27/05/2014 South Today

Standing down ` the leader of Portsmouth City Council lakes

way after poor election restlts for the Liberal Democrats.

The scheme to keep elderly patients out of hospital

I have been in hospital twice and they have been very good. Btt it's

nothing like home. And he's gone ` Saints lose their

manager to Spurs as the London club A jury has heard how an 82 xear old

lollipop man was killed in Waterlooville by a motorhst who

claims she was blinded by the sun. 23 year old Lauren Paul is charged

with causing death Raymond Elsmore was knocked down as

he was helping a pedestrian cross Caroline Richardson reports

from Southampton Crown Court. He'd just started his shift

as the lollipop man outside Queens Inclosure Primary School

in Waterlooville. He'd stepped into the road

to help Toni Ponting cross. She was heavily pregnant and

on her way to collect her son. I could see behind him and see the

cars coming. I thought the cat would stop but it didn't. He hit the

windscreen and the car brokd. He was pushed down onto the road.

The car was being driven by Lauren Paul, seen here in the striped top.

In a statement to the policd, Miss Paul said she was drivhng

straight into the sun so shd slowed down to what she believed w`s

She put the sun visor down and took steps to adjust her

The jury heard from another witness who was driving behind Laurdn Paul.

She said the son had been blinding. After the accident, Lauren was

distraught and said if she had seen him she would have stopped. The

other witness said she did not see him either. She didn't see `nyone

step into the road. If it h`d been ten seconds earlier, she sahd, it

could have been me. The casd continues.

The Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council,

Gerald Vernon`Jackson, says he'll resign after

his party failed to win the support it needed in the local elections.

The council was left with no overall control.

The Conservatives, led by Donna Jones, say they're on coursd to take

over if they have enough support from other parties, including UKIP.

Our Political Editor Peter Henley reports.

He's led a maritime city through ten years of stormy political w`ters.

Now, Gerald Vernon`Jackson hs abandoning ship. I moved here

expecting to get a part`timd job and have more time to do less work. The

last ten years have thrown those plans out. It is a wonderful city to

work in. It has been very enjoyable and interesting. Now I will do

something different. Portsmouth is a city that faces many challenges In

discussions this weekend, there was talk of a rainbow coalition with all

parties coming together. But they couldn't manage it. The six UKIP

councillors elected last wedk called the balance of power but ard

refusing to use it. If you do a coalition, you sell out. Th`t is why

the Lib Dems are dead in thd water. I gave away their flagship policy to

get their feet under the table. We don't want to do that. We w`nt to

act as `` we want to be inddpendent. Donna Jones says with UKIP support

she have to cooperate. I was elected to do a job. I love this city and my

children are growing up herd. I want to make sure that I'm doing the best

job I can. I have my own business. I have worked for a bank and Diana

stands finance. I know that I can do a better job than the peopld who

have been running this city for the last decade. There are choppy waters

ahead. Peter is here with md now. What is Gerald Vernon`Jackson doing

next? He says he will not ptt himself forward for selection as a

Lib Dem over the summer. Thdy could both stand at the same time because

Mike Hancock as allegations hanging over him. But he is an independent.

Mike Hancock might decide not to run. It's interesting that he could

move on to be an MP. These four were UKIP MEPs have been elected from our

region. They are now saying that they want to campaign for a

Westminster seat as well. It is an interesting time. If people have

elected them to represent us in Brussels, how will they havd time to

campaign for Parliament? Absolutely. They detest the EU who have given

them a fund to try to get into Westminster. They will be gdtting

big salaries, some of which will be handed over to UK to help them

campaign. The way things ard going, the former leader of the cotncil

could end up with three jobs. He could be an MEP and also trxing to

get into Westminster. They're just going to make a protest votd in

Brussels. The selection will be over the summer. It is critical what Mike

Hancock might decide. If he gets within six months of the general

election, there would not bd a by`election. He would carry on. If

he continues to stand as an independent, he receives a big

financial pay`out because hd will get resettlement allowances as a

sitting member of Parliament. That might make a real differencd to his

decision. So just wait and see. Thank you.

A petition has been launched against Surrey county counchllors'

decision to give themselves a rise in their allowances, in some

Now a petition, carrying more than 350 signatures, is calling on the

A little earlier, I spoke to our reporter Ben Moore, and askdd him

As usual, this is one of those rows about councillors getthng more

Last month, an independent panel suggested that those from

the county council should bd able to increase their allowances, but at a

vote, Surrey Council rejectdd that and voted for an even bigger hike.

For example, the deputy teal leader's special allowance

He now takes home ?44,000 a year in allowances.

Yes, especially as the council rdcently

voted against people who worked for it receiving the living wage,

Obviously, the area has obviously got some of

the problems associated with every council ` potholes, for exalple

There is still damage remaining from the floods.

Now a petition has been set up by the Labour prospective parlhamentary

He says that the Tory`run council have showed that they are ott

of touch and described this as a scandalous money grab.

So far, 600 people have signed it and, on top of that, the three

people who sat on that independent advisory panel have resigned.

The council says that the government has increased

It says there has been no rdview of allowances for years.

While that was the right thhng to do at the time, it is now important

that these allowances are adjusted to reflect increases in rolds

Although Surreyy is overwhelmingly a Tory area, after recent elections

this could prove to be a chhnk in the Conservative armour.

Richard Wilson says if he manages to get 20,000

signatures on this petition, he s a long way off that at the loment,

he will be able to present to the full council and force a full vote.

That may lead to scrutiny that the council don't want.

The number of children arrested in the South has dropped by almost

New figures show Dorset had the largest fall in arrests

from more than 3,000 in 2008 to just over 800 in 201 .

The data is from the Howard League for Penal Reform `

who say a review of police `rrest procedures in recent years has led

Still to come in this evening's South Tod`y:

the gladiator of the seas looks for a fifth world title.

The families of the four missing sailors of

the Southampton yacht, the Cheeki Rafiki, have spoken in publhc for

the first time since the hull of the vessel was found in the Atl`ntic.

James Male, who was from Rolsey and Andrew Bridge, from Farnham

were part of a crew sailing back to the South when their yacht got

The boat's upturned hull was found by the US Coastguard on Friday

We would like to say how much we owe to the public. It is overwhdlming

and unprecedented. The men would have been enormously touched to have

known that they were in the minds of so many people. It would have

brought them great comfort hn their moment of need. It could, jtst code,

have made a vital differencd to saving their lives, had the

circumstances been slightly different.

A motorcyclist from Portsmotth has been jailed for causing the death

Kristof Fairley's bike collhded with a car at the junction of

Eastern Road and Airport Service Road in Jantary

His new wife Ashley, who was also on the motorcycle, was

Fairley was disqualified from driving

He admitted causing his wifd's death and was today jailed for 32 months.

Plans for an asbestos waste facility in the New Forest have been approved

The site at Hardley Industrial Estate ndar Hythe

would specialise in the disposal of the harmful mineral.

Solent Environmental Servicds submitted the plans ` which were

today unanimously approved by the council's regulatory colmittee.

But some residents feel it's not a safe distance" from homes.

Hundreds of elderly patients in Southampton are being moved out

of Accident and Emergency ` to a new department treating falls,

The aim is to prevent them from being admitted ` and possibly

The unit is now seeing 20 p`tients a day ` mostly over the age of 5.

Our Health Correspondent David Fenton reports.

This woman is 84 and has ruptured her tendon. She has been to a indie

and was sent to a special unit for elderly people.

The emergency department is a terrifying aches in this, often with

queues of people coming in `nd out and lots of loud noises. We are

trying to move through `` move people through that area quhckly.

This is a specially dedicatdd area for frail, older people.

It costs two point ?5,000 e`ch time a patient is admitted to hospital as

an emergency. `` it costs two and a half thousand pounds.

Your muscles will atrophy and your brain will forget what it is doing

if you leave someone in bed for a couple of days. You have allost aged

than two years in the effect it will have on them.

The aim here is to get the patients treated and home again as qtickly

and safely as possible. In the last three years, I have been

in hospital twice. They havd been very good but it is nothing like

home. Even so, the number of elderly

patients in our hospitals is increasing. Southampton Gendral has

about 1,100 beds, this many occupied by older patients. In the l`st

year, those numbers have gone up by 6%. Of course, it is not thdir

fault. Many would prefer to be at home, but that often means complex

social care organising. We discharge mostly two thirds of

our patients. Some that we `ssess our really quite unwell and need to

come to hospital. All we can say is that we add to that patient

experience. This unit has been very successful,

keeping at least 20 patients per week out of hospital. Five hours

after pro's accident, she is going home with a care package arranged by

the team. `` after her accident An organisation that works with

vulnerable people in Hampshhre says it's concerned about the impact

of a proposed cut to the funding it Hampshire County Council nedds to

make ?4 million of savings to its Supporting People budget `

money which pays for emergency The Crescent here

in Yateley has been Wanda's home for more than 40 Its bungalows allow

the tenants the choice to ldad independent lives, safe in

the knowledge that help is nearby. But now a 37 percent cut

in funding from the Hampshire County We used to have social activities

in the evening, and doing p`inting and card making and watching

the karaoke on the big scredn. We don't have anything

like that now. The site provides work

for residents and others with Cuts to council funding havdn't just

hit quality of life but threaten the very survival of

one resident, after a wake`tp visit by staff was branded extrav`gant

by the site's paymasters. The residential support man`ger

was asked to investigate. She went to his bungalow and he was

collapsed on the floor in a coma. He had to be rushed to hosphtal

and is still not working now. Had he not been working that day,

had it been a weekend or holiday, then he would have been missed

until it was too late. Yateley Industries will survive

the cuts. Hampshire County Council insists

what it is doing is priorithsing But the idea that

the policy isn't being felt on the front line, that helps those

with disabilities, seems rather A club for blind people in Dorset

has found itself While more and more people want

to join, it's funding is falling. The club offers a way out

of isolation But now there's

a real danger it could closd down. So, as Roger Finn reports,

it's mounted What would you miss

if you went blind? That's the question being posed

by the Dorset Blind Association ` and this You Tube video is one

of the responses being postdd Along with pictures of sunsdts

and loved ones. The idea is to draw attention to

what these people might soon miss. Seven years ago the

Dorset Blind Association set up There are over a hundred melbers

and this group meets regularly This club is fantastic with the

people who come here. It gives them a chance to get out and sochalise.

It sounds so simple but it hs actually quite difficult for people

with visual impairments. Two thirds of people with sight loss s`y they

barely members have taken part in ` variety

of activities including cricket and donations has been fallhng while

demands to join have been rhsing. The club now needs

?12,000 just to survive. What is most frightening is when you

start losing contact with pdople. You can't drive and are constantly

relying on family. Being able to do something like this gives us

independence. It means so mtch for your self`esteem. I was verx scared

of coming here. I got confidence here from doing things. Talking to

other people who were in yotr shoes is really helpful. It supports that

you need because there are few blind people around. By coming here to the

coughing warnings, you can talk with people that have a similar problem

that you understand. There hs evidence that the number of blind

people in Britain is growing. At charity says this is becausd of the

greater survivability of severely premature babies.

A fact that this group believes makes it's own

Sussex Cricket manager Mark Robinson has said

On to sport, and it's been confirmed within the last hour that

Mauricio Pochettino has reshgned as Southampton manager to t`ke over

He moves to the London club on a five year contract.

We thought this news was coling They have confirmed in the last hour

that Mauricio Pochettino is leaving the club. Spurs have said that he

will be joining them on a fhve`year contract. When he initially joined

Saint Mary 's last year, he was relatively unknown will stop in the

past 16 months, he has transformed the club.

This now provides a big test to new Southampton chairman Ralph Kruger,

who crucially must find a new manager to help South`mpton

England duo Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw have both been subject to

Malcolm Mackay and Michael Laudrup are at the early bookmakers'

Thank you. I'm sure Saints fans will be watching keenly for news.

Sussex Cricket manager Mark Robinson has said

a match fixing scandal involving two of their former players 'sickens

Lou Vincent and Naveed Arif have been charged by

the England and Wales Crickdt Board in relation to two matches hn 2 11.

Today the club spoke publicly for the first time about their distress

The World Match Racing Tour begins next Friday.

12 sailing crews competing at destinations around the globe.

Skipper of one of those crews, Ian Williams from Lymington, is hoping

Sarah Farmer has been out on the water to meet him.

More game sailing than plain sailing.

Tactical, gladiatorial, head to head.

The world match racing tour starts next week and a sailor

from the south is hoping to bring home the silver.

Because there are only two boats, a lot of the tactics involvd

The boats tend to stay closd together,

We have a few crashes every now and then.

The trophy bears Ian's name four times already.

A fifth victory would land him in the record books

as the first British sailor to win five championship world titles.

It's all for Ian now to try to break a world record.

He is certainly one to watch and one to beat.

Part of the challenge is learning to sail

Talking of challenges, it's my turn for a masterclass on the water.

12 teams compete at six different countries

At each stop, a new fleet of boats to compete in.

It's really tight teamwork between all of you.

Each boat is different how the teamwork works.

We get two hours of practice a set for each dvent.

One of the key things when you're sailing is feelhng

When you're sailing upwind, it gives you quite a lot of field.

Without me telling you which way to put the tiller, you are

Our boats are relatively he`vy, not particularly fast.

The race is not so much about the speed of the boat,

It's really the tactical element to the race.

Each race on the tour is a cat and mouse chase.

Reputations count for nothing and that is the highlight for me.

Your results how you perforl on the day.

Dan Smith took this photo of a mute swan cygnet in Petworth

Ginny Boxall captured flowering chives in her garden in Alton.

And Nick Lucas took this photo of the rain drops on a Blue Moon

Through tonight, we will sed rain and showers at times which could be

heavy. The best of any drier skies down towards parts of Dorset. We've

seen quite a number of heavx showers through Weymouth and is. Through the

night, little respite from rain in some areas, with temperaturds

falling to a mild ten or 11. Not particularly cold through the night

and similar tomorrow. Some rain or showers at times, more likely in

northern areas. Along the south coast, we may see the cloud break

for a time with some sunshine, that's generally a cloudy d`y with

temperatures reaching 15 Celsius. Tonight, one or two showers with

some mist patches. We hold onto the wet conditions through Thursday

with temperatures overnight similar to tonight at 11 or 12. A f`irly

unsettled picture with low pressure on Thursday. Rain it could be heavy

with the possibility of thunder The good news is that come Frid`y we

will start to see this area of high pressure start building further The

wind will feel lighter and ht will turn more settled with some

sunshine. This week rain and showers. Even the odd rumbld of

thunder. There will be some sunshine, but that is more likely

towards the latter part of the week. Turning drier come Friday whth that

high pressure building in from the Atlantic. Showers and rain dxpected

tomorrow, which could be on the heavy side. More likely for northern

areas. The best of brightness along the south. There could be

thunderstorms on Thursday. Friday and Saturday, that high pressure

building from the Atlantic. Turning more settled and drier with more

sunshine. Tomorrow, we will meet the

ten`year`old athlete who is competing at swimming. She's pretty

good! Will also be talking to `` talking about free school mdals

Make sure you join us. Thanks for watching. Goodbye.