07/05/2014 Look East - East

Hello and welcome to Look East. In the BBC News at Six, so it's

Hello and welcome to Look East. In the programme tonight. The Suffolk

Police Commissioner tells Look East no one need lose their job, despite

the force having to make millions of pounds of cuts. Whilst numbers will

decline there'll be no redundancies. Things have gone wrong. What

injuries will he sustained. In theatre: The Afghanistan veterans

taking to the stage to describe life back in Civvy Street.

The Women's Cycling Tour is on the road. We speak to the

Brit ` live. And Springwatch heads to Suffolk. A

sneak preview of what we can expect on the coast at Minsmere.

First tonight. The Police Commissioner for Suffolk promising

he can avoid compulsory redundancies despite having to make savings of

?16 million. Just last week Tim Passmore pulled the plug on

controversial plans to merge the Suffolk control room with that of

Norfolk. But millions of pounds have still got to be saved somewhere.

We'll hear from him in a moment. But first Sally Chidzoy with this

assessment of the challenges faced by both forces.

The Norfolk and Suffolk police and crimes commissioners were always

poles apart on marrying up their control rooms. Even inside the hall

where the plan collapsed, they sat at a distance. Suffolk's PCC killed

it off. They wanted the merger to help them save ?1 million a year.

They fear job losses will result. We have to find ways of delivering the

same service for less money. We mean less people. I am not saying at this

moment in time that it will see a reduction in PCs. Both forces have

to look at their sums again. Norfolk has to find ways of saving ?20

million and it is inevitable the workforce will have to slim down. In

Suffolk the next runner cuts will pile on the pressure. It will impact

on 2500 officers. Both forces are having to work on a plan B to find

savings. In Norfolk that will be made public in July. A former Chief

Constable welcomes the decision to abandon the merger, saying it is not

about money. A lot of crime is local, a lot of disorder is local

and the kind of communication you have to have is local. If you create

structures which distance people from the police it is more difficult

to do, so the crime commissioner has all of these factors, not just

finance. It is the finance that is providing the biggest headache as

over 80% of police budgets is tied up in paying salaries. Savings can

only be made by reducing staff. How that is done is the challenge.

So, tough decisions ahead for Suffolk Police. I sat down with him

and asked them if his decision on the merger was purely down to the

business or politics. I am a politician but I do say it as it

is. I always put the interests of Suffolk verse. It is not just about

money, it is about trust and confidence. You cannot take this

lightly. If something had gone wrong after merging and there was a fatal

incident, I would have taken the blame bed. I was not prepared to do

that. Would it have made a difference if it was in Suffolk?

Definitely. It would still be merged. The problem is that you

would have the reverse argument in Norfolk. This would have saved you

nearly ?1 million a year. You have to find lots of savings and your

wage bill is your greatest expenditure. You can't guarantee

there are going to be significant job losses. If you look at the

projections, you will find that whilst numbers will decline, there

won't be redundancies, so the pain would be great. I want to clarify.

Are you saying you don't think there will need to be any compulsory

redundancies? I don't think so. I can't give you a guarantee of

course. At the moment it is a prediction. We have to save around

?60 million, which is a huge sum. I am responsible for that. Surely you

can't do that with natural wastage? With the savings we already have

built`in, yes we can. You have a lot of people up for retirement. Will

the police force to be slimmer? It will be slimmer. We have to join

things up and make it bigger. As far as your relationship with the

police, ?500,000 down the drain. That is up to the constable to spend

money. That work has not been wasted. We have looked at

recommendations between joint management structure. There is no

reason Ashton be done. Don't think all that money has been wasted. ``

why that shouldn't be done. We are always happy to look at all areas.

The main thing is that we will keep that county police there and we will

cooperate from a position of strength and respect each other.

The police in Essex say they're growing increasingly concerned for

the safety of a 13`year`old. Kathryn Goodchild was last seen at her home

in Tiptree just over 24 hours ago. Police officers say she's never gone

missing before. Richard Daniel is in Tiptree now, Richard.

This is every parent's nightmare. A teenage girl missing. Kathryn

Goodchild lives about half a mile in that direction. She was last seen at

home last night just over 24 hours ago. Her parents raise the alarm at

1030 last night. This afternoon the police have stepped up their search

in the area. They have been combing would land near their home and

carrying out door`to`door enquiries. They have been investigating her

mobile phone but there have been no responses do that. She wasn't

carrying any money either survey I `` so they are worried. Why are you

concerned at this stage? This is out of character for her. She has been

missing another 24 hours and she hasn't been in contact with her

family. You are keen to make clear that if her friends are listening,

she is not in trouble. Our sole aim is to get home safely. The search

will continue until light fades. She is described as five at seven tall.

She is slim and has light brown hair. When she went missing she was

last seen wearing a black top. Anyone with information on her

whereabouts are being asked to call 101.

A member of Labour's Shadow Cabinet visited Essex today. Gloira De Piero

is the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. She met a group of women

from Basildon to find out what she can do to try to help them. She said

one issue stood out above all others.

I met one of the women today who has a little one, who was a

three`year`old, so when I said, well you get 18 hours free childcare at

the moment, but actually it we are elected next year it will be 25

hours free childcare. Norwich City's Premier League fate

could be decided this evening when Sunderland play West Brom. The

Canaries managed to hold Chelsea to a goalless draw on Saturday. But it

won't be enough to save them if their fellow strugglers pick up a

point or more. Should they lose, Norwich will need them to go down to

Swansea on Sunday and then win against Arsenal. The club have been

in the Premier League for the past three seasons. Relegation would cost

them millions of pounds. 65 servicemen and women from our

region have been killed in Afghanistan but hundreds more have

suffered life changing injuries. Now a theatre company made up of wounded

veterans is working with professional actors to show the

stark reality of life after war. This from our defence reporter Alex

Dunlop. Every soldier on the stage has

suffered physical or mental trauma, many in Afghanistan. They are about

to take the audience on their journey from the battlefield back to

civvy Street. Dan Shaw was a Tarrant 's expert until he stepped on a

landmine. `` TOWERING. It was very tetchy at the start. You

accept that instead pushing it away. You the fact what has happened and

it rehabilitates you. When the two worlds first opened the cast realise

people wanted to know about the brutal truth of modern war. When we

saw that a standing ovation it was validation for the effort and the

time we have put ourselves through to create this play, because it was

exhausting and tiring. But not just for us, but for our families who

were engaged in that project. After their pep talk, these schoolchildren

will see the play tonight. We can connect with them. It was powerful

and I think we got a laugh from it. A gripping play `` we got a lot from

it. These new actors say they don't want sympathy, they just want a

greater understanding of their world.

Still to come. It is not looking good for the weekend. We have the

forecast. Springwatch rolls into self work. `` Suffolk.

The Women's Tour got under way today ` five stages held over five days.

And all of them in the East. It is the first international women's race

of its kind. And the organisers hope that in the years to come it will

become the Tour de France of women's racing. Today they raced through

Northamptonshire. James Burridge has been with them. And he's in

Kettering now, James. Welcome to Kettering. We have had

fantastic access. Right in the heart of the truck behind me is where they

have their crucial team meetings before the riders go wild. This

really is the nerve centre. Copy machines crucial of course. We will

show you the lie of the line. Showers for the team after they

finish. To my right this is all the engine room. The small bits and

pieces. Here are the extra supplements the team needs an vital

small bits of details they can go through as a unit, and once racers

finished they can watch look East. It has been a fascinating day to see

so many people come out and watch this inaugural women's race. They

expected a crowd but not one quite like this. Across the Channel big

crowds are standard but here this was new ground. Over 5000 people

crammed into a picturesque market town for a moment of sporting

history. The inaugural women's tour of Britain. For Britain to put this

on is amazing. There are so many people, I can't believe it. It is

hugely important and as a British rider I am proud. As the clock

struck 11/100 of the world's best riders hit the road, a wave of noise

rolling down the streets `` struck 11, 100 of the world's. I liked it

when the cyclists went past. I fell off my bike. Women's sport receives

less than 1% of sports sponsorship. Names were made and a market was

born, making events like this possible. The tour is incredible

because it sets a positive tone, not just about sport but encouraging

young girls and boys to think about cycling as an option. We habited in

France, but having something `` have the tour De France, but were about

2012 we would not have this. One of a number of villages struck by the

law of the tour. It swept through the landscape. Police on hand to

sort the traffic. You have close roads and towns. It causes a bit of

disruption and not every councillor or member of a town council is that

of the doing it. But the ones who are brave enough to say, come on get

on with it see the benefits of it. In just over two hours they crossed

the line. The winner was from Sweden. Day one turn and it

definitely delivered `` day one . What was it like? It was fantastic.

It was unbelievable. I suppose you can never have expected that

support? I knew the organisers were nervous about people turning up.

They can rest and know they put on a good event. We still have four more

days ago. What is your next challenge? I go back to America and

have four more days ago. What is your next challenge? I go back to

America and having few races Trott and it seems women's cycling has

taken off? It was definitely the best events. Everyone realised that

and they put the time and effort in to make it better. This week was

great. Best of luck. Let us give you a understanding of the tour because

it starts in South Leicestershire, but it makes its way through

Northamptonshire and it finishes in Bedfordshire tomorrow evening. It

has been a fascinating day, a Gray Davis cycling and thousands have

come out to watch. `` a great day. With the European elections just a

fortnight away, one leading think tank is predicting that more people

than ever will vote for parties that are against the whole idea of the

European Union. In this region, most people will vote in the east of

England constituency where last time two of the seven seats went to the

UK Independence Party. UKIP's always done well in Euro elections because

they use the proportional representation system. Now their

success has encouraged other parties with similar views. This from our

political correspondent Andrew Sinclair.

Students of history will know it was in the village here where the

peasant revolt of 1381 began and so it was here that the English

Democrats launch their call for an English revolt. The party wants us

to have our own parliament and spent our taxes only here in England. It

is the UK structure which we think is operating against our interests.

The only have to think that in Scotland and Wales there are free

prescriptions of everybody. In England, hours have gone up.

Deciding how we want to be governed is a key theme of the minor parties

at this election. The alliance which has had minor success in local

elections once bring a Christian focus to European politics. We are

standing for traditional marriage. We also stand for withdrawing from

the EU because money is wasted there. The European Parliament is

littered with former UKIP members who have fallen out with Nigel

Farage. This man has set up what he calls the true UKIP. I can tell you

there's nothing happening in there which should concern us. We leave

Europe. Westminster should make our laws. Whilst those in the trade

union movement has set up their own party. Those at the moment are

cutting worker's standards, lowering the minimum wage, allowing people to

work in other countries on the basis of their country's minimum wage. Not

wanting to be left out, the BNP, worried about the influence of

Europe. Free movement sees me they will come this way. We don't move

the other way. Everyone is coming here and it is because of the

European Union. Those of the mainstream parties are supportive of

EU membership to a greater or lesser extent, but the recent success of

UKIP has given these parties hope they're tapping into a new wave.

According to the think tank as many as a third of the seats here could

be held by empty EU parties after these elections. Finally tonight,

Springwatch is migrating to Suffolk after three years broadcasting from

a nature reserve in Wales. The programme will be based at the RSPB

reserve at Minsmere, on the coast between Aldeburgh and Southwold.

Three weeks of live wildlife coverage kicks off on Monday May

26th. Shaun Peel has been for a look around.

The world famous Minsmere nature reserve in Suffolk. Home to more

than 5000 species, over wetlands and woodlands, heathlands and

grasslands, sand dunes and shingle. And now for the next three years,

home to the BBC's Springwatch. Wow, so this is it, this is the studio?

Absolutely. This is the structure they're going to use, where the show

will be broadcast from. What an absolutely stunning view.

We just don't know what might turn up. We have just had a flock of

cranes drift across the reserve, a really rare bird here despite the

common name. It's really difficult to be certain what we will be able

to showcase but we are certain that whatever we do show will be

fantastic. Yes, hello and welcome to the final programme of Springwatch

2013. For the last three years Springwatch has been embedded in

Wales but they have always coveted Minsmere. It is the jewel in the

RSPB's crown and now this corner of Suffolk will be British nature's

shop window. Cameras have been installed around the site of the

first three weeks of broadcasting at the end of May. The reserve will

still be open and bosses here are hoping that TV cameras will inspire

people to visit. The excitement is building. It is fantastic to be able

to show people what fantastic wildlife we have here. Particularly

here at Minsmere. It is one of the best places to watch wildlife in the

UK. The BBC's first ever live bird watch was from Minsmere 25 years

ago, and now the live cameras are back, back from the west coast of

Wales to the east coast of England. The stage is set now for the real

stars of Minsmere to put on a show. And BBC Radio Suffolk will have more

on Springwatch on their breakfast programme tomorrow morning. Etholle

George will be talking to presenter Chris Packham at 7.10am. We know

it'll get worse because you rain there. More wet and windy weather to

come. We had a number of showers across the region today. Here is a

satellite picture from today. Some sunshine this morning but those

showers come in words. Some of those showers are quite heavy. They will

fade away now and a lot of dry weather developing this evening.

Taking a look at the bigger picture you can see this next area of cloud

developing. Tomorrow there will be some wet weather to come. A lot of

dry weather tonight, quite a bit cloud though, especially later on

tonight and we will keep that moderate wind. Tomorrow is all about

these weather fronts coming in from the south`west. A warm front

bringing patchy rain and this more active cold front bringing rain. For

much of Thursday a lot of cloud, outbreaks of rain, intermittent no.

`` though. The winds tomorrow or lights and temperatures at best

about 14 or 15 degrees. But as they say, later afternoon there could be

some heavy, possibly thundery outbreaks of rain. For Friday

low`pressure comes in, so quite a blustery day, with some heavy

showers as well. Then we get this cold front developing on Friday

night. That should hopefully clear by the afternoon so is laid into

Sunday, but the low is still weather is on Sunday and the winds are

turning around. It will turn cooler towards the end of the weekend.

Overall it does stay unsettled. Some sunshine in between the showers, but

with all that it should stay weather to be mild at night.

with all that it should stay weather to be mild at That is all from us.

See you tomorrow. 'This is the story of Nick Clegg -

a man entrusted by a nation 'to act upon the policies

he proposed.