02/01/2014 South East Today

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Welcome to South East Today, I'm Year blues.

Welcome to South East Today, I'm John Young. And I'm Natalie Graham.

Tonight's top stories: The Sussex coast is bracing itself for another

night of storms ` and hundreds of households across the South East are

preparing for a second wave of flooding.

There needs to be serious questions asked. We do not want this sort of

thing happening again. The authorities are criticised for

not doing enough to stop flooding and power cuts ` but the Prime

Minister is promising action. We are going to go on investing in flood

offences. `` flood defences. Our reporters are live in Kent and

Sussex, where heavy storms are expected to hit the coast at

midnight tonight. Also in tonight's programme: Seeing

in a violent New Year. Why Sussex police officers have taken to

Twitter to say it's getting out of hand.

Building a reputation in East Sussex. Why one of the country's

smallest counties hopes to be a big player in business this year.

The business using fruit from the Garden of England to give our

favourite drinks a fresh twist. Good evening. Hundreds of households

across the South East are preparing for the risk of further flooding

tonight, as another band of severe weather is set to move in along the

Sussex coast from midnight. There are three flood warnings in place at

the moment and dozens of flood alerts as more rain is set to fall

on swollen rivers and saturated ground. Juliette Parkin is live in

Hastings and ministers are warning we're in for a period of exceptional

weather. Well the Met Office is tonight

warning of very high tides, large waves and coastal flooding with

winds of up to 70mph. That's right along the coast from West Sussex to

Brighton and along here towards Hastings. That's all to come, but

inland in parts of Surrey and Sussex they're still reeling from floods

over Christmas. Forced by floods out of his home.

This man is facing six months in a camper. This was the scene on

Christmas eve. Residents say they felt abandoned.

Did you get any help when you were badly flooded? There has been nobody

here at all. There have been no sandbags or pumps. No offers of

assistance. It seems to be an ongoing problem. There is more bad

weather forecast on the way. I am sure it is good to happen again.

Nearby others were pumping out what in a bid to stop further flooding.

It is fighting a losing battle. There is nothing you can do about

it. We are not getting any help from the council. We are just trying to

do our best to keep it down. Flood warnings are in place in

several streams. The Environment Agency says it is not just inland

that the threat lies. We have got crews across Sussex

operating flood defences, inspecting coastal defences. We have got oodles

of us shoring up shingle beaches. `` we have got bulldozers shoring up

shingle beaches. The Environment Agency is urging

people to stay away from the coastline. I woman who died after

running into stormy waters before Christmas has been named today. Her

body was found on the 28th of December.

The village of Yalding in Kent is also prepared for the risk of

further floods tonight and our Environment Correspondent Yvette

Austin is there. Yvette, people are still clearing up from the Christmas

floods, but more on the way. The situation remains tense here in

Yalding. Residents had been told to prepare for another possible flood

this afternoon, due to high tides downstream at Allington. But they're

now being warned there could be flooding at another peak in the

early hours. Residents have been doing what they can.

Residents of Yalding have been warned their properties could flood

again tonight. At ten o'clock on Christmas Eve the

water was that deep. By eight o'clock in the morning the water was

to the other side of this table everything we had put up was

floating. It has been the worst floods in

living memory or the resident. Never before have they seen what levels so

high. After complaints that the authorities did too little too late

over Christmas, today sandbags were being delivered. We are delivering

sandbags to those who need them because there is going to be a high

tide. We are delivering food to people who are isolated, or for

whatever reason they cannot cook. One of the fish and chip shops

donated some fish and chips. Residents have continued to clear up

and are wondering if it all might be in vain. We have got the cities and

there. A chest of drawers. It has just dried out. If it comes back

then we are back to square one again.

There is hope that the extent of the damage this time might prompt a

search for a better solution to the flooding problems in Yalding. There

need to be serious questions asked. You do not want this thing happening

again. For now there is little more they

can do but wait and see. The big problem in Yalding is that

three rivers converge on this one area. Water levels can also be

influenced by the tides. What the residents do not want right now is

rain, but that is what is forecast. Juliette in Hastings, and Yvette in

Yalding, thank you. Well, severe weather has been

causing chaos across Kent, Sussex and Surrey for nearly two weeks now.

The first storms hit the South East on the night of December 23. It led

to flooding on Christmas Eve and left thousands of homes without

power over the festive holiday. The situation in Kent was so severe that

the Prime Minister visited Yalding last Friday. Today he agreed that

the disruption caused by the floods and power cuts has been

unacceptable. The power companies need to work

around the clock to get people switched back on. There is tough

regulation. Most people are back on within 48 hours. But with a young

family I just a few hours is a major inconvenience. We are going to on

investing in flood defences. We're joined from the banks of the

River Medway by the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, Mark

Reckless. Do you understand why people in flood`hit villages are

angry with the Government and say they feel abandoned?

Yes, particularly in Yalding warnings could have been given

earlier than they were. I understand by the Prime Minister was given an

earful. Further down the River Medway there has not been similar

problems I am pleased to say. There has been a lot of activity from the

council. Overall the authorities do a pretty good job in terms of

resilience, but there are issues in terms of electricity supply and the

regulatory regime for UK power networks. There are a couple of

issues. They should restore power within 48 hours. That did not happen

for many households over Christmas. Tim Yeo has described the

conversation `` has described the compensation as not acceptable. The

compensation needs to be increased. The compensation is just ?27 for

each household affected. I have had lots of complaints as a constituency

MP that power has not been put on quickly and that can be devastating

for a business. It is good that they are voluntarily paying ?75 per day

for those that lost power for more than 48 hours, but I think that some

should be larger. There has to be a stronger incentive to get power on

quickly. Back to the subject of flooding. A

lot of worried households tonight. People in Yalding have heard

promises before. Nothing has happened. It sounds that more is

being done in Yalding today. The government is working with the

insurance industry to help householders who find it difficult

to get insurance. That requires a few pounds extra on the bills of

other households. Most people would think that is reasonable and are

prepared to give that sort of support. But if there is an area

which would cost billions of pounds, my constituents would not want

hundreds of pounds extra on their bills. We need to strike the balance

so that people get the warning, and if things do go wrong, the

authorities work to get the power back on.

We want to know what you think. Should more have been done to

protect homes and businesses from flooding and deal with the

aftermath, or is it simply unavoidable after so much rain? Let

us know. We'll hear your views later in the

programme. The stories behind the unemployment

statistics ` a charity says being jobless when you're young can lead

to suicide. A senior Sussex policeman says he's

concerned about the levels of drunken violence his officers faced

on New Year's Eve. In the Brighton and Hove area alone Sussex Police

made 38 arrests. As we reported yesterday, officers took to social

media to say they'd suffered assaults and injuries. Charlie Rose

joins us from Brighton, Charlie why did they go to these lengths?

Sussex Police have said the reason officers have taken to social media

to report these rings is to highlight what the officers has two

contend with on New Year's Eve. `` report these things.

In total 38 arrests were made in Brighton and hope during New Year's

Eve and New Year's Day. For those were for assault and the others were

for things like drunken behaviour and threatening behaviour. Many of

those arrests to hear `` many of those arrests took place here and

down on the seafront. Police officers are trained and

equipped to deal with violence people, but from what they have told

me, a lot of people who were arrested resisted arrest and were

struggling. Unfortunately some of the officers got minor injuries as a

result of that. It was not just the police were

concerned about what happened. The ambulance service said it received

more than 1000 calls between 10pm on New Year's Eve and 40 M on New

Year's Day. Hacked Off those were for alcohol related reasons.

`` 50% of those were for alcohol related reasons.

Some South East commuters are having to pay more than ?5,000 for an

annual rail season ticket to London from today.

Many ticket prices have risen by more than three per cent, pushing

fares from Dover and Deal above ?5,000 for the first time. But rail

companies say the rises are the lowest they've issued for four

years. Convicted murderers could be given

jail sentences lasting hundreds of years, under new plans being put

forward by the Policing Minister and Kent MP Damian Green. The move is a

response to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which said

whole life tariffs were unlawful. A teenager from Kent who died after

being hit by a car on New Year's day has been named locally as Augustine

Carnell. The 17`year`old from Rochester was walking home along the

A229 on Bluebell Hill when he was hit by a white Skoda.

Thousands of young people across the South East believe they have nothing

to live for because they can't find work.

That's the finding of new research by the Prince's Trust charity, which

suggests that many young people who've been out of work for more

than six months have suffered mental health problems and even

contemplated suicide. Chrissie Reidy has more.

Employed, but getting a job has been an Apple struggle. This person spent

two years unemployed. It is really hard when you have not got any money

to pay your bills. You are having to rely on people. It is quite

depressing. It can make you feel quite down. A recent study for the

Prince's Trust found long`term unemployment can cause mental health

problems. Depression. Self harming. Suicidal thoughts. Low self`esteem.

Difficult and challenging issues that those young people are facing.

Nationally 20% of 16`24 `year`olds are unemployed. In Kent the figure

is 19%. In Sussex it is 23%. Everything seems you need

experience, but you cannot get it if you cannot get the job in the first

place. How does it make you feel? Depressed. Bored. You cannot do

anything. This person is finally earning her

own money. The Prince's Trust helped me.

Getting a job means she can start paying off her debts but issues

facing the young and employed means age is not always on your side.

Our top story tonight: Hundreds of households across the South East are

preparing for the prospect of further flooding tonight, with

another band of severe weather set to move in along the Sussex coast

from midnight. Also in tonight's programme: The

spirit of enterprise in the Garden of England. How Kent fruit could

flavour your favourite tipple. And I will have the full weather

forecast later. If you move to East Sussex your

business will boom. That's the message a new organisation is trying

to spread in the hope of attracting more companies to the county. There

are currently around 22,000 firms in East Sussex.

And almost 250 companies with a turnover in excess of ?250 million

pounds a year. As Ian Palmer reports, Locate East Sussex believes

access to Gatwick and its expanding broadband network means this could

be the tip of the iceberg. 2000 houses being built in this

particular area. East Sussex is open for business is

the message. If this industrial park is a barometer of the economy is on

the upturn. The first phase was completed a few years ago. The

second phase is underway. The director says if you build it as

this is will come. We have been overwhelmed with the enquiries we

have received. We have been dealing with local companies that are

looking to develop. We have also had grant funding applications from

businesses that are looking to grow.

The building blocks of any business are the people who run it. Why would

a company wants to go through the upheaval of coming to East Sussex?

This company moves to New Haven six years ago. The company makes

materials smaller than their heroes on your head. `` smaller than the

hear on your head. All of the people love the area.

They see it as a benefit. The local infrastructure is great. Most of our

customers and partners are in America and Europe, or Asia, so we

need the road links of Sussex. New Haven is central to that. We have

great internet speeds in these town but you do not have a lot of what

areas. The company is recruiting more staff and is looking to expand

in the next two years. The new location, it says, will be in

Sussex. If you've over`indulged over

Christmas and New Year, a story about alcohol may be the last thing

you want to hear. But a small business in the South East is hoping

to tempt you with its range of fruit flavoured spirits. Howards of Kent

harvest almost a tonne of local fruit every year to flavour drinks

like vodka and gin and this year they're looking to expand their

range. As Claudia Sermbesiz reports, though, it came about almost by

accident. It looks like the ultimate hangover

cure. Fresh air and fruit. But these papers are not making a trifle or

crumble. They are harvesting in deviance for home`made news. A

pastime that became a business by chance for this family. I had six

lemons left from pancake day and a half bottle of vodka. I made them

and cello. We put other fruit and vodka and find that it worked. We

found we had a business on our hands.

They also spend this summer 's making `` also spend the summer

picking fruit. One year she had so much raspberry

vodka she threw a party to use it up. People like coming round to test

the product. We have a lot of quite good parties know where we test

things out and make cocktails. It is very good fun but it is also hard

work. Business experts say companies like

this play a vital role in driving commerce.

It is a huge part of the economy. It is critical. It is what is holding

the rest of it up. This year chillis grown in Dartford

will be added. It has got a kick to it. That is lovely. That is good. I

can taste the raspberry in that. She describes her kitchen as a

meeting between Russia and Kent. Very tempting, but I might leave it

attitude ease. Onto football, and despite the wet

weather leading to the postponement of both Gillingham and Crawley's

games yesterday there was plenty of action from our Championship teams.

Both Brighton and Charlton were involved in nail`biting finishes,

leaving it very late to get on the scoresheet.

Things got off to a soggy start at Portman Road.

Deep in the second half things looked worse. On the 90th minute the

equaliser. A handy point. A lot went against us today and that is me

being quite kind. We felt we should have got a penalty. New decisions

went against us, but we get knowing. The rain came down. The penalty

decision did not go the way of the Southeast club. Minutes later the

seagulls were a goal down. Chances to equalise all old. One minute from

time, the equaliser. Let's go back to our top story

tonight, that homes and businesses across the South East are preparing

for the prospect of further flooding, with another band of

severe weather set to cause disruption from midnight. The

Environment Agency has flood warnings and flood alerts in place

across Kent, Sussex and Surrey, as more rain is due to fall onto

already swollen rivers and saturated ground.

If you have an area where the flooding is terrible and it would

cost ileum is to do anything about it my constituents would not want to

see hundreds of extra pounds on their instruments built. We had to

work together to strike the appropriate balance.

Earlier we asked if you thought the authorities had done enough to

prevent flooding and deal with the aftermath. Thanks for all your

messages. One person has said there is too

much building on flood plains. Another person said it is hard to

accept people blaming the government and authorities because they do not

control the weather. Another person said it is the

responsibility of the householder. Another person says there is little

reason for spending more than is already spent. Kent County Council

has taken all the reasonable precautions.

Somebody else has said that more could be done. It is indicative of

the holiday shutdown mentality. Another person is a prophetic

towards the authorities. `` is sympathetic.

Here is the weather. It will be particularly bad for a coastal

areas. A brief respite today. But tonight they will be heavy rain.

There are warnings from midnight for the rest of heavy rain. There are

school rivers. `` there are fooled rivers.

Further deal force winds. Heavy rain on Sunday. The risk of flooding

never goes away over the next couple of days. If you have got concerns

you can go online ring floodlighting.

Winds will continue to strengthen as they go through tonight. Heavy rain

moves very quickly. By the early hours of tomorrow morning, mostly

dry. Very mild as we start the day tomorrow. It stays blustery

throughout the day tomorrow. Light showers rather than prolonged

rainfall. The winds still picking up on the South coast. Through tomorrow

night there will be outbreaks of rain. By early Saturday morning

there will be persistent rainfall. Temperatures relatively mild. And

certainty about how much rain we will see on Saturday. Warnings back

in force. The risk of flooding over the next couple of days.

And this is where local radio comes into its own for the travel and the

funding news. We will be back with the late

bulletin. Goodbye.