04/02/2014 South East Today

into Friday morning and enhance the risk of flooding. That is all from

us, The Afghan president offers to write

to the Sussex mother of a ddad soldier, after saying British troops

had brought nothing but murder. You have insulted my son from stch a

massive height, not just my son every one of them.

Also in tonight's programme... Revolutionary heart surgery is

pioneered in Eastbourne allowing monitors to be fitted withott

general anaesthetic. Gales, landslides and tube strikes.

How rail commuters are facing a perfect storm of disruption. We re

live in Hastings with the l`test. This is signed by Roosevelt.

And a monumental impact in Dast Sussex. Why George Clooney chose

Camber Sands for his latest Hollywood blockbuster.

Good evening. Detectives ard tonight hunting three men who ran off after

smashing a suspected stolen car at high speed into the front of a house

in Sussex. A fourth man has been arrested. He was trapped in the car

in Portslade, near Brighton, this afternoon, and had to be cut free by

firefighters. A dramatic scene in a quiet street

in old Portslade. Just after lunchtime a car crashed into the

front room of this house. You can see the bullies markers on the road

where they have highlighted with the vehicle travelled. We understand

that it hits the wall and spun, then debris from the wall hit thd first

house, and then the vehicle ended up in the front room of number six I

was walking back from the shop, and I saw the car screaming down, it was

veering off the road. Then `ll of a sudden, it ploughed into th`t house.

I rushed up to have a look. There were a couple of police cars up

there, and they were pulling the guy out of the car. It was quitd bad. He

looked all right, finally enough, but they obviously took him out put

him on the floor, and he was on a stretcher. This lady was living in

the house and was sitting in the front room. Her son was consoling

her, they were to shake in to talk to us. About 1:15pm this afternoon,

officers became aware of thd vehicle travelling at an excess spedd. They

try to stop the vehicle, and it made from the officers and was a short

pursuit ended up in the vehhcle losing control and striking the

buildings, as we can see. There are some minor injuries, we're still

trying to trace one of the people involved in this incident, but

thankfully, no serious injuries The precise circumstances are bding

investigated and the issue hs being handled by the IPCC.

Mark Norman is an Portslade, it is lucky that nobody was seriotsly

injured. Absolutely. That investigation by the IPCC, ht is a

matter of routine, officers investigating what happened in that

pursuit. But the luckiest pdrson, that lady sitting in her front room

was completely unscathed. Hdr son said she wasn't even cut by flying

glass. The officers made an arrest and they remain at the scend down

the road investigating what exactly happened in this very dramatic

incident. Thank you. The Afghan president Hamid Karzai

has offered to write to the mother of a Sussex soldier killed hn

Helmand Province, expressing his sorrow at her son's death. Ht

follows a newspaper story in which he was quoted saying that foreign

troops had brought only murder to Afghanistan. He went on to say that

it would have been better if British troops had never gone there. Jacqui

Janes, from Hove, whose son Jamie was killed in 2009, has acctsed Mr

Karzai of "spitting on his grave". Charlie Rose reports.

When Jackie was made aware of the Commons, she took it as an hnsult,

not only to her son, who was killed in Afghanistan, but also to the 446

other British soldiers who have lost their lives in the country. Now a

statement released by the President's office says that he has

immense sympathy for the people who lost their lives and wants to send a

letter of condolences. You have insulted my son from such a massive

height, not just my son, evdry one of them. Please, no, keep your

letter. She says that this latest turn of events has reopened old

wounds. Her son was killed hn 2 09 on control in Western Helmand. Soon

after, she received a letter of condolence from the Prime Mhnister,

Gordon Brown, which containdd several spelling mistakes. Hn August

of 2012, she called for an dnquiry after claiming that several of her

son 's body parts had gone lissing. What went through your mind when you

heard these comments? I felt insulted, I felt that he max as well

have, and spat on the graves of 447 very brave British servicemdn,

really. The president is about to hand over and step down, thd rumour

is that he is going to try to be the first president in Afghanistan to

stay in the country and try to settle their peacefully. To do that,

he is trying to set out fees that he thinks will be acceptable under a

success of regime. If he st`ys in Afghanistan, Jackie may nevdr have

the opportunity to confront him I would like him to know what it is

like to go and kiss your chhld could buy and what you see is not what you

gave to his country to help his people. `` kiss your child Cabaye.

Since Britain first sent troops to Afghanistan in 2001 there'vd been

447 British deaths. Part of the total of 3417 deaths among `ll NATO

forces. But in the last six years alone almost 15,000 Afghan civilians

are estimated to have been killed and our Correspondent David Loyn in

the Afghan capital Kabul saxs that's why Hamid Karzai has been

increasingly critical of thd war there.

There is a huge sort of grotndswell of opinion that the president is

riding the wave of, of concdrn about the number of civilian casu`lties.

Last year was the largest ddath toll in Afghanistan in terms of civilian

casualties, very few British soldiers died last year will stop

that is because they have not been fighting as much as they were. The

Afghan army is fighting and many civilians have been dying, `nd many

of them have died from air `ttacks from the international commtnity. So

there is a groundswell of opinion here that foreign troop 's have not

brought the results that thdy wanted. And that is, of course, seen

by families in Britain as in gratitude, and it is seen bx many in

the British government as in gratitude, so bad feeling

increasingly between Presiddnt cars I and the nations that come to help

him. `` between President H`mid Karzai and the nations that come to

help them. Coming up, and 84`year`old from Kent

tells us how she confronted a violent robber who broke into her

home. A revolutionary form of heart

treatment has been pioneered in Eastbourne today by injecting a tiny

heart monitor directly into a patient's chest. The implic`tions

are huge, because it's estilated that 2.3 million people in the UK

have coronary heart disease in the UK. 200 a day die of heart

complications. More than 22,000 people have heart monitors fitted

every year to help diagnose problems. Traditionally that's

involved an operation under general anaesthetic. But the new system is

much simpler and could eventually be performed by GP's under loc`l

anaesthetic. Helen Drew has our exclusive report.

Good afternoon, how are you? And irregular heartbeat means that David

has two take care. I always cycle, and if I do have an attack, when I

am riding my bike, that can be quite Matic and can stop me, it c`n slow

me down. I feel very unwell. This afternoon, David became the first

person in the south`east to have an injectable heart monitor to keep an

eye on his condition. It took place at Eastbourne district General

Hospital. The site monitor hs the size of some of the ones typically

used at the moment, where is the one that David is getting is a lot

smaller, barely the size of a couple of matchsticks. This takes just two

minutes and instead of a full on operation, a tiny incision hs made

and the monitor is put in in a similar way to an injection. Once

inside, the device gets to work It sits close to the heart and is

programmed to listen to the hard problems of that particular patient.

If that defect occurs, the device is triggered and sends a recording to a

small box in the patient's house. That box since the recording through

satellite to the medical professionals where it can be

immediately assessed. Often, symptoms occur when they ard not in

hospital and they are out doing something else and they cannot

capture the traces. In this instance, we can monitor thd

patient's 24/7, and if they have a problem, they can let us know, and

if there is a problem they `re unaware of, we can let them know.

And the verdict of the patidnt, awake throughout? Most of the time,

I did not feel anything, so I is early recommended. It is just on

trial at the moment, but it is expected that it can be performed by

GPs in the future without the patient having to go to hospital.

The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes has hit back

at criticism of a mobile police unit for people in rural areas. Ht's

emerged that there's been ldss than one visitor per stop on average at

the so`called police contact points. They've made more than 1,500 stops,

but attracted only 1,300 visitors. Ann Barnes says there was no cost in

buying them and they providd a police presence in local

communities. 30 firefighters have been t`ckling a

house fire today near Dartford. It started this morning in the roof of

the house in Farningham and six fire engines were sent to the scdne at

its height. The cause is now under investigation. 30 firefightdrs have

been tackling a blaze at a house in Dartford.

An Army bomb disposal team has been sent to woodland in Tunbridge Wells

to investigate reports that an unexploded bomb's been found. They

were called to Brokes Woods off Powdermill Lane this afternoon, and

have cordoned the area off. South East commuters are facing

severe disruption on the rahlways and the underground tonight and

tomorrow. The wet weather's caused landslips that have closed the rail

line between Battle and Robertsbridge and a 48`hour tube

strike in protest at planned ticket office closures is due to bdgin at

nine o'clock tonight. In a moment, we will speak to Tom

had words in London, but first, Lucinda Adams is in Hastings.

Lucinda, the bad news is, another storm is on the way? Yes, more heavy

rain coming and winds of up to 0 mph, which will bring more lisery

for the commuters, I'm afrahd. From 11pm tonight and into the rtsh hour

tomorrow, southeastern will operate a blanket 40 mph speed restriction

across the network, expect on the high`speed services, which will

cause disruption and delays. They say it is necessary because the bad

weather well increase the rhsk of fallen trees, flooding and further

landslips and trains have to go slower, so stopping distancds are

shorter if the driver spot they has erred. `` spots a has erred.

Tom Edwards joins us from Great Portland Street Tube station in

central London. What impact will the tube strike have on South E`st

commuters tonight and tomorrow? It is not looking good for comluters

from Kent. If you look one of the main lines that they use, the

Jubilee line runs 32 trains per hour, it will be down to 12 trains

per hour, so it would be extremely easy, and obviously, that whll have

a knock`on effect on other services like the bus services. Also, some of

these lines will not run into the centre of town, some of the stations

will be closed, so it is not looking good for the commuters coming into

London tomorrow. Tom Edwards in London and Ltcinda

Adam in Hastings, thanks. And to keep up to date with the

latest weather and travel shtuation, you can tune in to your loc`l BBC

radio station or log onto otr websites.

An 84`year`old woman who confronted a robber in her own home has

described him as "scum of the earth". Rose Overland was hht in the

face and suffered broken ribs during her ordeal in Leysdown on the Isle

of Sheppey. She was rescued by members of her family coming round

for Sunday lunch, who held the intruder down until the polhce

arrived. He's now been jaildd for eight years, as Simon Jones reports.

It began with a knock at thd door, a scruffy man asking to sign `

petition. She said no, and next thing he climbed through thd window.

I said to him, what do you want I did swear, but I will not swear

here. He said, I want money, I said you have come to the wrong house.

But with that, he pushed me onto the sofa and demanded that he w`nts

?1000. I said, well, so do H! He went on and on, and he snatched the

rings off my fingers and thd earrings, but the intruder did not

stop there. After holding hdr down and smashing open a box to reveal

?300 of savings, the intruddr then dragged her into the bedrool. He

threw a jaw at her, it fractured ribs. I said, you are wasting your

time. With that, he hit me. And I said, big man hating and

84`year`old, aren't you? Wh`t do you think of him? Scum of the e`rth She

was rescued by her family, her grandchildren held him down. The

next thing, he was on the grass at the front. The police descrhbed his

behaviour as cowardly and disgusting. She will not st`y here

on her own. She is more nervous than she was, she is very nervous, she

keeps the door unlocked mord than she used to. She is more conscious

now of who she answers the door to. But Rose says she would not hesitate

to confront an intruder agahn. This is our top story tonight..

Detectives are hunting thred men who ran off after smashing a suspected

stolen car into the front of a house in Sussex, following a high`speed

car chase. A fourth man has been arrested. He was trapped in the car

in Portslade this afternoon, and had to be cut free by firefightdrs.

Also in tonight's programme... How millions in fines imposed after a

banking scandal could now hdlp veteran soldiers in the south east.

And, making a monumental impact on the Sussex coast ` how George

Clooney's latest film stars Camber Sands.

A campaign to save bingo halls from closure by cutting the amount of tax

they have to pay is being b`cked by two Kent MPs. Mark Reckless and

Laura Sandys are backing thd Boost Bingo campaign, which is calling for

the tax cut amid concern th`t bingo halls are closing at the rate of one

a month, with the loss of htndreds of jobs. Our Political Editor Louise

Stewart has tonight's Speci`l Report.

Eight and five, 85. At this bingo hall, they watch their numbdrs

carefully waiting for a full house, but the bingo Association w`rns that

when it comes to taxes, the numbers do not add up, simply.

Bingo halls' profits are taxed at 20%, compared with a 15% rate for

bookmakers. And 12% on the price of a lottery ticket. The industry is

warning the higher tax rate is costing jobs. We need to modernise

facilities, we need to grow our facilities. We need to provhde our

customers with a modern leisure offer, and to do that, we nded to

invest, and at the moment, the current tax regime does not allow us

to do that. Bingo has changdd a lot since it was played on Brighton

Pier. The smoking ban and the rise on online sites have contributed to

the fall in the number of vdnues, but the local MP believes that the

higher tax has not helped. H do not see how it should be taxed `t a

higher rate. The people that you get in the local bingo halls in Thanet,

you know their families, thdy are older people, they are not what you

would call heavy gamblers in anyway whatsoever! The atmosphere hsn't

like that at all. That is a sentiment played by these players.

It is a gambling, whatever xou do it is gambling, the bookies, bhngo so

why should bingo be twice as much as everything else? People will not

coming to be a big plaza th`t kind of thing. Yes`macro people will not

come into bingo because of that sort of thing. The government saxs that

bingo makes an important contribution to many communhties,

but at a time when there ard lots of cuts, reducing bingo duty would have

to be seriously considered. Up to ?40 million raised in bank

fines is to go towards helphng war veterans in the South East. The

money from Libor fines, which were imposed on banks for illegally

fixing their lending rates, will help charities build new holeless

hostels and half`way houses for veterans who've fallen on h`rd

times. Piers Hopkirk reports. When John's side began to f`il, the

former RAF chef from Polegate feared that his life would degener`te also.

The charity blind veterans TK gave him new aims. They take you in, they

show you how to do all of the things that you imagine you cannot do. And

then they kick you out again afterwards, with so much confidence,

that it is quite remarkable. And it is charities like this that are set

to cash in. The veterans Minister announces the new fund on a tour

today. The money taken from the fines handed edge to bankers for the

so`called LIBOR scandal. Thd reputation for bankers has been

damaged, so out of that naughtiness, something really good comes out of

it is, something which is vdry good news for everybody. What has been

dumped as the naughty bankers fund has been given to veterans groups

across the region and each can read for a slice of the ?40 millhon. Mark

from Seoul team was an engineer in the Royal choral singer rulds. He

lost his sight in an accident at work. The charity gave him back his

appetite for life. When surd this will make a massive difference in

its own right, but you can `lways say that you can do more. They can

always do more. This Royal dngineer was given accommodation herd at the

age of 96 as. People come hdre on holiday and there is a bar, the

error is... It is a much better placed than an old peoples home

where you find old ladies shtting down half asleep all the tile. With

a new dedicated fund born to the sins of the city, it is hopdd a new

generation of veterans can be helped to take on the battles that they

face when they leave the military. Onto football, and Gillingh`m are

hoping for a rare away win `t bottom club Stevenage this evening. Gills

boss Peter Taylor looks likdly to keep faith with the team th`t beat

Port Vale at the weekend, which means a start for in`form striker

Adebeyo Akinfenwa who scored twice in Saturday's 3`2 win.

He's one of the biggest namds in Hollywood. But even George Clooney

needs a helping hand to makd a movie and he called on East Sussex for

help on his latest project. Scenes from his new World War II fhlm The

Monuments Men were filmed at Camber Sands, and gorgeous George raised

temperatures even higher last summer when he stayed in Rye. Mark Sanders

has more. The Nazis had been stealing art out

of Warsaw, Paris... We need to find what is missing. It was signed by

Roosevelt. It is a movie with tastes are cast, monuments men is `bout an

Allied unit trying to save cultural treasures in the dying days of the

Second World War. But the bhggest names in Hollywood had a little help

from Sussex, camber Sands of all places has a supporting rold in the

movie. It features as one of the Normandy beaches and George Clooney

stormed ashore here just close to Ponton 's holiday park. I think that

went well. The local film offers that have to arrange the shoot at

first did not realise he wotld be coming. I was told we were waiting

for the director, and they just named him as George, and I said

George who? They said Georgd Clooney, of course! So, when he

came, shook my hand, it was something that I will treastre for

ever, actually. Nearby in the right, they were consumed by Mania last

summer as George Clooney st`yed here during filming. The general public,

there was a fantastic buzz hn town, and obviously, the bar was like

bigger dilly circus will stop Matt Damon walking the streets whth a

baseball hat, people were not quite sure if it was him or not and were

turning around. It was quitd funny. The Monuments Men has been ` labour

of love for George Clooney, he stars, corroded and directed the

film. It is based on an amazing fascinating true event. Camdra

sounds and George Clooney are not often spoken of in the same

sentence, so what true into this location. `` camber Sands. Ht was

very difficult to match the location anywhere else, the other matches

were further north, which is not somewhere we wanted to travdl. Its

proximity to London was good. The wealth of the other locations we

could find in the area was good also. It will also feature hn a new

movie about Dickens, so we light be grown accustomed to seeing this

golden beach on the big scrden. Why does that not ever happdn where

I live? ! It is only George Clooney down the road! Now, the weather

Turning wet and windy. As they go into tonight, the wind will pick up.

Outbreaks of heavy rain. Warnings from the Met Office that cost the

wind could reach up to 70 mph on the south coast. Problems assochated

with that with travel disruption and potentially, or flooding. And on the

south coast, some large wavds. By contrast, relatively settled earlier

today. This is what is headhng our way, but relatively settled with

sunshine also. That cover in the afternoon, and top temperattres of

eight agrees. Increasingly windy, the wind picking up to 25 mph.

Stronger gusts, and that will continue into tonight. Some heavy

rainfall. Inland, average whnd speeds of 25 to 30 mph. The

unsettled weather means temperatures staying relatively mild dropping to

five degrees or six degrees. For Wednesday, unsettled with lots of

cloud cover. Heavy, persistdnt rainfall through the afternoon and

certainly not a pleasant dax. Average wind speeds of 30 mph with

gusts on the south coast. 50, 6 , possibly 70 mph. Very blustdry

inland with temperatures re`ching eight or nine degrees. Signhficantly

colder than that, it will fdel. Outbreaks of rain then in the night,

the wind will ease off, still blustery, and then another

relatively mild night with temperatures not much below are than

the daytime values. `` not luch lower. The heavy rain through the

week, warnings from the Met Office, we could see up to 20 millilitres of

rain `` millimetres of rain. Hopefully, I dry picture for

Thursday, this rain pushing away quicker than expect that, so a wet

and windy day. Nine, 10 degrees feeling much colder than th`t.

Eventually, clearing through on Friday with more warnings for heavy

rainfall during the morning. Heading for the weekend, more unsettled

Friday looking mostly dry. The rain is not what we need! We had

enough of it now. We are back at 8pm and 10:24pm.

Have a lovely evening, goodbye.