Maxine Denton

Kent-based AJ Pyrotechnics won the 2026 British Firework Championships in Plymouth after recovering from a firing-system problem and impressing the judges. The Fireworkers finished second, while Electrify Pyrotechnics and Nemesis Pyrotechnics tied for third. The event also featured a new drone show commissioned by Plymouth City Council, a Young People’s Choice Award, and a solar eclipse viewed by crowds before the displays.

Night two of the 2026 British Firework Championships in Plymouth was delayed by a firing-system problem affecting AJ Pyrotechnics and small fires caused by wind fanning embers from earlier displays. The Fireworkers moved forward to perform second, while organizers prioritized safety. AJ Pyrotechnics eventually presented its tribute display at about 10:25pm, closing the evening. Judges and local care-experienced young people will select the competition winner and a Young People’s Choice Award.

Plymouth’s 2026 British Firework Championships began on August 12 with displays by Electrify Pyrotechnics, G2 Fireworks and Smart Pyrotechnics Ltd, alongside the city’s first drone display. The opening night coincided with a solar eclipse that covered 95% of the sun. Professional and public judging panels will select the winner after the second night, featuring Nemisis Pyrotechnics, AJ Pyrotechnics and The Fireworkers, with the result announced online the following morning.

A man in his 30s who had been reported missing from Plymouth was found dead inside a vehicle on Budshead Road at about 3:15 a.m. on August 13. Police, ambulance and fire crews attended, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious. Budshead Road was temporarily closed and reopened at 6:50 a.m.

Two men were assaulted on Western Approach in Plymouth city centre at about 2am after leaving The Union Rooms on Union Street. Police said the victims had spoken with two unknown men at the venue before being followed and attacked. One victim suffered facial injuries and was taken to hospital. Devon and Cornwall Police are seeking to identify two men pictured in connection with the investigation.

A man suffered a head injury after being punched several times on Notte Street in Plymouth when he refused to hand money to a male suspect. He subsequently handed over £40, and Devon and Cornwall Police are seeking witnesses and dash-cam or CCTV footage.

A man in his 40s was taken to Derriford Hospital after being struck on the back of the head with a glass bottle in Basket Ope near Plymouth Barbican at around 1:20 a.m. on July 31. His injuries were not life-threatening. Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a local 54-year-old man on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent; he was released on conditional bail while investigations continue. Police are appealing for witnesses and information.

Residents of the Saltram Meadow estate in Plymouth say an overwhelming number of flies are entering their homes, particularly during hot weather, making it difficult to keep windows and doors open. Plymouth City Council has received numerous complaints and is introducing additional fly-control measures at the nearby Chelson Meadow Waste Management Facility. An independent pest-control officer will conduct a risk assessment, while the council and Environment Agency investigate the facility and other possible sources. The council said high temperatures accelerate fly reproduction and egg hatching.

Protesters marched across the Tamar Bridge on 25 July 2026, chanting for the abolition of bridge tolls. Police were present and motorists were warned of significant disruption. Campaigners and MPs want the crossings transferred to government control and tolls removed, or at least reduced for local users in line with arrangements at the Mersey and Dartford crossings. The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, which manages the crossings for Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council, also supports the campaign.

A powerboat operator was convicted by Plymouth Magistrates’ Court for using a vessel unsafely near moorings and a public slipway, endangering passengers and other water users. Prosecuted by Devon and Cornwall Police with evidence from Cattewater Harbour Commissioners, the case was the first in Devon and Cornwall to use the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023. The operator was fined £1,205 and issued a Community Protection Notice Warning banning them from all Plymouth waterways for 12 months.

Greenbank Road in Mutley, Plymouth, reopened on Wednesday afternoon, two days after a large house fire broke out on Cheltenham Place at about 4:45am on July 20. Fire crews from across Devon attended, while nearby residents were evacuated and advised to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed. Devon and Cornwall Police said structural work was required before investigators could examine the scene and determine the cause of the blaze; enquiries remain ongoing.

Police cordoned off Springhill near Honicknowle Lane and St Pancras Church in Plymouth while carrying out enquiries and fingertip searches in a nearby wooded area. Witnesses reported officers knocking on residents’ doors from around 1am and the road remaining closed, but the nature of the incident had not been disclosed.

Armed and local police were called to Keswick Crescent in Estover, Plymouth, after reports that two men in their 50s were involved in an altercation and carrying weapons. No injuries were reported. Both men were arrested on suspicion of affray but were later released without charge.

Residents were evacuated after a large property fire broke out on Cheltenham Place near Greenbank Road and Mutley's Aldi in Plymouth at around 4:45 a.m. on July 20. Fire crews from across Devon tackled the blaze, which was declared extinguished by about 9:45 a.m., while some residents were allowed to return home. Structural work must be completed before investigators can examine the scene and determine the cause; police enquiries remain ongoing.

Adele Robinson, 25, of no fixed abode, was jailed after pleading guilty to eight shoplifting charges involving more than £340 worth of coffee, household products and energy drinks stolen from Co-op and Morrisons stores in Plymouth between 11 May and 7 June. Police Inspector Paul Laity said her repeated offending was harming businesses and undermining employees’ wellbeing and security. Police credited local businesses with providing evidence and urged retailers and witnesses to report shoplifting.

A person was taken to Derriford Hospital after a medical emergency at Tinside Lido in Plymouth on July 15, 2026. Lifeguards and medically trained members of the public provided immediate care before emergency services arrived. The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust sent several responders, including a specialist paramedic, and transported the patient by land ambulance.

A crash blocked the westbound A38 between the Carkeel and Trerulefoot roundabouts near Saltash on July 17, causing reported congestion of up to four miles. Police attended, and National Highways later confirmed the road had reopened with delays of up to 20 minutes. Inrix subsequently reported that the accident had been cleared and traffic was easing in both directions, although earlier eastbound delays were caused by onlookers.

A man suffered facial injuries after being grabbed and punched several times by two men inside the Blockhouse Inn in Devonport, Plymouth, on the evening of May 3. Devon and Cornwall Police have released images of two men they believe may assist with the investigation and are asking anyone with information, relevant footage or knowledge of the incident to contact police, quoting reference 50260114102.

Mount Batten beach in Plymouth has been closed indefinitely after asbestos fibres were detected in 14 of 16 recent sand samples, with levels classified as hazardous waste. Plymouth City Council said asbestos-containing material has been found on the beach since 2019, but its continued presence and the latest test results prompted the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the UK Health Security Agency, to close the site. Further testing will assess the risk of airborne fibres and investigate the source of the contamination.

A man in his 40s from Plymouth was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink after a vehicle hit a lamppost and parked cars on Milehouse Road at about 8.50pm on 5 July. Devon and Cornwall Police attended, and the man remained in custody. The road was cleared and reopened by 11.30pm.

A man injured himself while attempting to escape police officers responding to a reported assault on a woman at a property in Endeavour Court, Stoke, Plymouth. He was taken to hospital, although the extent of his injuries is unknown. The woman sustained facial injuries and bruising but did not require hospital treatment. Devon and Cornwall Police said enquiries are ongoing.

A bus broke down on the slip road from Plymouth’s Manadon Roundabout toward Outland Road, partially blocking the eastbound A38 and causing queues. Traffic was described as difficult to navigate around the bus, but Inrix reported that the road had cleared and congestion was easing by about 5:20pm.

A taxi caught fire outside the New Continental Hotel on Millbay Road in Plymouth at around 1 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing explosions or sounds like gunshots before seeing the vehicle engulfed in flames. Police and firefighters attended, and crews quickly extinguished the blaze, leaving thick smoke in the surrounding streets.