04/10/2011 Spotlight

Who lives in a place like this? The south west - home to seven of

the most expensive rural areas to live in the country.

Good evening. West Dorset tops the chart where a home will cost you

eight times the average local salary. We'll reveal more in a

moment. Also tonight: the desperate need

for organ donors. A local transplant patient tells us of the

debt he owes to his donor and her family.

People are prepared to make that decision at a very difficult time

and they are heroes, basically. And something to lift the spirits -

the local whiskey doing its bit for the community.

The South West is home to seven out of the top ten most expensive rural

areas to live in the country, according to new research. The

survey by Halifax compared the average cost of a house in rural

areas with the average local income. West Dorset was named the most

expensive rural area in Britain, with the average house costing

�256,000 - eight times more than the average local salary.

And these are the six other South West districts in the top ten. The

findings come during the first ever South West Rural Housing Week,

which aims to highlight the vital need for affordable housing to keep

villages alive. Johnny Rutherford reports from West Dorset.

Buying a house in the countryside is on average �27,000 more

expensive than an urban property. And in West Dorset it can be quite

an expense for some according to the Halifax report. Here in West

Dorset we are in a bubble. We're close to railway stations so BT's

easy to commute into London. And in the last year house prices have

remained pretty steady. The average price of a house in the British

countryside is �196,000. In west Dorset the average is �256,000 -

eight times more than the local average earnings. Prices can vary

from 215 for a two-bedroomed cottage up to 375. Those prices

make it hard for people to get on the housing ladder. Oliver's family

have lived in Bridport for many generations. It is the perfect size,

but we just cannot afford it. It is out of our budget. It is all the

people coming down from London coming to buy second homes for.

Wages are quite low here and have historically always been low. There

are a lot of second home owners will stop it is expensive. -- it is

expensive. Oliver's hope is to purchase through a housing scheme.

Recently we reported on plans by Cornwall Council to crack down on

private landlords with empty properties. Well, we've since heard

from one parish about a council- owned house which has been lying

empty for four years. It's finally on sale, but locals accuse the

council of hypocrisy and of wasting taxpayers' money. Our Community

Affairs Correspondent, Carys Edwards, went to find out more.

It is an old farm worker's cottage which became a three-bedroom

council house. But no one has lived here for four years. It lies in an

area where there are plenty of families in need of a good home.

There's real frustration and despair that a house like this has

been left to lie empty for so long. David Skelton is on the parish

council which has been battling to get the house back into use.

Responsibility for the house lies now with Cornwall council. It is a

Shambles. Cornwall Council have spent money to maintain the house

and have lost out on the income they could have had from it. And on

the other hand and local couple could have been living there and it

could have stayed that way into the future for stock we reported

recently how Cornwall council was cracking down on private landlords

with empty properties. But it seems that the parishioners battle may

now be over. The house was still not up for sale yesterday morning.

We asked the council white and within hours of our telephone call,

the sport had gone up. It was finally on the market. The agents

had not been given instructions to sell its but just two hours ago

they were told to get on with it. I think it is a face saving exercise

bike somebody at the council rather than some genuine change in policy.

Cornwall council says it always planned to sell the house but that

work needed to be done to it first. It remains committed to ensuring

that as many empty homes as possible of brought back into use.

We have properties out there that have been empty for 20 or 30 years.

We want to find out what landlords are doing with their properties,

what they intend to do with them. And if they can be helped them the

council is willing to help them. Whatever the history of this House,

David is delighted that someone will finally be moving in.

A man has appeared before magistrates in Truro, charged with

murdering a baby boy. Steven Coukham, who's 20 and from Hendra

Road in Truro, is accused of killing Tyrone Coukham a year ago.

He was remanded in custody. The funeral service has been held

today of Devon-based Royal Marine, David Fairbrother, who was shot

dead in Afghanistan. The 24 year- old was serving with 42 Commando

when his patrol was ambushed in Helmand Province. The service was

held this lunchtime at Blackburn Cathedral. Marine Fairbrother

joined the forces in 2009. More than 10,000 people in the UK

need an organ transplant and every day, three people die waiting for

one. Tonight, a transplant patient from the South West features in a

unique BBC documentary, which he hopes will prompt more people to

register as organ donors. Here's our Health Correspondent, Sally

Mountjoy. The makers of tonight's programme

have been given unprecedented access to the people involved in

one organ donation process. You are aware it's the end of a

life, but it's the beginning of many other lives from this one life.

It features the specialist medical teams who make it all possible, the

family of the donor and the three recipients of her organs -

including 52 year-old Alex from the south west. He'd had been on

dialysis for three and a half years before a failed kidney transplant

last year. By May this year, he needed a new liver and kidney. The

programme shows the family of his donor, Penny, explaining why they

gave consent. She always believed that organs are lent to you in a

strange sort of way and if they can be used after death, she said they

had to beat. There was no maybe. Four months after his double

transplant, Alex is getting stronger every day. But he's always

mindful of the person who made his recovery possible. What do you feel

about penny, at the present who donated her organs to you?

basically saved my life, as the short and simple as that. The fact

that people are prepared to make that decision at a very difficult

time, they are heroes, basically. You do feel very attached to that

family and what they're going through because after the

transplant, we have a success story. But we are aware that the other

family are going through a tremendous grieving process because

they have lost their loved one. Alex and Daryl hope tonight's

programme will persuade people to sign up as organ donors and give

more patients like him the chance of life.

In the South West, there are 635 people waiting for an organ

transplant. But the good news is that we have the highest proportion

of people on the Organ Donor Register of any region - 36 percent

of us have signed up. The South West Transplant Centre at Derriford

Hospital is one of the leading centres, and has the shortest

waiting time in the country for kidney transplants - about half the

national average. Well, joining me now is Jacob Akoh from Derriford.

It is really good news that we have the shortest waiting times. Why do

you think that is? It is due to the generosity of the people in the

south-west. A lot of the organ transplants come from diseased

cardiac donors. Because people from this part of the world are very

generous and helpful, we have increased the number of transplants

by enormous amounts in the last few years for DUP but we just had over

one third of people who have signed up. Why do you think that people

still are not on board? What do you think about the opt out system for

donor cards? Are well at the time when Elizabeth Perkins was about to

report on the organ donor task force, there was a lot of debate in

the country about opting out. It was felt generally in the country,

opinion was divided. There were those who felt that we have not

developed enough infrastructure to maximise the number of diseased

organ donors giving because all truism. And those who believe that

families feel a lot more satisfaction that they are giving

this gift out of freewill rather than being compelled to do so. It

looked like there were a number of things that could be done to

maximise that before taking the next step. It is a difficult

subject for families to talk about? It is. It is interesting that

around 40% of people go were reproached refused. And you can

understand that in the heat of the moment when your loved one was

dying, some people would not find it convenient to talk about that.

It would be easier if people discuss their intentions with their

families and loved ones. It would make that decision a lot simpler

and easier. It is good that the south-west has the highest

proportion of people on the organ Donor Register, but we can do more.

The South West receives a lot of accolades for these and we should

aim of getting most people to talk about this and get on the register.

You can see the documentary, Transplant, tonight, on BBC 1, at

10.35, after the Spotlight late news. And if you want details of

how to join the Organ Donor Register, you can call 0300 123 23

23 or go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

Plymouth residents will be able to have their say on the dismantling

of nuclear powered submarines in the city. The MoD has announced a

third public consultation into the process, which will start at the

end of the month. A series of events are planned for the

Devonport area, including exhibitions and workshops.

Campaigners who want to breathe new life into Plymouth City Airport

will meet tonight. A group of passengers, businesses and air

experts who call themselves Viable, want to look at alternative ways of

keeping an airport in the city. Plans for a �19 million research

centre at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital have been given the go

ahead by the City Council. The state-of-the-art centre will

pioneer research into the treatment of conditions such as diabetes and

obesity. A new flood defence scheme for

Teignmouth has been approved. The Environment Agency's four million

pound scheme will include new defence walls and flood gates. It's

designed to minimise the flood risk to more than 400 properties in the

town. Coming up: A cash boost for a local

attraction which brings two million visitors to the region.

The end of the road for this motoring museum - the search is on

for a new home for these classic cars.

And an avalanche of apples - the bumper crop which could lead to a

vintage year for cider makers. Now this might be a quiz question -

what joins Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, gets more than

two million visitors a year and brings over 200 million pounds to

the economy of the Southwest? The answer is the Southwest

Coastpath. And now work is under way to increase the amount of

visitors and income the footpath brings to the tourist industry.

David George put on his walking boots to find out more.

The south-west coastal path extends 630 miles from Minehead in the

North all the way round to Poole in Dorset. It includes wonderful

rugged rumbles like this one. It is not all wind-blown clifftops, there

are wild woodland walks beneath the trees. And there are a scenic

strolls but this one along the banks of the Helford River. On a

good day the viewers from here are absolutely Fabulous. People like

Tennyson and Wordsworth where inspired by the howling wind and

the tales of the ghosts in the sea caves. Roof is walking the coastal

path and camping along the way in order to bring out the stories of

the places that the path passes through. Daphne du Maurier,

Frenchman's Creek. It is all romantic.

The coastal path brings in a calculated �222 million each year.

The latest investment is aimed at encouraging even more visitors, and

their cash. People are staying close to the coastal path are

looking for it on all day walk or just a short stroll. There will

come back time and again. And whilst they're out and about there

are likely to buy a cream tea, a pub lunch, or stay in a local hotel.

Here is one of the walking guides already produced. The Cornish

versions will be out in the spring. Some sports news. Both Exeter City

and Yeovil Town aim to reach the third round of the Football League

Trophy tonight. At St James Park, City hope last weekends win in

League One will spur them on to beat Swindon Town, managed by the

former West Ham favourite, Italian Paulo Di Canio. After three

successive league defeats, Yeovil Town try to turn their form around

when they go to Bournemouth. Rising running costs have led to a

popular Devon motor museum reaching the end of the road. Over the years,

thousands of car enthusiasts have visited the village of Colyford to

relive the heyday of British motoring. Spotlight's Simon

Alexander reports. The Museum of motoring memories was

set up after the original filling station became uneconomical to run.

It is the culmination of a hobby that began in the 1960s were stop

it has been almost a lifetime that I have been collecting. 40 years

ago I began. It is a sad time to think that it will have to come to

an end. But for me to run it here from now on, because of the

overheads and continual cost, and the fact that it ties up my time.

The older you get, you want some free time. Inside the museum it

feels as if we have stepped back in time. It is full of vintage cars

like this Vauxhall. The walls are adorned with a motoring

advertisements dating back to the early 1900s. And these are petrol

pumps from the 1960s - around 21 pence per gallon! It has been a

Labour of love for will then Bullard who built up the collection

from scratch. Why did you begin the collection? I felt that although I

have been in the trade in the 60s, I felt everything was being

destroyed. The enamel signs were disappearing. Advertising was not

been saved, and it became an obsession with me. It is hoped that

the buyer can be found for the collection. If not if you fancy

getting hold of a piece of motoring history, the court -- the items are

to be sold at auction next year. Now a Posy end to the programme. A

bottle of whisky made in Cornwall has fetched more than �2,000 in an

online auction. It was being sold for charity. What makes it even

more special is that it is the first whisky to be made in the

county for 300 years. I am that the -- I'm at the state hostel brewery

which is famous for making beer. But it has just produced its first

whisky. The first to be made in Cornwall for 300 years. This is the

man who convinced his bosses at this Cornish brewery that they

should make whisky. He spent eight years in Scotland learning the

tricks of the trade. We actually makes up malted barley. For years

Cornish grown barley with Cornish spring water. We heat the water up,

melt the barley and makes it all up. Then we extract the sugar from the

barley which we then ferment and eventually distilled to make the

whisky. The first bottle was sold on eBay to raise money for charity

and made more than �2,000. An expensive tipple. So we needed to

Sam discerning tasters, such as this couple, who wear on a visit to

the brewery. What did you think about the whisky? I am not a big

whisky drinker but that was really nice. The whisky has been described

by one expert as amongst the best offerings of the decade. That is

something worth celebrating. Now our recent spell of good

weather has brought good news for one local industry. It's not just

the sun though, it's the bitterly cold winters too! That combination

has led to two bumper years of apple crops. And as Andrea Ormsby

reports, for a traditional orchard that's fairly unusual and a big

boost to the region's cider producers.

An early start to harvesting here at this farm in Nepal. At around

100 acres it is one of the largest traditional cider orchards in the

south-west and the crop this year has come as something of a surprise.

Normally with the traditional orchards, they crop heavily once a

year and then much smaller crops the following year. But this year

despite having a bumper crop last year it would seem to be having a

very good year. We think that the colt weather in the winter it meant

that they had a really good rest and growing conditions have been

ideal this time. There was no frost when the blossom was out and quite

a dry summer. Add it is good news for local business. Perron family

is just one of 10 cider producers across the south-west who get their

apples here. We source our cider apples from traditional orchards.

So hysterically we have one great year and then quite a bad year at

the next year. So this year it is great that we're getting a bumper

crop again. We can build up our stocks from -- for the next season.

When I was a girl, every form -- every farm had an orchard and a

Webbies traditional types of trees. Over the years people have gone for

more of production, gone for the bush trees to be more productive.

But I feel it is important to keep the tradition ally. These trees are

around 80 years old. But this year there is no rest for them, they

have been working overtime to help boost the local economy just when

it needs it most. Cider and whisky - what a way to

end the programme! It has been a end the programme! It has been a

good year for apples. Good evening. Let's begin with a

look back at September. What an unusual month we saw. But when the

average it out, it was outstanding because of a high temperatures

towards the end of the month. We have had a good deal of sunshine.

We had more than the average at 238 hours. And the temperatures, we

have had some cool days and some very warm days giving us an average

of 18 degrees Celsius. The one we all like to watch is the water

levels in the reservoirs. This time last year, not a great deal, 67%.

But what we have now is just 53% full of the moment. There is

rainfall in the forecast in the next few days. Some outbreaks of

patchy rain overnight tonight. But the main area of brain for will

come towards the end of the day tomorrow. -- of rainfall. And by

Thursday temperatures will be lower at around 14 degrees. We have a lot

of isobars on the chart meaning quite a windy day tomorrow. And by

Thursday we have much colder air coming in. That is the cloud

structure from earlier today. But we do have some sunshine. This is

the launch of an new ship, or one that has been restored, the pilgrim.

And as we move the crossed to Dartmoor or we also had some

sunshine there. The breeze has picked up today. And that will be a

feature of the weather for the rest of the week. We have a few showers

dotted around the tonight. Overnight temperatures down to as

low as 12 degrees. Tomorrow afternoon we have some more

persistent rain drifting in. Temperatures for most of us at 16

or 17 degrees tomorrow. For the Isles of Scilly, quite a breezy day.

Outbreaks of rain and not feeling particularly warm. There is the

inshore waters forecast. And the forecast for the rest of the week -

turning colder. Thank you to everyone and Cornwall