A man who entered a burning building, believing people could be trapped inside, was taken to hospital suffering the effects of smoke.

Fire crews from Ashburton and Buckfastleigh were called out after a report of a man trapped inside a property on Old Totnes Road in Ashburton, at 2.25am on Saturday.

A police spokesman said: “He went in there thinking someone might be inside.”

No one else was in the building, he added.

The fire crews rescued the man, who was conscious and breathing. Paramedics took him to hospital.

The fire is believed to have started in an electricity meter.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Blaze-rescue-man-hospital/article-1602116-detail/article.html

Night-time raiders attacked nearly 30 caravans in a £7,000 raid at Ashburton.

In the break-in at the Outdoor Experience caravan business, thieves grabbed 22 towing stabilisers and 27 jockey-wheel assemblies.

Police believe the intruders struck by breaking in from the A38 which runs past the site in Chuley Road.

Detectives investigating the break-in said the premises were gated and locked at the time of the theft of caravan equipment.

Det Con Jim Spencer, of Newton Abbot CID, said he could not rule out the possibility the raiders parked up on the A38’s hard shoulder to get into the site.

“If anyone saw people acting suspiciously on the night of November 20 we would like to hear from them,” he said.

It is reckoned the break-in happened between 5.10pm on the Friday and 7.30pm the next day.

Since that break-in the premises suffered another attack last week when a window was removed from a Jubilee Ambassador caravan.

Company salesman Mike Taylor believes the window may have been stolen to order.

“On this occasion they got in by cutting the wire at the bottom of the yard,” said Mike, who used to be the company’s general manager before his retirement.

It is believed the culprits managed to evade the scope of the on-site CCTV system on each strike.

Det Con Spencer appealed for anyone with information to contact him on 08452 777444, quoting crime JA/09/495.

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Plea-witnesses-163-7-000-raid/article-1586933-detail/article.html

Canoeists visiting the River Dart this winter will benefit from the return of the highly successful River Dart Canoe Shuttle Bus. This special service funded by the British Canoe Union Regional Access Team and facilitated by Dartmoor National Park Authority runs between Holne Bridge and New Bridge, enabling easier use of the most popular section of this river by canoeists and reducing traffic congestion at Holne bridge.

The service operates at weekends through to 14 March  2010 subject to suitable water levels on the section of river between Newbridge and Holne Bridge, known as ‘the loop’.

Starting at 10 am, from Buckfastleigh Steam Railway Station, with a run to the River Dart Country Park and then Newbridge,  the Canoe Bus shuttles canoeists and their boats back up ‘the loop’ from Holne Bridge and the River Dart Country Park to Newbridge, approximately every thirty minutes until 4 pm. At approximately 1 pm there is also a passenger only run, from Newbridge to Dartmeet, for those paddling the upper Dart section of the river.

Operating  the River Dart Canoe Shuttle Bus is only possible thanks to generous funding from the British Canoe Union’s Dart Access Fund. To help ensure the future of this service a donation box is placed on the bus and canoeists are invited to make a voluntary contribution of £1.50 for their journey.

http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au_canbus09