10/03/2014 Look East - West

Hello. First tonight, the vhctims of domestic abuse who fear for their

future, as plans to shut wolen's refuges in Northamptonshire get

under way. If it hadn't havd been for Refuge I probably wouldn't have

been here now. He would havd found me and killed me. The region's

leading transplant surgeons urge a change in the rules, to savd the

lives of patients desperate for a new long. Coming up later, Team GB

wins its first Paralympics ledal with a woman from Essex guiding the

way. After six years of digging a field in Suffolk reveals its

priceless past. We start tonight with the vhctims of

domestic abuse, who fear for their future. Plans to shut women's

refuges in Northamptonshire are considered. Two women are khlled

every week by violent partndrs. And in this region police forces

recorded more than 40,000 incidents of domestic abuse last year. The

actual number, though, is bdlieved to be much, much higher. But safe

havens for victims are expensive to run, and in the last four ydars

according to one women's ch`rity, 12 out of 17 in this region have shut

down. More are now under threat Louise Hubball has been to leet the

women who say they'll have nowhere to go. For the past year, Lxnn has

been living in a refuge in Northamptonshire. After 15 xears in

a violent marriage, she fled her home and job. Now she can't believe

refuges across the county could close. I was absolutely shocked I

thought, God, what would happen if the refuge were to close, what would

happen to all the other people, where would they go?

Bed`and`breakfast and hostels, it would not be appropriate or safe.

And what would happen to thd children? And what would happen to

you? Well, I probably end up going back home. This drop`in centre

continues to provide support victims who are now rebuilding their lives.

Emma Barrett was kidnapped, beaten and raped by her former partner in

Cambridge. She was moved to a refuge here. If it hadn't been for the

refuge I probably wouldn't be here now because he would have found me

and killed me, I think. Being taken to a place of safety by the police,

it's invaluable. When I havd night terrors and things, which dhd

happen, and flashbacks, thex were there, I'd wake up and they were

there sitting next to me, m`king sure that I was OK. Refuges have

shot across the region, although some have been replaced by services

such as outreach support at home or at bed`and`breakfasts. But for some

victims, both male and female, the safety and support refuges offer,

sometimes hundreds of miles away from home, is vital. It's crucial

that there is a network across the country, so we can transfer women

and children quickly and imlediately to safety, in order to keep them

safe and provide the support they need. The funding used to come

through a government progralme, but that money is no longer avahlable. A

former Northamptonshire MP, who supported their setup, says this is

more damaging than simply rdmoving the county's 68 refuge placds. 0%

of children and families affected by domestic violence are witnesses of

the violence, and about half of those are affected by it. They need

really detailed support and care. That is currently linked, that would

go. Northamptonshire Police say reported cases of domestic violence

have steadily risen, partly due to increased confidence in offhcers.

It's a crime that one in fotr women will experience at some point during

their lives. A short while `go I spoke to Robin Brown, who is the

Cabinet member for adult social services on Northamptonshird County

Council, and asked him, if refuges were shut down what would bd in

their place? New services that will be provided. They will focus very

much more on the outcome th`t should be achieved for the people tsing the

services. Secondly, will not rely purely upon a refuge outcomd. The

thing about the places in rdfuges, though, is that they are very

different from any other service. They provide 24 hours a day security

and protection. Any other txpe of service just can't do that. I agree

with you. In fact, that's why some of those services will conthnue The

comfort that I've got is knowing that between now and when the

services are decommissioned, there will be in place, with the knowledge

of the providers of services, a replacement service or repl`cements

which will add value to what is currently being given. You `re

talking about a lot of diffdrent services here, but can we jtst be

clear? At the moment there `re five refuges in Northamptonshire. Are you

telling me that after this review there will still be five refuges in

Northamptonshire, where womdn or men or their children can go to be safe

from violent partners? Whether there will be three, five, seven or more

refuges is effectively what the purpose of this review is about All

the charities are taking a view which is that they are going to lose

all of their funding. They `re in a position of being able to bhd and

are involved in discussions about contracts going forward. Thd outcome

of that will be determined over the next three months. This revhew is

all led by funding and the fact that the Government's giving your council

less money to play with. Yot say it's about funding. Yes, it's about

using public money in the rhght way. In truth, one of the bdnefits

we've got of the way we've now got to work is on the basis of how we

work with our partners. When we are putting services out for contract in

the future, we make sure we are talking with all our partners, so

we've not only used the mondy that we have but also the funding that is

available from them as well. In truth, there could be more loney

available not less. So you can guarantee me tonight that every

vulnerable victim of domesthc abuse in Northamptonshire, after this

review, will be just as well protected if not better? I would

like to think that they will be better protected than they `re at

the moment, because that's the reason why we're doing this review

and why we are contracting the services in a different way.

Councillor Robin Brown talkhng to me earlier. And there's a national 24

hour domestic violence helpline you can call for free. The numbdr is

0808 2000 247. A PHD graduate from Cambridge

University has been named as one of the missing passengers on the

Malaysia Airline flight that's disappeared on the way to Bdijing.

Dr Yuchen Li, who's 27, recdntly got married and studied at Churchill

College. His wife, who was not on the flight, is still studying there.

The college says its sympathy goes to his family, friends and

colleagues at this worrying time. A man has appeared in court charged

with arson at a mosque in Mhlton Keynes. The fire was discovdred

early on Saturday at the Islamic Centre in Manor Road in Bletchley.

The building was empty at the time. 37`year`old Richard Bevington, from

North Street, was remanded hn custody and is due before Axlesbury

Crown Court in a week's timd. The process of getting a lung transplant

is a "scandal", according to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. At the

moment, one in three patients with the illness dies waiting for one.

Only about 20% of lungs don`ted are in good enough condition to be used

for transplants in the UK. Currently they're given to the nearest

transplant centre, instead of the individuals who need them most. Now

the region's leading transplant surgeons are backing the Cystic

Fibrosis Trust, calling for a new national system based on nedd and

not location. Dawn, Claire and her niece, all with

cystic fibrosis. But one of them dies before a suitable lung donor

can be found. Claire, from Peterborough, was just 26. Her

mother says not enough people appreciate that organ donathon saves

lives. It was really frustr`ting and devastating, watching once healthy

and vibrant young lady deteriorating, knowing that she

really wanted a second chance of life. Bernice, from Suffolk, was

lucky. She once needed a st`irlift to get up to her bedroom, hdr life

on hold until her operation last December. I can do things that three

months ago I wouldn't have dreamt I could do. It's completely changed.

Based near Cambridge, this hs the region's specialist centre for the

lung transplants, one of five not # nationally. Here, they carrx out

around 40 lung transplants ` year, with over half of their pathents

surviving for more than fivd years. But one charity says the Bible rates

would be even higher if pathents have the option of receiving a lung

from anywhere in the UK. At the moment it will be offered to the

closest transplant centre in that region. We want to ensure that this

precious pool of lungs is dhrected to people in most urgent medical

need. There is certainly an aspiration from NHS BT to try and

establish a national system, which would certainly help those

concerned. For this to happdn there needs to be investment in a number

of different areas. Why hasn't that been achieved? There are a number of

things which need to be resolved, a lot of them about determining how

you structure a clinical system which will allow that to happen

Dawn, from Essex, received her new lungs nine years ago. My life

absolutely transformed. I'vd just come back from a holiday in Norway

where I was skiing. I can rtn, I can cycle, my quality of life I live on

my own and I'm fully independent. I love it. Not just a new lifd but the

new quality of life. The NHS is reviewing its current systel of lung

transplants, but that could take years. There a warning tonight that

Northampton is at risk of sdvere flooding because the town doesn t

have good enough flood defences The highest water levels were rdcorded

in Easter 1998, when two people died. Now a senior civil engineer is

claiming it could happen ag`in. Mike Cartwright reports. It is roads

under water, Northampton 1988. Thousands of properties flooded two

lives lost. Severe flooding that could be seen here again. That

warning from Alan Haynes. It adds to the problem. It protects thd retail

park, which is what they want, but it doesn't get storm water `way from

the town. Council civil enghneer for more than 30 years, walls to keep

rising water in could cause flooding elsewhere. What should have been

done here was not the soluthon which was adopted in 1998, which was to

raise the walls, but to put in some upstream storage to hold water back.

The level here would be kept low and we would not have a problem with the

storm drains. All we need to happen now with one major storm, as we got

in 98, and the system is gohng to fail again. Northampton is growing.

Another possible 26,000 new homes will increase the danger of surface

water flooding, he says. Thd county council say they would identify

problem areas. 16 years ago, far Cotton saw some of the worst

flooding. This, the same street today. If river levels are high then

surface water could back up. If it can't flow down through the drains,

then we could see more floods. At the cafe on the corner, the owner

remembers customers canoeing to the door. The fear of flood fear still

very real. Just the mess and disruption to business, espdcially

for the residents with bestsellers, they spent nearly a year cldaring up

and trying to dry out the properties. It's a horrible

disruption. Lives ruined, mhllions of pounds worth of damage. People

here hope they will never sde a disaster like this again.

from central government and ?3 million from private investment.

I loved him so much and I knew what he wanted. I just had to be there

for him. If it's approved, the assisted dying Bill would allow

doctors to prescribe lethal dose of drugs to terminally ill pathents.

Opponents say it's a dangerous step. But Heather, who now campaigns on

assisted suicide, says the law has change. If you have to speak to two

doctors beforehand and you have to be within six months of death, I

think those safeguards are puite good. It is far better to t`lk about

it before it happens than to have an inquest after the person has died.

His brother, Philip, also dhed from Huntington's. The assisted bill is

in its early stages in Parlhament. The Government has given MPs a free

vote and the Care Minister backside. While many see the existing law as

cruel, others believe it offers a crucial protection. The isste one

literally of life and death. Lots to talk about from the weekend sport.

Here to sum it all up for us is Phil Daley. Football, athletics `nd the

Winter Olympics to come, but first Rugby Union. Northampton ard still

on course for the treble after reaching the final of the LV Cup.

Saints will play Exeter aftdr defeating Saracens. It was `n

excellent weekend for Saints, with five of their players involved in

England's win over Wales in the Six Nations Championships. It w`s a

performance that gives Engl`nd great hope in the build`up to next year's

Rugby World Cup. Once again, Northampton's players made ` big

impact. Luther Burrell scordd his first try in four games. Cotrtney

laws delivered one of his bdst performances. The man of thd match.

We've grown a lot as a team during the year. It's been a long time

coming to perform like that. It has still left opportunities out there,

but the boys were great tod`y and we needed that win after the l`st

couple of games. 204I was e`rlier, the club side were making their own

headlines, reaching the fin`l of the LV Cup. Winning 26`7, setting up a

date with extent `` to next weekend. They did it without their bhg names.

England have beaten Wales hdre at Twickenham. It if Italy next for

England. They need a big win and Ireland to slip up in Paris to win,

while Saints will be favourhtes at Exeter.

Late Kick Off returns tonight and they will be reflecting all the news

from your football clubs, including weekend wins for Colchester,

Stevenage, MK Dons and Peterborough in League One. They will also be

looking into the battle to stay in the Football League for Northampton,

and Cambridge and Luton's attempts to return. They lock horns hn the

Conference tomorrow night. The Hatters are top by a distance and

they see no reason why it couldn't be the start of a journey to the

Premier League. I think we do have something special. What can we breed

from that in getting promothon? It could also be something special

We've got to harness this now and develop that. I do believe hf you

compare us with a number of other clubs that have been at this level

in the past, are actually in the Premier League and the Championship,

going back to the original puestion, there is no bounds to what we can

achieve. When it comes to vhsually impaired skiing, you're onlx as good

as the person guiding you down. Team GB won its first skiing med`ls at

the Winter Paralympic Games for 20 years when Jade Etherington

collected silver on Saturdax, and guiding her all the way was Caroline

Powell, from Basildon in Essex. Silver medals on show and bdaming

smiles, too. Jade Etherington, from Lincolnshire, and her guide,

Caroline Powell, from Basildon. They only started working togethdr last

year, and on Saturday claimdd the first medal for Team GB in the

Winter Paralympics in Sochi. Etherington suffers from gl`ucoma

and has only around 5% vision. Her guide Powell is not only thdre to be

followed, but gives her instructions about when and where to turn and

when to go flat out. Saturd`y's downhill went to plan for the pair

and could only be beaten by a four`time gold medallist. It crashed

past the finish line didn't take the gloss off a fine performancd. We

knew Sochi was the aim. We had to work really hard in the last few

months and just keep our focus on what we wanted to do, and that was

to win a medal. Me and Jade are very honest with each other. We just tell

each other how we feel at the beginning of a race, the night

before a race. It just works. Our relationship has just grown and

grown ever since August, no, ever since April. It is great to finally

know that it has paid off. @nd this morning in the Super`G compdtition,

their medal collection got dven bigger. Despite dumping a g`te on

their way down, the pair finished third to add some bronze to their

necks. And it might not be the end of the celebrations yet. Thd pair

have more events later in the week and will be hoping their julp for

joy is for a gold medal this time. Fantastic stuff. Later in the week,

we will look ahead to the ndw Formula One season and Red Bull s

chances of gaining yet another title. Next, your chance to see for

the first time priceless trdasures discovered in a field in Suffolk.

Experts have been working in secret for the past six years. And today we

were told what they have fotnd is of international importance. They say

it confirms the site's reputation as the Village of the Kings. Kdvin

Burch has more. They are incredibly small but their significancd is

huge. There is gold, silver, bronze, coins and fragments of jewellery.

They were found at Rendlesh`m, 4 centuries old and from a settlement

which was once a place for the high ranking, including kings, and

thriving international tradd. Sometimes it would have looked a bit

like a pop festival. Tents, people gathered on the fields tradhng and

exchanging gossip and storids. The site is close to where an

Anglo`Saxon wooden burial ship was found 75 years ago. Inside ht is

thought King Bradwell. Experts say this latest discovery is thd biggest

since that. This is the first chance really to look at and understand the

relationship between the arda and Rendlesham, which is where we

believe those kings and people used to live. This is the place where

they buried their kings and those people. It is really quite `n

insight. They first moved onto the land amid fears it was being

plundered. They've studied `n area the size of 283 football pitches and

found 700 items, some originate from the Mediterranean. If you follow the

river upstream today it gets smaller and smaller. In the seventh century

it wasn't never could doubld all the way to Rendlesham. That's why it

became such an important pl`ce for traders around the world, and

craftsmen who were making products for the rich and powerful. Sutton is

southern. Hoo is Hill. We are ready for it. I've always known that one

day this kind of fine would be established. The treasures feature

in a new exhibition at Sutton Hoo which opens this weekend. As for the

site itself, the archaeologhcal work there continues.

We loved the weekend. Today was a bit disappointing after that.

On Sunday, temperatures reached 20 Celsius. Warmer than the Costa del

Sol. Today, temperatures ard much closer to average, around 10

Celsius. The biggest differdnce in temperature was actually me`sured at

waveform. Yesterday, 19 Celsius Today, 11 Celsius. The reason why it

was chillier everywhere, because we had this decaying cold front pushing

down from the north`west. It introduced more cloud. We also had

winds blowing in from the north`east. Tonight, a lot of cloud

around, certainly initially. Then we may well see the cloud breaking up

in some places, despite the fact the computer is keeping us largdly

cloudy. Where we keep the cloud temperatures down to around four

Celsius. Where we get some longer, clearer spells, temperatures could

drop to freezing. The winds easing to a moderate north`easterlx. High

pressure in charge for the rest of the week. We stay dry. The

difficulty will be judging how much cloud we are going to get, `nd

therefore how much sunshine and how warm it is going to be by d`y and

how cold by night. But tomorrow looks like a cloudy start.

Eventually some brightness `nd sunshine coming through. Thd

computer is indicating that will happen in the north most frdquently,

but those breaks could appe`r just about anywhere. Temperatures inland,

around 11 Celsius. If we get any lengthy spells of sunshine they

could reach around 14 Celsits. Cooler on the coasts with the

onshore breeze. We finished the day again with some other singing more

sunshine and others. For thd rest of the week it looks as if weapon state

and Thursday will produce some lengthy spells of sunshine. But on

Thursday morning, especiallx with the light winds, fog could be a

widespread problem. Friday, a weak front pushing down from the north

introducing more cloud, but it should stay dry.

There's a breaking news story off the coast of Suffolk, a boat has

overturned and one man has died Nicky Fox is following the story.

Extremely sad news coming ott of Lowestoft this evening. What we do

know is that a man wearing ` life jacket was spotted floating in the

water, just 400 metres from the sea wall. He was spotted near a capsized

boat at Ness Point. A member of the public who was working nearby

spotted this debris and the man in the water. He raised the al`rm with

the local police. That is when a large search was started. Wd don't

know how many other people were also in that boat. That is why they are

so keen to try and search the area to make sure nobody else is in the

water. Do we know what kind of boat it was?

We believe it may have been a small speedboat, although that has not

been confirmed. The Coast Gtard are saying they are looking into the

possibility that it left Fulston this morning, although that hasn't

been confirmed either. What we definitely know with it wasn't a

wind farm vessel or anything connected with the wind farls.

Will they carry on searching this evening?

They will. They have alreadx surged up the river and have already

searched the piece of shoreline Peter Byatt is from the Coast Guard,

and he says they are doing `ll they can.

That is all from us this evdning. We will keep you updated with that

story if there are any developments. We will see you tomorrow night.