09/08/2013 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Juliette Parkin.

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

A serial sex attacker has assaulted three women in Ashford. Police are

warning women to take extra care. One victim says she's been left

traumatised. I wouldn't walk anywhere from the house. They only

go in the car and I don't ride my bike on my own either.

Back home after emergency surgery. A nine-year-old's hospital stay

raises new questions over health reforms.

Also in tonight's programme: Resident of a Sussex village where

demonstrators are campaigning against drilling for oil are

invited to meet with a national protest group.

We are live with the latest. The mum from Maidstone who lost

half of her body weighs so she can hold her son's.

And the European beach tennis championships come to Brighton and

the UK for the first time. But, what is it?

Good evening. A serial sex attacker is believed

to have assaulted three women in Ashford. One of the victims, a 47-

year-old woman says she is now afraid to walk anywhere on her own.

Another victim was a 17-year-old girl on her way to school. Police

have launched a major investigation and are warning women in the area

to stick to well lit areas when travelling alone. Simon Jones

reports. Three assaults. Police today at the

scene of the latest. They are now being linked to one man. This is a

computer-generated image of him. One of his victims recently spoke

of the effect of the ordeal. would not walk anywhere from the

house. I only go in the car and I don't ride my bike, her own either.

Yes, it has affected my life. Quite massively. -- I don't ride my bike

on my own either. A first assault was in 2012 when a 17-year-old girl

was assaulted on her way to school. In September a woman was assaulted

when walking her dog and last Friday a 23-year-old woman was also

assaulted when walking her dog. The police believe these three cases

are linked. This is the area of the latest assault. In all three the

women who have been victims have given a similar description of the

attacker and also police have managed to gather forensic evidence.

I would say that in a particular geographical area, for people to

take commonsense precautions. Do not going to unload or none busy

areas and do not take short cuts in isolated areas. For people who live

and walk their dogs in the area, it is a worrying time. He it is quite

fat because this is where I live and I should feel safe walking my

dog so it is quite scary. It is awful. It is awful, isn't it? They

should not happen. Of course it is worrying.

The police say they have a substantial number of officers

working on the case and they are convinced the attacker is local.

Changes to hospital services in East Sussex are under fresh

scrutiny tonight after a nine-year- old boy was left waiting in a busy

recovery unit for eight hours through the night because the

children's ward at Eastbourne is currently closed overnight.

In another incident, two children knocked down outside the town's

hospital were sent to Hastings for treatment. The trust in charge are

insisting the reforms improve patient safety, but as John Young

reports the local MP says enough is enough.

If this row is about and nine-year- old boy who had a successful

emergency operation in Eastbourne but then had to wait in a recovery

ward for eight hours, through the night, before he could be taken by

ambulance to a children's award in Hastings because there is not an

overnight children's ward in Eastbourne any more. I could not

sleep because they were doing the cleaning and emptying the dustbins

and they had the Radio 1 and it was beeping because of all of the

noises. He had to travel 20 miles in a bumpy ambulance after an

operation. We were over at Hastings at 4am and we do not think he had

better care. He it is the latest in a lengthening list of controversy

is over hospital care that brings people onto the streets of East

Sussex. Six years ago plans were announced to focus maternity

services in Hastings but it did not happen. Three years later

inspectors found patients were sometimes at risk in both hospitals

and demanded changes. Two years later that the reforms began on a

trial basis, leading to today's news. It is not just the maternity

and children's units that are scaled back but accident and

emergency has affected as well. Today it is reported that to 13

year olds that were knocked down outside Eastbourne's coat hook --

Hospital were taken to Hastings because that is when non-

threatening -- non-life threatening accidents now go. We are the

fastest-growing town in East Sussex but what do these people have

against our town? You are smaller than other towns that do not have

hospital facilities. Here you are right. The transport facilities are

absolutely shocking between the hospitals. It was a tense meeting

five months ago when managers made the decision to try out these new

arrangements. They were not giving interviews today but insists that

things are safer this way. They also know that cases like this do

not help them to win the argument. John Young reporting and he's live

now in Hastings, so, John, was anyone standing up for these

reforms today? There are organisations that do defend these

reforms. They point out it is logical to centralise expertise in

a town like Hastings for a County the size of East Sussex. No one was

prepared to come on camera. Many dealers would be wondering what the

buses or about. In Maidstone, crawler, door -- Dover, Canterbury,

those towns have all lost services in the way that he's borne it now

appears to be doing. That said, some paediatric doctors in Hastings

say they are not sure that this is the safest way forward. It is a

confusing picture for patients but what is clear is that the hospital

trust are stressing that this is temporary for now and there is an

online survey which we have details of on our website and they want to

hear what the public think and there will be full consultation

before any of this is made permanent.

In a moment: A major recruitment campaign to

take on scores of on-call firefighters, so why are the unions

unhappy? Residents in the Sussex village of

Balcombe have been invited to a special meeting at the village hall

this evening. It's been arranged by a national protest group who plan a

five-day action camp from next Friday outside Balcombe. It is of

course over the plans to drill for shale oil and gas there - the

campaigners say the meeting is designed to explain exactly what to

expect next week. Our environment correspondent Yvette Austin is

outside the village hall now. Well, we are expecting this tiny

village room to be packed later on this evening, with local residents

and campaigners alike. People have come from further afield to camp

outside the Cuadrilla test drilling site to protest at their Rolly --

as the lorries with the drilling equipment have come and gone. Who

are these national campaigners? They are keen on direct action, the

sort of thing we saw earlier in the week with protesters chained to a

fire engine block in the side. Last year they campaigned and occupied a

power station and now they are planning mass, audacious and

creative act of disobedience, they say.

And how is this going down in Balcombe?

Well, of course the protesters will be telling the residence tonight a

little bit more about what they plan but I think the residents are

becoming increasingly concerned about what is going on with

Cuadrilla and increasingly frustrated that they cannot do

anything so they welcome the protesters with open arms and this

is what a residents said earlier. am hoping to here and share some of

the experiences of people who have been through this situation before.

It is a wealth of experience and we are quite green at this so we are

quite excited to see what other groups have to say. Of course,

there is some concern in this small Sussex town about what the new

campaigners are going to do but I think that they are more concerned

about what Cuadrilla is doing and what the protesters are planning.

Thank you very much. Two people have been arrested on

suspicion of murder over the discovery of a body on the Isle of

Sheppey. A 44 year-old man and 43- year-old woman, both from London,

are currently in police custody. The body, which is still

unidentified, was found on the beach between Little Groves Caravan

Site and the Isle of Sheppey Holiday Village. Police are

continuing to carry out door to door inquiries.

Five the MP for Hove and Portslade has called in police after

receiving a death threat on Twitter for calling on David Cameron to

speak out against Russia's anti-gay legislation. He said that we to

trolls should not be allowed to make threats while lurking behind

their computers. A man's been arrested after two

cash machines were stolen from a Tesco supermarket in Pembury near

Tunbridge Wells yesterday morning. Kent Police found the machines in

Marden on Thursday evening. The 28- year-old man from Maidstone has

been arrested on suspicion of theft. Part of the North Terminal at

Gatwick airport had to be evacuated this afternoon because of a fire. A

coach caught fire outside the terminal building around lunchtime.

No one was hurt, and flight departures and arrivals were not

affected. The fire service across Kent is

holding recruitment drives for on- call firefighters - those who do

other work but are available at certain times in case of emergency.

They say they want to boost rural response times.

However the fire brigades union says nationally response times are

worse than they were ten years ago, and that a shortage of on-call fire

crews has led to an increased risk of injury and death among full time

firefighters, something the fire service here vigorously disputes.

Charlie Rose reports. There have been some major fires in

the South East recently. This recycling depot in Sittingbourne

and risk their own in said Leonards are two examples from last month.

Kent Fire and Rescue services looking to recruit more part-time

or on call firefighters to help to deal with any incident. We want to

recruit local people to their local fire stations. It is the best way.

They are in the local community and they know the local area. We are

looking at how we can get applicants from the local community

to come forward and be part of a valuable team, a team that is

highly regarded by the public, and come and join us. Two years ago the

rules changed for on-call firefighters from an ad hoc system

to one where they are paid to be available during pre-agreed hours.

This year and national government study called for streamlining in

the fire service and a shift to more part-time firefighters. The

report received criticism from some as it excuse to cut spending.

think it is a retrograde step because it puts people at risk

because inevitably the response times if you increase part-time

firefighters, the response times will increase. Fire quadruples in

size through time. It is absolutely vital that the quicker we get there

the quicker we put the fires out. We can save lives and reduce

injuries and reduce Safiya loss. It also has a big impact on fire

fighters as well. If they are waiting for additional resources to

get there and trying to deal with fires without sufficient resources

then it put their lives at risk. Kent Fire and Rescue Service

insists their recruitment drive is for additional firefighters and not

took replace full-time staff. Well, our reporter Charlie Rose is

outside Tunbridge Wells fire station now. Charlie, is this

because Kent Fire & Rescue service are losing staff?

Well, it seems that way. The fire service here in the county said

that it loses between 70 and 80 firefighters every year through

natural wastage. They need to be replaced. It has already recruited

78 firefighters in the past year. It says that on-call firefighters

are trained to the same standard as full-time staff and they all

operate on the front line. The Government says that fire related

incidents are down 46% compared to 10 years ago and on-call

firefighters provide much-needed flexibility to the service.

This is our top story tonight: A serial sex attacker is believed

to have assaulted three women in Ashford. Police have launched a

major investigation, and are warning women in the area to stick

to well lit areas when travelling alone.

Also in tonight's programme: Not beach volleyball or cricket, we are

on the beach in Brighton as beach tennis comes to town.

We have some cosmic fireworks coming up as well as the weather. I

will have all the details. If you have a story you think we

should be cabbing and I will have It's been a truly dramatic

transformation for mother of two Maxine Freeman who says she was

inspired to lose half of her body weight so that her two young sons

could fit their arms around her and give her a proper cuddle. The 42-

year-old from Maidstone shed 11 stone in just 18 months after

having weight loss surgery. As Rebecca Williams now reports, she

says her new figure has given her a new lease of life.

She tried every diet going but nothing worked. Maxine Freeman

decided to have weight-loss surgery. In just 18 months she has lost half

of her body weight. I was very self-conscious of my thighs and I

thought that people stared at me all of the time. I went to

Chessington a couple of months ago and I could go on every single ride

and before I struggled. Sometimes I could not get barriers under my

stomach and I could not go on roller coasters because I was

worried about not fitting. Maxine started to been geed when her

brother died in a motorbike accident as a teenager but she says

her inspiration to finally shed the way it was her husband and her two

sons. -- binge eat. We can put our arms around her and she can play

football with us. I am really proud of her. She has kept a photo diary

to track her weight loss. Medics had to re-read her digest of system

pass most of her stomach so now she feels for the for longer. Some

people would question you having this kind of surgery on the NHS so

what would you say to them? Well, I have tried everything and struggled

for 18 years. It is not the quick fix. You really do have to work at

it still. It is a very big risk having the surgery but I had to

take the risk to be there for my boys when I get older. She says she

can now be an inspiration to her sons and she enjoyed taking part in

every aspect of their lives. In June, a band of gorillas were

flown out from Kent to be resettled in West Africa in a bold scheme to

try and re-populate the critically endangered primates in the wild.

But they had to leave one of the family at home. Kibi couldn't fly

as she was pregnant at the time. Now she's given birth and her

keepers say she is lonely and pining for the others. As Peter

Whittlesea reports, they're now desperate to find someone to fly

her out to join them. You can see it in her eyes, Kibi is

an tapis -- unhappy despite giving birth five weeks ago to her baby, a

goal back. That is because she is missing her silver back. -- Lelie.

The Aspinall Foundation is determined to reunite the pair.

is a love story. We are looking for the owner of a private jet to loan

us that Jenn Suhr we can reunite her with her family in the Forest

of her eye selectors -- ancestors. It has to be a big enough jet to

take a crate with a gorilla inside but that is the only requirement.

Although she gets on with her current room-mates, they are all

females but she wants to be with the father of her new baby and as a

result she is restless. Karen les Kibi's family has been taken to the

Gabon and unfortunately at the time and Kibi could not go with them

because she was pregnant. Gorillas are quite social animals and the

only animals we could socialise with her whilst she was pregnant

were these old ladies here. No Kibi is far from stupid. She wants a

better life for her and her baby and if a private jet can be found

she will swap this cage for a massive reserve in Africa and she

will be reunited with the love of her life. You have probably heard

of beach volleyball and each football but have you heard of

beach tennis? For the first time, the European

Beach Tennis Championships are being held in the UK. They are

taking place all weekend in Brighton. Entrants from 20

countries are taking par. It's not a hugely well known sport

in this country, but it is apparently hugely popular in Europe.

Our reporter Chrissie Reidy is at the Yellow Wave Volleyball Centre

now. Chrissie, tell us, what exactly is beach tennis?

It is similar but different to regular tennis. It is a mixture of

tennis, volleyball and badminton. It is relatively new here in the UK

but it is massive in Europe. It any other current champions. This is

the first time the European Championships have been here in UK,

are you delighted? I am. I am delighted to have them here in

Brighton. It is the first time we have had them here. It is the 6th

European Championships. What about the game itself? Where did it come

from? There is a bit of an argument. We say it is Italian but Brazil

also claimed they started is about 40 years ago. It has been two years

since it was first brought to this country. Thank you very much. We

can cross to the team captain. You are going to be playing in a moment.

Would you like this to be an Olympic sport? That would be

fantastic if it did. It is already played in over 40 countries

worldwide. Spectators love it, players love it and it is what the

Olympics are all about. You have done two matches so far so how are

you getting on? We have played the Bulgarians in the mixed doubles. We

are positive and we were are going to give it our best shot. We beat

the Lithuanians in the men's doubles and they were seeded 14th

in the tournament. Where do you think you will come overall?

play in the third round against the French tomorrow and they are the

third seeds and that will be a tough match but we will take a

positive mental attitude and the game. Lovely to talk to you. From

summer sport to winter sport. You may not know but it is six months

until the Winter Olympics in the Russian resort of Sochi. Team GB

has not been chosen yet but our sports reporter has been speaking

to some of the hopefuls at the training ground in Bath.

There is much more to the Winter Olympics than skiing. In

disciplines like the skeleton Team GB are among the world's best.

Lizzy Yarnold has made a huge impact in the sport in the last two

years and is a genuine medal contender in February. I still have

two months of hard work in the gym getting my sled ready and packing

bags and getting everything in order. Then in the first half of

the year I will compete on the world circuit which I had to do and

they get elected to the Games in January and then look ahead to

Sochi. This time last year Craig Pickering had never seen bobsleigh

racing but last February he competed in the world championship.

I am used to being part of a relay team in the athletics and this is

the same so we have a team of four and some reserves as well. It is a

case of everyone working together to achieve the same goal. The more

time before the Olympics the better for me because I am a beginner and

I need more time to get used to what is going on. Six months until

Sochi, I think I have further ahead than I was so it is all progressing

very well. Many of the other Team GB athletes visited Sochi earlier

in the year and have a good idea of what to expect. The track itself is

magnificent and has three uphill sections so it is interesting from

that perspective and there is no other tracking the world that have

that. Some callers are almost too long so you are rising as you come

out of the corners. I have a lot of work to do to understand those

corners. In a few months they will be off to the eyes of the USA and

Europe but success in Sochi is the ultimate goal.

I have got some fans here behind me. How do you think they are going to

do? I think they have got off to a very good start and they are going

to win. All of this continues on until Sunday so if you can get down

here, please do! Thank you very much. She did well

not to get whacked on the head when they were playing beforehand. The

pick of this weekend's football league fixtures see Brighton and

Hove Albion coach Oscar Garcia lead out his Seagulls side at the Amex

for his first home league game since taking charge. They're

playing Derby County. Gillingham travel to Wolves. The Gills manager

Martin Allen says he's happy to go into the match as underdogs.

don't think any of us can avoid the fact that it is a big club. They

have got some good players and a fantastic history. It is going to

be a great occasion. When you get promoted, this is the sort of game

that you look for. Sussex cricketer Matt Prior managed

to score 17 runs for England on the first day for the fourth Ashes test

against Australia before being given out leg before wicket. Prior

was originally given the benefit of the doubt by umpire Aleem Dar, but

the Aussies called for a review, and Hawkeye determined that the

ball would have hit the leg stump. England closed the day on 238 for 9.

England closed the day on 238 for 9. Now we will find out what the

weather is going to do. Is it all good stuff?

Absolutely. Can you remember what you were doing 10 years ago

tomorrow? Tricky.

I would have to have a think. I bet everyone was having a

barbecue. It was the hottest they ever

recorded in the UK and it happened right here in Kent in the South

East. It was near that that sham. It was 38.5 degrees which is 101 in

Fahrenheit. It was the hottest ever recorded temperature and I don't

think we will reject this year. To compare today got up to 24 degrees

has so quite a long way off. The parties so far this year was 34.2

degrees and that was earlier. I don't think we will make any

records this weekend. It will be fine but not sweltering. Lovelies

sunny spells and a chance of a few showers on Saturday night and into

Sunday. Saturday daytime will stay dry. This evening is lovely.

Temperatures are still lovely in the sunshine but once the fund set

at about 8:30pm we are going to have those temperatures dropping

very quickly. It will be cooler than last night with temperatures

down to about ten degrees in the countryside and about 13 in towns.

They cool start to the day and it will not be wall-to-wall sunshine

with patches of cloud coming and going. Temperatures will not be as

warm as today. They will be below average but reasonable enough. This

evening and overnight we will see the cloud coming back again so what

will not be quite as cool. There are some shout was popping out of

the sky at times. -- showers. Many of us will stay dry on Saturday

night into Sunday's to you might have to watch your garden but there

will be sunshine and a smattering of showers. From Sunday onwards our

chances of seeing the meteor shower will actually increase. They start

from tomorrow night but it will be to cloudy. The peak will be on

Monday night, the 12th. We should have some beautiful clear skies and

it is all happening because the Earth passes through the tail of a

comet. On Monday night we could see 80 or of 100 meteors every single

hour. There is a lovely run of sunny weather and a small chance a