03/01/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening and welcome to That is something!

Good evening and welcome to Friday's BBC Channel Islands News.

The headlines tonight. Cases of domestic abuse in Jersey are

increasing, but overall crime is falling according to police. We have

seen about a 10% increase in domestic related incidents and

assaults and that amounts to about 12% of all crime recorded in Jersey,

so it is a significant factor. Two Jersey politicians are declared

bankrupt tonight and lose their seats in the island's government.

And... Roads are closed and sandbags are given to homeowners here as

strong winds and high tides caused disruption for many across the

islands. Tonight, forecasters say there is more to come. We continue

to see full gales through this evening and as high tide approaches

there is a risk of further flooding. I will have the details

later in the programme. Good evening. Cases of domestic

violence in Jersey are increasing. Police went over 1100 incidents in

2013, a rise of 6% from 2012. Overall crime in the island is down

by 18%, according to figures released today. Emma Chambers

reports. Nearly 700 fewer crimes were

reported to Jersey Police last year, a drop of almost 18% from 2012 and

the lowest crime level recorded for the last five years. But while

overall reports of crime have decreased, Jersey Police has seen an

increase in domestic violence. We attended over 1100 domestic

incidents last year, which is a 6% rise on the year before. This is not

unexpected because we have done a lot of work in getting to victims

coming forward, having the confidence to come to us and other

agencies so we have seen a 10% increase in domestic incidents and

assaults. That amounts to about 12% of all crime recorded in Jersey, so

it is a significant factor. It seems campaigns to get victims to speak

out on the island are working but some still suffer in silence. It is

a silent issue. Statistics tell you that victims will suffer 25 or 30

times before they will hold their hand and seek help. So if we are

getting 1100 also reported incidents year, that is three a day, which is

terrible. Maybe there are more out there. Jersey Police saves as their

short`term rise for hopefully a long`term reduction so domestic

violence rates in the island could drop in the future, just as

burglaries, theft and youth crime have all done in 2013.

David Kennedy is a community and school sports manager. He believes

police, social and sports groups have coordinated the way they work

with young people more effectively in recent years. Earlier I asked him

how that had helped the crime rate to fall. We have delivered a number

of projects to reduce anti`social behaviour order, the main ones being

on Friday night in and around St Helier. Those particular projects,

we work closely with the police to identify areas which have been

flagged up as hotspots, so they give us the data and we know there have

been a number of young peoples issues. We work alongside the youth

service who send out youth workers to that predictive projects. Young

people may like to speak to a professional. Must be reassuring to

hear that crime rates have fallen as a result of the work you do. It is

very pleasing and it has been a collaborative approach to reducing

anti`social behaviour order. I think there is a number of different

departments with the same agenda, various agencies that do a lot of

good work with families and young people and there are charities as

well, such as Brighter Futures. What needs to be done to maintain that

level? The levels have been as low as they have ever been but clearly

we still have a minority that we need to continually target

appropriately and work with them and make sure that our resources are

used effectively to stop what we find as it is getting harder because

there is not the levels of anti`social behaviour out there now

to try to find young people to target, which is great in some

respects but we know they are out there. Drink`driving arrests over

the festive period were the lowest since 2009 in Guernsey. Police say

they made nine arrests during the Christmas campaign compared with 11

in 2012. 580 motorists were stopped. Two durch `` Jersey deputies have

been declared bankrupt at Jersey's Royal Court tonight. Deputies Trevor

and Shona Pitman emerged from court a short time ago, it came about

after a failed libel case against an estate agent and the Jersey Evening

Post. The deputies have lost their seats in the island's government.

Julie Flanagan told me about the background to the case.

Before Christmas, deputies Trevor and Shona Pitman had applied for

bankruptcy. They asked Jersey's legal system to allow their home to

be sold off to pay debt that had been accumulated in a defamation

case they had the GEP. They had argued unsuccessfully that a cartoon

of person `` advertisement that had been placed by the estate agents in

the Jersey Evening Post made them look like money grabbers. Ella Bobby

they have lost their seats in the states. What now for them and the

States of Jersey? They have been declared bankrupt.

This application has been successful. From today they are no

longer deputies. They are effectively out of a job. What that

means is the Royal Court will order a by`election over the next week or

two to fill those seats. The Channel Islands are due for more

bad weather tonight after sea water and debris made many roads

impassable this morning. Winds of up to 80 miles an hour have been

recorded in Alderney and the St Peter Port friend had to be closed

for two hours. `` seafront had to be closed for two hours. The scene

along the Perelle coast road, closed because debris was washed over the

wall by the strong winds and high tides. Once we identified the main

areas we have started on the clean`up process and have mechanical

sleep `` sweepers out. Also labour gangs working as well to clear some

of the larger debris. Elsewhere the tide came over the Victoria Marina

round the shingle bank at L'Eree was breached. In Jersey it was a similar

story. This was the scene along Victoria Avenue this morning, even

catching our camera off`guard. Further along Jersey's South Coast

sandbags were given to homeowners from First Tower to Harve des Pas.

Just in case, you know. The forecast is not good, a high tide, the wind

in this direction, so it will come over the walls. As we can see today

there is a lot of cars, covered in seaweed and the private properties

are full of weed and water so we need the barrier to keep things

back. Forecasters say winds are expected to reach 60 mph this

evening and have issued orange tide warnings. Late Saturday and Sunday

the chart is dominated by huge low`pressure system and what we will

see as a number of minor lows running around the system being

steered and I am afraid we will see further strong gale or severe gale

force winds over the next four or five days. The bad weather has had

an impact on the fishing industry, which has come to a near standstill

due to three weeks of gales and swells.

Holly will be along in a moment with a full weather forecast, do stay

tuned for that. Guernsey's government will meet its

controversial savings targets next year according to the island's Chief

Minister but as the BBC's Mike Wilkins reports, a lot more needs to

be done if the island is to balance its books.

Chief Minister, 2013 has seen a lot of work done to try and improve

Guernsey's international reputation through signing tax agreements and

even David Cameron the British prime ministers saying that the Channel

Islands should not be considered as tax havens. Do you think the island

has now done enough? I think we have helped to move the agenda on. The UK

Government now acknowledges that we are not a tax haven, we are fully

cooperative and have espoused the principles of tax transparency. Even

the charities who are fairly critical about is at times I think

except there is now tax transparency. Their agenda has

shifted onto corporate transparency, which is a slightly different

matter. 2013 has also seen the closure of hospital wards and the

decision to close two schools, as the government is trying to meet its

savings targets. How did that make you feel, that ultimately it was

your government that had to make those decisions? I think when we

stood for election in 2012, we all understood we were going to have to

take tough decisions. We can no longer duck the issue. We have to

bring our spending back into line with our income. Those are the

inevitable consequences. How do you foresee next year? Do you think the

government will hit its targets or will it be the taxpayer who will

have to make up the difference? I am confident we will achieve the

target. By the end of October we had banked over 20 million. By the end

of December it should be up to 23 million. I am confident we will

achieve the target. The key thing is we have to think about how we do

after the end of 2014. We have to continue to find efficiencies.

Looking ahead to 2014, what do you thing will be the biggest issues for

the island? I think looking at the outcome of the current review on tax

and benefits and pensions, that will then address the budget for 2014 ``

the budget for 2015 but also the suspicious will but `` the Social

Security Department proposals. That links in with Democratic side

pensions issues, the state superannuation scheme and coming up

with how we wish to progress further efficiencies close to the end of

2014. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Deputy Peter Harwood will be Sue Coryndon's guests on the BBC Radio

Guernsey phone in this Sunday morning. She is on the air from

10am. Sport, tennis, Guernsey's Heather Watson has continued her

impressive start to the 2014 season with a three sets victory in the

first qualifying round of the Apia International in Sydney. Heather

defeated Johanna Larsson from Sweden 4`6, 6`1 early this morning. Jersey

faced London Welsh and the Championship. The islanders will be

hoping to fair start 2014 in style after losing their last five

matches. After a tricky start of the season for Guernsey the green and

white to take on top of the table Dorking Footes Lane tomorrow

afternoon. Football, a pitch inspection this evening to see if

Guernsey FC's away fiction `` fixture at Ramsgate can go ahead.

The forecast is for gales and rain. They hope to pick up another three

points in the fixture after two successive victories including an a

record 11`0 victory this week. Now the weather forecast from Holly

Green. Good evening. Severe conditions in

store, continued risk of strong winds gales. Heavy showers feeding

through, a risk of hail and thunder and we see this continued flooding

risk especially around high tide. This is the area of low pressure

responsible. It is this squeezing in the ice bars across those which is

generating these very strong winds and as we head through tomorrow the

winds eased down a little but we have still got some heavy showers

and come Sunday, another area of low pressure is bringing us some further

very wet and windy conditions. For this evening, gales for a time. They

continue to combine with the high tide is bringing the risk of

flooding and we see some hefty showers at times through the night.

They could become quite organised towards dawn. Risk of some hail and

thunder. We head into tomorrow and have heavy showers in place. They

continue to be blown through one some fairly brisk winds. There will

be some bright spells around as well but we do continue to see the risk

of hail and thunder. Top temperatures tomorrow between nine

and 11 Celsius. For our coastal waters forecast...

Now some big waves out at sea for the surfers and some messy or chubby

conditions. And the outlook, as we saw we have heavy showers expected

at times tomorrow. They could come because `` they could become

particularly organised as we head towards the evening. Sunday,

low`pressure bringing is wet and very windy conditions. As we head

into the beginning of next week we still have some very strong winds in

store but that more persistent rain becomes more showery. Have a good

evening. That is it for now. I am back at 10pm. Natalie and Simon are

back next with Spotlight. Goodbye. until 10pm tonight. There's also

much more on your BBC website. It's emerged that jobs at the

Somerset helicopter maker Agusta Westland could be under threat after

the Indian government said it wanted to cancel ?500 million contract with

the company. The order for 12 luxury aircraft has been in the balance

since allegations surfaced last year that it may have been won through

bribery. The two sides are due to meet to try and resolve the issue.

Will Glennon reports from Yeovil workers are back at Agusta Westland

after Christmas. We have heard it may not be such a happy New Year.

They built these helicopters for the Indian government. They have already

been delivered and nine are ready to go. `` Three. The total cost is

almost half ?1 billion. But now the Indians want out. It is

disappointing. We won the contract. We did the work on budget. This has

come out of the blue. That is nothing more we could have done. ``

There. The deal has been in question since last February. The Chief

Executive of Agusta Westland's Italian company was arrested over

suggestions that over 30 million euros had been made to the Indian

Defence Ministry. Allegations that have always been denied. Agusta

Westland has issued a statement saying that it does not believe the

Indian government has any basis to cancel the contract. It says it will

take part in an arbitration process. That is a mitigation plan in place

if the contract should be cancelled. Executives will now meet with Indian

officials and lawyers to try to sort out the deal. Meanwhile, Yeovil has

to get on with the ?1 billion order secured just before Christmas. 16

helicopters for Norway. A message to Cornwall Council

housing tenants to "pay your rent before it's spent" has been branded

"offensive". The housing newsletter was sent out just before Christmas

warning tenants about evictions and not to become "one of those cases".

The council says it was not meant to be patronising but intended to

remind people of the importance of keeping on top of payments. Tamsin

Melville reports. It was Christmas Eve when this family's Cornwall

Housing newsletter arrived at their home. They weren't happy with what

they read. I don't think debt is necessarily related to overspending

on unnecessary goods. With the recent changes in benefits and

bedroom tax... As well as the difficulty for people to find

work... I think it's a combination of different factors that are

causing people to get into rent arrears ` not necessarily spending

on items that aren't of necessity. The article says it's important to

budget over Christmas. It warns about evictions and says welfare

reform is not an acceptable reason for getting into arrears. For that

to go to all tenants, with an assumption that people are

struggling, that they are managing their finances badly ` it's unfair.

People on low incomes often do a fantastic job, sometimes a far

better one than the millionaires we have, at managing their finances.

Every penny counts. I think the timing is particularly bad. Cornwall

Housing is owned by the council, which says the article contained

important advice about changes to rent payments and arrears. It

certainly wasn't intended to be patronising. I would apologise if

anybody felt it was. But there were significant messages in there that

we needed to get out. People have to be careful at this time of year,

about managing their money. It's been proven that this is the most

likely time people can get into financial difficulty, especially

with the bills coming in through January. The council also says

anyone in Cornwall struggling to pay their rent should contact them for

advice. Since the 1970s the idea of

offenders being brought face to face with their victims to apologise and

to try to make amends has been gaining prominence around the world.

Here the government has recently announced millions of pounds of

extra investment in what's known as restorative justice. But in some

cases victims don't want to actually meet offenders so in Dorset a scheme

has been running where the two are still connected as I've been finding

out. This may sound like a woodwork lesson at school, and it may look

like a woodwork lesson at school, but school is a place where many

offenders in their mid`teens have failed. Here, they're succeeding. I

was a bit young. Naive and stupid. I took the wrong choices and wrong

decisions. I got in a lot of trouble. But are they simply

returning to the classrooms they once left behind? It's nothing like

going back to school. What was different? It was more enjoyable and

good to see what you've achieved. I enjoyed putting smiles on people's

faces. That idea of putting a smile on a face is crucial to those who

run this programme. They say young people see they can do something

positive, and that feeling might help them find an alternative to

committing crime. In Dorset, we're seeing a steady, year`on`year

reduction in the rate of re`offending, in terms of the people

we work with. That's the name of the game. But isn't the name of the game

also offenders meeting the people they've wronged? Where are those

people? Some want the meeting, in order to repair damage ` sometimes

literally ` but others prefer to be kept at arm's length. In their

latest project, offenders have been making gifts to sell, but the money

made will go to charities chosen by the victims. Every element, every

piece of work, has to have some form of restorative justice. That can

come in many forms. What the essential part is that young people

make some kind of restitution to their victims. After this Christmas

offering, birdboxes might be next off the production line in a new

year ` and hopefully new beginning ` for some young people.

Time for the sport now and the weather affected some fixtures

earlier this week. Dave's here with news about this weekend.

The search has begun today for Torquay United's new manager after

the dismissal of Alan Knill. The Gulls are in serious trouble lying

next`to`the`bottom of the Football League. The early contenders are

former United skipper Chris Hargreaves, currently first`team

coach at Championship club Bournemouth. But he's had talks with

Northampton about becoming their new boss. Also in the running is

ex`Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock, seen here on the right,

who was sacked by Southend last March.

The third round of the FA Cup heads the weekend's sport. Yeovil Town's

tie against League One high flyers Leyton Orient is on. Covers have

been put on the Huish Park surface and the dug outs, which were flooded

on New Years Day, have dried out. It sees the return of Russell Slade to

Yeovil where he spent three years in charge, including a League One

play`off final appearance. Also on at the moment is Plymouth Argyle's

cup`tie at Port Vale on Sunday, where the Pilgrims' loanee Keelan

Lavvery misses out. Parent club Sheffield Wednesday don't want him

cup`tied. The League Two games for Exeter City at home to Mansfield and

Torquay against Morecambe are both still on.

There's a new half`back pairing for Exeter Chiefs on Sunday at London

Wasps. Dave Lewis and Henry Slade come in for Haydn Thomas and Gareth

Steenson, the latter dropping to the bench. Chris Whitehead comes in at

hooker for Jack Yeandle and James Hanks replaces Damian Welch at lock.

Tomorrow, the Cornish Pirates, sixth in the Championship, have a real

test at third`placed Rotherham Titans, whilst Plymouth Albion also

have their hands full at the Brickfields against

fourth`in`the`table Leeds. There's been more recognition for

Plymouth College Director of Swimming and Plymouth Leander head

coach Jon Rudd. He's been named the 2013 International Coach of the

Year, the European Coach of the Year and the World Coach of the Year for

Junior athletes. Rudd guided Plymouth College's Ruta Meilityte to

an Olympic gold medal and the World title last year in the 100 metre

breaststroke. Of course, the weather could have

the final say in what's on and what's off tomorrow. So my tip is to

stay tuned to your BBC local radio station and the BBC sport website.

Let's hope they're all on. Back to the story which is

dominating our coverage not just tonight but over the last few weeks

` the weather. The winds didn't quite stir up the sea as much as

first thought and conditions are calmer but they're by no means

perfect. Let's go back to John Ayres now who's in Instow for us tonight `

how's the tide looking John? It is almost high tide. As you can

probably see, the waves are starting to bash the sea wall. The key thing

is that the floodgates hold out and that the water doesn't rise high

enough. Earlier today it did stop that part from flooding. We will

just have too weak and see what happens. `` to wait. Don't forget

you can keep up to date on the latest weather story on your BBC

website and bbc local radio. Time for the weather. We will see

some risk of coastal flooding. We have Environment Agency flood

warnings in place. If you are concerned here is the phone number.

This is the low pressure responsible. To the south we have

hefty lumps of cloud. That is what we have seen today. You can see that

this indicates the strong winds. As we head into tomorrow, we have still

got some showers on the way but the winds are tending to these down a

little. Come Sunday, we have another low pressure system coming in. It is

going to cause wet and windy conditions. But not quite to the

extent of what we have seen. These are the showers we saw earlier

today. Some rumbles of thunder and some lightning. As we continue

through this evening, there will be gusts of up to 60 or 70 mph. It

could lead to the risk of flooding. Through the early hours the showers

become organised. Quite persistent spells of rain. Most in eight of

five to seven Celsius. `` Lows tonight. The winds are still strong

for tomorrow but there will still be some bright spells tomorrow. In the

evening we will see the showers become quite slow`moving and give us

some heavy downpours. Top temperatures of seven and eight

degrees. There will be heavy showers on the Isles of Scilly. Not quite as

windy as we have seen before. Here are the times for high water. For

our surfers... That's it.

Here is the outlook. Heavy showers. Come Sunday we have low pressure

coming in. We have a mate oarfish yellow warning in place. `` Met

Office. We say it every night at the moment but please do take care

especially this weekend ` as we've been hearing it's still looking