A new fleet of bullet trains is on its way to transporting passengers on the Penzance to London line but it will be a while before you see them on the tracks or at your local station. However we have had a sneak peek at the carriages and engines being built in Italy. The hi-tech Hitachi factory in Pistoia in Tuscany is a hive of activity as its engineers prepare to bring a revolution to rail travel in the South West and across the UK. The 33 express trains due to serve the Penzance to...

Welcome to our live coverage of all the day's biggest stories, traffic and travel from across Cornwall on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. We'll be looking at all the traffic so keep checking back to make sure you get wherever you're going as quickly and safely as possible. We will of course also be breaking news as it happens and keeping an eye on the weather. It's Gareth here until 2.30pm when I hand over to the late team led today by Mike. If you've seen something going on and want us to check...

Contentious plans have been unveiled for the redevelopment of two different sites in Porth. The first application is for a single dwelling which would be built on a green open space at Christian Way, while the second scheme would see 12 new apartments and houses constructed at Ebb Tide, off Lewarne Road. The land at Christian Way has been in the ownership of Mr and Mrs Johns, of St Columb Major, since 2003. Read next: Newquay cliff fall: police say man fell 40ft after 'ignoring' warning...

Visitors who missed the chance to see the famous Tornado steam locomotive cruise through the county can still get a glimpse up close and even ride behind it at Bodmin and Wenford Railway this week. The crowds were out in force on Sunday to see the Tornado haul a train called The Cornishman down to Penzance. It was the first time that the steam loco had come to Cornwall and hundreds of people were out at stations and along the line to make sure they didn't miss it. Read next: First glimpse of...

A man is fighting for his life after being attacked in the street in Newquay. The man in his thirties and from Cornwall was punched in the head in the attack in Beach Road. The incident happened sometime between 4.30am and 4.45am on Monday, May 29. Read next: Newquay cliff fall: police say man fell 40ft after 'ignoring' warning signs and barriers A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police has confirmed that the man suffered "life-threatening injuries" in the attack. He was taken to...

Ross and Demelza are set for happier times in Poldark's third series when it returns in June, star of the BBC period drama, Eleanor Tomlinson has revealed. Their unlikely and passionate romance hit the rocks at the end of the last series when Ross Poldark, played by Aidan Turner, strayed from his fiery red-head, Demelza. Read more: Penzance to Scilly helicopter service on hold after legal bid launched Despite Ross rekindling his interest in former lover Elizabeth (Heida Reed), 25-year-old...

A woman suffered a broken nose and a black eye after she and her friends fought off two men in a frightening late-night assault in Truro city centre. Hannah Watson, 20, said the attackers - who she believed to be Romanian - had followed the women as they walked home from a nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning. When the women turned and confronted the pair they were grabbed and punched in the face. Nearby members of the public ran over to help the friends and the police were called...

A young girl found unconscious on a Cornish beach was drunk according to the police who said she put herself unnecessarily in danger. The 12-year-old was found on rocks at Grebe Beach, Durgan, just after 5pm on Monday and was taken to hospital for treatment. She had been drinking on the beach with a friend but fell unconscious and the alarm was raised. Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team was called to reports of her being spotted on the beach and attended along with paramedics. She was carried...

A man sustained significant injuries after 'ignoring' warning signs and barriers and falling 40ft down a cliff at Newquay, police said. Emergency services were called out to Towan Beach at about 5am on Sunday following an incident involving a 28-year-old man from Oxfordshire. Paramedics, police, volunteers from Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team, the Newquay RNLI Lifeboat and crew members from Falmouth and Padstow Coastguard Rescue Teams were all called to the scene after the man fell from...

The dream of establishing a spaceport in Cornwall has taken a bold step forward in a new deal with a company which specilises in launching satellites from an aeroplane. Orbital Access Limited (OAL) has now teamed up with Spaceport Cornwall – the group which includes Cornwall Airport Newquay and Goonhilly Earth Station, on the Lizard peninsula. News of the partnership was announced at the UK Space Conference in Manchester. It means OAL will work alongside Spaceport Cornwall as its...

An angry motorist performed a handbrake turn to block in another driver 'who pulled out on him' before punching through his window and trying to run him over, a court has heard. Shane Sheffield, 26, of North Roskear Village in Camborne, appeared at Truro Crown Court via video link from Exeter prison today and admitted charges of dangerous driving, two counts of damaging property, driving without insurance, driving whilst disqualified and resisting a police constable in execution of his...

Travelodge, one of the UK's largest independent hotel chain's which operates 544 hotels, is looking to fill 1,000 positions across the UK this summer. The budget hotel chain operates in six locations across the county. Among the 1,000 jobs, full-time, part-time and summer vacancies are now up for grabs across four Cornwall hotels. The roles offer hourly wages of up to £8.63. Craig Bonnar, Travelodge chief operating officer, said: "We are currently recruiting for 1,000 people to...

The only surviving member of a famous shipwreck off Cornwall is to return to Penzance after more than 50 years to pay his respects. Two RNLI volunteers teamed up last year to raise £500 to mark the final resting place of Spanish sailors who perished after their 640-tonne Spanish coaster - the Juan Ferrer - ran aground on the rocks of Boscawen Point on October 23, 1963. Only four of the 15 crew survived the tragedy after a south-westerly gale and poor visibility got them into trouble...

During a month-long UK crackdown on drivers using their mobile phone while behind the wheel nearly 90 motorists were caught breaking the law in Cornwall . Being caught on your mobile phone while driving will land drivers £200 fines and six penalty points on their licences. This is up from the previous £100 penalty and three point punishment that was dished out prior to 2017's law change. It seems straightforward enough to simply put your phone away before you get behind the wheel,...

A village in Cornwall looks set to lose its primary school after 135 years due to dwindling pupil numbers. Although no decision has been made on the fate of St Martin in Meneage School on the Lizard peninsula, the trust which runs the school is now talking openly about closure by this summer. The possible closure raises questions about how schools are managed when they are outside of the control of Cornwall Council. St Martin School is part of the Keskowthyans Multi Academy Trust, which...

This is the first glimpse of the new attraction and education facilities that international designers have planned for Bodmin Jail. The plans have been shown exclusively to Cornwall Live as Cornwall Council prepares to make a decision on the planning application for the creation of a 63-bed hotel, conversion and extension of the site.The attraction, called the 'Dark Walk', is part of a proposed £30 million scheme with hi-tech film, projections and sets recreating life in the prison up to...

A tractor was destroyed by fire and a woman was freed from her crashed car within hours in the same village. Emergency services said they have been busy in south east Cornwall lately. They were called to Stoke Climsland, near Callington, for two impressive incidents yesterday. Read more: Cornwall benefits from Travelodge recruitment drive to fill 1,000 jobs A woman, who was trapped after a two-car crash, was freed around 11am by firefighters. Six from Callington fire station used a winch...

Getting a tattoo, seeing the Northern Lights and having sex on the beach are just a few of the things researchers suggest you should do before reaching the big 4-0. Many of us have stayed out all night partying, jumped into a pool fully clothed and learnt to say 'no' to our mums. Read more: Line-up announced for Cornwall's Music for Manchester concert to help terror attack families But it has now emerged that less than four in ten over-50s have accomplished all of their life aims, with...

Tributes have been paid to outspoken Falmouth councillor Diana Merrett who has lost her battle with lung cancer within weeks of the deaths of her mum and her son. Mayor Grenville Chappel described her as an "amazing woman" with a "heart of gold". He said: "The first time I met Di was when PC Andy Hocking brought her to see me as she was interested in getting involved in things, particularly student housing. She got people together to complain about students causing...

A suspect package at an Exeter nightclub saw hundreds evacuated this morning while the bomb squad moved in. A controlled explosion took place just before 2am using a specialist EOD robot, causing a loud bang that could be heard across the city. Police closed off a large section around Exeter High Street following the discovery outside Chevalier at 11.30pm on Monday. Read more: Police called to Cornish Wetherspoons as birthday party ruined over 2p shortfall People were asked to leave the...