Businesses across Cornwall were recognised in the fourth Healthy Workplace Awards.
The event celebrated the work that employers have carried out to improve workplace health and wellbeing.
There were 25 winners across the county in ten core areas, ranging from back pain prevention and mental health to health and safety and staff retention.
Among the winners were Redruth based Coastline Housing, A E Rodda and Son from Scorrier, and Cornwall Council who all picked up gold awards.
Carolyn Rule, portfolio holder for Health Wellbeing and People at Cornwall Council, said: "Cornwall Council is delighted to receive the Cornwall Healthy Workplaces gold award which is recognition of the progress of the council's health and wellbeing programme which was integrated into our People and Organisational Development Service in 2011.
"The programme has proved hugely popular with our employees and has made a huge impact regardless of an individuals working location or job role.
"We are looking forward to making an even bigger difference in 2013 as further new initiatives are introduced and the full impact of existing interventions and training packages take effect.
"I would recommend a healthy workplace initiative to any employer, regardless of size, as it bring tangible business benefits as well as improving the health and wellbeing of employees."
According to Occupational Health In 2009/10, 23.4 million days were lost by British Industry due to work-related ill-health.
The annual economic cost of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working-age ill health is estimated to be more than £100 billion. 

The Western Morning News understands plans to improve sections of single carriageway on the A303 sit close to the top of a Whitehall list of priority road-building schemes.

A splurge on new highways could form the centrepiece of Chancellor George Osborne's financial statement on Wednesday.

From east to west, the A303, A358 and A30 route is a bane for tourists and business, and delays around Stonehenge in Wiltshire are notorious – especially when the main M5 arterial road is closed.

The scheme would come with a massive price-tag, and it remains unclear which sections could be backed.

Widening both carriageways from the M3 near Basingstoke in Hampshire to the M5 at Exeter has an estimated cost of £2 billion, and a two-mile tunnel under Stonehenge alone has an estimated £600 million cost. Dualling the A303-A30 between Ilminster and Honiton would cost £100 million.

Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Somerset Local Enterprise Partnership, the business-led group charged by the Government to boost jobs in the region, suspects ministers will launch a competition to find road-building schemes to back with state funds.

It follows conversations with ministers, and the postponement of a summit between Transport Minster Stephen Hammond and the region's business leaders over the project that was delayed "for the right reasons", Mr Jones said he was told.

Giving road schemes the go-ahead squares with speculation surrounding the annual financial statement. The Government is keen to press ahead with projects that provide instant construction jobs to boost the sluggish economy. At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, David Cameron said the Government should "spend more money on capital" and they should be "using the strength of the Government balance sheet to encourage private sector capital".

"We are investing in the country's infrastructure," the Prime Minister added. Last year, the Western Morning News reported the Department for Transport had committed civil servants to help pen an A303 business plan.

Mr Jones said: "Plans for the route have been in the top drawer for a long time. And at a time when the Government needs infrastructure projects that can be delivered in short order, this is relatively simple.

"There are bits of the road that have been done to death. If they are looking for 'shovel ready' projects, this is looking quite promising."

Parts of the A303 suffer from bottlenecks because they are single carriageway, such as around Stonehenge, and the number of roundabouts also causes logjams.

Business leaders say a faster route would benefit the region's economy by about £1.1 billion annually.

But environmentalists argue sensitive landscape and habitat on the Blackdown Hills on the Somerset-Devon border risks being destroyed, which could be the stumbling block to getting the green light next week.

The number of homes and businesses in Cornwall that are set to benefit from superfast broadband by the end of 2014 has been increased from 80% to 95%.

Project leaders behind the £132 million Superfast Cornwall scheme say that this will mean that Cornwall will become one of the best connected parts of Europe.

More than half of Cornish premises already have access to fibre broadband with take up stronger than in most parts of the UK with more than 20,000 customers already using fibre services from around 30 communications providers.

The infrastructure is being provided by    Superfast Cornwall, a partnership between the European Union, BT and Cornwall Council which was launched in 2010 using up to £78.5 million from BT and up to £53.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

BT said that it had been achieving efficiencies, such as using lightweight overhead fibre cables, since the programme began which had enabled it to set higher coverage targets.

Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield said: "Cornwall was the first English county out of the blocks when it came to fibre broadband. The council's strong focus on extensive fibre coverage for Cornwall and the Scilly Isles is generating great results. We have been able to test run some new innovations in the county and as a result we have delivered efficiencies which are now enabling us to go further than we first thought possible."

Nigel Ashcroft, Superfast Cornwall programme director for Cornwall Development Company, said: "It means that tens of thousands more Cornish businesses and households will have access to high-speed fibre broadband than was originally expected. Superfast Cornwall was designed to bring maximum benefit to the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, providing a lasting legacy which would boost the local economy for many years to come."

Among the Cornish businesses benefiting from fibre broadband already is Camborne-based Music Publishing Services, which was established by Peter West in 1981.

The firm works with music publishers across the world including London, New York, Copenhagen and Paris, receiving handwritten manuscripts from composers and then producing the musical scores and individual parts for each person in the orchestra on computer.

"Superfast broadband has transformed my whole experience of the internet. Music publishing is an international business and it is critical that I can transfer files efficiently on-line," he said.

"The ability to provide a fast turnaround means my business has a real competitive edge in this fast moving sector. Delivering my work used to be really cumbersome – the files are often very large – but with superfast broadband it is quick and easy."

A couple were beaten up on their way home from an awards ceremony by a night club drunk who took exception to their smart clothes.

Daniel Westaway, aged 25, argued with the pair before knocking the woman unconscious. CCTV camera captured her falling to the ground in her full length evening gown. Her partner intervened but he was punched and kicked by Westaway, who was easily recognisable from the security camera footage because he was wearing a body warmer while his victim was in his best suit.

Westaway, of Blenheim Close, Newton Abbot, admitted two offences of causing actual bodily harm and was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £750 compensation and £430 costs at Exeter Crown Court.

Mr David Bowen, prosecuting, said victims Carla Hunt and Ian Chalk had been to a business awards ceremony in Exeter and moved on to Torquay where they encountered Westaway, who had just left a harbourside club.

They chatted amicably for a while but he started making comments about their smart dress and when an argument started he headbutted Miss Hunt before punching and kicking Mr Chalk.

She was knocked unconscious and woke up on a stretcher on the way to hospital. He suffered a cut lip and bruising to his face and ribs.

Mr Barry White, defending, said Westaway had never been in trouble before and acted out of character. He has written to the victims to apologise and is able to pay compensation. He accepts what he did was unjustifiable and the probation pre-sentence report confirms he has no anti-social attitudes.

Two fire crews were called to the Princess Pavilion this morning after a fire broke out under the floor boards in the main theatre.

Eleven firefighters attended just before 8.30am and were able to quickly extinguish the flames.

An investigation is being carried out to establish the cause.

POLICE have issued a warning to companies using heavy plant machinery after a whacker plate was stolen from Polperro yesterday.
Also known as a compactor, the item was taken from a driveway of a house in The Warren between 10-11am.
Police are calling on users of plant equipment to make sure it is secure and are also asking the public to report any suspicious activity to the police at the time it is happening.
Anyone with any information regarding this crime is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference BE/13/133 or online via:
https://secure.crimestoppers-uk.org/ams.form.anonymous.asp

A PROTEST against a forthcoming change in housing benefit rules dubbed the "bedroom tax " takes place in Camborne tomorrow, Saturday.
Cornwall Anti Cuts Alliance in conjunction with other community groups will be staging it in the square at the top of Trelowarren Street, between noon and 1pm.
A spokesman for the group said: "Along with benefit cuts in real terms, 30% reductions in council housing benefit and new council tax impositions, this is another attack on the poorest by the rich elite.

"At the same time, the ConDem government are giving 13,000 millionnaires like the housing minister a tax cut of £100,000 per year.
"Economics has little to do with this; it is further vindictive attempt to turn ordinary Cornish people against each other, in order to divert attention from the chaos of the bankers' crisis and the huge and growing inequality gap."

POLICE in Cornwall are urging homeowners and businesses to be aware of heating oil thefts.
In the last seven days, between March 8 and 15, the force have received 14 complaints from across the two counties where quantities of between 100 and 750 litres of oil have been stolen. 11 of those reports have been in Cornwall.
A police spokesman said oil is frequently stored in rural areas and can be difficult to protect.
But owners can make life more difficult for any would be thief by fitting good quality locks to the tanks and secure any gates on the approach to make access difficult.
He said: "Supply pipes from the house to the tank are also vulnerable so check these frequently for signs of interference.
"PIR lighting and CCTV would also reduce the chances of becoming a victim."
Any suspicious behaviour should be reported to the police at the time that it is happening while anyone with any information regarding this crime is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 quoting crime reference BE/13/133 or online via https://secure.crimestoppers-uk.org/ams.form.anonymous.asp

Cornwall's Jack Nowell completed a fantastic personal week by scoring a try as England Under 20 were crowned Six Nations champions for an unprecedented third time in a row after an impressive 28-15 win over Wales at Eirias Park on Friday evening.
The 19-year-old wing from Newlyn, who is dual registered witth the Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs, struck early on in the game which was on a knife edge for most of the contest.
On Wednesday, Nowell had been named LV= Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Wales fly half Sam Davies was a constant threat with the boot, but two tries from flanker Harry Wells and one from wing Nowell gave England the win, as fly half Henry Slade added 13 points with the boot. Luke Cowan-Dickie, another Cornish Pirates player, was also in the England team.
Wales took the game to England in the opening ten minutes and were rewarded with the first points, Davies kicking over a penalty to put the hosts 3-0 up. But England hit straight back and a nice break from scrum half Callum Braley eventually freed up Nowell to touch down in the corner.
With 17 minutes gone Wales regained the lead, Davies' second penalty made it 6-5 before Slade had the chance to put England back into the lead, but saw his kick sail wide. Davies then slotted his third successful kick of the night with 25 gone to make it 9-5.
Slade brought England to within a point after 34 minutes, his first successful kick of the night, a penalty from just inside his own half. And as the half drew to a close England opted for touch instead of posts, a decision justified as back row Wells touched down for his first England try, converted by Slade. Wales were also reduced to 14 men with No. 8 Ieuan Jones sent to the sinbin for repeat offences.
The hosts started the second period as they had the first, putting England under pressure, pressure that was eventually rewarded as Davies stroked over his fourth penalty but Slade hit straight back for England to make the score 18-12 with 54 played.
With the gap at six, both sides were giving it a real go, a Slade drop goal increased the gap to nine but Davies returned fire with his fifth penalty of the night to make it 21-15.
Wales pushed on knowing a converted try would win them the Championship, but it was England who had the final say. Slade again opting for touch with points on offer, but a strong driving maul was touched down by Wells for his second to give England the 28-15 win.
Departing Head Coach Rob Hunter said: "It's a massive achievement and the guys deserve all the credit – they're a hard working group and this trophy is their reward for the work that they have put in. Wales gave it a real go and full credit to them, we never felt comfortable."
Captain Jack Clifford added: "I'm so happy for all of the boys and all of the management, everyone works so hard and to end up with this trophy as captain is a dream come true. Massive credit to the Welsh though, at no point did we feel like the game was won until the final whistle blew."

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again."

A single line printed on the wall of a Nazi concentration camp building was enough to remind them why they were there.

As a 200-strong group of sixth form students trudged past bleak buildings and barbed wire fences it became all too apparent that this was the place where the extermination of six million Jews had begun – Auschwitz.

As part of a trip organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, the students were taking part in a one-day visit to Poland for the Lessons From Auschwitz project. The purpose was to learn more about the atrocities committed after the German invasion in 1939.

And while the day was long, tiring and undoubtedly emotional, the educators on the trip emphasised the importance of why the students were there – to tell people back home what they had seen and heard so the nightmare of the holocaust would never be repeated.

The first stop on the trip was the town of Oswiecim where, before the war, 58 per cent of the population was Jewish. Students were taken to a cemetery where hundreds of victims were buried, the majority of whom had no grave.

The next stop was Auschwitz One, a concentration camp where up to 20,000 prisoners were held at one time. It was here students saw rooms filled with the actual hair shaved from the heads of thousands of prisoners along with hundreds of suitcases and thousands of pairs of shoes which were taken from them when they entered the camp.

There was also the chance to walk through the gas chamber and crematoria were prisoners were told they were being sent for a shower after a long trip on the train to the camp.

Evy Tang, who attends Maynard's School in Exeter and lives in Chulmleigh, said: "You see it on films but then to walk in and have it right there in front of you, I don't know what to say."

It was then on to Birkenau, also known as Aushwitz Two, which was the only camp used primarily as a death camp. The main extermination site, housing the gas chambers and crematorium, gives a real sense of how bleak the situation was for any prisoner.

A memorial speech was given by Rabbi Barry Marcus who told the group if they were to hold a minute's silence for each person who had been killed, just at Birkenau, it would last three years.

As ambassadors for their schools, the students are now tasked with presenting what they heard and saw at Auschwitz-Birkenau to their peers.

The Lessons From Auschwitz project has so far taken more than 18,000 students from the UK to Poland with the aim of increasing knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the London-based Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "The Lessons From Auschwitz Project is such a vital part of our work because it gives students the chance to understand the dangers and potential effects of prejudice and racism today.

"The project encourages them to act on what they see and learn, and the inspiring work they go on to do in their local areas demonstrates the importance of the visit.

"With the support of Government funding, we are delighted that the programme is now able to reach students across the country."

Bideford are set to be back on the team coach again today for another Evo-Stik League Southern Premier away day Saturday.

Today's destination – weather-permitting – is Hertfordshire and the Top Field home of Hitchin Town.

The travelling Robins will be buoyed by Tuesday's 2-1 Devon St Luke's Cup win at Plymouth Parkway. The county cup tie was a welcome distraction and a useful exercise for Sean Joyce's Bideford side after the postponement of last Sunday's league trip to basement side Kettering Town due to a waterlogged pitch.

Joyce's Robins start today 15th in the table and nine points ahead of today's hosts, second-from-bottom Hitchin, beaten 2-1 at Frome Town last Saturday despite taking an 11th-minute lead.

With ten games to go Bideford remain on course for the mid-table – read consolidation – target set them by manager Joyce. However, the Robins boss is too experienced to take anything for granted and will be wary of a Hitchin side that countered from going 2-0 behind in five minutes at Bideford in November to level within 11 minutes.

Skipper Matt Hockley won the match 3-2 with a successful 80th-minute penalty.

Bideford – who turned around at 1-0 deficit at Parkway thanks to goals from top scorer Sean Downing and veteran ace Ellis Laight – welcome back striker Kevin Squire and defender Aaron Harper-Penman today.

Joyce's squad is also set to boosted by new on-loan Torquay United wingers Karl Baker and Saul Halpin, who were due to make their debuts at Kettering.

The Bideford boss, a former Torquay United midfield ace, said: "We have got ourselves in a good position with 40 points and ten games to go. Bringing them in will give us that lift."

Another former Torquay United midfielder, Kevin Hill, is set to take temporary charge of team affairs at Tiverton Town today as they visit Winchester City in Division One South & West.

Hill has been handed the caretaker reins following Mark Saunders' decision to step down, along with assistant Hedley Steele, after Tuesday night's 2-1 home defeat by North Leigh, Tiverton's 16th league match without a win.

In the meantime Tiverton's board, headed by chairman Matthew Conridge, seek a full-time replacement for former Plymouth Argyle and Gillingham midfielder Saunders, who intends to continue playing.

Southampton side Sholing have announced their intention to leave the league at the end of the season.

As sub-zero temperatures and north-easterly winds gripped the region this week, many of us felt the need to wrap up.

But the cold weather in Devon and Cornwall was far more bearable than the Arctic conditions Westcountry Royal Marines have battled.

Hundreds of green berets from the Commando Logistic Regiment in North Devon and their supporting air power, the Commando Helicopter Force at Yeovilton in Somerset, and Scotland-based 45 Commando completed six weeks of Arctic training.

Deep snow, ice and temperatures falling below minus 30 degrees (plus another 20 degrees with the wind chill factor) in Northern Norway present a challenge like no other in the world.

"There is no harsher environment in which to live, work and fight," a Royal Marines spokesman said. "Such conditions test men and machines to the limit."

The marines staged a heavy assault in Northern Europe on one of the relics of Hitler's vaunted "fortress Europe" – a military propaganda term for the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War – as the climax of their cold weather training exercise. The forces, who are ready to deploy around the world at short notice, had left their UK bases to join Norwegian forces at the small port of Harstad, some 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

One of their first and biggest challenges was to master the art of survival in Arctic conditions, including living in man-made caves carved out of the snow and marching wearing snow shoes for 5km with 30kg on their backs.

The fighting element of the training reached a climax at the Trondes Peninsula on the northern side of Harstad harbour, and at Batterie Theo – the site of the formidable relic of the infamous Third Reich called Batterie Theo – today known as Trondesnes Fort.

The fort was part of the Atlantic Wall – the chain of defences built by the Germans from Biscay to the North Cape to prevent the Allies storming Fortress Europe.

It previously housed four mighty 40.6cm cannons that could hurl a 1,030kg shell up to 56 km.

The Norwegian Army defended the fort against the marines who staged a three-hour assault, launching simultaneous "attacks" on three enemy positions.

Three Norwegian helicopters and Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm "Jungly" Sea Kings of Yeovilton then swept the fjord to find the troops and take them off the ground.

Marine Tony Curtis, 19, said: "It's been good to put into practice the skills we've learned over the past month. This is my first time in Norway and fighting in the extreme cold is a totally different challenge entirely."

After Arbroath-based 45 Commando finish their year-long stint as the on-call commando unit in May the green berets of 42 Commando at Bickleigh near Plymouth will take over the duty.

Meanwhile Westcountry marines crossed the Channel to take part in a separate exercise with French colleagues. Members of 42 Commando's M Company of 42 took part in Exercise Gaelic Venture – a joint Anglo-French exercise between 3 Commando Brigade and 9 Brigade Infanterie de Marine.

The short exercise was intended to build on Anglo-French military relations and develop an understanding of the different operating procedures.

It involved a 20km "yomp" and communications testing involving two languages, before the British and French companies carried-out a simultaneous assault on two "enemy" strong-points.

Once the attacks were over the marines established themselves on the French "enemy" positions overnight.

A spokesman for 42 Commando said: "We proved ourselves an impressive surveillance asset throughout, surprising our French hosts as we routinely contacted counter-attacks before they had even successfully located our harbour.''

After the exercise the Royal Marines went on a two-day battle-field tour of Normandy to visit sites of Second World War amphibious action.

A long-standing organic farm in Devon has collected a prestigious award at a ceremony dubbed the "Rural Oscars".

Pipers Farm, near Cullompton, was named as a champion of the UK and Ireland in one of just five categories in the Countryside Alliance Awards.

The business picked up the Defra Local Food category on Wednesday from Owen Paterson, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The family firm was praised for its "passion" in championing local food heritage for a quarter of a century.

"The energy and passion of the Greig family leave you feeling very excited about the future of food and farming – anything is possible here," judges said. "Not only is the commitment to animal welfare, great taste and the local community paramount, there is also an encouraging glimpse into the future."

Founder Peter Greig, is a self-taught butcher who experimented over many years with different cuts until he was satisfied.

•     Sweep the chimney before use
•     Ensure a fireguard is in front of the fire at all times
•     Sparkguards can prevent a serious property fire
•     Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house
•     Never use petrol or paraffin to light your fire
•     Make sure you have a working smoke alarm and check it works regularly!