13/04/2012 South Today

Hello, I'm Sally Taylor welcome to Friday's edition of South Today.

The top stories tonight. As crime falls one Chief Constable

warns further cuts could damage the force's ability to respond. My job

is to protect the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The risks are going up. As Brighton attempts to turn this

site into a permanent home for travellers, critics claim it's

unnecessary. Not the End of the Pier show. Why people in Worthing

think theirs is the icing on the cake. It has always been the place

to get away from your troubles and watch the world go by.

And the race for the Premier League hots up, Tony Husband is live at St

Mary's as Southampton face Reading. It is the match of the season

tonight. Southampton against Reading. One of them could lift the

The ability of police to respond to crime will become more difficult as

budget cuts begin to bite, the chief constable of Hampshire and

Isle of Wight Police said today. Alex Marshall was speaking as new

figures showed crime had dropped over the past year. He said the

force has had to juggle how it used its specialist departments when

faced with three separate murders in less than a week. Steve Humphrey

has been looking at how the crime figures have come down - despite

substantial cuts, Steve. In the past two years Hampshire

Police has had to cut its budget by �36 million pounds. Around 400

civilian and 200 police officers' jobs have been cut - mainly by not

filling vacant posts. But despite the cuts the number of front line

officers has been protected with 2,200 involved in responding to

emergencies and neighbourhood policing. It's against that

background that the latest crime figures have been released. They

show that overall crime is down three per cent. There have been

reductions in almost all areas including robbery, car crime and

burglary. Violent crimes are also down by 1,500 to 30,000 a year. So

what do people in the Portswood area of Southampton think about the

service they're getting from the police?

There is a more than enough police on patrol. I think they are too

many. I never see them in Southampton. Especially where they

have the police station. I think they are efficient and they are

very visible. A I do not feel safe at all, especially after dark.

Those different views on the police come as the force in Hampshire gets

to grips with the realities of operating with fewer people.

Recently they have launched a three murder investigations. We have been

stretched across that period, the Easter period is quieter in other

areas of policing. It has allowed us to move resources from some

parts of the business to deal with those incidents where people have

lost their lives. Throughout the cutbacks, the shoe Constable has

managed to protect the frontline. Officers patrolling in Gosport this

afternoon. He is working harder and smarter with new technology

designed to keep him out of the office and on the street. Before we

were returning to the station to do the paperwork which could take up

to two-thirds of the shift. The mobile data technology allows us to

stay out and I anticipate around 95% of the time is out and about

visible to the public. The Chief Constable excepts -- excepts the

risks. He wants to offset that with greater use of technology and

sharing resources and expertise with neighbouring forces. You use

the word risks, is one risk that if you have to continue making

cutbacks crime levels will go up and you might not be able to

respond in the way you want? Yes, they are included in the risks and

burglary was going up six months ago, my people worked their socks

off to make sure burglary came down and they succeeded. I also worry

about the people who work for me, there are few of them, they work

incredibly hard, long hours and are feeling the strain. Over three

years, they have to make another �18 million worth of cuts leaving

the chief constable with a tough decisions to make.

A man's being questioned by detectives investigating the

discovery of a body in a burnt out car in Hampshire. They now know the

victim was dead before the car was set on fire, down an isolated lane

in Chilworth near Southampton. The man's body was found on the back

seat and the driver's door was open. Police have launched a murder

inquiry. David Allard reports. He was a young man, in his 20s and

he was already dead when the car was set on fire down this country

lane. That much police have established, since fire crews were

called to Chilworth Drove at 1 o clock on Tuesday morning by

residents who heard an explosion. We are appealing to people who may

have seen something. You can access and numbered areas from here, but

Lords would, Bassett and Rownhams are reachable from this area.

road has reopened but there are still signs of what happened on

Tuesday morning. You can see scorch marks from the car set on fire and

a bar of the Chard leaves of the overhanging trees. And squashed

into the mud, this is all that's left of the car. Still, police say

it was a silver two-door Mercedes C200 CDI like this. It was seen in

the Shirley area of Southampton on Monday night and was registered

locally - though police won't say if it was stolen. They're also

looking through CCTV gathered from places like the Chilworth Arms pub.

This is a quiet road, and not many people come up and down. To think

anybody could do something like that to another human being is

beyond belief. We have arrested a 23-year-old from Southampton but I

stress this is early days of a complex murder investigation and I

am confident as things unravel further arrests will be made.

Identifying the murder victim is expected to take some time.

Plans to build a business park that could provide up to 2,000 jobs near

Havant have been submitted. Portsmouth City Council wants to

put offices and an hotel on council land at Dunsbury Hill Farm next to

junction three of the A3. It says the development will help boost the

local economy. Havant Council should decide whether to approve

the plans by July. A public meeting has just started

in Brighton to discuss a controversial new site for

travellers. The Green run city council plans to create a permanent

traveller site on the edge of Brighton. But the organiser of

tonight's meeting, the Conservative MP for Hove, says there's no need

for the site and he's also accused the Greens of being soft on illegal

traveller camps. Mark Sanders reports.

It has happened before and again. Travellers pitched up in Hove last

year and this month there was another unauthorised camp. The

residents have had enough. We have had little problems, problems of

general hygiene, let's not go into detail. And noise. There was a near

by it one night. Dealing with travellers is a sensitive subject

and tonight's meeting centres on plans for permanent site on the

outskirts of the city. The council plans an extension to the existing

legitimate transit site. It would create 16 permanent pitches.

will ease the problem, it will not solve it but we do have a

responsibility to provide a permanent site. Other authorities

have done it all ready. We have a responsibility for the education

and health of travellers. I do not see why the tax payer should fund a

lifestyle which says we will put you in an area of a stand or

Natural Beauty when you can buy a plot of land and do normal planning

procedures. The council expects the site to be funded by a grant of

�1.7 million from central government. The residents would

have the same responsibilities as residents of other housing.

should let people integrate, paid council tax, they should pay the

council tax and water rates, they are happy to do that. We have to be

given the opportunity to do it. Although the council proposals --

proposes a permanent site, it is up to the national park authority to

decide whether it can be developed. After two exceptionally dry winters

it's hardly surprising that water levels in some of our rivers are

extremely low. But there's another reason that the River Kennet in

Berkshire is in trouble. That's because it's also a major source of

drinking water - millions of gallons are pumped out to supply

homes and businesses in Wiltshire. WWF - the wildlife charity - says

the licences allowing water companies to take from rivers are

hopelessly out of date - and change is urgently needed. Allen Sinclair

reports. As it flows into Reading today, the

River Kennet is low and sluggish, but it's not just two winters of

below average rainfall that have caused this river's health to

decline. Way up stream this is one of the main sources of drinking

water for Swindon and abstracting or pumping out vast quantities of

water there, is having a huge impact further downstream. We've

already seen a number of fish killed in the top part of the

Kennet, but all the way along the river, low flows can start to

change the nature of the eco system if they're there for a long time.

It affects everything in the river, from the smallest bug to the

biggest fish. Water pumped from the Kennet at Axford is vital for

Swindon - but the rules introduced nearly fifty years ago mean water

companies can carry on pumping, even if the source river is

critically low. This is an issue that is across the board in terms

of water levels, and it's been exacerbated obviously by drought,

so I think the sensible thing to do is look at legislation, and

hopefully we'll then find a solution which works for the

twenty-first century, rather than something which worked for the

nineteen sixties. Thames Water insists recent weather, not its

activities, is the primary cause of the current problem. Equally our

abstraction from the river doesn't help and we recognise that. We

agree with the environment agency with their plans, to reduce

abstraction from Axford - we've got a plan to do that, and in the

coming years that will be delivered. Meanwhile all involved are

reminding us to do our bit and avoid wasting water.

The RNLI has drawn up plans to bring future production and

maintenance of its all-weather lifeboats to its Poole headquarters.

The facility will be built on land adjacent to Holes Bay creating 90

jobs if the council gives its approval. Initially costing �11.2

million, the charity says in-house work could save just under four

million pounds each year. Now have a look at these pictures. Home

movie of the coronation celebrations for King George the

sixth shot in Portsmouth in May 1937. A project called Portsmouth:

Family Histories on Film is looking for any archive from the city at an

event tomorrow. It takes place at the Aspex gallery in Gunwharf Quays.

People are being asked to donate film in exchange for a DVD copy.

Some of the footage will be screened in June.

Onto sport and this season's promotion race in the football

league has thrown up many big encounters but they don't come much

bigger than tonight at St Mary's. Southampton meet Reading, both

sides gunning for a place in the Premier league, let's join Tony

live at the ground, Tony, how A both of these sites can see the

door of the Premier League in the distance. They know a -- they know

they are within a knocking distance. St Mary's will have a great

atmosphere. Reading will have 2,500 up but end of the ground and

Southampton occupy the rest of the stadium. Let's look at some of the

keys to the game. The sides are sitting the first and second in the

table. The team to worry about his West Ham. Six points behind so West

Ham could never get back into it. Reading have got to home games

after this, Southampton on the road next week. The keys to victory for

the teams, Rickie Lambert scored 30 goals this season, the

championships leading scorer. He scored at Crystal Palace to keep

his side top of the table. Tonight, they are up against the best

defence in the championship, Alex If I just think this is another

game where we go there with two teams. One is into opposition, we

go there prepared and ready. I am looking forward to playing in front

of a great crowd. Best two teams playing each other on Friday night?

They are a lot of good teams in this decision -- this division.

These are the most consistent teams. We will do what we have to do to

prepare. Rickie Lambert is one of their players. He has done

fantastically well this season. They have a consistent run of games.

That is why they are with us at the top of the division. That first

question to Brian McDermott was, is this a critical game? But managers

take it one game at a time. These guys will not give me any cliches.

Here is the former Reading captain and the former Southampton manager.

The last 15 features, they have won 13 and drawn one. They have 40

points out of 45. It is a good record. Can they be relaxed coming

here tonight? They will have fans behind them. But most of this crowd

will cheer on the home team. Brian McDermott is very relaxed. The

players are just going about their business. It is just another game.

That is a philosophy. That is all Brian has been doing. People

concentrate on this, and they look forward to the next one. Dave, we

saw what happened at Crystal Palace. What is the character of this team?

They have tremendous character. They have been there all season, of

the top. The manager has done an excellent job. He has kept his feet

on the floor. The players have a great belief, a great spirit in the

dressing room. They are scoring goals. Both these young managers, a

new breed, they have done very well. Both managers keep their feet on

the floor, they do not get carried away. One game at a time, that has

been their example. They are doing an excellent job. We look forward

to listening to you on BBC local radio. Thank you.

Brighton could play a big part in the promotion race this weekend,

and boost their own hopes of reaching the play-offs. Albion's

defeat against Reading on Tuesday was their second in a row. It has

left them outside the top six, and tomorrow, they are at third-placed

West Ham. Albion midfielder Alan Navarro admitted this week the team

would be devastated to miss out on the top six. Brighton have had such

a good run in their first season in the Championship.

At the other end of the table, Portsmouth could be relegated to

League One tomorrow. They are at fellow strugglers Doncaster. Pompey

must win to stand any chance of staying up after Tuesday's loss

against Millwall. But if Bristol City better their result, Michael

Appleton's men will officially be down.

Crawley Town host Wimbledon tomorrow. Town are two points

outside the automatic play-off places and Craig Brewster is in

caretaker charge after Steve Evans' departure. Steve Coppell will watch

on as director of football. Aldershot host Dagenham and

Redbridge. Bournemouth are at Bury in League One. Full commentary on

BBC local radio. The cricket scores. It has been a difficult start to

the season because of the weather. They have been playing. Hampshire

are 147 for 7. We moved to the capital. Lords, Middlesex were

bowled out -- bowled out by a Surrey. In Liverpool, going well

for Sussex against a Lancashire. They were bowled out for 124.

Sussex, all out. 85 for four. Good luck to everyone are running at the

Brighton marathon this weekend. As I am sure you are aware, this

weekend is the centenary of the sinking of Titanic and the 1997

movie has been re-released in 3D in cinemas. One of the Hollywood stars

of the film, Bernard Hill, has been to Southampton to work with us on a

special documentary. While he was here I spoke to him about that

project and what it was like to work on the James Cameron film.

was great. It was great fun. Other people did not have such fun, James

Cameron is a tricky man. I'd had a great time. The documentary you

have made, about the Titanic 100 years on, what effect has it had a

new? We all know about Titanic. Most people do. It is not just

about a romantic story on a ship that sank. It is not just about a

ship that hit an iceberg. It is about the people who worked on

board. They were real people and have a value. They had a massive

value, obviously, to their families. They were the only breadwinners. I

am here at these birds. Titanic was too big for a single berth. --

births. Tell me what it was like when you walked there. Are there

was a ship their, a container ship. It was probably the same height. It

was painted differently. That could be Titanic, I thought. They came

along here. That section is really good in the documentary. By really

got into it. I imagined this huge thing, like a street longship,

going by a full stop have you enjoyed making it? Yes. It is about

the people who died on Titanic and their relatives, their mothers,

their wives, their children, who suffered because of that. As soon

as they hit the water, they stopped paying. How important is this for

future generations? It is really important. Hopefully, this

documentary, if it goes further than just a BBC South, it will

achieve a greater value, because it will be a source of great sadness

for me if I felt I contributed to something which bypassed the

genuine feeling of concern, the genuine tribute to the sinking of

the ship. I think that would be said for that to happen. Thank you.

And that documentary Titanic: Southampton Remembers is on BBC One

this Sunday at 4:50pm. And BBC Radio Solent is

broadcasting a whole series of programmes marking the anniversary.

On Sunday from 6am there is a special breakfast show featuring

commemorations in the Atlantic. From 2pm, there is live coverage of

the 100th Anniversary Commemorative Service in Southampton. And in the

evening at 5pm, Sir Robin Knox- Johnston will present a two-hour

documentary looking at the human cost of the disaster on the city.

The BBC News website has published one of the largest interactive

collections of the Titanic's crew ever seen. Many of the 250 images

have only recently been discovered. It can be found at...

It is one of the South's great survivors. Worthing Pier has

suffered almost every calamity it is possible to imagine. But it is

still standing, and this year sees its 150th anniversary. Yesterday

people gathered to kick off the celebrations.

It is a celebration of a slice of seaside life. For 150 years, people

have been walking on water in Worthing.

I have lived in Worthing all my life. Reading Pier is the best bit.

You always come here for fun. You can get away from your troubles. It

is the best place to watch the world go by.

Worthing's pier opened in 1862. It was the 13th to be built in England

and it has not had much luck. During its life, the pier has been

blown away, burnt down and blown up. In 1913, much of the pier was swept

away in a storm. It was repaired, but in 1933, fire ravaged the

structure. Holidaymakers helped stop the flames spreading. He they

assisted the firefighters. And in in 1940 part of the pier was

blown up to stop it being used in any German invasion. But it has

survived into the 21st century. is iconic. It is the best assets we

have in Worthing. It is a really fun place to be, especially in the

nice weather. I think it is brilliant. There is always

something going on and it is lovely to come and sit down here in the

evening. People's holiday habits have

certainly changed since this place first opened. But today, even after

so many piers have been lost, it is still an attraction. The pier has

been a fixture of Worthing life, as much as the English weather.

We could do with a few more on well as through the weekend. Gradually,

the showers will ease. It is worth bearing in mind we have a low level

yellow warning to the west of Southampton. That is for some

potentially heavy showers through the next hour or so. I think as we

head through the remainder of receiving, the showers will

gradually fade away in the most part. But is one exception. For us,

largely south of the M4 corridor will see showers. Tonight, much

cloudier than last night. But not as cool. Temperatures will be four

degrees. It looks like tomorrow will get off to a damp start. Quite

a bit of cloud in the forecast. Gradually, it will Brighton from

the east as we go through the course of the day. If you draw a

line from the Isle of Wight to Bristol, we are looking at showery

conditions to the South West. Further north, there will be

brighter skies. Temperatures could reach 11 degrees. Overnight

tomorrow, things will dry out. The cloud will peel back and we will

look at clear skies. It's a much cooler night to come. Damages will

drop to two degrees. -- temperatures. It could be below

freezing. A Touch of Frost into the start of Sunday. A bright and crisp

start. Generally dry day. Do make the most of the dry and bright

conditions because, as you can see, we have some active fronts coming

in from the Atlantic, bringing us some wet and windy conditions as we

head through the working week. Here is your outlook. The not too bad

through the weekend, a little cold. Tonight we will leave you with a

taste of a special song written to mark the 100th anniversary of the

loss of the Titanic. Swim To The Star is sung by the American folk

singer Peggy Seeger, a member of probably one of the most famous

folk music families in the world. This is part of a ballad written by

Peggy Seeger and her son Calum MacColl which has been specially

commissioned by BBC Radio Solent. Have a good weekend. Goodbye. # The

ship went down in calm waters. # The band played on. # It sank. #