15/12/2011 BBC Points West


15/12/2011

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In Points West tonight: How I nailed the killer. We meet

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the retired detective who secured the conviction of the farmer who

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buried his wife. And getting ready for the big

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Christmas show. We join the cast and crew of the Bristol Old Vic.

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The curtain goes up here at 6:30pm. Hello. Six weeks after a river wall

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partially collapsed in Bridgwater, people are being allowed back into

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their homes, but at their own risk. The local council says the wall is

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still unsafe and it can't guarantee their safety. Meanwhile, a meeting

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has been called next week to discuss the way forward amid

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growing anger at the time it's taking for repair work to be done.

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Our Somerset Correspondent reports on the latest developments in a

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long-running saga. Going home in spite of the risks.

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After six weeks living in a hostel, John Allen is just happy to have

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his own view back. Even if it is a giant hole in the ground. So happy.

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I feel like I have won the pools. I am not budging. If this place falls

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into the river, I will put my swimming trunks on. Ever since this

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wall partially collapsed into the River Parrett the council have told

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those living and working nearby by to stay away. Their concern was if

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the wall went, so might the properties For weeks now they've

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been monitoring the movement of the wall. Looking for even the

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slightest shift. They've discovered it is now still. So they've relaxed

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the restrictions. We can't say it is completely safe. We're saying we

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don't recommend that people go back. If you do, take suitable

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precautions that you can evacuate the building and make anyone

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visiting the buildings as safe as possible. At the same time, the

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physical barriers have been moved back, offering a few more

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businesses the chance to reopen. This restaurant owner didn't need

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asking twice. Very happy. Getting back to business. Even if it is a

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bit late. This is the busiest period of the year. But we're

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getting on with that now. Conversely, the owner of the shop

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next door said he didn't want to take the risk. Even though he's

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losing money, trading from a temporary shop. I wouldn't want to

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put my life or my customers' lives at risk. They can come elsewhere

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for now. It is clear from all those who today met their local ward

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councillor that there remains unhappiness at the way the

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situation has been handled. Of course, the 6 million dollar

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question remains. When will a permanent solution be found to

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this? When will that all been knocked down and rebuilt? Right now,

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no one is saying. -- that wall. But there is a meeting next week. Maybe

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this situation will be clearer then. Shopkeepers across the West are

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struggling to make money, according to a new survey for Points West.

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Three quarters of our local shops are either losing money or just

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breaking even. The news comes on the day the latest official figures

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show there's been a fall in retail sales. Our Business Correspondent

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is at the West's largest out of town shopping complex, Cribbs

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Causeway near Bristol. It looks busy enough there?

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It does. The band have just struck up. The Christmas-tree a sparkling.

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But don't be fooled. Management you tell me that trade is down. Not a

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lot, just a couple of percentage points. We have done a survey of

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independent retailers. We spoke to 200 of them. This is what they told

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At Christmas time, who would be a shopkeeper?

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This man can fix beautiful things. But is lovely shop is beyond repair.

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At Christmas, this jewellery shop will cause for the last time.

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will be lucky if I can leave without any debts. I have been

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working flat out for five years with no game. And just keeping the

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shop going. We have been sliding slowly into debt. And keeping on

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top of that has been difficult. Christmas is crunch time. The main

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competitor is also closing down. Jewellery is too much of a luxury

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it seems in discount Britain. Retail experts will tell us that

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our shopping habits have changed dramatically. Sale events are

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happening very early. But consumers are being very careful and really

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considering purchases before making them. Our thrift is hitting

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shopkeepers. In our survey, average turnover dropped by nearly 3%. But

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retailers are resilient and many can find a silver lining. There are

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rent-free periods with vacant shops. It might have been a lifelong dream

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and now you have a redundancy pay out. But people are opening more

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and more shops. Business is going well despite the recession. This

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woman opened in February. She has now taken on staff. She has

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customers, fashion savvy and confidence. Some people were

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getting really enthusiastic about a new and fresh shock. This is

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different to other shops. Isn't it great to hear some

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optimism? All week, some terrible numbers. Prices up, wages down,

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unemployment up. So what is it like to take a setback? What would an

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organisation for the whole of the West Country be like? Well, I have

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been speaking to at the chief economist at our Regional

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Development Agency. Household budgets are under

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pressure. We have heard about the Government's across Europe. When

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everyone is reducing budgets, there is a problem for demand. People

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don't feel confident to go out and spend money. Not really Christmas

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cheer. What do you see in your crystal ball? Will next year get

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better? It once start strong. Some surveys say the first quarter will

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stay exactly the same with the economy flat lining or worse.

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Hopefully next year you will get some boost to confidence. Era --

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there are some signs that the American, -- the American economy

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is starting to improve. But the growth forecast is not strong.

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There are some bright sparks in our region, are in there? We have some

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strong industries. Era space is very important. The civil market is

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quite strong. They are still able to get markets. They are being

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helped by the 20% fall in the pound we saw at the start of the

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recession. How does it feel personally to be part of the

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unemployment statistics now? little daunting. I am setting up my

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own business and hoping to find work that way. Others have changed

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career. Some are making lifestyle choices. It is a difficult year

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ahead, not just for my colleagues but for everyone. And that is about

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as close as you'll get to a Happy Christmas greeting from an

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economist. I have come outside to the one part of the shopping-centre

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that is doing well. Well, you have to have things that you cannot get

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on the internet. You can't have been there or court ice-skating on

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you're computer. Time to do my bit for our economy. Skates on!

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Ten members of staff who worked at the Winterbourne View private

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hospital near Bristol have appeared before magistrates today. They were

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charged with offences of ill treatment and neglect. It's the

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first time they've appeared. These are the three former carers

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facing the most charges at Winterbourne View Wayne Rogers,

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Graham Doyle and Allison Dove in the grey hoody. This is the private

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hospital where they worked. Winterbourne View. Today in the

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sunshine. This afternoon, what's alleged to have happened to

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vulnerable adults here came before the courts for the first time. Ten

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people are charged with 40 offences. They all concern five patients.

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Also before the magistrates today were from the top left, Charlotte

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Cotterell, Michael Ezenagu and Cotterell, Michael Ezenagu and

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Sookalingum Appoo. And from the bottom left, Danny Brake, Holly

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Draper, Jason Gardiner and Kelvin Draper, Jason Gardiner and Kelvin

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Fore. The charges follow secret filming by the BBC Panorama

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programme earlier this year. The defendants sat quietly through

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today's proceedings, speaking only to confirm their names, addresses

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and date of births. No pleas were entered here today and the

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magistrate decided the cases should now go before a crown court in

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early February. The ten remain on police bail until then. The

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condition being they don't seek work with vulnerable people.

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It seems there is some pretty horrible weather heading our way

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this evening, which could make driving very dangerous in the early

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hours and in the rush hour tomorrow. What are the main headlines

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tonight? Well, it has been annexed series of

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potential threat. Wind will not be an issue any more. Heavy rain will

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be in the south. And also some snow. There are some parts of the West

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Country which are more prone to have disruptive snow than others.

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During rush-hour, there could be some snort in this part here.

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Exactly how far it will settle, there is some doubt. More details

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are later. We will have a full forecast

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looking at those headlines in detail at the end of the programme.

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A church youth club leader from Saltford faces jail tonight after

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being convicted of sex offences with young girls. Philip Barlow is

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the son of the pastor at Grace Bible Church near Keynsham. He was

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found guilty on 14 charges, including sexual assault on a child

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under 13. He'll be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court tomorrow.

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The retired detective who led one of Gloucestershire's most high

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profile murder inquiries has spoken for the first time since Kate Prout

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was found. Adrian Prout was convicted following the

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investigation by Neil Kelly, but he could never locate her body. Last

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month, Prout confessed and took police to the place where he buried

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his wife. Today the former officer has been back to Redmarley with our

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Gloucestershire Reporter. On the first day, we didn't know what we

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were dealing with. But soon Neil Kelly's suspicions changed. After

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seeing this police interview, where Prout showed no concern for his

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wife. With no body and just circumstantial evidence, Adrian

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Prout was found guilty of murder. The family's reaction was the most

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telling. They were delighted with the result. Ultimately, that

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matters to most. After the trial, Neil became an enemy of those who

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were convinced of Adrian Prout's family and hundreds of supporters

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who claimed he was innocent. They did not have a greater insight into

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what had gone on. In a sense, it is understandable that close friends

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and family will stand by Adrian. At the same time, they will now

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realise how they were effectively corned. -- conned. Dramatically,

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last month, Prout finally confessed and told police where he had buried

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his wife. In a corner of the farmland police had spent weeks

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searching. It was impossible to excavate the entire site. It was

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always a possibility that our search strategy might have missed a

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body lying under ground. We were satisfied she was not somehow

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visible. Neil Kelly came back to Redmarley to see Kate Prout's body

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recovered, to see for himself the end of the job he'd started. It was

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satisfying to be here at the end, to see the body found and to return

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her with some dignity to her family. Four years after it started, the

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investigation has now closed into the murder of Kate Prout. Our

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report has been sent to the coroner who is expected to release the body

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to the family early in the new year so they can finally holed the

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funeral. -- hold. The council says the damage caused

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by the protesters to Bristol's historic College Green will cost

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around �100,000 to fix. The camp was set up in front of the

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cathedral in October. But after the recent bad weather, the state of

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the site has deteriorated. In the shadow of the cathedral, the

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Occupy Bristol camp is now a familiar sight. It started with a

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few tents in October and soon grew to a small community. But it's come

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at a cost. The green - a centrepiece of the city - has been

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damaged. Damage which the council say will cost around �100,000 to

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fix. Recently, the council had put the figure to fix the green at

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around �13,000. But they say as time has gone on that figure has

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risen. Although the protesters argue the new sum is massively

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overestimated. It is rubbish. They know full well oil would not cost

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that. We have made it clear that when we have finished here we will

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fix it. We don't expect the taxpayer to fit the bill for this.

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We have paid -- we have made that clear from the start. Why should

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anyone listen to it? The protestors have now contacted the city council

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wanting to know how they've reached the �100,000 figure. Responsibility

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for the green is shared between the city council and Bristol Cathedral.

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And initially the diocese were sympathetic to Occupy Bristol's

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cause. But over time that attitude has changed. In the beginning, I

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was challenged by this. We met a group of people with important

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principles and important things to say about the economy. I was really

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exercised by that and felt that we should be doing a better job to

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respond. Now what I am challenge by our problems associated with

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violence, drink and drug abuse, with safety issues on College Green.

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And that is actually quite disappointing. It is also deeply

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disturbing that that is the real challenge now. Despite concern from

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the cathedral, it seems the protestors are intent on staying.

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Although according to the council it comes at a very high cost.

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Joining me now from outside the council house is Councillor Gary

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:18:10.:18:25.

Hopkins. Where did you get this figure from? It is not just repairs.

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We have to pitch the green back a mistake to that people will be

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happy with and so there are clean up costs and the man hours as well.

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It's going to cost �100,000 to returf Wembley. We're not just

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looking at the grass, but the total cost of the whole operation. Legal

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costs, officer time, the work that has to be expended on solving the

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problem. So the physical damage is less than that? Not yet. But along

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the goes on, the worse it becomes. We are concerned about that. We are

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also concerned that people won't have access to this site over a

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significant time. I was asked about this issue because you might

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remember that we won the national competition for Britain in Bloom.

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College Green was an important factor in this. This year, we are

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taking part in the European competition. It begs the question,

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if it is costing the taxpayer so much, why haven't you intervened

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earlier with the cathedral to move them on? Well, I think the

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situation should be clear. The cathedral on the land. Some parts

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of it, we have a lease over. Frankly, the cathedral have the

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controlling interest in the land. But the taxpayers pay the bill?

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That is unfortunate. Very often it is the case that the taxpayer is at

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the wrong end of other people's actions. We as a council will have

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to put all this right and the Bristol taxpayer will have to pay

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:20:26.:20:27.

the bill. Thank you. A Wiltshire man has been given an

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MBE for his work with children with special needs. But the unusual

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thing about today's ceremony was that the venue wasn't a Royal

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Palace. It was a school near Devizes.

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A rousing reception for a very special school governor. He's a

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very smart person because he came with the charity trust ten years

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ago and it's been a big success ever since. He's just a really nice

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man and he does loads of things for the school. Badge proudly pinned to

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his chest, the new Member of the British Empire took centre stage.

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The great thing about this school is that the staff and governors are

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:21:19.:21:30.

100% cent in tune. As were those joining in with the national anthem.

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It's 20 years since an honour like this was awarded in Wiltshire. Mike

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was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive his medal. Instead, he

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chose to have it presented here at the school he's worked so hard to

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support. Everything that I have done has been towards Rowdeford

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School and they have been a lot of fun to work with and the children

:21:52.:22:02.
:22:02.:22:02.

have got a lot, I think, out of today. They would have got nothing

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at all had I just gone to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

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It's that dedication to the children that's made Mike such an

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asset to this school. In ten years at Rowdeford School, he's raised

:22:11.:22:14.

more than �1 million, paying for this arts building, among other

:22:14.:22:24.
:22:24.:22:24.

things. A great achievement today rewarded in fitting style.

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It's a story just right for Christmas - about how the power of

:22:27.:22:31.

human kindness can transform people's lives. The Coram Boy is

:22:31.:22:36.

this year's festive offering from the Bristol Old Vic. Involving

:22:36.:22:39.

local children, singers, musicians as well as some more well known

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faces. It'll be staged at the Colston Hall while the Old Vic

:22:46.:22:48.

undergoes a revamp and the rehearsal space is rather unusual

:22:48.:22:55.

too. Adaptability is the key requirement

:22:55.:23:01.

of any actor. Those involved in this production have had to adapt

:23:01.:23:09.

considerably. This used to be a sports shop. Now the actors and

:23:09.:23:15.

props Phil the floor. With a substantial cast, rehearsal space

:23:15.:23:25.
:23:25.:23:28.

is crucial. At least 100 staff. There are singers and chaperones

:23:28.:23:34.

for the children and dressers. It is a one-off event for Bristol.

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play is a piece of social history, showing a light on a hidden part of

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the 18th century. Thomas Gorham set up the first home for abandoned

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children and babies. Some of it is quite dark and scary. Overall, it

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sends out a message of family unity and the family coming together. And

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love as well. I am in the musical ensemble. Recreate the atmosphere.

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If there is a forest, we will be the trees. If there is a church, we

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are the gargoyles. We keep the whole feeling going. The cast of

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musicians come from right across the West. Fitting for a story which

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is set between Bristol and Gloucester. With a myriad of

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children involved, the direct to must be strict. Our day is a very

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long because the children have to go to school. There is no playtime

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at all. Playtime is the rehearsal! Next week, the move to the real

:24:46.:24:51.

venue -- the move the rehearsals to venue -- the move the rehearsals to

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the performance venue. Miserable will be an understatement

:24:59.:25:03.

first some people in Gloucestershire tomorrow morning.

:25:03.:25:08.

We're expecting snow so there could be significant amounts. Once the

:25:08.:25:12.

snow was out of the way, it will be cold. Some wintry showers in

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:25:22.:25:29.

western part. We have been tracking the low pressure at all week. Below

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countries will suffer some of the potentially damaging not winds, but

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:25:43.:25:45.

we will not. We have a Met Office amber alert out for snow.

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Effectively, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the M4 corridor. That

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is for tomorrow morning. If you're travelling anywhere within this

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:26:10.:26:23.

general area, from 5pm until 9am, you will need to take care. Here or

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:26:34.:26:42.

these no accumulations. -- the snow. This evening, the rain will spread

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and and some of it will be heavy. - - spread in. Later, the era will

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rotate. We will start to see snow falling and problems start to

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:27:07.:27:11.

develop. The problems are less than as we head down towards Bristol and

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Bath. In the rest of the morning after the snow has clear, there

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