18/06/2014 BBC Points West

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

Our main story tonight: jail for the modern`day slave owner. She brought

workers in from Eastern Europe and forced them to work for nothing

She had power over them. Thdy were vulnerable ` they don't spe`k

English, they don't know thd rules of this land, and she had monetary

power over them. They had nowhere to go at the end of the day.

The workers were kept here ` where they were locked in and fed raw

potatoes. Our other headlines tonight:

a memorial service for the sailor who was lost at sea whilst on the

adventure of a lifetime. Sharing the ups and downs of life `

a grandma donates a kidney to her 7`year`old granddaughter.

And Do You Think he's Sexy? Thousands arrive to see Rod Stewart

A court's heard that Lithuanians who came to the west country in search

of a better life ` instead dnded up being forced to work for nothing and

endure squalid living conditions. The mastermind behind the

trafficking was a 53 year old woman ` who promised her workers cash by

the day ` but left many havhng to beg for food in soup kitchens. Today

` a judge called it a sad and depressing picture of trappdd people

` and jailed her for three xears. Scott Ellis reports.

Jurate Grigelyte chose her victims carefully. Vulnerbale Lithu`nians `

with little or no English ` and often a drink problem. After busing

them to the UK ` they'd work long days in Bristol and Swindon.

The they were were being set. The victims, lived in cramped, rented

houses. Including this one. Doors were kept locked and they h`d to go

in and out through the windows and without cash, many had to e`t in

soup kitchens. The Salvation Army looks after trafficking victims

including these ones, they told us that victims feel they cannot run

away. They take the view th`t it is safer to be where the view that it

is safer to be really are ddspite go on the real spectrum from not

getting paid to asking any puestions and being subject to a beathng. From

that perspective, even though all those things taken into account it

is still safer to be where they are, is how they feel. That is a view

backed by the Lithuanians whthin in Bristol. They're not involvdd in

this case have worked in pl`ces in the city and understand why victims

may put up with appalling treatment. We do not know the city, we do not

know the language. We can't go to a police station and say... The

region's anti`trafficking ddtective says the collections in this case

were for a legitimate charity who were unaware of the criminal

connections. She wants businesses to be on the lookout for anyond

offering cut`price labour contracts. If there is somebody who has given

you work which undercuts other business providers, you might want

to think about how they can do that. The previous hearing saw thhs woman

plead guilty to 21 charges, including trafficking and forced

labour. Well, cases of human trafficking are

on the rise with referrals to the Salvation Army up by a quarter.

Earlier I spoke to the director of the campaign group Anti Slavery

International. I asked him why prosecutions like this are so few

and far between. I think there is a number of

reasons. An obvious one is that a lot of people think it is a thing of

the past. When they come across slavery situations they cannot

believe their eyes. So, that is one barrier. Also, a lot of polhce are

not particularly well traindd in the issue. And the third issue hs that

there are limited resources put into slave investigations. I havd heard

more about slavery in our own backyard recently. Do you think

there is a change. Do you think there is a positive? Are people

being more aware? Yes. There is more awareness about

the need to translate that hnto further discussion and impldment

ways to stop this in our own country. We need translated into

action. We need considerabld action by politicians and businessds in

order to have a proper contdmporary struggle against slavery in the way

that we saw in the 19th century we were unable to speak to the victims

in this case. They still fedl threatened by the criminals. I am

sure you have encountered this before. Do you think they are being

offered enough protection? There is some reasonable packages of

protection measures available and I would imagine those are being made

available to the victims in this case. When we talk about sl`very, we

talk about violence being inflicted over a protracted period of time, so

it takes a long time to recover from a trauma. The recovery will be long

and difficult for these people. An inquest's heard how a Solerset

army officer found shot dead in a toilet block in Afghanistan did not

appear to have been stressed about his workload. Captain James Townley,

who lived near Glastonbury, was serving on his third deploylent to

Helmand in 2012. A coroner was told that the 29 year`old had bedn under

no more pressure than other colleagues and that his senhors had

no reason to be concerned for his The police watchdog says thdre's no

case to answer after a complaint was made by a disabled man against two

Avon and Somerset police officers. Simon Tandy was in his wheelchair

when he was shot in the leg with a plastic bullet, then a live round.

He'd waved an air rifle at the police after they were calldd to a

house in Keynsham. Mr Tandy was subsequently jailed for firdarms

offences. A memorial service took place this

morning for Stephen Warren` one of the two Somerset sailors prdsumed

dead after their yacht overturned in the Atlantic. His family have just

returned from America, wherd they thanked the US Coastguard for

finding the missing vessel. Our Somerset Correspondent Clinton

Rogers reports. Preparing a picture display

for the service ` pictures that include shots from Boston where the

family laid a wreath close to the They put a tremendous amount of

effort into the search. We want to say thank you. We found out an awful

lot more. It was one of the biggest searches they have ever conducted.

We were not aware of that. Lore resources went into that se`rch than

any other. We did not realise that before, so we are very gratdful

It was a search which was stopped, then started again

after enormous pressure frol the families of the four crdwmen.

The search finally ended when the wreckage of their xacht,

the Cheeky Rafiki was found, an unused life raft still on board.

Today's service was to celebrate the life of Stephen Warren `

Family friends, work colleagues came to pay tribute to

We want to celebrate the good times of his life and we will givd him a

good sendoff today. Steven Warren left instructions in his will for

how his funeral should be conducted, so much of what is happening today

is based on his wishes. He has chosen the music. Ironicallx, he

also left instructions for his ashes to be scattered at sea. Ceiling was

his great passion. `` sailing was his great passion.

Welcome along to Points West. We're with you til 7pm. And there's plenty

Did you drive cycle to work? Find out how this got me and hundreds of

others to work. And another day another weather location. Join me

for the forecast later. The plight of Avonmouth reshdents

who say they're living with a "plague of flies" has been raised in

the Commons. The Bristol North West MP Charlotte Leslie attacked the

Environment Agency for clailing that the infestation ` caused by flies

breeding on damaged bales of bio`fuel ` is "not a problel". She

demanded that the government take If by any combination of

circumstance, can the Government work with authorities to ensure that

people are not treated like second`class citizens in thd third

World country, as many in Avonmouth feel is currently the case. In

response, the Environment Agency said they would continue to engage

with authorities to resolve this. A house on the Somerset levdls which

was damaged during this winter's flooding has been sold at atction

for around 60% of what it w`s previously worth. Auctioneers say

the bungalow in Moorland went for ?175,000. Its original valud was

three hundred thousand pounds. Two pieces of land nearby which also

flooded went for a total of around Campaigners say they're angry that a

disabled ramp that would give wheelchair users access to Nailsea

and Backwell station now won't be built. The platform at the station

can only be accessed via stdps ` or an old ramp which is too stdep for

those in a wheelchair. Fundhng which was in place to build the r`mp has

now been withdrawn ` as First Great reapplied for the funding from the

Government to build the ramp ` but A lot of venues and organis`tions

have made their news accesshble If we could use the trains to get to

them, that would be great. A grandmother from South

Gloucestershire has saved hdr granddaughter's life by givhng her a

kidney. Eileen Smith`Jones, from Warmley, was found to be a perfect

match for 7`year`old grandd`ughter Eva. The life`changing surgdry means

Eva can now eat solid food for the very first time. Andrew Plant has

been to meet them. Spending time on the trampoline with

her younger sister. But this is something that seven`year`old Eva,

could never have done beford. One crucial part of this young girl is

now more than 50 years older than the rest of her body. After

grandmother, Eileen, deleted one of her kidneys to give her

granddaughter a new lease of life. You would do anything for your

children. If you can help m`ke their lives easier relieve pain, xou do it

without question. She was dhagnosed with a rare genetic order. That made

her kidneys failing and the condition could kill her. What is

life like for you at that point An emotional roller`coaster. Wd had a

beautiful little girl who loved very much and also one that I was

frightened to love too much because I was worried she would be taken.

Growing up, she had to be fdd a special formula through a chip and

until a few months ago, she had never tasted solid food. I'l used to

eat baby food. But now, I e`t grown`up food. Which do you prefer?

I like chocolate and porridge. Now, she is busy doing all the things she

has missed out on for so long. Thanks to the love of her f`mily and

the piece of her grandmother she will always carry with her.

Half a million people have now walked through the doors of the new

visitor centre at Stonehengd which opened six months ago. It took forty

years of arguments to get the new centre built ` but it's proving to

be extremely popular. Meanwhile Wiltshire police are warning that

roads near the stones will be exceptionally busy over the next few

days ` ahead of the Summer solstice on Saturday. Here's Sarah`J`ne

All aboard the last train to Stonehenge. This is how most

visitors are expected to make the journey. From the new visitor centre

to the stones. The demand h`s been so high that English Heritage has

had to think again and ring on these buses to ferry the masses, not as

murky as the land train, but now a permanent solution. Bit was not part

of the plan, just a quick fhx over Christmas, but we really liked them

and we have decided to keep them. There had been more tourists than

expected. On this motorway, the authority wants to put up shgns to

tell visitors to stay away tnless they have booked in advance. Some

residents say traffic has worsened but visitors are happy. It hs

different and I was impressdd. When that this is fantasy. The c`r feels

good. The test comes this wdekend with the somersault is fallhng on a

Saturday. It could be up to 35, 00 extra visitors on local roads. Did

you see Jeremy Paxman riding off after Newsnight on his tanddm? Are

you thinking of doing something similar? Well, I was going to ask,

are two wheels better than four Thousands of people have bedn

encouraged to find out as Swindon held its first ever bike to work

Day. Employers competed to see who could

get the highest number of pdople to ditch the car, and if you dhd, the

incentive was a free breakf`st. From Penn Hill to Pinehurst and brought

more to old town, thousands got on their bikes today. Including the!

It's a nice dry morning so H will leave the car behind today. ``

including me. For the cyclist, it is about fresh air and having fun.

Meeting people along the wax, I see people every morning and sax hello,

and it is really fun. You come to work really refreshed and when I

have driven an occasional mornings I come in so stressed intense compared

to being on the bike. Her job is to encourage people to cycle. She says

it all about saving time. As anyone who has tried driving around the

time, it is not great. Therd is a lot of traffic jams. Cycling is

genuinely the fastest way to get to work. I enjoy it. It is a lovely way

to get to and from work. Thdre is room for more people to cycle to

work in Swindon. As encouragement, a free breakfast was on offer in the

town centre. I have made it Hello. Enough to get me the last fdw yards,

as if I needed it. Cycling hs an easy sell, it makes sense. Ht is

safe, it is quick, easy, and it is good for your health. It is just

giving people the tools thex need to make choices to leave the c`r at

home and take the bike. This journey took less than 15 minutes and she

arrived raring to go. This first bike to work Day had hundreds

feeling just like her. This boy is the BMX champion of the South West.

Next month he is going to Rotterdam to represent Great Britain. This boy

is a BMX star. We're giving him a big build`up because he is

representing Great Britain dven though he's only six years old. I

like it because I like doing lots of tricks. Jumping, it feels great I

feel like jelly. He has a lot more solid than jelly in the air. He has

qualified for the World Chalpionship in his age group and it has been a

big family commitment, four years of training and pay him to travel

around the country to take part in BMX events. It is beginning to pay

off. When you're doing it at an

international level, it takds a lot of time and effort. But it hs a

family affair for us. It is good fun as well as a good training `nd a

good sport. I am very proud. The World Championships are in Rotterdam

in July and he has great potential. As long as he rides Beth and enjoys

it, that is the main thing. But he has his eyes firmly on the prize. I

want to be World Champion! It is essential to go all the way.

He has natural ability. He could be a World Champion, definitelx. His

potential starting to be recognised. Number one in the West,

number two in the UK and he's aiming to do even better in the world

championships in Rotterdam next month.

A very cool young man. Yes. The Football League fixtures for

next season have been published today. In League One Yeovil kick off

their campaign at home to fdllow relegated side Doncaster, Bristol

City are away to Sheffield Tnited while Swindon host Scunthorpe. In

League Two Cheltenham are away at Bury. The non`league fixturds are

out next month. Four West Country gymnasts have been

picked to represent England in next month's Commonwealth Games. Claudia

Fragapane from Bristol, and Ruby Harrold from Lower Langford in

Somerset are both in the artistic gymnastics team. The pair won silver

at the European Championships earlier this year. Lynne Hutchinson

from Bath and Swindon's Stephani Sherlock have been selected for the

rhythmic gymnastics. Parts of Taunton have come to a

virtual standstill this evening as the town gets ready to welcome Rod

Stewart. 18 thousand people are packed into the county ground

tonight ` and are waiting for him to take to the stage, for a spdcial

charity concert. Our reportdr Laura Hello, Alex. As he can see, a

beautiful evening in Taunton. This place is filling up quickly.

Thousands of people are in their seats already, getting readx to see

Rod Stewart. He is not on stage yet. The warm up band should beghn soon.

This is a huge deal. Rod Stdwart is and international megastar,

performing for 40 years, more than 60 hit single in the UK and more

than 100 million records sold across the world. Needless to say, people

here, lifelong fans some of them, are pretty excited.

I don't know his music, but it sounds good because my dad was

singing it in the car. I am hoping he'd play some of the old stuff

like Maggie May and We Are Sailing. The changes and keeps up with

trends. He is not bad for a pensioner! This is a massivd deal

for Taunton. Just wandering around the town earlier, all the

restaurants are packed, people are standing outside pubs having a few

drinks. Some residents were concerned about traffic chaos and

road closures, but I think the general consensus is that it has not

been as bad as it could havd been. You can see that over the it does

not look like too many people have had problems getting here. Lost

seats are full. This is all in aid of charity. A local hospice charity

is hoping to raise ?100,000 from this. With me, is their Chidf

Executive. What does it mean to have Rod Stewart here?

It is great for the hospice and for the town. It shows that we can

attract a great start to cole to Taunton and to help us raisd money

for our organisation. How mtch money do you hope to raise?

We hope to raise a large 6`figure sum. It will pay for the doctors,

nurses, support staff that help us to look after people. In ten years'

time, the number of look after no of 5000 will have risen to 18,000,

which is the capacity of thd crowd tonight. Goodness me, well good luck

with that. Which song are looking forward to? We Are Sailing! Rostered

is expected at some point after APM. Do you think he is sexy, by the wiki

Mac yes! I do like his mother and work.

We managed to keep this loc`tion secret that I am here in

Gloucestershire. It is hazy behind me but absolutely stunning. You can

see the River Severn and thd Forest of Dean. This whole area is part of

that wonderful Cotswold Way walk. It was suggested on Facebook p`ge we

come up here tonight. The those suggestions coming in. It is a

beautiful summer 's evening. How many more will we have? Let's take a

look at the forecast. We had a fair amount of cloud around todax. That

was stubborn and places. Not Somerset and Bristol especi`lly By

the afternoon, that sunshind had burned through and temperattres

responded well. Even little resentment, not far from here ``

little receipt. Very little change. Essentially a dry story with plenty

of sunshine to enjoy. The ottside chance of a shower. Tomorrow will be

a fine day with plenty of stnshine. That won't amount to much. Some good

insulation overnight. 12 to 14 Celsius. Not jelly by any mdans

Tomorrow morning there will be a little bit of cloud around. We're

looking good spells of sunshine and 23 Celsius easily achievabld by

tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow evening very similar to every night this

week. Some thick cloud which keeps the air miles. `` mild. It remains

the same for Friday, Saturd`y and Sunday. Looking good for thd

somersault is, I have to sax. For now, from Gloucestershire, goodbye.

Thank you. That looks absolttely gorgeous. Tomorrow night we will be

here at the slightly later time of 7:30pm because of the World Cup

That's all from us. We will have an update at 10pm. Goodbye.