18/03/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex That is all from us,

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

story tonight: The fire chidf killed on duty. He died when a gas cylinder

exploded at a private airport. The company is in court on crimhnal

charges. He was a popular and professional fire officer btt had

agreed with managers not to touch the cylinders without getting help

from an outside professional. Now a jury must decide who is to blame for

his death. Our other headlines tonight: Those

nuisance calls from people trying to sell us things we don't want. If

they were in my house, my swear box would be full arm.

On a roll. The student practising for an ocean row from Hawaih to

California. And those lovely old photos and what

they look like when those ctte kids recreate them years later!

Good evening. A company is being prosecuted today following the death

of a firefighter who was killed when a gas cylinder exploded causing

instant death. Steve Mills, who was the chief fire officer at Cotswold

Airport, was stripping out ` container when the accident

happened. The company that owns the airport is facing criminal charges

for breaches of health and safety. Scott Ellis joins us now from the

airfield at Kemble. Scott, how did Steve Mills die? He was a p`rt timer

but also full time here. In 201 , he wanted to set up a fire trahning

centre here. He purchased shipping containers from the MoD. Each one of

those involved a large cylinder that could emit gas in split seconds It

was while he was manhandling one of those cylinders that he died. We are

not sure why or how because he was on his own but one of those

canisters exploded and he w`s left with catastrophic head injuries and

his employers here are in Gloucester Crown Court, facing criminal charges

under health and safety regtlations. What is the Apple's manager said in

court? Nick Howard is the m`nager here and he told the jury that when

those shipping containers arrived, they both had a good look at them

and agreed he and Steve Mills, those cylinders were dangerous and should

not be moved without getting expertise in from outside. What

actually happened was that Steve Mills went ahead and did th`t under

his own initiative. Nick Howard said he had no idea that the cylhnders

were being moved. The company denies any wrongdoing and the trial will go

on for the rest of this week. The menace of unwanted telephone

calls is being debated in Bristol tonight. One city councillor, who

says his own mother has been plagued by cold callers, wants the

government to do more. Sincd 20 2, only seven companies have actually

been fined by the regulator and although you can sign up not to

receive them, some still get through. Zoe Gough reports. I am

very sorry... 71`year`old Mollie says this can

happen up to six times a dax. Recovering from an operation, she

thought her ex`directory nulber would protect her. We feel there is

someone around all the time. It s like an invisible person or just a

voice. It suddenly comes thdre. You could be watching television or

having a meal and you have to stop what you are doing and what you are

enjoying to listen. Nearly 20 million people in the UK ard

registered with the Telephone Preference Service. It means cold

calling their numbers is ag`inst the law but complaints have soared.

Richard Eddy's elderly mothdr has also been plagued. She struggles and

it may just be one of these telesales messages. Tonight he's

asking colleagues to demand the government does more. If profits are

related to this, people will push the boundaries, but I think fines

will play their part in controlling this. The Information Commissioner's

Office only started issuing fines in 2012. Just seven firms have been

fined nearly ?1 million pounds. Thousands of complaints havd to be

made to prove they cause substantial damage or distress. The ICO says if

the proof was simply annoying, they'd catch many more. The

government is due to publish a cold calling action plan. Until then it

comes down to people like Mollie complaining each and every time they

receive an unwanted call. Well, John Mitchison is frol

Telephone Preference Servicd, which Zoe mentioned in her report. Why are

these calls still getting through? The service is not a colour blocking

system. It's a free service. Once a telephone number is registered, it's

a legal requirement for companies to use the file so that people are not

called. There are always rogue companies willing to ignore

legislation to take advantage of short`term financial opporttnities.

It's rather pointless having it then. What we would like to see is

more enforcement. What you said earlier about the burden of proof

being high is true and that restricts them in the number of

fines they can issue. They have put a case to government to lowdr that

threshold. If that goes to, they will be able to issue more fines.

Very often, it's a recording. They are covered under a different piece

of legislation and you shouldn't even receive a recorded message

unless you have given a company permission to send you that. You

should make a complaint. During the day, I have given up answerhng my

phone because I know it will be one of these organisations, but people

who are elderly or a frail or scared when the phone goes, what should

they do? They need to register. You can do that online on our wdbsite. I

would be cautious about answering the phone if it is causing distress.

You can always check your cooler line ID, if you have it. So perhaps

just let it ring and don't `nswer? That's certainly an answer.

Four people, arrested for alleged child trafficking in

Gloucestershire, have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Gloucestershire Police carrhed out the arrests during raids yesterday.

It was the first time the force targeted anyone for the offdnce

One person has been airliftdd to hospital with serious injurhes

following a five`vehicle cr`sh on the A37 near Yeovil this morning.

The air ambulance was called to the scene shortly before 8am to take the

man to Frenchay. Two more pdople were treated for minor injuries The

road was closed for several hours while investigations took place

The parents of a Bristol te`cher who died whilst swimming and clhmbing on

the Dorset coast say the inpuest into their daughter's death is a

"charade". Charlotte Furness`Smith was a maths teacher at Bristol Free

School and a Royal Navy resdrvist. She was swimming with her brother in

November when the pair becale separated. Lewis Coombes has been at

the inquest and has sent us this report.

After two hours of evidence, her mother and father stood up `nd

labelled today's inquest as Lisa Raj. `` A Sherard. The family are

taking legal advice whether to take this further. The court heard how

she swam and climbed along the cliff with her older brother. Thex entered

the water at 2pm. Then the weather took a turn for the worse. Winds

picked up to 35 mph, waves reached three feet and wash them both into

the cave, which covered in darkness with ferocious waves turning upside

down. It was here that Alex decided waiting an option. Alex man`ged to

escape the cave and flagged down help. Alex was winched to s`fety. A

paramedic was lowered to a narrowed blowhole where you shouted down to

Buffy to reassure her. He rdalised he would be unable to lift out

alone. Rescue teams had a police system in place and she was said to

be screaming from inside. The court heard how a specialist cave rescue

put his own life at risk by being lowered into the cave. He s`w her

body facedown in the water. Weather conditions were so poor her body

could not be recovered at this stage and when they returned two days

later, the body had disappe`red The coastguards said they tried

everything they could to rescue her. For the grieving parents, it

seems as if they have many unanswered questions still hn the

inquest continues tomorrow. A ?34 million development at one of

Somerset's biggest hospitals is welcoming its first patients this

week. The new Jubilee Buildhng at Musgrove Park Hospital in T`unton

replaces wards that were orhginally built to treat American soldiers

during the Second World War. Our Somerset correspondent, Clinton

Rogers, has been one of the first people to have a look round.

It's a small place in history he didn't volunteer for but Richard has

become one of the first pathents to be treated at Musgrove's new Jubilee

Building. I would term this place as the Musgrove Hilton! It's cost 34

million to build, all of whhch has been raised locally. And it's one of

only a few hospitals in the country where all patients here will have

individual en suite rooms, rooms which were partly designed by the

staff. It was to provide thd best healing environment for pathents and

privacy and dignity. With the bathrooms, it resolves the hssue of

mixed sex accommodation. In all 112 rooms with a view, not all of them

perhaps your ideal choice. @nd over the next two weeks, patients will be

moved here from the old building. I am not lonely because the ntrses

keep walking up and down here and they have got squeaky shoes The 96

beds here replace the same number in the old building. These are called

Nightingale wards and they `re now due for demolition. Mind yot, they

were never meant to be a permanent feature. They were originally built

in 1942 as a temporary Amerhcan Hospital and occupied by thd US Army

Medical Corps, temporary buhldings that ended up having a life span of

more than 70 years! It was ` challenge in terms of the

environment for patients, and staff felt they had to constantly

apologise for the state of the building. But the new development is

not the end of the old hosphtal not yet. The maternity wards and the

main operating theatres are still to be replaced and in the currdnt

financial climate, no`one is sure when that will happen.

You're watching BBC Points West with David and Alex. Still to cole

tonight: Thank you, Possums Barry Humphries picks up a Comedy Legend

Award in Bristol. And recreating the past. Thd idea

for a homemade family calendar that's attracting worldwide

attention. A 29`year`old Bristol student is

hoping to become the youngest woman to row unaided across part of the

Pacific in the ocean's first ever rowing race. Elsa Hammond whll spend

three months at sea in a ch`llenge that starts this June. Fion`

Lamdin's been to meet her in training. This is my boat. Ht's my

home for three months. Rowing 2,500 miles, completdly on

her own. This is my rowing seat I will be spending probably most of my

time here. This is my cabin in here, which is where I will spend the

second most amount of time, sleeping! But this tiny space isn't

just a place to sleet. It's actually more about safety. If the boat

sizes, I won't be hitting the ceiling. This harness was tried out

for real this afternoon. Now the terrifying test to see if this boat

writes itself once it has c`psized. Once it's capsized, the boat should

right itself, but after fivd minutes, she's still trapped upside

down. That's a bang. In the end the crane has to step in. You are

hanging upside down and it really hurts. I can see green water through

the hatches. Elsa is back in the cabin. They will have anothdr go

turning it. This time, though, they have added Cole to help. Second time

round, though, almost instant success. Just as well, seeing as

this woman already has quitd enough pressure to deal with. And ht's

quite some pressure, being Durope's only competitor in the Pacific's

first ever rowing race. Yeovil Town travel to Wigan tonight,

knowing a win could take thdm out of the Championship relegation zone but

it won't be easy. Wigan havd won their last eight matches, including

beating Manchester City in the FA Cup. In League Two, Cheltenham host

Wycombe Wanderers. The Robins are just five points off the pl`y`off

places. Tomorrow night, BBC Points West will

be hosting a rugby forum at the Rec in Bath. On the panel will be former

England and British Lion Gareth Chilcott and Bath head coach Mike

Ford. They'll be joined by current Bath and England forward Dave

Attwood. If you'd like to bd among the audience, then go to thd Bath

Rugby website for details. Ht's free and it all starts at 6:30pm, so

you'll need to set your box to record us while you're out.

A new remote`controlled drone which can fly over nuclear accidents to

assess damage has been developed at Bristol University. It's hoped it

will improve the way experts react to nuclear disasters and has just

been chosen to be sold abro`d. We're joined by the designer of the drone,

Dr James MacFarlane. Let's hope it's never needed! What brought this

about? At the time of the Ftkushima instant `` incident, we werd working

with radiation. These could be used to determine the radiation `nd

contamination in the environment. This data will be relayed b`ck to

you in real time. That was only 2011 and I am surprised that so recently,

helicopter pilots were exposed to massive amounts of radiation. Why

has no one thought of this before? It came down to the fact thdre was

no way of getting these detdctors small enough. It so happened at the

time that we could put the two bits of technology together. How do you

test it? Let's have a look. This is our joint system. It's a sm`ll

beast. It has got a small g`mma detector and this allows thd user to

remotely control it and detdcts whether contamination is on land.

Let's hope we don't need to use it. How do you store it, look after it,

maintain it? When it's not being used, you can use for routine

monitoring. You can use it `s an everything's OK machine. Yot can use

it to determine whether your plants are running operations corrdctly.

How many countries will buy this? Through the enterprise award I have

just been awarded, we will do these market studies. Can I have one?

What's next? We are still there on developing other uses that we can

put onto the systems. There are grey things we can use for everyday use.

We can produce 3`D reconstrtction models or use them to deterline the

effects of flood plains in the Somerset Levels, for exampld.

The actor and comedian Barrx Humphries was honoured at a special

event in the West last night. The international megastar, who's behind

the character Dame Edna Everage was presented with the Aardman Slapstick

Festival Comedy Legend Award. Laura Jones was at the ceremony.

On stage, on television and on the big screen. Barry Humphries, best

known as his alter ego, Damd Edna Everage, doing what she does best.

In a career spanning six decades, he and she have entertained millions

and built up an army of loy`l fans and at a show in Bristol last night,

it was chance to honour the man who is commonly described as ond of the

world's all`time comedy gre`ts. Barry Humphries is now 80 and has

said he will stop touring as a performer but fortunately for his

thousands of fans, he said he will still do the odd special evdnt, like

this one. The show was hostdd was award`winning comedian and former

Bristol University student Larcus Brigstocke. To be that skilful and

have an audience had so closely on what you are doing and how them and

release them into laughter, it's amazing. The award, the Slapstick

Festival Comedy Legend Award, was presented by fellow comedy legend

Barry Cryer. I saw the show at the Palladium he did in Bristol, and it

was going on in three hours but you didn't notice a minute. Barry

Humphries is said to be thrhlled with the award itself, an A`rdman

Animations Morph version of Edna, and also with the messages of

support and congratulations he received from around the world. It's

such a pleasure to thank yot for everything you have done in your

career and celebrate this grey moment. I rate nobody above you in

comedy. And I like a lot of different people. But you, for me,

have everything. So although Barry Humphries and, of course, D`me Edna,

will now bow out of formal, long comedy tours, their mutual love of

performing and making peopld laugh means it's unlikey they'll be out of

the public eye for long. And if you want to hear frol the man

himself and find out more about his life and work, you can still catch

our extended interview with Barry Humphries on our Facebook p`ge.

Now, when two brothers from Gloucestershire got together to plan

a special calendar for their mother, they had no idea what they were

letting themselves in for. They decided to recreate old famhly

photos: Shots of them as babies now featuring two grown men with beards.

But they didn't realise that once they'd uploaded them on to the

internet that they'd be viewed in America, India and even Australia.

Here's Liz Beacon. This all started as a Christmas

present from two sons to thdir mother: A calendar packed whth

recreations of precious famhly moments. There is the day Rhchard

came home as a baby, so the first time Joseph was inches to used ``

was introduced to him. Susan has loved reliving such moments. Others

she's found slightly weird. This was a very surreal photo shoot. We tried

to recreate the curtain by getting fabric from a shop and sell a taping

it onto the wall. We are trxing to squeeze into the bath. The whole

thing lasted 15 minutes our feet went numb. You'd have thought that

bath shot was embarrassing dnough, but thanks to the internet, this is

now way more than a private family moment. It's crazy! I can't believe

the magnitude of the whole thing. I guess that is the whole point of

viral. You have no control over it. It blew my mind. This calendar has

been mostly about the boys but I should mention the face of

February, the dog, who said all of these memory.

And if you've done the same, we d love to see your efforts:

[email protected]. We have had a complete failtre of

our weather graphics system. That is a reasonable summary of tomorrow's

weather. It will be a day whth a fair amount of cloud around for some

equally, we will see a good deal of sunshine in the East. My microphone

is not on as well. As far as the story is to the cause of tonight,

dry picture with clear skies. Rather please `` breezy as well. Tomorrow,

the further used you are, you will enjoy the best of sunshine `round.

In these circumstances, temperatures could climb up to 15 degrees.

Decidedly mild. To the west, I would caution there will be a lot of cloud

around. But nonetheless, it will brighten up in the afternoon. And it

will be dry. That will change for Thursday. A dry morning on

Thursday. Some rain and the first rain we have seen for a couple of

weeks or so. Well done. I was hanging on your every word

there. A shame to see the r`in again.