Veteran journalist John Ware who hung up his pen last year, recounts some of the more memorable stories he covered during 60 years on the Teignbridge beat for locals and nationals.

TWO South Devon businessmen paid the fine of a trainee American policeman who punched a yob who taunted and yelled abuse at him while he was on holiday in Dawlish in 1988.

They felt 20-year-old Terence Scuoler had been harshly treated by the courts. The young Californian said he was ‘absolutely flabbergasted’ by their gesture.

He was among a party of Americans staying with friends, when they were sworn at by local youths while strolling on The Lawn.

The normally placid American, a beefy six-footer, chased the gang to ‘frighten them’, but really lost his cool when he was taunted about the shooting down of an Iranian airliner by a US warship, and landed one punch on a youth, breaking his nose.

He was hauled before Teignbridge magistrates and fined £120 for assault.

Many local people sympathised with Terence, saying he had been severely provoked.

Local businessmen Graham Toghill and Andy Gorman were so incensed, they coughed up to pay the fine.

Mr Toghill, boss of Newbury metal merchants in Exeter, declared: ‘This young man took as much as he could and I can understand him lashing out when his country was insulted in such a way.

‘I have relatives in California and the hospitality over there is unbelievable.

‘They look after you so well, and we could not stand by and let this visitor go home with a bad impression of Dawlish and England.’

Mr Gorman, who runs a breakers’ yard in the town, added that the American should only have been given a caution or a condition al discharge.

‘A lot of yobs are running riot in Dawlish,and I was recently attacked by a gang of them who surrounded my car as I was driving along the road.

‘Knives were flashed and I was kicked and punched, but nothing seems to have been done about that yet.

‘But this American lands one punch after being pushed too far and is before a court within 36 hours. There is no justice.’

The cash was handed over to Dawlish landlord Malcolm Beaton of the Devon Arms where the Americans were staying.

He lived in California for 20 years and has known the men since they were babies.

He added: ‘None of them are aggressive and just said “Hi” to the guys in the park when they were met with obscene anti American abuse.

‘After the case we had dozens of people come in or telephone to say how badly they thought Terence had been treated.’

Terence spent the weekend in London before flying home, and told about the gesture just before he left for the airport, said: ‘I appreciate all the kindness and support of the people of Dawlish over this incident. This generosity is the icing on the cake.’