Weekly round-up: Stories you may have missed

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News image — A derelict hotel has been destroyed after it was deliberately set on fire

BBC An aerial view of smoke billowing from the derelict hotel. The building is white and the roof is black with smoke. — A derelict hotel has been destroyed after it was deliberately set on fire

A museum on a train, a derelict hotel destroyed by a deliberate fire and a bid for a 'flagship nature destination' are just a few of the stories from south-west England this week.

We have picked out some stories you may have missed from the region.

Maritime drone sector to get £50m boost

PA Media A wide shot of a submarine at water level. The sun has gone down and is glistening on the sea. — MP Rebecca Smith says the government needs to go further to support defence firms in Plymouth and the South West

The South West's defence sector will get £50m to develop maritime drones, create "hundreds of jobs" and boost national security, the government says.

The investment would also "cut red tape", fund training and "keep Britain safe", it added.

Part of the defence growth strategy unveiled in 2025, the £50m would "make it easier" for firms to develop and test surface and subsurface maritime drones - a term used to describe remotely operated vehicles that can move through water.

South West Devon Conservative MP Rebecca Smith welcomed the funding, but warned that businesses in Plymouth's marine autonomy sector might "pick up and leave" without regulation changes and a defence investment plan.

Driver with dog on lap snapped by police camera

Vision Zero South West A picture of a dog sat on the lap of a driver. The drivers hands are on the steering wheel. The dog has long hair and is looking to the left of the screen. — The dog was spotted on a Devon and Cornwall Police camera

An investigation is under way after a driver was spotted with a dog resting on their lap while their vehicle was moving.

The image was taken by a Devon and Cornwall Police camera on the A39 at Penryn.

A spokesperson for the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership said the Road Traffic Act required drivers to always be in "proper control of the vehicle and have a clear view of the road ahead".

It added that the registered vehicle keeper was to be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution to compel them to identify the driver.

Museum train marks 200 years of rail

A train comprising four carriages with the words Railway 200 and Inspiration Tour is pulled into Newquay station under a blue sky. There are two railway lines - the one not in use by the exhibit train has one depaerting away from Newquay. On the exhibit train - the carriages are brightly coloured and they each have a different exhibition inside them. They are called Railway Firsts (history), Wonderlab on Wheels (interactive engineering), Your Railway Future (careers/innovation), and a Partner Zone. — The Inspiration train at Newquay Station

A special train with hands-on interactive exhibits has pulled into Newquay Station to celebrate 200 years of public rail travel in the UK.

Inspiration is a mobile exhibition which toured the country last year as part of national celebrations and its tour has now been extended due to its popularity.

It arrived in the north Cornwall town on Monday as part of its 60-stop tour which Network Rail said had already attracted 80,000 visitors.

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: "Railways are one of history's most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment."

Tate brothers' cash to 'help reduce threat to women'

Octav Ganea/Reuters A head shot of Andrew Tate up close and just out of focus behind him is his brother Tristan. Sunshine is lighting their faces. Andrew is wearing sunglasses and has a black curly beard and Tristan has a similar beard. Andrew appears to be talking while Tristan is smiling. — Police said £50,000 seized from Andrew and Tristan Tate would help fund the Cornwall Male Ally Network

Police are using money seized from controversial social influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan to fund work to combat violence against women and girls.

Devon and Cornwall Police is match-funding £50,000 with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for a pilot project called Cornwall Male Ally Network.

The initiative is aimed at supporting positive male role models, challenging harmful behaviours and creating safer environments for women and girls.

In December 2024, a court ruled the force could seize more than £2.9m because the Tate brothers had not paid tax on £21m of revenue from their business and had laundered money through bank accounts based in Devon.

Derelict hotel destroyed by 'deliberate fire'

The former hotel viewed from a drone. The front of the building is in tact but the roof is missing. The rooms and windows are blackened. — The fire service said the fire had been deliberately started

A derelict hotel in a seaside town has been destroyed after it was deliberately set on fire.

The fire at the former Sherwood Hotel on Belgrave Road in Torquay was reported to have started at about 13:50 BST on Saturday.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service sent about 90 crew members to the scene and said it had been the second attendance to the building in three days.

A spokesperson said the three-storey building was structurally unsafe and had been 100% destroyed by the fire which had a "deliberate cause".

Bid for £1.9m for 'flagship nature destination'

John Stephen The west walk at Seaton, with the shore on the left-hand side of the image and a large path on the right-hand side with metal fencing separating the two. In the distance there are large white cliffs making up headlands and next to the path there are red cliffs with a bit of grass covering them. — Officer James Chubb said new intertidal habitats could support carbon capture due to their environmental properties

A bid is to be made for nearly £2m in National Lottery funding to enhance a wetland and surrounding nature sites.

East Devon District Council has approved plans for officers to develop a £1.92m application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve Seaton Wetlands.

The plans included a visitor hub, bird hide and new accessible paths linking the Seaton town centre to nearby nature reserves.

The proposal aims to develop the wetlands as a "flagship nature destination".

Four swimmers rescued from 'powerful rip'

RNLI The west walk at Seaton, with the shore on the left-hand side of the image and a large path on the right-hand side with metal fencing separating the two. In the distance there are large white cliffs making up headlands and next to the path there are red cliffs with a bit of grass covering them. — Officer James Chubb said new intertidal habitats could support carbon capture due to their environmental properties

Four swimmers had to be rescued after they were caught in a "powerful rip" off the Cornish coast, the RNLI said.

Lifeguards responded to the incident at Tregantle Beach, Whitsand Bay, on Wednesday afternoon.

The RNLI said lifeguard supervisor Charlie Gillett had positioned himself at Sharrow to monitor the water due to concerns about rip currents. He spotted four swimmers in difficulty at the far end of the area known as Longsands, with one person appearing to be in immediate distress.

The RNLI said due to the severity of the incident, additional support was requested including Looe RNLI's Atlantic and D class inshore lifeboats.

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