07/10/2013 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Natalie Graham. And I'm Rob Smith.

Tonight's top stories: No go — the Remembrance Day parade which might

be cancelled because of a row between the police and the

organisers. Help us get to England — the Syrian

refugees in Calais demanding asylum from the British authorities.

Also in tonight's programme: We need a new runway in the South East —

that's the verdict of a Government commission. But where will it

built? Raising the stories of the dead —

the code that unlocks the secrets buried in a graveyard.

And hold on tight — we're going for a drive round the best roundabout in

the country. Good evening. A major Remembrance

Day parade in Kent may be cancelled because of a row between the

organisers and the police. 500 people, including war veterans,

scouts and guides, take part in the march in Chatham on November 11th

every year. But with one month to go, Kent Police say they can't

provide enough officers to make the route safe. They've told the

organisers to find an alternative route — but they say they can't do

that at such short notice. Let's go to Chatham now and our reporter,

Ellie Price. Why can't the parade be moved, Ellie? Natalie, organisers

say the 500 or so people who use the parade, I've used this route for

many years. Reorganising it at this stage would be too late for the

Scouts, veterans and older people who find it difficult to get around,

they say. They say it is too much to ask.

A parade to remember those who died for their country. Organisers say

they have followed the same route for more than a decade. Paul

Harriott is a bit —— veteran of the Korean War. I think it would be a

complete and utter disgrace and a stain on the Medway towns that they

could not per —— police a parade for people still serving in the forces,

and wish to pay respects to the war dead. Organisers say they only

became aware of the police position at the weekend. With less than five

weeks remaining, they say it is not enough time to change the route. I

am stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have done it for many

years. We have no alternative route. Everybody is geared up for the

route. Re—enactment groups. If police withdraw, we would have no

option but to cancel the parade. Organisers say it has been the same

for 15 years. Police say they're not trying to change the route

simply suggesting some small alterations. If we can do it as we

are proposing, it would save us having to put —— having to put

additional officers on the route. We can put the officers to other work.

Police say they are committed to supporting such events. The

organisers of this one say that is not enough. Kent police say they are

still willing to negotiate and want the parade to go ahead. Bearing in

mind next year is the Centenary of World War I, one wonders whether

this issue will come up again. We want to know what you think. Next

year is the 100th anniversary of the First World War — should the police

prioritise resources to commemorate the fallen in all the wars? Or

should the police be able to re—route or reduce the size

should the police be able to Remembrance Day parades to reduce

costs? Email us or join the on Facebook.

More runways are needed in the south—east to keep up the demand for

a trouble, according to the man appointed by the Government to look

at airport expansion. Sir Howard Davies said demand for air travel

will exceed current capacity, although he has not said where any

new runways should be. Mark Norman reports. We know the arguments

already. More of us want to fly but how do we deal with more aeroplanes

in the skies? A second runway at Gatwick, another at Heathrow or one

in the Thames Estuary? The man who has the job to decide says yes, we

do need more runways. Our assessment is that we will not be able to

provide the number of take—off and landing slots that you need without

some additional tarmac on the ground. The Airports Commission will

publish a short list of options in December before making a final

decision after the next general election. One likely candidate for

the short list is a second runway at Gatwick. It has been a well argued

submission. It depends on an assumption about how the market will

develop. We have detested that is a plausible way. We think Gatwick will

be one of the airports on the short list. That is good news. We will go

on arguing the contrary and we think the politicians in 2016 may well

agree. The issue that barely got a mention today was the idea of the

new international airport on the River Thames. The fact that I have

not talked about the estuary is not significant. I was trying to talk

about the overall temperature in terms of whether we need demand. Any

extra warm —— runways would be hugely significant for the people.

That is an issue that Sir Howard takes seriously. But for now we will

all have to wait until his short list.

Mark is still in central London. Sir Howard Davies clearly has come to a

decision that we need at least one more runway but he has yet to decide

where it should go? No. That is right. He would not be drawn on the

short list. It is interesting how worried he is about the issue of

blight. Let's say he puts Gatwick and the Thames Estuary on the short

list. He knows people 's lives will be blighted. This in December, those

not on the short list can get on with the rest of their lives.

In a moment, relief for commuters. The Mayor of London says season

tickets should be tax—free. They Kent woman who lied about being

raped has been given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to do

200 hours community service for wasting police time. Charmaine

Ripley claims she was raped in a park after leaving a nightclub in

Margate. Some campaigners felt police should not have prosecuted.

Time and again we see women coming to us. They are being investigated

when they have reported rape. The evidence has not been collected by

the police. This is one of many failings in the criminal justice

system, the fact they are going after the wrong people, prioritising

the wrong things. A large group of Syrian refugees are

demonstrating in Calais, demanding that the British Home Office meet

with them. In a statement they say that that believe they have "the

right to claim asylum in England". But they say it's wrong that, having

reached Northern France, they have found there is "no legal way to

cross" to Britain. Stranded in Calais, they claim, and

desperate. 55 refugees from Syria, some elderly, one as young as three.

We want to go to England because we have family and friends there. We

left Syria to make a new future. No future in Syria. Everything is

finished. They want to reach Kent because of violence at home and,

they claim, eviction from shelters and damage to their possessions in

France. The war in Syria has brought them to the French coast. They have

now issued a formal statement on a website that supports migrants.

That brought this response this evening from an MP in Kent. We

should control our own borders in this country and we should decide

who come in. While people are very sympathetic to what is happening in

Syria, I do think France needs to take responsibility for people who

are currently in France. Tonight, it seems there is stalemate.

The Government's ministerial reshuffle has seen some of the

south—east's MPs get new jobs. Hugh Robertson moves to the foreign

office. Helen Grant will take over his sports role. Norman Baker, the

MP for Lewis, has left the Department for Transport to become

Minister of State of the Home Office. And Greg Clark becomes the

chief whip of the Tories. Victims of domestic violence in Kent are not

getting the support they need, according to a lawyer for victims of

abuse. Donna Payne has criticised the policy which allows front line

police to support some victims instead of specialist officers. The

police insist the service they offer has never been better.

South East commuters could be offered a reduction on their season

tickets. South East commuters could be offered a tax break on their

season tickets, under plans being proposed by the London Mayor, Boris

Johnson. He's believed to be in talks with Chancellor George

Osborne, over allowing annual tickets to be paid for from pre—tax

income. Paul Siegert has been following the story and he joins us

live from outside Brighton train station. This has gone down well

with commuters in Brighton. Season tickets from parts of Kent

and Sussex cost well over £3000. Boris Johnson's plans have gone down

well with commuters. I think great idea. They are far too

expensive as it is. The service is not acceptable for the amount it

costs. A subsidy would be great. The public is paying for it anyway and

it is public transport. I figured as a good idea. The Government has got

money. What would allow season tickets to be paid for by pre—tax

income? A season ticket... Fuss critics say the taxes of

non—commuters should not be used to subsidise train fares. —— but

critics. The proposal has support elsewhere. Having cheaper fares for

people, with the amount of people in part—time employment and

underemployed, a little bit of benefit for the commuter will be of

benefit to everyone. Whether the plans would get support from George

Osborne would seem likely. —— unlikely. Then again, with Boris you

never know. We have had a statement from the Chancellor's offers. It

said that all taxes are kept under review. However, any additional

support for the cost of transport needs to be considered carefully, as

tax reliefs can come at a considerable cost which would have

to be made up by the taxpayers in general. In a nutshell, thanks, but

no thanks, Boris. Our top story tonight. A major

Remembrance Day parade in Kent may be cancelled because of a row

between the organisers and the police. This

Also in tonight's programme, making steam dreams come true — the railway

offering to teach you how to drive a train.

It has been a mild and dry start to the weed but it will not be staying

that way. Join me later. —— to the week.

It already seems that all aspects of life have been affected by the

digital revolution. Well, a business in Tonbridge is now offering to

engrave special codes on gravestones and memorials. The idea is that you

scan a bar — known as a quick release code — with your mobile

phone to access additional information about the person's life.

Quick Release — or QR Codes — were first designed by the motor industry

in Japan in the 1990s. They are a type of bar code consisting of

square dots on a white background that can be read by a smartphone.

Users take a picture of the code with their phone, which links to

websites or other information. Ian Palmer has been to seen how it

works. You've seen them in magazines,

you've seen them in shops, now QR Codes can be seen on memorial

benches. This The bench is dedicated to Federick and Violet Dawes. A lot

of families don't know about their own heritage or their forebears.

That is a great shame. His greatest achievement was he left school at 12

and a half but he educated himself later on in years. And that is how

he became brilliant at what he did. What else is revealed by scanning

the cold? —— code. Well, the couple got married in 1923 at Southover

Church in Lewes. Mr Dawes is commemorated on a council members'

board at Tonbridge Castle. And Mrs Dawes used to take tea to the troops

during the Second World War, when their train stopped at Tonbridge.

The technology has countless potential uses. The aim in the

future is to etch bar codes onto memorial stones. The code can be cut

by hand or it can be placed using a Sound Blaster. —— sand blaster. Jean

Fuller is extremely proud of her parents' achievements. The original

bench in their honour was replaced five years ago. Today's technology

will ensure the memory Federick and Violet Dawes will outlive this seat

and the ones after it. It's an expensive business keeping a

steam railway going, so you have to be imaginative when it comes to

raising funds. That's why volunteers with the Kent and East Sussex

Railway are offering the ultimate in childhood wish fulfilment — courses

for wannabe steam train drivers. Piers Hopkirk has been on the

footplate to find out more. So begins the journey back to

childhood. It is everything. It is the noise, the smell, the sounds. It

is just great. It is like being taken back 30 or 40 years. For the

learner driver —— drivers, this is dream fulfilment writ large. Mike

Norris is a former United Nations project director. But today at the

controls of a century old steam train pulling 100 tonnes, he is

facing a different kind of pressure. In a word, terrifying! It is

fantastic you have got this big engine making a lot of noise, very

hard, very noisy, and you are driving it. You have a driving

instructor at the back. But it is a boyhood dream come true. That is

what it is. Eddie Goldfinch is a retired nuclear physicist. Today he

is making steam on a smaller scale. It gives you a feeling of power

somehow. It is such a lovely feeling. I have always loved the

smell and the sound of steam engines since I was a kid. Even for the

hands, the thrill is still as new as it ever was. I love machinery. This

thing is alive. If you are driving an engine up a steep bank, it makes

the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It is rather special. That

old saying has never been truer than theirs. The only difference between

the men and the boys is the size of their toys. The Kent and East Sussex

Railway costs a lot of money each year to run. Money is not always

easy to find. With men like this prepared to pay hundreds of pounds

for the experience, journeys back in time helping to secure its future.

—— her helping. He had a good day as well. I think he had. I have had a

good day as well. To most of us, a roundabout is merely a functional

piece of road furniture — something that allows the traffic to continue

to flow freely at a busy junction. But there are those who appreciate

that there is much more to them than that. And the Kent village of Otford

has been named as this year's winner of the UK's roundabout of the year.

Yes, really. your house unless you know it to be

useful believe it to be beautiful. I think he would have this place. This

beautiful place. This... Roundabout. According to the UK Roundabout

Appeciation Society — yes, they really do exist — a good roundabout

is an oasis in a sea of tarmac. But what lifts the merely functional

traffic gyratory into something a bit more special? The beauty of a

roundabout is there so expressive. You can put anything on a

roundabout. I've seen fountains, statues, planes, boats, trains,

giant snails and indeed duck ponds. That is the beauty of it. Of course,

not everyone appreciates them in quite the same way. Time for the

missing words round. But people in Otford at least are pleased. Oh,

yes. It is always the main feature. It is a lovely roundabout. A pretty

roundabout. It is a lovely village to live in. It is great. Fantastic.

It is recorded that people have been metering and gathering around the

pond here since Anglo—Saxon times. —— meeting. This is the only listed

pond in the country. In that thousand years or more of history,

this is the proudest moment, the roundabout of the year.

It is a thing of beauty, isn't it? I think we should make sure you get

out more. I mean it in a nice way! There was a win a draw and a defeat

for the South East's leading sides over the weekend. The three games

contained nine goals, three penalties, two red cards and a

welcome clean sheet. Neil Bell rounds up all the action.

Brighton may be in the middle of an injury crisis but their much

anticipated clash with Nottingham Forest prompted a carnival

atmosphere, especially among some of the more junior fans. The game

struggled to come to life. Half an hour in, Andrew Cross headed

Brighton in front. Forest were transformed after the break.

Lansbury levelled things. Shortly after, Henderson gave the visitors

the advantage. With time running out, Matthew Upson's high risk

challenge led to a penalty which Lansbury dispatched. We had a

handicap in that we have seven or eight players injured. For most of

the game, we played face to face against one of the best teams of the

competition. Charlton's game against Blackpool was a more tepid affair.

Charlton did manage their first clean sheet of the season. The most

eventful start of the weekend saw Gillingham awarded an early penalty

which Cadwell smashed home. Two minutes later it happened again.

This time, there was a red card and the penalty went into the other

corner. Within a few minutes, Bamford headed home and then

finished in style. But it was Gillingham took the points. Danny

Holland giving them their first home win since April.

Time for the weather. Another lovely sunny day. It is not going to last.

It is going to be a week of two halves. We start off with

temperatures above average for the time of the year. By the end of the

week, temperatures dropping by five degrees. Northerly winds and much

cooler air. We had some sunshine this morning. By the afternoon, more

in the way of cloud cover. Temperatures holding up for the time

of the year. Light winds. A pleasant feeling day. Through tonight, cloud

and clearer skies. You may see some patchy rain or drizzle. Also some

mist and fog. Temperatures at 14 or 15 degrees. As we start tomorrow,

any fog and mist clears quickly. More cloud in the morning. The

chance of some patchy rain or drizzle. It brightens up by

afternoon. Similar temperatures to today. More of the same tomorrow

night. We will stay dry. Temperatures holding up in towns and

cities into double figures. Then a shift as we move into Wednesday. And

the weather front. Rain around in the morning. Drier by the afternoon.

We start to see the winds to a northerly direction.

Temperatures around 15 or 16 degrees. Overnight on Thursday all

others seeing much... It will be a cool start to the day on Thursday.

The chance of the wind and showers picking up as well. Into Friday,

heavy rain, the risk of coastal gales. Temperatures 11 or 12

degrees. Pleasant for the next couple of days. Make the most of it.

A quick recap of the top stories. 65 Syrian migrants our protest in

Calais, demanding to meet somebody from the Home Office in the UK. They

say they have a right to seek asylum in