TROOPER Joshua Hammond, 18, from Plymstock, was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan while travelling in a Viking vehicle across Helmand Province.

Thousands of fans gathered at Home Park to watch world famous rocker, Rod Stewart, perform his only UK date for the year.

The city's councillors' expenses claims were revealed as the month continued, after May's MPs' expenses scandal.

Argyle came under new management when a takeover deal was announced as George Synan and Yasuaki Kagami of K&K Shonan Management Corporation became the largest shareholders. Leader of the partnership, Sir Roy Gardner, the former Manchester United chairman, became the new chairman after Paul Stapleton stepped down. Alongside Gardner was to be businessman Keith Todd.

North Prospect residents learned their neighbourhood faced demolition to make way for a 1,200 new homes.

Plymouth Community Homes announced it would be tearing down 750 homes in a £70 million redevelopment. Home owners were warned they may face compulsory purchase if they refused to move.

Honicknowle and Whitleigh were left shocked after it was revealed that a pensioner had embezzled thousands of pounds from a scout troop. The 35th Whitleigh troop faced closure after Kenneth Watkins from Chard Barton, Honicknowle, took around £15,000 from its two bank accounts. The 76-year-old pleaded guilty at Plymouth magistrates to two counts: fraud by abuse of position and false accounting and was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Former Manchester United striker, Bradley Wright-Phillips – Ian Wright's son – was signed by Argyle, as the club's chief executive, Michael Durnford, left his post.

Stunning duo Hayley Morse and Paul Nicholson were crowned the Face of Plymouth 2009 winners at a glitzy final at Plymouth Pavilions.

Tom Daley blew the competition out of the water to be crowned diving champion of the world. The Plymouth wonderkid became a man in Rome, beating off the challenge of the best divers on the planet on his debut at the FINA World Championships. The 15-year-old also made history, gaining Great Britain's first individual diving world title as he grabbed gold in a nail-biting and high-class men's 10m platform event.

A teaching assistant at Oreston school, died in a canal boat tragedy. Amanda Chapel was on holiday in Oxford after she fell from a barge and hit her head on concrete.

Solomon 'Solly' Read, was found dead on the sofa of a pub in Stonehouse after a heavy drink and drugs session. As a result of losing her son, his mother, Suzanne, announced she was to launch a website warning people about the dangers of an indulgent lifestyle.

The phrases 'janner' and 'Green Army' were heard uttered across the country as Paul Whitehouse starred in a TV advert.

He used the affectionate term for Plymothians as he took on the role of an Argyle supporter for an Aviva car insurance advert.

Fathers' rights campaigner Jonathan 'Jolly' Stanesby from Ivybridge, who was jailed for his high-profile stunts, celebrated during August when he finally resolved an eight-year legal battle over access to his daughter.

A team of prominent city figures revealed that Plymouth would bid to hold football World Cup games at Home Park in 2018, if England was selected.

The Toshiba factory at Ernesetlle stopped its TV production for good.

The electronics giant had announced its plans to relocate to Poland with the loss of 270 jobs, earlier in the year.

Frank Milford, one half of Britain's longest-married couple, died at the age of 101, with his wife of 81 years holding his hand.

A young naval medic from Whitleigh was awarded the Military Cross for outstanding bravery.

Able Seaman Kate Nesbitt, only the second woman in history to receive the honour, was decorated for heroically saving the life of an Army soldier in Afghanistan.

Stephen Hawken was jailed for 11 years, after being described as "high up the tree" of dealing Class A drugs in the city.

The 48-year-old's arrest came after a dramatic three-hour siege involving armed police at Hawken's exclusive Derriford property last November, ending only when he was shot with a baton round and Taser.

Police found an array of firearms in secret locations at his home and buried drugs in his neighbour's garden.

Asbestos victims joined together to launch their fight for justice. Led by city law firm Bond Pearce, the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the deadly asbestos-related lung cancer mesothelioma.

A gang of youths who'd terrorised Honicknowle residents, were given full ASBOs. The so-called Honicknowle Defence Regiment (HDR) were hit with a joint order banning them from causing trouble – or they faced up to five years in jail. They had been involved in assaults, intimidation, theft, burglary, robbery, alcohol and drug offences, weapons offences and vehicle offences.

A Plymouth organ donor campaigner died peacefully at Derriford Hospital after losing a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Emma Millar, aged 28, had launched a heartfelt plea for people to consider becoming organ donors when they die as she waited for a double lung transplant.

Gordon Ackrell, aged 56, of Whitleigh, was found with serious head injuries in Ipswich Close in the early hours of September 5.

He died in hospital later in the month. A man is due to appear in court next year in connection with incident.

A woman was stabbed while walking her dog in broad daylight in the woods in Yealmpton. Shirley Speare, the wife of Plymouth furniture mogul, Larry Speare, suffered around six puncture wounds and was rushed to Derriford. Nicholas Killen, aged 33, from Brixton, was charged with the attempted murder of Mrs Speare and is due to appear in court in the new year.

Vanessa George admitted photographing herself sexually abusing young children left in her care.

In a packed courtroom at Bristol Crown Court, the 39-year-old Efford nursery worker appeared alongside Colin Blanchard of Greater Manchester and Angela Allen of Nottingham. All three entered guilty pleas to an horrific catalogue of 37 offences between them.

A fatal car collision claimed the life of 18-year-old Kimberley Grayson. She was the passenger in a car that crossed the central reservation on Embankment Road, hitting a lamp-post, colliding with another car and ending up on its roof. A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Efford parents went through yet more trauma when interview tapes between the police and Vanessa George were leaked to the media.

A former Plymouth magistrate faced jail after being found guilty of multiple counts of benefit fraud. Stephen Barker who became a Justice of the Peace in 2003, and was at one time a governor of three Plymouth primary schools, was unanimously convicted on 12 counts of fraud, which he had denied. He claimed more than £18,000 in incapacity benefit, income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit between October 2001 and May 2005.

Sam Lamb successfully donated her kidney to her husband Andy. She had gone through months of gruelling gym sessions and dieting to shed four stones so that it was possible to undergo the life-changing operation.

A healthy little six-year-old girl died of a suspected brain tumour just days after having chicken pox. The heartbroken parents of Keira Darkes described how her health had deteriorated over 10 days.

Gleason Cutting Tools Ltd, based at Estover Industrial Estate, closed its doors to employees, for the last time. The news came just hours after Babcock announced it was to shed 90 posts at Devonport Dockyard.

Three-month-old Kodi Martin died after suffering serious head injuries following an incident in St Judes at the beginning of the month. His father, Graeme Draper, aged 25, from Beaumont Road, was arrested the same day and later charged with maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to Kodi.

Kodi fought for his life for 25 days at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol after being flown there from Derriford Hospital by police helicopter.

16-year-old Conor Ross was killed in a moped accident. The Lipson Community College student was fatally injured in a collision with a Toyota Land Cruiser on a country road between Hemerdon and Sparkwell.

Princess Yachts began re-employing workers. The Stonehouse-based luxury boat firm brought back about 20 of the workers made redundant earlier in the year, and said it intended to hire about 80 staff after linking with City College Plymouth to create a training scheme.

On Remembrance Sunday Torpoint Rifleman Samuel Bassett, aged 20, died in hospital after being caught up in a Taliban bomb blast in Northern Helmand.

91-year-old war heroine Mabel Siddall, nee Sheard, laid a wreath during a service at the spot where a memorial stone carries her name at North Corner, Devonport. She is the only surviving member of the five on the stone and was honoured with the British Empire Medal after she helped pull bodies from blitzed homes during the Second World War and ran through fires to get help.

A Plymouth pervert who'd spent three years on the run was arrested by police at a Turkish airport. Alfred John Palmer, now 52, fled the UK in 2006 following the halting of a trail where he faced five counts of indecent assault. Both he and his long-term partner Daniel Tapper, now 53, were tried in their absence. The jury, having heard evidence at Plymouth Crown Court from the pair's young victims, found Palmer guilty of five counts of indecent assault and Tapper guilty of one similar charge.

Plymouth was declared the wettest place in Britain as more than 20mm of rain fell in a six-hour period.

58-year-old Paula Deacon, died in Hessenford after falling off a bridge into a swollen river.

Plymouth's £3million new-look West End opened. Funded by Plymouth City Council and pioneered by the City Centre Company, traders praised the redevelopment scheme for attracting more shoppers to the area.

The council announced that Citybus would be sold off after city councillors approved a £20.2million deal with the nation-wide operator Go-Ahead.

In a debate marked by angry exchanges, councillors voted 24 to 17 in favour of the controversial sale. Union members staged a protest outside the Council House. But council leader Vivien Pengelly said Citybus would keep its identity, and staff would keep their jobs with improved benefits including the option to join Go-Ahead's sharesave scheme.

Plymouth was chosen as one of 12 in England, to host World Cup matches in 2018.

The Plymouth bid team persuaded FA leaders earlier in the month that the city had what it takes when it presented its case in London.

Paul Sturrock was axed as Argyle manager, after a disastrous run of results. The club said Paul Mariner was to take over the role until further notice.

Tom Daley, was crowned BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year for the second time.

He was also one of 10 nominations in the main Sports Personality of the Year award.

Two men died of suspected heroin overdoses within days of each other, in flats in Granby Street. Popular Phil Cheshire, 34, was described by friends and a 'lovely and intelligent' man who had studied Philosophy at university. Just three days later, the body of 30-year-old Craig 'Noddy' Evans was found in a neighbouring flat in the same block.

Vanessa George was jailed indefinitely on December 16. A judge warned that her "chilling" child sex abuse crimes could keep her in prison for life. Mr Justice Royce told George she was to serve a minimum of seven years before she could be considered for release. He said the case had caused "widespread revulsion and incredulity" and had "rocked the city of Plymouth" with the shockwaves extending to every nursery school in the country.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in Looe to bid a sorrowful farewell to a talented young musician who lost his life in a car accident. Ollie Naismith, 19, died after his car left the A38 near Saltash.

Herald readers showed their compassion when they donated scores of presents to a single mum and her children who had all their gifts stolen, just before Christmas.