17/01/2014 South Today

Welcome to South Today. In tonight's programme. Improving ferry services

to the Isle of Wight ` local businessmen want to acquire

Wightlink and run it for the community. Detectives believe they

have found the murder weapon used to kill a woman house sitting in a West

Sussex village. Fresh warnings for dog owners in the New Forest ` a vet

discovers what's caused a spate of deaths. They are part of the family,

if you lose a dog prematurely you would know why. And experts reveal

whether the bones excavated in Winchester last year are those of

King Alfred the Great. Today really has been, I don't know, the

culmination of a big adventure. After a year of cuts to services and

increases in fares, ferry travel to the Isle of Wight is yet again the

subject of fierce debate. Three businessmen with the backing of the

local MP want to set up a new "community investment company" to

take on Wightlink's enormous debts and run ferries with cheaper tickets

for Islanders. But Wightlink says it is not interested in the plans and

that it's investing millions of pounds in improvements. Laura Trant

reports. The Isle of Wight operators are facing criticism. They have been

slammed in the past for the cost of fairs and frequency of services.

That is what a business group is trying to change. How much would you

expect fares to go down by? That's a difficult question! I think more

importantly, the only way they can go down is if growth goes up. In

other words, if we can recycle some of this profitability that's going

into interest payments back into the business, that will allow services

that have been cut and damaging the business to be restored and then we

will see growth. Andrew Turner believes the community interest

Company would be a better way of managing the service. The community

interest Company is a type of company where profits and assets are

used to benefit the community. What I am concerned about is people on

the island don't have any control over what's happening here. We

believe they should have right to involvement. In a statement, company

MacRae said they operate almost 50,000 savings year and carry almost

5 million passengers. They went on to say they receive no public

subsidy but have invested ?60 million over the last five years in

new ships and port facilities. They offer special fares for customers on

the Isle of Wight. Consultation with them is important to them. The

campaign doesn't want to buy Wightlink but wants to work

alongside its owner, an Australian investment bank, to make it a

business that works alongside the islanders. Our transport

correspondent Paul Clifton joins me now with more, and Paul ` how likely

are these plans to be successful? Today's launch throws up more

questions than it answers. It's true to say the ferry companies are

saddled with huge debts, and those debts affect the way they operate

and affect the fares they charge. Wightlink in particular has cut both

jobs and services. When Macquarrie bought Wightlink it borrowed most of

the money it needed. So Wightlink has ?195 million of debt. Red Funnel

owes ?80 million. Both companies make healthy operating profits, but

the Better Ferries Campaign claims more than half of those profits are

used to pay interest on the bank loans. It's a bit like having a

massive interest`only mortgage on your house ` they're not reducing

the level of debt, just servicing it. So the new island campaign wants

to take on that debt. Has it actually got the money? No. Will it

find the money on the island, which is already having a tougher time

economically than the mainland, and has the lowest average income in the

south of England? And here's the biggest challenge it faces. Are the

ferry companies up for sale? No they're not. Macquarrie told us:

Wightlink's profits over the last five years have been reinvested in

the business, it's a good long`term investment and borrowing money is

currently cheap. Whether or not today's idea is better for

islanders, why would the owners want to sell now?

Sussex Police have revealed pictures of a weapon they think may have been

used to murder a grandmother who was killed as she house`sat for friends.

Valerie Graves was found dead at the house in Bosham, near Chichester on

December the 30th. She had been house`sitting with her mother,

sister and her sister's partner while the homeowners holidayed

abroad. Police think she was killed with a claw hammer that was found by

officers searching woodland nearby. A postmortem examination revealed

she had suffered significant head and facial injuries. We are asking

anybody who has a hammer of that description that they haven't seen

recently, whether they have lost it, with assembly has borrowed it, and

if they have, to contact Sussex Police on 101 and quote operation

Ensign, we would be pleased to hear from you. The Environment Agency has

issued a flood warning for Gatwick Airport. It comes just weeks after

power cuts caused by flooding, resulted in chaos for flight

passengers on Christmas Eve. The airport says it is operating

normally and has beefed up contingency plans. Meanwhile heavy

rain has led to some rail services through Sussex being suspended this

evening due to flooding, with buses replacing trains. It's been

heartbreaking for dog owners. Over the last eighteen months 16 dogs

have died from a mystery illness, at least half of them in the New

Forest. Vets say they know what disease is behind the deaths, but

are warning they don't know how pets are falling ill. For roughly six

dogs didn't survive, but the search for the cause of their plight didn't

die with them. We found a unique picture, the way the kidney looks

under the microscope, that is similar to a disease that was first

reported in the 1980s in the US called Alabama rot, which was to

badly affecting greyhounds. While science may have a name for what

claimed the lives of the dogs that were walked here, it has failed to

answer two questions for people who bring their pets here. First of all,

what triggered this out break? Other animals that were brought here on

the same days and walked on the same paths returned home with no ill

effects, also, some of those taken ill and fall through. But as yet,

even though it is 25 years since his condition was first identified,

science has so far failed to provide a cure. John's dog Barney was one of

those to die. His sense of loss is still playing to see as is his

conviction that more research is needed. You have loyalty to your

door, I vowed I would be with Barney until his lights breath. `` last

breath. I was, and even as I whispered in his view, I loved him

more than anything the world and he still wagged his tail. I don't think

that the people should go through what I went through. What I would

say is, if you see a skin wound on your dog, don't just leave it. Don't

do that, get down to your local vet, get your local vet check it out.

This isn't a condition unique to the forest, owners are now sadly better

informed than many. It is a colour as familiar to cruise passengers as

British racing Green is to car enthusiasts. The cream final and

Whitehall has adorned every year and though licence permitting 30s. Think

of the Canberra, returning from the Falklands War. In its place will

come this, the largest union flag afloat. 94 metres long on the new

Britannia. Starting this year, all P ships will be painted. It will

annoy traditionalists, who see the old cream final as a link between

today's floating hotels and the great floating liners. Wightlink

says it wants to reenergise the brand. `` P says. It now wants to

stress is British heritage. The number of times Thames Valley Police

officers have used Tasers has almost doubled in a year. The stun guns

were used by the force 61 times in 2012, but 119 times up to the end of

November 2013. This time last year Thames Valley Police announced they

were doubling the number of specially trained officers who could

use tasers. Still to come in this evening's South Today: Alexis Green

goes aboard a new ship with a long history. I'm on board a brand`new

ship which is enabling us to find out more about climate change. The

RSPCA and police are investigating after a substantial amount of poison

was poured into 20 badger setts on the Isle of Wight. The discovery was

made yesterday morning. Badgers were subject to a cull in some parts of

the country last year ` but the animals are protected by law.

The funeral of a 16`year`old schoolboy from Winchester who was

killed ski`ing in Austria has taken place. Cameron Bespolka died when he

was caught in an avalanche while ski`ing off piste with his father

and brother at the Austrian resort of Lech. Cameron was a pupil at

Winchester College. The headmaster described him as a gentle, kind and

talented pupil who was very popular. Expert Sophie may have found one of

the bones belonging to kill the `` King Alfred the great in Winchester.

Experts were originally testing remains exhumed last year from an

unmarked grave at St Bartholomew's Church, where it was thought he was

buried. David Allard has been following developments and joins us

now from Winchester. Tonight the focus has switched, the site of the

former Abbey in Winchester, where King Alfred and his family were

buried in a live and ten A.D.. Thus did the focus was on a graveyard

over the road, this is a historical saga with plenty of twists and

turns. A warrior who repelled the Viking hordes, a scholar who laid

the foundation for modern England. King Alfred was a truly great

Britain. That is why finding him has also become an obsession for many.

Most of people think of him, we would like to see a heritage centre,

that sort of thing. This is the sort of catalyst. We know the remains of

Alfred and his family were buried at Hyde Abbey. A prison was built on

the site, that is when it is believed his remains were moved

here, an unmarked grave in Saint Bartholomew 's graveyard. Last year

tests were carried out on the bones inside. There were six individuals

in the grave, five skulls, but the radiocarbon dates demonstrate that

they were much too late to possibly be royal house of Wessex. So the

Kings whereabouts remained a mystery but there was another twist to come.

In the 1990s, Hyde Abbey was excavated, two boxes of bones were

unearthed and kept in Woodchester newsy. They had not been tested

until now, but one bone predicted a breakthrough for Katie and her team.

We have got the right side of the pelvis, and adult male, from 26 to

45 years of age. The date that we had, the radiocarbon date we have,

is between 897 to 1019. So it's exactly the right eight. `` dates.

Terrific news, eventually, to find out the pelvis could be Alfred or

Edward. Today really has been, nation of the big adventure. Of

course, this is sick of social evidence. `` circumstantial

evidence. They haven't proved beyond reasonable doubt, that requires DNA

testing at the moment there are no other bones to compare the pelvis

with. That's why in the future we may see more excavations here. But

stuck to the rector of Saint Bartholomew 's Church, where the

unmarked grave was excused last year. How disappointed are you that

they were not the bones of Alfred? Not too disappointed, it was a long

shot, it's all been overshadowed by the fact that it's the mist a result

of the unmarked grave. It didn't contain the bones of the Royal

Wessex family. What does happen to the six people who were exhumed? The

bones are still in the care of the church, where they are held, where

the work was done on them. I am waiting for the Chancellor of the

dioceses to let us know when they can be reinterred. In the meantime,

the focus shifts back to Hyde Abbey. Why is there this fascination with

finding the remains of Alfred. He was at the great King, yes that is

an impact on our history, I think people in this area, Winchester,

which was such a focus for him and his history, it's going to be

fascinating and the story of Hyde Abbey will go on and grow. If more

things happen archaeologically. He mentioned the programme on Tuesday,

the search for King Alfred the great, it is on BBC Two.

There have been caused a further government to do more to help local

councils play for flood repairs. The local government Association says

recent flooding is caused millions of pounds worth damage and in

Hampshire alone it is thought the council has stumped up ?40,000 to

cope. The reimbursement scheme does exist but only councils that spend

more than 0.2% of their budget on flood repairs will be eligible. A

new holiday park at Crossways in West Dorset has been given the green

light by councillors. Developers Habitat First plan to convert

Warmwell Quarry into holiday chalets, a country club and a nature

conservation project. The West Dorset District Council Planning

Committee gave outline permission for the plans which could create up

to 750 jobs. Quarrying at the site will stop in 2017. Time for the

sport. It's fair to say it is then a turbulent week for Southampton fans.

Of course, the chairman resigned on Wednesday night, there was a lot of

questions about the manager, but today we have heard right from the

top. The new Chairman and owner of Southampton Football Club has issued

a statement to silence rumours that players are up for sale. It's been a

turbulent week at Saints following the resignation of the Executive

Chairman of four and a half years, Nicola Cortese, on Wednesday night.

Players Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have all been linked

with transfers. But, this afternoon Katharina Liebherr said:

It backs up comments made by manager Mauricio Pochettino at a press

conference yesterday when he said he was committed to Southampton at

least until the end of the season ` and no one was for sale there.

Tomorrow, Saints have the early kick off at Sunderland. They come off the

back of a win last week against West Bromwich Albion. Tomorrow's fixture

marks a year to the day since Pochettino was appointed as manager,

and despite the turmoil of the last few days he wants to focus on the

football. TRANSLATION: The game on Saturday is very important for this

club and the supporters. It's only normal that we are speaking about

these things because it has been five years that Nicola has been at

this club, but I repeat, we need to focus on the game on Saturday. We

need to focus from now until Saturday and it is important to get

a positive result. Meanwhile, Portsmouth, dangerously close to the

League Two relegation zone, have two new players available for their home

game tomorrow against Mansfield ` and are hoping they'll start to

deliver results. Pompey have completed the signing of Jake Jervis

today. The striker agreed a deal last week but was waiting for

international clearance to move from a Turkish side. And midfielder Wes

Fogden is set to make his Portsmouth debut after signing from Bournemouth

on Wednesday. A look at the other fixtures happening this weekend.

Reading could make it into the top six if they can win their home game

against Bolton and other results go their way.

BBC local radio has commentary of all of those matches while the

Football League Show has every goal. Berkshire ice skater Penny Coombes

and her partner Nick Buckland have won European ice dance bronze in

Budapest ahead of next month's Winter Olympics. The couple are

considered Britain's best figure`skating prospects for the

Games in Sochi. The bronze at the European Figure Skating

championships in the Hungarian capital was their first`ever

European medal. They were ranked third ahead of performing this free

dance to a Michael Jackson medley. It earned them a personal`best score

on the night to retain the bronze medal position. We will be following

them as they compete in the Winter Olympics. There was disappointment

for England's men in the semifinal of the Hockey World League in India

earlier. The Bisham Abbey based squad that features several players

from Reading were beaten by New Zealand in a thrilling sudden`death

shoot out in Delhi. The game ended three ` all in normal time, and

level after the first five penalties. Reading's Tom Carson

scored in sudden death, but New Zealand eventually triumphed 7`6.

That was really heartbreaking for them. They had beaten New Zealand

earlier in the competition! I hadn't heard about them before, those iced

answers. That has got to give them a lot of confidence going into such

it. That's their first European metal. Brilliant! I hope we are able

to talk to them in the future. She's a new ship but she has a name with a

great history. The RSS Discovery carries a name synonymous with

scientific research and adventure and she'll soon be surveying the

shallow waters around the UK. The ship, operated by the National

Oceanography Centre in Southampton, is the fourth to bear the name,

since the first Discovery took British Explorers Scott and

Shackleton to the Antarctic more than a hundred years ago. Alexis

Green has been on board the new ship.

In 1901, British explorers Scott and Shackleton boarded their ship and

set sail for the Isle of Wight. Equipped with the latest scientific

instruments, the expedition venture closer to the South Pole than anyone

had managed before. Discovery became trapped and was almost lost. Frozen

into the ice for two years until it was freed by explosive charges. The

voyage made history and the ship is now at visitors attraction in

Dundee. Since then, to more vessels have taken the name X discovery and

continued the scientific discovery. The second was a steamer. The third

discovery was considered the flagship of British oceanography,

the first ship in the UK to have satellite navigation. But after 50

years and 1.5 million nautical miles, she too made her final voyage

in 2012. Now a new ship is taking the bat on stop real research ship

cap next discovery the fourth. She has a crew of 24. This is where we

drive the ship and we are taking the scientists the place they need to

be. We have echo sounders here, electronic charts. The ship is

controllable. We have thrusters, so we can stop or move very accurately

to ensure that their instruments are put in the right place and kept in

the right place. Discovery has already completed sea trials,

performing well, and accompanied by dolphins, during the day and at

night. Now she is the first scientific trip to survey the river

to be shallow waters around the UK. The sort of observations the ship

will make will lead to a vast improved understanding of how shelf

seas function. The oceans of taking up about a quarter of the carbon

monoxide we emit into the atmosphere and we urgently want to know where

it is, how long it will stay there and how it's getting in there.

Geophysics systems, you might have a big insurance in the water and a

winch somewhere about here where this man is full stop the ship is

one of the most complex research vessels in the world. It will

continue the ability of UK science to make fundamental measurements

regarding how our climate is changing. From the Antarctic

expeditions of Scott and Shackleton to the ongoing investigation of our

seas. The ship of discovery is set to continue. Just sticking to the

UK? Yes, last year was all about getting the ship seaworthy, with

loads of people on board, this year the scientists go on board and there

will be loads of microscopes are looking at various things. If you

are on a ship called that, it has to be a bit special! Time for the

weather? Guess what the weather is going to

be! Rain! Unfortunately. Dieter Valerius took this photo of the

sunny spells in between the showers at Gunwarf Quays. Craig Harvey

captured a rainbow outside his office in Andover in Hampshire. And

Alan Smith took this photo of two Wigeon ducks caught in a very heavy

shower at Blashford Lakes Near Ringwood. Today's heavy showers are

merging into a long spell of rain, they kept on rolling in although we

did see some brief dry periods and some sunny spells, mainly for

western areas during the course of the afternoon. Through the course of

the night we will see further rain, not amounting to two much but with

the rain tonight, that could cause some flooding issues. The rain will

push up from the south, some moderate light bursts of rain, some

drier periods as well. Temperatures falling to a mild five to eight

Celsius, so I frost free night to come. Rain on the cards tomorrow,

The Met office have issued up weather warning for western parts of

Dorset. We could, with the rain tonight and tomorrow, see around an

inch rainfall which could add to the flooding problems in some places.

Any drier periods are more likely the further east you are. More cloud

than sunshine, highest tomorrow of 10 Celsius. Tomorrow night the rain

will continue for the first part of the night of the good news is, it

starts to ease Sunday morning and the skies were clear for western

areas. We may have some frost patches, temperatures falling down

to around three Celsius in our towns and cities, perhaps down to freezing

in the countryside. That freezing fog could live `` linger on Sunday

morning but Sunday is a much better day, probably the best day of the

weekend to get out and about. The risk of one or two showers late in

the afternoon, more cloud the further east you are but that should

rake up by the afternoon. Your Outlook:

rain tomorrow, could be heavy in places, particularly in parts of

Dorset. Sunny on Sunday, frost to start the day on Monday.

Craig Harvey, and here it is Ashley Cooper. They were both good

pictures.