24/10/2011 BBC Points West

Good evening from BBC Points West. Our headlines tonight:

A nightmare on the morning commute. 18 are injured as a bus hits a tree

and the roof is sliced off. Clip up for Coner, a campaign to

buckle up crash helmets after a young moped rider dies. Everything

we are doing is for him, if we could get something positive out of

this it would be amazing. Thinking twice about university.

The West Country teenagers put off by fees.

And not a great start, the new manager fails to give Bristol City

Good evening. A bang so loud, one eye witness likened it to a bomb

going off a. It was a double-decker bus hitting a roadside trees so

hard it ripped the roof off. 18 passengers were injured and

Fishponds Road was closed for much of this morning's rush-hour.

A double-decker bus with its roof ripped clean off. Here is that risk,

lying in the bus lane some 50 yards behind.

The bus struck the trunk of the tree just after 7:30am. It was like

a really huge bang. I have only heard something like that once

before, and that is when I was in Manchester and there was a bomb.

was a very deep Impact sort of sound. It was like an explosion. I

heard a very loud bang. This photo was taken by a resident shortly

after the impact. Still sat in their seats are passengers being

treated by the emergency services. Sat here on the top deck of the bus

you can see just how close they came to the trees that line the

Fishponds Road. The impact would have been the here and the scene is

like something out of a horror movie. The seats at the back are

covered in blood. Seven passengers were treated in hospital, but none

had serious injuries. How lucky was that? Extremely lucky given the

size of the roof coming off the bus. We can all imagine the potential

for that in terms of fatalities. is surprising that a blow to one

corner of the roof can rip the whole lot off. But it is made from

light fibre glass and aluminium which may have been blown clear by

today's hybrids. Investigators will also study the camper by the side

of the road, it did that caused the bust to go over. Until the exact

cause of today's accident is known, bus drivers appear to be giving

trees along Fishponds Road a wide berth.

The jury in the trial of Vincent Tabak, the man accused of murdering

Jo Yeates, has heard from the final witness this afternoon. The defence

case is now over and the jury will hear closing speeches tomorrow from

prosecution and defence. The majority of today was taken up by

legal arguments, something the jury are not party to.

A teenage boy from Bristol died when he was thrown from his moped

and his crash helmet fell off. Conor Hall was 16. He had not

fastened his helmets chin strap. As a result of his death, his family

and friends have a launched Clip Up For Conor.

There is no doubt Conor Hall's death touched many people. Hundreds

joined Des Walker in his memory and his family and friends have raised

�6,000 in just a few months. It is all in his name. They call it Clip

Up For Conor. Everything we are doing now is for him. If we could

get something positive out of this it would be absolutely amazing.

is looking down on us. It is part of the healing process, to try and

move forward. We want to save lives. We want to bring home how important

it is, this cost him his life. It is not fair. He was my best friend.

And he is gone. Conor Hall was riding his moped along this road

just before 11pm on a Saturday night in June. Two people who had

been drinking in this public walked into the road, Conor Hall hit them.

They sustained minor injuries but his bike slid for almost 25 metres

and his helmet flew off. He died days later from a significant head

injury. He was 16. This is his helmet. On the night of the crash

he was riding with the strap on done. This is a locking system, in

the field of safety helmets it is known as one of the most secure

fastenings we have. That would prevent any helmet from coming off

on less great pressure was put upon the Ryder's head. The inquest was

not definitive about exactly what happened here on that night. There

were emotional scenes as Conor Halls family questioned the two

people who crossed the road. The family remain determined that no

other family should suffer as they are suffering.

A very good evening to you. You're watching BBC Points West. Still to

come: The school entering the Olympics but by getting close to

Russia. It is the only animation, but how

do we know what Morph is really thinking?

That is coming up between now and 7pm. First, a petrol station in

Wiltshire has admitted filling up one of its tanks with the wrong

type of fuel potentially damaging hundreds of cars. The mistake

happened at Total garage last week. The company says it turned off the

pumps as soon as they realised what happened. One single mother says

she cannot afford to pay to get her car repaired. My situation is I am

a single mum, I have got four kids, one is registered disabled and my

car is my lifeline. It gets my children to school and college, and

now I have no form of transport. Nikki came to this petrol stations.

She claims she put �10 of unleaded petrol into her car and drove away

thinking know more about it. Then she realised something was

definitely wrong. My car started to splutter and I completely lost

power. I heard traffic peeping at me and I had no power on my

accelerator. She managed to get it home, and that is where it has been

ever since. And she noticed a definite smell of diesel on the

petrol cap. It was not until she spoke to her neighbour the

following evening that she realised she was not alone. Their car had

completely broken down after filling up at that Total garage.

They are not accepting liability at the moment. They told me there

waiting for an Engineer's report. We have contacted the garage and

they have sent this statement to the BBC. Following an error in a

fuel delivery last week, eight number of customers purchasing fuel

received an off specification products. As soon as the error was

detected, we closed off affected pumps. They have apologised and

said they will compensate customers, but Nikki hopes this will be done

quickly as she has to rely on friends and family.

Three people charged with the murder of a man whose body has

found in a field in Wiltshire appeared at Salisbury magistrate

court earlier today. They are accused of murdering a man whose

body was found nine days ago. The trio had been remanded in custody

and are next due to appear in court in February.

One in 10 students have been put off going to university because of

high tuition fees according to a BBC survey. 1000 A-level students

were question for Inside Out. As well as those who would not go at

all, that more than half said they were unhappy.

In new term, and at New Year. The students here will be the last to

pay the lower rates of tuition fees from next year it will cost �9,000

a year to study, and that is sharpening the minds of those

thinking about whether to apply. This girl is taking A-levels. On

tonight's Inside Out programme she visits a business and the

university to decide what is better for her. To study and have a huge

debt or to go straight into work. People who have the experience of

coming into our courses go into the world better placed. Maybe they

don't get the best job straightaway, but in five years' time they are

doing really exciting things. It is having to take that long have you.

It is a dilemma being repeated across the country. At Bath Spa

University the number of students coming to open days is down. That

appears to be translated into law applications. We're already seeing

there is going to be a decrease in that people applying for places in

the university. We are optimistic that once it beds in, we will not

find that much of a decrease. But certainly some decrease. All the

major institutions across the West are charging on or close to the

maximum �9,000 a year tuition fees. What many students do not realise

is the true cost of that. Especially when interest is

factored in. �75,000. A is that for one person? That is for one person.

An average degree of three years if you take out the maximum loan.

Those against higher tuition fees have always maintained access to

higher education should not be based on ability to pay. But it is

the scale of the fees that are causing confusion and starting --

forcing some students to think about whether in education it

really is worth it. You can find out what decision the

Lauren made and get advice on how to manage the tuition fee increase

in tonight's Inside Out programme at 730.

A public consultation into the future of Bristol's historic

airfield at Filton has just closed. South Gloucestershire council must

now say what will happen to the land after the owners closed the

runway at the end of next year. Earlier I spoke to our reporter who

has been following the story. What sort of response has the

council had to the consultation? Not overwhelming. Around 260

responses, but that includes a 37 page report from the Save Filton

airfield campaign group. Several councils have told me this is the

most important decision south Gloucestershire council has ever

faced. They must decide whether to change the registration to allow

homes and businesses to be built there, that might suit the council.

They can put 3,000 homes up. But there are many who want to see the

airfield state registered as an airfield, to respect the heritage

of the land, 100 years of flying near Bristol and see it developed

into a more commercially viable thing as well. The consultation

period is over, what happens next? The council will digest those

responses and come to a decision by December. Then it will go to a

planning committee and whatever they decide is likely to be

challenged because this is such a I suspect whichever side is unhappy

with the result will appeal, and then it will have to go to the

Planning Inspectorate, and that itself will take a long time.

There is more news today about how British Aerospace made a profit out

of the air filled last year. BAE Systems made a profit of �1.3

million from Filton airfield last year, it says it is because it put

up the fees last year, that it maintains it is not financially

viable in the long term, it cannot see those profits going on into the

future. BAE Systems wants to put roads on to Dalton and sell the

land as individual plots to developers, and it is owed to the

council to decide whether they can do that. Thank you very much indeed.

The debate about Britain's place in Europe is under way and at least

four Conservative MPs from the West are intending to defy David Cameron.

They are among about 70 MPs planning to back a motion for a

referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. Laurence

Robertson, MP for Tewkesbury, is one of them and he joins me now

from Westminster. You do not look like a rebel, what

is going on? I am not a viable as far as my constituents are

concerned, they are crying out for change in Europe. They do not

believe it is serving as well in terms of jobs, trade, the way we

live our everyday lives. They want the referendum, I am representing

them. The Prime Minister said it would be rash and disloyal to him

and the government? The Prime Minister and not -- the Prime

Minister and government did not elect me, my constituents elected

me. This was not in your manifesto, was it? It was not, but it is

something I have been campaigning for a long time, and it is what the

people of Tewkesbury and the country want. I am 53 and have

never, as a citizen, been asked whether I want to remain part of

the European Union. It is interfering in our lives every day,

costing us an awful lot of money, I would say it is detrimental to

trade in this country because of the regulations and taxes it

imposes on businesses every day. You say you are 53, you are

possibly not marking yourself out for high office in the future! Some

of your younger colleagues in the Conservative Party in the West

Country are. Would you recommend a rebel, too, or would they put their

careers on the line to do so? not come here to further our

careers, we come to represent our constituents and to the best for

the country. I would advise people they would not make great career

strides by betraying their own principles and constituents. I am

doing what I think is right, what is right for the people of

Tewkesbury, and what is right for the country. After all, all we are

saying is we should have a referendum, we are not saying at

this stage we should come out, but that the people should have the

essay. Thank you for coming out and talking to us.

-- the people should have their say. The new Bristol City manager faces

a hard week as he tries to impose his ideas on his new squad. He says

he knows they can improve if they play with greater craft and guile,

but his opening game in charge ended in a 2-0 defeat at home to

Birmingham City. Fans were divided on whether the performance gave

Before the game, optimism. Hopefully it will be good for City,

I guess. It seems promising. I hope we can get back up the table.

McInnes takes over a team at the bottom of the championship, low on

confidence and without a home win Desperate defending early on gave

increased anxiety levels on the bench. But then chances for City,

with Marvin Elliott hitting the wrong side of the bar. But if he

didn't know already, his defence showed the frailty which has

frustrated fans all season. Birmingham's second came in

stoppage time as City pressed for I thought it was awful. It made no

difference changing the manager, what some added. Something to build

on, had fully. A lot of spirit there, I was pleased. We were

looking forward to it, and I think the players worked a lot harder.

thought they played quite well, they did not deserve to lose.

Sometimes it is easy to throw in a ball and had to win. I cannot fault

the players, they gave the club and myself everything. So much to do,

but crucially the fans want to see change sooner rather than later.

Give him a chance, it is only his first game!

A school in Somerset has been getting excited about next year's

Olympic Games by linking up with the former school of a Russian

hopeful for 2012. Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar

has been twinned with the school where high jumper Ivan Ukhov used

to be a pupil. Each class represents one of the Olympic

countries, and joint assemblies have been held between Somerset and

Russia. American gymnasts, Iraqi rowers and

Kosovan judokas all joining in morning assembly. These pupils in

Cheddar have accepted an Olympic invitation to get everyone involved.

They are sharing their experience of the 26 countries who send

athletes to the games with a school in Russia. Former World Champion

high jumper Ivan Ukhov used to be a pupil there. Now he is aiming for

London next year. Can we welcome Iraq's athlete to the stage?

The two schools have been linking up for joint assemblies. Today, the

children are telling the stories of Olympic hopefuls from around the

world. It gets you more involved with the sports and what the

Olympic athletes are, we now know what more people are doing in the

Olympics and we want to see how they do, to find out if they are

what you read about. Taking part, joining in, and enjoying the most

exciting event in the world. If they were Olympic sports, this

school would surely make the podium. I don't think school was like that

when I was there. But that is almost 20 years ago now!

Time is running out for you to nominate anyone you feel deserves

to be named the BBC West Sports Unsung Hero for 2011.

We will give you details on where to get the nomination form in just

a minute, but first let's hear from champion racehorse trainer Paul

Nicholls from Somerset about why he feels unsung heroes should be

I am Paul Nicholls. We are looking for you to nominate any unsung hero

that help sportsmen and women in the West Country behind the scenes.

I have a lot in my business, but they are paid for. The people that

are here behind the scenes but lots of time in for nothing. When I was

an amateur, I had people who used to drive me around the country,

Alan Taylor in particular, he ran a newsagents, but he drove me all

around the country. Those are the people you need to help you and

every young sportsman needs somebody behind the scenes to help

them. We are looking for you to nominate those heroes who do not

get paid and give up their time for the pleasure of it.

You can download the nomination form by going to

number to request a form if you Can you believe everything you see?

More to the point, why do we believe what we see? So

philosophical! When you are watching an animation,

for example, how come it looks believable when we all know it is

not real? Tonight, one of the founders of the Bristol animation

company Aardman is discussing just that in a public lecture.

Jules Hyam has been along to find out what on earth he's talking

about. Sometimes I just stared at him!

There is something about animation, characters that have character. But

how? Have another look. This is what we have just been laughing at,

but frame-by-frame, the way it is made. The animator creates movement,

and from that, personality. To do it well, it helps to have an

understanding of people and psychology. Sometimes I just stared

at him... What we are trying to do is to make the audience see what

the character is thinking, and that is mostly to do with what their

eyes are doing, where they are looking, how their eyebrows work.

That is what it is all about, can you make the audience understand

what the character is thinking? Wallace and Gromit are a fantastic

example of that, you know what he is thinking. Would you agree that

80% of communication is non-verbal? Just thinking about that one.

were looking at me then and communicating. You were frowning a

little bit, so you were communicating, weren't you?

eyes habit, that is the most critical part. The other parties

getting their lips to match what we are talking about. -- ft other part

is. That is another part of the animator's skilful stop sometimes

there is no dialogue, but your star character still needs a big

personality. So how do you solve a problem like Morph? That was all to

do with his pose, his stance, it was body language and to we

recognise the stance he is taking, angry, frustrated, funny? Can we

tell a story without him saying any intelligible words and without his

eyes moving? David's interest in perception comes from liking

optical illusions as a young boy, and it has brought us some of the

best loved animations in the world. I love that stuff. We learn today

that Morph was fond in this studio. It is all in the eyebrow movement

for that character -- was filmed in Let's see what the weather is doing.

Welcome to the great outdoors. Not such a great welcome. If you have

been in Devon and Cornwall today, I am sure many people were for half-

term, some torrential rain down there. Some of that is now here in

Bath, Gloucestershire, where it will continue to be for part of the

evening. If we take a look at the headline for the rest of this

evening, particularly into tomorrow, we will lose the rain, a bright and

breezy day with a few showers for good measure. We have a cold front

moving across us and the West Country as we speak, bringing heavy

rain across the south-west peninsula. That is out of the way

later tonight. Tomorrow, a brighter regime of weather, showers a

feature for some, as they will be for Wednesday as well. If you look

at the rainfall, the bright colours Tony Howard the rain has been in

Devon and Cornwall, 100 mm of rain likely the tally up by the end of

the day. For the rest of this evening and tonight, that band of

rain on the cold front continues its journey, becoming discontinuous

as it does so and eventually dying a death in Gloucestershire and

beyond. The rest of the night, for most of us, will be dry, a few

showers in southern areas, and moderately breezy. Tomorrow is

likely to start effectively on a bright and windy night for many. We

will see sunny spells through the course of the day, some of you

seeing showers as well, a 30% chance of catching a shower in most

districts, so a fighting stance -- a fighting chance of staying dry.

Some showers are likely to linger into the evening. As we go beyond

the evening, in to Thursday, after showers on Wednesday, we see more

progressive reign from the south coast. But Friday and Saturday at

least are looking dry at this stage, but by the end of the weekend we

are likely to see the rain returned, but probably not as heavy as to

date, for some of you at least. Thank you. I hope the producer is

feeling guilty for sending him out there onto the roof!

That will teach him to be cheeky to the editor!