "Driving a vehicle is a very responsible act. "Driving in the manner in which some of these people were caught can be dangerous, not only to themselves but also other road users, and wherever possible police will take action." Iain Temperton of campaigners Road Safety GB said: "It is the responsibility of every road user to ensure their own and other people's safety. "Being in control of a vehicle is one of the most fundamental things we need to think about. "Driving a car or a motorbike, whilst we do it daily, is not an easy task and the margins for error remain really small. "We full support constabularies in their efforts to apprehend and prosecute against these sorts of convictions."

A COACH driver appeared before magistrates in Bodmin today charged with causing the death of two women after a crash near Looe. Martin Chun, 59, whose address was listed as Shawthorne Bungalow, Exeter, was sent to Truro Crown Court on unconditional bail for a hearing on February 5. He is charged with causing the death of Margaret Luxton and Carol Muldoon by driving an Iveco coach dangerously on the A387 at Leyand, Looe, on May 13, 2014. He is also charged with causing serious injury to Joyce Walton, Mary Muldoon, June Steer and Terry Pullybank by driving the same vehicle dangerously on the same date in the same location.

A chef gave a woman two minutes to send him pictures of her naked under threat that if she didn't he would share an image of her breasts on Facebook. Gino Davies, 23, from east Cornwall sent the woman a screengrab listing her online contacts and ordered her to send him sexual images if she didn't want the breast picture shared online. The chef, who was using a false name, told her: "You've got two minutes or else it goes everywhere." When the woman refused to comply he posted the picture alongside her name. Davies, of Northey Road, pleaded guilty to disclosing a private sexual photograph with intent to cause the woman distress on July 23, 2015. Alison May, for the prosecution, said that the woman had been contacted on Facebook by Davies, who said his name was 'Niall Gavin' and asked to be her friend. She declined but they chatted privately and then communicated via WhatsApp, where he was identified only by a number. He then sent her a picture on WhatsApp of what he said were his private parts and she sent him one of her face and cleavage. He then asked her to send an image of her breasts exposed. After initially refusing, she agreed and moments later he sent her another image of what she believed were his private parts. "The conversation then got aggressive," said Mrs May, with Davies saying that if she did not send explicit photographs he would send the image of her breasts to her family and friends. "It was as if he was doing a countdown," said Mrs May, "he told her 'you've got two minutes or else it goes everywhere'." He then told her, "I'm a fake." When she didn't do as he had requested, he posted the image, naming her in the posting. The woman had been left feeling used, said Mrs May. Police inquiries traced the use of the social media to Davies, who told officers he had been very stupid and had done it to get gratification. Paul Brookman, for the defence, said that Davies was a young man who had no previous convictions. The offence had not involved numerous pictures or recipients. Probation officer Rose Ryan, giving a pre-sentence report, said that Davies had been lonely because his relationship was going through a difficult time and he had been using the internet more and more. He had become angry with the woman when she wouldn't send him more images, but now felt terrible. Davies was given a two-month prison sentence, suspended for one year and ordered to undertake a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days with the probation service. He was ordered to pay the woman £250 compensation for the distress she had suffered as well as £85 in prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge. Magistrate David Stevens, chairman of the bench, told Davies: "My suggestion to you is 'get off the internet'." He said: "You caused humiliation to the victim and threatening and offensive methods were used. There are also the sinister overtones of false identity which proves how dangerous these sites are."

A LONELY hearts fraudster dubbed a "cash card Casanova" has been jailed for stealing from a string of girlfriends. Michael Brain, aged 46, took cash from two women he was seeing at the same time, Plymouth Crown Court heard. He also stole cheques from the estranged husband of a third woman to fund his drinking and gambling habit. Former Royal Navy sailor Brain was also in breach of a suspended prison sentence for stealing £3,000 from the account of a fourth woman. Jailing him for a total of 70 weeks, a judge dubbed him a "cash card Casanova". Recorder Stephen Parish told him: "You appear to get yourself involved with women and then you take advantage of them, typically taking their cash cards." Brain, of Merrivale Road, Beacon Park, admitted stealing seven cheques in Launceston in June or July. He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud where he forged signatures on the cheques and made them payable to himself, gaining £2,698. Brain also admitted stealing £170 from one woman and £150 from another in Plymouth on October 26. The court heard he was in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed for theft of £3,000 from a previous girlfriend in Derbyshire in 2014. Sally Daulton, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the first victim was estranged from his wife but allowed her to stay at his home near Launceston while he was on a three-week holiday. He added that he came home to be told by his bank that they had refused cheques drawn on his account and payable to Brain. The husband discovered that the bank had paid out £2,698 on cheques he had not signed. Mrs Daulton said the man challenged his partner who admitted her boyfriend, Brain, had been at his home with her. The court heard that the bank refunded the victim. She added that Brain went on to steal from two women he was seeing – on the same day in October. The husband bravely read a statement to the court. He said that he felt his home had been "contaminated". The man added that the theft had "driven a wedge" between himself, his wife and their children. He said: "I hate the idea that someone has been rummaging through my possessions." Michael Green, for Brain, said: "When there are problems he goes back to drinking and gambling and he is on a downward spiral." He added that he was "ashamed and embarrassed" at his offending. Mr Green said that he did not start his offending spree until his late 30s, after leaving the Royal Navy and splitting up with his wife.

A MAN who was seriously injured in a freak crushing incident remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital The 31-year-old from Bridgend, Wales became trapped in between a lorry and a retracting bar in Faraday Road, Prince Rock, near an electrical substation at around 10.15am on January 7. Police confirmed the four-axle extending frame flat-bed HGV was stationary at the time of the incident. The 31-year-old, who worked for lorry firm Bryan Alexander Ltd in Bridgend, had been in the road carrying out work at the rear of the vehicle while a colleague was retracting an extending bar at the rear of the lorry. The man is understood to have moved to one side as another vehicle passed by, placing himself inside the area where the mechanism was being retracted and unseen by his colleague. Police say the man's chest and stomach became trapped in between the bar and the lorry's main body, leaving him with what police described as life threatening injuries. Paramedics treated him at the scene before he was taken to Derriford Hospital. It is understood he has undergone at least two surgical operations and he is still in a critical but stable condition. A joint investigation by Plymouth detectives and members of the Health and Safety Executive is now under way. Members of the injured man's family were driven to his bedside from South Wales by police. Investigators say they are keen to hear from any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time. To assist with the ongoing inquiry call police on 101 quoting police log number 197 of 7/1/2016.

A MAN accused of driving dangerously on the A38 is to face a judge and jury. Peter Lamerton, aged 64, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court to deny the offence. He allegedly drove a Citroen C5 dangerously on the A38 and the A386 in Plymouth on May 28. Judge Ian Lawrie set down a two-day trial to start on March 9. Lamerton, of First Avenue, Stoke, was released on unconditional bail until that hearing.

A TAXI driver who assaulted three female passengers can legally continue taking fares after Plymouth City Council said its licensing committee had yet to receive his criminal record from police. Augustin Marian, of Union Street, was arrested following an incident at Sherwell Arcade in North Hill on August 11. He was accused of assaulting three women who it was claimed had been in his Hackney cab. He denied the offence but following trial at Plymouth Magistrates court he was found guilty on December 1 of all three counts of assault by beating. Marian, aged 33, was handed a community order and told to carry out 120 hours unpaid work over the next 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation and a Criminal Courts Charge of £520. As a consequence, Plymouth City Council, who had the driver on their books as Sergio Marian Augustin, said it was likely the matter would be referred to its Taxi Licensing Committee who have the power to decide whether any driver is 'fit and proper' to retain a licence. It was expected the matter would be resolved on January 7 when the committee met. However, The Herald has learned that despite the court having details about the conviction, the committee was unable to consider any decision as it had yet to receive confirmation of the incident from police. In effect, it means the driver can continue to carry fares if he wishes until the next committee meeting. A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said: "We are aware of this case but we are awaiting further detail from Devon and Cornwall Police and we anticipate that our Taxi Licensing Committee will be considering this case at its next meeting in February. "The Taxi Licensing Committee will need a full and detailed report before coming to any decision, and this cannot happen until we have all the relevant detail from police. The committee will hear the matter at the earliest available opportunity." A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Devon and Cornwall Police's disclosure team originally advised Plymouth City Council of Mr Marian's arrest on August 12 regarding alleged offences that took place on August 11, and his subsequent bail conditions. "They then requested further information on Friday December 18. Due to staffing numbers this request was unable to be processed over the Christmas period. A detailed police report was made available to Plymouth City Council's Taxi Licensing Committee on January 8."

A foul mouthed English teacher made outrageous sexual comments to two 16-year-olds on Facebook - claiming one them wanted to have oral sex with him. Anthony Conroy, 46, also told them about his girlfriends' 'fake boobs' and spoke in derogatory terms about gay people while talking about the sexuality of both staff and pupils. The disgraced former head of English at the MOD run Gloucester School - attended by the children of British Forces personnel based at the Bergen-Hohne military base near Hannover - has now been banned from the classroom for life. The National College for Teaching and Leadership found him guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. He had worked at the Service Children's Education school for ten years when the conversations occurred in June and July 2014. A transcript had been printed off Pupil A's Facebook account and provided to the headteacher. In it he told Pupil B that Pupil A "wanted to give him a 'bj'", that he can always get "you know what" and that she would "work hard." He also said "if she could suck his c*** she could accept his friend request." He also called them "darling," "babe", asked about the love lives of one or more students, used kisses in one or more messages and discussed their crushes. He embarrassed Pupil B at the school Prom by announcing she fancied a teacher and used inappropriate language such as 'frigging' 'f*****' ,'bitch', 'pisses,' 'bollocked' and 'suck my c***'. Conroy also discussed his girlfriend being annoyed one or more students had a crush on him, sent pictures of her and spoke about her 'fake boobs' and how he had 'bought them' for her. He told the girls she thought he should have a gay fling, called her a 'high maintenance diva' saying she 'comes for a week and packs for a f***** fortnight' and said gay men fancied him. He referred to gays as 'gaybois', 'bois', 'bi bois' and 'femme gayer' while describing straights as 'real men'. Conroy, who did not attend the hearing in Coventry and is understood to be in Dubai, also discussed some of the students' sexuality. He was described as well liked and popular and did not dispute the remarks but said it was totally out of character and he regretted it. He argued he was in substantial debt and two close colleagues had died laeving himk unable to sleep and drionking too much. He blamed the incidents on stress. As part of the school's investigation which took place in September 2014 Conroy said he believed he interacted with between 40 and 50 students on Facebook, a third of them boys. Panel chair Mr Phillip Riggon said the content of the Facebook transcripts allows no other conclusion that the sexualised language was inappropriate since "it contains references to oral sex, fake boobs, gay persons and sexuality of both staff and some pupils." He also disclosed personal information to one or more students for whom he was in a position of trust through "conversations about the sexuality of a staff colleague and the very personal details of Mr Conroy's relationship with his then girlfriend." Mr Riggon said: "The panel noted in particular the effect that Mr Conroy's unwelcome behaviour had on Pupils A and B who were both described as vulnerable pupils by the headteacher. "Pupil A is quoted as saying she did not want to be in school the following September if the teacher was in school and that she was scared she may bump into him. "Pupil B said that she felt awkward when she saw him in school and did not speak to him. She did not really want to see him. "At the end of her interview with the headteacher she said "This is not a place I want to be, I feel bad for getting him in trouble." He added: "The serious nature of his conduct is further aggravated by the age of the pupils involved, the sexualised and graphic language deployed, his intolerance of gay people and the breach of trust disclosed by this case." Conroy was prohibited from teaching indefinitely which means he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England. Decision makers Jayne Millions, on behalf of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, said in view of the seriousness of the allegations he shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.

Police are looking for a woman who came to the rescue of a driver after his van was hijacked in Plymouth. As reported in The Herald a male van driver stopped to deliver a parcel on Church Street, Stoke, on Monday 1 February 2016. When the 37-year-old van driver, from Tiverton, got out of the van he was pushed to the floor by a man who took the keys and drove off in it. The victim flagged down a black Peugeot 308 estate which was driven by an unknown woman who officers are trying to trace. They drove off after the van for around a mile but then lost sight of it. The white Ford Transit van and its contents were stolen between 2.45pm and 3.45pm, outside the Stoke Damerel Business Centre. The suspect is described as a black man, of slim build, aged between 30 and 40, with a full dark beard. He was wearing a black beanie hat and black jacket. Detective Constable Steve Watts, from Totnes CID, said: "We would like to speak to this woman as a witness as she may be able to help with our enquiries and we are urging her to get in touch." The driver of the Peugeot, and anyone else with information that could assist with the investigation, can contact police on 101 or email 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk, quoting crime reference CR/007045/16. Information can also be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111 or reporting online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

POTENTIAL car thieves have been foiled by a Plymouth police dog.

Axel the police dog's Twitter account last night reported that men were seen trying to gain entry to several vehicles while holding bolt choppers.

However, it appears one look at Devon and Cornwall's finest canine sent them into hiding, with the suspects and bolt choppers eventually found by Axel.

Males seen trying car doors ipo bolt choppers. They ran and were tracked and located hiding by Axel. Bag and croppers located nearby by Ax.
— PD Axel - D&C Police (@PD_Axel) March 3, 2016

Police investigating the death of a south Devon man at a scooter rally in Dorset have charged another man with manslaughter. The man, who has been named locally as 36-year-old David 'Chewie' Coxon and is believed to be from Torquay, was pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning at Sandford Holiday Park in Holton Heath, Dorset. An investigation was subsequently launched by Dorset Police's Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) and on Sunday night, 41-year-old Jason James of Torquay, has been charged with manslaughter. He will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday, March 7. Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Mark Samuel, of Dorset Police's MCIT, said: "Following a fast-moving and thorough investigation, we have consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service who authorised the charge of manslaughter. "Family liaison officers have updated the victim's family with this development and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. "Detectives continue to work on this investigation and I would appeal to any witnesses at Sandford Holiday Park, who are yet to speak with police, to contact us urgently. "It is also important to stress – as is typical in such circumstances – that it would be entirely inappropriate for Dorset Police to comment further ahead of the trial. It is vital that the justice system is allowed to follow its course." Next of kin have been notified and HM Coroner has been made aware, although formal identification has yet to take place. Tributes have been paid to David Coxon, described by friends as a larger-than-life character who will be missed by everyone. Sandford Holiday Park was playing host to a scooter rally over the weekend for Dorset-based Modrapheniacs, which drew in a crowd of up to 700 people, and David, a member of the Devon-based Cyder Commando Scooter Club, was at the Holiday Park for the scooter rally. Spud Strudwick from the club paid tribute to David, saying that he was a larger-than-life character who will be missed by everyone. Spud said: "We miss him dearly and love him loads. It is very sad news for us and for everyone for knew him. He will be sadly missed by everyone. "He was a larger- than-life character and he meant a lot to those who met him. He was a great and a tremendous bloke and his passing is a sad loss." Other tributes have poured in for David, described a "lovely guy" and a "big, friendly giant" in emotional tributes. One friend, Tony Wright, said: "Some family you're born into, some you pick to be a part of. You will be sadly missed my brother." Another, Darren Latimer, wrote on Facebook: "Very sad day today. Lost a true Cyder Commandos SC legend today. "A big friendly giant. Love you mate every day. Miss you mate. RIP Dave Chewie Coxon. Ride with the gods. Lisa Paris added: "So sad. Such a gentle giant. Condolences to all of Dave's family and friends." Parkdean Holidays, which own the resort, boast 24 award-winning holiday parks spanning across the south west of England, South Wales, Norfolk and Scotland. Sandford offers activities such as crazy golf and go-karting for youngsters, as well as evening entertainment shows, swimming pools, bowling and an amusement arcade. A spokesman for Sandford Holiday Park said: "There has been a serious incident overnight and we are helping the police with their investigations. "Our thoughts are very much with the family at this time."

A teacher has spoken of her fear she had been personally targeted after vandals attacked her car as it was parked in Plymouth, covering it with superglue and sealing the doors shut.

Student teacher Jenny Bradshaw had left her red Citroen C3 parked overnight in the city centre and when she returned to it the following afternoon she found the locks and doors had all been sealed.

The mystery attacker had even glued down the petrol cap and wiper blades in what police described as a "pointless crime against a lovely woman".

Jenny, 31, said: "I got to the car and unlocked it with my central locking and when I got to the door, I realised there was glue all over the door handle and the lock.

"It was all over the seal of the door so when I tried to open it, it wouldn't open.

"I went round to the other side and saw that the petrol cap had been glued around the seal so I couldn't open that.

"The left windscreen wiper was also glued to the windscreen and there was a big blob of glue on the front bonnet and also on the back windscreen as well."

The car was parked outside the former St John's Ambulance centre in Plymouth, Devon and police suspect the vandal struck after burgling the building and stealing the glue.

Jenny added: "I think it was unprovoked - the police said someone broke into the hall and stole glue.

"None of the other cars parked nearby were damaged so I think it was just unlucky.

"At the time I took it quite personally."

Jenny, of Kingsbridge, eventually managed to get into the 10 year-old car, worth £1,000, after her dad helped her scrape off the glue.

She has yet to tot up the cost of repairing the damage and added: "If I can use it the car without it being affected, then I won't get the insurance involved."

Police said: "Somebody has decided to damage the vehicle by super gluing the locks, petrol cap, doors, and wiper blades.

"The owner of the vehicle is a lovely person and we do not know the motive behind it.

"Pointless crimes like this can cause great upset, distress and inconvenience."

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