08/08/2014 South East Today

Through Sunday and inch or two inches of rain, gales are possible

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.

Exposed ` a former coastguard claims how easy it can be for immigrants to

take a boat across the Channel without the authorities nothcing.

We could arrive here, pick people up, and land thdm

on a beack back in the UK in a total of two and a half hours.

The robber who drove into the wrong wall at a cash depot

For the fourth time in 18 months, a trust hospital saxs

it's trying to after improvd inspectors highlight problels.

We're live at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

A stitch in time ` the tapestry crafted by a

traumatised World War One soldier, sewing his way back to health.

And the sweet toothed Kent couple behind a hit confectionary chain,

star in a new series helping others to make their own at home.

Migrants desperate to reach the UK have an alternative to crawling

under lorries, according to a former Chief Coastguard at Dover.

They can exploit small boats operating in the English Ch`nnel

Andy Roberts says there are loopholes in the checks madd

on vessels being used for pleasure rather than business.

It comes as two illegal immhgrants were picked up from the sea earlier

today after trying to swim out to a travelling ferry and two

incidents this summer where migrants were rescued from inflatabld craft.

Peter Whittlesea has our exclusive report.

Leaving Dover early in the morning on a flat calm sea.

Just over half an hour later, James is cruising along the Calais coat.

Just over half an hour later, James is cruising along the Calais coast.

Last month he alerted the lhfeboat to this incident ` two migr`nts

rescued from a rubber dinghx after being dropped off by ` yacht.

He says pleasure boats can dasily be used to smuggle people to Britain.

We are fairly close to shord, we are only about 300 metres

off the beach and we have got the radio on and there has been no calls

Do you think we could pick someone up from the beach now?

We could easily launch a sm`ll boat, and go ashore and pick some people

up and you could quite easily swim from the shore there.

Yes, it would be very easy for us to pick people up.

Former Coast Guard Andy says small vessels can disappear

We could arrive here, pick people up and land thel

on the beach back in the UK in a total of two and half hours.

It would be unlikely we would be stopped.

The way we would be stopped and caught would probably bd

by intelligence led information but if no`one we were doing it, it would

The beach in France to the beach even Dover is only 40 minutds.

Throughout the whole journey we haven't been

contacted by the French Coast Guard, the British Coast Guard,

We even turned off the transponder on the boat which

I would like to congratulatd BBC South East doing this rdal

investigative journalism on how we're defending the border `nd I'm

wondering if you have identhfied an area where the Government ndeds to

put in more resources to making sure that people are not able

The border force says patrols has been stepped up

during the summer months but, with more and more migrants arriving

in Calais, and security bolstered at the French ports, could jumping

a border boat be easier than stowing away on a lorry?

Well, the latest figures suggest the problem is escalating.

For the year up to March 2002, nearly 9000 attempts to

cross the Channel illegally were stopped.

The following year, the figure rose to more than

And between April and December last year,

even though it measures a shorter period of time, the figure hs higher

still, at just over 13,000 illegal immigrants.

It has grown an enormously this time. In the last few months it has

happened very quickly. Therd is a real problem. Here they are looking

for an ideal life, a better life, and more and more of them bdcause

there is a huge difference between their country and another.

Our reporter Ellie Price joins us live from Dover.

Ellie, what do the authorithes say they are doing to tackle thhs?

The Home Office says it has a fleet it can use 24 hours a day every day

of the year and it has spechalist surveillance equipment to stop this

sort of illegal crossing and it makes investments in other

equipment. It is perfectly legal for these small boats to a use of the

crossing here on the channel. There is no legal requirement for small

boats to have transponders. I was in Calais this week and there `re 200

migrants there. A number I `m told is growing and it seems thex are

finding any way they can to get here.

Thanks Ellie. We did ask to speak to the Home Office and the UK Border

but they told us they were tnable to.

In a statement, though, the Border Force told us:

"Security the UK border is our provide priority

and we will continue to UK strengthen it to stop those who have

A bungling robber from Folkdstone who attempted

a multi`million pound raid on a cash depot that failed when he knocked

down the wrong wall with a digger, has been jailed for 13 years.

Raymond Betson had claimed in court he was

a reformed character after serving time for a failed diamond hdist

Using a stolen digger to trx to steal millions from this depot.

Knocking down the wall. The gang are armed with baseball bats and white

sacks that they are hoping to stuff full of cash. Some climb through the

rubble. But it is the wrong wall and there is no cash inside. It was a

very foggy night, it was bad weather that night. You have six men,

motivated, driven, the adrenaline is flowing, they make the wrong dot`mac

they've got a timescale. Anx mistake and that is probably a stand down.

They checked the building ndxt door and realised the game was up not

progress. Having abandoned the digger, things go from bad to worse.

The hole in the war has yielded nothing and the getaway car gets

stuck. He drops his balaclava in a hedge, leading to his

identification. It was extrdmely likely he was the driver because he

had done it before it was concluded. He attempted to steal diamonds worth

?200 million at the Millennhum Dome. They dream of glory. And thd chance

to retire somewhere very nice. It is not as attractive as it seels often.

In both cases, the police s`y he wanted to make a lot of mondy

quickly. In both cases he f`iled. But in this attempt, he was once in

a gang of six. Five of them remain at large. Described as a robbery

that became a farce, the hunt continues.

Relief at last as work finally begins to dhsmantle

A hospital trust has been coded needs to improve. `` told. The

report says the trust needs to improve and ensure it has enough

skilled and experienced staff and ensure that patient dignity is

maintained. The report identified good performance in critical care

teams and dementia care. It is a notoriously busy hospital whth some

services widely reported to be under constant pressure. The Care Quality

Commission says improvement is needed here. Part of it is

absolutely wonderful. And other bits are appalling. They toured le here

at the oncology department. What can I say except thank you very much. ``

they clawed me. The staff are wonderful, the conditions are

variable. `` they curate `` they curate may. Accident and emdrgency

was criticised at this site. The pressure was described as

significant. Patient dignitx was, mice, that was serious? Yes. We take

this seriously and who will have an action plan to improve that. The

staff do a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances, but at

times it means that some of the experience patients have is not as

good as we would want. It is the fourth time in less than 18 months

that the trust has been forced to improve. In March last year a leaked

letter revealed feels `` fe`rs over maintaining standards. The tnit

failed in four out of six areas Last November the trust admhtted it

would not be able to reach some of the new standards expected. They

have improved before but thdy have not sustained of those investments.

It is about the ambulance trust bringing the right people to the

front door, it is about the agencies working together to get people home

or to the next place of card when they're ready to go. Discharging

patients community care itsdlf overstretched is an issue. Ht is

hoped a major development plans here will eventually help.

That report by Juliette Parkin and she joins us live now from outside

Juliette, you spoke to a lot of peopld today,

Most of the patients we spoke to today praised the care they received

but criticised the environmdnt. This main building established in 18 8 as

the chief nurse put it: We `re working in a building which predates

Florence Nightingale. Millions of pounds have been signed off for a

rebuild. Some of the work h`s started and we expect to sed major

transformations here over the next three years and we hope the same

goes for services. The UK Independence Party ldader

Nigel Farage appears to be ` step closer to confirming he will run for

parliament in Kent at the gdneral election. One UKIP activist has

reportedly said he is on a shortlist for the seat of Thanet South, where

the Conservative MP Laura S`ndys stands down next year. Let's cross

live to our reporter Ceri Pdrkins now. Ceri ` has there been `ny

official word on this? No. Not as yet. Twitter has been

abuzz. You kept `` the partx themselves have not confirmdd it but

they have not denied it either. He has already said that he will stand

in the Kent and the question has been, where exactly. They rdady have

their strongest representathon in Thanet. This would seem likd the

ideal location. He has prevhously dropped hints that this would be his

choice. He lives locally. The party have said there is no short list of

candidates yet. We will be following this one very closely indeed.

Parts of the South East could be badly effected as the ex`hurricane

Bertha passes over the area. Some parts could be flooded and

people are being warned by the Environment Agency not to go to the

coast to watch the storm. Jon Hunt has the latest details and he joins

us live now from Seaford in East Sussex. Jon, this is the relnants of

a former hurricane crossing our coastline this weekend?

There is still a very large degree of uncertainty as to the ex`ct tract

the storm will take. It still thousands of miles away. But

forecasters are becoming more and more confident that it will hit the

Sussex and Kent coasts on Stnday, bringing with it a of rain, strong

winds and large way. . We could see more than 60 mph and over 50

millimetres of rain. A storl like this were not look out of place in

winter and it is because it is striking is at the heart of the

summer holiday season that hs concerning so many people. Lany

people are outdoors at this time of year and a lot of people ard

carrying out outdoor pursuits along the coast and that is why pdople are

worried. The advice is to stay tuned to forecasts and you don't take any

unnecessary risks. We have ` full forecast coming up at the end of the

programme. It's a huge mountain of waste

from across the South East dwarfing But for safety reasons the

Environment Agency has todax started to remove part of the heap

of rubbish. Fire fighters say they regularly

tackle fires at the site, which they estimate has

so far cost the service ?650,00 . Our reporter Rebecca Willials now

reports, for many residents today's This mountain of the waste has been

towering over resident's holes for three years. After a lengthx legal

battle the Environment Agency is now taking action. Today they started to

remove some of it. We have not been able to open our doors and windows

because of the smell, the slell has been unbelievable. You get ht on

your clothes, in your hair, it has been like rotting corpses invading

your house. It is not just the sight himself at the residence. There is

also the fear of fire. `` shte and smell. We've also done here a

regular basis. It poses significant risks to our fire crews working in

the area. There is the risk of it collapsing. It is estimated that

this mountain of waste is about 20,000 tonnes. The Environmdnt

Agency wants to remove some of that in the coming weeks. They s`y it

will make it a safe level btt some want to see the whole thing gone.

This is supposed to be I want it returned to the way it should be.

The site here is funded by ` company which originally planned to ban the

rubbish and turn it into renewable energy but that's never happened and

the power got higher and higher Today we took an environmental risk

assessor along. It looks like a very dangerous pile. It looks very

unstable to me. So I would worry about an avalanche of debris and

waste hitting my house or mx garden. Resident hearsay as though

they are pleased some waste is being removed, they want to be whole thing

gone. And Rebecca joins us

from the site now. Any response

from the people who own the site? They were not contactable today

They have said they may go hnto administration. As contractors were

bringing rubbish out of the site today residents watched and said

they are glad something is being done but they say that the

Environment Agency said to have had acted sooner. The agency sahd they

understand the frustrations of local residents and say they are looking

for a long`term solution here. Those residents and the local MP want some

answers. It's been claimed

on this programme that migr`nts are too easily able to enter thd UK

illegally by using small bo`ts Andy Roberts,

who's a former chief coastgtard says there are loopholes in the

checks made on vessels being used Life is sweet

for the Kent couple behind a hit confectionary chain ` and now

the stars of a new BBC serids. Join me in a few minutes for the

forecast. It sounds incredible to be buried

alive for three days, But Alf Hall, who lived in Seaford,

did indeed survive his orde`l in the trenches of the

First World War, nursed back to Like many other soldiers,

he then turned to art as part As Piers Hopkirk discovered,

what he produced has been treasured For many who survived the horrors of

the trenches, their own battles were only just beginning. The spdctre of

shell shock hanging over soldiers who left the front line. For some of

the healing process came with stitches of a different kind. The

end as soldiers of two rehabilitation encouraged whth the

simple mental focus of needlework. simple mental focus of needlework.

For this man from England, this is the tapestry he created and the left

of two was grandson. The story of one man's war. My grandfathdr was a

builder. Not the most delic`te of professions. I was surprised to see

the details and obviously the delicate nature of making something

like this. He believes each panel tells a story from the battles his

grandfather fought, to the nationalities of those who shared

his ward. Because they were in hospital under awful condithons

asbestos can be expected in a war of course, `` as best as can bd

expected. The express intention of coming back home. For those injured

in mind and body all manner of crafts were considered ther`py.

Needlework was used because it was a way of taking their mind of the war

wound itself and the trauma they had been through. It was a way for them

to heal. He recovered. He eventually to heal. He recovered. He eventually

died in 1954. His experiencd is now indelibly stitched to the f`bric. A

wonderful story there. Love it or loathe it, it's back `

the new football season kicks off tomorrow

for the south east's top te`ms. In the last 12 months Brighton,

Gillingham and Crawley have appointed new managers,

indeed Charlton have had three. And there have been plenty

of changes on the pitch. During the summer

a staggering 40 new players have been signed, but what are their

prospects for the coming calpaign? The team's new manager will be

missing many of last year's side. Many believe they may struggle to

match last season. You wait for these games which really cotnt and

Saturday will be the first one that counts. I am excited about ht. They

voted to managers since the start of the year. `` may have had 2`mac

managers. They are rated as outsiders. The boss has a rdputation

for developing young players and their looks certain to be sdveral of

them in the team. We might be too young. What I like about us at the

minute is that there are pl`yers here who have all got a point to

prove. They have all got a bit of that they're thinking this hs

another step up to their career So I think they are serious. No site

has undergone a more radical shake`up in this one. A rem`rkable

news 17 players have been brought in. I'm very pleased with the

players I bought in. I'm delighted with them. I'm delighted with how

they are working together on the training ground. I'm nervous, of

course. If I did not have those nerves it is not worth doing. The

bookies are not convinced. They are 14`1 to reach the championship.

We've had Masterchef celebr`ting fine cuisine, The Great British Bake

Off relishing a decent sponge ` now, a show that savours the world

of sweets and stars a coupld of confectioners from Kent.

From Sherbet Dippers to parla violets, Miss Hope and Mr Greenwood

(as they're known) will be taking a nostalgic look

And, as Jane Witherspoon discovered, some rather unexpected new recipes.

That is a taste Ballmer. Paste bomb. Sweets made simple. They would

travel the UK recreating sole other tasty treats. What is not to love?

They are lovely and sugary. It is a celebration and it is your lum's

birthday and Christmas and Daster and there is always a sweets to

celebrate. Three ounces of butter. 75 grams of butter. A lot of people

think infection is a real dhfficult part of cookery. `` think

confectionery is a real difficult part. They have taken inspiration

from their home towns. I trx to take inspiration from the sea air. You

cannot go to a sweetie shop without having a little taste. Salt caramel

popcorn sweet. It is fantastic. Suck it and see, darling. No calories at

all. With a passion for all things that sugary, choosing a favourite is

a tough choice. If it was the end of the world and I had to choose

between George Clooney and dight feet I would `` and a toffed, I

would choose the toffee. Mouthwatering stuff. Sandy's storm

`` we have showers around as we have gone through the last few hours and

out towards the south we have got some more rain. That is now moving

towards us. There is a Met Office weather warning and it is not the

only one for the weekend. That rain is pushing across as and whdn things

start to dry out as we go through the night. A pretty nice dax for

tomorrow morning. Temperatures are largely staying in double fhgures.

Single figures in the countryside. It will start tomorrow mornhng, make

the most of tomorrow. Bright and breezy. The winds start to pick up

through the afternoon. Low pressure system knocking on the door. 21

Celsius up to 23 Celsius. The clouds will thicken up on Sunday and the

first bits of rain will movd towards us and of course as we all know this

is the big one we are looking at. You can see it is no longer a hurry

came, it was one briefly, `` Harry Kane. `` Harry Kane. This is what

The Met office thinks is gohng to happen. As it pulls away, that is

when we see the winds picking up and there's winds become eight the

feature of the weather. The trees are in full leaves. We have got the

spell of heavy rain and the gales as we go through to Monday. Yot are

being advised to stay away from the coast. Watch a good film on Sunday.

That is as from now. From us, goodbye.

Martin Freeman presents a Gaza Crisis appeal on behalf of the

Disasters