11/02/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston. Our main

story tonight: 50 days of rain. The West continues its battle against

the elements as more homes succumb to the rising waters.

Frustration for families ` it'll be weeks before they can even assess

the damage. And turmoil on the trains ` the

advice is simply not to travel. But one man who did come here is the

Prime Minister ` David Cameron says the Government is getting it right.

People wanted more pumps. I made sure they got more pumps. People

wanted the military in. I ordered the military. People wanted more

money and that is why I put in 30 million last week, some of it first

Somerset. And we find out why the weather has

been so bad, and ask, when will it end?

The other stories making the news tonight: Bloodied and bruised ` the

Bristol pensioner beaten on her own doorstep.

Another damp evening at the Mem as the game postponed because of poor

weather in the New Year, goes ahead tonight.

And beauty and the beak ` but did you know that every swan has a

different face? Good evening. The West Country is

now 50 days into the flooding crisis ` and things are getting worse, not

better. More homes have been flooded, the water is getting deeper

` and tomorrow more heavy rain and high winds are expected. The Prime

Minister made his second visit to the West Country today, and promised

that he is in personal charge. Here's Paul Barltrop.

He wanted to show the Government had got a grip. The Prime Minister this

morning toured the control room at Taunton police station. It has

brought together councils, emergency services, the Environment Agency and

the military, with backing and funding from on high.

People wanted more pumps, I made sure they got them. People wonder

the military, I ordered the military in. People wanted more money and I

put in an extra 130 million last week, some of it first Somerset

Whatever action is needed, will be done. Because of the appalling

weather we have had, the worst start to a year for 250 years, it will

take time. He sat in on a meeting of Gold

Command. It co`ordinates the response ` though wasn't set up

until several weeks into the floods. The criticism has been made that the

Government was slightly slow off the mark. There is some truth in that.

The Government could have shown greater urgency in the first few

weeks. I am not criticising the Government now. The Government is

being very active and they appreciate the Prime Minister coming

here today. David Cameron met Environment Agency staff, as more

details emerged about why dredging failed to properly start last year

in the rivers Tone and Parrett. Government rules meant the agency

could only contribute ?400,000 to the cost. A special request for ?1

million was made to the Government by Somerset farmers, and rejected.

It was not what the PM wanted to talk about.

The money was turned down by Richard Benyon last year? More dredging

needs to be done. Was that a failure on your part? We have learned the

lessons. More dredging will take place when it is safe to do so. Also

wading in today were Labour Leader Ed Miliband, who visited flood`hit

Berkshire even as one of his top team visited Somerset. It was not

though a time for political point scoring. I am here at the community

centre talking to people who have had to leave their homes, who are

very upset, who are finding it very difficult to know what the future is

going to be. It has raised some important issues for me to take back

to London. I do not see this in party political terms. On the levels

it's reckoned a hundred properties have flooded, and another hundred

are at risk. All wait for the weather to turn. In a few months

when the waters have gone down, dredging will get going on the

rivers Parrot and tone. What politicians are not saying so much

about is the ongoing cost and the fact there will still be floods here

in the future. While the flooding covers more of

the UK, homes and families on the Somerset Levels are still suffering

from rising floodwaters. The village of East Lyng has seen water rise by

more than 12 inches in the past few days, and some have now had no

choice but to abandon their homes. Andrew Plant is there for us this

evening. Good evening. We are across the

other side of the water from Burrowbridge. We are a couple of

miles from moorland. You can get there this way by car. That was the

scene of Somerset's first political visitor, the Environment Secretary.

He came down to see what was going on here himself. That was 15 days

ago. It seems like far longer because so much has changed

politically since then. Somerset and the flooding here has rarely been

out of the headlines. On a practical level, it has remained rather

stagnant. The water is still rising. It is still creeping into people's

back gardens. Despite the sandbagging efforts going on here,

particularly in recent days, it is still forcing people to abandon

their homes. The village of East Lyng ` some of

Somerset's most picturesque countryside now under five feet of

water. This is his front door. In the back garden, a prized possession

left standing in the rush. To save people and pets before the water

came in, fhe family have fled. The worst I've seen by a long way. The

family have fled. Neighbour Chris says someone has already tried to

break in here. The locks have been damaged. There is nothing left in

there to steal. This was the house next door on Saturday. Neighbours

worked to make a protective wall. This morning, the water is a foot

deeper, these tiny pumps flat out. Still the situation is tense.

Everything feels like it could just crumble any second. This is part of

the plan. Lorries lined up with huge pumps on their backs. Giant

machinery making sure the levels have better weapons to fight this

war with the water. This train is on the edge of Bridgwater. They are

building a solid platform over here. That will house eight of those huge

pipes we have seen in recent weeks. At high tide, when the River Parrett

has trouble flowing to see, they will soak up the water of the

Somerset Levels and brass that `` blasted out to sea. That will ease

the pressure on the system. A couple came in here today looking for

toothbrushes. They had lost everything. Nearby in Bridgwater,

the relief effort has supplies. The essentials ` the basics that for

many are now simply floating in dirty water, bridging the water now

surrounding Moorland farm. The only way in means walking the plank. With

luck this defence will be the difference between living at home

with water outside every window or having to escape as it finally pours

inside. When will this water finally start

to go down? On the other side of Burrowbridge, there is a bit more

greenery available. The levels are dropping. On this side of the River

Parrett, the levels are still rising. That is because on this site

it is more susceptible to rainfall. They reckon it would take 20 days to

drain it without any rain. This winter, with this relentless

rainfall, that is not happening Some of those images were really

arresting, very shocking. Well, one of the flooded homes we showed you

there belongs to Carol John and her family. We first met them on Points

West on Saturday, as they were forced to abandon their property to

the rising waters. It must have been a very difficult situation. Carol

phoned the police on the non`emergency 101 number, as she'd

been advised to do, but wasn't very happy with the response.

I rang the police and told them we were evacuating. They said, why are

you telling us? We are not interested, we cannot do anything.

Steve Brodie has been finding out why her call was not dealt with

properly. He kept talking over me. He kept

saying, I don't know why you are telling us this. What do you expect

us to do? Three days on and Carol John and her family are still

camping out in a hotel in Taunton. And although she's accepted an

apology from the police, the loss of her home and the strain on her

children has taken its toll. I really feel sick. I am shaking. I

just don't know what to do with myself. I'm trying to keep going for

the kids. Obviously I have got to go to work again. My daughter is very

cheerful. As are we all, really My son, it is more a case of, I have

lost this, I have lost that, what am I going to do about this? This where

her cry for help came through` Silver Control set up behind Taunton

police station. It's here all the emergency services co`ordinate their

response to the ever changing and ever more damaging incident. And

Avon Somerset police admit they got it wrong in Mrs John's time of

need. We are incredibly sympathetic. It

was a dire situation. We let her down, quite frankly. We are sorry

for that. When we are dealing with a major incident, there are a number

of demands placed upon us. We should have done better. I will make sure

it does not happen again. To be fair, the emergency services

have been praised for their overall response to the flooding. Even

Bridgwater's MP Ian Liddell Grainger, a fierce critic of the

Environment Agency, has described the work of the emergency services

themselves as phenomenal. So how does it all work?

We deliver all the operational activity on the ground in those

communities, keeping them safe, providing sandbags, toilets, life

jackets, transport in and out of the cut of villages. We provide that

activity on the ground from this room.

Along with the police, the control is packed with representatives from

the Environment Agency, the Red Cross, the military and Somerset

County Council. Tonight the council is worried about the long term

condition of the region's roads From the highway engineering point

of view, we are expecting the foundation of the road to be soft

on. And also the volume of water. We expect softer roads, more potholes.

We cannot do those inspections until the waters have subsided. So if you

do want help or advice, then ring the 101 number and all those here

will do their very best to help you out.

Rail passengers heading into and out of the capital from the West are

being advised not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary. First

Great Western has only been running a skeleton service today, after

being affected by floodwater. Those travelling on trains from Cheltenham

to London are having to change at Swindon, and those from Bristol and

Bath at Reading due to problems further along the line.

The signalling equipment at Maidenhead has been affected by

flood water. There are men on the track having to wade through each of

our trains by hand. Network Rail can only be allowed `` really allow

access to four trains an hour from Reading to Paddington. That is

having a huge knock`on effect towards Reading and further on down

the track. A busy commuter route near Bath is

expected to remain shut for a further four weeks following a

landslip last month. Concrete piles are being used to strengthen the

bank along the road in Midford. Engineers are also re`routing

cables. Bath and North East Somerset Council says the road cannot be

reopened until they're satisfied it's stable.

The misery continues in Gloucestershire. Steve Knibbs has

been out with the volunteer emergency teams as they try to

deliver food to communities cut off from normal life.

It's hard work wading through the floods ` the current in places still

strong. Haw Bridge has been marooned on and off since Christmas, but it

was only at the weekend that homes flooded. A quick word with the

landlady of the local pub, and the volunteers from Severn Area Rescue

split up to deliver food. Once on the water the extent of the flooding

is staggering, and navigating along what was a road is a fine art. In

the event it's easier to walk in. And it's eerily quiet ` many people

left before the waters rose up. Adam is at pub... One of the few to stay

` BBC Radio Gloucestershire's motoring correspondent Zog Ziegler.

We are staying here, manning the pumps. We are surviving. All year we

have fought lots of battles. But the enemy has re`armed and we have lost

the war. We are struggling as much as we can. Along with everybody else

around here. Human contact is worth its weight in gold here. For those

that chose to stay, just knowing that someone is looking out for them

makes a difference. The response from the residence says it all. They

are really pleased to know somebody can help them. They are pleased they

can get supplies in and out. For us, as volunteers, that is everything.

And this volunteer team know they'll likely to be called out again soon `

already one resident has told them he needs taking to hospital for

treatment later this week. Vital work supporting communities cut off.

And the weather's been playing havoc with our sporting fixtures too.

Ali's at the Memorial Stadium for us tonight. Is it finally game on for

Rovers and Cheltenham? The pitch covers are off and the

rain has stopped. The work continues to make this service playable. Join

me later. The shocking image of a Bristol

pensioner who was left bleeding and bruised after an attack on her own

doorstep, has made front page news across the country today. Jennie

Taylor, who's 76, asked us to show the photograph as she hopes it'll

help police catch her attacker. We should warn you that Julia Causton's

report does contain the graphic image, taken just after she was set

upon. I prayed to God that if I was going

to die, please don't let me die like this. Left battered and bruised but

determined to battle on. For 60 years, Jennie Taylor has felt safe

in her Totterdown home. But two weeks ago today, that safety was

shattered in an unprovoked attack on her own doorstep. He launched

himself at me. I arrived on the floor, which was unexpected. I

thought he had tripped. And that his weight had pushed me over. And then

of course it started. He started battering my head. He pushed me

down. Then he choked rubbish at me, any bag of rubbish that was there.

`` through rubbish at me. It went on like that. I thought I was going to

die. The man stole ?100. Now the horrific extent of the injuries are

the focus of national media attention. I thought, if it shocks

people and makes them more careful, perhaps it may even shop him. ``

shock him. In Totterdown today, known for its brightly coloured

houses, disbelief that something dark could have happened here. It is

absolutely awful. I hope they catch whodunnit. She is quite vulnerable.

It makes me think we should look after the vulnerable more. While the

physical scars are starting to heal, for Jennie, the memories of the

attack will stay with her. I don't know how to get back on my feet I

want to get back to normal as soon as. I want to feel as if I can live

a relatively free life, as I always have.

Jenny Taylor. Avon and Somerset Police have breached data protection

laws more than any other force in the country over the past five

years. Between January 2009 and October last year, there were almost

three hundred breaches made by police staff. These include

releasing names to the media without permission. The information came to

light from a freedom of information request.

Four of our football clubs are playing tonight, and there are some

crucial games in the battle to avoid relegation. Alistair Durden is at

the Memorial Stadium, where Bristol Rovers take on Cheltenham tonight.

Ali, the first thing to ask is whether the game is on?

Yes, well just about, David. It was pretty close. The referee has looked

at the Page three times. There are quite a lot of brown patches. The

pitch was covered until about 3:30pm. They took the covers off and

got a lot of the excess water off. It is dry at the moment. If we do

have more rain, it could be a problem. You mentioned relegation,

this is a crucial match for these teams. Bristol Rovers, just two

points away from the relegation zone. And Cheltenham Town, closer to

the bottom than the play`off places. We look at the league table and were

we to win tomorrow night, we go a couple of points behind them. The

whole thing has got a bit of an edge to it. They have targeted this one

as the one they need to win. The fans will get behind them. We have

to quieten them. Play football. Play with some intelligence. Also, a lot

of commitment that a local derby demands. Ian Holtby is the stadium

manager here. How challenging has it been to keep the game on? It was

touch and go. We had an horrendous storm about five o'clock. Your heart

just sinks. I cannot praise the ground staff enough. They have been

phenomenal. As a football club, how is the weather affecting you?

Financially it is very difficult. We have got a lot of boxes in use, the

restaurant is full. Especially against Oxford on Saturday and again

tonight. Football clubs cannot keep losing games due to the weather It

is difficult. We keep our fingers crossed that the heavens do not open

again. A reminder that in the Championship bottom club Yeovil play

fourth bottom Millwall tonight ` so that's a vital home game for the

Glovers. And Bristol City, in the League One relegation zone, are away

to Leyton Orient. Things can only get better.

One of the longest running research projects in the world ` which is

based at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire ` is 50 years old

today. It was started by the conservationist, Sir Peter Scott,

who noticed that every swan has a different face. His artistic

endeavour became a fully fledged scientific study, with every swan

there recorded and given a name Here's John Maguire.

Sitting in her father's former study, Daphne Scott sketches the

faces of the wild swans, 50 years to the day since his first drawings.

Some of these were done by your father and perhaps some The bad

weather we're having a moment has affected the number of Swansea.

How do we know that? Not through scientific research, or global

positioning satellites cash in the facial recognition of the Swans

Technology that dates back half a century. With these international

travellers, its unrivalled around the world.

Let's return to our main story this evening. As flooding continues to

cause misery, there is still more rain to come. It seems as though

there is one story after another at the moment. We've tried to uncover

what might be causing this high level of rainfall.

Four weeks the weather has dominated our news. January saw the heaviest

rainfall in years. But we do have thought that all this rain is

connected to another extreme weather events on the other side of the

Atlantic? The polar vortex which struck America in January.

Temperatures plunged to `26 the breeze. Connecting the two events is

the Jetstream. Need more clarification?

Highly in. We've had an unprecedented amount of rainfall.

It's been quite extraordinary. Sitting at this death day after day,

it's one weather system after another. The result has been the

wettest spells for a 250 years. Effectively since records began In

context, look at this map from The Met office. Where you see these dark

Blues. That's the best percentage of rain falling throughout that period.

It's no surprise that we are in the situation we're in.

There is evidence that this heavy rain and the cold snap that America

experienced are linked by the Jetstream. Can you explain that

The Jetstream is essential to this. Think of it as a ribbon of high

winds stretching across the Atlantic. It's really the driving

force, the birthplace for the storms which have been reaching us day

after day. The path of them changes ` sometimes to the north, sometimes

to the south. We're looking at another sequence of storms through

the course of tomorrow, and again on Friday. Its relentless pattern has

been a real sources... Point of interest throughout the course of

this winter. Thank you Ian. Ian will be back shortly with your full

weather forecast. I can tell you that between now and the weekend we

are expecting up to another 80 millimetres of rain. That's three

inches. Maybe February is about to break a few records to!

Come on in, get your jacket on and tell us the worst!

Will be looking at two issues tomorrow. The first is the heavy

rain and the strength of the wind. The Amber alert moves to a yellow

one. There is a warning first snow tonight. Rather patchy in nature.

Don't be surprised if you see some snow further south. Tomorrow, we

focus on the strength of the wind. Even without the amber warning, we

could be looking at 50 mph. Thirdly, we have the rain once again. This

has become a common issue. Another yellow warning for rain. Some of us

getting close to about an inch. This is the reason why. As we move

through this evening, some of these showers will be of a wintry nature.

It is the gathering issues towards the west that grab the attention

tomorrow. Low pressure swing its way towards the north`west, bringing the

tightening of the isobars. That will bring the strong wind. It will

follow the passage of the heavy rain. Some of these showers are

falling as snow. We can expect some more. The second half of the night,

snow over northern parts of Gloucestershire in particular.

Showers around by tomorrow morning. It will be a cold night for us all.

Many places close to freezing. Tomorrow then starting with showery

outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow. The main focus is this band of rain

towards the middle of the day. Some heavy rain passing through

relatively quickly. Winds picking up after the rain has gone. Rush hour

tomorrow with the decidedly windy. Today just felt like the calm before

the next storm. Tomorrow we will be broadcasting live from the heart of

the flooding. We will see you there. For now, stay dry if you can. If you

are affected by the flooding, our hearts go out to you. See you later.

It was only for a second or two but I know -

You're dragging up the past and into our house. She's my family