20/07/2011 Look East - East

Hello and welcome to Look East. In the programme tonight:

The firefighter shot dead on holiday as he fought back against

The region's Catholic community comes together to mourn the death

of their bishop. Prince Charles at Wattisham with

Afghanistan medals for a helicopter regiment.

And news just in - the early days of regional TV. Every so often,

First tonight, the fireman killed as he fought back against armed

robbers at his luxury hotel in South America.

Thomas Ossel from the village of Cople near Bedford was on holiday

with his brother on Margarita Island, off the coast of Venezuela.

When men burst into the hotel, he put up a fight and was shot dead.

His younger brother was injured. Jo Black is in Copel now.

It was the dream holiday that went horribly wrong. When faced with

being robbed, some of us might like to think that we would stand up for

ourselves. That is exactly what Thomas Ossel did, but he paid with

his life. Thomas Ossel loved to travel. A

Bedfordshire boy with a real spirit of adventure who liked to widen his

horizons. The 28-year-old fire fighter had been on a five-week

trip to South America with a friend and his younger brother. On the day

they were meant to leave Margarita Island, they were rocked by an

armed gang in their hotel room. They tried to resist and Jack was

stabbed in the back, but Thomas was shot and died minutes later. When

the various subjects arrived, we had preliminaries that three people

entered the hotel. About have moment, this cities and resisted

and in response, he was shot in his right armpit and that caused his

death. In the family's home, there was real sorrow at the news.

Thomas's father has travelled to the Venezuelan capital to join

James, his surviving son. A family friend said they are all devastated.

He was a bold, he was a real adventurer, he loved adventures and

travelling. He was always travelling. I think he travelled to

an amazing amount of countries. Very seasoned and experienced

travel, somebody who laughed and adventure. Today, Thomas's

colleagues said they could not believe this has happened. He was a

character and he will be sorely missed. He has left a void on this

watch. It will never be filled by anyone. According to the Foreign

Office, street crime -- street crime is rife in South America. It

seems Thomas Ossel has paid the ultimate price.

We have spoken to the manager of the hotel where the attack took

place. The police told him that the gang are at large, but they are

currently the most wanted men on the island. Cars are being stopped

and searched, but police have told him that they expect to have this

matter sorted within a few days. Sarah Grainger is the BBC's

correspondent in Venezuela. She's in Caracas now. We can join her

life. Sarah, we heard that this kind of crime is common. His crime

a real problem in menswear it is. - in Venezuela. The government is

reluctant to release statistics on crime so the journalists count the

number of bodies that go into the morgues. On a weekend, it is not

unusual to see up to 40 people killed, most of them victims of

street crime. Most of the criminals approach people for mobile phones

or jury and they are armed with guns and knives. When it comes to

tourists going to places like Margarita Island, which look

idyllic, what would advise the for travellers as far as if this

happens to them? Margarita Island is a Caribbean island and lots of

Venezuelans want to go there on holiday, but it does not reflect

the general social problems that are rife in Venezuela as a whole.

Street crime is rife so if you're approached, if criminals ask you

for your bowling -- belongings, you should become blind and give them

whatever they want. That way you will avoid a tragic situation.

Sarah, thank you very much. The new Chief Executive of Suffolk County

Council is likely to be paid a salary of �157,000. That's �60,000

less than Andrea Hill received for doing the same job. Ms Hill was

forced to resign earlier this month following a long running

controversy during which she refused to take a pay cut. Our

political correspondent Andrew Sinclair is here. That's a big drop

in salary? It is. Suffolk County Council knew that after the

controversy over Andrea Hill, whoever is a new teeth and say --

cheap executive, what salary they receive will be closely scrutinised.

This is only a proposal at the moment because he wants to consult

with the opposition parties, which is different to last time. They

believe it is a fair salary. Times have changed from having high

salaries. We are seeing a across the country that there is a more

realistic approach to his salary levels. If you think that the

previous chief executive was paid �218,000, this represents a 25 %

reduction in salary which we feel sends out the right signal.

local government secretary, Eric Pickles, wants to see chief

executives earning around the same as the prime minister and this is

not even close. And how does �157,000 compare to the salaries of

other chief executives in the region? It will be the lowest

salary paid to a county council chief executive in the east. The

other three big earners are in Essex, a basic salary of

�230,000,... It is worth pointing out that John that runs at

Brentwood council and has taken by % pay cut. David White has taken on

extra responsibilities so there is no pressure on them, but when they

move on, when their contracts are weak negotiator, expect those

figures to come down. Church leaders from around the

world attended the funeral of the Bishop of East Anglia Michael Evans

in Norwich this afternoon. Bishop Michael died last week at the age

of 59 after a long battle with They came from across East Anglia

from across the UK and the world to say goodbye. More than 1,000 people,

young and old, packed into the cathedral of St John the Baptist.

The Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nicholls lead the funeral

mass. Cardinal Cormack Murphy O'Conner was there. So too the

Bishop of Norwich Graham James. On Bishop Michael's coffin - lay his

staff, his chalice and Bible. April, a very sensitive interview

took place on Look East bid team the presenter and Bishop Michael.

The Tom Elliot was delivered by Bishop Michael's right hand man.

Instructions for his funeral were not surprisingly very detailed, but

also very simple. He said he wanted the emphasis to be on the Christian

meaning of death rather than focusing on him. Michael Evans

became the Catholic Bishop of East Anglia in 2003. A parish priest

from Kent, he was appointed by Pope John Paul the second. Expecting to

serve for many years, Bishop Michael was diagnosed with cancer

in 2005. He was an incredibly gentle man, that is something that

came across for most of us. Whether he was dealing with problems all

just in his normal day-to-day life, he was an incredibly gentle man.

should be remembered as a wonderful friend to people, a great pastor,

and they think he should be remembered for the way in which he

approached his death. It is a strange thing to say, but the

measure of a man is in his dying and he lived fully until the last

moment. They combined choir from Catholic schools led the singing of

Bisham Michael's favourite hymn, I I shall miss him, we will miss him

very much. But now, thank God, his suffering is over and we pray that

he is at peace. He is probably Bishop Michael's coffin was carried

from the west door of the cathedral before the clergy said a final

farewell. Farewell to a priest described today as that funny

little man we grew to laugh. Later in the programme:

Current Look East reporter Nikki Jenkins reports from Luton, and one

of her predecessors was in Lavenham. This is the guildhall in Lavenham.

It was built in the time of Henry VIII and it became the centre of

the cloth trade in this town. That's coming up after more news

The disgraced Tory peer Lord Hanningfield has lost an appeal

against his conviction for fiddling parliamentary expenses. He who was

jailed on six counts of false accounting earlier this month. Our

political reporter Ben Bland was at today's hearing in London.

The Lord was not in court today, but his lawyer launched the appeal

which focused on a direction that the judge gave to the jury at the

very end of the trial. The judge had said to the jury, in deciding

whether it he was guilty or not, they had to ignore the fact that he

was out of pocket because over the years, he had spent more on his own

house than he had ever claimed back in expenses. His lawyer said that

that was a critical mist direction which meant a conviction was

inevitable. He said there was a difference between trying to lose -

- reduce your losses and making a game. The presiding judge said, as

ingenious as that suggestion was, it was wrong in law. He was

satisfied the jury did receive an actor right direction and for that

reason the appeal was rejected. What happens next?

Last week, the allowance was suspect -- suspended. It is still

open to him and his legal team to take it to the next level and

appeal further. They have not indicated whether they would do

that and in the meantime, it remains a county -- he remains a

county councillor in Essex albeit behind bars.

A fire involving 40,000 tons of recycled wood chippings is still

burning two weeks after it caught light. The blaze started at Rio

Recycling in Orsett in Essex on July 5th. Crews left the site last

Friday to allow it to burn out naturally, but are still visiting

regularly to ensure it is safe. The Prince of Wales been speaking

of his huge admiration at the courage of Apache helicopter crews

in Afghanistan and Libya. The Prince was presenting campaign

medals to members of the Army Air Corps at Wattisham Airfield where

his younger son Prince Harry is training to be an Apache pilot.

Back from Helmand, 130 men and women from 4 Regiment await their

Colonel in Chief. For 35 of them, this their first operational tour.

It obviously requires extraordinary skill, ingenuity and courage to fly

the Apache in order to support the troops on the ground. I have been

in the Prince of Wales's presents, but not what I was receiving a male.

Today was fantastic. -- receiving a medal. You could forgive the Prince

Charles for perhaps taking an added interest in Wattisham's crews.

After all, his younger son, out of sight today, hopes to be flying an

Apache in the skies over Helmand once he is battle trained next year.

Prince Harry has already seen action in Afghanistan, as a forward

air controller, and has made no secret of his wish to return to the

front. Unlike other army units, which

deploy to Afghanistan every two years or so, Wattisham's two

regiments have between them been there continuously for the last

five years, which is why some men and women here are now on their 8th

tour of Afghanistan. Of course we should not forget that

Wattisham's Apaches are seeing action on two fronts, both in

Afghanistan and here in the Mediterranean, flying from HMS

Ocean to strike key targets in Libya. That must put a terrific

strain on the two regiments. definitely does. It has to be done

with understanding of what needs to be achieved. Prince Charles made a

point of chatting to families of serving soldiers, acutely aware

that one day his son might take part in a homecoming parade here.

The analogue TV signal in Essex and most of Suffolk was switched off

last night. It means if you have a Freeview TV

or box, you may need to re-tune. If you receive your television from

Sky, Freesat or a cable supplier, you won't be affected. If you want

more information or help, you can phone the Digital UK helpline on

08456 50 50 50 or go to the website at www.digitaluk.co.uk. Here's a

fact. Back in the 1960s, 10% of Norwich's workforce made shoes

specifically shoes for women and children. Many factories have since

fallen by the wayside of course, but one is celebrating its 75th

birthday. The Florida Shoe Factory in 1936.

It was based on Florida Corner in Norwich. By the boom of the late

50's, the company moved its name and its base here to the north of

the city. At its height, 400 people worked here.. Now there are about

90. Alan Lake is one of the longest serving. There was a stream of

people here when I first came into the trade. The girls were upstairs,

two or three lines of them. Their work was quite different to what it

is today. This factory makes 1,200 pairs of shoes a week and while it

uses cheap labour in Asia, 15% of their shoes are made from start to

The shoes they're making are called Van Dal, a wider fitting ladies

shoes originally referred to as the Norfolk Broads. The brand name came

from the current chairman's father 65 years ago. On a very good night

out, they were deciding what to call themselves. The night got

longer, the conversation flowed and they decided to call themselves the

vandals. Having done that, they it stylised it, hyphenated it and that

is where the word originally came from. It was nothing to do with

Holland at all. So that is the history, but what about the future?

The nature of the business means that you could be more or less

located anywhere in the country, all in Europe. There are big

benefits of being in Norwich. There is an expertise locally that we can

draw from. But for now they're looking backwards. To mark 75 years

in Norwich, they've launched the Van Dal vintage range using their

You're watching Look East from the BBC. Coming up:

It's just not badminton. Stars speak out on the rows that split

It's been 12 months since devastating floods hit Pakistan

displacing millions of people. Earlier this year, Look East

reporter Nikki Jenkins travelled to some of the worst effected areas to

see how money raised here was helping people there.

Now with Ramadan, a traditional time for giving, once again

approaching, she reports on how the Luton fundraisers are returning to

their task with renewed determination.

They had come to ensure the money had gone on where it was more

needed. What they saw was that it was needed more. From a fund-

raising perspective, we need to do more here. You have raised to X

amount of money, but X amount of money needs to be raised so you do

more work. Four months on and the first

Islamic Relief's shop in Luton is open for business. It is not just

Luton, people come from Hemel had a Henstead, Bedford, they drive all

that way to donate things. -- Hemel Hempstead. When we got back, the

response was inspiring. We saw that we needed more presence in the

community after the work we did out there. The group's first

fundraising dinner was the most ambitious Luton's Muslim community

had ever hosted, boasting cricket star Shahid Afridi. We provide

water for 2000 people every single day. This Friday a second will try

and replicate its success. money from this event will go to a

found Dench and. The charity has been longing for a long time and

they help support the school's cost for the year. -- the money will go

to a foundation. We will help people sponsor a school. We are

thinking of sponsoring at least 15 schools. The Luton community is

very giving and are supportive of good causes. If they can see work

being done, and that was a key thing from our trip, people

physically saw the work being done. It has been very positive. And with

a new Africa crisis emerging they plan to expand their fundraising

horizons in the years to come. When you think of badminton, you

might think of Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson winning a silver medal at

the Olympics in 2004. 4.5 million people watched them win in Athens

but since then the sport's struggled.

Poor results and arguments within the squad have led to its funding

being cut. Coaches now hope they can rebuild the sports image in the

build up towards the London Olympics.

Thrilling the nation, the nation winning a silver medal in Athens,

but that was seven years ago and since then badminton has struggled

to hit the same heights. We have gone through a transitional period

in the last few years. Gail and myself were Commonwealth champions

and that is difficult to replicate because we have the same players at

the top of the sport for so long that we did not get the next group

of players able to come through. While Gail retired, Robertson keeps

going, training here at the local badminton centre in Milton Keynes.

The sport has recovered from a turbulent time. A long standing

dispute has led to the resignation of the team's coat. They have been

rows and sacking of coach is, for rings out, certain players being

thrown out of the squad, that is not what you need. We are not

telling people that you have to live with each other, we just want

them to practise on court, the competitive and then take that

balance into your tournaments. a drop in standards, badminton

could not argue about a cut in funding bike UK Sport, that there

is hope for the future. Much is expected of this man. This woman is

also one for the future. 2012 will come too soon go. Probably not this

one because my banking is not high enough to get into the bigger

tournaments. Definitely the next one, I am hoping that I will be in

Brazil. This couple of are the best hope of a medal at next month's

Championships in London. Others will be in the spotlight for the

first time as Englishmen -- English badminton tries to recapture some

of its former glory. There is often a problem with sport

when a big name retires or leaves the sport.

Absolutely, things like rowing with Redgrave. That is another sport,

perhaps cycling. When they eventually go, replacing them his

own difficult and that is what is happening in badminton.

We wish them all the best, we hope they get more medals. We're going

from present day Look East now to regional TV in the old days.

A programme tonight on BBC 4 is looking back at how things used to

be. Look East was the first BBC regional news programme to make it

to air. Some great reporters started life here, but not everyone

was complimentary. Smokeless zones in northern towns

and cities. The BBC's regional TV service was launched in an attempt

to compete with the Nikkei on the television blog in the late 1950s.

That was ITV. First up is the Anglian news. We arrogantly thought

the BBC was a complete joke. We thrashed them to bits of. I think

the ITV stations it did very well. When I was at the BBC, the director

watched Look East and he was appalled by the standards and so he

sent the editor to instruct us in the basics of television. We were a

bit hurt, but we learnt a lot. were black and white, we were on

film. Two years ago, the colonel died and there was a big recruiting

problem. What is the situation now? I was doing it in what I imagine

where the cut-glass accents of the upper class. I was trying to beat

David Dimbleby. The extra Orient -- extraordinary thing about this area

is this: There are a score of houses like this. What do you think

of the fact that the trains are later? If you cannot work out who

this is, find out tonight on BBC Four at 9pm.

Not much has changed! Absolutely nothing at all!

I love the voices, they are so posh. We tried very hard not to talk like

There has been a lot of cloud around today. This was our

satellite start at 5pm. A couple of places got sunshine, but the reason

for this cloud has been that we have been between two areas of

pressure, one to the south-west and one further north. I'm going to run

the bait of shot to show where the shower activity was. -- run at the

radar chart. There are some showers that have merged together to form

more persistent rain in the south which is mainly affecting part

fidget and Essex. For this evening, those areas will continue to have a

couple of light showers. On the whole, the rain will clear away,

but it could linger, perhaps parts of Essex and the Suffolk coast

might get some showers, but largely dry. Towards the end of the night,

clear spells developing in the West. Temperatures could fall to 10

degrees. The winds are mainly light and variable, but by the time we

get to morning, they will be light. For tomorrow, there will be some

sunshine around and the cloud will break to allow more sunshine, but

also we could see some sharp showers so a dry and bright start

for many of us through the morning. Then the showers will get going.

There will be a good scattering and they could turn heavy in places,

but you will see that between the showers, there will be some gaps

and some sunshine. Temperatures likely to climb to 20 degrees. The

winds will stay light and you will see what that, around the Norfolk

coast line, temperatures will mark get higher than 17 degrees. On the

coast, on the beach itself, it could be a bit cooler. Through the

afternoon, we keep a risk of showers and the potential to turn

heavy. Also you will see there is some sunshine expected,

particularly in the north of Norfolk by the end of the day into

the evening. For the rest of the week and into the weekend, I will

bring the pressure chart back to show you we have got a bridge -- a

ridge of high pressure so that promises more settled weather. The

only thing is we are between an area of low pressure over

Scandinavia and these weather systems over the Atlantic so we

have still got the potential for some light showers. It is mostly

dry for Friday and Saturday, the chance of an isolated shower, but

it does look like for the 7th -- second half of the weekend there