17/04/2014 BBC Points West

Good evening. Marquez, who died this evening.

Good evening. An inquest into one of the worst

accidents the West has ever seen finished today. The crash in 2011 on

the M5 in Somerset involved 34 vehicles in a massive pile`up. It

was because of thick fog on the carriageway. At one point the

organiser of a nearby fireworks display was accused of breaching

health and safety but the today the coroner said dense fog was to blame

Andrew Plant reports. No`one knows which vehicles collided

first. Survival said it was like a scene from a bombing. The twisted

wrecks of lorries, trailers, dozens of cars. At 8:20pm on the 4th of

November 2011, 34 vehicles, 51 people injured, seven people dead.

The worst accident on UK roads since 1993. Tony and Pamela Adams were

childhood sweethearts. Together for over 50 years. They were driving

back from visiting the doctor when they were killed in the crash. ``

visiting the doctor. Today the family said they were still dealing

with the deaths. Everyday a mountain to climb and a struggle to get

through. You feel you have lost part of your identity. It is both my mum

and dad and that is not easy. Witnesses saw files, wet tyres

exploded in Debbie melted to the surface of the road. One witness

said the fall could be a once in a decade event, so thick he could not

see more than a couple feet ahead. Others said a wall of smoke from a

nearby fireworks display had drifted across the road. The owner of that

display was charged with teaching health and safety and was found not

guilty. Today, the coroner concluded that those seven people lost their

lives in the M5 almost two and half years ago and were traffic collision

when your vehicles entered an area of reduced visibility. He said he

dismissed the idea that smoke was responsible for that reduced

visibility, but added he could not rule out the possibility that it had

added to the problem. Six of the victims died on the road. One

survived long enough to make it to hospital. Today's conclusion that

thick fog disorientated drivers, unable to see the carnage

unfolding, just metres ahead. Children as young as eight are being

caught shoplifting here in the West. Figures show that type of crime is

on the increase. Our home affairs correspondent Steve Brodie has been

out with officers on patrol in Bristol.

Shoplifting as it is most often seen, caught on CCTV. The up`close

reality is more shocking. PC Mike Woods has been called out to the

Broadmead Shopping Centre. A store detective has detained four young

boys ` one of them just eight years old ` on suspicion of stealing

drinks. And they're being held in a room downstairs. First thing I've

got to do is caution you, all right? You do not have to say anything, but

it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned

something which you later rely on in court.

PC Woods explains to the boys what could happen to them. The first

alternative isn't very attractive. All four of you will be put in

handcuffs, taken out of the store, walking through the store in

handcuffs, which is embarrassing to begin with. There will be a van

waiting for you outside. You will be put in the cage of the van and taken

to a police station. The four boys caught shoplifting

were dealt with by restorative justice. In other words, they had to

meet face to face with the store detective who caught them and admit

their guilt. The process is remarkably successful, with a very

low rate of reoffending. The shop security officer tells the boys

their actions could result in staff losing their jobs.

How does that make you feel, guys, now that you have tried that? ``

heard that? Officers agree that restorative justice works well. It

is something wrong with it felt as a victimless crime. The victim every

time is either the store, the customer who has to pay for this,

and the consequences they go through. And the consequences of the

actions on them. Over the last three years in Bristol, there were 1,800

reported cases, with the worst hit being Primark. In Bath, there were

647, with Boots the biggest sufferers. In Gloucester,

shoplifters struck over 900 times, with Debenhams topping the list. And

in Swindon, there were 660 cases reported, with Tesco hit hardest. In

Weston`super`Mare, shop owner Paul Batts has CCTV on his till and a

radio link with street wardens. He says small businesses are most at

risk. For independent business owners like

myself, this comes off my bottom line. A lot of the larger stores

seem to see this as, you know, a token problem. A lot of them have

lost their security guards due to cutbacks. But for smaller shops like

myself, if something gets stolen, that is effectively money out of my

pocket. It's a crime which nationally costs

our economy millions of pounds, but it also costs society dear.

A Banksy painting removed from a wall in Bristol earlier this week is

going on display in the city's museum tomorrow. The street artist

painted Mobile Lovers on a wall owned by the council. But it was

taken down by the manager of a nearby youth project who says Banksy

left it as a gift to his club which is struggling financially. Talks

have been going on all day to try and work out what to do with it.

Now, just before we go to the weather, tomorrow marks the start of

the annual Canoe race. More than 600 people are expected to

do the 125 mile challenge and the first 52 miles along the Kennet and

Avon canal. Good luck to all taking part. That is all from us. There is

more news on the BBC News website. For now, I will review the latest

weather. `` over to the latest weather. Tomorrow will see the

return of a good deal of sunshine. Another dry day. Temperatures will

not be overly spectacular but the sunshine will be pretty strong.

Tonight, the skies will eventually clear from the north. The chilliest

temperatures are up course usher, called on for a touch of frost.

Tomorrow will start on that note. Already was a good deal of sunshine

around. As the hours tick by, it is no threat of showers and just a

little bit of cloud around over the course of what will be a fine

afternoon. The drifters coming in from the north`east which ushers in

colour here. `` the drift is coming in. Temperatures will be safely up

to about 13`14dC and one or, particularly the course of North

Somerset, will be higher than that. It will be pleasantly warm. Saturday

will be a beautiful day. Different story on Sunday, heavy rain about an

showers at times on Monday. itself across southern England, so

we will see wet weather over England. Have a good Easter.

One thing we can be sure about is it won't be as cold as Easter last

year, when we had seems like this, a covering of snow with icicles and

temperatures down to an Easter record of minus 12.5 Celsius. One

year and a couple of weeks on, things look very different. The

first half of the Easter