14/03/2012 South Today

Hellol, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South today.

Anger in Weymouth and a blow to business. Cracks in the harbour

wall mean Condor Ferries will remain in Poole for this Olympics

summer. Weymouth is known for the ferry

coming in, it is a port many people use and if we cannot get it back,

it will be catastrophic for a we met.

Three-time losers - disbelief as Reading remains a town.

A family's heartache as the man who murdered Heather Barnett can appeal

against a sentence. Spending the rest of his life in

prison is exactly the right sentence for him.

And do not forget about us! Arundel traders fight back against

roadworks. Catastrophic - that's the view of

one hotelier in Weymouth of the news that the Dorset town is losing

its ferry business until November at the earliest. The failure of

emergency work to repair cracks in Weymouth's damaged harbour wall

means Condor Ferries will have to sail out of Poole throughout this

Olympic summer. And Weymouth and Portland Council, which owns the

harbour, admits it will have to rebuild it completely. Our

Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton is in Weymouth tonight.

Paul. The last ferry sailed from here two weeks ago. Now the ferry

gates behind we are closed and locked. Condor said today it would

not be back until November at the earliest. For Weymouth, that means

losing a million passengers during what should be its busiest and most

important summer season for decades. The decorators are sprucing up the

Bourneville the tell on the seafront, ready for the summer.

Since the News of the departure of Condor last night, five guests have

cancelled their bookings. It is going to be catastrophic for a

Weymouth. People were immediately cancelling. That is very bad for us.

The new tower is due to open in July. 70 passengers at a time more

ride in a glass lift which is a few metres from the ferry terminal.

we may use it -- lose a little bit with people coming from the Channel

Islands into Weymouth, but it is not enough to cause concern. A we

fiddle contractors for hundreds of tons of concrete into huge cracks

in the can harbour surface and promised Condor would return this

month. That has clearly failed and failed badly. We have re scheduled

air services up until November. After that, it depends what the

council do with a harbour. We had hoped remedial works would be

sufficient and we could return in the summer but now we have to

relocate to Poole. The council owns the port therefore they must decide

what happens next. The council is committed to completing

refurbishment over the next 12 months. In the meantime, you will

lose one million passengers this year for Weymouth. Yes, we are.

Just months from the Olympics, Weymouth is no longer a ferry port,

no longer a gateway to the Channel Islands and France. Condor is one

of Weymouth's largest employers. It is one of the key drivers of this

seaside tourist economy and now it has gone. If the council is to

rebuild this old harbour wall, it is hard to imagine how the work can

be completed by November. It is quite possible that Condor's

million passengers will have to continue travelling from Poole and

not Weymouth until next year. Thank you very much.

The parents of a five-year-old girl who died in a road accident on her

way to feed the ducks in Weymouth have paid tribute to their daughter,

describing her as "their beautiful princess". Lily-Mae Jeffries, who

was from Taunton in Somerset, died in hospital on Monday. She had been

crossing the road with her two sisters and grandmother when they

were hit by two motorbikes on Saturday. Her family, who describes

the death as a tragic accident, say the loss has left an "unfillable

void in their lives". An inquest has been opened and adjourned.

An Asian headteacher who claims she was racially discriminated against

has told an employment tribunal she began to feel so unsafe when she

went to school that she sought police help. Sudhana Singh, seen

here on the right, the former head of Moorlands Primary School in

Tilehurst, told the hearing she had encountered aggression from a group

of parents she described as the "playground mafia." The panel also

heard she had considered committing suicide at least twice. The hearing,

in Reading, continues. Disappointment and disbelief again

in one part should town. -- Berkshire town. Reading - it's the

largest town in England. It's a business hub recently described as

"recession proof". It's truly multi-cultural, with 127 different

languages spoken there. But all this and more wasn't enough to earn

Reading city status. Despite being the clear favourite to become a new

city in England in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, in the end

that award went to Chelmsford. Bournemouth and Dorchester also

lost out. But it was in Reading that the loss was most keenly felt.

Ben Moore reports. It was not what was expected.

Chelmsford! The rumours had been flying, Reading was going to be a

city, but at 10 o'clock there was shock. People who come here believe

we are city. The process is opaque. Yes, I am disappointed but we will

go on this -- promoting the good things about Reading and we're sure

people will consider as a city and the capital of the Thames Valley.

Putting in a bid for jubilee year has been two years in the planning.

A delegation from the town was sent off to London with great fanfare

last May. For those devoted to the cause, rejection is hard. It is

ironic I collected this trophy yesterday which said we were the

best small city in Europe. We remain proud of that achievement

and will continue to do all we can to achieve more of these things.

With this snub the town has missed out on city status three times in

the last 12 years. It is outrageous. I am disappointed. We should be a

city. I am sure with counselling, we will come to terms with it.

was born here many years ago and I think it is worth city status.

not think it warrants being a city, not now, it is different entirely

to when I first came here. One good thing - the town is not out of

pocket. The council spent just �234.50 on the bid - the main

funding coming from donations. Disappointment for Reading once

again but as you can see, it is business as usual. Residents are

taking everything in their stride, they say Reading is a city in all

but name. Our political editor is in

Westminster tonight. What reaction has there been up there? As you

heard in that report, people are saying through rather it gritted

teeth, this is an opaque process and they do not understand why.

Announcing the result, Nick Clegg said it was a real mark of

distinction, a privilege and many entries will have a very high

standard. He said people should not be downhearted to, but people are.

People in Bournemouth said they felt let down. In Reading this was

third time unlucky. I thought we had an excellent bid. We were

certainly the largest town which is not a city and we had a huge power

house in the south-east. Clearly I am disappointed but congratulations

to tie-ins which did get it. Will the apply again? Chances seemed to

come every 10 years. The next one would be the platinum jubilee. That

sounds very modern - perfect for a city like Reading. Perhaps not. A

lot of people here say they do not expect to see Reading apply again.

Dorchester is not joining the Festival of annoyance, they say

their application was always a long shot but it has helped make people

aware of the uniqueness of Dorchester. Thank you very much.

Cocaine with an estimated street value of �350,000 has been seized

at Gatwick airport hidden inside hubs of chocolate powder. The drugs

were found inside a suitcase after Border Control officers stopped 2

passengers who had arrived on board a flight from Antigua at the

airport's south terminal. -- tubs, A 39 year-old woman and a sixteen-

year-old girl From the Walsall area were arrested and released on bail

until June. The Supreme Court has said a group

of former servicemen who claim they were made ill after they witnessed

nuclear tests in the Pacific, cannot claim damages because the

cases were brought too late. Although the majority of claims

have now been blocked, some veterans may be still able to take

legal action. Ray Atkinson from Gosport is waiting to hear what

will happen to his case, as Mark Some of those who were there when

Britain dropped the bomb have blamed their ill health on their

experiences. More than 1,000 veterans have been battling in the

courts for more than two years to launch damages against the Ministry

of Defence. A ruling by the Supreme Court today blocked most claims,

although some veterans might be able to proceed. We Atkinson is

waiting to hear if he can still precede his claim. He witnessed a

nuclear test in the 50s and says he suffered skin problems and his wife

miscarried. What makes me mad is that all other countries start with

these cases but the British government do not take any notice

of that. We say no and that is it. The Supreme Court ruled the 9th

claims could not go ahead because they had been brought too late. The

panel of seven judges were split on the issue for-three. It must be bad

enough for the nine veterans, together with others whose claims

may now be decided in the same way to learn they have lost this final

round. But to learn they have lost by the narrowest possible margin

must make it even worse. Ministry of Defence has said there

is no proof that sickness suffered by veterans was a direct result of

the nuclear tests. Lawyers for the servicemen are studying the Supreme

Court's ruling to see how many cases can still proceed.

A Southampton pub threatened with legal action by US movie lawyers

over its name has been backed by the actor Stephen Fry, who's

starring in an upcoming film about its famous namesake. The actor,

who's currently in New Zealand working on the film, The Hobbit,

said on Twitter the threat as "pointless, self-defeating

bullying". The Hobbit pub has been trading for more than 20 years, but

it has been accused of copyright infringement by the company which

owns the rights to several brands associated with author JRR Tolkien.

Still to come in this evening's South Today: The teenagers putting

the energy into their school report and - find out how they do later.

The man who murdered mother-of-two Heather Barnett has been given

permission to appeal against his sentence. Danilo Restivo mutilated

Ms Barnett in Bournemouth in 2002 and left her body for her children

to find. He was told he'd never be released from prison - but is now

appealing against that. Ms Barnett's sister, Denise, said he

should spend his whole life behind bars. I'm joined now by our Home

Affairs Correspondent Alex Forsyth. What is this decision mean?

means that Danilo Restivo can go before the Court of Appeal and

argue that the centre should be reduced. He also wanted to appeal

against his conviction but the court would not allow it. He was

convicted last year of murdering his neighbour in Bournemouth. He

mutilated her body and he left her for her children who were aged 11

and 14 to find. When he was sentenced last here, the judge said

the crime are so serious and depraved, he should never be

released from prison. He sentenced him to no minimum term and it is

against that that Danilo Restivo is appealing. The sister of Heather

Barnett says she's not surprised he is appealing but hopes he is never

released. I think that spending the rest of his life in prison is

exactly the right sentence for a Danilo Restivo. I do not think he

would ever be able to return to normal he seems to be a very

damaged individual who solemn self as a victim and did not except the

horrendous injuries he subjected to my sister and someone else. He is

also been convicted of another murder? Yes, whilst in prison he

was convicted of killing a sixteen- year-old girl in its early. He has

since been linked to a third murder. A man is currently in prison for

killing a student in Bournemouth in 2002. This man claims he did not do

this and it was Danilo Restivo. The Criminal Cases Review Commission is

currently looking into those claims. It has not made a decision yet. A

date has yet to be set for a hearing which will decide whether

Danilo Restivo's sentence for her Heather Barnett's murder should be

reduced or not. Thank you very much. "Roadworks are ruining our trade".

That's the message from businesses in Arundel in West Sussex after

takings dropped by up to 60% this week. People were also late for

work after being caught up in long tailbacks. The Highways Agency says

the delays on the A27 aren't acceptable but measures are in

place now to improve the flow of cars. Danielle Glavin reports. At

the Town House restaurant they have time on their hands. Last night

they closed early. Bookings had been picking up after the January

stroke February Lyle. They say roadworks have ruin that. Last

night, we looked out the window and there was no point in us being open,

there was no one around to. There was plenty of car parking spaces on

the high street which really happens. It is a similar story

elsewhere in the town. We had a terrible day on Monday, so much so

we were at 60 % down on what we would expect to be. Since the

roadworks started, it has been really quiet and it is really

difficult to do deliveries. roadworks are close to the town and

tailbacks clog up the route into Arundel. It will be this way for at

least five weeks. The sign says that Arundel is still open for

business. They're trying to get people to stop off in the town. The

Highways Agency says some disruption is inevitable. They are

trying to ease things and have tried to speed the traffic through.

They want more help in the town. want better sign age, better

diversion signs and to let people know that Arundel is open for

business and people can still come to the restaurants and shops.

Independent shops fill the high street. They say they will have to

ask for compensation of the traffic continues to bring business to a

halt. For any update on the roadworks -

it is always best to listen to local radio.

It's taken nearly 70 years, but a soldier from Sussex has finally

taken possession of the medals he earned for risking his life at the

D-Day landings. Ernest Payne, who's now 97, never got around to the

paperwork to pick them up, but he told our reporter Alex Beard it's

been worth the wait. Ernest Payne was 29 when his tank stormed the

beaches of Normandy on the second day of the D-Day landings. I will

never forget. We were hit. The shell went straight through the

turrets of the tank. It killed the three men in the top. The co-driver

and myself were able to get out. says he never got around to

applying for his medals. Now he has three to join his collection of

memories. This photo captures the time his tank was inspected kite --

inspected by King George did six. Earnest left the Army at the

beginning of 1945. It is thought his early exit is the reason why

his medals were not processed. Hearing his war stories, his family

applied for his medals so he has a keepsake. I think it is lovely that

my uncle has them after row these years. It is such a thrill to see

them so pleased. He remains incredibly humble about his

involvement in the war. I am no brave sort of soldier. I just did

what I had to do. Proud of his medals and so he

should be. Onto sport, and the Berkshire-based

racehorse trainer Nicky Henderson made history this afternoon by

becoming the most successful trainer ever at the Cheltenham

Festival on the second day of this year's meeting. Henderson, who's

based at Lambourn, had no less than four winners today. The pick of

them in the day's main race, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, in

which Finian's Rainbow beat the favourite Sizing Europe in a neck

and neck finish. His successes today mean he's saddled a total of

44 winners at Cheltenham. He will be looking ahead to Friday

and the Gold Cup. He won it last year. Well done to him.

In football, Reading have moved into second place in the

Championship - an automatic promotion place, after a one-all

draw at Doncaster. Doncaster's Kyle Bennett prodded home a cross to put

the hosts ahead.. The Royals' Alex Pearce nodded Ian Harte's corner in

to level. Despite late pressure Reading couldn't score another -

the result ending their eight match winning streak. A great response in

the second half, we got an early goal. Have thought we would win the

game really. We had opportunities, but the most important thing is to

get some kind of result and we definitely got that.

Crawley and Aldershot also shared the points in a 2-all draw. Aaron

Morris's deflected strike put the Shots ahead. Before Crawley's Gary

Alexander levelled from the spot. Substitute Peter Vincenti then

smashed a left-footed drive in from 16 yards, but Clarke levelled late

on to rescue a point for the home side.

All this week we're following BBC Berkshire's Tim Dellor as he

tackles 29 Olympic events for Sport Relief. He's already taken on

shooting and trampolining, and yesterday it was dressage and

cycling. Well, today he's been taking the plunge at Reading's

Central Pool perfecting his 5m platform dive as well as holding

his breath for synchronised swimming. And from splish splash to

ping pong at the Kingfisher Table Tennis Club in Woodley. Tomorrow

he'll be taking on some martial arts.

And if you've been inspired by Tim's efforts you can donate money

by logging on to www.sportrelief.com. And you can

follow his progress for the rest of the week here on South Today and on

BBC Radio Berkshire. Schoolchildren around the country

have been writing their own headlines, because tomorrow is BBC

News School Report day. It's a chance for children to become

journalists for a day, making news reports and uploading them to a

website. In Oxford, School Reporters Beth and Lisa have been

following their classmates who are working to create a series of

ambitious visual arts performances before the Olympic and Paralympic

games. This year this school and Oxford is joining dozens of other

schools and groups along the Thames Valley in an ambitious art project

to celebrate the importance of trees. It is part of the cultural

and Olympiad which aims to create a lasting impact for the London 2012

Paralympic Games. So students are learning about the role of trees in

the environment and translating this into a visual arts performance.

The article designers are creating a tree sculpture which will be the

central element of a series of live events. The symbolic tree of life

will be eliminated. -- eliminated. These students were taking part in

a pedal-power workshop to learn about pedal-power generation. The

idea is to see how many bulbs they can light up. This record player is

running on vocal power. It might sound easy but it is hard work.

Next it is time for his movie - and even that is pedal-power. -- asked

Moody. In this school, the children are rehearsing dance routines.

Public performance will be full of surprises. 1,200 dancers will take

part, along with 300 singers and 150 cyclists. It will be an amazing

experience and it will give people the experience of what it is like

to contribute to something which is really beg and life affirming.

more information go to the website. Well done to them.

And you can see more reports made by school children from across the

BBC South patch at bbc.co.uk/schoolreport - and we'll

have much more on South Today tomorrow night. A little bit of a

deliberate mistake - when we were talking about football, that was

the Reading manager. We put up the Brendan Rodgers. He was a former

manager. Well done if you spotted it. Let us move on to the weather.

A lot more sunshine today. We have some pictures. We have this dull

and cloudy start in Dorset. The sun finally arrive this afternoon for

this picture. The sun made an this picture. The sun made an

appearance this afternoon. Tonight, mist and fog will arrive. The

temperatures will take a plunge towards freezing. There is the risk

of a touch of frost first thing tomorrow. The mist and fog it could

be dense in some sports. Tomorrow morning - and misty start. A chilly

start in some places, but lots of sunshine by the afternoon. Some

cloud here and there. A high of 15 Celsius. It may creep up to 17

Celsius for those places having a son. Tomorrow night the cloud will

arrive on which will enable temperatures to be mild for the

time of year, this will rule out the chance of frost. Pretty cloudy,

damp and dismal on Friday. We have a weather front arriving from the

north and west of the country. You can see the squeeze on the isobars

which means the winds will pick up. Another weather front will arrive

by the end of play on Friday and that will bring us the much needed

rainfall. It could be heavy on Saturday morning. Clean the north

and west by the afternoon. Dried peas by the end of the day. Four

south eastern regions that rain will mingle -- linger. We could see

the odd shower here and there on Sunday. Thursday - sunny spells

here and there. Patchy drizzle on Friday before the band of rain

arrives later. Over the weekend we will see some rain. Enjoy the

sunshine tomorrow afternoon. Drizzly on Friday, rain on Saturday