28/10/2011 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith. Can I stop stories.

Victory in the battle to recover �50 million lost in the Icelandic

banking crash. Kent County Council looks set to get it's money back.

An inquest hears of the living nightmare of a nurse's last month.

She died, after weight-loss surgery. Also tonight, why the Sussex them

he is considering compulsory eye tests for mobility scooter drivers.

100 miles an hour in the lorry - the British truck Grand Prix comes

to Brands Hatch. And they covers a programme, the Eastbourne

grandmother who can lift three times her own body weight. -- they

collar Super Gran. �50 million which was feared lost during the

Icelandic banking crash might now appear to alter Kent County Council

following legal action. The council took their fight to recover the

money to the Icelandic Supreme Court. They have been granted

preferred creditor status and go to the top of the queue for any

repayments. Pens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money, that it

was you may never be seen again. Today, news that the cash might be

coming back after all. Kent go because will have deposited �50

million in three Islamic banks but those investments were frozen when

the banking system their cash. In October 2,000 and the, the

Icelandic banking crisis came to the World's attention as its top

three banks were nationalised by the country's Government. They what

six-times the country's domestic dross brother. Local a authorities

in Britain have �900 million invested in these banks, with Kent

County Council having the most to lose. The Audit Commission

criticised various councils for net like initially investing large sums

of money Indies failed banks, after warning signs began to emerge also

of Kent County Council replied that the Audit Commission itself had

money tied up in Iceland, and was in no situation be comic. The

Icelandic Supreme Court has confirmed Kent County Council will

get preferred creditor status. This means they expect to get all but

�1.2 million back. Next year we have defined �65 million worth of

savings and the following year, a similar sum, so, whilst this is

welcome, it does not mean that we do not face an enormous challenge

to find significant savings. K it County Council have invested the

most of all UK councils in Iceland, and the three-year fight to get it

back seems to have paid off. The Government is considering making it

compulsory for anyone using a mobility scooter to have an I test

before taking it onto the street. The Prime -- the transport minister

Norman Baker says it could help to reduce the number of dangerous

incidents involving the wickets Coopers. Other changes include

introducing licences, insurance and the physical fitness test and

Stobbart some fear that too many restrictions could jeopardise the

freedoms offered by mobility scooters. Hilda's life changed when

she got her foster ability scooter three years ago. Aged 80, suffering

from arthritis, it has rejuvenated a social life. Trips to the shops

and restaurants are now possible. If I didn't have my scooter I would

be tied to the House. Whilst such scooters have been life-changing

for some, occasionally, Leeds have been put at risk. Police had to

rescue and 89 year old man who took a wrong turning on to a mortar way.

And in Essex, the man driving the scooter escaped death after being

hit by a train at a level crossing. Incidents like this have fuelled

the debate over mobility scooter safety and whether there should be

physical fitness and sight tests for almost. We have to get the

balance right between general public safety and the lifeline this

provides for older people. One of the largest suppliers of mobility

scooters and the South East agrees. We assess their site, as not being

good enough so we can say to him, we have to calm them down but where

they go after that, they might go off and buy a second-hand one,

something like that. Some feel that more than an eyesight test could

put an end to the scooters provide. A physical test would be not a good

thing, because people are acquiring these cookers because they are not

able to walk up to the bus-stop or to the town, so that is why they

want them. There is no way that you could take them on the road,

because they do not go fast enough. With the road and abilities good as

going at twice the pace, it might be that finding rules to suit

everybody will take some time. Coming up : twenty-five years old,

but has the M25 ever managed to do the job it was a poster? -- it was

supposed to? An inquest into the death of and asked who died after

losing 10 stone in six months after gastric bypass surgery was her

budget older daughter her life had become a nightmare. She had a

gastric bypass to tackle diabetes and high blood pressure. Surgeons

at University College Hospital in London failed to notice she had

become more nourished in the months following the procedure, and she

died in May. It was Kevin Humphrey who found his mother collapsed on

the floor of the Home they sure. In pain, confused and dehydrated.

Virginia Humphrey had appeared to respond well to the gastric bypass,

losing weight and feeling for Turk, but, with informants, her condition

was declining. She felt they are mentally unwell and could not keep

down food or Liz. When she was taken by ambulance to Royal Sussex

in their hospital, eight months after the operation, the surgeon

who try to say polite, was surprised at what he found. The

gastric bypass creates approach to reduce the in sake of food. But the

operation had left too short a length of small bowel, called the

Common Channel, to properly absorbed food. That meant that she

was starving, and malnourished or such a long time, she suffered

multiple organ failure, and died. The bypass are taking place at

University College Hospital, London, answered is to carry that out said

that it appear to go smoothly. When the patient came back they have not

realised that she had become malnourished. It became apparent,

after collapse, but it was too late. Sarah Smith joins us live from

Brighton. We know that Mrs Humphrey had this operation to improve her

health. What would have happened if she had not gone ahead with it?

it was clear that she was unwell. She had diabetes and high blood

pressure. But there was little doubt from the doctor retreated

part in Brighton and the pathologist who carried out past

mortem that she died from the effects of the operation and

because of that, she was malnourished. This inquest will

continue next week and then, the coroner will deliver their verdict.

But the Strasbourg police have targeted scrap-metal dealers and

Sussex as part of the of action against Cable fair. Officers

inspected yards with staff from British Telecom and the Environment

Agency to see if they could find a evidence of stall and cable being

stored at the propertied. The hundred and 50 metres of quality

British Telecom Cable was discovered. A man has been arrested

at a yard suspected of handling stolen goods. The people are

stealing Cable it has got to go somewhere. The way to get rid of

that is to go to scrap metal dealers. We're not saying that

scrap-metal dealers are committing offences but there is a small

proportion of people that are doing so, but the main scrap-metal

dealers are being totally compliant with us. A 24 hour like that used

in showing Sussex police at work went on line today. More than

45,000 people have had a look. 1500 comments were posted by Dewar's

during the day. They watch divers and forensic officers bring the

work, streamed live from mobile phones and Wickham's. Marston

International Airport has submitted proposals for might place. Bosses

at the airport near Ramsgate wanted one place between 11pm-7am, saying

that it would provide thousands of jobs and provide a long-term future

for the airport. People living on private roads could be

discriminated against when applying for primary school places, because

the council computer system does not recognise their address. One

man from Brighton found that his twins might feel -- based

difficulty getting into the closest school to them. But there might now

be a change in the rules. Here is the problem. Confused? That is

because the most direct route to the school the children want to go

to his along the road to the right. But the council's computer tells

them to take a longer walk, heading left. That is the first thing that

is thought about the situation. Of the children to the recommended

council wrote, they would have to walk through this wall, to get to

school. They try to answer questions but they are just

sticking to their story and potentially, we do not want to open

up the system to Queries because the moment they do they will get

into a lot of trouble. The computer is telling them to do this, instead

of the most obvious route, and that takes him through three brick walls

and summon's back yard. That is because the children live on a

private road, and until we got in touch, the council was adamant that

the computers did not recognise private roads. It had battled an

experienced local councillor, too. The us is quite ludicrous. They

were very intransigent. It was a computer says no moment! The City

Council refused an interview but sent as an e-mail said that if they

are told about them, they to recognise private roads. The that

is news to me. I have not help from them this before. They have said

quite the opposite. That is good news for all children who live on

private roads, overlooked by a computer. This is our top story :

�50 million, feared lost during the Icelandic banking crash, might now

be returned to Kent County Council, following legal action. They have

been granted preferred creditor status at the Icelandic Supreme

Court, which means they go to the top of the queue for any retainers.

Not built for late in the slow lane - the British truck Grand Prix

comes to Kent. And we meet the Sussex grandfather, who can lift

the weight of three men. -- grandmother. It is the road that he

loved to hate. The M25, the road to hell. The London orbital was

completed 25 years ago, tomorrow. As soon as it was finished, are

arguments over whether it was fit for purpose began. The M25

stretches 170 miles. It has studied the junctions and 244 bridges. His

busiest sections are used by 200,000 vehicles every day. Robin

Gibson looks at the impact the M25 has had on our lives. Waterways are

statistically among the safest of roads, but, out here on the M25,

that is not how many drivers perceive it. I have seen trucks and

caravans do it. I have seen cars tailgating, then, 20 ft, and doing

70 mph. The busiest sections see up to 200,000 vehicles every day. An

average of more than 1100 traffic related incidence each day. Many

lead to tailbacks. But the motorway does have its supporters. We get

traffic jams through the village and traffic generally has risen,

but without the road, it would have been horrendous here. We can see

that it could well be improved, and on days when it has turned into the

proverbial car-park, we are not quite as keen, but without it we

would be really flummoxed. freight businesses, this was an

motorway that had to happen to keep his this moving. When it gets

clocked up and things go wrong, the argument is that it has been a

victim of its own success. Is it a victim of its own success? It is

certainly serving well. There are conditions of stock-go traffic that

we would rather not have, and a future we will deal looking to

smarter vehicles, using telecommunications technology.

There applies to wait and the busiest sections and use the hard

shoulder during peak times, which is a new method of improving

traffic for. But the idea of making it bigger might not make it better,

or please many critics. It has become notorious. The road that we

all love to hate. Its saving grace is that it can be the fastest way

between two points, if you're lucky. We have been asking what you think

about travelling the M25. A I have used it ever since it started being

built and it helps you get round from officer. It is like a big car

park, especially round about DUP board, you are always queuing up.

Be it gets us into London more quickly saw that as a plus point as

far as I am concerned. If you live here Horsham in Sussex, I have

travelled on the M25 extensible, and it told me off so much that we

have relocated to mid-Wales. mark the 25th anniversary you can

Computers and the Internet have seemingly become an essential part

of modern life. New BBC figures show the South East has the highest

percentage of people in the UK who are online. Research also shows

people over 55 rather less likely to have Internet access. Prompting

fears that they did miss out on essential services. Stephen George

went to meet a class of older online first-timers. How do you

feel about that? I like it. year-old Angela is taking her first

steps into the digital world. knew have not done it you're

frightened of it. My friends can use it but I can't. Add they were

getting into different things I could not get involved in that.

There are 8.7 million people in Britain who have never used the

internet. People aged 55 and over are thus likely to be online. In

Kent and Sussex, 36% of that age group have no internet access. But

there are fears that older people are missing out on the Internet age.

They and the next few years there is going to be an acceleration in

the use of the Internet to provide essential government services. You

will be able to get your passport, driving licence, tax credits,

pensions, benefits. Everything is Internet-based, these days, from

shopping, to save me logging at home, so why don't have to take the

bus. It is no different from picking up any other kind of gadget.

When I was a bus driver you used an electronic ticket machine. Once you

have got how to use it, it is there. The friendly approach seems to work

well, and now this group has got a taste for the online world. To find

out about beginners' courses near you, you can win our advice line.

She is known as so programme. Angela McNamara enjoys nights out

with her friends and looking after her baby grandson, J. But she is

also a top-level body builder and his in preparations to defend a

title. First, we can take a look at this caller from Catherine Downs,

who has been to watch her in training. The week that Angela has

lifted is more than three times its own body weight. Strength is in her

jeans. When I was very young, my mother was a bodybuilder and my

father was a boxer. My brother was a kick-boxer. Angela gets a pat for

a end to meet her first meal of the the, then she's every two hours.

Wishes weightlifting, it builds muscle, up to 3500 calories each

day. And she is used to defending her appears. People have different

opinions of the same thing. You have to go by what you watch

yourself and follow your dream and don't let anyone changed your

opinion. And that is what makes a world champion. It to be stingy

defence of her title in Latvia. Her coach is a fight time world

champion himself. She is going to take a medal, or win, or possibly

breaks some more records. That is several current -- it is only in

the gym, so it does not count, but that was several kilograms more

than the current world record. Angela joins us in the studio now.

That was an unofficial world record you did this afternoon. Yes. That

is unbelievable. This is a family tree, isn't it? It is, definitely.

I am making sure that it has passed down again. Your father was a

strong and? Yes, and my mother and sister were bodybuilders. I do

power lifting and body-building and my daughter is a national champion

power live there as well. What are these trophies you abroad? These

are for the overall championships in Ireland a time when, in March,

and that is for the British qualifier, in which I came first.

What do you get out of this? Just the satisfaction of lifting. Most

people are sitting at home, watching TV, and I am out doing

something. My daughter has grown up and moved out and I had nothing to

do. I was bored. How much time do you devote to training? About four

hours be a training session, four days a week. Even then, I would

like to stay there longer, because I socialise at the germ as well.

you prefer power the -- power lifting of body-building? I prefer

to be strong rather than stripped down the, but when you put on

weight, you can put on over two stone, we can eat what we want, so

we will better about ourselves, over Christmas! I have never sat

this close to so many gold medals, what are these? These are world

championship medals that they won the last because last year. -- in

Las Vegas. And these are Mike two first placed European medals.

are off to Latvia for the World Championships? Yes. Are you copal?

Definitely. I am training hard. My husband, my trainer, has been

pushing me all the way. I am feeling good. Best of luck, and

thank you for coming in. Football : Brighton have signed striker Billy

Pinter on loan from originated until January. The 20s at New Road

goes straight into the squad for tomorrow's match against Birmingham.

Charlton Athletic travel to Hartlepool tomorrow in good form,

with strikers Bradley Wright- Phillips having notched five goals

between them this week. They hope to activity point cushion at the

top of League One. Crawley their manager Steve Evans has want the

say diggers complacency as they prepare for the match against

Accrington Stanley in League Two tomorrow. The Sussex side are

targeting their 8th straight that ripples of Gillingham was like a

lucky to lose 2-0 away to Swindon this week, so the only addition to

the squad tomorrow as defender, Joe Martin, who returns from suspension.

With 12 litre engines and speeds of more than 100 mph, they are some of

the most scary thing she will see on a motor racing circuit, which is

appropriate, for Hallowe'en! This weekend sees the final round of the

Grand Prix Cup racing season, and that is taking place at Brands

Hatch this weekend. Only when you see them up close, you realise what

or some because these trucks are. They are designed to pull enormous

loads, but unleashed on a racecourse they can provide the

bride of a lifetime. The racing side of it, in the pits and paddock,

the adrenalin, it is unbelievable. The noise, and how high up you are,

when you are racing, it is amazing. We have been racing for 20 years.

The Germans have an expression, diesel in the blood, and that is

what happens to some of these guys, they get hooked on this type of

racing. Accidents can happen in the sport with so many trucks on such a

small strip of tarmac, which is why so many thousands of people come to

watch. Here we are on the approach to Paddock Hill, at speeds normally

approaching 100 mph. David Jenkins has achieved this final sheltered

ambition of winning the British Grand Prix. My father won it and

that was when the obit for me. This year we have won the British

championship after 13 years of trying. You could possibly go on

one of these things of a at traffic lights on your reward, but on the

track these trucks are a very different proposition. Time now for

It was cloudy and autumnal today, and moving through tonight, it will

be increasingly dry. It will be quite a talking picture over the

weekend. Mostly dry, and fuelling pretty mild. Today, I pressure in

control of things. A good deal of cloud around. Mostly dry. Winds,

fairly like, for us all, coming from a north-easterly direction, so

slightly cooler keel. Temperatures not getting much above 15 Celsius.

Moving into tonight, like, patchy rain and drizzle lingering, but it

will become increasingly dry. As a result, it will be quite mild over

night, but temperatures barely changing from they are daytime

values. Ranging between 11-14 Celsius. Through the morning, we

have a chance of brother like rain and drizzle. Into the afternoon, in

police only bright with a chance of further rain. Through the morning,

that cloud the picture, but into the afternoon, the best of that

brightness, the average temperature around 16 Celsius. Holding on to

that mixture of cloud and clear skies as we move into tomorrow

night. We could see some light outbreaks of rain. Temperatures,

quite mild for us all, mostly in double figures, lows of 12 Celsius.

Moving into Sunday, cloudy and mild. The chance to see those wins backup

as we move into the afternoon. Top temperatures towards London,

getting as high as 18 Celsius, most of us seeing highs of around 16

Celsius. We have low pressure moving in from the West. Brighter

by the time we get to choose the next week. We have been featuring

the in 25 on his 25th anniversary and you have been letting us know

what thoughts you have on us. Angela has written into say when

you have been stuck on a traffic or 3 and euros get only four

junctions... Valerie loves it in capitals. It is as easy as pie to

get on and gawp. -- get on and get off. We would be much worse off