27/07/2011 BBC Points West

Good evening and welcome to BBC Points West. Our headlines tonight:

The bodies buried without all their organs. Police admit they've kept

the body parts of some crime victims and not always told the

families. Burying somebody is the last thing you do for them, and it

affects your memories of them. And to find out something like this -

years later - is very, very traumatic.

The tragedy of a biker who was poisoned with carbon monoxide while

camping in a tent. Turn it down! The campaign in

Gloucester to stop buskers belting it out.

And shall we have fish for supper? A family of otters moves into a

Hello. More than 100 families across the west are being contacted

by police to tell them their loved ones were buried missing some of

their body parts. Avon and Somerset Police legally

kept the organs and tissues of victims of serious crimes,

including murder, to help with future investigations. But

sometimes, families were kept in the dark. Dickon Hooper has this

report. They did not have the right to take

things without anybody's consent whatsoever.

Anne and Jane's brother Nigel died in Bristol in 2003. They've just

been told by police that when they buried him, his brain was missing.

She said the brain... And I was totally shocked, I didn't know what

to do. I didn't know whether to smash a window, smack her, I didn't

know. They're not alone. Avon & Somerset Police are contacting the

families of more than 100 victims of suspicious or unexplained deaths

to discuss what organs and tissue they've kept - and why. And

crucially talking to the families involved. They said they understand

this may be upsetting for families, this may be upsetting for families,

but that tissue may need to be examined further and may be a

critical factor in bringing an critical factor in bringing an

offender to justice. And there's the rub for some experts, like

Professor Jameson.Victims of crime may be able to help, he says, from

beyond the grave. Take, for example, sudden infant death. The retention

of that material would allow us to investigate any future Theory on

course, very quickly, by using the retained material. Otherwise, we

would have to wait for new cases to come along and gradually build up

tests to look at the theory. keeping tissue and organs - and not

telling the families - is a difficult subject, particularly for

Bristol. The heart scandal at the Bristol Royal Infirmary was more

than 15 years ago. Parents were kept in the dark about their

children's organs being used for research. Helen Rickard was the

first to discover the truth. From my experience, families will be

utterly devastated to find out years later that they have buried

their loved one with organs missing. Burying somebody is the last thing

you do for them, and it affects your memories of them. And to find

out something like this, years later, is very, very traumatic.

Anne and Jane have now re-buried their brother, seven and a half

years after his death. Joining us now is our Health

Correspondent, Matthew Hill. Just give us some context. Why are

tissue samples and organs retained? It first has to be said it is

entirely different from the organ retention scandal involving

thousands of organs taken without consent for research purposes by

hospitals across the country. That was evil, this was lawful, done

under the direction of a coroner -- that was illegal. It was to get

evidence about crimes that may have been committed, but families did

not know about it until 1006, when there was the Human tissue Act, a

major shake-up, and it meant that authorities like the police, who

deal with tissue samples, have to tell people they have them and why.

Could other families be given similar news?

It seems that they have got around to most of the families and they

will adopt the problem, like before 2000 at six, it is highly unlikely

the same thing could happen again - - 2006.

But it is 2011 now. It is, but they have found this

problem with the families and they feel they have the moral imperative,

the obligation, to tell people. An inquest heard today that a cruel

combination of events led to the death of a young father as he slept

in a tent in Somerset. Richard Phillips was poisoned by exhaust

fumes from his generator at Farleigh Castle last September. His

widow has told BBC Points West she hopes his tragic death will serve

as a warning to others. John Maguire reports from Wells.

Richard Phillips had two great loves in his life - his family and

riding off-road motorcyles. This is him, filmed by his son Lewis,

practicing near his home. Today, supported by friends and family,

his widow came to Wells for her husband's inquest.

He was everybody's hero, I think. He had been racing since he was six,

it was his life and he loved every single minute of it. He has passed

this on to my boys. We are continuing to race, even though he

is not here. He was a fantastic man who would do anything for anybody.

Last September, he was camping with friends at Farleigh Castle ahead of

riding his motocross bike in a competition. This photograph shows

the petrol generator outside the tent where he slept, powering an

electric heater inside. The inquest heard it should have been a metre

away, but was half that distance. The winds that night were too light

to blow the carbon monoxide fumes away, but strong enough to blow the

poisonous gas into the tent. Friends had gone to bed later and

the generator was switched off. Richard was exposed for the longest

time and died. He was just 38. Recording a verdict of accidental

death, the coroner said it was the combination of those factors that

caused Richard Phillips's death. Where any one of them to have been

any different, he may well have survived -- worth. If we can stop

it happening to anyone else, that is our main goal, because it was

such a tragedy, and something that we never would have expected. We

have used the generators for such a long time. So if we can get the

message out on how to look -- use them and where to place them, that

is something we need to do. Piney Phillips left Wells to lay flowers

at Farleigh Castle where he husband died, hoping that lessons will be

learned - hoping that others will not suffer as she has.

It's Wednesday and you're watching BBC Points West, your regional news

programme. And stay with us as there is much

more still to come tonight. Including:

Helping the tiniest babies survive. We look behind the scenes of a new

multi-million-pound care unit. And the toddler twin now training

for the Olympics. With one year to go, we meet another of the west's

hopefuls and take a look round The turnaround in fortunes for the

Gloucestershire engineering firm Renishaw continues, with today's

announcement of record annual profits. The company based in

Wotton-under-Edge posted pre-tax profits of more than �80 million

compared to nearly 29 million last year. Only two years ago, they were

laying people off. The first babies have moved into

the multi-million-pound intensive care unit in Bath. Doctors believe

the state-of-the-art Dyson Centre will improve the care and survival

rates of sick and premature babies who use it. In recent years, the

number needing care at the Royal United Hospital has increased.

Laura Lyon reports. Joshua Heather was born ten weeks

prematurely. With his lungs not fully developed, he's been in

intensive care for four weeks. Joshua is one of the first babies

to have transferred to the Royal United Hospital's new neo-natal

intensive care unit. The principal differences is that the old unit is

about one-third the size of this one. It was quite tight, if you had

a number of babies, it was hectic, people bumping into each other and

there was not a lot of privacy and space. This room has all new

equipment, it is much more relaxed, which is what you want for

premature babies, to allow them to be relaxed. The �6.1 million unit

will care for up to 21 sick or premature babies. �3 million of the

money came from the NHS, the rest from the Forever Friends Appeal.

The intensive care unit has seven of the state of the arts pods,

costing around �30,000 each. They provide one space around it baby

where the staff and family can have all of the monitoring it, breeding

and feeding equipment for its care. -- breathing. A previously, we were

dancing over wires, trying to avoid tripping up and it was so cramped,

but now things are positioned at the back of the cot, we don't have

to climb over anything and everything is to hand. The old

units dealt on average with around 500 sick or premature babies a year,

but in recent years, it has risen to around 600. Doctors say they are

confident the new facility will help them improve survival rates.

It goes without saying that if we have got everything in place, with

all the right facilities, the right equipment and that we are organised

that notice all in the right environment, in the appropriate

set-up, that I'm really confident that we can only improve on the

level of care that we can provide. The sustainable building is

designed to maximise space and light. So parents, staff and babies

are less likely to get stressed and increase the chance of a speedy

recovery. Officials in Gloucester are looking

at cracking down on busking in the City after complaints that some of

the acts are too noisy. In one case, volunteers from the Civic Trust

were forced out of their building because they could not hear

themselves above the singing of a Rebecca Newman is one of the

entertainers that picture at Gloucester Cross but she could soon

be asked to move on. Workers in St Michael's tower opposite had to

move unimportant meeting because they could not hear themselves talk.

It is the sheer volume of some of the acts, particularly opera

singers which were excellent but far too loud and they interfere

with other people's business. Busking is about taste. What might

be one person's pick of the Pops is some other person's flop but the

council wants to keep the peace, enforcing a voluntary code and

creating official areas to seeing a few hundred yards away. We have St

Michael's power behind us which has been brought back into use by the

Civic Trust. If something is too noisy a few yards away, it can

disturb them. We want to trade the middle ground and have a city senti

-- city centre everyone can be happy in. But Rebecca says she has

the right to sink on the best pigeon town. For streets all come

together. It is a nice part of the town. You are not obstructing the

pavement to March with people congregating to watch so it is a

nice place to perform. --. Caroline's shop is right next to

the pitch and she listens all day long. It is nice to listen to and

to see other people's faces makes my day. It is the crossroads do

everything and that is the way it should be. A few years ago there

was an attempt to get entertainers to audition but I hope this time

they hope the decision will be much Pardon! I didn't quite he you then.

It was back that might -- It was back in 2005 that London and the

country celebrated as it was announced the UK had won its bid to

host the Olympics in 2012. For millions it was a dream come true,

and now there's just one year to go until the Opening Ceremony.

Many athletes from our region will be competing at the Olympic Park in

east London where a huge transformation has taken place.

Someone who's seen that progress and been there again today is our

Sports editor, David Passmore. This is it! And what a sight it is.

I game here a couple of years ago and it was impossible to see how it

would all fit together and be ready. But it looks as if they could start

begins tomorrow. Let me give you a quick guided tour. Over there is

the village them. Next, the basketball court and then the

Olympic village where the athletes will stay and here is the main

stadium that will become so familiar to all of us. If you are

lucky enough to have tickets for any of the events, this is a way

you will come and this is where so many of our local athletes will be

competing. One of those who is lucky enough to be hit to date is a

synchronised swimmer from Bristol. I have been working towards this.

It is all going so quickly so hopefully, we will be there in no

time. Katie was one of the Olympic hopefuls we have been following

over the past few weeks. A year ahead of the opening ceremony, we

meet our final Olympic hopeful, the last of our hopefuls for 2012. He

has a twin brother who is a professional footballer and he came

10th at the Beijing Games. Past performance is no guarantee of

future selection and he is battling for one of the two places on offer

next summer. It is a truly -- sport for the all-

rounder. Combining the running and shooting in a single discipline, it

is hard. You have to try and hold a gun as stable as possible and shoot

targets. It is quite tricky. You are sweaty and other things going

on. People coming in and out next you. Sam is the twin brother of

professional footballer, Chris. Both were keen on all sports.

soon as they could kick a ball they were playing football. Chris was

always in goal and sham -- Sam was shooting. Whatever sport was on the

television, they would run out and play it. Cricket if it was on the

telly or tennis or football. They loved all sport. Chris spent time

at Yeovil and Bristol City and is currently at Leicester City.

don't have to be in each other's pockets or do the same sport or

live together. We lead separate lives but still do have that bond

that twins have, more than a brother relationship. Sam is 29,

born in the Oval and one silver at the European championships last

year. He is now -- now aiming for one of the took GB places up for

grabs next summer. No, it not the 6th discipline but a their chance

to relax. Naturally, another sport! Training has to be spread thinly

between the disciplines. I could be a better runner also Matt if I

could dedicate more time to that but it is a balancing act, getting

consistency right across the five events. Sam has been there and done

it finishing 10th in the Beijing Games but to be there in 2012, he

still has to reach the qualifying standard and then win one of the

two places on offer. What would it mean to be at 2012? Everything, to

be honest. To represent your country in your own country in

front of how many millions of people would be fantastic and to

try to win a medal for your country in Europe own country would be a

dream come true. For Sam, past performance will count for little

as he battles. For him, the Olympics really will be about the

taking part. The first opportunity he has to

achieve the Olympic qualification standard is at the European

Championships in Kent this weekend. Over the next 12 month, we will

keep in touch with all our Olympic hopefuls as they battle for that

elusive goal, to compete at the Olympics in front of a home crowd.

Sam trains at the University of Bath and a radio colleagues on BBC

five live will hold a special programme from their that starts at

7 o'clock. Plenty of big names in prospect and Alastair is already

there. Good evening. They will be here to

speak to the 40 or so potential Olympians and Paralympians that use

the facilities here. Behind me, I have part of it GB beach volleyball

squad. We have good prospects of medals in the Westcountry and here

at the Westcountry, not least Dai Greene. He is definitely one to

look out for to be on the podium in London in a year's time. He is

training in a great group of sprinters and hurdlers which also

includes a man called Jack Green who is 19 and he has just become

the under 23 European champion. But in some pressure on? Hopefully make

the final and challenge Dai. Our group is really good and our

approach is the best man in the world some happy am here. Malcolm

Arnold, that is who is also taking Jason Gardner as well. Yes,

hopefully me and Dai will do well. Best of luck to you. We have a

great tradition of modern pentathlon here in Bath. Week just

seemed to keep creating medals? we it have been doing really well

since pentathlon started for women, no less than four medals so we have

a lot to stand up to. Hopefully we will be successful again next year.

You have been to Greenwich Park to have a look at one of the test

events. What was it like? It was amazing. The venue is very

impressive, right in the centre of London but you don't feel like it.

It made the Olympics a lot more real and it will be a fantastic

event. Some journeys are harder than others. Robin has joined us

off the beach volleyball court. You had your funding cut last year say

you have to do it the hard way? it was a bad time for as but it

seems like a long time ago and we have done a lot of work since.

day-job as well to squeeze in? work for Network Rail as part of

the graduate training programme. We do our work as well and get some

financial backing. Let us hope you manage to squeeze it all in and

make it to London. Competing in beach volleyball at Horse Guards

Parade. If you want to hear from the athletes hear from Bath the

programme starts at 7:30pm tonight. Thank you. One of our rarest and

most loved creatures on the waterways has been spotted in an

unlikely location, Bristol's harbour.

Otters are almost disappeared in the 1970s but numbers have

recovered due to better water quality and protection as well, but

can they really live in the centre of the city?

Let us see because and do is on the harbourside now. Kenny see an

otter? Not right now, David. They are

normally nocturnal but if you are and what they're looking for a new

House you generally look for three things - shelter, food which is

fish, fish, fish and no pollution. At Bristol's Floating Harbour side

with all its boats and oil, you would think they would not set up

home here. But a family has been found here! A lot of people didn't

believe it until we saw the video evidence.

A secret wildlife camera in the heart of a city. Capturing what

many suspected but experts said was almost impossible - otters living

alongside boats in a floating harbour in the centre of the city.

Most ecologists would look at this and say, no chance! We weren't even

thinking of otters and then we found the evidence, the droppings,

which are distinctive. Week commended some boats from the

harbour master and we went and found evidence of them throughout

the docks, the feeder canal. It is extraordinary. They were a thriving

population. Take a closer look and this Otter first sniffs the camera

before marking its territory. A good sign that this female has made

the Floating Harbour her new home. The fact that opera -- otters have

been found here at all says a lot about the water quality because the

animals will not set up home where they think pollution levels are too

high. The ecologists are here will not say exactly where they have

found the otters but they say it is within a few yards of where we are

standing now. Pollution sort Otter numbers plummet in the Seventies

but now the numbers are recovering thanks to pesticide bans and new

laws on water quality. It wasn't long ago that I can remember I was

worried that anyone who fell in the water would have a dreadful illness.

Clearly, that will not be the case now as we have really good quality

water right in Bristol city centre. That is fantastic news. Still,

there are many miles of river bank to choose from. It seems urban

Potter's are finding city life to their liking.

Here is an urban Otter fact for you. They have been known in Exeter. But

Bristol is one of the first. They have their own territory. You might

think that one family does not make a colony but they have territories

stretching from between six and 20 kilometres so the family they have

found here will seek Bristol's Floating Harbour as its entire home.

Back to you. Very interesting.

He has become an otter expert. Yes, talking of which. Will the

weather become a new warmer all... Hello. Those of you who have been

following the great British weather series can see it again this

evening. Mixed fortunes in terms of cloud cover fighting sunny spells.

But tomorrow will be mostly dry with temperatures on the one side.

High pressure is with us at the moment but this feature will

dominate. It is a week front coming eastwards and delivering a few

spots of rain. Probably nothing more than that. A convergent zone,

where the wins converge over this part of the Somerset and the

satellite image shows how we started off with a good deal of

sunshine but the cloud built and in the east cloud was always going to

be a dominant part of the story. A fair amount of cloud. We continue

with a broadly similar story overnight. Early in the morning, an

international space station will be visible at 4:20am if the cloud

parts. We could squeeze a light shower in the early part of the

morning. A good deal of cloud at this stage of the day but as the

day wears on, more cloud about West and Sunni or brighter spells in

Eastern district's. Light winds for the most part. We will be looking

at temperatures up to 23 Celsius. If you want to go tomorrow to Ford

abbey, they have their fair and will raise �20,000 for some

charities, hopefully. It looks like it will be a decent day. We have

the Bristol Harbour Festival coming up. Maybe one or two light

outbreaks of rain early on Friday but the rest of the weekend is dry

and settled with variable amounts Great for anyone who has events and