16/07/2014 BBC Points West

police operation across the UK has resulted in the arrest of up to 600

suspected paedophiles. Welcome to BBC Points West with

Alex Lovell and Sabet Choudhury Jailed for life,

the violent ex`boyfriend who stabbed Were low expectations, but total

faith in the George doing the right thing, installing that the outcome

reflected the horrendous actions of a cowardly individual. Judgd.

Tonight Asher Maslin starts a life behind bars ` his mother says

Closed for twelve hours ` a standstill on the M5

Farmers say we're dumping the spud in favour of rice and pasta.

And it's all hands on deck `head of a big weekend on the watdr

A man who stabbed his ex`girlfriend to death as she worked in

a hair salon in Gloucester has been sentenced to life in prison today.

Asher Maslin couldn't cope with the fact Hollie Gazzard had split

So he bought a knife, burst in to her workplace and att`cked her

Hollie was only 20 years old and today her family said the brightest

Our Gloucestershire reporter Steve Knibbs was in court.

Asher Maslin was fiercely jdalous, possessive and violent `

he could never accept that his relationship was over

He sent her a text warning he'd get violent if she didn't get in touch.

After taking crack cocaine and drinking heavily

for three days he's caught on CCTV in a shop in Gloucester selling

He then walks into Wilkinson's in the city centre and, intdnt

on killing Hollie, buys a c`rving knife with a six inch blade for ?3.

He spends two hours walking around before walking

into the salon where Hollie worked and stabbing her 14 times.

He's caught again on camera running away holding the knife `

all the while she was fighthng a losing battle for her lifd.

I had to tell the family th`t their sister and daughter had been killed.

The hardest day of my life. Not a single day has gone by when we are

not thought of her. We have to live day by day.

With many people in tears the court heard

Her father Nick and sister Chloe read out victim impact statdments `

saying that their lives had been destroxed.

We want to keep alive her spirit. She is incredibly missed.

The judge jailed Maslin for life ` saying that Hollie's murder was

a "merciless killing" ` it'll be 24 years before he'll even

We had total faith that the judge would do the right thing. Wd have

finally received justice for Holly. We will always love you.

At the end of last year Hollie wrote on Facebook,

If a person isn't happy within a relationship why try

She wanted to end it becausd she saw his true colours and what w`s coming

out. There were a few instances when he

disrespected us as a family. We had to tell him, we don't want xou

around the house anymore because of that.

This was the first murder case to be heard

Asher Maslin often had his head in his hands during the hearing

As he left court under high security his mother issued

He cannot explain why he did what he did. He can just express through was

his deeply felt sorrow for the pain he has caused for so many pdople.

The Independent Police Complaints Commsiion said today that two police

officers and a call handler are being investigated for misconduct in

relation to complaints Hollhe made to police about Maslin stealing

money from her shortly before she was murdered. Thd

A trust has been set up in her name to help the victims of domestic

abuse. The family now want to move on and finally grieve for hdr.

Let's speak now to Sally Morrissey who's the manager of Gloucestershire

Domestic Abuse Support Servhce, one of the charities Hollie's family

This is a very shocking and extreme case.

But how unusual is it to sed domestic abuse in young people?

It is becoming more of an issue Definitely. The numbers are rising.

We are seeing a definite rise in the number of young people coming

through to our service asking for support. Why is that. There was a

change in the Home Office ddfinition which brought more 16 and 17 notes

into the criteria. But therd has been publicity around this case and

another domestic homicide in Gloucestershire, a 16`year`old, it

is raising awareness. Is thd message getting through? It is important

that we educate young peopld about the dangers of Ireland, unhdalthy

relationships. We need to challenge the assumptions of young men. But we

need to educate young women and make them be aware that certain sorts of

behaviour can actually be vdry dangerous. They might percehve

somebody asking them where they have been as looking after them, make

sure they are OK. We would see that as controlling, coercive behaviour

which should ring alarm bells. That is the trouble, where do yot draw

the line? When do you raise the alarm? At the earliest point. Get

advice from organisations lhke ourselves. What is the work you are

now doing with the family? Because she was such a young woman `nd other

young woman are coming forw`rd we want to go into schools, work with

youth groups in the county, raise awareness around domestic abuse We

want to make sure that young people understand what it means to be in

that sort of relationship and what the danger signs are. What hs really

important, because she had dnded the relationship, so often people say to

me, why don't they just leave? It is not that easy. From our expdrience

we know that at that point the risk to the victim goes up dramatically.

A very volatile time. In th`t sort of relationship the person being

violent is very controlling and coercive. If you end that

relationship you are starting to take control back for yoursdlf and

the base that their control slipping away, that is when it starts to get

dangerous. Thank you for coming in to talk to

us about it. A Cheltenham grandmother has been

told the British government has no legal obligation to fund her appeal

against the death sentence Lindsay Sandiford faces execution

after being convicted She had claimed that the policy

of not funding Britons' leg`l fees But judges in the UK Supremd Court

rejected that. The court did however urge linisters

to reconsider whether they could It's been revealed that eleven

people have been arrested by police in the west

in a nationwide operation against Over the past six months,

two have been arrested in Avon and Somerset, six in Wiltshhre

and three in Gloucestershird. They're among 660 people

arrested nationwide. Police have kept the operathon

secret until now and are not revealing the tactics they tsed in

order to use them again in future. There were long delays in Somerset

today after It happened between Bridgwater

and Taunton in the early hotrs ` but the effects were still being

felt this afternoon. Miles of tailback ` and divdrsions

lasting three hours and mord. Snaking not just along the L5 but

along every available exit, causing It is an absolute nightmare. Traffic

at a standstill. The traffic was really bad. Getting out of junction

was chaos. This was half a mile north

of the Taunton turn`off. An articulated lorry lying `s

if asleep on the road. At right angles across

the lanes from 3am this morning Police and rescue crews worked to

clear the lanes but moving this The road was closed for mord than

ten hours before police man`ged to open just one lane. You can see why

it has been such a slow process That vehicle was at right angles

across all three lanes. It has taken all morning and some of the

afternoon just to drag a vidw metres out of the way. `` a few.

Tens of thousands of drivers took diversions.

It's not clear what caused this crash.

The driver of the Orange lorry is still in hospital tonight

And the effects are still bding felt tonight with the inside land and the

hard shoulder closed while the crash barriers are repaired overnhght

The A417, which has become notorious as an accident black spot is

on a short list by the Government to have mhllions

The Transport Minister came to see the stretch of road that is single

carriageway between Cirencester and Gloucester for himself today.

It's one of six other routes being considered

nationally but the Highways Agency in the west are hopeful this section

That is the boss coming to see one of the key issues. For an an opinion

on it. At a time when the government is proposing to spend much lore on

investment in roads in the next five years.

A decision by the Government on the ?255 million scheme to

improve the road will be made in Spring next year.

You're watching Wednesday's Points West and we've lots more for you.

We're getting ship shape ahdad of the Harbour Festival `

but what will the weather bring for the West's big weekend?

Some roads in Bristol are closed on this evening after a house fire

just off Constitution Hill. One person has been treated by

paramedics. Unemployment has fallen

across the west by 10% in a month. The latest figures,

published this morning, show 29 000 people were out of work

and claiming benefit in Jund. That's the lowest number

since the recession began in 20 8, and it's the fourth month

in a row that unemployment Nearly a quarter of

a million pounds has been rdfunded to motorists who were fined for

breaking bus gate rules in Bath It follows a public outcry over

a badly signposted bus gate More than 7,000 fines have been

issued this year, but they've all been written off, and

the council says that signs warning The former head

of social services in Wiltshire says there's now a crisis in sochal work

across the country because of the Ray Jones says workers have been

unfairly treated since the toddler's death in 2007, and

child referrals have also shot up. We'll be talking to him in ` moment

` but first our Health Corrdspondent Matthew Hill has been asking

whether there's a problem whth Alex Cambell spent 16 years

in the cut`throat business world He's now in a social worker

in Bristol looking We deal with families struggling

with a variety of issues. Domestic violence, alcohol or substance

abuse. So was having to take

a pay cut really worth it? I have worked in other countries and

dangerous jobs but the honest this is the most challenging one I have

done. `` being honest. But H would counterbalance that by saying that

times it is one of the most satisfying fulfilling. We are

privileged social workers in that we can step into the lives of those who

struggle and play a part in that, which is a very privileged

unfortunate role. `` and fortunate. But over recent years Alex's

profession has been under attack . That's according to

the former head of social sdrvices His book baby on Peter Connolley ,

the toddler from Harringay who was subjected to months of violdnt abuse

before his death , is out today It argues that referrals to social

services have rocketed as a result` and it's been lore

difficult to recruit and retain Despite the challenges of mdeting

the needs of areas like this, Bristol City Council is still rated

as good when it comes to chhld protection. It still manages to

retain social workers, with no current vacancies. But elsewhere in

the West the picture is not quite so rosy.

Somerset has been rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted.

They have 36 vacancies in children?s social servicds

and their referral rate has risen from 500 cases in 2009 to 732.

In Wiltshire referrals have trebled since 2007 Referrals have also

doubled in Bath and North East Somerset.

The social worker?s job that Alex loves still has its own rew`rds

But his profession is going to have to attract many more people of high

calibre if it is to meet thd growing challenges of protecting chhldren.

Most of our authorities are rated as adequate and Bristol is good `

is there really a crisis here in the West?

Nationally there is. What about here? Even so there is struggles.

Increased front`line worklo`ds, difficulties recruiting, and

families with increased povdrty and destitution. Put that altogdther and

the country, including in the West, it is a very difficult time. When

they beat Peter died in Augtst 007, the story broke in 2008. `` baby

Peter. The reaction targeted social workers and made people think, is

that the sensible job to be doing when I might be targeted as well.

If more cases are being refdrred to social services now `

isn't that a good thing as ht means more children on the radar?

It is a good thing if we have the capacity to tackle it. The

increasing workloads, we ard seeing that in the West Country. Btt no

increase in capacity to deal with that. Do you believe there `re

children suffering tonight because of those problems?

As a consequence of cutting corners we are not always spotting the

children we need to give most attention to. The solution? Talking

about cops and austerities has consequences. We must decidd where

we put the money and I would always prioritise children in dangdr. ``

talking about cuts. If we don't start now we will never tackle it.

Potato farmers in the West say they are facing one

of their worst years ever ` in spite of the promise of bumper crops.

It seems more and more people are dropping the humble spud

One Somerset farmer says his crop is almost worthless.

In Nick Bragg's cold store there sits 150 tonne of potatoes

So he's made the decision to turn them over to animal feed `

20p per to tonne. Going forward we must review what we're doing. Maybe

we don't grow potatoes next year. Ironically,

the problem is that this ye`r promises a bumper crop of potatoes `

but at a time when demand for the humble spud is falling, ret`il sales

are down 11 per cent in a ydar. It seems that over the years

our eating habits, and for that Nowadays our focus is more

on convenience foods, rice, pasta, A bit of a challenge then

for those whose job it is to market The challenge for such a tr`ditional

and staple part of the diet, we all start to have a more varied diet,

and all hits back and potato. All of this doesn't bode well

for the future as far as Nick Bragg From his fields in South Petherton

he's expecting to harvest about 8,000 tonnes of potatoes

in the autumn. But if he can't sell those he has

in store from last year what chance It's been the first day

in a rather high`profile new job Conservative Robert Buckland

was elected four years ago. A former barrister

and part`time judge, he's bden appointed Solicitor General

and has today been setting out what On a policy basis I am very

interested in issues relating to domestic violence and the position

of women in our society. Felale genital mutilation is a big issue. I

will play my part in making sure that the positive agenda of change

to guarantee the law fully reflects the realities of that appalling

crime are met. Two golfers

from the West are going through their final practice rounds today,

ahead of The Open Championship. Bristol's Chris Wood won

the silver trophy six years ago He finished tied`third the

following year as a professhonal. David Howell, from Swindon,

is making his first appearance He's gone through some diffhcult

times on the course in recent years. Coming back has not been easy. It

takes that little bit more could play to boost your confidence. ``

good play. But it has been ` good comeback, back playing major

championships again. Howell will hit the opening shot

of the tournament as he tees off Bristol is gearing up for one

of its most spectacular weekends The city's Harbour Festival

starts on Friday. It has become one of the UK's

largest public events, and a chance for Bristol to show

off its maritime heritage. Ahead of the festival we've been

talking to some of the people who Today,

the man charged with looking after I am Andrew King. The curator of

industrial and Maritime seels for Bristol Museum service. `` themes. I

oversee the maintenance and care of these boats. It is one of the most

attractive parts of my job, playing with really big toys. We ard

standing on board. This was built in Bristol in 1934 to protect the city

docks from a fire. It is able to get through without swinging thd bridge,

as long as you lie flat on the deck. We got hold of her 15 years

ago. We restored her back to working order. Every year at the harbour

festival we open and close with a water display, we have all the

cannons, all the houses, sending what all over the place. Thhs is the

pontoon for maintenance. `` all of the cannons and hoses. You can see

the sort of thing we need to pay attention to. There is rust. That is

a constant battle. A very slall number of people work for the Museum

service. Myself and one colleague of the team, really, for the industrial

and Maritime section. With out volunteers we would never h`ve got

this started, we could never have done all the things we have done

without their help. And alw`ys looking for new volunteers.

The festival begins at 6pm on Friday ` do join us for Points West that

evening as we'll have a verx special programme with lots of the build`up

And we'll be out on the water too to bring you

There is uncertainty in the details. But tomorrow will arguably be very

hot. Sunshine around, and it will remain dry. Saturday, wherever you

are in England, the threat of heavy torrential rainfall courtesx of

severe thunderstorms. The added threats of lightning and

hailstones. We will expect `n update on that tomorrow. The warning at the

moment covers all of our arda. This evening, with the exception of some

showers with others, a quiet affair. `` showers that are with us. We

could see the first of a nulber of thunderstorms arriving in Friday.

This evening, some moderately heavy rain across parts of

Gloucestershire. Some of it will be confined to the Channel coast by

daybreak tomorrow. Temperattres or lower `` temperatures quite muggy.

Light to moderate breeze. I would not be surprised to see 28 Celsius

in some spot tomorrow, safely the hottest day of the year for us. Warm

air is then pumped all the way up from the Iberian area. It whll be

destabilised by a front movhng in from the west. It could be

particularly potent. There hs a lot of uncertainty about the details but

every possibility of disruptive weather developing later on Friday

night and during the course of Saturday. But some sunshine in

between. Details tomorrow. That temperature at night, 06

degrees! That is it from us. We are back with

the 10pm news. Goodbye.