STORM Eunice caused havoc as it swept across the borough uprooting trees, blowing down fences and snatching tiles off roofs. While the north coasts of Devon bore the brunt of the weather Okehampton and Tavistock did not escape and homes were left without power and fallen trees led to circuitous routes homes for some people caught out in the storm. Storm Dudley and Storm Franklin also caused problems.

A fresh attack by vandals on Tavistock Sensory Garden saw a bird bath smashed, picnic tables damaged, rose arches bent and a treasured sculpture given by one of the garden founders chucked in the canal.

Following huge initial popularity amongst residents and visitors, Tavistock’s newly revamped Guildhall looked set to smash its annual footfall target as it continued putting the town on a world stage. Since opening on December 4 last year the centre had attracted thousands through its doors — in the first two weeks alone visitor numbers totalled 1,600.

An Okehampton funeral director called for urgent action to resurface a lane used by his hearse to approach the parish church — saying its current state was disrespectful to the dead and grieving. David Albery said the pot holes were so deep that his hearse had to swerve to avoid them as it progressed slowly up the land to the lych gate with him walking slowly behind it.

A new task force is being set up for Tavistock to provide a badly-needed safety net for residents who are struggling. The ideas springs from the highly successful Christmas treats campaign which saw volunteers deliver festive goodies to families hit by the financial fall-out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Attacks on four sheep left bleeding to death from their slashed throats in one week in the same spot of Dartmoor were condemned as ‘horrific’ by the devastated owner. Farmer Ann Coles believed the attack on four of her ewes on common land on the moor near Tavistock to be the work of a dog who might strike again.

Gardeners in Milton Abbot got the go-ahead to take over council land originally earmarked for housing and make it into allotments — and they were given a year’s free rent for doing it.

Archeologists wee uncovering evidence of Tavistock’s wild and woolly past after unearthing cottages from the 18th century in one of the main streets.

Council chiefs said they wanted to tackle West Devon’s mounting housing crisis with the help of the public as they warned homelessness numbers could rise in the borough over the next five years. West Devon Borough Council’s hub committee were looking at appointing permanent staff to help sort out a crisis which is being fuelled by a severe shortage of housing.

Local pubs, hotels and restaurants reported facing a monumental struggle to recruit chefs and bar staff as the crisis in the hospitality industry deepened. With many chefs retraining durng the stop-start lockdowns of the past 22 months coupled with a growing desire among workers for a ‘work-life’ balance some establishments were receiving no replies whatsoever to job adverts.

West Devon Borough Council successfully prosecuted two Plymouth fly-tippers who left a trail of builders’ rubble on a quiet Buckland Monachorum country lane.

A group of Okehampton friends set up the town’s first podcast to addess the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.