30/08/2011 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening. Welcome. A top stories tonight... -- our. A

prescription for better patient facilities as Jersey's Government

proposes an injection of cash for St Saviour's Hospital. Plus mystery

still surrounds the death of Liga Verse as friends and family join to

remember her life. And running for a reason - the charities and

A multi-million pound investment is planned for a Jersey care facility

for those with mental illness. Clinque Pinel, which is part of St

Saviour's Hospital, hasn't been updated in over 40 years. Although

over a million pounds has already been agreed for work there, the

Treasury Minister and Health Minister agree an extra �2 million

is needed to bring wards up to modern standards. Beckie Williams

It's a vital centre which treats patients with dementia and mental

illness locally. But Clinque Pinel was built in the 1970s and it needs

an upgrade. All the staff work in a difficult environment, as well as

the patients. These days be the one single rooms so it is easier to

assess patients. It is also more privacy. This is one of the rooms

used to treat patients here and as you can see it's seen better days.

There are holes in the walls and the wallpaper's peeling, which

nurses say could spread infection. And 17 patients have to share this

bathroom. It's the only wash facility available for men and

women. To bring these wards up to modern standards, �1 million has

already been agreed by the government but it says more is

needed. An extra two million is now being proposed to update facilities

- money which will be added to spending plans to be debated by the

States next month. I do nothing there are dangers but I think it is

not acceptable that Clinque Pinel has been allowed to deteriorate to

this level. We need to make changes to the facilities and upgrade them.

That is why I have made the decision of amending a business

plan which had been completed. has money not been put in before

now? Questions need to be asked of the previous ministers for health

and social services as to why many requests were not made. With longer

term plans to relocate this hospital, the proposed cash

injection is a short term cure, but it's a cure that will provide a

It's still unclear this evening how a young Latvian woman died in

Guernsey. It's been just over a week since 24-year-old Liga Verse's

body was found in a flat in St Peter Port in suspicious

circumstances. Her family have been to the island and a special service

was held over the weekend to remember her, as Mike Wilkins

The sadness was felt by everyone as they came together to remember a

young woman's life. Liga's family just missed the service as they had

to fly back to Latvia but her father is still stunned by what's

happened. Very sad. They still did not understand what happened. But

the father said that when I will be at home I will cry my eyes and

heart out. The service was to remember Liga but was also to help

her family. More than �1000 was raised to help pay for a cremation

and the return of her ashes to Latvia. And for Guernsey's Latvian

community the service was an important part of coming to terms

with their loss. I think they did need it. There were many people

here tonight and many of them were visibly moved. I hope that will

give them something to hold on to, something to give them comfort and

hope for the future. During this uncertain time the people of

Guernsey were keen to show their support for the Latvian community.

I do not think this evening is about speculating on what may have

happened, I think it is about reassuring of the community. We

feel their pain, we understand what they are going through. The police

still can't say how Liga died as they're awaiting the results of a

second post mortem. But as the technical side of the investigation

continues, the human impact is Police are investigating a theft

and attempted break-in in stark last week. Money was taken from the

information office last Friday and that the island all there was an

attempt to gain access. Guernsey police want to hear from anyone who

was in those areas on the Friday evening, or Saturday morning. The

Red Arrows will appear in Jersey and Guernsey next week during the

International Air Displays if their training sessions run smoothly in

the run up. Their appearance was in doubt after one of the pilots died

in a plane crash earlier this month. But organisers say the team will

fly here, encouraged by the widow of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging who

wants them to continue their A fort in Alderney has been

described as one of the most important buildings of Roman

Britain. A four year archaeological dig at the Nunnery has revealed the

remains of a former Roman Sea Fort. The Director of Heritage Services

at Guernsey Museums Dr Jason Monaghan says it's significant.

is one of the most important Asian buildings in the Channel Islands

and in the hall of Roman Britain -- ancient buildings. We do not have a

fort of this type standing anywhere. This is an extremely important

building for Roman Britain and certainly for Alderney. The sport

A round up of some sports news for you now and Channel Islands' tennis

star Heather Watson lost in three sets to the former champion Maria

Sharapova in the 1st round of the US Open in New York. After winning

the first set the Guernsey teenager fought hard but eventually went

down 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Watson got a standing ovation from the crowd in

the Arthur Ashe stadium and said she loved the atmosphere. And in

rugby, Jersey lost 29-27 away at Fylde on the opening day of the

National League One season. The islanders were trailing 24-8 at the

interval but fought back in the second-half and could have won if a

penalty by Michael Le Bourgeois had been successful with three minutes

left. Jersey get two bonus points Guernsey FC are top of the table in

the Combined Counties League Division One after two away wins at

the weekend. They beat Frimley Green 5-0 on Saturday and followed

up that success with a 4-0 win over Cobham yesterday. It sees them

level with Bedfont Sports on 16 points but topping the table on

goal difference with 18 to Nearly 500 runners took part in

this year's Guernsey marathon at the weekend. The event was raising

money for a premature baby charity among others. Emma Thomas was

This year the marathon got off to a flying start. I'm running for the

Alzheimers Society becuase it runs in my family. I'm running for

Canine Partners which is a fantastic charity which trains dogs

to help people. I'm running for a charity that does research on rare

ovarian cancer. This year's Guernsey marathon got off to a

flying start - runners jostling for position. �1,000 prize money up for

grabs plus the chance to support a favourite charity. Organisers told

me nearly 500 people took part in the event. This years' chosen

charity is the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation. It's hoped some of

the money raised will pay for new neo-natal hospital equipment.

like to think round about seven to �8000 and it will go to the

premature baby foundation, having said that I know that there are

other runners out there who've raised hundreds, if not thousands

of pounds for other charities. So I anticipate all together for all

charities we'd probably raise about �40,000. At the halfway point the

strain was starting to show. Runners cheered on by crowds on the

Coast Road. First to the finish line in 2 hours 30 minutes and 47

seconds was Neals Strik from the Netherlands. A seasoned runner -

this was a practice for his next marathon in Holland. It was nice,

my second amrathon win, so I did twelve marathons in total. It's

never easy to win a marathon, so nice! As the stands made some noise

the other runners came through - all glad to have made it the 26.2

miles home. Good support. A good race. I am tired, just waiting for

the others to come through. Pretty good, pretty knackered but proud.

At the end of the race there were some exhausted looking faces - in

unusual places as people couldn't wait to take their shoes off and

piut their feet up. Coldest August night on record apparently last

Mainly a dry story but the possibility of a few showers coming

through the Bay of Biscay through Jersey towards the evening tomorrow.

That stays with us as we move into thirsted. Generally dry though, a

good reason for that, this area of high pressure weakens over the next

24 hours. It will move northwards, allowing this area of low pressure

to move gradually up towards us which will bring our small cloud

and the threat of showers towards the end of the day. This evening

and tonight a lot of fine weather. More cloud coming in overnight.

Easterly winds which will be like but freshen up through the day

tomorrow, when we will have a fine day mostly. A lot of cloud but by

the end of the afternoon showers That is the coastal waters forecast.