14/02/2014 East Midlands Today

to British coastlines, with winds of up to 80 mph. That's all from

This is East Midlands Today. I'm Anne Davies and tonight we've a

special programme marking the role of British troops in Afghanistan.

I'm at Kendrew Barracks in Rutland, with the families spending

Valentine's Day thousands of miles apart from their loved ones. And

here in southern Afghanistan, I am here with dozens of trips from the

East Midlands. Tonight we are out with the last British soldiers in

Helmand province. There is always the risk of IED is. Here in Rutland,

staying positive. How the families cope as the soldiers face of danger.

Plus, an Army packing up and heading home and the dad who has missed

Christmas. It is hard, it is hard because you miss them everyday.

Welcome to Cottesmore in Rutland, home of the Royal Anglians' Second

Battalion. Hundreds of troops from this barracks are spending the

winter in Southern Afghanistan. It's the largest deployment from the East

Midlands since the conflict began 12 years ago. And it involves two

regiments that recruit from towns and villages across Derbyshire,

Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. Tonight I'm with some of the

families who have an anxious time waiting for their husbands, sons and

fathers to return. We'll be hearing from them in a moment. But first

let's link`up with Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where our

Correspondent, Jeremy Ball and cameraman Adam Walker have spent

this week with soldiers from right across the East Midlands. Good

evening from camp Bastian. Camp Bastion is a vast British base

that's not much smaller than the city of Derby. It's a place where it

feels as though the army's already packing up and going home. But for

hundreds of troops from the East Midlands, this is a mission that's

far from over. And if you look at the map board, then... 8am at

Forward Operating Base Lashkar Gar, and we are kitted out for a safety

briefing that makes you sit up and listen. Should we come under any

small arms fire... All this for a short walk to the provincial police

headquarters where the Royal Anglians have been helping train the

local Afghan Uniformed Police. Now those local officers are keeping

this city relatively secure and open for business on their own, and soon

there won't be any British soldiers here to help. It's only 200 meters

between these two bases, but as you can see, we're very exposed here.

They're not taking any chances. Overnight they found two improvised

bombs or IEDs in this city, there is a threat from suicide bombers, too.

But some people wave at us and greet us. It is easy to get into a false

sense of security out there, people wonder why we are in full kit. There

is always the risk of IEDs, vehicle`borne IEDs etc, coming down

the main route, that we can't stop. Inside police HQ, a warrant officer

from Loughborough and a Corporal from Anstey live and work with the

Afghan forces. They are here to share intelligence about security

threats. It takes time to build up a rapport with them, but once you do

establish a rapport you can get a very good working relationship with

them. They have a very similar sense of humour to ourselves, they do

enjoy a good laugh. Back at the main base, they have been waking up to

this. Desert sand covered in frost. And a meal tent protected by what's

known as a guardian angel. And because the kitchens have just

closed down here, this is breakfast. Hot chocolate in a water bottle and

boil`in`the`bag ration packs. It is because most British Forward Bases

have been closed. And this one is well on the way to being pulled

down. And the Royal Anglians will be the last British soldiers in Lashkar

Gar. If you could imagine an iso`container size, there's been

about 700 iso`container sized equipment that's left so far.

Portacabins, iso`containers themselves, vehicles. From Lashkar

Gar to Camp Bastion is 20 mile journey, less than the distance

between Leicester and Nottingham. But you travel by helicopter to

avoid using roads, where insurgents can set up an ambush. Now those

insurgents are being targeted by local Afghan security forces who are

taking over combat operations from their British mentors. And

Derbyshire soldiers and from the ninth 12th Royal Lancers are

supporting them in hostile territory, coming under fire. A

bloke just appeared from nowhere and fired an RPG, which came over the

top of us. I have been under a few contacts, it is pretty scary, my

first one. Pretty much every mission has some success. We'd be finding

drugs, targeting their IED networks, finding IED components, and we have

had a lot of success. Now they are focusing on the mammoth task of

ending combat operations, they are scrapping a lot of equipment that

isn't cost`effective to send home. Then there is this machine that

sounds like a popcorn maker. It is recycling 20,000 bullets every week.

That noise you can hear is the sound of he explosive rounds being broken

up. The metal bullet casings come out of the machine like this, they

will be melted down and sold as scrap. More than 3,000 vehicles are

being deep cleaned, half have already been sent back to the UK. It

was engineers from Chilwell in Nottinghamshire who designed this

huge in camp Bastion and they are here to take it down. I was out here

in 2006 and helped build the camps that are still here today. It was

quite a surreal feeling going back to somewhere that you had lived for

that long. I stood in the position that might tent had actually been

and that's gone. And seeing all the land stripped out. It was very, very

strange. Strange feeling. Thousands of British troops have already left

Afghanistan and by the end of this year it will be another chapter in

Britain's military history. It is not until you travel out here that

you realise just how tough conditions are for the soldiers. At

night the desert sands are getting covered in ice. Bart offer, though,

is being away from home for so long and that is just as hard for their

families back in the East Midlands. It is indeed and I am with some of

those families in the East Midlands. Let me introduce you to Jonathan,

Keely and baby Ruby. If you are wondering why it is quiet, we are in

the soft play area. Good to be home? Yes, it is. How old was this

young lady the last thing you went? 24 hours old. What was it like

leaving her then? Quite horrible. And leaving the boys as well. You

have two boys being off`loaded, playing there. How old are they?

Your Mac to and three. Good to have them all? Amazing. Morice and Amber

have been reunited. We are really have `` really happy. It has been

three years. It will be a romantic occasion? A decent night. Is it good

to be back? Yes. What is it really like to be over there? Obviously

these guys know but it is one soldier's sorry.

It is hard. It is hard because you miss them every day. I miss the

cheeky little banter I get with my daughters. Christmas was a big one,

I was away for Christmas. Not having Dad around on Christmas day is

obviously a big thing for the girls.It was just hard knowing the

girls were going to open their presents without you being there. I

sort of employed my wife's parents to sort of assist in getting her big

present. So she didn't think she was going to get anything, but they

turned up on Christmas Day with a big present from me, which I am told

she burst into tears about. So, my wife's part in this, and I am sure

many wives' part in operation deployment is massive. They keep the

houses running, keep the kids going to school, and they've also got the

concerns of what we're doing at the time. You worry every day. Obviously

there may be something they might need your help with. Looking forward

to going home is definitely one of the big points, because it is a

massive moment. There will definitely be tears, there is always

tears when it comes to when you are leaving to go on tour, you know,

both sides trying to fight back the tears but you know there's going to

be tears. And when you get back there's almost tears of, like,

elation if you like, that it's all over and you can get almost back to

normal life. And here is certain theme and's wife, Joanne. And Chloe

and Tamsin. What was it like seeing that film? It was really nice. It

was nice to see where he has been living. Does it shock you? Yes, he

does not show the pictures or tell you what it is like, really. It was

interesting. I thought it was lovely as well, the importance he put on

your roll back home. It was quite nice to hear that, it is quite hard

being ( home wondering what they are doing. It is quite nice to hear it.

It has been a difficult time over there and you have had to sacrifice

a lot. In your mind, is it worth the sacrifice? Sundays, it is kind of

questionable, but yes, of course it is. You have hard these when you

think about how hard it is not when they come back and you see the look

on the girl 's face when he walks through the door, it is really nice.

It is one of those special moments. They know their daddy is away but

when he comes back it is great. It is Valentine's Day and you are on

your own. Have you had a letter? If fair few. We kind of made our own

Valentines cards for each other. They make daddy is for when he comes

home. Girls, was its nice to see daddy on TV? Yes. Are you looking

forward to him coming home? Yes. We have made cards for him. That is

fantastic. Thank you, we look forward to coming back.

The jury in the trial of a man accused of attempting to murder a

Sikh spiritual leader with an axe, has been discharged after failing to

reach a verdict. Harjit Singh Toor from Oadby in Leicestershire had

denied trying to kill His Holiness Sirisat Guru Uday Singh VI during a

religious ceremony at a Leicester temple last August. A decision will

be made within the next two weeks whether or not to hold a retrial. Mr

Toor has admitted causing grievous bodily harm. The East Midlands has

so far escaped the worst of the winter storms, but of course we

might get similar weather patterns in the future. Experts have warned

that people cannot just rely on outside organisations, but needs to

protect themselves from future floods.

With all the rain we have had recently this trickle should be a

torrent but the Hamilton estate in North West has been carefully

designed by the special drainage system that holds water back to stop

flooding downstream. We have done away with pipes, there are no

drainage pipes, it is all about getting the water into natural

drainage channels above ground, a mixture of grassland reedbeds so the

water trickles down slowly. Residents here pay towards

maintaining the drainage system, many claiming expenses or

organisations must take control of flood prevention just as workers

from British gypsum did here in East Nottinghamshire after floods in

2012. Government and emergency urbanisation is no longer have the

money or staff to provide all the help. As we have seen in the

south`east, Eagle are waiting for someone to turn up and very often

they do not have the staff numbers to do that. Individual resilience is

very important. The father of a young man who went

missing on a night out in Derby has made an emotional appeal for

information about his son. 20`year`old Nadish Kunwar was

spotted on BBC Radio Derby's CCTV after leaving friends at the Jurys

Inn hotel two weeks ago. Officers say he had been drinking heavily. He

hasn't been seen or heard from since.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest anything sinister has

happened, it is literally that. A missing person enquiry. And we have

come to a point with CCTV where we are desperately appealing to members

of the public to help us at this point. Every night we are searching

that area, the police have given some hints, it should be this area.

We are leafleting that area, putting posters on all the stops. Every

night, we can't, we don't have appetite, we can't sleep at night.

If somebody watching... Nottingham figure skating legends

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean recreated their Gold medal`winning

Bolero dance last night. They took to the rink in Sarajevo, the city

where they won at the Winter Olympics 30 years ago. From there,

Mark Shardlow reports. Jayne Torvill And Christopher Dean!

For most of us it was a night of pure nostalgia. For others, it meant

much, much more. Thank you very much. We are so excited to be here

this evening. Sarajevo is right here, beating in my heart from 30

years ago. Local children performed in the show, their parents this age

when the Olympics were on, but who lost their childhood in the

desperate, brutal war. Amongst the crowds last night, the flower girls

who helped Torvill and Dean, like Elmer Krazni, just a tot in 1984,

now reunited with her childhood heroes who helped her through the

horrors. I think a lot of people during the bad moments remember

those Olympics, and remembered how positive this city once was, and

really tha tkept them going, I think, so Torvill and Dean coming

back means that we won this big battle. Life! So Bolero was and is

more than Olympic gold. And that's why last night was so poignant. For

people here, it reminds them of another time. It reminds them of

when the Olympics was here and all the fun that happened around that.

It's an Olympic city, and remember how London felt in 2012, and that's

what they were carrying. And then, the tragedy of the war. But the

city, the country is coming back. Anything that can be done to

highlight that, that's wonderful, and that's part of us being here as

well. The reception showed the appreciation. The perfect sixes of

Valentine's Day 1984 repeated last night.

And if you want to have another look at Torvill and Deans Bolero routine

there's a short video clip on the East Midlands Today Facebook page.

Now, though, it's time for a round`up of the day's sport ` here's

Colin Hazelden. Welcome to Bramall Lane, this is the

whole of Sheffield and football club but the reason I am here is this is

where forest are coming in the famous old competition, the FA Cup,

on Sunday. 5000 Forest fans will make the trek up the M1, they will

see their team at this stage of the competition for the first time in

nine years. If they win they will back themselves a quarterfinal. A

big game and Natalie Jackson has been in the camp today. It is just

over a year since manager Billy Davies returned to Nottingham

Forest. 12 months on and it is a cold, wet, windy Valentine's Day at

training. Be careful! The honeymoon period for Davies is definitely

over. , and! Seven of his best players are out injured in the gym

and on the treatment table. But just injuries, the way in which we are

picking up the injuries, every injury we have had has been, has

happened in a game situation. That value, Chris Cohen, Kelvin Wilson,

Eric Levi, David Vaughan, Henry Lansley, Dexter Blackstock. Injuries

he said the critics did not take into account. We are focused on this

current group of players who should have more points. Should have more

points even though they are missing. But seeing that conservatively. ?10

million worth of players? Even though we are the only 16 game

unbeaten run in the top six, five points from second place, fantastic

form at home. His team are two games away potentially from a Wembley

semifinal. Defensively two games away from the sack in football! I

prepare for the match `` I prepare for the next match. That is what I

encourage my staff and players to focus on. Preparing for the next

game. There are no shortage of reasons why this should have added

space. The manager here have so many years at Forest and it is not a

secret that he had current Forest manager Billy Davies are not the

greatest of friends. Add to that the fact he was sacked by Derby five

months ago and this seems like the ideal time for a catch up. We are

going to have hopefully 20,000 in there, between 20 and 20,000 would

be a great atmosphere. Whenever a deeply at Bramall Lane it is a great

atmosphere. `` whenever you play. We hope the scheme goes ahead, you can

CD covers on the pitch at Elliott on it was very badly waterlogged

underneath there. We'll keep you on that. It is a big weekend elsewhere,

not least in league one for Notts County. They are travelling to

Wolves. In league two Mansfield town are off to Oxford United, in the

Rugby Leicester Tigers are back at home welcoming Gloucester to Welford

Road. At the Winter Olympics it is a chance to take a look at the ace

dancers in the short programme. For me here at Sheffield United that is

just about it. We have our fingers crossed. If the forest can win they

will be one game away from a Wembley semifinal. That is your news and

sports letters goodbye from me. Let me have you back to an with her Army

families in Rutland. Welcome back to the Royal Anglians'

home base here in Rutland. They're among thousands of

`` little Oliver has been very good until this moment. We looked at him

in the moment. He is going back very soon, one of the thousands of men

and women who have served in Afghanistan. It has been some of the

toughest fighting that the British Army has experienced since World War

II. Many of them as we now have lost their lives. Jeremy Ball has been

falling for the last 12 years and the is giving his take on big

achievements. When you watch the troops preparing

their weapons it is easy to forget by the troops preparing their

weapons it is easy to forget why we ended up in the Desert so far away

from home. It was all because of the 911 attacks in New York, attacks

coordinated right here in Afghanistan. The response to those

attacks came within weeks. Soldiers from Leicestershire and Lincolnshire

when among the first to arrive here after Afghanistan's brutal Taliban

government was forced out of power. They found a capital city shattered

by decades of civil war. Out of these photos in Campbell, 12 years

ago, these children came up to shake hands. The Royal Anglian shoulders

did not even need to wear helmets. We found this school where girls

were being educated for the first time in years. Last autumn

Afghanistan finally had something to celebrate when the country won the

first international football tournament. For many, life has

improved year, so much so that millions of Afghan refugees have

come home. What is in it for us? I put that to the government minister

in charge of the Armed Forces. Our troops have been helping to protect

people back home from terrorist threats. They have been fighting to

help keep bars and our families safe. I believe ultimately it has

been successful. Interview in Helmand province solos from

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire were drawn into battle is on a daily

basis. This is what happened when I filmed the patrol with the messy in

Redmond five years ago. This exchange of fire was so routine the

crack jokes about how close the bullets came, but it was deadly

serious. It is the photos of troops that have been killed that brings

home the real cost of this conflict. These are 23 men from the East

Midlands, victims of a war that has claimed the lives of thousands of

civilians. Cuban hell was from Nottingham. There have been too many

people who have suffered massive sacrifices. `` Kieron Hill. People

suffering from post`dramatic stress. It is not worth it for me. I have

lost too much. But it has destroyed my life. `` post`traumatic stress.

The question now, what is Afghanistan 's future? Who will be

in charge after the elections next month? And will be sacrifices of so

many British troops take a lasting evidence here? `` make a lasting

difference. As we said, Captain Barranquilla is about to go. When do

you go? Approximately two weeks. If little Oliver gets to set up we

might have to stop. This is a snapshot, we take over 45 kilograms

of kit and weapons systems. I can hardly hold, that that is your body

armour. Body armour and plate carrier, we get plates issued. It

will be even heavier. What are the things that mean something that you

take? Things that I take, high`powered, cameras, every person

is different but for me it is the connection to everyone back home. As

that made a big difference for soldiers? You can skate and see

people back home. It makes a huge difference. The Internet provisions

are amazing, people speak and see one another all the time. How do you

prepare mentally for going? It is a job but there are dangers and you

know what they are. Our training has made is confident in the fact that

we know we can do the job. The last thing I was when I was single with

no family. Now it is different. You get yourself into a position where

you look forward to coming back and he wants to do the job the best of

your ability. We wish you all the luck. And U2, Lisa. Let's see what

the weather is doing. The weather has been nicer in

Afghanistan than here, we have been subjected to more wet and windy

weather today. Here is the latest instalment. It looks like it did

yesterday, another area of low pressure has been sweeping in from

the south. We stay under the influence of that tonight and

tomorrow but hang in there because by Sunday we get some high`pressure

that'll settle things down nicely. It is a game of two parts, and looks

as though Saturday will be our showery, posterity. By Sunday things

will be improving considerably. We will get some winter sunshine back.

Back to these years and now we have more rain to get through tonight.

The rain is showery but it is looking as though it will pick up

into the early hours of the morning. We will see heavier rain here and

there but we have not seen the peak of the winds it. They will pack up

as well. Gusts of around 50 or 60 males per hour. It could be higher

than that across eastern part and into Lincolnshire. At least we have

a mild evening, temperatures not following very far, 56 degrees. It

wet and windy start tomorrow, showery outbreaks of rain throughout

the day in the wind will stay strong. Eventually things will climb

down as he headed towards the end of the afternoon and the showers will

be fading away as well. Sunday is looking a much better day, much

drier and greater with some sunshine.

That's just about it from all of us here at Kendrew Barracks in Rutland.

I must say thank you to everyone who has organised that and do all of the

families who have been here all evening. The kids have been really

good. A big thank you to everyone here. It is the dramatic day of the

year, it is Valentine's Day. And it wouldn't be Valentine's Day

without a few special messages so we leave you tonight with just a few of

them sent from the Afghan desert. From all the East Midlands Today

team. Goodnight. A message to my wife, Gemma Evans, I am sorry I will

not be there on Valentine's Day but I will make it up to you when I get

back. I miss my fiance Anabelle Goodall and I will be glad to see

you very shortly. For my wife, Ely, I miss you and I love you and I look

forward to spoiling you. This is to sell my wife, happy Valentine's Day.

I wish I could be with you. `` this is to set up my wife. And should be

home. But I love you. A shout out to my wife. I miss you loads. I will

season. Happy Valentines to my lovely wife Samantha and to my kids.

Joe, sorry I am not there. I miss you loads and I love you what's as

well. Fully I will be back soon. On Sunday politics, the crisis in our

county council.