04/04/2012 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Lynda Hardy.

And I'm Rob Smith. Tonight's top stories.

The hosepipe ban comes into force across Kent, Sussex and Surrey at

midnight. Customers are warned they face a �1,000 fine if they flout it.

We'll be talking live to Southern Water about the drought situation -

and what they're doing to keep the taps open.

Cut price diesel for lorries in Dover - the radical plan being

proposed to pump prime the south east economy. Are suggesting is

have to have the duty-free petrol at the port of entry to encourage

people to fill up here rather than in mainland Europe.

Also tonight: A Kent man describes being slashed with a knife and

surviving his Egyptian jail ordeal. Wanted - new homes for 27 shih-tzu

puppies and dogs rescued from one house in Sussex.

And famous faces back on dry land, the world's largest collection of

ship figureheads goes on display at Good evening. Hosepipe bans come

into effect across Kent, Sussex and Surrey at midnight tonight after

one of the driest two-year periods on record, and with no end to the

drought conditions in sight. Seven companies are introducing

restrictions on water use, with domestic users facing fines of up

to �1,000 for defying them. Our Environment Correspondent Yvette

Austin has been surveying how the region will cope with a year of

drought. He passes a law climbing down a

series of ladders but it takes months for the rain to pass through

the rock. 100 ft down is the supply of water and it is much below the

level it should be. As serious is this situation? We are hoping it is

not that bad, but if you look good for the water level is now, the

water level this time last year was up to were my knee is, that is

directly, the water would be above our heads, three metres above for a

be a standing now, so it is very low, but compared to what their

supplies, they are extremely low and we are very concerned.

company has to we did and 50 more Wells, most at a level never seen

before. It depends on the recovery level we would expect to see, but

in a lot of places, the pump is reaching below where it can pop

from, so we might have to lower them further and get alternative

supplies into this area of supply. Underground supplies are far more

important than a reservoir. For South East Water, nearly three-

quarters of what is used comes from below ground. Some comes from the

river is. Just 7% comes from a reservoir. Reservoirs remain a good

indicator. South East Water recently took extra water from the

river to replenish the reservoir, but taking waters from the river in

a period of drought is not ideal. If we need to protect the

environment, the ecology, these fish, so we can allow the water to

be taken, but there is a limit. We need to protect the environment but

also secured the public water supply. In Kent, so that water is

trying to replenished the reservoir. Currently the water is at 50 %,

despite water being pumped in from the River Medway. Southern Water

wants the reservoir to be at 70 % by the end of this month, but that

haggard seems optimistic. If groundwater levels fall further,

there may be a temptation to delve deeper, but it is thought to be

unwise. There is a level of water and a fluctuation of several tens

of metres that is supported and replenished by the seasons. If we

stop glory the overall water table it is like my new water. The water

companies say that a wet autumn and winter is needed if another

hosepipe ban is to be avoided next year.

The last time the South East had a hosepipe ban was in 2006, after a

series of dry winters had left aquifer levels low. At the start of

this year water companies were warning that we would need a wet

start to 2012 if we were to avoid another ban - but that hasn't

happened. Last month was the fifth driest March on record. It's hoped

that the ban will lead to a 5% reduction in water use - enough to

safeguard supplies for drinking and essential tasks. Many residents in

the south east are already changing their habits when it comes to

conserving and recycling water. is difficult at first, really, for

both of us, because it becomes a habit. We were using a bagging a

sister to save water. We then had the ball when boiling water and we

had some plastic jugs to save all of that and use it in the kitchen.

Then when the water butts would be enough, we had plastic water

storage areas out and we would stand in it in the shower and that

is what we do 75 % of the year. Buckets of water had we been

allowed. Flout the ban and you face a fine

of up to �1,000. But critics point out that far more water is being

wasted through leaks. Ofwat figures show that last year Southern Water

lost around 96 million litres of water per day - that's 16% of its

daily total. They say they've improved since then - but over the

same period the company made an operating profit of �191 million.

Well let's speak to Paul Kent from Southern Water. You can't make it

rain - but you can certainly improve the leakage rate.

I agree, and we have done something awful stop the record for leakage

this year is likely to be the lowest it has been for many years.

It is in the region of �25 million a year on fixing leaks in the area,

so that is a good record. If you made �181 million profits jejune

not plough much more in to make sure you have no leakage. If you

talk about the proffered, this is paper profit which is put back into

the business to address leakage, mains renewal, make sure that be

replaced lengths of water distribution systems to prevent

leakage. In the short term, he would put water meters in to reduce

the amount of water that is used, but in the long term, we need a

bigger silly show, something like a national water grid?... Bigger

solutions. We have a 25 year Water Resources Plan that is being

updated at the moment. We consider these issues. We need to recognise

that bringing water from a wetter parts of the country in the north

is very expensive. It creates a carbon footprint also, so not

necessarily the best solution. We need to look locally at we're

looking at these issues and we need to bear in mind that what we need

to do is provide a service that customers are willing to pay for

and we would do some research later this year to determine what the

customers, what level of service they want and are prepared to pay

for? Thank you. Only a few more hours until the

hosepipe ban comes into force. How will you be changing your habits?

We'd love to hear from you. You can email in at the usual address or

contact us on our Facebook or Twitter sites.

Kent County Council wants to set up a duty-free fuel zone in Dover, to

encourage British truck drivers to buy diesel here rather than fill up

on the continent. The leader of KCC will meet Government Ministers next

month to discuss plans for a filling station in the port of

Dover where diesel would be sold at the same rate of fuel duty as in

France. It's believed the scheme could raise up to �400 million for

the UK economy. Our Business Correspondent Mark Norman reports.

In the last few weeks fuel shortages and rising fuel prices

have become political issues. Now local politicians want to see a

duty-free petrol station in Dover. With diesel 15% cheaper in France.

If UK hauliers could fill up here rather than on the continent AND at

the same price, then the UK government would get the tax rather

than the French authorities. suggesting is to have battle that

is more duty-free at the poor debates about entry to incite

advise people to fill up rather than in mainland Europe. Between

4,000 and 5,000 lorries pass through Dover every day. The

average lorry can hold 1,500 litres of diesel. If they filled up here

and paid the same rate of duty it could bring �400 million into the

UK Treasury. Industry experts like the idea. But with a few

reservations. We have a bit of a concern over the illegality of the

idea, for example, is a discriminating against other UK

operators? How will it be enforced by Revenue and Customs? We should

look at going a bit wider and a look at how we can have less diesel

taxes, less taxed as desks and have more lorry road turns and have UK

road hauliers and A-level pain field with people from over feels.

-- on a level playing-field from overseas.

This is still only an idea. The Government would have to give

approval. European authorities would have to be consulted. But KCC

will hope to make some progress when they speak to government

ministers next month. Coming up: The micro-brewery

denying linking with alcohol with violence.

A man from Canterbury has been describing how he survived eight

weeks in a Cairo jail where he was slashed with a knife. Alistair

Hickson was arrested on suspicion of throwing rocks during the

political unrest in the Egyptian capital. Mr Hickson says he was

just taking pictures but after being arrested claims he was hit by

the police. Simon Jones has been to meet him.

He wanted to capture rate plummeting history, but Alistair

Hicks and ended up being the story himself. It was a complete

nightmare. I never expected it. I thought I might get arrested but I

just assumed that by photographs might be deleted or something like

that. It was almost like I said to other prisoners, I felt like I had

fallen through a hole and were in this different world where I was

locked in a police van with children. We were all deprived of

water for ages and at one point I thought they do not care if we all

die. Other protests continued, his father in Canterbury led the

campaign to get him out of jail. works in the Red Sea. On his way

home, if the years about trouble in Cairo, he will always stop there to

take photographs. -- if he hears. He's asking for trouble! We knew

arrested, we are clearly we doing nothing role? Yes, I was just

taking photographs. I have no criminal record year it bought in

Egypt and I knew, I always knew that the Government were saying

that foreign hands were intervening in the revolution. Even though he

is back in Canterbury, he says because his deportation happen so

quickly, he has no idea if he will have to return to Egypt to face

further court proceedings in the future. One of the major challenges

if you face criminal charges in any country is the language, at the

lack of understanding of what is going over, and time and again, we

have people contacting us that had been in prison awaiting trial

without understanding what it is for. The Egyptian embassy said they

could not comment on the case until they investigate further.

Kent's schools are to be targeted by the Government which says it's

determined to improve educational performance in the county. OFSTED

recently announced plans to abolish the category of satisfactory,

replacing it with 'requires improvement'. The Education

Secretary Michael Gove says any school which falls into this

category three times may forcibly be taken over by an academy. Kent

is one of ten areas nationally which he will be targeting. The

20th anniversary of Airbourne - the annual Eastbourne Airshow - will be

taking place without the Red Arrows for the first time in years. The

event, which starts in August, will include various RAF jets, but

organisers have been told that the Red Arrows, will not participate

due to other commitments. The Highways Agency is scrapping

the concrete barrier used as part of Operation Stack. It's believed

the Quickchange Moveable Barrier which cost more than �2.5 million

has only been used twice in the last four years. Operation Stack

comes into force when the M20 in Kent is turned into a giant lorry

park whenever there are problems at the Channel Ports. Well let's cross

to the Port of Dover and our reporter Ellie Price. Why is the

barrier being scrapped? The Highways Agency said it was not

worth the money, the idea was it would set up a contraflow easily if

there was a problem on the M20 at the Channel Tunnel or in Dover. It

was initially set up on trial in 2,000 a day between highways and

Tritton. The Highways Agency said because it was specialised

equipment, it cost more than �600,000 a year at the two least,

adding up to �2.5 million over four years. That is a lot of money when

it was only used twice. It was used once in a routine operation

incident and the second time over a number of months following a total

fire. What has been a reaction to the news today? �2.5 million of tax

money is a lot, and the local MP, Damian Collins, he said it was a

total waste of time. It was an attempt to fight a middle-of-the-

road solution to operations Stack, and it is not what we need. We

would be better co-ordinated with the police, the port and the

Channel Tunnel had that is more efficient with dealing with this

operation, but in the Laurenne we need a permanent solution to

offload a lorry parking at every immovable barrier which would block

be able to cope with an incident like this. The Highways Agency says

the work will start in a couple of weeks at a cost of �150,000.

The top story tonight: Hosepipe bans come into effect across Kent,

Sussex and Surrey add to their tonight after one of the driest

two-year periods on record at with the went to the drought conditions

inside. Companies are putting restrictions on water use with

domestic users facing fines of up to �1,000 for defying them.

Also tonight: Rescued from a squalid conditions, the 25 Stu Itsu

dogs in need of new owners. And we have some further rain

around tonight, join youth are more details later in the programme.

The Krays were the most notorious gangsters in London in the '50s and

'60s - famous both for their air of violence and glamour. Now, even 12

years after the death of Reggie Kray, they are still controversial

- and a micro-brewery in Kent has been told is must stop selling its

beer "Dark Conspiracy", badged with a photo of the criminal twins,

because it breaks a drinks industry code against linking alcohol with

"violence" and "bravado". However the Ramsgate Brewery deny it does

any such thing. Jon Hunt reports. They committed murder, armed

robbery and ran protection rackets. The great wins rooms East End of

London before being locked up in 1989. There is the brewery in

Ramsgate using a picture of these men which is possibly breaching

industry guidelines. The code of guidelines states that brewers

should not suggest any association with bravado or dangerous,

aggressive already social behaviour. If the use of the images is deemed

to have breached its code, then this beer might have to be pulled.

The code of practice is very clear. Did about cross your mind that this

would be a problem? It did not. No. It just conjured up the 60s to me,

and I think the twins had that duplicity, that respectable side

and a dark underside, which fitted with the name. But I didn't think

anyone would be offended by the pamphlets, know. The decision of

the brewery to use the image has a code how well with the man that

arrested the twins for a serious assault when they were just 17. --

has not come down well. I do not know how you could connect these

trains with the pleasure of having a pint of beer. -- connect these

twins. By do a see the connection between them. The marketing is now

being investigated by the port bow group that sets standards for the

industry. They say they will remove the image of the notorious

gangsters if they are found to be in the road. -- in the wrong sort.

27 shih-tzu puppies and dogs are tonight looking for new owners

after they were found in a bad condition in a small house in

Crawley a week ago. The dogs are currently being housed at an RSPCA

centre in Brighton from where our reporter John Young joins us. John,

how likely are these dogs to find homes?

I am no expert, but the dogs look pretty healthy. They had an unhappy

start in life, and their former owners are facing prosecution,

possibly, because of the state they were found it, but with the

public's health, the story will have a happy ending.

Enjoy the light they were bored to enjoy, their week-long stay at the

RSPCA stay centre has certainly seen dropwort. We cannot show you

what they looked like when they were discovered. They are looked

and Ness, they were badly matted. - they looked a mess. They had

faeces in their coats and they had a virus that made it quite poorly

and we have been through a rigorous ordeal to get them looking as good

as what they look like today. now, they're in isolation because

of this virus. They are not quite ready to be read home yet, had a

word of caution to anyone thinks this might be a dog for a beginner.

They can be hurtful but also a treasure to have the new a home. --

be a handful. You need patients, understanding, so they can start

their new beginning. There is no shortage of other animals looking

for new owners you, but the RSPCA has publicised this case because of

the number of dogs was so large. This is the best bit, the end

result is always the best bit, bringing them in is not so good,

but seeing how they a immediately changed is absolutely adorable.

some members of the public, it is hoped they are irresistible to!

If you find them irresistible, bear this in mind, they point out that

often the animals are in a terrible state because the owners cannot

cope. They underestimate the cost of keeping and feeding them at

grooming them, but if you can handle it, they will contact --

there will contact the RSPCA. Puerto Rico has been named as the

latest country to choose Kent as an Olympic training venue. They're the

11th nation to confirm they'll train in the county in the run up

to the games which start in July. 40 members of the team will train

at Canterbury Christchurch University, Canterbury Boxing Club

and Canterbury High school. Both Kent and Sussex will begin the

new cricket season with difficult away games tomorrow. Kent travel to

Leeds to play Yorkshire. While Sussex go to the Oval to take on

Surrey. Sussex will have to wait a while before their international

stars Matt Prior, Monty Panesar and Luke Wright are available but

they're hoping to improve on last seasons fifth place in the county

championship. When the Cutty Sark went up in

flames during restoration five years ago, many feared it would be

lost forever, but later this month the famous old clipper WILL reopen

to the public. And at the heart of it will be an extraordinary display

of figureheads - gifted to the ship in the 1950's by an eccentric

collector from Gravesend who'd devoted his life - and his home -

to all things maritime. Peter Whittlesea reports.

After more than 100 years, it is hardly surprising that these

figureheads need a facelift. The collection was amassed by one man.

He kept them at his house in Gravesend. They will now be on show

at the newly restored Cutty Sark. He had a nice house in Hyde Park

get made his money in the printing business, but had a separate home

in Gravesend and it was like a private museum or he had his

collection of figureheads. What was he like? He wore an eye patch, he

loved everything to do with the Merchant Navy. When the Cutty Sark

caught fire five years ago, it was feared historical artefacts would

be lost for ever, but fortunately, many of the artefacts were in

storage. The collection dates from the 19th century when the merchant

navy departed from tradition. Out went coats of arms and in came

figureheads to guide the ship's passage. Prominent people soon

found their faces harm these ships like the anti-slavery crusader,

William Wilberforce. Florence Nightingale was another winner.

Bringing them back to life has been rewarded. They are all different

and they all presented a unique conservation will challenge, be it.

Getting the collars right is difficult at times. Others needed

consolidation of the wood where it was effectively powder in places.

Real characters are never forgotten and this collector is no exception.

At his former home in Gravesend, he is fondly remembers. He would sit

there with his eye patch on and shout at us if we went anywhere

near the figureheads. He used to be in the paper is quite a bit. It

took below time to look about his house with all of these figureheads.

60 years later, the figureheads are now on show again. This time, they

are beneath the bows of the new restored Cutty Sark.

We mentioned the bad weather that is going UN of the North,

Yes, by the time it reaches as, it will be her -- a year as rain. The

weather front well clear at it will be dry and bright by the afternoons.

Easterly winds of 20 mph. Some heavy showers. This weather front

has been slower than expected and stalling over the Midlands. A

wintry mix cent by the time it reaches us tonight, it will be

lighter and patchy rain. Gentle, southerly winds. Temperatures not

too bad, 9-12 degrees. An increasingly cloudy and stamp fixer.

The rain spreading to the south- east. -- cloudy and damp fixture.

Plenty of cloud our boat and a damp start to tomorrow. The weather

front will appear to the east. You can see how it tightly spaced the

isobars are so a breezy picture. Dry and bright into the afternoon

had with the wind, temperatures are moving back. Into Friday, staying

dry. Clear skies and temperatures dropping to frise. Some of us

seeing some frosty starting as to the day. 12 or 13 degrees. Saturday,

mostly dry with light, patchy rain. Sunday, increasingly unsettled by

the afternoon. 13 degrees on Sunday. the afternoon. 13 degrees on Sunday.

Now, you can hardly have missed that there's a Jubilee coming up

and we'd like YOU to help us with a special project we're putting

together as we approach the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Would you like to take part in creating a unique piece of art for

the Diamond Jubilee? You can see a photograph hanging in an art

gallery. We are making a photograph mosaic of Her Majesty, a unique

picture of the Queen made up of thousands of pictures of you. This

piece of art will be here in the Tower Gallery in Eastbourne

throughout the Jubilee. Log onto the Web site and send us your

photograph. They can be colour or black and

white, recent or from years ago. We'll be deciding soon which

picture of the Queen your photos will recreate. You can go on to the