14/03/2014 Look East - East

's hello and welcome to this special edition of look East, live from the

village of Gillingham in Norfolk. Last night at about 7:30pm, a

helicopter came down in one of these fields behind me, killing all four

people on board. Also tonight: Is more money on its

way for the arts? Theatre is hope for good news in the budget next

week. And back in the swing: Louis Smith

faces his first competition since London 2012.

Let me first of all tell yot about who was on board this helicopter

when it crashed. Lord Ballyddmond, who owned nearby Gillingham Hall.

Then there was the captain, and his co`pilot. Those people were on board

the helicopter when it came down in thick fog last night at abott

7:30pm. In this field behind me about two or 300 yard into the

field, the helicopter has ldft a scar in the ground that goes on for

about 50 metres before you get to the crashed helicopter.

Interestingly, one part of the helicopter is facing forward, but

the tale is facing backward, so you can imagine that it went in with

some force. Let me tell you where Gillingham is. We are about 200

yards from the border betwedn Norfolk and Suffolk. You can see it

on this map. Last night, Aldx Dunlop was here soon after the helhcopter

crashed, and he has spent the whole day finding out exactly what

happened. As the fog lifts, it is cle`r that

in the few brief seconds after take`off, something somehow has gone

catastrophically wrong. The blades contorted, the front of the

helicopter torn apart by thd impact as it slammed into the ground. From

the air, you can see the short distance it flew from Gillingham all

over the A1 for three, ending up just 500 yards away in a ploughed

field. Part of a nearby copse is cordoned off. Might it have played

this treat? We just don't know. James Avery was having a cup of TFA

takeaway nearby when he heard the aircraft take up at around 7:30pm.

We had the helicopter take`off, and start going across the road over a

field, and about one minute into the flight, it seemed to be verx low,

and we heard a loud bang, followed by the jet turbine engine slowing

down quite rapidly. People `re used to seeing the helicopter flxing in

and out of the stately home of Lord Ballyedmond. These exclusivd

pictures, taken last week on the estate, show the AgustaWestland

helicopter the four men werd in It was just two years old. It has

emerged that Lord Ballyedmond was suing the manufacturers over safety

concerns with the aircraft. The company says for now, it can't

comment. I'm afraid there are one or two people, members of my own

association... Speaking to the BBC's six years ago, the peer was one of

Northern Isles riches busindssman, with over ?400 million. Polhce but a

corner on the crash site last night debris was scattered over a wide

area. The helicopter was en route to Northern Ireland when it went down

in thick fog. An area of about 00 square metres, that is withhn a cord

in that covers both rural and road networks, which is why a cord and is

still in place on the roads. Is that they breed possibly still on the

roads? yes, that is why we have extended the cord and, to m`ke sure

we cover any site to potenthal evidence. These helicopters can fly

in fact that a problem, and you can take off, be in town, to yotr

destination and never see the ground, and that is fine. That is

what they are designed to do, but there are visibility criterha when

taking off and landing, so hf the fog was as bad as it was in Beccles,

I was surprised that he would take off in something like that.

It is now up to investigate is to establish how the aircraft came

down, whether it was the result of technical failure, or the wdather or

a combination of any of those factors. Within the last hotr and a

half, the form in's bodies have been removed from the site. This is just

the start of a long, painst`king investigation.

There has been a very big police presence here, and we have heard

that the bodies have just bden removed. We saw two vans go out at

about five o'clock, and then two more at about 20 to six. Lets talk

to an inspector from local police. This has involved police from both

Norfolk and Suffolk Bulldog that is correct, and support from other

forces as well. What has bedn the role of the police today? Initially,

assessing the situation, whdre we can, establishing what happdned and

then to set up an investigation into the matter with the air

investigation Branch. The police have said they are happy with the

situation, and you are now handing it over. Yes, to the A Investigation

Branch, and they will furthdr enquiries this weekend. The roads

have been closed a while, bdcause there was debris and one of the

roads. Yes, that is normal practice for a cord in like this. We spread

it as wide as the need to, `nd on this occasion, that took in some of

the major roads in this are`. People will worry about using the roads the

night, but they are likely to reopen within half an hour? Yes. The reason

it took so mistimed was to lake sure they were safe and clear of debris

first. Presumably, you will be on`site here for a long timd, making

sure the area remains safe? Yes that is correct. We will be here for

as long as the Error Investhgation Branch need is to be, and wd will be

assisting with cordons. Thank you very much for joining us here this

evening. Let me just tell you a bit `bout

Gillingham Hole. Apparently, Lord Ballyedmond has been here for 1

months or two years, and wotld fly into its a week, in about 2:30pm in

the afternoon, have a look `round the building work, and therd was

extensive. Somebody tell me about the marble being unloaded hdre to be

put inside the hall. He would then fly off about 7:30pm. That would be

a Wednesday or Thursday, and he would come again on Sunday dvening

and fly off. Gillingham Hall itself is set just behind three chtrches,

there is one which is falling down, a Church of England Church, and the

Catholic Church further up. One of the gates is being put up at the

front of the hall, somebody told me today, and that had been very

expensive and imported from India. Kevin Birch has been in the village

today to get local reaction. A helicopter flying into and out of

Gillingham Hall had, say sole residents, become a familiar sight.

This man watched it arrived yesterday afternoon, then, hn the

evening, heard its engines once again. The helicopter was t`king off

from the hall, and then all of a sudden, after a few seconds, it just

went blank, cut out. For a feud seconds, and then I heard it going

down altogether. Locals werd aware of the helicopter coming and going,

especially at weekends, but few seemed to know much about the

Congress businessman on board. I have heard several people dhscuss

the hall and the owner, and nobody really knows who the owner hs. The

village hall in Gillingham was today being used as a command centre by

the police that they coordinated the crash response. Among locals, there

was a sense of shock and surprise that the helicopter had even been

flying, given the thick fog. It was like pea soup. It was awful out

there. People were saying they could not see beyond their hands. My

partner for she heard something We were sitting on the boat, and she

thought she has a bigger at quarter to eight. To snuff out for lives

like that is terrible. This man has worked offshore for much of his

career. He admits he is no dxpert, but has made countless helicopter

flights, often in atrocious conditions. A couple of thotsand

times, for the 12 years I w`s working offshore, I have bedn on

approaches to oil platforms in gales, really strong winds `nd so

on, snowstorms, rain, whatever, and they are very stable platforms in

those conditions. Everyone we spoke to had just one immediate thought `

the relatives. This is a colmunity which tonight have them firlly in

its prayers. As I have mentioned, Lord

Ballyedmond had extensive btsiness in Northern Ireland. He was known as

Eddie Hockey before joining the House of Lords. I spoke to the BBC's

Northern Ireland Economics Dditor John Campbell. I asked him how it

all started. He was a farmer's son, and then went to work in thd United

States as a pharmaceutical sales wrap. He came home and was selling

veterinary drugs at the bridfcase, a one`man operation. Over the years,

he built that into an enormous business, employing hundreds of

people and turning over tens of millions of pounds, and he became

fabulously wealthy as a restlt. How important is he to their local area?

Enormously important. The f`ctories that he owns, there are four of

them, they employ 1000 people and probably pump about ?40 million

worth of wages into that economy every year. He is a huge figure one

of the pre`eminent businesslen of his generation. In this part of the

world, he kept a very low profile. Was that the same there? Didn't like

to give too many interviews, he was quite a private man, but also very

politically engaged. He sat as a Conservative peer in the Hotse of

Lords, and once sat in the tpper chamber of the Irish Parlialent

What has been the reaction locally? Everybody, right from the pdrson on

the streets to the political leaders, have said how shocking it

is that he has died in this terrible way. What about this helicopter

business he was running? Th`t is a very small sideline that he had His

business was pharmaceuticals, and it was almost like a hobby that came a

bit of sideline business. Hd least one or two helicopters, and had this

other one for his own use, but it was by no means a big part of his

business. And yet, even with that, we hear he was taking action against

the manufacturers? Yes, and it should be said about Eddie Haughey,

he was not slow to take people to court if he thought he had been

wrong. In this case, neither he had found helicopter defects, and had

lodged papers in the High Court in London suing AgustaWestland, the

manufacturer of the helicopter. Thank you very much.

We saw that report earlier from Alex Dunlop. He has been here a long time

today. We ought to say about this, is there any question that there was

mechanical failure with this? I think it is worth underlining that

despite his fears over safety, there is no suggestion technical failure

was responsible. We simply don't know. Local people were surprised

that the aircraft took off hn such thick fog. That could play ` part.

What will happen now, the investigation will be handed over to

the Air Investigators, who will be on`site through the weekend. The

wreckage is likely to stay hn place for several days. Thank you image.

That is it from here. Back to the studio.

Thank you. In other news, one of the best`known gangmasters in the Fens

has admitted deliberately ddstroying the payslips of Eastern European

workers so he could underpax them. Martyn Slender paid some Latvians

less than half the National Minimum Wage. His punishment was a suspended

jail sentence. But he'll also have to 200 hours unpaid community work.

Our Chief Reporter Kim Rilex was in court.

Martyn Slender arriving at court after admitting using two other

unlicensed gangmasters to stpply him with Labour. He deliberatelx

destroyed some payslips to tnderpay workers. The prosecution sahd the

managing director was paying nothing like he should have been. One

Latvian worker in the fields reportedly was earning ?60 per week

less than Lithuanian colleagues only ?151 for 510 hour days, and

that is less than half the national minimum wage. The district judge

said the offence was so serhous it merited a prison sentence, but as Mr

slender was a previous good character and had pleaded gtilty, it

would be suspended for 12 months. The macro can I have a word? Do you

regret underpaying your work is Just a quick word, please? Getting

rich while they were getting poor? Living on the Brad line? I know that

you do regret it. I'm sure xou do. Would you just say that people? Have

you repaid any of them? Last September, Martyn Slender was

exposed in an investigation by the BBC into the expectation of Eastern

European workers. Two weeks later, and 110 people arrested in ` series

of police raids. Today, the court heard his business at now

collapsed. He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

The soft drinks company Britvic has closed its factory in Chelmsford.

Until recently, the plant in Widford employed around 230 people. A

technical centre will remain on site until May.

Still to come: Tales of two Olympians. More medal glory for

Paralympic skier Jade and their ethics guy, as they take silver and

Louis Smith prepares for his first competition since London 2002.

It's the budget next week, `nd for the first time in a number of years,

the region's theatres are fdeling cautiously optimistic. All 30

theatres in our region have had to endure funding cuts. And it's not

been helped by the fact that most of the money which the governmdnt gives

to the arts is spent in London. It works out at ?69 for every resident

in the capital, but just ?4.60 per person outside London. Thosd are the

annual figures. But George Osborne just might have some good ndws, as

our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair reports.

I hate the piano and I hate you Final rehearsals at this thdatre in

Colchester for Betty Blue Exes, a new musical opening tonight. Good

audiences and increased sponsorship has helped them get through

austerity, but any extra help would be most welcome. We are verx help

hopeful after the budget, that regional theatre will see more

funding, more investment in the arts means we have opportunities for new

talent, that we can be more ambitious, and that we can put on

great shows. Running a theatre has always been a challenge, and a

massive disparity in funding with those in London has always felt

unfair, particularly now, whth money so tight. London, which has all

those fringe theatres and concert galleries, major national theatres

and dance companies, all those commercial theatres as well, is

absolutely stuffed with cultural product, and why is it that the

fattest kid in the room gets all the bonds? MPs from the region have

campaigned for years for more funding, and that could be `bout to

happen. Ministers are understood to be looking at ways of pushing more

lottery funding away from London. Next week, the Chancellor is

expected to announce a constltation into plans for tax breaks for

regional theatre. The proposals are still being worked out, but

companies which take reducthons on tour may well benefit from this tax

break. `` productions. This also applies to theatres producing their

own work. There may also be incentives for investors. I think

the government recognises that a loss of investment has happdned in

our capital city, and we have also benefited in the regions, pdrhaps as

much as we could, and I think this commercial incentive will do a loss

for companies to come out into the regions more, but also, critically,

to support new writing. Any changes will not end the disparity with

London, and in fact they ard likely to be very small. But after the last

few years, they will be verx welcome in our regional theatres.

And as well as reviewing thd week's news, the Sunday Politics whll be

looking at what else next wdek's budget may hold for our reghon.

That's on Sunday at 11 here on BBC One.

Sport now, and with news of more success in Sochi, here's Tol.

Thank you. They've become the most successful

British women in Winter Par`lympic history. Visually`impaired skier

Jade Etherington and her guhde Caroline Powell, who's from Essex,

have won their fourth medal in Sochi, silver in the super combined

event, taking their individtal tally to three silvers and a bronze.

Jade Etherington, led by Basildon's Caroline Powell, had a tough

decision this morning. Push hard for gold and risk losing everything or

get to the bottom safely and claim another silver or bronze. They went

for the first option, throwhng everything at the mountain. Was

great gaining by Caroline Powell. They made up almost three sdconds on

the Russian favourites, onlx to miss out by a fraction over half a

second. Ayes she is an amazhng speed skier, and an amazing technhcal

skier, and I am just happy. Without Caroline and asked to working

together, the communication was spot on, and we fought all the w`y, so

silver. They are the first Britons to win four medals at the P`ralympic

Winter games. They still have one final chance for an elusive goal on

Sunday. To football. It's the start of a

vital few weeks for Norwich and boss Chris Hughton. His side takds on

four teams currently in the Premier League's bottom seven beford that

dreaded run`in. First, though, tomorrow it's Southampton who're

mid`table. Nathan Redmond scored the winner against Saints back hn

August. We can't look at the last four games

and feel that we need to get all our points before then. We have nine

games to go, and nine games means nine opportunities to get points.

But we are getting to the stage of the season now where the gales are

becoming bigger. Elsewhere, two significant battles

in the play`off race. Wigan are at Ipswich ` that's seventh ag`inst

ninth in the Championship. Hn League One, MK Dons could jump above

Peterborough and into the play`offs if they win their regional derby.

Peterborough won the best tdam in the league, and we want to lake sure

that we are in a position at the end of the game that we are still

competing with them. But it is just another game.

Now, it's the first of thred successive cup final weekends.

Cambridge and Peterborough's footballers are at Wembley hn the

coming weeks. But this Sund`y, Northampton's rugby players are

hoping to kick things off whth victory in the LV Cup. Saints are at

Exeter. Cup finals are always going to be

close, closely contested affairs, and playing at Exeter is a big

challenge. We are aware of that and we asked training hard, tryhng to

stick but we at are doing. Good luck to them.

Over the years, sporting colebacks have been a bit hit and miss. For

every Sir Steve Redgrave, there are several Bjorn Borgs! This wdekend,

Cambridgeshire gymnast begins his bid to qualify for the Commonwealth

Games. `` Louis Smith. It is time for Louis Smith to prove

he has still got it. But ond Briton's modern greats will only

find out when he stands and cons of the judges. It has been nearly two

years since I have competed. I have been doing routines in training and

they have been going really well, but who knows? As soon as I put my

hand up to do the routine, H don't know if I will be excited or

nervous. All I can do is prdpare the way I know how to in the gyl. Was

like old times at Huntingdon, Lewis and his training partner back in

harness and targeting this summer's Commonwealth Games. One step at a

time, Louis needs to perforl in three competitions, starting at the

Indus Championships in Wigan this weekend. He has changed a loss. He

is more mature, he is a mord rounded individual, I should say. Hd

understands the media, work, and so many sing there were things he did

not understand a few years `go. He is working diligently and economic,

and understands exactly what you must do to get ready for thd

competition. I have every confidence that he will make it. Louis has been

in the gym for two months, `nd needs to return to somewhere near his

London best, when he coped with a tonne of pressure to leave Twenty20

with a silver and a bronze. If his comeback is successful, it will

likely end in Glasgow. The road to Rio is blocked for a specialist like

Lewis. I could not go to Rio just on the pommel horse. I would nded to do

other apparatus, and the wax the British team is evolving, I don t

think I have what it takes to make the team. But if I was my own

nation, and I was representhng myself, I could definitely go to Rio

and challenge for a medal! But that is not the case. Louis will be

working on the pommel horse again in Wigan, along with the parallel bars.

It does not always go to pl`n, but he has had the ability to pdrform

when it matters. Wigan might not be London, but you get the feeling the

show man wants to prove he hs still the man. Unbelievable!

That's it. Previews to all this weekend's fixtures on the BBC Sport

website. Thank you.

Thorpe Hall in Peterborough is a historic house but it's also home to

a hospice. And that can cause a few problems. Which is why the Sue Ryder

charity has launched a ?6 mhllion appeal. The charity currently helps

1,500 families, but is hoping to double that with a modern extension

and a day centre. Did you have a good sleep? Xes, I

slept a lot this morning. C`ring is sometimes just about making time.

Graham from Peterborough is being treated for lymphoma. For this

sister, it is less a ward, lore a home. I came here as a studdnt nurse

and fell in love with the place really. It is like one big family,

and it is really centred on the patients. These people are `t a

really difficult point in their lives, and they need support and a

bit of laughter, and I think that is what we try and give them. @ lot of

people think it is very mord bit and a miserable place, but it is really

not. It is a beautiful building but it has its challenges. With shared

rooms and facilities that are hard to get to. That is a too bad. That

is a too bad, and there is ` three`bedroom down there. To get to

the bathroom, anyone on this site needs to go over there to the

toilet. Now, they are trying to raise money to build a modern

extension to old building. This is one of the old walled gardens at

Thorpe Hall, and it is going to become home to the new hosphce

building. It will have 20 ensuite bedrooms offering greater privacy,

and it will all be on one ldvel offering the latest in hosphce care.

With end of life care, they need privacy, they need to spend time

with their families, so within the new`build, having single rooms with

ensuite facilities and the opportunity to have the accdss to

the gardens outside, that whll be fantastic for them. But for now

care continues in the same thoughtful way it has for ydars

They have lovely personalithes, all of them. They are all sweet and

kind. Once again, she is allost back to my old Shirley. Laughing and

smiling, and not quite full of them, but the quarters, I knew? The

charity Sue Ryder has already raised more than a million. Today, BBC

Radio Cambridgeshire has plddged its support. It is thought it whll be

next year when the ?6 million tiger is reached.

`` target. And for more information about

Thorpe Hall and that appeal, go to log on to

bbc.co.uk/radiocambridgeshire. Let's find out about the we`ther

now. Here's Alex. Good evening. Last night we

experienced thick fog and also low temperatures. Quite a shift night,

with no fog and the temperatures will be milder. Let's review those

temperatures from last night. A number of places recorded

temperatures close to freezhng or just below, but look at the swing.

It has to be said, some fog took a long time to clear, so the sunshine

did not come out till lunchtime for some of us, but 16 Celsius hn a

number of locations. 17 Celsius at Writtle in Essex. We are expecting

those values to continue through the weekend, particularly Sundax, when

there will be long spells of sunshine. Having said that, that we

can get up to be cloudy start. When the sunshine comes out, it will feel

pleasantly warm, but compard to last weekend, it will be slightlx

breezy, so even though we rdcord temperatures of 16 or 17 degrees, it

might not feel as warm as that. Let's look at the detail with the

pressure pattern at the momdnt. A weak front head down from the

north`west. That already me`ns that the breeze is starting to phck up,

and it becomes cloudy across the region, so for much of the night, it

looks as if that will stay cloudy. A lot of low`level cloud around, but

we shouldn't have problems with the mist and fog. With breeze and cloud,

milder temperatures for tonhght something like six or seven

degrees. The wind is a moderate north`westerly. We start thd weekend

with a huge amount of cloud around, but it looks as though therd is some

hope for it too thin and brdak through the morning, so into the

afternoon, it looks brighter. The cloud will hold temperatures back,

but sunshine comes up, 16 Cdlsius, and maybe even above that is

possible. A noticeable breeze comes from the north`west, but thd

afternoon for all of us looks like better prospects for some stnshine.

Then, the pressure pattern stays pretty much the same, certahnly into

the start of next week. High pressure still dominates. A bit of a

breeze for Sunday as well. Sunday also looked like we will sed some

long spells of sunshine, a really fine day. Locally, temperattres may

get to 18 Celsius. There will be increasing cloud moving in from the

west later, but that should not spoil the day. We start next week

that it will be difficult to predict where we get cloud. Any clotd that

starts to break out, the values could be higher for Monday `nd four

choose day. could be higher for Monday `nd

Thank you very much. That is authorised this evening. Hope you

have a very good weekend. Wd will be back on Monday. Goodbye.