29/12/2011 South East Today

Two families have been left homeless after a fire in Kent. It

broke out on Christmas Day in Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey.

Fire investigators say it was probably caused by a discarded

cigarette, as Peter Whittlesea reports. This CCTV footage shows

the start of a fire on Christmas Day. Two families have been forced

to leave their homes. Paps Alison says of her 13-year-old son had not

raised the alarm so quickly the situation would have been far worse.

I could have been coming out in a body bag because I was upstairs

asleep in the back bedroom. Kent Fire and Rescue said the fire

started on his property, the likely cause was a carelessly discarded

cigarette, it then spread to the neighbouring house. The intensity

of the heat was so great it melted electrical wiring and a gas pipe

into the house. That then started leaking and fuelled the fire. The

fire started in serene a's garden, today she was packing up and moving

out so repairs can be done. But she will never forget the moment she

returned on Christmas Day to see her house on fire. When we pulled

up I felt sick. Shaking, I couldn't believe it. She has been found

temporary accommodation but because her neighbours rented from a

private landlord they are staying with relatives until their home can

Five people have been arrested after a man was attacked from

behind and stabbed in the throat in Sussex. It happened last night, as

the victim walked past a church in Crawley. He's in a stable condition

at the East Surrey Hospital in The family of a Kent serviceman

killed by an explosion in Afghanistan say they'll treasure

the memories and achievements of a fantastic life. Squadron Leader

Anthony Downing was flown home after the explosion last Thursday

but died the following day. He was 34. Before joining the RAF he was

an active member of the Dover Grammar School Combined Cadet Force

as well as cycling and running clubs in Deal. Sussex Police

officers and civilian workers have been told not to charge their

personal mobile phones or other electrical appliances at work. The

force is looking to save �50 million by the year 2015 and says

the ban will help to cut its electricity bill. A midwife from

Kent had to put her professional skills to the test by delivering

her own baby daughter, after the speed of her labour took everyone

by surprise. Claire Clarke-Wood gave birth in her bathroom in

Hawkhurst, using a hand-held mirror to help deliver baby Esmay, who was

born three weeks early. Fiona She has delivered thousands of

babies at work but never expected to deliver her own. On December

11th Claire Clarke-Wood's contractions came on fast. Her baby

daughter was not going to hang around. About 6:30am they got

really strong and regular and I thought I should check to see what

stage we were at. We did, then I realised we were further Ron then I

realised. So we rang the midwife and realised Esmay was on her way,

then she arrived with the aid of my mother's make-up mirror guiding me

through. It was really amazing, really special. For Dad, Tim, there

was not much time or need to be scared. If anyone could deliver

their own baby it would be the superwoman called my wife. It was

not possible to love this woman more than I did, I did not think it

possible, but after watching what she did, I am overwhelmed by how

amazing my wife is! The family planned to emigrate to Australia in

new year but coming three weeks early, Esmay made sure she spent at

least one Christmas in Kent. I hope my baby was not getting any funny

ideas watching that! Wildlife experts in Kent are caring for

dormice at risk of dying in the cold winter weather because they're

too small to go into hibernation. They're among Britain's most

endangered animals, and, as Dan Maclaren reports, the South East is

their last remaining stronghold. Inspecting a letter of dormice

reset -- rescued from the winter. Because of the late winter many

dormice had a batch of young he could not hibernate so this

wildlife centre near Canterbury is doing all it can for protected

species. Most of our dormice are fast asleep outside underground but

the animals in here are orphans, or underweight from this year that

have to be looked after because they are not heavy enough to

hibernate. 15.5 grams, very good, she has put weight on. The young

are often weighed to check if they are growing, or 20 brought to the

centre were found to be underweight. They are being fed a special diet.

The centre's work with them does not stop there. A we are keeping

them through the year because if we let them hibernate they will

probably die, so we feed them and they will have babies next year and

we will reintroduce those babies to sites where they have gone.

They are one of our most endangered species. It is hoped through the

use of nest boxes they can gradually be reintroduced to the

Midlands and northern Britain where they have suffered habitat loss in

The wind has been mild so far. Will it stay mild? -- the winter. It was

showery and windy today. Increasingly dry, so to Morrow has

a dry start which will be short lived by the afternoon. It will be

increasingly wet. Today, blustery winds picking up, showers and low

pressure in control of things. Top temperatures around 8, 9 degrees.

As we move through tonight the showers will be lingering initially,

eventually clearing, leaving us with clear skies and the

temperatures will then drop to lows of three, four degrees. We start

tomorrow with some ground frost and brightness, particularly in Kent,

but this warm front will spread eastwards with heavier pulses of

rain. The isobars have widened, the winds will ease off. Increasingly

wet by the afternoon, temperatures raising -- ranging between six and

a decrease. It will feel cooler. The rain clears and it will be a

cloudy, mild picture with temperatures hardly changing from