21/03/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with That's all from

Welcome to BBC Points West with Imogen Sellers and David Garmston.

Our main story tonight: A Mhlitary Cross for a West Country soldier.

Lance Corporal Wes Masters ran through a hail of bullets to reach

his injured colleague. The whole thing was filmed. I couldn't believe

it. I was gutted it was him But he was completely confident.

And the Queen's Commendation for Lance Corporal Sinead Dodds from

Taunton who went to the rescue of her commander.

Our other headlines tonight: First they were raped by care worker Colin

Stokes. Now his victims are being evicted from their sheltered homes.

Here comes the bride, all dressed in a frock that doesn't fit. The

complaints against a wedding shop in Cheltenham.

And He Doesn't Like Mondays but he does enjoy Saturday night down the

pub. Why Bob Geldof is coming to a local in Wiltshire.

Good evening. He's the sort of soldier you would want on your side.

A Lance Corporal from Somerset has won national recognition today for

his extraordinary bravery while under fire in Afghanistan. Lance

Corporal Wes Masters from Mhnehead ran 400 meters, dodging enely

bullets, to reach his friend who had been shot through the neck. He saved

his life and then they both carried on fighting. Today he was awarded

the Military Cross for his bravery and another West Country soldier was

given a Queen's Commendation for going to the rescue of her

commander. Sabet Choudhury has their story.

Seconds after a firefight in Afghanistan, a bullet has p`ssed

straight through this soldidr's neck, just millimetres from his

artery. Running to his rescte across a live battle ground, Lance Corporal

Wesley Masters, who said he forgot the danger to save his friend. Lance

Corporal Masters was awarded the Military Cross for gallantrx. It was

in one side and out the othdr so he had two holes in his neck,

bleeding. That was what I w`s faced with. I saw other crazy staff. Among

rows of male servicemen being honoured, one female stands out

Lance Corporal Sinead Dodds from Taunton, given the Queen's

Commendation for bravery helping rescue her commander after their

vehicle was hit by an improvised roadside bomb. I was unconscious and

then I woke up and there was a piercing pain in my ears and then I

heard the casualties screamhng. I had to get up and do somethhng, so I

chucked myself over and went to find the casualties. An army camdraman

captured the moment that Lance Corporal Wes Masters came to aid his

friend, showing a supreme l`ck of panic in the face of such a serious

injury. Holding the wound is Lance Corporal Simon Maloney and despite

his injury, he then carried on fighting, even running aboard as

their airlift arrived. He w`s given a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Two

stories among so many that could have ended differently were it not

for the bravery of the soldhers involved.

Well, earlier, I spoke to L`nce Corporal Wesley Masters and Lance

Corporal Simon Moloney and `sked them what it meant to get this

honour. As a soldier, that's the best sort of thing you can get. It's

also nice to give your family back something. We love our jobs but they

don't love you being away all the time. It must be a great worry for

them. You were putting yourself in so much danger by helping your mate.

Yeah. It was a dirty dash across the open. But I had to do it. You looked

so calm. Were you confident you would be able to help him? Xeah If

he was alive when I got there, I had every confidence in my abilhty to

keep him alive and get him back to the hospital. Has it changed your

friendship? I get the busier now! Is it something you both still talk

about? Every now and then, we bring it up. Gets him out of a lot of

arguments! Three vulnerable women who were

sexually assaulted by their care worker in Gloucestershire are facing

another battle tonight over where they'll live. The women werd

attacked by Colin Stokes who began a 14`year jail sentence yesterday Now

they've been told they need to leave their supported accommodation. Their

relatives say it's cruel to move them at this time. Here's otr

Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs.

As Colin Stokes starts a long jail term, the focus is now on hhs

victims and how they'll recover When Stokes admitted his crhmes in

January, the council termin`ted the contract of the care providdr who

employed him and brought a new one in but the landlord of the home says

he can't reach agreement with the new provider and has given the

victims and other residents two months' notice to move out. It's

another nail in the coffin. It's absolutely appaling. I don't know

how anybody could think of doing that. If it was a year and not just

two months... It's ridiculots, knowwing that a house might not be

able to be found in the timd they've got. It's just a crazy situ`tion

again. In a letter given to residents, the owners say that the

new arrangements aren't fin`ncially viable without a long`term lease

which, it appears, can't be agreed. It seems likely that the hole will

now close and the residents split up but the council has denied their

decision to sack the providdr who employed Colin Stokes has b`ckfired.

All of the residents in these homes, given that it is a private tenancy,

we will assist them through their provided to find new homes `nd I

don't think there is any qudstion we will be successful in doing that but

has the provider in this case acted appropriately and ethically? For

legal reasons, we can't identify the owner of the home in this c`se to

protect the identities of the victims. We've attempted to contact

them by email, by letter and telephone but they've not rdsponded.

In fact, yesterday, when I did speak to the owner, he hung up. Tonight

families of the victims say they're considering a private prosecution

against those they feel werd responsible for letting Colhn Stokes

work alone at night, giving him the opportunity to commit his crimes.

Two men have been arrested hn connection with an investig`tion in

Yeovil into alleged child sdxual exploitation. A 20`year`old man was

arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of class B drugs with

intent to supply. Another m`n, also aged 20, was arrested on suspicion

of rape. They've been released on bail.

The Deputy Prime Minister h`s officially opened a new factory in

Bridgwater. Nick Clegg, togdther with Wells MP Tessa Munt, w`s shown

around the Mulberry plant. The firm got financial assistance from the

government to set up the handbag production facility, which dmploys

300 people. It's immensely exciting. Mulberry is a British

success story, a brand known around the world and is now in partnership

with government, hoping to dmploy scores of people locally here who

are otherwise struggling to find work.

Remember this? The Somerset Levels earlier this year, thousands of

acres underwater for weeks on end? It was the worst flooding in living

memory and today, nearly three months since it all began, the huge

Dutch pumps that were brought in to help have finally been switched off.

As the dry land emerges, though what is also becoming clear is the

extent of the damage to the farmland beneath. Clinton Rogers reports

From the moorland to the se` at the rate of 500,000 litres an hour.

That's what these huge Dutch pumps have been doing since they were

brought in to bolster the ptmping operation six weeks ago. Today they

fell silent, their job done. I have a dairy farm in Holland.

Coincidentally, it was a dax that a Dutch dairy came to Somerset to

visit farmers who've been lhving with the floods since December. When

the BBC went to see him, he was shocked by the pictures we showed

him from Somerset. Shocked dnough to come here to offer his support. Back

home, his farm is six metres below sea level and yet, it doesn't flood.

I was born in 1963 and have never seen water in places it shotldn t

be. I used to live six metrds below sea level. Michael is one f`rmer

counting the cost of the worst ever floods on the levels. This was his

farm a month ago. Today the water has gone but the damage it has

caused to the soil is all too evident. It's absolutely de`d. This

all receded last year. It mtst be heartbreaking to see it likd this

again. We asked a soil expert to come here to assess the long`term

damage. He doesn't need complex scientific equipment to tell him

this farm has suffered badlx. With a bit of luck, we might get something

growing on it this year, but that would be a viable crop. I would say

two years or more before we get the soil chemistry and biology back to

where it was. Tonight, the Environment Agency said thex hoped

all the floodwater would be gone from the Moors by the end of next

week, three months after it came, but it is clear damage left behind

will take much longer to me`nt, both for homeowners and farmers.

Well, lots of people have bden fund`raising to help the flood

victims. Last night, The Wurzels were back in the county,

entertaining a sell`out crowd of 700 with a benefit gig at Bridgwater's

Palace Theatre. I'm told thdy were fantastic. And remember that

submerged car on the road to Muchelney? It went up for s`le on

eBay but we're still waiting to see how much it's raised after the

winning bid of ?100,000 was found to be a hoax. We'll let you know.

Around 8,000 people have bedn caught breaking the rules and drivhng

through Bath's bus gate since it was launched two months ago. Thd gates

were put in place to ban cars, vans, lorries and bikes travelling

eastbound along Dorchester Street between 10am and 6pm. Currently

people are just being given warning letters but ?60 fines will soon be

issued. Brides have told the BBC th`t

preparations for their big day were tainted by the service they received

at a shop in Cheltenham. Bernadette Wilson was one of them. She spent

?1,500 on a dress from Simply Bridal which she says she couldn't wear bt

how should consumers protect themselves? Eleanor Roper rdports.

It was a beautiful dress but it wasn't fit for purpose so I couldn't

wear it. Buying a dress was this bride's nightmare. After behng

altered, it didn't fit. The dress was still too tight. I still

couldn't sit down and at th`t point, I broke down in tears. She bought

the dress last year from Silply Bridal in Cheltenham. It was when

she complained that things went from bad to worse. The way that they

treated me afterwards, when we tried to resolve this with them, has been

absolutely disgusting. Their customer service is appalling. I've

had nothing but insults and abuse. The owner here is Victoria Graham

who told us that Mrs Wilson had agreed to the alterations btt that

she'd just changed her mind, something Bernadette denies. Simply

Bridal have made their own claims about Bernadette's behaviour but

we've spoken to other unhappy customers. One didn't want to be

identified. I just felt slightly intimidated by the whole affair To

be honest, it was extremely stressful. That was in 2011, after a

critical report by Inside Ott West. One bride who was interviewdd,

Annette Watts, is still owed money. Victoria Graham says that she can't

comment on anonymous claims but told us she does put customer first. Both

her and her husband, who usdd to run the business, say that they've

provided good service to hundreds of satisfied clients who've all enjoyed

shopping here but with emothons running high anyway around weddings,

how can brides protect themselves from extra stress? The experience of

buying a dress should be a pleasant one. Only pay 50%, don't pax it all

up front, despite the discotnt, use wedding insurance and, if you can,

pay with a credit card. But if things go wrong, what options do

consumers have? You can either go to Trading Standards and, parthcularly

if they have other complaints about that trader, then they might take

direct action against them. Or you could pursue your own claim in court

and you can do that quite e`sily now online through something called

Money Claim Online. Bernadette Wilson still has her dress,?1,5 0

worth. I wouldn't be able to go to the toilet in it. And she s`ys she

wasn't difficult when dealing with Simply Bridal but that with just

weeks to go before her weddhng, she told us she had no choice btt to buy

a second dress. A bell from a First World W`r German

battleship is due to be auctioned after being used as a gunner `` as a

garden ornament in Bristol. The ship itself was sunk after the w`r but

was raised for scrap in 1938. Bob Geldof's played rock concerts

around the world but this ydar, he'll be heading to a village pub in

Wiltshire for a sing`song. Ht's to raise awareness of cancer and, as

Scott Ellis reports, he won't be the only famous name on stage in All

Cannings. Bob Goldof's heading for All

Cannings. So, too, Steve Harley And also this year, Paul Young, adding

to the other famous names who've already played in the garden of this

Wiltshire pub. It's a fundr`iser which started when pub regular John

Callis discovered he had prostate cancer. He's Paul MacCartnex's sound

engineer and his drinking m`te is Andy Scott. Another pub regtlar and

lead guitarist in glam rock band The Sweet. Some years ago, Andy felt

unwell so John advised him to get a blood test. Off he went, had the

blood test and came back out and said, I've got it, too. It was the

pair of us. It was then thex started planning a rock concert agahnst

cancer. The music industry, we've got all these big names. We have got

a great little field out thd back care. Since then, there's bden two

concerts, drawing crowds of 5,0 0 and raising ?35,000 for new cancer

treatments in Bristol. The landlord has cancer, too, and loves the

annual rock concert. You ard suddenly serving Brian May `nd it's

a good party atmosphere for them. They really enjoy it. It's ` great

day. It has been an absolutd pleasure and a great joy as well. If

it's positive, everything hdlps And the famous are happy to help in

small ways, too, these selfhes all supporting this year's gig on May

31st. Our international players are back

in the West for the last few weeks of club rugby. Both Bath and Bristol

have exciting games ahead as they try to stay in the play off places.

And so for our Team Talk tonight, Ali Durden has been to Bath Rugby

Club to look back at the Six Nations and forward to the end of the

season. We are at the recreation ground in

Bath to talk rugby this evening Just back from the six Nations with

England, a man who has playdd for Bristol, Gloucester and Bath, a man

who has more stories than the Brothers Grimm, and the head coach

it at Bath who has guided them to third in the premiership. What did

you make of England's performance? They have had a fantastic shx

Nations. It could have gone either way. You think England, lots of

young combinations coming on, a great season. It's very hard to win.

I had nine years at it and only cracked it once. Where did xou watch

it? In a room, surrounded bx press. How times have changed! Do we see

the team grow throughout thd tournament? Definitely. The squad

has got bigger and better. Stewart, over the last three years, xou one

for each time. There's an awful lot of investment going into wh`t it

means to play for England. The changing rooms are all lined with

messages from pounds and in the changing room, there is a lot of the

history. Everything you can see When you get into the changhng room,

you are under no illusion who you are playing for and why you are

playing. He just allows people to express themselves. Young players

who have strength in so much depth. Can this squad win it? I thhnk they

will be one of the favouritds. A tough group, but I don't thhnk

that's a bad thing. We will be one of the favourites and we will only

get better. It has the potential to go into that top four and h`ve a

go. We have got a great opportunity. Six games left of the domestic

premiership season. Currently, third position. What are the chances of

you walking away with a top prize this year? We are very closd to

securing Europe. We are not looking past the top four at the molent You

got to put yourself in that position. For me, it has bedn awhile

since it has felt exciting. Whether we are home or away, there `re any

number of players who can ttrn a game on a sixpence. Bath have had a

fantastic season. We are in the top four. A bit of tweaking and more

belief, we will be somewherd near it. What have you made of your club,

Gloucester, this year? Traditionally, they have her out a

very strong pack. Their consistency upfront hasn't allowed an extremely

effective and threatening b`ck line to gain any momentum. Their front

row have always creaked in dvery game. Every scrum, every rock, every

more, they change props willy`nilly, but always on the back foot, and

that has been their problem. Bristol has been an interesting one. A lot

of investment going into thdir squad. I think it is between Leeds

and Bristol. Bristol need to go up. They have spent a lot of money. They

need to go up. The Gloucestdr`Bath game is a massive game. The last few

years, the emphasis on that game has increased. Historically, it's been a

round robin for those three teams. Those games matter because of the

proximity, because how closd the fans are to one another. To get them

back into the premiership would be awesome. Ladies and gentlemdn, show

your appreciation for our p`nel tonight.

Well, it's back to league action for our rugby sides this weekend. In the

Premiership tomorrow Gloucester host Newcastle while Bath are aw`y at

London Irish. On Sunday in the Championship Bristol travel to

Leeds. Bristol Rovers get things underway for our football tdams

tonight as they take on Southend at the Mem. The rest are 3pm khck offs.

We've been taking part in some very serious sport ourselves tod`y,

haven't we? It's because it's Sport Relief. We'll have a look at some of

your fundraising efforts after the weather. But we've been doing our

bit, helping our colleagues at BBC Radio Bristol with a cycling

challenge this morning. I got on first and managed a mile. Not that

easy in heels, mind you! I thought I'd up the pace on my turn. Years of

training paid off! It may have been a chilly d`y but

many of us have had plenty of sunshine and those showers `re on

their way out. Let's have a look at the weekend. Very different to last

week. Sunny spells but blustery showers continuing and frosty

mornings. Let's take a look at today's top temperatures. Tonight,

we are seeing the back of the first lot of showers and behind it, we

have this band pushing throtgh from the West. Some hail and thunder

mixed in there. Showers following behind it and we could see ` dusting

on higher ground in the morning Temperatures down to freezing and

across the border, lows of one or two degrees. Tomorrow, we continue

with that Keane south`westerly wind. More of those blustery showdrs but

at least some sunshine in bdtween. That wind is really going to take

the edge of tomorrow's highs. Quite a drop from today's highs. Puite a

chilly day tomorrow. Some of those showers quite happy with hahl and

thunder mixed in. They will come fewer and further between, though. A

frosty start of the day. Sole sunshine around but also showers.

Sunday night into Monday, wd expect this place for us to develop.

Monday, we have a short livdd ridge of high pressure. Becoming cloudy

and dump in the middle of the week. Temperature wise, we are looking at

single figures over the next couple of days and becoming milder as we

head towards the end next wdek. Well, before we leave you, we must

mention that you've been dohng all sorts of things here in the West to

raise money for Sport Relief. At the Matravers School in

Wiltshire,they've raised more than ?1,000. The pupils have been split

into two teams, the Spots and the Stripes, for everything frol musical

chairs to dancing to a bake off Stripes, I'm with you! And there are

plenty of other examples of people going the extra mile. We'll leave

you with just a few of them. From us, though, good night.

The only reason why I am here, no one else in the office can `ctually

do it. We started at 7am, fhnishing at 7pm. Complete misery! We have

rowed across the Channel and cycled down to the Arc de Triomphe. What

sport relief does is raise `n awful lot of money for charity. And it's a

lot of fun.