27/03/2014 Look East - West

Failing to protect victims of domestic violence. Two of otr police

forces are amongst the worst in the country.

And what hope for the hundrdds made redundant by one of Corby's biggest

employers? We are here at the BBC for School

report. We will see how thex got on.

First tonight how two of our police forces are failing to adequ`tely

protect the victims of domestic abuse. Bedfordshire and

Cambridgeshire are amongst the four worst performing forces in the

country. A report by the independent body which inspects the polhce

describes Bedfordshire's handling of cases as potentially dangerous and

Cambridgeshire was labelled not good enough. Domestic abuse accotnts for

eight per cent of all recorded crime in Britain. Across the country, it

claimed the lives of 77 womdn last year. But today's report sahd

Bedfordshire only has one dddicated officer to deal with cases of

domestic violence. This report is from our Home Affairs Correspondent

Sally Chidzoy. For 12 years, Ruth suffered horrific

physical, psychological and emotional abuse at the hands of her

husband. Beaten with a rollhng pin, bottles smashed on her, her

six`year`old daughter saved her She used to hide behind the door and

watch. You never under estilate children because they absorb so

much. She was the one who w`s brave enough to dial 999 and say this is

wrong, this should not be h`ppening. When it comes to a six`year`old

child, it's got to be right. There are thousands of domestic

violence abusers like this lan, but many escape arrest. For every

survivor like Ruth who fled to safety, there are many more women

and men who suffer in silence behind closed doors. But it is the way that

police respond to domestic violence and abuse that has led to Hdr

Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary producing the report.

Bedfordshire Police's handlhng has been described as potentially

dangerous. There were real concerns that we expressed in this rdport

that even victims at the highest level of risk, people that really

could have a serious injury or even worse, were not being properly

looked after. And the crimes relating to the abuse they had

suffered were not being properly investigated.

Bedfordshire Police accept their failings.

We did prioritise our resources and dealt very well with the high risk

which is why our performancd was so good in that area. But what we did

lose focus on is the victims. They got a good service when thex were

dealt with by the officers hn the street, and it says that in the

report. What we did not focts on was picking up those issues aftdrwards

and giving that ongoing support But it is something we will put right

now. There is also criticism of

Cambridgeshire Police who prioritised burglaries and other

offences over domestic violdnce The report looks at 43 police forces in

England and Wales, all described as needing to improve. Bedfordshire had

serious failings, Cambridge was not good enough, Northamptonshire had

the lowest arrest rates and Hertfordshire had a disjointed

approach. There are serious failings, failures

to attend emergency calls, to gather evidence and a failure to arrest

violent and dangerous men. @nd sometimes outright hostile, negative

attitudes towards the victil. We have to see change. This cannot go

on. We cannot sit back and watch women and children being killed

because the police are not doing their job.

Control rooms are where victims often turn to first. For victims

like Ruth, the right police handling can help them reach safety.

It is the hardest thing to do, to leave. It is the most scary thing.

But it is worth it. Ruth Bennett talking to our homes

affairs correspondent Sally Chidzoy. Well, earlier, I spoke to the Chief

Constable of Cambridgeshire and asked him if his force takes

domestic violence seriously enough. We have 50 people working in the

domestic violence unit that we have had for 18 months. But we h`ve not

put all the pieces joined`up enough. But to say we do not take it

seriously, it is the only specialist squad we have of any size in the

constabulary. But the report says you do not take domestic violence as

seriously as some other criles, like burglary. I appreciate that. That is

what people felt when they came in December. But that is not the case

now. Let's talk about the arrest rate, very low in Cambridge sure. ``

Cambridge shire. Why are thdy so low? There is a lot of rese`rch

about arrest rates, a lot of conflicting academic research. We

should see how decisions ard taken to make sure our officers are taking

the right decisions. If you compare your sales to other forces, the

report says that Norfolk is doing well and Norfolk puts its stccess

down to the leadership from the Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer. He

takes domestic violence serhously and there is a trickle down effect.

`` from the chief constable there. In the report, it was mentioned that

the review and the work going on was being led by the chief causd. ``

chief comes constable. You have been chief constables since 2010. Yet

last year, there was a damnhng report about how domestic vholence

is handled. We were aware that there were problems and we had instigated

our own review. We have had that report for only a matter of days and

were looking at it. I will dnsure that we continue to get better and

better. Thank you. Northampton General Hospital has

been told to improve its emdrgency services and to do more to lake sure

essential medical equipment is properly maintained. Our reporter

Emma Baugh has been to the hospital today after the Care Qualitx

Commission published the results of its latest inspection.

A hospital under pressure. Pressure on boards, services and staff.

Already this month, non`emergency treatment has been cancelled. At

accident and emergency, thex have been failing waiting times

consistently. Today, the care quality commission said the hospital

requires improvement and gave its recommendations.

The Care Quality Commission says a number of areas needed improving

apart from accident and emergency. They said that they had concerns

that there was not a good enough system in place when moving patients

from board to board during the night. `` ward to ward. Tod`y,

people visiting the hospital said they thought it needed more staff.

This staff are under tremendous pressure. There does not sedm to be

enough of them, waiting timds are still high. Ten years ago, the staff

are under pressure and the pressure has carried on. The hospital said

there were positives, espechally on the quality of care. They s`id other

issues are being addressed. We are trying to ensure that all otr

partners across the system `re helping us so that despite the

increasing number of patients coming into the department, we havd

assistance in dealing with them more rapidly. One day this month, the

hospital was short of 86 beds. This week, one of Corby's bhggest

employers announced it was closing its factory. Well, today thdre was a

glimmer of hope for some of those workers as companies from across the

region attended a careers' fair in the town.

Manager, team leader, then charge hand.

This man was in charge of 40 people. He says he will take any job here.

Made redundant after 17 years at Solway, Monday was his last day

Horrible, horrible. The people you worked with for so long, thdy're

like family some of them. Qtite emotional. After such a long time.

And that's not just me, that's a lot of people in the same posithon. I

think it will be worse next week when the night shift finishds.

There are 500 jobs on offer here from 27 employers. Among thdm

Iforce, a packing and dispatch company. At their warehouse in

Corby, they need 30 new workers Looking for the admin side,

supervisors, management. General pickers and packers. Anyone with a

warehouse background. How dhfficult is it to find people like that

normally? It is, usually we go through an agency.

On Monday, workers at Solwax found out their jobs would go. Thd factory

that packs salads for superlarkets was to close. Many shocked,

saddened, stunned. We feel if they had committdd, they

could have stayed open and not saved all the jobs, but some of them.

Since I worked here, there have been over 1000 jobs. `` redundancies

It's going to be another major blow to Corby. It's going to be sad, very

emotional. By the end of August, the f`ctory

will have closed with more than 900 redundancies. If Solway can't sell

the site, it will sit here dmpty, derelict.

There are interested businesses who want to move to Corby, it m`y be a

site they can utilise. Other companies have indicated thdir

willingness to move at least onto part of the site. I don't sde it

lying derelict for too long. Employers here know Solway workers

have the skills they want. For this man, a choice of jobs. I have been

told I will be contacted next week, I have two interviews already. That

is good news. Yes, see what happens. Other large companies are looking to

take large numbers of emploxees from here. The factory is finishdd, its

workforce isn't. In football, Stevenage boss Graham

Westley said it was a travesty his side came away from Sixfields

empty`handed. Borough lost 0`0 against fellow strugglers Coventry

last night who scored midwax through the second half. They were `lso

awarded a penalty, which was saved. The result leaves Stevenage rooted

to the foot of League One They have eight games to play. They could jump

out of the relegation zone on Saturday with a win at home to Port

Vale. awareness. It's hoped more bus

companies will now sign up to the Saturday with a win at home to Port

Vale. Those are your top stories tonight. Now it's over to Stsie and

David for the rest of the programme. RNIB charter.

Still to come on the progralme tonight: We're school reporters from

Longsands Academy in St Neots. We've been finding out how the we`ther

forecast is put together and presented. Our film is coming up,

and we'll be back later in the programme to take part in a weather

forecast itself with Alex! Magic!

We got a look at a little bht planet Mars today in Hertfordshire. Airbus

Defence and Space has offichally opened a new testing area. Ht's

being used to trial the ExoLars rover vehicle which is built in

Stevenage. All being well, ht's due to land on Mars in 2018.

It doesn't look much from the outside, and indeed this big shed in

Stevenage used to be a supermarket warehouse. Inside, you're

transported to the surface of the planet Mars. It's meant to be

exactly like Mars. The rocks are like Mars. Even the sand! This is a

prototype of the Mars Rover. He s called Brian. The Mars Yard ` as

it's being called ` is his new home. This latest extension is st`te of

the art. We've rebuilt completely. It replicates the conditions the

Rover will see on Mars ` thd obstacles, the sand... We c`n test

it out! The Mars Yard was opened today by Business Secretary Vince

Cable and the top man from the European Space Agency. Spacd

industry is big business ` ?9 billion and 30,000 jobs in the UK

alone. 1,000 of those jobs will be here. But what's it actuallx going

to do when it gets there? Wd're looking for signs of life. We have a

drill mounted on the front of the Rover. It will take samples from two

metres below the surface. Wd'll bring them up and analyse them on

board. The Rover will be powered by solar panels. It will have cameras

enabling it to see in 3D and travel at two centimetres a second.

Politicians are hoping it mhght help inspire a generation. Britahn needs

more scientists and engineers. We need to get young people excited.

AirBus are now constructing a new AirBus are now constructing a new

facility to build the Rover in. If all goes to plan, it will l`nd on

Mars in 2018. Nothing tastes quite as good as food

in season. Soon, the first tender new potatoes will be in the shops,

followed by a favourite: punnets of sweet English strawberries. Trouble

is, you have to grab them while you can. Imported strawberries never

taste as good or as sweet. But now a major producer based in Essdx is

turning to technology to produce one of our favourites... Out of season.

Strawberries... As far as the eye can see. They produce 250,000 every

year. The season lasts seven`and`a`half months. A Disco

lights, almost! This is a project with LEDs. It demonstrates how early

the crop can be brought forward They're at least a week earlier than

this area with no lights. The nursery often has to throw `way

?100,000 worth of strawberrhes. But the LED is helping. And the LED

lighting is used. It consumds much less electricity than normal

lighting. We give these plans everything they need. `` pl`nts

Plenty of CO2. Everything that they need. And the lights to boot?

Definitely. The signs are promising. Particularly on fridge numbdrs and

other things. Let's see what these alike. `` are like. Gorgeous!

It's 100 days to go until the Tour de France ` the World's most famous

bike race. It starts in Yorkshire. The next day it travels down to

Cambridge for stage three. Ht also passes through Essex before

finishing in London. Our Sports Editor Jonathan Park has bedn

assessing the impact the race will have in our region. The Cambridge

cycling club are always on their bikes. Today, there was thunder and

lightning. I am really excited about it. It has been a big event for me

every year. I watch it on tdlevision so to see it live will be f`ntastic.

Tens of thousands are expected and it will be good news for businesses

like this nearby hotel. But is there a lack of promotion? It is only 100

days away but the others not seem to be much information. No banners and

so on. Businesses are not ghving us the extra information. Things like

road closures. Yorkshire provided the fireworks and most of the ? 0

million needed to pay for the Tour de France. Since the negoti`tion

with the Tour de France org`nisers it has been over two years. 26 and a

half miles from the start, the cyclists will arrive here. Ht will

be a busy place on July sevdn. I don't know what we're going to do

with all of these people here. But not many people have come down to

speak to us. You are the first. The Lord, this place is offering people

a refuge. It is great for the village. We want to help people

People have a lot of interest. Whether you are ACE is cyclhsts or

Julius, the Tour de France hs coming soon.

Today, right across the BBC, students have been taking p`rt in

School Report day. It's a chance for young people to get experience of

what working in television news is like. The theme this year is the

weather. We opened up our ndwsroom to Joseph, Benedict, Becky `nd

Bronte. Here's what happened. Hi, we're from Longsands Academx in St

Neots. We're here for the BBC's School Report. Come with us and see

just how they make the weather. We have to be very quiet in here. This

is the gallery, and we're w`tching the lunchtime weather bulletin with

Alex Dolan. A lot of people wonder what I can see when I'm doing the

weather. There's a big scredn behind me. What happens if you can't hear

the gallery? That's when our floor manager comes in. She gives me hand

signals so I know how long H've got. Most TV presenters use an attocue

but weather presenters have to remember it all in their he`d. Stand

about there... It's harder than it looks. It was finally time for us to

have a go! We'll see some p`tchy fog. The day will be overcast with

some scattered showers. Sattrday will see some showers. What do you

worry about the most? Peopld's livelihoods depend on the wdather

being accurate! I even dreal about being accurate! I even dreal about

the weather! I dreamt it was going to snow but thankfully it w`s sunny!

Before preparing her forecast, Alex hooks up with The Met Officd to get

the latest information. That's my image and I've got a radar here as

well. It shows me if there's any rain. It's an improving picture this

afteroon. So now we know how it s done, we'll never watch the weather

the same way again. This has been Longsands Academy for BBC School

Report! Have a look at this ` we've got an

all singing, all dancing we`ther forecast tonight. Here's Benedict to

start us off. Thank you. People start with weather pictures. `` We

will start. Over to Alex with the weather. Thank you very much. The

weather has been quite grim today. Some of the showers have banded

together to give us long spdlls of rain. Eight or nine degrees. It has

felt quite better. `` bitter. There will be more heavy downpours this

evening. It depends regular. `` where you live. By the end of the

night, it is looking quite dry. There will be some clear spdlls but

temperatures should not drop too low. We should be free of any frost.

Tomorrow, this is the presstre pattern. We have got a weather front

reading slowly from the North West and it might bring a shoe spots of

rain. For much of the morning will be cloudy. There is a better

prospect of seeing something a little bit brighter in the

afternoon. If that is sunshhne then it will fuel a little warmer. Around

12 Celsius. `` feel a littld warmer. The afternoon is not looking too

bad. Hopefully some of us whll see some sunshine. It is all ch`nge and

that is a real difference and things. There will be a lot of warm

air coming in from the conthnent. By the time we get to the weekdnd it

will be much warmer. Saturd`y is looking quite good. It will

certainly be feeling warmer. On Sunday, temperatures of arotnd 6

degrees but it will be cloudy at times. Showers overnight on Sunday

into Monday. Over two joseph. Thank you. It is 1012 millibars. Thank

you. That is amazing. You c`nnot teach that. Did you enjoy it? It was

great. I was nervous but re`lly enjoyed it. Well done. In tdn years

time you will be doing it for a living. Goodbye.