20/09/2013 South Today

Hello, I'm Tony Husband. Welcome to Friday's South Today. Coming up

tonight: Binning the bedroom tax. As Labour prepares for its party

conference Ed Miliband tells us he would scrap the government's

controversial housing benefit change. Crossing the line. The

mother of a soldier serving in Afghanistan hits out at a british

red cross campaign. I still feel, as I did then, that it was just wrong,

it's just so wrong, it was just wrong, it's just so wrong, cruel.

Scrap the cycling. As the Tour of Britain heads for Surrey some

residents say they're being confined to their homes by events.

And greased lightning, endurance swimmer Anna's off to a fast start

as she takes on her final gruelling swimming challenge. There are

moments out there when you would give anything to not be there

because it is like going through hell.

Ed Miliband says he will scrap one of the controversial housing benefit

changes if he wins the next election. The under occupancy

charge, which Labour calls the bedroom tax, was introduced in

April. It reduces benefits paid to claimants who are deemed to have

spare rooms in social housing. Speaking exclusively to BBC News

ahead of the party's conference in Brighton, the Labour leader says he

would find cuts elsewhere. I am joined by our political editor. As

you say, benefits are reduced according to the number of spare

rooms in a house. It's a 14% cut for one room, 25% for two rooms. There

are 40,000 claimants affected in the south—east, slightly less in the

south—west. More than half of those affected are disabled. On average,

in our part of the world, they are losing about £780 a year. In Dorset,

Jaki Loebig has lost £64.68 a month from her housing benefit because

they have a small box room used as a study as well as a bedroom. We are

sitting under blankets instead of putting the central heating on.

Because I can't walk very far, we have a vehicle but the fuel has gone

up so much that we are staying indoors a lot. There are a lot of

silly problems. I have to cut back on housekeeping, I can't afford to

have my hair cut. The point about these changes is that they are to

reduce and unfairness. In the private sector, there is no housing

benefit paid for private bedrooms. This policy has been saving since

April £470 million a year. When he sat down with me earlier in an

interview ahead of this weekend's conference in Brighton, Ed Miliband

was ready to pen his colours to the massed for the first time, spelling

out clearly what he would do in government. We are going to end the

bedroom tax because we think it is unfair, wrong and not working. We're

going to find the money to do so by ending boardroom tax loopholes. We

have got a government saying the economy is healing, the economy is

fixed. Families feel life is getting worse. The Labour Party is on the

side. This £470 million that you are saying you will use to get rid of

the subsidy could surely have gone towards living wage campaign is,

something you have been behind, particularly for the south of

England? You have always got to make a judgement about how you spend

money. But I believe the bedroom tax is deeply unfair. I believe as a

country we should do the right thing, we should not be cutting

taxes for hedge funds is. This is about the Labour Party taking the

side of ordinary families. Up until now, Labour has been cautious about

making these pledges. This is one of the first substantial ones. But now

they are up to substantial questioning. Another party getting

substantial questioning is UKIP. They found success in the

by—election and have pledged that they will win that seat at the next

general election. 20 years might not be quite

coming—of—age, but UKIP arrived here with much to celebrate. Some old

habits die hard. They have come of age, and official opposition. When I

started canvassing 30 years ago, you would knock on the door and say I am

from UKIP and people would say, who is that? Now, whether you love so

us, nobody in this country can say they have not heard of UKIP. Many

queueing for copy would not have looked out of place at a Thatcher

era Tory conference. But what of the claim they do not represent Britain?

The secretary of our branch is Italian, certainly not what you

would class as a standard UKIP voter. My sister—in—law is

Portuguese, she votes. My husband is Scottish, he is UKIP. But still the

face of UKIP is this one. While the other parties for notes to hold

their conferences, the police UKIP want to be is right here at the

centre of things. But the question remains, do they have the party

machinery to get to the place real party should rest —— real power

should rest? We don't get much power from central office. The hard nut

symbols of it has to come out of our own fundraising. As they return to

the battle ground of their choice, UKIP seem set to keep up the heat on

the more established parties. And Peter will be back with Sunday

Politics on Sunday at 11am. He will have a full interview with Ed

Miliband. A man from Gosport who made bogus

bomb detectors in his garden shed was given a suspended two—year jail

sentence at the Old Bailey today. Anthony Williamson, seen here in the

centre, made a profit of between £22 and £37,000 by selling the fake

devices, which were described as no more than a 'novelty toy'. The Judge

said they increased the risk of injury and death because they didn't

detect explosives as expected. A 73—year—old man has been arrested

on suspicion of murdering a pensioner from Dorset. Police were

called to a property on Wareham Road in Lytchett Matravers this morning.

Officers found a 62—year—old woman with life threatening injuries in

the garden. She was taken to Poole hospital but later died. A

68—year—old man from Hampshire has been trampled to death by an

elephant in Indian forestry has been visiting for years. Colin Manvell,

from Havant suffered fatal injuries when the large elephant knocked him

to the ground with its trunk and then stomped on him in the

Masinagudi forest in Tamil Nadu, southern India. It is believed the

retired geography teacher may not have heard the elephant approaching.

At 23—year—old Bournemouth man who was found dead next to the busy A35

was believed to have had multiple injuries. Daniel John Robbie was

pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed he had been writing a

child's micro—scooter in the early hours of Saturday when he was hit by

a vehicle which did not stop. The Sussex Chief Constable has been

questioned today about the anti—fracking process. It is

believed that the costs are estimated at £4 million. Chief

Constable Martin Richard said the cost could be met from reserves

without affecting other police operations.

It has been two years in the planning and today is the big day

for Anna Wardley. She is attempting to swim nonstop around the Isle of

Wight in the final part of the challenge to circumnavigate five

different islands. This is the toughest swim, the equivalent of two

and channel crossings. How is she doing? As you will know, if you

attempt anything on or in the water, it is all about the conditions.

Today, conditions have been near—perfect. That is not just down

to chance. And and her team have worked closely with a meteorologist

who had calculated that today was likely to be the best day to take

the plunge. And that is exactly what she did this morning off the coast.

Greasing up to make sure this epic challenge does not slip away from

her. Anna had to pull—out of her last injury and swim the Hebrides.

That has made her even more determined to finish well. I am just

incredibly stubborn, I am really stubborn, when I set out to do

something, I don't let anything stop me. That is really important because

there are moments out there when you would really give anything to not be

there because it is like going through hell. Only three others have

ever managed to circumnavigate the island, but Anna knows these waters

well. I walk my dog on the beach every day, and I look across, and as

a swimmer, it has been on my mind a little while that I wanted to do it.

It is a huge undertaking, not just because it is a 56 mile swim. Anna

set off this morning. The plan was to get past the Needles I the time.

She should be around Saint Catherine 's point I'm midnight. Then she must

spend five hours swimming against the tide in the small hours. After

that, the tide turns. Then back home around lunchtime on Saturday. One of

the main challenges facing Anna is the cold. I just reached down here,

that is called. The other challenge is fatigue. After about 12 hours,

she could become disorientated and start hallucinating. On previous

swims, she has lost the use of one arm and been horribly attacked by

jellyfish. In the officiating role is Ken Murphy, quite a name and

endurance swimming. He was the first man to swim the island 42 years ago.

I am the independent observer. I make sure that she does it properly,

she doesn't cheat, I'm sure she won't. There has to be an

independent observer to verify that she has done it. Anna made a great

start, careering through. Hurtling past Hearst Castle and rocketing

past the Needles. I think she is a very brave lady. I wouldn't want to

be out in that water. It is just absolutely mind—boggling what she is

doing. Mind—boggling, that is one word for it. With me is one of

Anna's support team. Can she make it? Of course you can. She has never

been so determined, we cannot keep up with her. We are part of the

shore—based team who are fundraising. We have got a 250 K

target. We need people to go to her website to donate because we cannot

keep up with her. How have the public than reacting? They are

loving it. We need to fund raise. The hard bit is still to come. Back

to you. Still to come: This woman takes a close—up look. Join me later

when I have my first lesson in this bad boy.

The mother of a soldier serving in Afghanistan has described her as she

felt sick to the stomach when she opened a letter and a wooden cross

with a poppy on it fell out. It is part of a direct marketing campaign

by the Royal British Legion. It is not the first time the Royal British

Legion's letters have caused upset. The organisation has apologised for

any distress it may have caused. The first thing that happens, the cross

fell out of my lap. It was the most heart—wrenching, gutless feeling I

have ever felt in my life. The whole world went through the floor. Joe

Edwards lives on the Isle of Wight and does not want to identify her

son. She admires the work of the Royal British Legion and is

surprised by what she feels is the thoughtlessness. To me across

signifies a grave, a death. My son being over there at the moment, I

did not need to see that. I need to know that he is going to come back

safe and sound. And not be reminded of the dangerous situation that he

is in along with everybody else. The crosses are meant to provide a

tangible and meaningful way of helping people honour the memory of

a loved one who may have died in service. More than 100,000 people

send them back to Royal British Legion each year with personal

messages on, many accompanied by donations. The Legion then plans

them in the fields of remembrance in their behalf —— on their behalf.

This isn't the first time their envelopes of upset people. In a

statement, the Royal British Legion told us it empathises with Joan

Edwards. It says it is very sorry for any distress caused. The

envelopes carry a message in small print offering sincerest apologies

for any upset caused if the letter arrives at an inappropriate time.

Thousands of residents in Surrey have signed a petition calling for

professional cycling races in the county to be scrapped. The Tour of

Britain race arrives in Guildford tomorrow and once again there will

be a series of rolling road closures. Some residents say it's

like being "kettled" in their own homes — a reference to the police

tactic of restricting the movement of protestors. Ben Moore reports.

It's almost like a chain reaction in Guildford when the cycling comes to

town, the roads are closed. Now some residents in the middle of the

course wish cycling would get on its bike.

The entrance to and from my property leads me to a road that is closed. I

cannot get out of my house in a motor vehicle and SI wish to leave

before 5am or come home after 7pm. How do you feel? Kettled, to use an

expression. More than 60,000 cyclists took part

in the riding event this summer. Some roads were closed for many

hours. Tomorrow's event is for professionals, so some of the

cycling chaos should be avoided. We have had a consultation that has

gone out to individuals and residents, talking about what we can

do to make this less inconvenient. Surrey has been a focus for cycling

since the Olympics. It is that legacy that is also causing

problems. This whole part of the county is

absolutely saturated with people who wish to be like the Olympic road

racers. Businesses on the course say that

despite the popularity of races, they are not cashing in.

It is putting our normal customers of the area, because they are slowed

down by the cyclists. They ride three or four abreast on the country

lanes, and it becomes a real nuisance for them to come out and

use the local businesses. Tomorrow, the finish line will be

packed, testament to the popularity of the sport. Surrey post—Olympics

is making the sport its own. But it is hoped that the popularity of the

cycling will not be a divisive issue for those and to wheels or not.

It's an interesting debate, because the Tour of Britain is big this

year. It has proved a hit with cycling fans, sporting fans.

Indeed, it is the other side of the coin of the Bradley Wiggins affect.

We start off with another sport, World Cup qualifying starts for

Britain's —— England's women tomorrow. England had a difficult

summer with poor performances in the British Championships, which led to

the sacking of manager Hope Powell. Tomorrow, temporary boss Trent Hills

is in charge, and with the visitors from Turkey to Fratton Park.

There are a few new additions to the team, so everyone will be looking

forward to being a bit better than a few months ago.

That match is live on BBC One tomorrow from 9:50am. In the Premier

League, Southampton travel away. After a 0—0 game, it means that

Saints have lost only once, but they have struggled to score.

Reading have signed form and Southampton defender —— defender,

and also Saints striker Billy Sharpe could be set to join him. They are

trying to bring the man aside from Doncaster to them. Also, a record

signing of tequila ran the pipe once must could lead to a leading start

—— coq lo Runcie. Don't forget, there is commentary on all of the

matches later. In cricket, Surrey has been

relegated to the second—tier of the championships. Surrey gambled and

forfeiting as they needed to win to stay in the Division One. But they

did not pay off, Warwickshire won by six wickets.

Ben Ainslie and Oracle USA stayed alive in the Americas cup

yesterday, after beating team New Zealand. Yesterday's game was as

boned until today. The Kiwis lead 8—2. —— was aspirant until today.

The Kiwis need only one more race to win the trophy.

Making the change from enthusiastic amateur to contender must be one of

the most exciting and difficult tasks. It certainly will be for a

Dorset teenager, George Rogers has cerebral palsy. He is setting his

sights on the Paralympics, but tomorrow he is setting itself a

different fundraising challenge. George has only been swimming

competitively for two years. He wants to progress. But if he needs

to races game, he needs to raise some cash.

I need to be at every competition, you need to be up three places at

once in order to get your name into the Paralympics swimming world. You

cannot do that without substantial financial backing.

He is in training now, not force women competitions but for the

fundraising challenge he has set himself, —— not for swimming

competitions. He will be walking, in a kayak and in his racing

wheelchair. He is under no dissolution of how hard it will be.

With my training, it will be very challenging thing to do, especially

as I have just got out of a kayak. Travelling to accommodation and

competitions will cost £5,000 a year and will increase if he competes

abroad. It is the challenge itself that holds the appeal. It is a

difficult time for teenagers with a disability.

When people start achieving in the sport, their self—esteem goes

through the roof. That has happened to George.

I would go mad without this sport. I would not like to not be able to do

it myself. His team is to —— his dream is to

competes in team GB in the Paralympics. He is looking forward

to future competitions. Quick mention, the Portsmouth

triathlon, good luck to all the 700 competitors taking part.

A national conference with the American football taking place too,

good luck to them. Here is Sarah Farmer with the

weather. Is there a good weekend? Yes, it could warm up a bit as we go

through the week. We will look at the weather now. Newbury Racecourse

had glorious sunshine. This is Benjy. He is drying off in

the sun. He was photographed by his owner.

This is the picture of the Monet Pond at the Queen Elizabeth Country

Park, it is in sunshine. Whichever picture you look at, they

are all beautiful. There will be some good weather, but

there will be cloudy skies as you move into the evening. The class

will perhaps be thick enough to produce some rain or drizzle. Some

—— our temperatures tonight down to ten or 11 degrees. We start tomorrow

and at weekends on a cloudy note. We are looking at seeing maybe some

light rain in the picture, that should gradually cleared through the

day. We was to see the cloud winning and breaking. Some sunny spells

developing in the south. Temperatures at 16, 17 or 18

degrees. Some decent sunshine, might make those temperatures go up to 20

degrees. So a pleasant afternoon. Tomorrow evening looking fine as

well with some sunshine. But we will see the cloud increasing through

tomorrow night, some patches of mist and fog developing. Relatively mild,

temperatures 14 or 15 degrees, but Saturday morning starts with low

cloud around and patchy mist and fog will lift throughout the morning.

Sunday itself will be a decent day, most of us will be dry, but there

will be some drizzle in the picture. As we start the new working week, we

have this every of high—pressure from the continent, winning is some

dry conditions. As we start Monday, we have some dry and settled

conditions to come. Most others will have a dry day with some good sunny

spells. It will be pleasantly warm in the sunshine.

We will look at the summary for the current days. There will be some

cloud through the days on Saturday and Sunday, improving into the

afternoon. Monday, there will be some brightness and the temperatures

will climb a little. Very good indeed. We will be looking

at the town meeting the country and food producers meeting their

customers. Yes, it is a celebration of all

things rural with great food and farming machinery.

And thousands will be flocking to the Showgrounds near Newbury for the

current events. This is the Berkshire Showgrounds.

There will be livestock and even a hot—air balloon. Today, it is about

putting the finishing touches to the showground. Final preparations are

under way. We are very lucky in our county. We

have a lovely mix, to the east there is some real industry and business,

and in the West we have very rural areas with farming. The show brings

the two areas together. Amongst the marquees and sales

stands, the education tends shows work from local schools.

We took our children to the seaside to have a first—hand experience. The

children became deep sea explorers and invented their own creatures.

Coming to the show gives us a chance to celebrate the children's work and

show it off. Time for a wash, cuts and hairdryer.

Sadly not for me. Put this in the bucket. Brush left

and right on her feet. The merger is coming off. That is

what we are after! —— the moat is coming off.

It is my first time on the tractor. You have a very fancy tractor. Yes,

it will steer you up the field and then it will guide steer you at ——

up the field, although you will have to turn the corner. Can I have a

drive? Yes. You are sitting on two questions of

air, one in the cab and one above to give you some comfort. I was quite

nervous driving that, because it is such a huge vehicle and a different

aspect of software you are on the road will stop it is time to get

back to the office. Which way to the A34?

We thought you were late getting back. But we are very jealous. I

went 65 miles an hour. The show continues over the weekend? Yes,

both on Saturday and Sunday. It will be great. We will leave you tonight

with some live shots across the Needles at censure —— sunset. See

you on Monday. Goodbye.