28/01/2014 South Today

Welcome to south Today. A Liberal Democrat councillor from Dorset

who's to face trial for serious sexual offences against a child is

suspended by the party. Tourists access Stonehenge from a by`way that

avoids paying at the new visitor centre. Feeling blue. The

Christchurch couple told to repaint their beach hut to fit in with their

neighbours'. When somebody says that everything has to be uniform, one

has to ask, well, does it really have to be?

And how a pasty filled with snails is helping a Hampshire village

commemorate D`Day. Good old British beef, red wine beef

casserole and a normal pasty. A Liberal Democrat councillor from

Weymouth who is accused of serious sexual offences against a child was

not suspended from the party when he was charged four months ago because

of a communications failure. Councillor Ryan Hope denies the

allegations. He was suspended from the party after the local Labour

group contacted Nick Clegg's office yesterday. Briny join mess from

Weymouth with the latest. Sally, councillor Ryan Hope is a

well`known council in Weymouth partly because of his age, only 20

when he was elected in 2012, making him the youngest ever councillor in

the borough. He faces seven charges, including rape of a child, also the

sexual assault of a child. He denies the allegations and will go on trial

in April. He first appeared in court in September and the Labour Party

locally called for him to stand aside pending the trial for a

by`election to take place. No action was taken by the Liberal Democrats.

Yesterday, the Labour Party locally contacted Nick Clegg asking him to

intervene, citing the high profile suspensions of Lord Rennard and Mike

Hancock from the party, both of them denying any wrongdoing. The party

nationally responded swiftly, suspending councillor Hope and

saying: What has been the political reaction

to the suspension? Well, no party is in overall control

at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council. The Labour Group say the

Liberal Democrat Group locally still have questions to answer. They are

led by councillor Iain Rowback, despite the suspension going ahead.

I'm pleased action is being taken but frankly I'm astonished it's

taken so long to reach this outcome which surely was inevitable from the

outset. In failing to take action about this matter locally, I think

the councillor's shown poor judgment and a Fawure to appreciate the

severity of the allegations and shown contempt for the electorate.

Council Councillor `` the councillor said he notified the party about the

situation with Ryan Hope last year and he said he did not realise there

were explicit party rules which applied when someone faced such

serious charges and he does realise that now and accepts Councillor Hope

should be suspended. He says if anybody is responsible for the

delay, he accepts the blame. Councillor Hope says he wants to

continue to sit as a councillor, he'll sit as an independent. Be`

inquest has heard how an 80`year`old woman sent to hospital with a

fractured hip died four days later of pneumonia. Ethel died in 2010,

more than three years later her family today heard hospital

consultants described how staff acted appropriately at all times.

91`year`old William Murray, leaving court with sons Steve and David.

He's just been hearing medical evidence at the inquest into his

wife's death. Ethel Murray was first admitted to Southampton General

Hospital on August 11th, 2010, after a fall. She had diabetes. But staff

decided Ethel didn't need acute care so the next day, she was transferred

here, to the Royal South Hants Hospital for rehabilitation.

A diabetes consultant told the court that Mrs Murray had been properly

assessed throughout her stay and that drops in her blood sugar level

had been treated. On the evening of August 14th, Mrs Murray was sent

back to the General Hospital because of a chesty cough and concern about

her breathing. Once there, she wasn't assessed to be in need of

urgent treatment, so wasn't seen by a doctor for six hours. By then, it

was too late. Mrs Murray's condition deteriorate and she couldn't be

resuscitated. A postmortem found she died of Blancial pneumonia. The

inquest heard the family raised concerns about Mrs Murray's care.

They felt staff weren't used to dealing with her diabetes and that

they should have detected her pneumonia earlier. A consultant said

all the records showed staff acted appropriately at all times with the

information at hand even if she had been given antibiotics earlier it

was unlikely to have made a difference. The coroner will deliver

his written judgment in two weeks. Chief Constable of Sussex Police has

refused to apologise to a local MP despite admitting his force made

mistakes in sending him a harassment warning. The MP for East Worthing

and Shoreham Tim Loughton has been involved in a long running wrangle

with a constituent over the sending of messages he claims are abuse u.

Police issued him with a warning over what he said in Parliament. I

wanted to close that situation down, not inflame it. By issuing a pin, by

taking this to the crazy extent the police have, that's exacerbated the

situation out of all control which is why this needs to be addressed

very seriously. As we have heard, Britain's economy is growing at its

strongest rate since the start of the financial crisis six years ago.

The service sector has been dubbed the engine room of the recovery,

nowhere more so than in Surrey. The economy there is growing four times

faster than the UK average. Our business correspondent, Alastair

Fee has been assessing the mood in Guildford.

The services sector, by most estimates makes up more than 70% of

the country's GDP, the measurement of everything we produce, covering

retail, health, education and professional services, by far the

biggest employer and it's kept Surrey amongst the most affluent

counties. Koko Salon is still a relatively new face. They put their

success down to hard graft, loyal customers and finding a niche in the

market. People are more confident in spending money, I wouldn't say they

have more, but they are confident in spending it. Three or four years

ago, no`one knew what was around the corner. People aren't acting

negatively any more. Clients are coming in more regularly or spending

more money on all sorts of things like retail or services and things

like that, so as long as we maintain our standards, we can continue to

grow. An economic development company with big ammicses around the

corner. It aims to double its output in the next few years to over ?15

billion. Investment is being made and businesses need to focus on

research and development and marketing and the training of their

staff. They also need to focus on new products and services. That's

particularly important and that's the driver coming forward. A survey

of 1300 Surrey businesses revealed that 70% are optimistic about growth

in the year ahead. 25% are exporting and 30% said they saw an increase in

customers last year. Financial services are a massive contributor

to GDP. Chapters Financial recently opened an office in Woking. Its MD

has written a book called the Recession is Over. There is some

momentum going at the moment. I don't think it's a blip but I think

we are at the beginning of the start, rather than actually being in

the middle of the growth phase. We have seen a ground swell of

growth over the course of the last few quarters, so no it doesn't

surprise me that particularly services has done reasonably well at

this announcement and we hope that will continue on in 2014. The

services or tertiary sector draws in a vast range. Not all the areas are

performing well all the time. But together, their combined weight is

driving recovery. Surrey's annual output is increasing

at four times that of the national average.

A respite care home for disabled children in Salisbury will now close

following a final vote by Healthcare Commissioners. Campaigners had been

fighting to keep the centre open which they say provided a vital

service for families for more than 30 years. Wiltshire's Clinical

Commissioning Group says it will focus instead on providing a

specialist carer service to enable children to be looked after in their

own homes. Still to come this evening:

25 runners for 25 years. The Great South Run celebrates a quarter of a

century. Visitors to Stonehenge have

discovered a loophole at the World Heritage Site, saving a long walk

and sometimes even getting in for free. A new visitor centre a mile

and a half away opened before Christmas, prompting complains ``

complaints about the distance. Today the old tourist facilities were

demolished and the site next to the monument will be grassed over.

Demolished at last. This has been the goal of English Heritage since

the 1980s. The buildings here have been too

small, too ugly, too close to one of the world's most famous ancient

monuments. Soon, like the road alongside, it will be grassed over,

only a small security building and some toilets will remain.

It's the end of an era really. It's served its purpose, so I am

permanently pleased to see it going because reuniting Stonehenge in its

grass land setting will be absolutely fantastic.

The new visitor centre is a mile and a half away over the hill. The idea

is to give Stonehenge a more tranquil setting with less intrusion

by 21st century life. Until last month, tourists had to

pass through a turnstile and enter via a tunnel beneath the road. But

not any more. Now, they are simply strolling in.

And that creates another problem. This's a public rite of way

alongside and anyone can turn off the A303 and park there. In the wet,

winter weather, the by`way is being badly damaged by lots of cars.

Instead of a three`mile round trip from the car park, it's a one`minute

walk and some people have used it to get in for free.

It's actually the old road to Larkhill Army Camp. It ran through

the outer circle of the ancient monument in the First World War.

Closing it would not be easy. Alongside, the A303 suffers frequent

congestion, the biggest bottleneck on the main route to the South West.

Yet, another consultation is getting under way this week, the Roads

Minister's met Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall councils to begin

a long debate about how to improve it.

A man has been taken to hospital after suffering burps at a

Chichester dentist. Police believe he set himself on fire using

cigarette lighter fluid. The fire was confine toed the man's clothing

with no damage caused to the surgery.

There was anger at an emergency council meeting in Poole after

politicians voted in favour of setting up temporary sites for

travellers. Poole doesn't have any official transit camps, making it

harder to move illegal encampments. Last night, councillors voted to

push ahead with sites. Residents were not consulted properly, it's

being said. The councillors don't seem to be living in the real world.

To spend taxpayers' money, ?250,000 on laying a bit of gravel down on a

site that is totally unsuitable for anybody to live on, it just amazes

me. Michael Fallon was in the City today

talking to key political and business leaders. His appointment

followed the decision in November to move navy shipbuilding to Scotland

with the closure of the BAE Systems yard, causing hundreds of job

losses. He says he is determined to bring new jobs and growth to

Portsmouth. Top of the list is to listen and to

learn and I'm talking to a lot of the people who matter in this city,

to the local leaders and I want to hear for myself how they see

Portsmouth's future. Along the south coast, we are lucky

enough to have hundreds of these beautiful beach huts nestling side

by side along the seafront. For many, they are a home from home, a

place to spend a few hours watching the world go by in. One Dorset town,

there's a question over whether the decoration on some of the structures

is in keeping with the feel of the area.

Picture perfect postcards of the south. The holiday dreams which

tease our loved ones back at home. For Gordon and Janet, that dream is

a reality. Mediterranean blue skies,

sometimes... And a Butterscotch beach hut. Home from home. Their

haven is causing controversy because of its design though. According to

the council rule hut `` council rules, huts have to be painted

mostly blue. Stripes and icons are not permitted.

We've perhaps not quite stuck to the rules in as much that we have put

these graphics on the front of the hut. We did this five years ago.

We've only ever had compliments. Every time we come down, somebody

will take a photo of it. They'll ask us to move, we've even had a wedding

party come down and had a whole series of photographs taken in front

of our hut. Which is lovely! In a statement, Christchurch Borough

Council said: The council seems to be against the

tide of public opinion. It's a very cheering nautical

appearance. I think it fits in lovely with the area and can't see

why they'd want to change it. It's clean, fresh, nicely painted.

Correct. No problem with that. When you look along the line of the beach

huts and some don't look in a particularly good state, it's much

better than the rest of them. Gordon and Janet are hoping the council

will consider relaxing the policy. A consultation is being held on 26th

February. Perhaps a pot of paint lies at the end of the rainbow.

You may have a view on that. Let us know. It is a busy night for

football with all our local teams in action. Southampton host the Premier

League leaders Arsenal at St Mary's. They lie ninth in the table but it's

over a decade since they beat the Gunners at home. We will try to win

the game. One of our strengths is that we go into the game believing

we can win. Full commentary on the match on BBC Radio Solent and Adam

Blackmore joins us from the ground now. Are they good enough to cause a

surprise and beat the league leaders? Well, they are on their

day, but there's no doubt it's going to be tough. When the two sides met

in move at the etch rats, Arsenal were top and Saints stared at the

time in the Premier League. That 2`0 defeat from the side precipitated a

downturn in fortunes `` at the Emirates.

The task is certainly a sizeable one for Saints, especially with the

squad stretched through injury and suspension.

Just waiting for the official team news. Ricky Lambert struck welling a

hamstring injury. `` struggling with a hamstring injury.

Thank you very much. There's a full league programme

tonight in the Championship, Bournemouth host Huddersfield.

Alan Smith's signed a three`and`a`half year contract with

Bournemouth today, but the deal came too late for the 22`year`old to be

available for tonight's home game. Smith's previously been on loan in

the 2011`12 season. In League One, MK Dons travel to

Carlisle and Swindon are two places off the play`offs and travel to

Walsall. In League Two, managerless Oxford

United are away at Exeter. Chris Wilder left at the weekend and was

appointed Northampton manager on Monday. He was set to be out of

contract this summer. He'd been there for five years. The

46`year`old leaves Oxford sixth this League Two.

Portsmouth are on the road at Wycombe. Riche Barker says the

team's away record has been sun acceptable `` unacceptable.

They have won just once away in the league this season.

It may be nine months away, but I bet you are training already. It's

this year's Great South Run. The event was launched in Portsmouth and

this year it's the 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a runner from

each of the past 24 years took part in a special photo shoot at the

Spinnaker Tower. The dramatic landscape provided the backdrop for

a celebration for something that's become a landmark event. At the

Spinnaker Tower, they were launch the Great South Run. It's the 25th

anniversary and today a runner from each of the past 24 years took part

in the special commemorative gathering.

The first Great South Run was held in Southampton in 1990 with 2,000

runners. It moved to Portsmouth the following year and now attracts

25,000 participants and is Europe's biggest road race with many famous

names including Mo Farah who won in 2009. Some here today such as

72`year`old Phillip have run in all 24 races.

It's fantastic. It's a flat run, easy compared to some. It's not

hilly. It's the atmosphere of it really, it's great and there are

crowds of people around all cheering you on. It's a happy occasion. Over

the years, the race has attracted many celebrities such as blank Bruno

and former Portsmouth university student Ben Fogle, as well as

countless more anonymous runners in fancy dress which seemed a good idea

at the planning stage down the pub. Starting to warm up a bit. I might

be struggling soon. The sponsored runners have helped raise over ?30

million over the years and today, the man who was the honorary race

starter in 2010 praised their efforts.

Haven't got to be first. If you take part and finish, what a fantastic

feat that is, but at the same time, if you'd been supported by people

who're putting money in to the charities, what more could you ask?

The organisers are planning a 25`gun salute and asking for photos of past

races which they'll display on the events screen this October.

Among the famous faces today. Somebody we know very familiar to

us. There she is, one of the runners representing 25 years. Which was

your year? 2010. It's good with all those people there? It's amazing and

very fast. One of the fastest. Look, who is that? ! It's you. I wasn't

there today. I wasn't unvitaled. There are a Faw of us. That was the

first run in 1990. Gosh, I looked young. I also look very fit and

well. Still time to do it this year.

What you need is a good pasty to eat which takes us nicely on to the next

story. Events will take place to mark the 70th anniversary of the

war. The commander General Eisenhower set

up a HQ in Southwark where people are already getting a taste of the

commemorations to come. Something a little different has

been coming out of the ovens as the village prepares to celebrate a

special anniversary. Customers have been sampling three recipes just

like the official D`Day pasty. We have the resistance which includes

snail, the Russian pasty which was spam, oatmeal and various other

vegetables that you could get in the day. The winner was the Churchill

pasty which is British beef, a red wine beef casserole one side of the

pasty and normal the other side. The Churchill pasty. Two actually, not

both for myself. The spam one will be fantastic. Not sure about the

snail but the spam definitely. The military in 1944 couldn't move for

forces preparing for a significant date.

NEWSREEL: The dawn of June 6th comes over... The villagers then didn't

really know what was going on. My mother lived here, she was 13 at the

time, a farmer's daughter. She lived in a farmhouse at the bottom of the

village and in camps there were British troops, the offers would

come in to have fresh running water. The privates would share the water

dipped from the river. They knew there was something big about to

take place but they had no idea it was leading up to D`Day. The entire

invasion was run from here, so 70 years on, Southwark has much to

celebrate. One idea is to record the recktions of those here back in

1944. For an exhibition and hopefully a book to keep alive the

memories of the times when this tiny village played such a crucial role

in world history. The 70th anniversary commemorations

coming up over the coming months. Now the weather.

Stay tuned to the forecast. Ken Rayner captured the Wilton windmill

south of Hungerford in`between the showers.

Mark Steel took this photograph of the Winterborn Stickland.

Weather warnings for more rain at the moment.

Dorset, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, Surrey and Wiltshire with.

Other areas will be affected. The rain will affect much of the region.

We are expecting some showers with perhaps hail and thunder. They could

be on the heavy side lasting through much of the night.

Temperatures fall to a chilly four to five Celsius but remain above

freezing. There is a brisk wind. Tomorrow is generally a grey and

damp day, all in all. We are expecting rain, further showers,

hail and thunder throughout the day and wintry showers. We could have a

dusting of snow over the Chilterns, the Berkshire Downs and the

Cotswolds with temperatures rising to a chilly five Celsius in some

parts in Oxfordshire. Along the south coast, a high of seven to

eight. The brisk easterly will take the edge off temperatures tomorrow.

The Wimbledon tri`` wintry showers continue tomorrow. A yellow weather

warning out for that. Where we have had the showers, the

big risk of ice on untreated surfaces. A drier start to the day

on Thursday, but a quieter day, although probably the coldest day of

the winter so far. The winds will be lighter than recent days, but it

will be chilly and generally quite a cloudy day. Then we are looking

ahead to Friday and Saturday with this next weather feature pushing in

from the Atlantic courtesy of an area of low pressure and that could

bring some significant amounts of rain, perhaps up to an inch through

the course of Friday and through Saturday. A lot of weather warnings.

Stay tuned to the website for the latest information. Rain warning

overnight tonight and through the day tomorrow. An ice warning

tomorrow and further rain warnings Friday and Saturday with thundery

showers. Relentless! Thank you very much. A

peak inside the facilities of Broadmoor. Join us tomorrow at 6.

30. Good nights. Good night.