Overgrown plants are causing a ‘hazard’ for pedestrians, according to an elderly Sidmouth resident. Read this and more.

WOOD WALK: The Woodland Trust is calling on people in Sidmouth to get active this Christmas by visiting their local wood and adding a comment or description to the charity’s VisitWoods.org.uk website, with the aim of inspiring others to take a winter woodland walk.

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SING AND SIGN: The Christmas Sing and Sign event at Sidmouth Children’s Centre has been rearranged for Monday, December 17. The original event, which teaches baby signing to new parents, had to be postponed due to a heating failure at the venue, but organiser promise it will be bigger and better next week. It is open to all parents, and starts at 10.30am. Contact Sarah Glover on 01404 548829 for more information.

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PIANIST NEEDED: Sidford WI’s Phoenix Choir is looking for a pianist to accompany the ladies’ singing group. Anybody interested should contact Jill Hewitt on 01395 516897 to arrange to come along to a practice session.

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IVY HAZARD: Overgrown plants are causing a ‘hazard’ for pedestrians and forcing them to walk in a main road, according to an elderly Sidmouth resident.

Eve Matthews, in her 90s, says she has written to the county council on numerous occasions regarding trailing ivy.

It runs across ‘at least a third of the very narrow pavement’ on the corner of Brewery Lane and Temple Street.

“If there’s a woman pushing a toddler in a pram and I’m walking towards her, one of us is going to have to walk in the road,” said Eve, of Brewery Lane.

“There are three buses an hour going up and down that road, it’s a hazard.”

Eve is awaiting a response from the highways authority.

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UNEMPLOYMENT: The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance in Devon increased by just two claimants between October and November from 9,205 to 9,207 - at a time of year when the rate usually rises.

The proportion of the working age population claiming this out of work benefit remains at 2 per cent - well below the national average of 3.8 per cent. The number of people claiming JSA across Devon is 6.3 per cent lower than the same time last year - 622 claimants. The number of unemployed young people under the age of 25 has also fallen this month from 2,730 in October to 2,700 in November. This is a decrease of 1.1per cent, following the national trend. Significantly, this figure is 15.8 per cent lower than in November 2011.

The statistics come from Devon County Council.

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TRAIN FARES: Protests took place at stations in Devon this week after news ticket prices have risen nearly three times faster than wages since the recession.

Unions handed protest Christmas cards to commuters at Exeter St Davids and elsewhere on Monday highlighting research showing between 2008 and 2012 average rail fares increased by 26.6 per cent, with average wages rising by just 9.6 per cent over the same period, with prices set to go up again next year.

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XMAS CARDS: Pupils across East Devon have been learning festive fire safety thanks to a Christmas card.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has designed the card with children in mind in the hope it will encourage youngsters to remind parents to check smoke alarms.

Cards have been handed out to schools.