31/10/2016 Look East (West)

either to put the United back into the United States. Join me now on

BBC Two, and A family from Dunstable

killed by a Campaigners call for

tougher penalties. Why Peterborough Council is spending

?50 million to buy up All the details in

your forecast for the The family of a mum and three

children from Dunstable killed by a driver using his phone have

urged other motorists not to touch their mobiles

when behind the wheel. Tomasz Kroker's lorry ploughed

into Tracey Houghton's car He'd been scrolling

through music on his phone. Today he's been sentenced to ten

years in prison. A scene of complete devastation,

following the crash on the @34 which killed a mother from Bedfordshire

and three children. Tracey Houghton died instantly,

along with her sons Ethan and Joshua and her partner's

daughter Amy Goldsmith. Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker

had been scrolling through music on his mobile phone

when he smashed into a queud of Our children lost their

lives because of the But we are not the only famhly

to have suffered due to what is perceived by many as minor,

inconsequential crime. A crime that takes place

on our roads every day. Today, Tomasz Kroker

was jailed for ten years. The judge said his attention

to the road was so poor he might as well have

had his eyes closed. So this is the area

that we have set aside as a At Ethan's school in Dunstable,

plans are now well underway for a permanent memorial

for him and his 11-year-old brother Joshua, who was due

to start here in September. Pupils liked him, staff likdd him,

one of those pupils that actually doesn't bring attention

to himself because he was jtst a model pupil and Josh,

who was due to join us, never arrived but, of course,

similarly we heard the same about The family had been

on their way back to Bedfordshire from a camphng trip

when the crash happened. The lorry that hit them

was travelling at 50 mph. We need to educate people

about the dangers. I think the deterrent needs to be

such that it is a deterrent, actually stops people

from using their phones. And I think there is

probably some options around technology

as well to prevent it. You don't need to be

using your phone whilst driving That is the message echoed

by family members who are campaigning for all drivers to

keep their eyes on the road Well, the Houghton and Goldsmith

families weren't the only ones to be affected by that crash -

Adam Pearson from Milton Keynes was left critically injured

after being in the first car to be Our reporter Waseem Mirza wdnt

to meet him this evening and is in our newsroom in

Dunstable now. Yes, Adam Pearson is from Walnut

Tree in Milton Keynes. He w`s Tree in Milton Keynes. He was

driving the first card that the lorry driver hit at 50 mph. Adam was

left in a critical condition, the list of injuries and nets. They

include a crushed Adam, fractured ribs, a torn artery in his heart, a

collapsed lung, lacerated lhver ribs, a torn artery in his heart, a

collapsed lung, lacerated liver and collapsed lung, lacerated lhver and

a broken back. Despite all that, he survived.

It makes me feel extremely angry that this accident

This wasn't a freak of nature, it wasn't down to weather

conditions or it wasn't down to circumstances that are beyond

anyone's control, this was simply down to the fact that a person

decided to pick their phone up and decided to do something

as trivial as selecting what music they were going to listen to.

And to do it that they took their attention of the rate for such

And to do it that they took their attention of the rate for stch a

long period of time. Pleading with motor is not to that

owns, is the message getting through? Not really. The RAC says

the illegal use of mobile phones by people behind the wheel is that

epidemic proportions. The latest research shows that nearly `

epidemic proportions. The l`test research shows that nearly a third

of people admitted to it last year. Compared to fewer than a tenth in

2014. If it thought that tougher penalties might be more of `

deterrent? Currently drivers can get three penalty points and ?100 fine

year, that will go up to six points year, that will go up to six points

on the license and they could face ?200 in fines. They say that you

could also face jail if injuring ?200 in fines. They say that you

could also face jail if injtring a person killing someone, as we have

already seen today, but the British safety charity Brake, say it is much

more about changing attitudes than more about changing attitudds than

culture alone. We need a cultural shift,

they way we have seen a cultural shift when it

comes to drink-driving. I think most people now,

right minded people wouldn't think that was

an acceptable risk. So we do need to educate people

on the dangers of mobile phones We sometimes say driving under the

influence of a mobile phone, it is as dangerous as drink-driving,

people should view it like that The remaining tougher calls for

sentences for drivers to use their phones behind the wheel. Thd comment

phones behind the wheel. The phones behind the wheel. The comment

has promised those changes `nd has promised those changes `nd

tougher penalties will come into force next year. -- the Government.

Thank you. Plans to revitalise Peterborough

city centre are a step closer, with the announcement

that the council plan to invest ?15 million to get

the project moving. The idea has been around

since the early 1970s the North Westgate area

would be transformed, but complex land ownership issues

have stalled progress. Prime development land

in one of Britain's fastest-growing cities

but for 40 years, We have another example of one

of the problems which is a row of terraced houses in many

different ownerships. They've all got to be

acquired separately. One of those who has

helped to develop It's very accessible but it's a big

site to put things on. If you had too many shops,

can you sell them all at once? It's the second time the cotncil

has made a direct move Here at Northwest Gate,

the council are looking to earmark ?15 million

so they can take a lead rold in the And here at Fletton

Quays, the council have already announced

they are working with others here to kick-start development

in this part of the city. But as the council has just put

up its council tax, is this the right way to be

spending public money? It's inappropriate

for the public, Especially for people

like me, a pensioner. We are a growing city

so we have to move with the times so if it means

we've got to spend money, The new business that comes

in will probably offset The council defends

its latest decision. People do get agonised about things

like that but it is capital money,

it's not revenue money. Obviously there will

be a cost because you are borrowing it but it

will all come back to a great advantage

in the end in extra business rates and extra

council tax and so on, as well as making

a profit out of it. The council says if they do agree to

come up with the money, it will be two years before any

plans become a reality. Emma Baugh, BBC Look

East, Peterborough. Detectives investigating a stabbing

in Hitchin earlier this month have named a man they want to speak

to about the incident. Officers believe 32-year-old

Richard Campbell from Bromldy in Kent may be able to help

with their investigation. The attack took place

following an altercation between two One of the men was stabbed

and was taken to hospital where he remains in a seriots

but stable condition. A knife was recovered

near the scene. Post Office workers walked out

on strike today for the second time in two months in a dispute over

jobs, pensions and branch closures. Several branches in our region,

including this one in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire,

were affected by the action. Members of the Communication Workers

Union and Unite say they've not ruled out further action

in the run-up to Christmas. Our biggest fear is that thdy will

close, as they've done in many of the towns,

especially across the Eastern region and the Midlands

where they've gone from major sites with many counters into a small

franchise like WH Smiths with one or two, possibly

three counties that doesn't serve the public, it doesn't servd

the business and it certainly doesn't serve our members' jobs,

terms and futures. Cambridge train station has

won a national award Cambridge Cycle Point

opened earlier this year, and is the largest cycle park

at a UK station. Today it won Station of the Year

in the National Cycle-Rail Awards for being a 'flagship'

station for cyclists. The three storey building has spaces

for nearly 3,000 bikes. We've bulletins in BBC Breakfast

in the morning from 6.30 but I'll leave you tonight with the weather

for the week ahead with Julhe. It's already turning quite misty

and murky and we're expecting The winds will be light

and already in some spots, we've actually got lows

of around seven Celsius. So a little bit lower

than these values. And the Met Office have actually

issued a yellow warning for tonight and tomorrow

morning for the fog. There's the likelihood of some

tricky travelling conditions. So once the mist and fog has gone

tomorrow, I think we're going to see thicker cloud and some

outbreaks of mainly light and patchy rain pushing down from

the north but it shouldn't amount

to very much. Temperatures, though,

cooler than today, only up to about 11 Celsius in some spots

which is 52 Fahrenheit. And then, on Wednesday, high

pressure building in so it's looking a fine and dry day but it looks

like a cold and frosty start. Quite widespread ground frost

but then we should enjoy some decent sunny spells

but temperatures for many of us only making it up to around nine

Celsius, 48 Fahrenheit. And Thursday, high-pressure

still in charge, so another dry day. But, again, fairly widespread ground

frost and some of us could see a touch of air frost in places

with temperatures perhaps just struggling

into double figures. And then Friday, all change,

another weather front That is going to introduce some

thicker cloud and some outbreaks of rain and

some of this rain really cotld be Now, in a moment,

Louise will have the national forecast but I'll leave

you with the outlook for At the moment, it looks likd showers

or longer spells of rain side. Strong northerly winds, some

sunshine and also some rain for the weekend. The National weather coming

up now with Louise. Halloween 2 16 up now with Louise. Halloween 2016

has almost come and gone but it has left some spookily interesting

statistics. It has been a third consecutive mild Halloween. The

warmest was in 2014, 20 four Celsius. Today we have been breaking

records in Wales, the warmest Halloween, 22 Celsius. A glorious

shot, fairly indicative of what we had in Wales today, sent in by

weather watcher earlier. A different story further north and east. The

cloud made it great and in the Northern Isles temperatures didn't

climb above nine Celsius. It is as cold air set to descend south

through the course of the night tonight and brings a marked contrast

for