04/02/2014 Look East - East


04/02/2014

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into Friday morning and enhance the risk of flooding. That is all from

:00:00.3:59:59

us, Hello and welcome to Look East.

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In the programme tonight: The teenager who was told he had just

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days to live. Two months later he's still alive and getting stronger

:00:14.:00:24.

every day. It was very difficult to accept that you weren't going to see

:00:25.:00:28.

your son growing up but actually, I might. Parents in Essex say taking

:00:29.:00:31.

away free school transport will cost them an extra ?500 a year.

:00:32.:00:34.

The Harlow MP leading the fight against the energy companies which

:00:35.:00:39.

charge more if you pay by cash. And one woman's fight to have her

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dead husband's children. First tonight the remarkable story

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of a teenager who was told last year he had just three days to live. But

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against all the odds his body is fighting back.

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Deryn Blackwell from Norfolk is the only person in the world to be

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diagnosed with both leukaemia and another rare form of cancer. Two

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months ago after contracting another disease which attacked his immune

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system he was told by doctors he would die before the New Year.

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But now to everyone's amazement, Deryn's body has started to produce

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red blood cells. He's fighting back. This report by Nikki Fox.

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14`year`old Deryn Blackwell has a standard medical professionals.

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Three years ago he was told he had leukaemia. Before Christmas, he was

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also diagnosed with a disease that destroys the immune system. He was

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sent to an end of life hospice and doctors and his family prepared him

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for the worst. We had all accepted it. Deryn and asked to go into the

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room where they let the bodies. He knew where he was going to go once

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he passed. Everything was set out. Knowing he may not have long left

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commie drew up a list of things he wanted to do. He met celebrities,

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driving fast cars and tasted cider and even planned his own funeral. We

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were going to get the ashes and put some of it in a firework, some of it

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in a Canon, to fire a cannonball somewhere. The rest was going to be

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chucked off a mountain in Greece. Then something amazing happened. His

:02:46.:02:50.

infection is healed and he started to produce his own blood cells. They

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don't even know and can't give us an idea of what will happen in the next

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however many weeks. Initially, it was very difficult to flip that

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acceptance that you are going to lose your son and not see him grow

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up, too all of a sudden, I might. This is his old pile of medication.

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Now he needs just one. His family has moved out of the hospice into

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shared accommodation because of his improvement and he is taking it all

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in his stride. If you think a cough is the worst thing that has ever

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happened to you and you see somebody like me who is worse, they are not

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complaining and my cough isn't that bad. He is now training at a gym for

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the first time to get his fitness up and has started school classes. His

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cancer or leukaemia could return but his family wants to set up a charity

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in his name and/or hoping it could be his project rather than his

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legacy. The Prime Minister of St Lucia has

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attended the funeral of a sailor who died after being attacked on board

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his yacht. Roger Pratt left Lowestoft in the summer with his

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wife Margaret to sail around the world. Kim Riley is here. Just

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remind us what happened. Roger Pratt was a 62`year`old retired engineer.

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He and his wife Margaret had been planning this great adventure for 12

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years. Sailing across the Atlantic in their yacht Magnetic Attraction

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and exploring the Caribbean. They were moored off the south coast of

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St Lucia last month when a group of men climbed aboard, attacked them,

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before fleeing. Mrs Pratt was beaten up. Her husband received fatal

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injuries while trying to protect her. She found him floating in the

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water. He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arriva. ``

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arrival. Today I've been to Beccles in Suffolk to talk to Margaret

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Pratt's sister Jenny Riley. She and her husband Bryan have just got back

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after a week in St Lucia during which they attended Roger Pratt's

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private funeral. It was held at an Anglican chapel near the capital

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followed by cremation. There were about two dozen mourners. Relatives

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and friends joined by a representative of our Foreign Office

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and also significantly the Prime Minister of St Lucia and other

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government officials. It's an island that relies very heavily on its

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tourist trade and the St Lucia Tourist Board has condemned it as a

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random and heionous act of violence. What is the latest on Margaret

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Pratt? She was badly bruised and knocked about and is continuing to

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help the police investigation. Today there was another court appearance

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in front of a magistrate by four young men charged with murder and

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robbery. They were remanded in custody until April the 11th and

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will face a sufficiency hearing. Margaret Pratt is being put up in a

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hotel while the process of evidence gathering goes on. Her sister says

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she expects to be giving evidence in that court and it is not clear when

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that trial will take place. Eventually after giving evidence,

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she will come back to East Anglia to a different retirement than the one

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she planned, sadly. The hunt for a new candidate to

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replace Tim Yeo is getting underway. He was deselected by his party

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yesterday after 31 years as the local MP for South Suffolk. The

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Conservative Party will now advertise the position. A short list

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will be drawn up. Local party members will meet in the late Spring

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to make the final decision. I think it will be a mix. I think there will

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be a few local people that will come forward. It is a seat that will

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attract many candidates. Today there's been continued

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speculation about the reasons behind Tim Yeo's de`selection. Some

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suggesting he was too old, others that he was not a visible local MP.

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Some say his political views do not chime well with members. He voted in

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favour of gay marriage and is vocal on the way to tackle climate change

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and is pro`Europe. With many Conservative members concerned about

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UKIP, it is becoming quite difficult for supporters of the EU inside the

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party to survive. Earlier I spoke to Norman, now Lord Tebbit, who used to

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be Conservative Party Chairman. I began by asking whether he thought

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it was Tim Yeo's views ` on subjects like Europe and gay marriage that

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were the issue and he said they wouldn't have helped. They are not

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particular popular views, particularly in conservative

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inclined people in East Anglia. There is the fact that he lived in

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Kent which for a man who has represented a seat in Suffolk for so

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long seems odd. He spent a great deal of time on his commitment to

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the climate change issue which again, people thought he ought to be

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doing a little bit more about his own constituency and help his own

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constituents. Two Tory MPs have been deselected in a week. Why are local

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parties flexing their muscles in this way? There is a lot of that.

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Back in the late 80s when I was chairman of the party, it was very

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clear that there was no question of my having power over local

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associations. It wasn't me that run them, it was the National union of

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Conservative and Unionist 's associations. That was a powerful

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body. I spoke with great respect about that body. I was the

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professional edge of the Conservative Party and they were the

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volunteers. They felt they had power. I think now they feel they

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have been dealt with poorly by the party at the centre and it tends to

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make them much more ready to challenge those who lorded over them

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to some extent. The deputy chairman said they wanted to see more

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infrastructure investment in their area. Do you think MPs are being

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judged on what they manage to achieve their constituency? There

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has always been an element of that because they represent their

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interests. I am not sure that is the biggest thing. Backbenchers can't

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normally extract big concessions in terms of money out of government in

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that way. I too think there are many other ways in which they can help.

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They can help in advocating better deals for the schools in their

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constituency, better deals for the rate settlement for the local

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authorities. They are expected to at least take a good address to at

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least take a good interest in those things and not be solely preoccupied

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with their own particular interests. Thank you very much.

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Herbie Hide, the former world heavyweight boxing champion from

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Norwich has had his prison sentence for drug dealing reduced. He had

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admitted conspiring to sell cocaine and was jailed for 22 months in

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November. Now three judges in the appeal court have cut that to 18

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months. His lawyers argued the original sentence was too long. He

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was jailed after a judge heard that he fell for a sting operation set up

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by the Sun on Sunday. Parents in Essex are campaigning against a plan

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to withdraw some free school buses. From next year, pupils who live at

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Wivenhoe may not get free transport to Colne Community College in

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Brightlingsea. The county council says it needs to save money and the

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children could go to the Colchester Academy which is closer.

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Another school day starts for Daisy and George. They go to school and

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want to go to secondary school in Brightlingsea. Until now, the school

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bus has been freed but soon parents might have to pay. Reports are

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coming in at ?400 a year per pupil. When you consider some families have

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two to three children at the school, it is quite a considerable cost to

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the average family. People around the region are aware of the changes

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that could affect families across the whole of Essex. Money is tight

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at the county council. We spend ?25 million transporting children to

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school across the county and we need to save in the region of ?3 million.

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From September 2015, they will change its school policy and in most

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cases, only provide free transport if a child is going to their nearest

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school. Each morning, these school bus sets off on a six and a half

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mile journey to the school in Brightlingsea but it is only four

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and a half miles to a school in Colchester. At the local junior

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school, the fear is only children whose parents can pay for the buses

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will be able to go to the school generations from the village that

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have attended. There will be a divide. The community here is

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strong. It will divide our community on an income `based criteria which

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is heartbreaking. There are mums that I know who can only send one

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child in one direction and another in the other direction. They packed

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a meeting at the county council and were given hope when the county

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council said they would get the parish council to help.

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Still to come: The Essex MP leading the fight against the energy

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companies who charge more when you pay by cash. And the woman taking

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the fight to the High Court to keep her dead husband's sperm for longer.

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The make up of our police forces is changing. With pressures on

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finances, all of our forces are looking to recruit more volunteer

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Special Constables. Because they are volunteers they

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don't get paid but they can claim expenses. They must be able to work

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at least four hours a week. Once they are trained, they have the same

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powers of arrest as regular officers. At the moment there are

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more than 2500 Special Constables in this region and there are plans to

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recruit another 1500. Northamptonshire has the most

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ambitious plans. It wants to treble the number of Specials by the end of

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the year. At college, Amelia is no different

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to her friends but her idea of a night on the town is. The

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19`year`old is one of the county's youngest special constables. Her

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friends are bit surprised. They find it a bit weird because it is not

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like a normal job. They always ask me what I have done on my shift.

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They are really pleased for me. Amelia became a special constable

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last month and arranges patrols around her studies. The Police and

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Crime Commissioner wants to employ many more people like her. We remain

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around the consistent 300 mark. We want to reach 900 and it will be the

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biggest in the country. Isn't it policing on the cheap? Not at all.

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There is interest in getting involved in policing. Amelia hopes

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to join the force as a full`time officer but for her, it is more than

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just a job. I love doing it whether I get paid or voluntary. It feels

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good to help people in my community. I feel like a completely different

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person. Northamptonshire police is facing many cuts and the force says

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tripling the number of special constables is not the solution but

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admits budget cuts have played a part. The current situation has been

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the impetus for a stirring what has needed to be done for a long time.

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We have spent too long disempowering communities telling them they can't

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take action without appropriate authority. Now we can give you the

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skills and get you involved in policing your local community. You

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have that local knowledge. Some in the force don't share the optimism

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of the Police and Crime Commissioner as a bid target to triple the number

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of specials by the end of the year is simply unrealistic. The success

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of this scheme will very much depend on the community itself.

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A review of how we pay our fuel bills is on the cards thanks to one

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of our MPs. Robert Halfon thinks people who pay

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by cash or cheque are being ripped off by energy firms. Today he called

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a Commons debate on the matter. However you pay for your fuel, bills

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have rocketed over the past decade. The price of electricity has doubled

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and gas has tripled. The cheapest way of buying fuel is to pay by

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direct debit and it is what most people do. Energy companies give

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them a small discount because direct debits are cheaper to administer.

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Consumers who pay by cash or cheque pay more. Typically around ?114 a

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year. Robert Halfon thinks that is unfair and today he tabled a Commons

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motion calling for an enquiry by the energy regulator Ofgem. Energy

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company said the charges levied on those paying by cheque or prepayment

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meters and reflect the higher costs of processing payments. The industry

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has met with him and it says it supports a review of direct debits

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requested by the Prime Minister. I spoke to Robert Halfon just before

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the debate and put to him the energy companies' claim that the increased

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bills were down to the cost of processing cash and cheque payments.

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Of course it is right that people cover their costs but I had a

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meeting with the Post Office yesterday and they say to print out

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a computerised bill and to get it home costs 20p ahead. They are

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charging ?140 extra. 45% of the country don't pay their bills by

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direct debit and there are 1 million people who don't have bank accounts.

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The energy companies are penalising the poorest. Even British Telecom

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charged ?2 a month and they have made the decision to be fair to

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their customers. I think that is the right way forward. Isn't about the

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risk of people not paying their bills? If they are collecting the

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money ahead of time, there is not so much risk. One of my constituents

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has paid every month on time and has got a letter out of the blue saying

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that because she didn't pay by direct debit, she was going to have

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to pay ?63 extra a year. ?35 of that is going towards the non`payers but

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why should pensioners and the poorest to pay on time face a

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premium from the energy companies so the energy companies have the money

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to chase the non`payers? That is unacceptable and that is why I have

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organised this debate in Parliament with 170 odd MPs supporting me. Are

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you concerned that the method of paying by direct debit,, the

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companies can underestimate the amount you pay so you are always in

:19:55.:19:58.

credit. That might put some people off. This gives the energy companies

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money. When we pay our bills by direct debit, you often pay more out

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of your account by the energy companies. That surplus can be up to

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?2 billion. They have surplus money in order to pursue the non`payers or

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the late payers. To penalise the poor and pensioners by saying you

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get a huge black on your bill from ?63 up to 390, to me, it is totally

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wrong. Next, the legal fight being mounted

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by a widow to allow her late husband to father her child. Beth Warren

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lost her husband to a brain tumour when he was just 32. Samples of his

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sperm were stored before he underwent treatment.. But they're

:20:54.:20:56.

due to be destroyed next year unless Mrs Warren can get the storage

:20:57.:20:58.

period extended. It's not the first time a case of

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this nature has been heard in the courts. In 1997 Diane Blood from

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Nottinghamshire won the right to have a child using sperm from her

:21:07.:21:09.

dead husband. Despite the fact that her late husband had never given his

:21:10.:21:13.

written consent she went on to have two sons. But this case is

:21:14.:21:16.

different. Beth Warren's husband gave his consent to have the sperm

:21:17.:21:21.

stored and used. But that consent will expire 14 months from now

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unless she can persuade a judge to extend the time limit. A lot of the

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problems like this are caused by the fact that there isn't clear evidence

:21:36.:21:39.

of what the parents consented to before they died. It will be helpful

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if clinics could be more particular about the concerned they take so

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they are not just asking patients whether they consent to their sperm

:21:48.:21:51.

being used after their death, but that they spell out what they really

:21:52.:21:58.

intended. I spoke to Beth Warren late this afternoon and started by

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asking how much longer she wanted the sperm to be kept. We are

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applying for the maximum period of 55 years. Realistically, I wouldn't

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need that long. It is difficult to put a time on how I will feel

:22:16.:22:20.

stronger to become professionally settled and be ready to do this and

:22:21.:22:24.

decide whether it is the right thing. Presumably you spoke about

:22:25.:22:29.

this before he died. When you are discussing it, what did you discuss?

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First of all, Warren wasn't something `` someone that wanted to

:22:37.:22:40.

talk about dying, he was someone who wanted to get better. This was a

:22:41.:22:44.

frank conversation we did have. He signed the paper to say with could

:22:45.:22:49.

conceive in the event of his death. I asked him how he would feel if I

:22:50.:22:53.

did that knowing he would never meet his children. He said if that was

:22:54.:22:57.

what I wanted, that was what he wanted. He wanted to leave me the

:22:58.:23:06.

choice. What happens if the judge decides against me? From the time

:23:07.:23:11.

period I have left, I should be looking to try to get pregnant

:23:12.:23:16.

immediately. There is potential that I could start IVF and store embryos

:23:17.:23:20.

for a longer period and that I could apply for special permission to

:23:21.:23:27.

export the sperm to somewhere like Belgium and then get pregnant mare.

:23:28.:23:33.

Why don't you do that? For the embryo, it is the cost and the

:23:34.:23:39.

chance of it moving. It is the emotional side of creating that

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life. It might not be the right thing to do in the future. There are

:23:44.:23:50.

so many different reasons. It will stop me doing artificial

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insemination. You so you may not want to do it and there are many

:23:55.:24:01.

reasons. First of all, I have to think about the child. It is a

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massive decision. I know that child will never meet their father. Warren

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was happy with that and he wanted to give me that choice. It is also the

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emotion from losing my brother and two months later losing my husband.

:24:17.:24:24.

I went back to work and I don't feel emotionally ready. I have only just

:24:25.:24:28.

started as a physiotherapist three weeks ago and I am not financially

:24:29.:24:33.

ready. There are many reasons of why I need more time. If the judge rules

:24:34.:24:43.

against you, your reaction to that? Probably more tears. It has been an

:24:44.:24:49.

emotional couple of years. I won't let it go. It is not something I can

:24:50.:24:54.

do. I will need to look at options. Can you believe it has come to this?

:24:55.:25:03.

No. It has been an emotional time. Looking at the facts, it isn't right

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that a man who gave every single consent he could for his wife to

:25:08.:25:10.

conceive in the event of his death, has been given a time limit on that.

:25:11.:25:19.

For me, to fight for this, it is the only option I have.

:25:20.:25:21.

That judgement should come from the High Court in the next few weeks.

:25:22.:25:25.

We'll bring you the news when we get it.

:25:26.:25:26.

Now for the weather. It is a changeable forecast for this

:25:27.:25:37.

week and we will see a lot of wet and whether `` wet and windy

:25:38.:25:43.

weather. There is an area of low pressure that has been moving in

:25:44.:25:47.

across the West Country bringing rain where it is really not needed.

:25:48.:25:53.

Expect a cloudy evening. The wind is cooking up and the rain for most of

:25:54.:26:00.

us is not getting here until 11pm. This is when the wind will pick up.

:26:01.:26:06.

There will be gusts of around 55 mph. The rain will clear away and

:26:07.:26:09.

there will be some showers following on behind. There will be some dry

:26:10.:26:16.

interludes perhaps with a little bit of sunshine. We have some heavy

:26:17.:26:21.

downpours expected and those winds pick up. They are peaking between

:26:22.:26:29.

midday and 6pm. Temperatures will be around eight Celsius. These are the

:26:30.:26:34.

wind speeds that we can expect. There will be rain or showers

:26:35.:26:37.

following through the afternoon and into the evening. Then we get a

:26:38.:26:42.

break for Thursday. In the east, the weather is not too bad. The next

:26:43.:26:47.

blow is on its way and it will bring further spells of wet and windy

:26:48.:26:53.

weather. There is no let up in this weather pattern. This is the next

:26:54.:27:03.

few days. Expect a reasonable day. We will see some brighter spells a

:27:04.:27:06.

man that rain starts to move in five o'clock. It may well be around first

:27:07.:27:14.

thing on Friday but it will gradually cleared away and we will

:27:15.:27:17.

see some sunny spells around. The next blow is not far away. Saturday,

:27:18.:27:24.

we have showers and some sunshine. These are the average wind speeds.

:27:25.:27:34.

That is all from us. Have a very good evening. Goodbye.

:27:35.:28:54.

My father raised me on tales of the great heroism of the Musketeers.

:28:55.:28:58.

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