A police helicopter hovered over Sidmouth for hours after a van was destroyed by fire last week. Read this and more.

VAN BLAZE: A police helicopter hovered over Sidmouth for hours after a van was destroyed by fire last Thursday.

Police said the yellow Ford Transit, valued at around �7,000, was gutted by flames in Station Road between noon and 3pm.

The blaze prompted a response by officers on the ground and by air. Firefighters from the town attended the incident, but the flames had subsided on their arrival. A police spokesman said a 55-year-old man from Seaton had been arrested on suspicion of arson and bailed until a date in September.

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ROAD CLOSED: A route into Sidmouth will need to be shut as repair work takes place.

Temporary traffic lights have been situated in Bulverton Road since flood chaos in the region in July. Councillor Stuart Hughes said repairs would be started “soon” – but would necessitate the closure of the road for “a period of time”.

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HAPPY HOPPER: Sidmouth’s Hopper Bus service was given a huge boost and enjoyed its ‘best-ever’ week thanks to a 10-day stint of glorious weather.

Councillor John Dyson, Hopper co-ordinator, told town council colleagues the service’s patronage depended on the weather.

He said: “Late July saw a 10-day period of glorious sunshine. Passenger numbers went up and up and up. It was the best seven-day period we’ve ever had. It made up for all the bad weather. We are just ahead of last year. I have nothing but praise for our drivers.”