The beach that covers nearly two acres went for over double of it’s guide price which is £30,000.

The man who it was sold to Tony Willis, executive of international recruitment said that he will not be developing the beach.

Senior auctioneer Graham Barton said:

“It is not a romantic purchase. Someone has a commercial eye on something happening there.

“There are any number of commercial possibilities, and there are many people with deep pockets who are prepared to take their chance with the planners.”

But Tony Willis said:

“I am not a property developer. People do not need to worry about that.

“I love the beach. It is going to be fine.

“It’s very rare that a private beach in such a beautiful location comes up for sale. It seemed crazy not to buy it.

“We spend a lot of time there as a family and we bought it because it is one of our favourite places in the world.”

Overall 12 guillemots had been found on the coast covered in the substance.

The Birds were recovered by the RSPCA and say that the substance that the birds are covered in is the same substance that killed hundreds of sea birds during the month of February. 

A spokesman said: There is no indication of where the pollution is coming from.

“Five of the birds have been taken to the RSPCA West Hatch wildlife centre in Taunton, Somerset, where unfortunately due to their extremely poor condition, they have been put to sleep.”

The substance is glue like and restricts the birds from flying and as a result a full investigation from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who will try to find the source of the substance.

The couple have opted for a central heating free environment by wrapping up warm in bed and cuddling up to each over. 

Joanne Bell Said:  ”Energy firms are making more and more profit and families are suffering.”

She also added: ”I heard on the radio about an elderly woman who had had her central heating off for three years. It was the incentive I needed.

“I am an old aged pensioner and my money only goes so far. I do not want to give money to billionaire energy companies.

“We are all suffering, so I thought we would make this stand because I can’t afford it and I’m very cross.”

She said she was “thoroughly enjoying” the experience.

“It’s not as bad as people think,” she said.

Ashburton Primary School has been closed for the day after the road outside had partially collapsed also fire crews have been out all morning rescuing from flooded cars.

A number of roads have been hit hard by the rain and as a result have disintegrated some roads including Roads in Ivybridge, Newton Abbot, Bovey Tracey, and Exton.

Also it is heard that roads that are used regularly have been hit with landslips and it is also reported that Luscombe Hill has been blocked of by a fallen tree.

Peter Griffendon said : ”I found a little road was disintegrating, and it has a culvert that runs underneath.

“I realised that there was a danger the road was going to collapse into the culvert.”

Joss Stone told the trial of Kevin Liverpool and Junior Bradshaw: ‘Apart from someone coming around to say someone is trying to kill me, it was a really nice day.’

The two men named Liverpool, 35, and Bradshaw, 32 have both been accused of conspiring to murder the soul singer in June 2011.

The two men were found just miles from her home in which police officers found a samurai sword, a hammer and a knife in the boot of the pairs car.

The 25 year old singer said she would have been an easy target saying:

‘I’ve lived in Devon for a long time and nobody really shuts their door.

‘I had an alarm but I did not really turn it on very much.

‘I didn’t really have a lock on my door but I do now.

‘At the time I had a gate. To get in, they (visitors) would just open the gate, drive in with their car, get up to another (wooden) gate, shut the gate hopefully so the dogs don’t get out, then say hello.’

The two men both deny the accusations and the trial is expected to last three weeks and reach a verdict.

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution has said that it has paid out twice as much grants as it did at the start of 2012.

The charity say that after a wet summer and a wet and cold winter feed the animals has been a ”crippling expense”.

Spokeswoman Phillipa Spackman “Devon had been worst hit “than any other county in the country.

]]> http://www.devoneconomy.co.uk/devon-farmers-struggle-to-feed-families/feed 0 http://www.devoneconomy.co.uk/snowy-forecast-for-devon-this-weekend http://www.devoneconomy.co.uk/snowy-forecast-for-devon-this-weekend#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:54:41 +0000 admin http://www.devoneconomy.co.uk/?p=70 Devon has been issued a weather warning for this weekend as the forecast predicts that we will be having snowy and windy filled weekend.

A yellow grade warning has been issued by the met office for Sunday and Monday. Yellow grade is the lowest grade so there no need to panic but be careful when driving and expect strong wind.

Forecasters have predicted that some areas can expect at the most 5 cm of snow, they also expect the temperature to drop and have advised people to wrap up warm along with 50 mph wind speeds it is not going to be pleasant weather.

A chief forecaster:

“A low pressure system moving up from the Atlantic will come up against the influx of cold air from the north, bringing persistent sleet and snow.

“Snow will be accompanied by a strong easterly wind which will accentuate the very cold feel.

“Accumulations of 3 – 5 cm could occur quite widely over southern counties, and the public are advised to be aware of this wintry hazard.

“At the same time winds will increase, with gusts to 50 mph on coasts and hills.”

The Lower Clyst Project would see parts of the river Clyst breached as a result by the Environment Agency and the RSPB.

The agency argue that the rising sea level were eroding the natural habitats for the birds.

But Local people argue that it could flood a road that is used frequently to cross from Exeter to East Devon as a result of flooding the fields. Also they fear that they could be cut of because of the flooding.

Nigel Cheffers-Heard, from the Bridge Inn in Topsham, said: “Once you flood these fields with salt water there is no going back.

“It comes down to people versus birds and I will always go for the people.”

Michael Dart, a resident from Darts Farm, said: “The cost of this is that the people of Topsham and east Devon could see their futures drastically affected.”

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We are looking at options to improve flood protection to the road. This could be done by raising the road on a causeway or building new embankments.”

Tony Whitehead, from the RSPB, said: “With sea level rise the intertidal habitat is reducing.

“They require protection. We need to do something.

“We want to do the best by the wildlife in a very special place.”

Between October and November the number of people claiming job seekers allowance in Devon usually significantly increases but this year it has increased by just 2 people from 9,205 to 9,207.

The number of people who are claiming job seekers allowance remains at just 2% whereas the national average is 3.8%.

Also the number of people claiming this allowance has dropped by 622 people which is a 6.3% drop from last year.

Also the number of people out of work under 25 has dropped by 30 people from  2,730 to 2700.

he road has been closed in both directions at the Weare Gifford turning at Landcross.

It should be ok to take the route tomorrow the tree should be cleared by then.