29/04/2014 Look East - East

Thank you very much. Goodbye from me. And

Hello and welcome to Look East with Stewart and me. The headlines

tonight from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. In court. The former

speedway world champion Michael Lee, accused of rape and sexual assaults.

Essex detectives go on national television to help find the killer

of James Attfield. This bereaved father lost his

children in a house blaze. Tonight, he appeals to a burglar to return

irreplaceable items stolen from his home. To some people might be

stupid. To me, that is me, that is our little world.

And the remarkable story of a war`time bomber, which survived

against the odds, is to be made into a film.

The former world speedway champion Michael Lee has appeared in court in

Ipswich today accused of carrying out sexual assaults on two women. In

his heyday in the 1970s and '80s, Michael Lee dominated the world of

speedway and was a celebrated figure in venues like King's Lynn and

Mildenhall. But at Ipswich Crown Court today, the jury was told his

career unravelled. Seven years ago he avoided jail for drug offences.

Today, a woman took to the witness box to accuse him of raping her. Our

Suffolk reporter Kevin Burch was in court.

Michael Lee making his way to the Crown Court this morning, once on a

pedestal, now on trial. Today a woman he is accused of attacking

spoke in court about what she says happened. The victim of the alleged

rape spoke directly to the jury, a screen shielding her from the rest

of the court room. She told them how she used her arms and legs to try to

push Mr Lee away. She said he told her she had to be punished, saying,

I kept begging him but I was too scared not to do what he wanted, I

couldn't stop him, I thought he was going to kill me. Michael Lee is 55.

The court has been told how he was a dominant force in Speedway, a former

world champion, but he fell from grace, notably convicted of

producing and supplying cannabis. He is now facing the accusation of

rape, which is alleged happened in December 2012, a charge of

assaulting a woman causing actual bodily harm, also in 2012, and two

charges of sexual assault in 2011. It is claimed he put his hand up a

woman's dress in a pub twice, and was allegedly grinning and laughing

at the time. The jury heard that when Michael Lee was arrested last

February, he insisted the accusations were pure fabrication.

The trial is expected to last up to ten days.

Detectives from Essex appeared on the BBC's Crimewatch programme last

night to make a further appeal for help in solving the murder of James

Attfield. Mr Attfield suffered more than 100 knife wounds when he was

attacked at a park in Colchester a month ago. I'll be speaking to the

officer in charge of the investigation, after this from our

Essex reporter Gareth George. The cord and has been listed here,

but posters still appeal for witnesses to come forward. `` the

cord and has been lifted. This park was searched and no one even frogmen

in the river, but the murder weapon still has been found and on police

seem no closer to solve this crime. Last night, a national appeal was

made on Crimewatch. It happened last month. He died after being seriously

injured in Castle Park at around 5:45am on March 29. He had been

stabbed 102 times. The police are there was a good response, to people

they were speaking to, did come forward but there are still 13

others caught on CCTV walking through the park, who they want to

trace. A reward of ?5,000 has been offered by Crimestoppers. Police are

convinced someone somewhere knows who the killer is.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Werrett is leading this inquiry. We

are a monophonic, what stage is investigation at? Do you have any

leads? `` a month on. There was a good reaction to Crimewatch

yesterday. We have had some other phone calls coming in, giving us

some information. Is your hunch that it was random or targeted? At this

stage we don't know what the motive was. We are following both lines of

enquiry, whether he was in the wrong plays at the wrong time or meeting

someone. This is awful for the family, but it must be whirring but

other residents that the murderer is still at large? It is concerning. We

have increased our patrols around the area, but again we have had 200

calls from the public giving us information and we are following it

up. If anyone knows who is responsible I would urge them to

contact us or Crimestoppers. If the person responsible, you would

imagine would have been covered in blood, and there are things that

might help the investigation? If someone has a knife missing or they

have seen a night with blood on it, then contact us. We have had a queue

calls in relation to knives which have been sent away for examination,

but we have not identified the weapon yet, so we believe it is out

there. In relation to clothing, if somebody has come home with bloodied

clothing, I would urge them to contact Crimestoppers. Thank you

very much. A father, who lost two children in a flat fire, has had

irreplaceable items stolen in a burglary. The items, which include

locks of hair and moulds of hand prints, were taken by thieves from

the man's home at Wymondham in Norfolk. Today he appealed for the

items to be returned. I always had a big smile on me. Bill

is show me pictures of his children, they were just three and five when

they lost their lives. The news shocked the community in the

Midlands where they lived. They died after fire destroyed their flat one

night last August. It is bought the children have been playing with a

lighter. We sat there with the kids in our arms and he could still feel

the heart going. You sit there with this hope, and then it breaks your

world. Losing his children is something he struggled to get over.

He moved to Norbert to start a new life. Last week a burglar took cash

`` Norfolk. I have held on for it that long it has been there. It is

my peace of them I have been able to keep through a horrible thing. That

is me. That is our little world. This is the window where thieves

enter the property and is just a queue footsteps from the station

platform. There is CCTV on the platform but still has been told the

cameras either unreliable, they don't work, or pointing in the wrong

direction. What would you say to the people that took these things, if

you had a chance? Think if it was your kids, think how you would feel.

The stolen mementos Worley had left of his children. He is hoping they

will develop a conscience `` were all he had.

Some news in brief, and a lorry driver has been seriously injured

after his vehicle hit power lines in Norfolk. It happened at Church Road

in Felmingham just before 2pm this afternoon. The driver was airlifted

to the specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Essex. 850

homes were left without power. Bernard Matthews has appointed a new

Managing Director. Rob Burnett will join the company at the end of June.

He's come from Hain Daniels which owns brands like Sunpat and the New

Covent Garden Soup Company. Last year Bernard Matthews posted an

annual loss of ?20.3 million pounds. Southend East and Manningtree

stations have been named among those sharing ?100 million to improve

access for disabled passengers. The money was announced by the

Government today. The improvements are likely to include new ramps,

lifts or tactile paving. The money will be shared between 42 stations

across the country. It's not yet known how much money will be given

to Southend or Manningtree. Coming up next on Look East, the region

passes a health check with flying colours. And it's a warm welcome

back to work in Cambridge for the woman who was gored by a Highland

Stag A new survey out today suggests that people living in our region are

among the healthiest in the country. We score well on everything from

having our five fruit and veg a day, to feeling less lonely. But the

research by a health insurance company shows we struggle to find

time for exercise. And apparently we worry about the impact of growing

old. Our special report tonight is from Maria Veronese.

Living in the east is good for your health. We are happy and eat our

fibre date and keep well trim. I live in a city so it is easy to come

to the market. There is fish and vegetables. When you eat vegetables

your age increases. Although my body is given up now I think by eating

healthily I lose a better wave. `` a bit of a weight. We are not so good

when it comes to the gym. Getting ready is the hardest bit. Most of us

have good or excellent health. We are happy with our lives with a lot

saying our lives all worth while. That is the highs in the country.

The national average of people being lonely is 34%. Here in the east it

is just 29%. It reflect society here. We have a strong sense of

community in our towns, and that is an important aspect of life, and it

probably is one of the reasons why we have such a low proportion. 29%

is still hide? Yes, but we have more people living by themselves. More

people are living longer and maybe widowed. Those background backs feed

into that figure. Living alone shouldn't mean being lonely. They do

get out and do things. There are lots of activities for older people.

They are encouraged to form friendships and do activities. While

we may be healthy we have our concerns, and one is getting old and

what impact that will have on our health. Nobody wants to be old.

Things start to wear out. We keep going. There is no point in

worrying. You just try and stay as fit as you can.

Was that a class for women, all were there no men there? We deserve what

we get. You eat both fruits for yourself and also my portion.

In a few weeks' time there will be events to mark the 70th anniversary

of D`day, the Allied invasions, which changed the course of the

Second World War. In a moment, we'll be hearing about

a tale of war`time heroism which is being turned into a film. But first,

a special exhibition to mark D`day at the Imperial war Museum at

Duxford. Ben Bland has been along for a preview.

Even 70 years on Nick Archdale is still learning things about those he

fought alongside at the D`day landings. Ron rushed upstairs to

establish a firing division. He startled a young French couple,

lying naked. Nick himself is featured in one of the portraits,

each capturing a personal moment or memory of the campaign. In that

place, a bullet hit the wall right beside my eye. It completely blinded

me. Only for a moment. And so I always remember that place. A

Frenchwoman bathed my eyes. I could see again. It took two years to put

the exhibition together, photographing each veteran at a key

location, poignant for those on both sides of the campaign. This was a

standout moment, because she hadn't been back to the chateau where she

was a nurse for 69 years. So, to walk around the chateau with her

listening to her say how things were, and seeing that glimmer of

recognition was a standout moment. You will never do that again. In

June 1944, Jeff Paterson was just 20 years old. He remembers dodging

enemy fire on patrol. His photo was taken at the stables where he was

shot in the leg. What kind of feelings does it bring about seeing

this photograph? Well, it is strange to see yourself some 70 years ago.

I'm only too thankful to be standing there being photographed. Looking at

it now it is quite poignant. Each of these photos tells its own story,

not just in the words that accompany it, but in the faces of the veterans

themselves. The exhibition is open here until the end of this year.

The true story of a German fighter pilot, who had the crew of an

American bomber at his mercy but instead allowed them to fly to

safety, is to be made into a film. The bomber had been on a mission

from Cambridgeshire in 1943 when it happened. Now the playwright Tom

Stoppard has acquired the rights and filming could start next year.

This airfield in Norfolk, former home of the 448th bomb group. There

were 3000 young Americans here between 1943 and 1945. In the

restored control tower, Pat Evison showed me the officers' watchlog for

Monday, 28 December 1943, when an unexpected visitor made an emergency

landing. At 14:29, B17 S167 landed from the mission with one engine,

one dead, one injured. They informed division and base. 21`year`old pilot

Charlie Brown was at the controls. The flying fortress had come under

heavy ground fire on a mission over Germany. The tail gunner had been

killed, an engine destroyed. When a fighter came alongside, it's pilot,

Franz Stigler, decided to spare them. Over 40 years later the two

men were reunited and became firm friends. I looked out the right

window and there parked on my right wing is a German BF109. The little

sucka looked like he owned me and belonged there. It is hard to

describe because it was so crippled. You know positively that there were

badly wounded people aboard. And for me it would have been the same as

shooting at a parachute. I just couldn't shoot. To do something like

that was brilliant. They counted up how many people, through his act,

were alive now, their children and grandchildren and all the relatives

involved. Charlie and Franz died just months apart in 2008. Who will

play them in the film based on the bestselling novel, A Higher Call?.

We have got people in mind and it would be unfair to say who we are

approaching, going to approach. It will be the usual suspects and we

are pretty excited about the names on the list. They're holding the

first open day of the season on Sunday. Visitors can reflect on the

499 airmen who lost their lives flying from here and on Charlie and

his crew, spared by an act of great humanity amidst the fog of war.

Isn't that a truly remarkable story? A woman who was gored in the throat

by a stag has spoken of the "simple joy" of eating solid food for the

first time in nearly four months. Dr Kate Stone was left with

"life`threatening" injuries after being struck by the animal in the

Scottish Highlands. This week she finally came home to Cambridge. Alex

Dunlop caught up with her. It's been a long haul back to work

for Kate Stone, a planned week's break for the New Year became a

four`month marathon. Are you sure you missed me? How big is the

welcome body? Huge. This is what I use to breathe through. If it was on

the back, I could have been like a dolphin and swam. Today the welcome

back from her small team was heartfelt and humorous. Kate loves

baked beans, but finally she can enjoy real food. How does it feel to

eat again? Amazing, absolutely incredible. I am sipping my cup of

tea, eating my cupcake. It has been incredible. This was Kate's diet

while recovering with relatives in Scotland, fed through a gastric

tube. She had been on holiday with friends when they startled a stag in

this garden. In its panic the animal charged. It's antlers impaled Kate's

throat. During an operation in March surgeons reopened her

throat,grafting skin from her left shoulder. My food pipe and windpipe,

there was a joint between the two. They separated them and laid it up

between, whilst leaving me attached, and over about two weeks that healed

up and meant I could eat again. Until now Kate has had to manage her

employees remotely from Scotland while undergoing treatment. The

company is at the cutting edge, using microelectronics to connect

artworks and posters with smartphones and tablets. This poster

is Bluetoothed to my iPhone and every time you touch a different

button, a different sound plays and on the screen you see all the

colours. This is an interactive advert? Yes. Kate says the accident

has reinforced a personal philosophy of hers, never take anything for

granted. I couldn't breathe through my mouth or nose. Suddenly I could

breathe, and I blew on my fingers and it was such an incredible

experience, and for several hours later I just blew on my hands and

cried. It just made me realise it is not until we are lucky enough to

lose something that we get to appreciate the most simple things.

Good to be back? Good to be back. I have two smiles. This one, and this

one. Isn't that amazing? . A reminder

that the BBC is offering apprenticeships in its local radio

stations. Successful candidates will start a 15 month apprenticeship in

September. If you are 18 or over by September, a non graduate and you

want to find out more, go to the BBC website at bbc.co.uk/las. The

deadline for applications is May 12th.

And so to the weather. It was a slow start this morning, a lot of Mr

round, and some of us some rain but into the afternoon the cloud obeyed

`` mist around. It is still possible you might catch a light shower

before the day is out but much of the night is dry. Wheelhouse and

clear spells overnight and the chance of some misty patches `` we

will have some. The temperatures were only get down to eight

Celsius. Once more a slow start of the day tomorrow and there could be

more cloud through the day. A risk of some isolated showers but they do

look isolated. Most of us will be dry and that mist and Fog is slow to

clear. Places like the coast may hang on to some mist right through

the day but elsewhere looks hopeful that it will brighten up. Where we

see the sunshine the temperatures should climb to 16 degrees. The

winds are generally light and variable but a little bit cooler on

the coast itself. As we get into the afternoon we might bring in some

isolated showers, looking those at risk across southern counties. Then

of course we look to Thursday because there are some big changes

on their way. We have big pressure moving in is that means not the best

day of weather on Thursday. It will introduce some cooler air as well,

so if you're thinking about the bank weekend, it is quite early to talk

about the weather but it looks certain to be dry with some sunny

spells, high pressure building in. It will feel quite a bit cooler with

a chilly night as well. So we have that web data, on Thursday with some

rain or showers `` wet day. That's all from us. Good evening.