A woman from Cornwall will take to the stage in the prime-time BBC1 singing contest Pitch Battle. The first episode of the show is on television on Saturday, June 17, at 7.30pm and features Shannon Farmer from Helston. The 21-year-old is part of a group of eight university friends who sing in the a capella group Uptone Girls. Read next: Police to investigate Cornishman's comment about Grenfell Tower fire victims Shannon is a former school pupil of St Michaels Primary School and Helston...

A group of teenagers thought to be celebrating the end of exams have caused a stir in Bude after drawing some offensive pictures in the sand.The youngsters drew huge male appendages and scrawled the 'f' word in the sand at Summerleaze Beach on Friday night. There were also reports that they were rude to passers-by and using foul language during a party on the beach.Read more: The best Cornish beaches to make you feel like you're in the CaribbeanOne woman posted in the Bude Banter group on...

Important documents relating to the Cutty Sark that both confirm and rewrite elements of its history have come to light and are expected to fetch as much as £40,000 next week. The items are set to be released to the highest bidder in a lot that will go under the hammer at The Duchy Auction Company's upcoming sale day on Saturday, June 24 at The Duchy Auction Rooms, The Praze, Penryn TR10 8DH. The guide price for this lot will be between £30,000 and £40,000. The contents...

A talented disabled horse rider from Bude has recently competed for England and won several Para National Dressage qualifiers. Emily Skerrett, 33, has ridden since the age of 4 and now competes and trains horses six days a week, despite living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and total wrist fusion. She runs two successful businesses and is the proud mother of two boys, aged six and four. Her rare inherited condition means she has a variety of mobility challenges and hence needs assistance...

A joyous day of celebration dedicated to one of Cornwall's most famous sons is getting into full swing. Murdoch Day in Redruth celebrates the amazing contribution of William Murdoch, the inventor who was the first to use gas lights indoors at his home in Cross Street. See our guide to the very best of Murdoch Day 2017 by clicking here. Taking place under glorious sunshine this year, the day long festival kicks off with a children's parade where youngsters perform the Murdoch Day Spring Dance...

This summer Newquay police will again be patrolling the town's beaches - on Segways. Between June and September specially trained officers will have access to two Segways, provided free of charge by Segway UK, as an additional resource for their community policing. The Segways will primarily be used for searching for missing people on the beaches. They will also provide public reassurance and neighbourhood officers will carry out crime prevention patrols on all beaches between Crantock and...

A woman who died after falling from cliffs at Porthleven had bravely spoken of her ordeal as the victim of sex abuse as a child. Leyna Tucker had waived her right to anonymity after seeing her step-father, Andrew Fulcher, put behind bars for the crimes he committed against her 30 years ago. Her husband of 11 years, John Tucker, said that he was hugely proud of her actions, which she hoped would inspire other victims of vile abuse to come forward. But he said the court case "took it...

Situated in the heart of Poldark country, the Black Swan pub and restaurant which is currently run by the former leader of Cornwall Council Alec Robertson is up for sale. It's by no means as rare a sight as its namesake to see a popular local pub pop up on the property market these days. Resting at the head of the Helford River in the quaint coastal village of Gweek, chances are you will be aware of the Black Swan. As well as serving as a fully licenced bar and restaurant, the Black Swan is...

Fire crews were called to a single vehicle incident on the road between St Newlyn East and Mitchell in the early hours. A car is thought to have ended up on its roof as a result of the incident, although it is unclear whether anyone was hurt. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said Highways Agency officers were called out after the collision left debris stewn across the road. Read more: A spokesman for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called out at a few minutes before...

A health warning has been issued as Cornwall prepares for a tropical heatwave this weekend.It's going to be the hottest day of the year so far but health chiefs are telling people to stay OUT of the sun between 11am and 3pm on Saturday and Sunday.That could be tricky for anyone heading to Cornwall's beautiful beaches to soak up the sunshine. The official advice is to wear sun cream, find some shade and drink lots of water.Read more: 12 things that will definitely happen in Cornwall when the sun...

Once the beating industrial heart of Cornwall, St Austell is well known for its china clay mines which formerly exported sought-after wares across the globe. Today, the most obvious sign of the town's proud history comes in the form of its giant Skytip - a conical mound of clay waste which rises hundreds of feet above the St Austell skyline. But any suggestion that St Austell's best days are behind it would be well wide of the mark. There's much more to the so-called clay country than mining...

It's official - Golowan has finally returned and a whole host of perfectly Penzance things have been planned to make it one of the best yet, you would be crazy to miss it. The celebration of midsummer – the Feast of St. John – with bonfires, flaming tar barrels and burning torches was widespread in Cornwall until the late 19th century. Penzance was one of the last towns to lose this tradition in the 1890s, as the perceived fire risk had made insurance premiums too expensive. But...

Have you ever wondered what being a Freemason is really about? There are hundreds of great events and entertainment lined up for this year's Golowan, but on Mazey day an often overlooked organisation is offering a unique opportunity for anyone wanting to find out more about Penzance's Masonic Centre. Visitors to the west Cornwall town, perhaps even residents, will have walked past the building based on Princes Street behind the Union Hotel without knowing what's really going on inside.Read...

Leaders of a project to create a huge new free-range egg farm in West Cornwall have defended their plans, after a barrage of complaints from furious local residents.The proposed development near Helston to build four poultry barns – housing up to 112,000 chickens – is being spearheaded by Richland Foods, part of the Southern England Farms vegetable growing business owned by Greville Richards. Plans for the 60-hectare site on the outskirts of Nancegollan also include hard-standing,...

Three people from Cornwall have been named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, which recognises people for their bravery, service to the community and overall inspiration to others. The police officer killed while confronting the Westminster attacker outside Parliament, along with the heroic passer-by who was stabbed trying to protect MP Jo Cox are being awarded medals for their bravery.Police Constable Keith Palmer who was stabbed to death by attacker Khalid Masood in March on the forecourt...

Anyone that has been lucky enough to poke their heads outside today, will know that it has been a bit of a scorcher – in fact right here in Cornwall we have enjoyed temperatures hotter than the Bahamas.Yes, that's right – cancel your flights and dig out your sun cream, the heat-wave predicted to hit Cornwall this weekend has already started, with St Ives reportedly seeing record breaking temperatures this afternoon.Read more: 12 things you can expect in Cornwall when the sun...

Mystery will always surround the death of a Penzance woman whose body was found on a beach in Delabole after leaving three notes, one of which said "I have gone for one last swim, please forgive me".The body of 69-year-old June Gorvin, who was an avid walker and swimmer, was found on Tregardock Beach near Delabole by holiday makers, more than 50 miles away and the opposite side of the coast from her Penzance home.An inquest into her death, held at Truro Municipal Building on Friday,...

The most southerly Waitrose store in the UK has officially been open in Truro for a year, but has it lived up to expectations so far?The shop was opened as part of the Truro Eastern District Centre (TEDC) project, which was due to include a Cornish food hall, 98 new homes, a 1,300-space park and ride, allotments and a waste recycling centre.Read more: This inflatable pool offers luxury in the garden on a hot summer's dayWhile the supermarket and park and ride have been open and operating for the...

Hordes of protesters have tried to storm Kensington Town Hall demanding justice for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. Tensions rose as around 350 people gathered outside the town hall saying they wanted answers over the tower block fire in which at least 30 people died. Members of the crowd, including family members of those caught up in the fire on Tuesday night, later surged towards the building's entrance, apparently trying to get in. Read more: Police to investigate Cornwall...

Residents of Cornwall's only residential high-rise building have expressed fears over their safety following the tragedy that stuck Grenfell Tower in west London earlier this week. A devastating fire ripped through the 24-storey, Grenfell Tower block in the early hours of Wednesday morning (June 14), however the cause of the blaze has not yet been confirmed. Read more: Students shouldn't be allowed to vote here says Tory politician At least 30 people lost their lives and police have said...