03/04/2012 South East Today


03/04/2012

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Welcome to South East Today. Tonight's top stories: Sentenced to

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life for murdering a husband and father, and then pretending he was

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alive to cash in on his pension. Within days of him going missing,

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they were quite happy to fraudulently use his account.

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Sussex Police say morale is at an all time low as the budget cuts hit

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home - Mark Norman will join us live from Brighton.

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Also, how failings by the UK Border Agency led to the collapse of an

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investigation into illegal immigration in the South East.

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Is it a bird, is it a plane? Actually it's a BA plane that looks

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like a bird, designed for the And David Essex rocks on stage in

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Eastbourne as he brings all the fun Good evening. A retired tax

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inspector from Canterbury has been given a life sentence for murdering

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her husband, and then pretending he was still alive to steal tens of

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thousands pounds in pension funds. Don Banfield disappeared 11 years

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ago, and his body has never been found. His wife, Shirley Banfield,

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enlisted their daughter Lynette's help in his murder. She's also been

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given a life sentence at the Old Bailey. Simon Jones reports.

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The mother and daughter from Canterbury who committed murder for

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money. Dunn will never be forgotten. -- done. The worst thing is not

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knowing how he died. Don Banfield had been planning to leave his

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unhappy marriage. The Old Bailey said he signed his own death

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warrant after completing the contract for the sale of his house

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in London. His share of the Prophet was kept by his wife and daughter,

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his pension fund plundered. -- profit. The fraud opened the can of

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worms. It was obvious that within days of him gone missing, they were

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quite happy to fraudulently used his accounts. They obviously knew

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he was guided -- was not going to come back. Don Banfield went

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missing in 2001. In 2009, the case was reopened after his former

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empire became suspicious. Last year, his wife and daughter were charged

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with murder. Shirley and Lynette Banfield moved to Canterbury in an

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effort to distance themselves from the police investigation. They had

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claimed they had seen Don Banfield in 2008, but that was lies.

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Extensive inquiries found no proof that he was still alive. They seem

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to be the sort of people that had won the lottery. They spent a lot

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of money on the garden and everything else. The case had

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featured on Crimewatch. What the police want to know now is where

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guns -- Don Banfield's body is. Ellie Price was in court for the

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verdicts, and joins us live from the Old Bailey. How did Shirley and

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Lynette Banfield react when the jury found them guilty?

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Shirley Banfield raised her eyebrows slightly as she was

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sentenced to 18 years. Her daughter simply stared forward as she

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received 16 years. Some of Don Banfield's family from his native

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Trinidad were in court to hear the verdict. They had been looking

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forward to spending time with them when they thought he was moving

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back there on his retirement. That never happened. The Police are

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still looking for Don Banfield's body and bring some peace to the

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family. Morale among rank and file police

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officers in Sussex is at rock bottom, according to the union that

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represents them. In an open letter to every MP in the county, the

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Sussex Police Federation describes anger over pay freezes, and

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stoppages of annual leave during the summer. A thousand Sussex

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officers say they intend to join a national protest in London next

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month. Mark Norman reports. Disgusted, that is how many Sussex

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police officers feel about the Government review of policing.

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Their federation has written to all Sussex MPs, describing a collapse

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in force morale and huge anger at the Windsor reports. I have been at

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least offers of a 25 years and I have never known such anger and

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frustration. We understand we have to feel the pinch like everybody

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else. But it seems like the police service that this really important

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time in policing are been singled out by the Government for its

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special treatment. -- being singled out. We are disgusted. They have

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expressed the anger in a four-page letter to MPs. It says if the

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recommendations are ratified they were ripped the heart and soul at a

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The Chief Constable of Sussex Police said today he realised

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changes would have a significant effect on the force, but they would

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only be implemented with full consultation. He also said that

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policing is changing and must continue to change. Public opinion

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is mixed. It does not seem to work. It will cause more friction because

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people will complain to the police. Any publicly-funded organisation

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should have its process is reviewed regularly. I think we need police.

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They have not got to be cut back at all. We really need more police if

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anything. The federation parroting Sussex MPs to ask the Home

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Secretary to put a stop to what they describe as, this madness. So

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what's the background to the Police Federation's concerns? Well, by

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2015 Sussex Police need to cut their budget by �52 million, from

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an annual budget of almost �253 million. They're losing 500

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officers and 550 civilian staff from a total workforce of 5,000 -

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more than 400 of those posts have already gone. Mark Norman joins us

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live from Brighton Police Station. What is the Government response?

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This is about cutting the deficit. The Government want the police to

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play their part. They want to protect police frontline services

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and protect the status of frontline police officers. Sirte Tom Winsor,

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who wrote the report into pay and conditions, says it is about

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changing the culture of the police force, a bad attracting the

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brightest and the best. And also changing the perception that the

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police force is a job for life. He wants to scrap redundancy. Create

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redundancy for police officers. What next? A large number of police

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officers from Sussex are expected to join a protest in central London.

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They hope it will have the public's backing. The Government hopes the

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public will understand that cuts have to be made.

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In a moment, a confusing time for nature - we look at the impact of

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A judge has criticised the UK Border Agency for significant

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failings that led to the collapse of a high-profile investigation

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into illegal immigration. Niru Ravindra from Crawley and two

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others were arrested in 2010, accused of supplying illegal

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workers to businesses across the South East - but now charges

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against all three defendants have been dropped. Colin Campbell has

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Arresting staff at Costa Coffee, the UK Border Agency described the

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operation as the biggest of its kind. 25 people, mainly believed to

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be Sri Lankan Nast girls, have been detained. Three people from Crawley

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had been charged with bringing illegal workers into the UK. All

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I've had the charges against them dropped. The Border Agency was

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harshly criticised. For a number of years there have been very serious

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problems in this agency. We describe it as being not fit for

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purpose. Its previous head was promoted. People need to be held to

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account. The Border Agency was hoping to use evidence from those

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arrested on the day of the operation, but it was ruled

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inadmissible. The judge said interviews had gone spectacularly

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wrong, protocols were not followed. Criticising the Border Agency for

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deporting other witnesses, the judge said the agency gave no

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thought to the trial process. He said it never crossed their minds

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that prosecution witnesses are supposed to appear in court, and

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that there was a wanton disregard for routine mechanisms to protect

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the fair trial process. What the Border Agency did not understand

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was that their job was not just to throw at illegal immigrants. If

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they were going to bring a prosecution, they needed witnesses.

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Some of them may be able to give evidence for the defence. At the

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time the Border Agency sang their own praises. As time goes on, we

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get better at doing this kind of work. This criticism follows the

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recent condemnation of lax immigration controls. What is

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unclear that this case is how much money has been wasted and if there

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will be disciplinary action. Colin Campbell reporting, and he's here

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in the studio. Any response from the UK Border Agency?

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Yes. Within the last few minutes we have received a statement. The

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Border Agency keen to point out that their investigation, the

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arrests in September 2010, did result in the rest of 23 people

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working illegally in the UK. -- the arrest. They are disappointed by

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the judgment. This investigation collapse is particularly

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embarrassing for the UK Border Agency but it has proved a steep

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learning curve for the organisation. The organisation has been split

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into two separate entities, with their former chief police officer

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now heading the Border Force. The Government believes that will make

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a difference. The latest Ofsted inspection of the Marlowe Academy

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in Ramsgate has found that the school is making satisfactory

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progress. The academy - which opened in 2005 - was put in special

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measures after inspectors said its lessons, leadership and teaching

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staff were all inadequate. A 34-year-old woman has died after

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her car broke down on the A21 in Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells. She

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was hit by a car as she tried to cross the road in the early hours

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of this morning. Kent Police are appealing for witnesses.

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Brighton and Hove Albion's new Amex Stadium in Falmer has been

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shortlisted for four international awards. Its nominations include

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Venue of the Year and Best New Venue at the Stadium Business

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Awards, which will be held in Italy From the athletes' kits, to the

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jagged 2012 logo, it's fair to say that designs for the London

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Olympics have not always been greeted with universal acclaim. But

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an artist from Sussex is hoping for a better reception for the dove

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he's created for British Airways. Pascal Anson beat hundreds of

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others to win a competition to redesign the company's planes for

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the Olympics, and today his work was revealed for the first time.

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Hidden away in a hangar at Heathrow Airport until now. Feast your eyes

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on the dove, a new airport design. The winning designer is Pascal

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Anson from Brighton who was mentored along the way by Tracey

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Emin. We had our ups and downs. It is because we had to get it right.

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That was important. It took more than 900 hours to paint the air was.

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He had to transform the aircraft. drive up and down the motorway. A

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plane flew over, landing at Gatwick. A few seconds later, a bird flew

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over. They appeared to be the same size, even though one was further

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away. That was something that had been in my mind for a while. That

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is what I wanted to translate. design will be emblazoned across

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nine planes that will fly worldwide. But bearing in mind the design is

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about celebrating the London 2012 games, you have to admit it is

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rather subtle. Is it rather too subtle? Some of the Olympic designs

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have received a lukewarm welcome. The Olympic logo faced a barrage of

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criticism. The mass Scott proved equally unpopular. And a few weeks

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ago the Olympic kit was met with outrage when it featured a blue

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Union flag. I wouldn't say, that is a 2012 plane, I will go on it. I

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would not know what it meant. will give it four. It is a good

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design. Good drawing. I cannot see anything of the Olympics. It is a

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bit like a plain painted with feathers. What is wrong with being

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understated? Why does everything have to be brash? You can see it is

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different and it has retained the identity of British Airways. It is

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not just the plane taking off, it Our top story tonight: A retired

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tax inspector from Canterbury has been given a life sentence for

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murdering her husband, and then pretending he was still alive to

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steal tens of thousands pounds in pension funds. Shirley Banfield

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enlisted the help of their daughter Shirley in the plot to kill Don

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Banfield - she too has been sentenced to life. Also in

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tonight's programme: The army of NHS staff who helped to save the

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life of a baby from Kent,and the photo tribute to them by his

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photographer father. We'll be meeting little Phineas Cockerham,

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who's now a well and happy two year I am David Essex. I will see you in

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We've known for some time now that the South East is in drought, and

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now it's beginning to bite. Experts say that the combination of dry and

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warm March is beginning to upset our plant and animal life. Last

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week, temperatures rose to 22C - that's 72 Fahrenheit. The hosepipe

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ban comes into force on Thursday. Lynda Hardy reports now on the

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effect the dry weather's had on species that find it hard to adapt.

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From the air above Ali marshes on the Isle of Sheppey, the lack of

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water is clear. A vast parched landscape, much of which should be

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covered in pools, providing an important home for a wetland birds

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and their chicks. We are trying to manage wetlands for birds like

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waders. At the moment there are not very many wet areas. Most of his

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drive. We have decided to create a couple of small white areas that

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will be a valuable resource to these birds. -- white areas. This

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time last year I would have been wading through water, walking

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through a pool. But today the ground is dry, cracked and dusty.

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All around the marchers, evidence of the drought conditions. --

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marshes. A lack of rain is not the only problem. While many have been

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basking in the unseasonably warm weather, Nature has reacted to it,

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too. It has created a ripple effect of destruction. Some plants cents

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temperature. When it gets to a certain temperature, they will

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start opening. When we get a cold snap, those flowers will get hit by

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the cold and potentially get hit off -- killed off. That as a knock-

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on effect for the insects. Insects such as butterflies emerging from

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hibernation earlier than that their food source. When we have got

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weather like we had last week, the butterfly, which is cold-blooded,

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reacts to the sun. It thinks it is the summer, goes on the wing, and

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unfortunately there is no food source. Survival for many species,

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it seems, now means battling the elements come Reine or shine in

:17:52.:18:02.
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increasingly dangerous weather When Michael Cockerham's baby son,

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Phineas, almost died from a virus at the age of just three weeks, his

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life was in the hands of hospital staff. It wasn't clear that he'd

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survive, but eventually he did recover, and was able to go home to

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Hextable, near Dartford. Phineas is now a healthy toddler. And as

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Michael's a professional photographer, he decided to take

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pictures of the staff that helped his son - all 63 of them. They've

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been turned into a book on sale to raise funds at the Evelina

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Children's Hospital. Michael and Phineas Cockerham are with us here

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:18:54.:18:55.

in the studio. He looks so healthy and well. How

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will was the? He was very ill. A hospital only has 20 spaces. You

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have got to be seriously ill. I remember thinking to myself,

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looking at some of the other children, there were very poorly,

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that he must be very ill. One of the doctors said to me, do not kid

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yourself, if you had not brought women he could have died.

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members of staff. Fatima Meho was particularly special? She was one

:19:28.:19:38.
:19:38.:19:44.

of the nurses in the ward. This is all her fault really! When you

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suggested he wanted to take pictures, where they are reluctant

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to take part? There was one person who was pivotal, Sean Hayes, the

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retrieval technician, who had been tried in the ambulance and

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monitoring the equipment. He initially did not want anything to

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do with it at all. On the very last day and is doing the Sheared, I

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cornered him and asked him to see me. He mumbled that he probably

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would not. He turned up at 9 o'clock that night with his gear.

:20:16.:20:21.

He wanted to be part of it. I think Phineas has been stealing the show

:20:21.:20:28.

in the studio. What has it been like for you are emotionally pull

:20:28.:20:34.

in this together? Emotionally it was very hard for my wife and

:20:34.:20:40.

myself. Since then, putting it together has been cathartic. It is

:20:40.:20:43.

a way of putting an end to it. For me, the main thing was about trying

:20:43.:20:50.

to raise as much a Wyness as I can for the way modern medical stories

:20:50.:20:54.

run. We had this idea that you get sick and their Arab couple of

:20:54.:20:59.

doctors and nurses. Modern medicine is different. There are huge teams

:20:59.:21:09.
:21:09.:21:12.

of people involved. Thank you both. He set many a young

:21:12.:21:16.

girl's heart a flutter in the 1970s, and he may well still be at it.

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Tonight, David Essex is performing in East Sussex in the musical, All

:21:19.:21:23.

The Fun of the Fair. The show is inspired by one of his own albums,

:21:23.:21:25.

and he plays a recently widowed funfair owner struggling with a

:21:25.:21:29.

rebellious teenage son. In a moment we'll be speaking to him live from

:21:29.:21:35.

the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne. But first, let's look back at some

:21:35.:21:45.
:21:45.:22:15.

# Hauled me close, don't let me go. You haven't seen each other in 15

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years? I could not believe it. Little Alfie with a kit of his own.

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When I read what that woman put you through, I have to see you.

:22:25.:22:32.

Every night before I try to sleep, all I see is Liz's face looking

:22:32.:22:42.
:22:42.:22:47.

There he was on stage. David Essex is live in Eastbourne. What can the

:22:47.:22:54.

audience expect tonight? The show has been a massive hit. This is the

:22:54.:22:59.

penultimate week after a six-month tour in the West End. It seriously

:22:59.:23:06.

does move people. It is the story of love, relationships, humour,

:23:06.:23:11.

tragedy, all in this underbelly world of a travelling funfair.

:23:11.:23:15.

were showing our viewers all of the cheesy bits from the Seventies as

:23:15.:23:21.

well as a more recent work. Do you ever get tired of that? I do not

:23:21.:23:31.
:23:31.:23:32.

think there cheesy. They were just big hit. -- hits. Tire of it? No,

:23:32.:23:35.

because it has meant a lot of things to a lot of people over the

:23:35.:23:41.

years. I will be back in the south- east in November doing a concert.

:23:41.:23:47.

We will be playing some of those songs and new staff. You have been

:23:47.:23:52.

on stage, you have been on screen, you have been on EastEnders, have

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you got a favoured place? I think I am lucky in as much as I do seem to

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work in lots of different media. When I finish this, I'm going

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straight into a film. That is a different medium. It keeps it fresh

:24:09.:24:16.

from a. I think really the fact that I'd do work in different areas,

:24:16.:24:26.
:24:26.:24:28.

it's perfect. What next? I am doing a film. The autobiography is out.

:24:28.:24:34.

That has been number one for three weeks in the Sunday Times list.

:24:34.:24:39.

Then I will ride some music for another film. Then the concert tour

:24:39.:24:49.
:24:49.:24:57.

The weather is all over the place. It continues to be Amex. Today was

:24:57.:25:01.

a day of contrasts. We had a sunny start. Some outbreaks of rain

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around as well. Further rain through tonight. Tomorrow, that a

:25:06.:25:09.

weather front looks to be stalling over the Midlands. It will be

:25:09.:25:14.

mostly dry, some isolated showers. Decent spells of sunshine as well.

:25:14.:25:18.

The reason for this shift in the weather, this weather front is

:25:18.:25:24.

slowly shifting south. The mixture of rain, sleet and snow. Today for

:25:25.:25:28.

the most part was dry and sunny. Temperatures still in double

:25:28.:25:36.

figures. Breezy westerly winds. Tonight we will continue to get

:25:36.:25:42.

cloud cover, outbreaks of rain. The winds continued to pick up.

:25:42.:25:47.

Temperatures staying frost-free. A dry start to the day tomorrow. This

:25:47.:25:51.

weather front currently looks to be stalling. It is moving slower than

:25:51.:25:56.

expected. For the most part it looks like a dry picture. These and

:25:56.:26:03.

sunshine. Isolated showers. Could be happy. The rain coming from an

:26:04.:26:09.

easterly direction. Temperatures between 8 and ten degrees.

:26:09.:26:13.

Overnight we will see the rain. It is mostly falling over higher

:26:13.:26:21.

ground has snow. Temperatures three to four degrees. For a Thursday, it

:26:21.:26:27.

is mostly try. Further rain for a Friday. That will clear by the

:26:27.:26:34.

weekend. Temperatures recovering by Saturday. We seem to have fended

:26:34.:26:41.

off the snow. There is a Jubilee coming up and we would like you to

:26:41.:26:51.
:26:51.:26:52.

help was with our special project Would you like to take part in

:26:52.:26:58.

creating a unique piece of art for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and

:26:58.:27:05.

see your photograph hanging in an art gallery? We're making a focal

:27:05.:27:09.

mosaic of her Majesty. It will be a unique picture of the Queen made up

:27:09.:27:14.

of thousands of pictures of you. It will be on here in this Gallery in

:27:14.:27:19.

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