The Lib Dems are celebrating in Devon after winning the most seats in the Devon County Council elections – but no party has overall control. Sixty seats in 58 council divisions were up for election in Devon – with two divisions, Exmouth and Broadclyst, having two elected councillors each. The Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) won the majority of seats, 27, but they did not reach the threshold of more than 50 per cent – more than 31 – required to give the party overall control of the council. Reform UK also had a good night, winning 18 seats. It was, though, a disastrous day for the Conservative Party, which previously had overall control, but ended election day with seven councillors. The Green Party won six seats with two going to independent candidates. The Labour Party won no seats. There are an interesting few weeks ahead now as each grouping holds talks in a bid to agree a coalition. Comments Tel: 01626 336600[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 week five of the Axminster Wednesday league brought further action and drama as teams from the Premier League and Division 1 divisions clashed on the pitch in a thrilling spectacle of skill and strategy Firing Blanks FC found themselves outplayed by Farmers Weekly with the match ending with a 3-1 score in favour of the latter Nice To Michu and Honiton Athletic engaged in a close contest Ansu Fatties showcased a strong performance against Vikings FC Uplyme & Sinker displayed an impressive performance dominating the pitch to secure a 5-0 victory over The Roy's The star of Division 1 was undeniably William Hellier of Ansu Fatties who bagged an impressive total of 5 goals securing his position as top scorer in the division These matches have further solidified the standings in the Axminster Wednesday League and overall performance of the competing teams officials and players alike eagerly await the continuing battles on the pitch with every goal bringing teams closer to the grand victory Join our Axminster 6 a side league at the link below or get in touch on 07498360608 for more information https://www.leisureleagues.net/league/axminster-leisure-centre/axminster-wednesday Buses will replace trains between Axminster and Exeter St Davids from Saturday 9 November to Friday 22 November whilst we make track upgrades in the Honiton area engineers will install a mile of new track through Honiton Tunnel replacing the existing 50-year-old infrastructure This upgrade includes the installation of new sleepers and ballast ensuring a smoother and more reliable journey for passengers The new rail is designed to millimetre precision and will be coated with a protective layer to resist corrosion to extend its lifespan Network Rail will be completing several other essential tasks: South Western Railway (SWR) will be running rail replacement bus services between Axminster and Exeter St Davids: said: “There is never a convenient time to close the railway for an extended duration so we’re sorry to any passengers disrupted by this closure and thank them in advance for their patience and understanding "The West of England Line is a critical route for connecting passengers from Devon to London and this forthcoming work is really important for the continued safe and reliable running of train services the track through Honiton Tunnel is now life expired and in need of replacing with new and more resilient track and while that is being completed our teams will be undertaking a number of other useful pieces of key maintenance and upgrades along the line to support us in running the best possible service we can when the line reopens on Saturday 23 November.” Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway commented: “Customers travelling between Axminster and Exeter should check their journeys and allow extra time to complete them as buses are replacing trains from Saturday 9 to Friday 22 November “Closing important parts of the railway for two weeks is never an easy decision because we know how inconvenient it can be for customers but the closure will allow Network Rail to deliver significant improvements on this part of the West of England line “We thank customers for their patience as these essential improvements are carried out which will boost performance for years to come and help avoid day-to-day disruption on this busy part of our network.” to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years The Axminster Wednesday 6-a-side Football league returned for its fourth week presenting electrifying performances and thrilling showdowns This week's fixtures saw Premier League and Division 1 teams battling it out in nail-biting matches Green FC triumphed over Farmers Weekly with a 2-0 victory while Honiton Athletic and Firing Blanks FC ended in a 1-1 draw the highlight of the night was the match between The Six Offenders and Nice to Michu trouncing The Six Offenders with an astounding 10-1 victory Ashley Lillington of Nice to Michu stole the show netting an impressive four goals to become the top scorer in the division Vikings FC suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Uplyme & Sinker The match between The Roy's and The Deans ended in a 2-2 draw showcasing the evenly matched competition in this division William Hellier of Ansu Fatties emerged as the top scorer in Division 1 with a total of three goals This week's matches once again demonstrated the competitive spirit and exceptional talent featured in the Axminster Wednesday 6-a-side Football league With both the Premier League and Division 1 displaying top-quality football players can eagerly anticipate the upcoming fixtures the chase for the top scorer title is heating up with Ashley Lillington and William Hellier leading their respective divisions Join our Axminster 6 a side league at the link below or get in touch on 07498 360608 for more information Thankshttps://www.leisureleagues.net/league/axminster-leisure-centre/axminster-wednesday Buses will replace trains between Axminster and Exeter St Davids from Saturday 9 November to Friday 22 November inclusive while Network Rail engineers install a mile of new track through Honiton Tunnel Over a two-week period engineers replace the existing 50-year-old track through the tunnel as well as installing new sleepers and ballast The existing track is coming to the end of its life which means it is prone to faults which can cause disruption and delays to passengers The new rail is designed within millimetre precision and will make for smoother and more comfortable journeys with less faults It will also be coated with a protective layer which will resist corrosion and prolong the life of the track Network Rail will be utilising the time to complete a range of other work including:  South Western Railway (SWR) will be running rail replacement bus services between Axminster and Exeter St Davids:  In an exciting night of football, the Axminster Wednesday 6 a side league saw thrilling matches in both the Premier League and Division 1. In the third week of the season, teams battled it out on the pitch, showcasing their skills and determination. In the Premier League, Nice To Michu triumphed over Green FC with a close 2-1 victory. Meanwhile, Honiton Athletic dominated Farmers Weekly with an impressive 5-0 win. The match that stole the show, however, was Firing Blanks FC outplaying The Six Offenders with a commanding 7-1 victory. Leon Gibson of Firing Blanks FC stood out as the top scorer of the division, netting a spectacular total of 3 goals. Meanwhile, in Division 1, The Roy's went head to head with Anchors Away. Despite a hard-fought battle, Anchors Away emerged victorious with a 4-2 win. In another encounter, Uplyme & Sinker managed to secure a comfortable 3-0 win against Ansu Fatties. Zak Harrison of Anchors Away was the standout performer in Division 1, scoring 2 goals. The season has showcased a thrilling display of talent and tenacity thus far. As the teams progress through the season, we are eagerly anticipating the upcoming matches. With top scorers like Leon Gibson and Zak Harrison leading their respective divisions, the competition is bound to get even more intense. One thing is certain, the Axminster Wednesday 6 a side Football league continues to be a showcase of exhilarating football. Join our Axminster 6 a side league at the link below or get in touch on 07498360608 for more information. Thanks as ITV West Country's Bob Cruwys reports A family with a four-month old baby have been rescued by the coastguard after rising floodwater trapped them in their home as part of a multi-agency response to flooding in the area who was evacuated from his home with his partner and three children "I was down there at one o'clock and it was up to my ankles but then by two o'clock it was up to my knees "We tried to get everything as high up as we could," he explained He added: "We woke the kids and the animals up and thankfully everyone's okay now." Residents were evacuated from their homes after heavy rain caused flooding in Axminster senior coastal operations officer for HM Coastguard said at one point the floodwater in the area was "up to four feet deep" and they've gone to a local casualty reception centre in Axminster all safe and well which is a great result for us," he said Across Devon and Somerset, a number of roads and homes were submerged after heavy rain caused flooding overnight. It followed a number of flood alerts and warnings from the Environment Agency Axminster Fire Station said several drivers had to be rescued from their vehicles after they got stuck in floodwater HM Coastguard is urging motorists not to drive through floodwater and to find alternative routes if roads are blocked Mr Houston added: "We have no idea what's down there and we also don't know how deep it is there could be anything from manhole covers that have blown off Just stay away from it is our best advice." For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 05:26 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure A chilly start but with plenty of clear skies bringing long spells of sunshine Cloud thickening from the west later in the afternoon but remaining dry for all with light winds Evening cloud gradually clears away leaving a dry night with clear spells Wednesday brings a mixture of sunny spells and cloudy skies A few spots of rain may be felt in the far southwest Widely dry and settled with high pressure dominating this week Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average