21/02/2012 Look East - East

On Look East tonight, how black market raiders targeted this museum

in search of highly-prized rhino horn. It's an illegal trade that's

worth millions. Tonight, we'll hear from the zoo forced to spend

hundreds of thousands of pounds upgrading its security.

Also in the programme... The striker jailed for six months for

lying to the police over speeding offences.

Adoption for all. How councils are encouraging same-sex couples to

become parents. And I have been to meet one of the

stars of last year's Women's World Cup, who is in Norfolk helping

local girls keep fit and boost Hello. First tonight, how a booming

trade across the world in rhino horn led to a daylight raid on a

The commodity is now so valuable that animals are regularly killed

just for their horns. 280 last year in South Africa alone. It's worth

about �50,000 a kilo. That's more than gold and diamonds or heroin

and cocaine. In part, that's because, in some parts of the world,

it is believed to be a cure for cancer. In Asia, it is often

powdered and used for medicinal In a moment, how the trade affects

security at one of our busiest zoos. But first, how this latest raid was

foiled. The four raiders have paid to enter

the museum just after 12 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Then they were

seen using a crowbar to break into a case. Carrying a stuffed rhino

head, they were confronted by two curators. One of the staff kicked

the man, who dropped their head, then a member of staff ran away

with their head. The men ran away into a waiting car. I am pleased to

say we are one of the only museums to have foiled these kinds of tests.

Night time security is excellent, when these kinds of thefts are

usually happen. The fact we are an ex prison helps. A year ago, this

rhino head, valued at around �50,000, was stolen from an auction

house at Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex. In July, Rosie the rhino, an

attraction at Ipswich Museum for more than a century, lost her horn.

Two other horns were stolen by two men who broke in soon after

midnight and knew exactly what they were looking for. And in October

2010, shock at Colchester Zoo. Zamba was the first white rhino to

be born in the UK. When his father Simba, who'd lived at the zoo for

30 years, died he was taken to an abbattoir near Braintree to be

incinerated. But instead, his head was cut off. His horns fell into

the hands of Donald Allison. After a tip-off, he was stopped at

Manchester Airport preparing to fly to China. Inside a case, concealed

in a sculpture, they found Simba's horns. An organisation in Edinburgh

Zoo specialised in wildlife DNA and came back confirming that we knew

it was from Colchester Zoo. Conservationists are warning that

the world's rhino population is facing a poaching crisis.

Increasingly, live animals are targeted for the value of their

horns. The police have been studying CCTV footage today and

studying forensic clues. All of the men were wearing dark clothing. We

are in a secret location and under security, showing the rhino head

the thieves tried to take. The plaster was broken when the thieves

tried to take the Horn of. We are told these will be worth -- we are

told these will be replaced with replicas.

Anthony Tropeano is the zoological director at Colchester Zoo. He

knows all about the threats to rhinos alive and dead. Starting

with the zoos, how big a worry is this? It is as significant worry

for us. If you look at the increase of poaching in South Africa over

the past 12 months, and the activity in the UK, we believe it

is a serious threat to live animals in British zoos. You have spent

more money on security. What has that cost? Yes, we have. We were

led to believe there could be a threat to the animals. We have

degrees of security at the park, but felt we needed to increase that

at have individual surveillance inside the rhino house. We have

alarms, which once triggered will record movement inside. It will

also old then telephone members of staff living on site. So if it is

triggered, and number of staff can be down within minutes. We believe

this is perhaps the best way of protecting the very valuable

animals we have. We heard about the number of rhino was killed in South

Africa alone. You are involved in a conservation project to save black

and white rhinos, aren't you? we are. We have already introduced

white rhino or want to apart in Africa. The threat is not just in

the UK, but also South Africa. One close by two us had animals poached.

We take this seriously. What else would you like to see done?

terms of sentencing for people that are caught involved in this trade,

certainly jail terms should be increased significantly to at least

allowed there to be some sort of deterrent for people involved. We

have to congratulate Customs and Excise who managed to track down

the people responsible for removing Simba's warned. We hope that

British zoos like us increase security and that, if people are

caught, they are given stiff sentences and penalties. Bank you

very much. A former footballer who played for

Norwich City and Peterborough has been jailed for sending bogus

letters to the police in an attempt to avoid a driving ban. Leon

McKenzie, who also played for Northampton and Kettering, recently

admitted that he tried to take his own life while he was suffering

from depression. McKenzie's career has been one of

great highs. And in later years, one punctuated by great lows. Since

retiring from the game, he's even tried to reinvent himself as a pop

star. But last month, McKenzie pleaded guilty to six counts of

perverting the course of justice after repeatedly trying to dodge

speeding tickets. Bogus letters were sent to the police from a

garage stating his car was off the road at the time of the offences.

But investigations later revealed that garage didn't exist. Today,

the court heard from McKenzie's uncle, former world champion boxer

Duke McKenzie. And Northampton Town defender Clarke Carlisle, who is

also chairman of the Professional Footballers Association. Both told

the court about McKenzie's battle with depression and how he's now

working to help others sportsmen with mental health issues. Earlier

this year, McKenzie himself spoke out about his depression. I tried

to take my life. I tried to take my life to the point that I did not

want to be here any more and I had everything. Beautiful children,

everything, but the place I was that mentally, like I said, it felt

like I was getting injury after injury and it was mentally draining.

Sometimes, it can eat away. today, words of support from his

family and friends about his condition weren't enough. The judge

told him this was a repeated fraud done in a sophisticated manner. He

said a case like this strikes at the heart of justice and to not

give a custodial sentence would give out the wrong statement to

others -- would give out the wrong message to others. In a pre-

He also went on to say that, if anyone else has issues with

depression, they should seek help immediately. And after his release

from prison, he has pledged to continue his fight against mental

illness. Later in the programme, Jim with

the weather and the promise of soaring temperatures.

Plus the FA on the road, with a festival for girls combining

The Police Minister was in Ipswich today talking about plans to elect

Police and Crime Commissioners later this year. Voters in each

county outside London will go to the polls on November 15th. Among

the jobs for the new commissioners are hiring and firing chief

constables, setting the budget and agreeing the priorities for the

police. But already, the plans are proving controversial.

It was all smiles today for the minister. But plenty of people

believe the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners is no

laughing matter. Joanna Spicer is one. A Conservative county

councillor, she's served on the police authority for 23 years. It

will be abolished. Putting such responsibility with one single

person and almost inevitably a politician is taking really quite a

risk with the traditional values that we place on policing. She's

not alone. The Police Federation, which represents officers, fears

political meddling. It presupposes that there's a level of expertise

with the commissioner and who panders to the electorate. That is

absent from everybody else. But all these accusations are firmly

rejected by the minister. People need to realise that the chief

constable is operationally independent and will remain

unsolved. The commissioner could cause friction setting the agenda?

No politician in the country can tell a police officer who to arrest

or start an investigation... could be told which crimes to

target. It will remain the case that the police will have the main

power. Budget cuts, redundancies. These are testing times for all

police forces. But yet more change lies ahead. In nine months' time,

the newly-elected commissioners will decide what the police's

A man has died after a street fight in Bury St Edmunds. He was found

when police were called to the scene in Ashwell Road. The man was

taken to the West Suffolk Hospital, but couldn't be saved. A 48-year-

old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The police have arrested a 30-year- old man in connection with a break-

in at a cannabis factory at South Woodham Ferrers in Essex. During

the break-in, a Vietnamese man fell to his death. Eight people have

already been charged. Memorial services have been held

for a clergyman who was found murdered at his home last week. The

Reverend John Suddards had served as the vicar of St Nicholas Church

in Witham for 10 years before he moved to his new parish in

Gloucestershire last summer. Merciful Father... The Bishop of

Colchester speaking last night at the service for John Suddards.

Hundreds turned out at his former church in with them. He had a real

sense of Kumar, a twinkle in his IRA crooked smile and you wondered

what was coming next. -- in his eye. He was a person of learning, but

held that lightly and enjoy being with people. John Suddards moved to

Thornbury last summer. His body was found on Tuesday by workers at his

vicarage. He had been stabbed to death. There was also a ceremony

last night at Thornaby. He had great vision for this town,

especially as far as young people were concerned. He died a sudden,

lonely and violent death. By being in here, quietly, reflectively, we

can think of John and be with him. We have not known him for long, but

he was special to us. He was just a lovely person. A 47-year-old man

has been arrested on suspicion of the murder. Police have been given

more time to question him. A campaign to save free bus travel

for the elderly and disabled in Norfolk has been to Downing street

today. 24,000 people have signed the petition. Government cuts mean

there's a �4.5 million shortfall in funding for the service.

Football, and Southend will be looking to maintain top spot in

League Two when they play Aldershot tonight. The Blues lead the way,

but only four points separate the top six. Commentary is on BBC Essex.

Four months after an anti- capitalist protest camp was set up

in the centre of Norwich, the site has been cleared. The Occupy

Norwich protestors have moved out after the city council was granted

an order to repossess the land on Hay Hill. The demonstrators say

their point had been made. The protest began on October the 15th.

It was an offshoot of the worldwide Occupy movement.

The Southend Air Festival has a new sponsor. It is the budget airline

Easyjet. Thousands pack the seafront each year to see the

flying displays. The council hopes the 2012 festival, being held in

May, will be even more spectacular. In the skies over the town, at

taste of the air Festival. The pilot made it sound easy. It was

fairly straightforward stuff, graceful manoeuvres in an older

lady who is 70 years old. It is from 1942. The fighter of choice at

that point in the Second World War. These were in places like Pearl

Harbor. And it was rubbing wingtips with modern fighters. The

sponsoring was announced. Deviation is exciting. You can see planes

doing acrobatics and seeing what this is about will make it exciting.

It is one of the largest free air shows. The new sponsors begin

flights to Europe from Southend Airport, a key part of the town's

economic regeneration. Even people who doubt things, those people can

see Southend is reversing the trend seen in some seaside towns and

improving. Underground crew were saying that perhaps these vehicles

are easier to flight than to push. You're watching Look East from the

BBC. Coming up, the power of radio Some facts. Across the country,

more than 4,000 young children are in care desperate to find a loving

home. Closer to home, in Suffolk, there are 50 children. The fact is

there just aren't enough parents willing to take on another child.

One solution is to encourage more same-sex and transgender couples to

get involved. Felicity Simper has been to meet one couple who have

been approved and who are now waiting for a child.

Lorraine and Nicky have one son. He was born in 2006 after fertility

treatment. Now it the couple have been approved to adopt and are

waiting for another child. wanted to extend our family, we

have one child and wanted him to have as the blink. We feel we have

a family that can offer something. -- we wanted him to have a brother

or sister. We have been lucky, not having any hostility towards our

family. It is the opposite. People say it is great or brilliant.

assessments showed that, actually, same-sex couples are able to bring

up a child in a loving situation, which is the most important thing,

a loving family background to take a child forward into adult life.

One agency campaigning for more same-sex couples is Adoption Plus

near Milton Keynes. Many children adopted have complex emotional

needs. The group offers therapeutic support to those children and their

families. These children did not ask to be born in to those families

or suffer abuse and neglect. We feel adoption is a second chance

and we want to do everything we can to learn from what works and

provide families what is needed. Back in Suffolk, Nicky and Lorraine

are getting everything ready for his new brother or sister. 61

couple's adopted in the county last summer, more than the previous year.

But with the numbers of same-sex couples in single figures, the hope

is to encourage others to follow. And if you are interested in

adoption, there is an event tomorrow in Ipswich at the Holiday

Inn between 2 and 8pm. For more information, you can call 0800 328

2148. Or you can visit the website suffolkadoption.com.

A question for you. What's the country's third most popular team

sport? Number one is football, of course. Number two is cricket.

Number three is women's football. Almost 1.4 million girls and women

play. And the next generation were being encouraged in Norfolk today

in training sessions with members of the England squad. Kate Riley

went along. She's risen through the ranks. From

Millwall Lionesses to the Three Lions. Meet the Women's World Cup

and Chelsea Ladies star, inspiring hundreds of Norfolk girls to get

The closest his Chelsea, Birmingham, Lincoln. We want to attract as many

girls to watch on television or come down and watch or even come

down for a trial. How important is it to encourage the next

generation? Very important, this is where the next Champions' Cup romp.

I learned at grassroots. Getting into this basic level is so

important. Claire's only 23 and pretty much done it all. Now, it's

about giving something back. She's helping out at football festivals,

like this one, run by The Football Association and Norfolk FA.

helped me a lot and help me with dribbling. It makes me want to join

the Football Club and do more. figures show a third of children in

Norfolk are overweight. This is bought all levels. It is fantastic

for the girls to see playing. The can see the football is there, it

is a career, playing as well as administration or management.

of these girls could be featuring in Heanor England photograph in the

future. -- a Team England photograph.

Did you know that keeping Britain in torches, toys and TV remotes

means three quarters of a billion batteries go to landfill every

year? If you want that in weight, it's about 30,000 tons. And some of

the metal is highly toxic. Researchers at the University of

Bedfordshire have been looking for an alternative. And they might just

have found it. Listening to the BBC has always

been applied cheer, but when scientists at the University of

Bedfordshire tuned into local radio, that people find something that

could also save the planet. When radio waves passes across air, it

produces at current and voltage which can be changed and used to

replace a battery. We have some power efficient electronics and a

low powered device. It is a system for harvesting energy from radio

waves to enable new applications, which we were not able to look at

before and replace the end -- replace this and other devices,

such as a kitchen clock. We are used to getting energy from heat or

from the sun and wind. Radio frequencies are no deterrent. It is

there even if we cannot see it or smell it. The question is

harvesting and storing it. This will take the power from they and

10 and heading into the bat today, like a normal battery. -- this will

take the power from they and 10 at and it will go into the battery.

This could stop billions of batteries going into landfill, but

also give power to those harder to reach places. This could work in a

setting without sufficient resources, such as developing

countries. It will work fantastically for them. Low powered

devices are used for many applications. The university has a

patterned and now need investment to make it a commercial reality. --

a patent. How great it would be not have to change batteries. Now for

We could have some mild weather coming up. The strong winds will

take active weather fronts to the North, where it will be wet. Most

of the fronts will be relatively weak. We could get some rain, but

not very much. Certainly not as much as we want. The cloud cover

has been broken in the East, with an next morning. Some of the gaps

have now been covered over, so we could see some rain later. The

cloud will break later. Where it breaks, temperatures lower than

elsewhere. Four or five Celsius at the lowest. Possibly up to six

Celsius elsewhere. It is a moderate to fresh south-westerly wind that

is affecting the weather. Hopefully, a troubled free journey to work

tomorrow. Some outbreaks of rain towards the middle of the day to

northern parts of Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Temperatures

will have breached by reasonable nine or ten Celsius in the

afternoon. So relatively mild. But the wind has increased. Some quite

strong and lustily south westerlies, helping to keep the mild weather

towards us, but quite gusty up to about 45 miles per other along the

North Norfolk coast. A blustery but mild afternoon. Eventually becoming

damp with rain settling in and becoming widespread. Perhaps not as

widespread as the patch of blue suggests. That continues into the

evening. The outlook is their money paid by a week Ridge on Thursday. -

- the outlook is dominated by a week Ridge on Thursday. The weekend

looks reasonably fine and settled for most of us. Lighter winds with

sunshine, so that next could be colder. Dry at first for many

tomorrow. Some outbreaks of rain. Nice and spring-like on Thursday.

In to below six these barren height. All week for and making it cloudier

on Friday. High pressure at the weekend means the risk of ground

Before we go, there are plenty of names to look out for at tonight's

Brit Awards at the O2. Ed Sheeran from Suffolk leads the way, with

four nominations including best single and best album. Olly Murs

from Essex is also up for best single. Blur will get an

Outstanding Contribution to Music award. And they are from Essex as