26/08/2011 BBC Points West

Hello, and welcome to BBC Points West. In tonight's headlines:

Suspected arson attack at a well- known pub. Police arrest a 16-year-

old after the entire building is gutted in a blaze.

After a couple are jailed for a sham wedding, there are fears

genuine refugee cases will be threatened. There was no affection,

no tactility, they were just there. They were there to show me, we live

in your parish, you have to marry Also tonight, we meet the self-

styled Ninja superhero who is trying to protect the people of

Yeovil every night. And join me arm bored bishop in the

centre of Gloucester, where the docks have been decked out for the

Tall Ships Festival -- on board Hello.

A 16-year-old boy has been questioned by police after fire

destroyed one the region's most well-known pubs. Fire crews spent

much of the day damping down the remains of the building in

Gloucester. Emergency services were called out

in the early hours of this morning. At the height of the blaze, the

flames could be seen for miles around. Here is our Gloucestershire

reporter, Steve Knibbs. At its peak, this was a huge and

intense blaze. 50 firefighters from across the county were brought in

to tackle it. One of the owners, who was inside at the time, managed

to escape, but one of her dogs was killed. A policeman was also

treated in hospital for breathing in smoke. With major structural

damage, firefighters could not get inside so their job was to make

sure the fire did not spread. used the appliance to damp down at

the scene, make the same safe and control the fire water run-off to

make sure it is not going into the drains where it could pollute the

water. In the morning daylight, the true extent of the damage is clear.

The entire pub and restaurant destroyed. The damage is so bad it

is likely the building will have to be demolished. But the focus is

turning to the investigation. Scenes of crimes of scissors and

fire investigators are here, trying to find out how and why the fire

started. -- scenes of crimes officers. And it is delicate work,

piecing through the charred remains looking for vital evidence.

first job, excavating a fire scene, is to remove the roof area which

has fallen in and will not provide forensic evidence. Once we dig

deeper, there might be a lot of evidence preserves and a need.

preserved underneath. The Orchard was a popular venue. When it opened

in the late 80s, it was the 200th Beefeater pub in the country, and a

major destination locally. Today it is in different hands, but the

owners face an uncertain future, their staff looking for new jobs.

am trying to find a venue for our wedding... And the fallout of the

fire extends elsewhere. Jason Smith and Lynn Burns are good friends

with the owners, and were planning to hold their wedding reception at

the Orchard in a fortnight. Devastated, I think. That is the

only way I can describe it. Very worried about what we are going to

do. More importantly, my concern is for the owners. Once we knew they

were OK, it was the thought of having to sort out the wedding and

changed everything. Early this morning, a 60-year-old boy from

Gloucester was arrested on suspicion of arson. He is still in

custody, being questioned. A man and a woman have been charged

with child neglect after a toddler was found dead in a house in

Bristol. Jamie Green, who is 32, and 35-year-old Sonia Britton were

arrested after the body of the two- year-old boy was found in a flat on

Bell Hill Road in St George. They have been remanded in custody and

will appear before Bristol magistrates in the morning. How the

child died is still unclear, and further forensic tests are being

carried out. Nearly a thousand people attended

the funeral of a Wiltshire teenager who was killed by a polar bear

while on expedition in Norway. Horatio Chapple, who was 17 and

from Bishopstone near Salisbury, was attacked by the animal, which

had got into his tent. This afternoon's heavy rain did not put

off the hundreds of mourners who packed Salisbury Cathedral for the

service. A young man who was full of life

and full of fun and adventure, clearly a sportsman. His mother has

written a marvellous tribute for the beginning of this order of

service that describes him and evokes, I never knew her ratio, but

I get a sense of him as a young man with his future before him -- I

never knew Horatio Chapple. He had get-up-and-go and an instinct for

friendship. Some of Horatio Chapple's fellow

adventurers, who were with him in Svalbard when he died, were also

among today's congregation. A refugee action group is warning

the latest sham marriage uncovered in Gloucestershire could damage the

chances of success for genuine cases. A man and a woman were

jailed this week after trying to get married for the purpose of

being allowed to stay in this country. And new figures reveal an

increasing number of foreigners are keen to settle here. Last year

there was a 21% rise in the number of migrants coming to the UK, while

the number leaving hit a six-year low. Sabet Choudhury reports.

Father of two Mojeed Bello, from Nigeria, wanted a future in the UK

for his children and partner. His solution was to pay this woman,

Carina Mersalina, a Dutch national with EU passport, to marry him.

Bello came to this church in Gloucester to ask the vicar to

conduct the ceremony. And that is where his deception started to fall

apart. There did not seem to be a particular chemistry between them.

They did not seem to be madly in love. There was something within me

that was saying, this is not real. There is something amiss about this.

I needed to check-up. That is why I wanted to bring the police and

check that my suspicions were correct, which they were. This is

the flat that the couple had told Reverend Simpson that they live

that. When he came here to meet them, he realised there were little

signs of domestic bliss, or that they actually live here at all.

After the tip-off from Reverend Simpson and the police

investigation, the couple were arrested. And they have both been

jailed. Today, new figures show an increasing number of people are

keen to make their home in the UK. Last year, for the first time, the

number of immigrants living in Britain broke the 7 million mark.

But the desire to stay can sometimes prompt desperate measures.

And sham marriages have now raised concern amongst charities which

help asylum seekers. They feel they make genuine cases where refugees

want to marry EU nationals much more difficult. It has always been

quite hard for people to get married to genuinely want to get

married. But Home Office used to make people apply for a certificate

of approval, but that was abolished recently because it was deemed

unlawful this year. It is still very hard for people to marry

because they have to show appropriate ID, which they often

don't have. The UK Border Agency told us today that, "This case

shows the desperate nature of immigration crime, with large sums

of money changing hands". With immigration continuing to rise,

Reverend Simpson and other vicars are being asked by the authorities

to remain vigilant to spot any other marriages which may not be

genuine. It is the start of the August bank

holiday weekend, and you are watching your regional news

programme, BBC Points West. And stay with us, as there is much

more still to bring you, including: For two years running, always the

bridesmaid but never the bride. Can Somerset finally bring home the

silverware this weekend? And for the cricket at Edgbaston,

we are expecting showers from time to time tomorrow, not as heavy as

today. A similar story in Gloucester for the Tall Ships

Festival, but things will improve as we get to bank holiday Monday.

More later. A 59-year-old man from Gloucester

is still being questioned on suspicion of making threats to

Louise Mensch, the MP for Corby. The Metropolitan Police said the

man was arrested in Gloucester as part of an investigation into

"malicious communication and threats" via email and social

networking sites. Teenagers suffering from cancer

could soon be treated at their own dedicated unit in one of Bristol's

hospitals. The new �13.5 million plans would see an extension of the

Haematology and Oncology Centre at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. The

proposals have been welcomed by the hospital's board. It would mean

adults and teenagers could be cared for in wards that are appropriate

for their age and without changing nurses during treatment.

A fresh warning has been issued to motorists driving on beaches in the

Somerset area after another 4x4 had to be towed to safety at Berrow.

Beach wardens and the Burnham-based rescue charity BARB were called in

after a holidaymaker's car became stranded in mud several hundred

metres from the shore. Only last week, a council cleaning van became

trapped in the rising waters there. Now, he has become quite a talking

point in his home town of Yeovil since being featured on a national

TV documentary. Ken Andre is the martial arts expert who dresses in

Ninja robes to patrol the streets of the town by day and night.

Reaction to what he does has been mixed. So Clinton Rogers has been

out on the streets with him to see what drives the man who lives in

the shadows. I go out there, I move in the

shadows and help people. A warrior for just causes or a

vigilante? Meet Shadow. You may not even have seen him, but he has been

lurking in the shadows of Yeovil for the last six years. He says he

is looking to keep the streets safer. Ken Andre is a 33-year-old

father of two. By day, a security guard. Being a Ninja is his hobby,

his passion. But what does his wife make of it? It is really brave to

be out there in his kit, doing what he does. You don't think it is a

bit odd? No. I would not be with him if I thought he was Bob! -- odd.

It is not just night-time that Ken assumes the role of Ninja Shadow.

During the day, he can frequently be found patrolling areas where he

thinks trouble may flare. And there have been confrontations. And you

stepped in? I got as close as I can and gave a quick growl and as they

stood up I said, move on. Today, by chance, we came across the more

established law enforcers, who wanted to check what they thought

might be a Samurai sword. In fact, it is a stick made entirely of foam.

What do you make of this? It is quite unusual. Is it the right

thing to do? I don't see any harm in it, he was not breaking the law.

Mind you, the formal police view is they would prefer you to leave it

to them. And while some members of the public have clearly applauded

what Ken is doing, others are a little suspicious. I looked at

anybody with a samurai sword with a bit of suspicion! But make no

mistake - Ken believes he is providing an important public

service, breaking up trouble where it happens, calling the police

where necessary. There will be people saying, you are a vigilante,

it is wrong, back off? I am not a vigilante, I am not looking for

crime. If I see someone getting beaten up in the street, I will not

walk on by. And with that in mind, Shadow will be back on the streets

In sport tonight, Cheltenham Town prepare to face their former

striker as he returns with his new club. Can Somerset's cricketers

bring home the Twenty20 Cup? Twice in the last two years, Somerset

have battled their way to the finals, only to lose out, first to

Sussex and then to Hampshire. Tomorrow, it is finals day at

Edgbaston in Birmingham. The semi- finals and the final in a single

day, weather permitting. Somerset are up against Hampshire in the

second semi-final. Cannot wait, mate. Relaxed and ready for another

crack at the final state. This talented squad have not yet won a

terrific. But there is not talk of revenge, just getting it white.

have played consistently good cricket. -- just getting it right.

We have got pivotal moments in games that can turn events. This is

massive for the club and it would be fitting to get a first trophy.

They were runners up in all three competitions last year.

Impressively, they picked themselves up from that heartbreak

to be in the hunt for the treble again. A lot of people do not think

that we can win the three competitions but if we keep giving

us the opportunities and working hard, it can happen bus-stop it is

like winning every game you play. - -. It is like winning every game

you play. This is the best Somerset team since the days of Botham,

Richards and Garner. That team was captained by Brian Rose, now on the

committee. I had many people on the day that could win in my team and

could do that in finals. That is what we have got to find. They have

got to get into the final and win. Tomorrow's match will be

psychologically crucial in the remaining competitions. Victory

will take the pressure of but losing and they would just be a

human Cynthia what happened last year. -- to earthier what happened

last year happening again. Two Somerset players have been included

in the England squad. Craig Kieswetter is in the one-day

international squad. Joss Butler, another wicketkeeper-batsman joins

him in the squad for the Twenty20 International next Wednesday. Last

season, he was the darling of the Cheltenham supporters but tomorrow,

West Thomas returns to Whaddon Road with his new club. He now plays for

Crawley Town and with wealthy backers they are favourites to take

the title. Cheltenham are gearing up for a considerable challenge

from Crawley and especially with He was fantastic for his club last

season but I would like to think it we can give him a game. He had

never played so many games last season. He had a great opportunity

to score goals. But to be fair, he took it. He was certainly the jewel

in the crown of last season. It was highly impressive, 19 goals. Red

alerts to repel him tomorrow. a good goal scorer and a good

finisher. We will keep him quiet on Saturday it. You can keep him quiet

for 80 minutes and then he can score. You have got to concentrate

for the full match. I am looking forward to the game. Replacing him

is not easy. The new guard is up and running with a couple of goals

last week but neo- obvious pressure. I will put pressure on myself to

score goals. I pride myself on that. If I can continue to do that, that

will be good. Do you set targets? Not really. I have never done that.

You can set targets if you want but that does not mean you will get

that target. I just see what I have got at the end of the season and go

with that. Crawley are top of the table and have got a lot more

firepower than that. But if they come out of that game intact,

Cheltenham can send out a big message to the rest of the table.

The Cheltenham match is just one of the matches this weekend. Details

of all the matches are coming up now. Bristol City played Doncaster

it. Doncaster have been beaten in all four games so far. It is a must

win match for Bristol City. They must improve on a poor performance

against Swindon. Swindon will be hoping to build on that performance

when they play against Shrewsbury. The rugby season starts next

weekend but all the main teams are in action tonight. Gloucester take

on Russia ahead of the World Cup campaign. This is a testimonial

match for James Simpson Daniel. Bath take on Bristol. If you live

close enough, you have just got time to get down there. The Culture

Secretary spent the morning in Bath at an Olympic preparation camp for

Paralympic athletes. Competitors hoping to get medals for Great

Britain next year have been trading at the unit as City of bark. Jeremy

Hunt went on a tour of the village as they trained for London 2012. --

the University of Bath. They have done a fantastic job. This is the

training camp for the Paralympics. They have recreated exactly what it

will be like next year. For all the paladins, they will not have any

surprises because they will have seen it. -- the Olympians. This

Bank Holiday Monday marks a year before the opening of the

Paralympic Games ceremony. Coverage of Somerset's progress in the

cricket on BBC Bristol and BBC If you are watching the Belgian

Grand Prix, look out for one particular car as it will be

sporting Bristol's gorillas logo. It will feature on the Ninja Shadow

team car. -- Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team car. They wanted

to find out more about the conservation project and stay are

hoping to raise the profile worldwide. It is one of the best

popular events in the West and it is back to died after being

cancelled last year. The tolls are shipped testable -- the Tall Ships

festival has been brought back. It was cancelled last year because of

building works but they are sailing again. Here is our correspondent.

Thank you very much, good evening. Unfortunately you have joined us as

the rain has also joined us. But we have been blessed with the arrival

of beautiful sailing ships. One of these, Irene might be familiar to

viewers. She is based in Bristol and was built in Somerset. We will

be going on board later. The event was first held in 2007 it. It is

being staged for be first time since 2009. The organisers said it

brought 75,000 visitors to Gloucester and brought �2 million

to the local economy last time. Slowly but surely and watched every

inch of the way, this flotilla headed to the town. The centrepiece

of the weekend festival. It is very interesting, gas. We can hear

people talking as they travel by it. It is lovely. It is going back to a

bygone age. In it is marvellous for the area to bring them into

Gloucester, I think. It is a great attraction. It is very busy and we

have only just started. Tomorrow it will be good. The organisers say it

shines a spotlight, welcome on the town. This was the last time the

festival took place. The year the Gloucester Quays outlet was opened

by Gok Wan. He is not present this year. But the people in charge

think it will be successful even without a make a buck. It was very

popular in 2007 it. -- even without a makeover. It was great opening

this attraction. I bet we will get a good number of people this time

as well. That was definitely true today. But is it the case for the

rest of the weekend? That might be down to the great British unknown,

the weather. That is out of the organiser's hands. But they can

control the events they hope will once again bring thousands of

people to the docks in Gloucester. One of the people responsible for

that is Andrew. He is wearing the official colours of the Tall Ships

testable. What can we expect? ships is a good thing to start with

but also music and high rents and art and craft and funfairs. All the

things we would expect. The council has had to put money into the event

to make certain it happens. As the funding been secured? We are

confident because it is a much loved event. We have got local

businesses that put lead in this event. We will be back in business.

-- that believe in this event. is one of the main ships, Irene.

Tell us about it. How does this narrow canal work? I and from

Ireland and we have got smaller canals. It is a bit daunting. The

scenery was gorgeous. Lovely weather at the time had it was very

nice. The Tall Ships testable his arm across the whole weekend. --

the Tall Ships testable. -- the festival is on the whole weekend.

We hope it will go well. Now the We hope it will go well. Now the

weather. We are pretty much in the same boat with sunshine and showers.

It will get better by Bank Holiday Monday. This is the headline,

reigned one minute and showers the next. A fairly breezy spell of

weather. Temperatures getting up to 19. Pressure across the North Sea.

We have got an unsettled pattern. I pressure is starting to come across

from the West. -- pressure. Wind getting lighter and we hope we will

get a reasonable amount of sunshine. We have had a lot of rain. This has

been speeding across the region and barely moving towards the east.

Parts of Bristol and Somerset will be affected. It will take a while

for this to disappear. A bit of thunder as well. These have been

recorded by the Met Office. These are coming across some parts of

West Gloucestershire. We cannot rule them out anywhere. We will

have more heavy downpours tonight. That will gradually disappear

towards the east and gradually reduced in intensity. Clear spells,

particularly away from the coast. Some showers across West Somerset.

But it will essentially be dry. Temperatures between 12 and 10. It

is comparatively cold tonight. Tomorrow, dry and bright. Wind and

showers getting going early. This will affect parts of Somerset and

Gloucestershire. A little bit in between. The mountains tend to sake

some of the showers up. A bit of rain in Edgbaston for the cricket.

This is coming through the Bristol Channel. That will still feed

across into parts of North Somerset, Bristol and Bath. Temperatures at

17 and 18. Not looking bad in the Forest of Dean. That event is at

6:30pm tomorrow it. Showers on Sunday. Broadly similar to Saturday

Sunday. Broadly similar to Saturday but it will be better on Monday.