27/01/2014 Look East - West

colder. It could be short lived That is all from the BBC's

Rita Boro named as the fastest`growing city in the country,

population and jobs, and Milton Keynes just behind. `` Peter

borough. It's a great choice for people to `` Peterborough. It's a

great was for people to rebuild their lives. The headteacher from

Northampton getting tough on bad parking. And the mild winter weather

means early snowdrops. Julie will have the forecast late `` later

Good evening. Welcome to Look East. The two fastest growing areas in the

country are in this region. Peterborough and Milton Keynes have

seen their populations rise by .6% a year for the last ten years. That

means there are now an extra 27 000 people living in Peterborough and

37,000 more people in Milton Keynes. Alongside this, both are in the top

ten for new homes being built and both are doing well in terms of new

jobs. Also scoring highly is Cambridge, which has seen consistent

growth for a number of years. Let's go live now to Ben Bland in

Cambridge city centre. Those three cities in our region

were singled out because of just how quickly they are growing. This

report was carried out by an independent think tank, and it

compared towns and cities across the UK. Here in Cambridge, Milton Keynes

and Peterborough, they have found that the population is growing but

also the number of jobs. Martin Gibson had been in manufacturing are

18 years, but two years ago he was unemployed and struggling to find

work. Then, Premier Kitchens moved its factory from Birmingham,

bringing jobs to the city. It was good. You had to look further

afield, Birmingham, East Anglia Norfolk, Ipswich. Peterboro was my

best option. Quite local, 30 minutes, and it's fine. And it is a

city that seems appealing to other businesses as well. The report says

4000 new private`sector jobs were created in Peterborough in 2012 a

rate of growth only beaten by one other city in the UK. The managing

director and founder of this company said he found the local authority

hear more business friendly than others. When we began to ask

questions of the local council and the regeneration company, they were

helpful in guiding us towards this unit and helping us with any

knowledge of European funding or anything available to us. And the 15

extra jobs we have created because of the manufacturing here was very

well received. According to this report, Peterborough is the

fastest`growing city in the UK. The growing population means building

new homes, like the ones being built here. It also puts pressure on

greater demand on services and infrastructure. Things like schools,

hospitals and roads. But a growing population is music to the ears of

small businesses, like the buskers copy shop. It is in Milton Keynes,

the UK's second growing `` second fastest`growing city in the UK. The

customer base is widening all the time. Lots of new housing and people

moving in, which is good for business. What is it that draws

people and business here? It is centrally located between London and

Birmingham. Great communication links. The infrastructure is

fantastic and it is a great choice for businesses to invest and for

people to invest in their lives Northampton did not fare so well. It

was picked out as having proportionally lost more jobs than

almost every other town in the UK, but the borough council says the

figures are wrong, and big businesses are investing in creating

jobs and that more people there are now in work, which they say is not

reflected in today's report. Ben, Cambridge is still seen as a city

leading the country out of recession, but there are also

negatives in today's report. Yes, it doesn't tick the boxes we

expected it to take, low unemployment, high rate of jobs

being created in the private sector, but house prices here remain

amongst the highest anywhere in the country and increasing, which makes

an increasingly unaffordable for people, especially those on lower

wages. Some parts of the region feeling quite hunt `` hard done by

in this report. Yes, Northampton in particular. On one measure they did

well. They were in the top ten for the number of new businesses

starting up. But another figure suggested that the town was losing

jobs. The borough council says that the figures relate to 2012 and don't

reflect the current situation. They say the council has put a lot of

effort into trying to improve things and the jobs are being created but

it has been reflected and probably won't be until next year 's report,

or even the one after. A postmortem is taking place on a

19`year`old man who was killed in Bedford at the weekend. He was found

dead on Costin Street just before 6.30 on Saturday night. He'd been

stabbed. Police are trying to trace a group of people seen running away

from the scene. A 20`year`old man has been arrested.

A man accused of helping the Peterborough serial killer Joanna

Dennehy dispose of bodies told police he feared for his own life

and thought he would be her next victim. Leslie Layton is standing

trial at Cambridge Crown Court and denies preventing the lawful and

decent burial of two of Dennehy s victims. He also denies perverting

the course of justice. He's standing trial alongside Gary Stretch ` he

also denies all charges. Joanna Dennehy has already admitted killing

three men in Peterborough last year. She's also pleaded guilty to the

attempted murders of two other men in Hereford.

A woman has told Look East how she's lucky to be alive after a sharp

object was thrown onto her car from a motorway bridge on the M11. It

happened on Tuesday night, at junction seven near Harlow. The

police are appealing for information.

This morning, Jane was scraping the snow from her Volkswagen golf. The

motorway incident has affected her so much she does not want us to use

her surname, but she knows she is lucky to be alive. When I reported

it to the police the next morning, they said that had it gone through

the windscreen, the chances of me keeping a straight line was not good

and I might have actually caused an accident and maybe even a pile`up

and I might not be talking to you. Jane was on the M11 in Russia on

Tuesday evening after visiting her mother in Norfolk when a large,

sharp object smashed the sunroof `` in the rush`hour. The bangle was so

loud I was initially very shocked, slightly scared, then I realised

what was happening `` the Bang. Then that passed. It just annoyed me

after that. And this is what it did to the sunroof. Thankfully the solid

cover inside was closed. This is the latest of an incident in Essex were

lumps of concrete have been dropped from motorway bridges. There is the

potential for serious injury if not of the talented to arrive `` arise

from this. It's also a risk to drivers losing control of vehicle ``

a fatality to arrive. It may well be children. Jane was fortunately not

injured and she does not understand why anybody would do something so

dangerous. Chris Wilder has been appointed the

new manager of Northampton Town He's signed a three`and`a`half`year

deal after leaving League Two rivals Oxford United. The clubs agreed a

compensation package for Wilder s departure on Sunday. This morning he

took charge at Sixfields, where he faces a huge task saving the

Cobblers from relegation. You won't meet many managers who

prefer a relegation dogfight to a promotion campaign, but this morning

Chris Wilder left Oxford United swapping 18 league places and 2

points for a three and a half year contract Northampton Town. How big a

decision was this for you to make? It was, and a lot of people will

question it, but I have ambition, I have my own reasons, personal and

professional. Maybe it is the right time. I have been there for five

years and maybe the car was driving itself in on its own and I needed

that new challenge. We left it a bit late and there has been some

frustration at the back of it, but when you are bottom of the league

you have to get right person and you have to be 100% comfortable with the

person, and we have it. The Cobblers have been without a manager for five

weeks following the sacking of Lady Boothroyd in December and have won

only one of their last seven league games. Northampton had flirted with

relegation for many seasons, but this year it is serious. They are

six points adrift at the bottom of the league and have only scored 20

goals, and they have 20 league games left. The route is simple, if they

want to survive, they have to score goals and they have got to score

them quickly. I don't think I will get much sleep this week. I will be

working tirelessly in terms of improving because it needs

improving. The team has not scored enough goals. They are not doing

enough at the top of the pitch. His work has already started.

Northampton host Rochdale tomorrow but the January transfer window is

arguably more important, as he has cash to splash to save their league

status. James, this looks a huge task for Chris Wilder. Where does he

start and does he have enough time? He has got enough time. The first

five games of the 20 will be key. This week is where it all starts. He

has to be a bit of a wheeler and dealer in the January transfer

window and raid his contacts book. He was hugely successful at Oxford.

It was the consistency of performance that served him so well

but it will be a massive mental test for the players and the fans have to

be positive as well, the chairman who is watching and paying for this,

this is a bit of pounds. `` this is a bit of a nightmare, it would cost

him hundreds of thousands of pounds if they were relegated.

Next tonight: The pensioner left battered and bruised after tripping

over a health and safety sign. Dr Peter Lawrence was walking down a

dark pavement in Cambridge when he tripped. His face hit the floor and

part of the sign went through his leg. He's now threatening to sue the

council for what he considers "health and safety gone mad". Mike

Cartwright has the story. It was about 16 `` 6pm, it was dark

and wet, and the sign had fallen over completely. You have to imagine

it had fallen over. I tumbled right onto the road. I landed on my

glasses, they were destroyed. I had the top of my head and cheekbone

swelling up like mad, and bleeding. Getting nasty. It could have been

much worse though. The sign he fell over is not only dangerous, it is

pointless. It has been put here because of some rule, not because it

makes sense. Nobody would put a sign here on the vestry and walkway that

was crowded, with traffic coming to the right, so to put this sign in

the way, they will see when they are standing up, but not when it falls

down. And in the dark there is nobody to put it up again. It warns

about work on the hotel opposite. Permission for the sign was granted

by the County Council but after that they say it is up to private

companies to follow guidelines where signs should go. This Cambridge

academic says it being hit in the first place is health and safety out

of control. `` here in the first place. The roadworks have no

significance to the driver. They don't need to know about it. It

doesn't change their behaviour one jot. But a pedestrian can fall over

it and I could have been killed Is he right? Would it be right to not

have a sign because there is roadworks? It shouldn't be somewhere

where you can fall over it. Doctor Peter Lawrence says he might sue and

says he once wrote sign clutter off our streets. `` he once wrote sign

clutter. Hundreds of workers at a food

processing plant in Corby have voted to go on strike. The dispute at

Solway Foods is about pay and working conditions. Staff are

expected to walk out for one day a fortnight. Just over 900 people work

at the site. Unions say almost 2% of those who voted supported strike

action. told not to worry because police say

Mr Clarke was specifically targeted. Still to come, a headteacher on the

warpath over parking problems on the school run.

And signs that spring may just be on its way, Alex Dolan has been to see

some very early snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey.

I am sure you know in a lot of places the clean`up after the pedal

search last month is still going on. Everything from repairing the sea

defences to helping people who were made homeless. And it wasn't just

people there were the animals as well in particular the seals. In all

108 pups were taken to the RSPCA centre at East Winch in Norfolk.

Because they were so young they needed hand feeding at regular

intervals ` an incredibly laborious process. So, nearly two months on

how they getting on. This report is from our Chief Reporter Kim Riley.

The tidal surge brought the largest influx of seal pups to this centre

in its 25 year history. When I last visited it was overwhelmed. Staff

working around the clock to keep over 100 orphaned pups, many of them

very sick, alive. The seals are improving, which is great, we have

lost three, sadly, but the less are living. Numbers in the isolation

unit, all of them named after breakfast foods, are now below 40.

Greek yoghurt was brought in just yesterday from Winterton, he is fed

fish soup through a tube of the three hours. He is on antibiotics

and pain relief for the deep wound on his father. The possible dog

bite. Leading the wind requires firm handling. He is quite strong and

seal handling is quite difficult, it is a physical job, they do not want

to be fed so we must set a physical job, they do not want to be fed so

we must sit astride them and feed them. You must be quite firm but

gentle. Is the other pair in intensive care, at the coming along

OK? Yes, muesli and stroppy, what are doing very well. They are

beginning to hand feed at almost always picking up the flesh by

themselves. It is progressing well and they are looking fitter and

better. `` picking up the fish by themselves. The good news is that

real progress is being made, more than two dozen pubs are now building

up strength in outdoor pools. Encouraged to compete for the

herring and mackerel as they must do in the wild. It costs ?22 per week

to feed a seal pup, the RSPCA overwhelmed by the public response

to crisis appeal to help the seals. It has been lovely, we have had all

sorts of and cards telling us that they think we are doing the right

thing. It has been fantastic. It may be months before all of the orphans

are returned to the wild. But this group, enjoying feeding time in a

pool normally reserved for Swans, could be heading for open sea in

just two or three weeks. Muesli and compost, they will soon run out of

names! Dropping the kids off on the school

run is something many of us take for granted. But are you parking safely

when you do so? One head teacher from Northampton is so fed up with

bad parking outside her school that she invited cameras from Inside Out

to spend the day with her. As these pictures show Jackie Lapsa has got

quite a problem on her hands. When I spoke to her earlier today Jackie

Lapsa told me about the reaction she gets when she approaches the

drivers. It does tend to be very mixed. I have got to emphasise it is

only a small percentage of parents who drive illegally or drive

dangerously. I have got to say that at times the responses have been

very rude, and verbally aggressive. Why don't you get the police to do

this rather than you taking it on? The police say they haven't got the

presence to have someone here all the time. My answer is that I am a

very expensive traffic warden, and really my focus should be on

educating the children and providing the best education we can. The

answer I feel would be for the police to come here every three to

six months and actually enforce the law. Then I think we would see a

real turnabout. Give me an example of the worst case you have seen.

Last week, for instance, we had a car reversing, not really looking

where it was going and going up on the path, narrowly missing two

children and their parents. And that is the point, isn't it? It is not

about keeping the road clear but the danger to children. Absolutely, the

danger to children and to the adults, the parents, as well. There

is an accident waiting to happen and that really does concern me.

Jackie Lapsa speaking to me earlier today. I am sure many of you have an

opinion about that. We always love to hear from you. We spoke to

Northamptonshire Police this afternoon. They told us they do

patrol the area around the school but "it is not possible to dedicate

an officer solely to the parking issues at the school, considering

other incidents and issues we are dealing with on a daily basis". You

can see what happened when Mrs Lapsa confronted some of the drivers in

Inside Out tonight at 7.30 on BBC One.

Football now and it was not a good weekend for our last surviving teams

in this year's FA cup. Both Stevenage and Southend were dumped

out in the fourth round. To be fair both teams faced Premier League

opposition. And on both occasions Goliath knocked out David. Our

Sports Editor Jonathan Park has this report. It was the dream tie for

Southend manager Phil Brown, and new Lady dream start against his old

club. The team played with gusto, and they very nearly had the goal in

round two. It hits the bottom of the bar and out again. The difference

between the haves and have`nots is finishing chances of, and all

back`up striker Matthew prior to prove just that with two goals that

ended the cup run. The manager was proud of his players but maintain

winning promotion is more important than any cup win, even against his

old club. The theme continued at Stevenage when a call would have

given the Ordovician team extra belief. The reason that spurs and

Newcastle have failed to beat Newcastle on home soil, at Everton

found only on the do not fear reputations. The finishing of

Premier league level was on display again. Naismith with the goal! FA

Cup wins in the past have helped pay for a new training ground, but

irrecoverable beaten 4`nil by Everton. Try estimate, a fat blue

line kept them off the scoresheet. Then I'd buy another FA Cup

giant`killing. `` they were denied another FA Cup giant`killing.

And on tomorrow night's Look East. We'll be looking at moves to

eradicate racism from football. There've been plenty of incidents

over the years. Tomorrow we'll be talking to those in the game about

their experience. Actually, it's not just the seals

that have been affected by the weather. Lots of rain strong winds

but very mild, which is why the aconites have been out for weeks and

now it's the turn of the snowdrops Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire has

more than 20 varieties in its grounds. And the lack of snow and

ice this winter means some are blooming two weeks ahead of

schedule. Alex Dolan has this report.

Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire, in the depths of winter. But already

there are signs of spring. It might have started to get called this

week, but we have had some really mild weather this winter and so far

no extended cold snap. That has confused some plans into following

LA. And that means this year 's snowdrop Festival is starting ahead

of schedule. Ten days or two weeks only from anything we would expect.

What strikes me is how many there are. Over 270 varieties in our

collection. This is Richard Ayres, our last head gardener. A beautiful,

strong early double with a cluster of petals of the inside. Absolutely

beautiful. If you are to be brave enough to bring a tent doors you

would find it has a lovely Connie sent. 44,000 people came to see the

snowdrops last year and the early blooms are attracting the close ``

attracting the crowds. Last year became infected the added was deep

in snow and we could not see any plans but this year we have come and

it is so much more forward, earlier in the year. What have you thought

of the snowdrops? Dutiful, they make you feel good.

There are many varieties and lots of them. Each year there are more and

more. If it gets really cold, what'll happen? The thing they will

worry about is if there is a really sharp frost it will burn some of the

flowers in our winter garden, especially, they are not used to

frost and it is not good for them. How will the snowdrop cork? The IV

medical flower, they fall down in frost and stand up the next day. ``

they are the miracle flower. It is going to get cold and for these

snowdrops winter is not quite over yet.

Like little soldiers who stand up after the frost. That one with the

green on the outside is lovely. My daughter said she thinks spring

is just around the middle. Not just around the corner. I am sorry. Just

to say the snowdrop Festival at Anglesey Abbey runs until Sunday the

9th of March. You have probably guess it is time for the weather.

It has not been the most exciting day, on Monday that has been fairly

miserable, it has to be said. We have had some breaks in the cloud

allowing for some sunshine but generally a lot of cloud feeding

down from the north`west and the thickest of that has produced

showers and rein in places for the time. Overnight we will have further

showers pushing them from the West, some of these will be heavy and

possibly somebody, too. Some will band together to give a longer spell

of rain. The cloud and rain means it will not be as cold as last night,

temperatures no more than four degrees or five degrees. We could

see some rural spot dropping to two degrees. We will have a moderate

south`westerly wind for many of us, inventing a frost in most areas.

Tomorrow the low pressure is still with us and the weather front will

slip over the top, bringing a fairly unsettled state. A lot of cloud and,

perhaps some sunshine if we're lucky but generally cloudy skies with

showers moving through and against some of those will join together to

give a longer spell of rain and some could be heavy possibly somebody.

Temperatures are around average, six degrees or seven degrees. ``

possibly thundery. There will be modest to freshen south to

southeasterly wind. We finished the day with further showers or a longer

spells of lean. Perhaps some sunshine before it gets dark in some

places. Over the next four days we could see brightness or sunshine on

all of these days but generally we are expecting a lot of clothes

alone. Wednesday will be unsettled with longer spells of rain with dry

interludes in between. The thing about Wednesday is the wind starts

to go easterly and that means it will feel quite cold on Wednesday

with highs of only around five degrees. On Thursday the wind eases

down a touch, temperatures are struggling to around three degrees,

if we're lucky, so bitterly cold. On Thursday the greater chance of some

of that train of thought showers turning when the with sweet or wet

snow, the small chance that this will happen to the rain showers on

Wednesday but a greater chance on Thursday. No Friday, the showers and

rain should be out of the way for most of the day, it looks as though

the bulk of the day will be dry with some brightness and sunshine if

we're lucky but generally cloudy skies and eventually a weather front

pushing them from the West. At the moment it looks as though that rain

should not rise until after dark. `` should not arise. There will be

frost timing more widespread, and Thursday is looking very cold

indeed. That said for tonight. Goodbye. ``

that is it for tonight.