15/12/2011 South East Today

A cry for help on Crimewatch - the parents of a Sussex teenager left

brain damaged in an attack make an emotional plea for information.

is a lovely, kind boy, such a beautiful young a man looking

forward to life. Schools in the South East receive some of the

worst results in the country in the primary school league tables. How a

group of angry mothers made their point in Brighton. What was Good

King Wenceslas doing in East Grinstead anyway? The parents of a

Sussex teenager left in a coma after an unprovoked attack, have

made an emotional appeal for witnesses to come forward to tell

them what happened to "a beautiful young man". Mohammed Bourner

suffered severe brain damage after he was punched in the face on

Bexhill seafront in October - he's regained consciousness but doesn't

recognise his family. Tonight Sussex Police will ask the public

for help in finding his attacker on Crimewatch. Chrissie Reidy reports.

Mohammed had been enjoying a party with friends but it was while the

15 year-old was going home along a Bexhill seafront just before

midnight that he was attacked and punched in the face. The next thing

I know was any parent's worst nightmare. Straight into the AMD

and there he was, for life-support, he wasn't such a serious condition.

The attack led the 15 year-old in a coma with severe brain damage. --

left. Just a few months before the attack Mo had been involved in a

film about the dangers of street crime. He was such a typical

teenager, mature, cognitive, so for him to be a victim of this kind of

street crime is terrible. scribe does a popular, vivacious

teenager his friends created a mural in the hope it would remind

people what happened that night. could be somebody else's son, my

son, there is obviously a sense of worry, somebody gets hurt in the

community, it makes you want to do something. Tonight on Crimewatch

his family will make an appeal. Mohammed is a really lovely boy,

kind, such a beautiful young man looking forward to life. His family

have kept a vigil by his bedside since he was attacked seven weeks

ago, they hope tonight's renewed appeal will encourage anyone of

The appeal for information about that attack will be featured on

Crimewatch tonight at 9pm. It is a legal right but for some the sight

of a woman breast-feeding in public provokes complaint. One mother was

so outraged to be told off by a fellow customer for breast-feeding

her baby in a local cafe that today she staged a flash mob in protest.

Around 60 women brave the cold and gathered in the city centre to

breast-feed in public, they said they hoped it would give other

mothers the confidence to do the same. The breast feeding flash mob

was a light hearted way of making a serious point, one which these

mothers feel needs reinforcing after two of them had bad

experiences while feeding in a public place. The lady said it was

unpleasant watching me feed and it should have been more discreet so I

defended myself and there was a group of five of them and they

started to say I was not discreet and various other things. I was on

my own and it got heated. Another customer defended me but it ended

up quite aggressive, then they left and I was left in tears. It does

not cost me any money, it is good to bond with your children, all

women should do it and am here to show my support for it. There is a

lot of pressure from society that makes you think breasts are sexual

but they exist to feed the young. We are mammals, we have breasts to

create milk to feed babies. No one should feel uncomfortable about

that but unfortunately a lot of people do. The rate of breast

feeding in this city is high, according to figures over two-

thirds of babies between six and eight weeks old are fed naturally

in Brighton and Hove, much higher Of 40 the health service endorsed

this gathering. In his good mothers want to be militant and defend

their right to be able to breast- feed in public places. It is great,

I think we should. I breast-fed mind in public so good luck to them.

With have two young kids, there is no problem with it. The it is a

natural thing, so just do natural things. It's very natural, if a

woman needs to whip it out, that is fine. Some shoppers were bemused by

the sight of 60 babies having their lunch alfresco but if any passers-

by were offended, they were not brave enough to say so. Natalie is

live in Brighton for us now. The discrimination is against the law

isn't it? In his illegal. It is surprising that protest was held in

Brighton. This city has a relatively good rate of breast

feeding and is also famous for its liberal views but even here, where

they tolerate topless sunbathing on the beach, many of the mothers who

feed here feel strongly there are still some way to go to change

attitudes. In a moment... Crunch time for Christmas, figures are

down despite retailers slashing Primary schools in the Medway towns

of the -- have achieved some of the worst result in the country, only

68 per cent of Medway's 10 and 11 year-olds reached the standard

expected in English and maths compared to the national average of

74 per cent, and that puts Medway in the bottom five local

authorities in England for the second year running. In Kent, East

Sussex and West Sussex figures are also below average and 72 per cent

along with Brighton and Hove as 73 per cent. Only Surrey at 77 per

cent achieved an above average title. Our reporter joins us live

from Chatham. What sort of reaction had you been getting in the Medway

towns to these poor results? parents I spoke to wear protective

of their children's schools, especially the jobs the teachers

there were doing. Medway council knows it does not look good but

they say more than half of their schools have improved over the last

year, the problem is other schools seem to be managing to improve

faster than other areas. Glencoe primary is one of the worst-

performing schools and one of the worst performing areas. Medway. But

to judge it just by league tables is not to get the whole story. One

mother told me this... On lot of these children will be on free

school meals, a lot of them come from countries that are not ours so

of course they will be at a disadvantage. The local -- the

local education authority says it has improved on last year despite

struggling with teacher recruitment and retention and a transient

community. But it is understood changes are needed. I do not think

we are failing them, we could do better. That is what we are working

ASBO Wood Primary in Maidstone it was amongst the lowest, a quarter

of pupils reach the -- reach the We have started working with all

the staff on a more interesting curriculum that engages the

children, on trips out that will give them the starting place for

some writing and learning. region may be struggling but there

are success stories, top of the tables was London and school near

Faversham. We have a broad curriculum, we have not

marginalised the arts, or sport, dance, drama are just as important

in the curriculum because you have to put as many experiences as you

can in front of children, particularly at this age. Near

Canterbury they have shown what changes can be made. In 10 years

they have gone from special measures to outstanding in the last

inspection. We took away the post of caretaker, deputy head, we have

one assistant in the office and the money that we have saved in those

post we put into our specialist teaching team and a one-to-one

tuition. So we invested everything. The league tables now show them as

one of the most improved schools in the country. The one thing all the

schools I spoke to had in common was that they said do not judge us

by league tables alone, that is the ones that did well as well as badly.

They said the whole picture of all we do is much more complicated than

that. To find out how your local primary school has performed you

can log on to our website... To two year-old driver spent hours on the

motorway after getting lost on a journey. Dennis sparked a missing

persons appear after leaving his home in Windsor on Monday, he was

eventually found after spending two night in his car and taken to

hospital for treatment for hypothermia. Kent County Council

has confirmed it will abolish the role of managing director. The

post... It is a move that councillors so you will save money.

Two women who Rob Day disabled man in Crawley had been jailed for

three-and-a-half years. Katrina Henderson and Tony rest met their

victim in a pub and suggested going back to his house before attacking

him in an alleyway. Their accomplice, Peter Landale, was

jailed for four months for handling stolen goods. A man has died in a

fire that broke out last night in St Leonards. Scenes of crime

officers have spent the day investigating. There are man's

partner is still in custody deceiving being questioned by

police about the incident on suspicion of murder. Officers from

the police and fire services have been coming and going all day from

the property on St Margaret Road. Soon after the fire broke out one

resident of the flat was dead, the 60 are old partner being treated in

hospital, then arrested. It happened in the middle of the night.

I left about four, so I guess it He woke up for a feed and a sore

about three fire engines. I got up about 4am again and saw a police

car and one fire engine. Inside, a resident downstairs showed me the

damage done to a flat by the water used to put out the fire. She was

too upset to come on camera but told me of scenes of Andy-monium as

another neighbour band on her door to warn her what had happened and

get her to call 999. The police and fire investigation is expected to

This is the top story... The parents of a teenager left in a

coma after an unprovoked attack in Bexhill have made an emotional

appeal for witnesses to come forward. Tonight Sussex Police will

appear on Crimewatch to ask the public for help in finding

After the stormy weather we had earlier this week, you may have

thought it was all over, but it seems there is more trouble to come

over the next few days. Full details at the end of the programme.

The latest official figures show sales are down in our shops,

despite big pre-Christmas discounts on high streets across the South

East. The Office for National Statistics says retail sales

excluding fuel were down by 0.7% in November, compared to the previous

month. The fall in our food stores is the worst since May. And for all

other stores it is the worst since February. Our business

correspondent Mark Norman is live at Bluewater shopping centre in

Kent. And, Mark, retailers are more desperate than ever for a last-

minute surge in spending before Christmas, aren't they?

Absolutely. Bluewater is one of Europe's most successful shopping

centre and they are expecting 250,000 people this weekend. But

retailers are still offering massive discounts because, after a

week of difficult economic news, consumers are looking for a bargain.

As people come past and look-in, if anything catches their right, it

will attract them into the shop. Two former managers opened this toy

store and in the past few years they had seen shopping habits

changed immediately. People are looking for value

promotions, sales, buy one, get one free, and they have their phones on

them so they will take a picture of the product and then Google at to

see what kind of prices it is going out at.

I caught up with one of those canny shoppers at home in Peckham as she

prepared the evening meal for her sons. She and her husband are

trying to economise on presents for the family.

Every year you get more and more toys in the house and you can't

physically fit the moorland and I am thinking, just a sensible amount.

But this is not a seasonable adjustment, according to many in

the industry. Consumer behaviour has Che -- changed fundamentally,

perhaps for many years to come. Retailers are having to work harder

and harder to attract people. But if you don't have the money to

spend it doesn't matter how attractive the offers are in some

cases, you can't make them. People finding it very, very tough.

That view was reinforced today at people shopping at Europe's largest

out-of-town retail park. Yes, cutting down on money

definitely. Being more careful than usual. Are you looking for bargains,

50 % off? 70 % off. Many retailers do as much as 40 %

of their business in the Christmas period. Despite the news, boss as

for will be hoping for a last- minute rush of Christmas shoppers

to boost confidence and shoppers forced -- and profits.

We have bad news on record levels of unemployment, now a fall in

retail sales. Any good news? I think the important thing to

remember is that in the South East we still have a highest levels of

employment and some of the highest average wages in the country but it

has been, as you say, we could really difficult statistics. The

one that stinks -- sticks up for me is that one in three of us will go

into debt over Christmas. We all have to pay it back after Christmas

so we will not be spending money in the shops, which is bad for them,

and that is bad for the economy. It has been a funny old year for

weather, with a very harsh winter, a hot spell in spring and an

exceptionally warm, dry autumn. All of which is going to have a marked

effect on what is likely to be going on your Christmas dinner

plate. It would seem the turkeys are

bigger than ever this year, and there is an abundance of mistletoe.

But bad news for parsnip fans - the parsnip crop is lousy. Our

environment correspondent Yvette Austin has the details.

He is too big to go on! For Tony Fleck, 2011 will be

remembered as the year of the jumbo turkeys, their biggest around five

pounds heavier than anything they have grown before.

They use up a lot of energy when it is cold. This year we have had a

mild autumn, hence we have this one. He is so big that we will almost

certainly cut him up. The idea is to get them into a box,

but you are not going to get him into a box. Definitely not. It is

just not possible. He will never fit in there. They are not all such

giants but most of the 1200 birds at this farm are bigger than

average, unlike some of the vegetables destined to go with them.

They have been affected by lack of rain.

The past but have not filled out the way they normally would. We are

about 20% down this year which will affect our peak demand period of

Christmas and hopefully we will have enough to keep our customers

happy. Those that don't make the grade for the local farm shops and

markets could end up being sold cheaply as cattle food. But,

mistletoe lovers, fear not. It has been a good year. They tend to only

grow on old trees and there are only a very few of these old

orchards left. In some places the plant is under threat because of a

diminishing number of orchards so farmers in a growing area in

Canterbury are welcoming an abundance of the parasite. It is

possible that we don't have the blasting wind but a lot of cant get,

which could be why they risk so much mistletoe in this area.

seems there are also plentiful berries, good news for those who

believe in the tradition of picking off a Bury for a kiss.

We don't hold any truck with that tradition here.

He shocked the sporting world by leaving England's World Cup

campaign in Sri Lanka early to fly home to Sussex, suffering from

depression. Now, in his first television

interview since those events nine months ago, Michael Yardy says he

is in a "stronger and better place". The 31-year-old cricketer has just

signed a new contract with Sussex and he has told Neil Bell that

captaining his county has been vital for his recovery.

Dejected and desolate. In March this year Michael Yardy walked out

on England. The England spinner Michael Yardy

has flown home, suffering with depression. He has been dealing

with the illness for some time... His shock decision prompted

messages of support from cricketing colleagues and even Alastair

Campbell. It is only now he feels able to discuss his problems.

Depression is a bit of a taboo and people don't like to talk about it

but now I think it is being a lot more documented in all sports and

in life. It seems to be a shame that it is something that occurs

but you have to deal with it and move on from it. I don't see it as

something to be ashamed of. Marcus Trescothick, who also

suffered with depression, is enough -- now playing better than ever and

Michael Yardy is now playing the game he loves.

Any walk of life, people suffer from different things and some

people are under a certain amount of pressure that they can't deal

with an problems occur, but I don't think it is just cricket, I think

it is more the individuals who have the problem.

We appointed as Sussex County, -- captain, he is determined to prove

himself again. He is back with his family, in

Sussex, at the club he loves, and he is hitting balls and raring to

Next month Michael Yardy takes his Sussex team to the West Indies and

he is looking forward to it. It is not just cricket, it is life.

You have to enjoy life, which is sometimes easier said than done,

but something we have to do. He even hopes to win back his

England place. There is and extended interview

with Michael Yardy on our Facebook page.

It is one of our best loved Christmas carols, based on the life

of the 10th century Duke known in the Czech language Svaty Vaclav

hand known to the rest of us as Good King Wenceslas. -- and known.

The carol tells the story of a Bohemian monarch who goes out to

give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen, or Boxing Day.

But, somewhat surprisingly, the carol was not written in Prague,

but East Grinstead. Ian Palmer has more.

Voices from East Grinstead, a song from East Grinstead, written by a

son of East Grinstead. The carol goods -- Good King Wenceslas is a

Christmas favourite. John Mason Neale wrote the words in 1853. The

music was written in Finland 300 years earlier. After two years as a

vicar he became the ward off a college in East Grinstead for 20

years. He was a great church man of the

19th century, I noted church historian and also the founder of

the sisters have so Margaret. -- the Sisters of St Margaret.

East Grinstead folk can certainly sing it, but do they know about its

local origins? Do you know where that carol was

written? I have no idea. It was written in East Grinstead by a man

called John Mason Neale. Actually I think I have heard of that. He was

a real man and the city was what he saw out of his window.

The song is remarkable because there is mack no mention of the

Nativity but it remains a must have at this time of year. John Mason

Neale died aged 48 and he is buried in the grounds of St Swithin's

Church. His name may not trip off the tongue but the same could not

be said about his words. The South East in fine voice

tonight. I am feeling Christmas see now.

What is the phrase? Deep and crisp and even? Are we getting any of the

Actually in the south Mr -- the South East at the snow is the least

of our problems. A very windy night to come with gusts up to 50 mph. We

may have seen some decent weather today, cold but pretty dry, but

this storm is heading towards us and it will mean business. For Ross

here, first of all we are starting off with some rain. -- for us here.

In areas that become saturated overnight we could see some

flooding first thing in the morning, and the winds affecting many of us

particularly across the southern coast. Temperatures down to just

two degrees Celsius tomorrow morning. Throughout the morning we

will be seen those showers turning wintery. The thing is, we should

only be seen snow over high ground, because as the wintery showers head

towards the South East they will just be falling as rain for many of

us but throughout the day tomorrow at the wintery showers will be

happening across the Downs, a cross any hills, but apart -- apart from

that it will gradually be clearing by the afternoon. Still are when

the picture and those temperatures not up to much. A high of just six

degrees Celsius. Not much in the way of brightness because by the

time things clear-up it is going to be almost time for it to get dark

again. Overnight tonight, still some wet weather not far away so

the risk of some ice by Saturday morning. Take care if you are going

to be out and about early but there will be a widespread frost as well.

Temperatures dropping to freezing point, even -one for some of us. --

even -1. The winds might well have died down and as we move into the

beginning of next week change in the wind direction meaning it will

You may remember last month we brought you the inspirational story

of 12-year-old fundraiser Lauren Gander from Bexhill. Flying in a

glider is just one of the ways that Lauren, who was born with spina

bifida, has raised over �130,000 for charity. This evening she will

find out if she has won one of the first ever BBC Sussex and BBC

Surrey Community Heroes Awards. There is a live webcast of the