16/11/2011 Spotlight

Young and desperately seeking a job - one story of despair... Nothing,

absolutely nothing out there. And one story of success, thanks to

an apprenticeship. I definitely didn't think I would be doing this

now. I would recommend it to anyone because it is easier than you think

it will be. Good evening. Those two very

different experiences of the jobs market coming up in a moment.

Also tonight: On parade in the centre of Exeter - crowds turn out

to welcome home troops from Afghanistan and remember those who

didn't return. It makes you cry to think they have had to leave so

many behind. And the drugs ending up in our food

and water supplies - there's growing concern over the health

risks. There are fresh fears tonight for

the future of the region's young people, with new figures showing a

record number of them now out of work and claiming benefits. It

comes as the South West's public sector faces deeper cuts and the

private sector struggles to create new jobs.

Official figures show that unemployment rose nationally by

129,000 to 2.62 million in September. More than a million

jobseekers are aged between 16 and 24. It's the biggest figure since

records began. We have a series of reports tonight. First there is

from our correspondent. These are tough times for young

jobseekers. Lisa is 21. She has been out of work for two years.

brings you down. You just don't feel good. Any prospect of any

jobs? What is the martyr like? Nothing, absolutely nothing out

there. Contrast least that's story were fat elf Stevie. What a

difference an apprenticeship makes. At 22, she is a manager. If someone

had said to me I would be a shop manager I would have not believe

them. I am really glad that I did it. I was not sure, I did not know

what to do when I was younger. I would recommend it to anyone

because it is easier than you think he's going to be. The government

today announced their apprenticeship scheme is being

expanded to small businesses. They will be offered cash incentives and

reduced bureaucracy. That could significantly benefit the South

West as more than 90% of the businesses in the region are

classed as small. Small business is that the survival. We needed. We

have got to drive forward. The government must wake up. Small

businesses cannot cope with more bureaucracy and red tape. Make it

simple and we will start to employ and take people off their hands.

want as many people employed in the South West. It is nearly 10% of 16-

24-year-old. We have really got to address that. The apprenticeship

scheme was launched by Vince Cable. Today, youth unemployment

nationwide topped one million. What is really preventing businesses

from taking on new staff is the uncertainty in the economy. With

the turmoil in Europe and Britain's growth faltering, that is concern

which shows little sign an easing. -- sign of easing.

Unemployment in rural areas continues to be a big issue in the

South West. Those looking for work say they are having to travel ever

further to find jobs and they often the cost of fuel makes it

uneconomical. We have been to Hatherleigh, to meet one man who's

so disheartened with his search for work, he is trying to set up his

own business. Marcus is 47. He lives at home with

his parents in happily. It is not ideal but he has no choice. He

hasn't had a job for two years. is soul destroying. You send out

your CV and you're not getting anything back. Living in rural

Devon makes job-hunting much harder. You have got to go further to find

work. Today, Marcus is waiting for the bus to Exeter and that is just

to sign on at the JobCentre. Things could be about to change. I am at

the JobCentre and I have come to sign on. That is my money for the

next two weeks. It might -- if I get my business started it could be

the last time I have to do this. The new Enterprise Allowance is a

government scheme launched today. It will help mark is set up his own

business. He will claim his weekly allowance as he prepares to be self

employed and dense mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs. Backers

said the initiative will be important in the countryside.

a rural area there will be fewer jobs. If you are unemployed the

choices are limited. There may be part-time jobs. 44.5% in west Devon

are part-time. That is why people are looking for self-employment.

Marcus has had his business plan approved and is under way in

designing computer software that will help some businesses save

hours of labour. Overall, unemployment a cross the

South West fell slightly in October. Did we bucked the national trend?

It might look like we did but we did not. The main reason is that at

local level we only get the narrow measure, the number of people

actually claiming jobseeker's allowance. Nationally, the measure

also fell a little bit. There were counties that also had rises. The

numbers out you see here are the percentage of the population

claiming. The percentage unemployed locally seem to be well below the

UK as a hole? But in the two unit Jerry's we have got the picture is

different. They are above national level. Why are we seeing a month-

on-month fall in figures? cannot assume that because we are

doing better. The main reason is that these local figures are not

adjusted to strip out routine seasonal factors. It could be

people starting college courses in October. We can let at the latest

local figures and compare them with exactly one year previously. You

can see the change across most of the South West was steeper than the

UK as a whole. At the beginning of the programme we saw two people

with different experiences of the job market. What about employment

in young people? The proportion of those actually in a population

generally is better down here but youth unemployment as a proportion

of those claiming is worse. What you can say for sure is that it is

worse than it has been at any time since the early 1990s.

There was applause on the streets of Exeter today as 700 servicemen

and women who have just returned from Afghanistan paraded through

the city centre. Members of 3 Commando Brigade and other units

marched to Exeter Cathedral, where they commemorated the homecoming of

Task Force Helmand and remembered those who didn't come home.

Spotlight's defence reporter was there.

Leading from the front, the band of Her Majesty's were Marines. Today's

parade represented 10% of the 6,500 troops deployed on the operation.

The mission was led by 3 Commando Brigade with more than 3,000

service personnel from across the South West. It is a day of

thanksgiving. It is a welcome home for those who have returned and a

day of sober reflection on the face of those who did not and sympathy

with their families and friends. It is a job well done and everyone

turning out to market. It has been a terrifically successful tour and

there has been terrific progress in stabilising Afghanistan and

training the Afghan forces. Applause Mac. -- APPLAUSE.

Hundreds lined streets to show their support. The sense of pride

and was plain to see. We have got to support the soldiers. We believe

in supporting them. It is a pity they did not do away with national

service because some of our young lads need fit. It makes you cry to

think they had to leave so many of them behind. The pride we feel was

immense. Everybody was cheering. It was a very fast pace. It is

unbelievable. You cannot describe it unless you are doing it. To come

here and see the crowds and have our service in the cathedral is

important and it marks the end of our deployment but also the fact

that not all of us came home. We will always remember that. A roll

of honour of the 23 men who did not return from Mr was ready during the

service. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will

remember them. For now, the ceremonial duties are almost done.

One rifles will receive their medals tomorrow. There is a period

of leave and Christmas with their families to look forward to.

Troops based in North Devon will be marching through Barnstaple

tomorrow in a special homecoming celebration. Spotlight will be

there to cover the event and to bring you the pictures.

A fisherman has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years at Truro

Crown Court for seriously sexually abusing two boys, one over a period

of four years. Jeremy Freethy, who is 45 and from Orchard Court in

Penzance, groomed the boys and gave them money to keep quiet. He

admitted 29 offences. The judge told Freethy he was guilty of an

appalling exploitation of two vulnerable young men.

Police are still questioning three people on suspicion of murder in

Newton Abbot. The body of 32 year- old Paul Drury was discovered at a

property on Valley Path on Sunday. Two women and a man, all in their

forties and of no fixed address, were arrested on Monday.

Police say they are becoming increasingly concerned for the

welfare of a 56 year-old Plymouth man, who's been missing since

Saturday night. Keith Thompson from St Budeaux was last seen leaving

the Parkway Social Club. Blind people have been protesting

in Taunton over fears of cuts to a group for the visually impaired.

They're angry a possible �90,000 reduction in council funding to the

SIGHT charity, which provides home support.

South West scientists say they are worried about the health risks

posed by increasing quantities of prescription medicines that end up

in the region's food and drinking water. Research by the Peninsula

Medical School suggests that levels of contamination are likely to rise

dramatically because the use of medication is growing to meet the

demands of an ageing population. Our health correspondent has the

story. Advances in modern medicine have

transformed our lives but one side- effect of this revelation is that

large quantities of prescription drugs are being passed through the

people they take them and end up in the environment. These materials

can spread into the water course. We take water for drinking from

rivers and so on. We may be getting small doses of these chemicals back.

Also, some of them get trapped in its image which is spread on fields.

-- sewage. Some pharmaceuticals can end up back in in vegetables and we

consume them. It has been known from years that -- known for years

that hormones are in reverse affecting fish. There are now

concerns about the effect on humans. There is evidence that there has

been pollution by a range of prescription drugs including

antibiotics, anti-depressants and chemotherapy drugs. At the moment

are concentrations are extremely low. With an ageing population, we

are using more and more pharmaceuticals and more and more

of it is ending up in the environment. This could pose a

major problem for human health and well-being. There are calls for a

new process is to treat Pharmaceuticals in waste water and

for companies to make their products more biodegradable.

Meanwhile, their health service is trying to reduce our reliance on

medication. For example, NHS funded walking groups. Building activity

into your life in whatever way suits you, whether it is going to

the gym, going walking, fit something in every day to be more

active. That will help with physical and mental health. The

other thing is not to always expect that the answer to their health

problem is in a prescription. modern menace and brings huge

benefits researchers warn that society must act. -- medicine.

Coming up... How your support is helping the

region's children in need. Plus...

The seven-day commando challenge in just 24 hours - we reveal how they

got on. And getting ready to light up a

city - an illuminating insight into preparations for an annual

spectacular. With Children In Need fast

approaching, all this week we are hearing stories from children whose

lives are changed by the money you have to raise. One of the groups

given a grant last year was The Wave Project in Cornwall, which

helps children who are referred by mental health services. Tonight we

meet Joy, James, Louis and Katie, as they have a surfing session.

These are their stories. When I am surfing I feel very free

and that I can just come here and forget everything else. It is

really good. I have ADHD. Me and my parents do not get on that well

because of my problems. It makes me feel a bit different. Sometimes

people get me down and don't say at least you tried, so sometimes I

feel, what is the point. I started losing confidence. At school I got

bullied because I am smaller than the other kids. At home, it was

hard. It made me feel all. It made me feel like I didn't fit in

anywhere. Getting into trouble at school constantly and just problems

at home with my family, it is just quite hard to carry on. I kind of

give up. Children In Need fund The Wave Project because they want to

help kids like me need people where they understand them and where they

can support them and make friends in the same situation. It has made

me feel like I can fit in anywhere. I feel happy. They are like me, I

guess. We're the same. I don't have much confidence, and I came here. I

think there are other people idea that Children In Need could help. I

know a couple of people who have problems at Hove like me but they

deal do anything about it. They just muck around in school.

Children In Need could help them. would say to people giving money to

Children In Need that it's really worthwhile because there are loads

of children out there that would Bailey benefit from this. -- really

benefit. And every pound you gave to

Children In Need really does help change the lives of young people

right across the South West. The thank you party for all the many

fundraisers this year is that the Eden Project, where you can get in

free from 6 o'clock. There will be live music, ice-skating, a lantern

parade and of course, the big fella himself. That is Pudsey, not just

in! It's going to be a fun night so I hope not so you are going to come

along. Children in Need is one of the

charities to benefit from an extraordinary physical challenge

which began yesterday and finished this afternoon. Six commandos set

themselves the task of competing four commando tests in just 24

hours. They're normally carried out over a week. The final test today

was a 30 mile hike on Dartmoor and with less than perfect conditions,

not everyone made it to the end. Yesterday they completed the

partisan assault course and the endurance course on Woodbury Common.

While many of us sat down in front of the television they were doing a

nine-mile speed march, although while, carrying loads of equipment.

The day would be the toughest. The five royal Marines and one Army

Commander set off at 6 o'clock this morning. They had a 30 mile trek

over some of the region's toughest terrain. They had just one day to

reach the finish. As they reach the checkpoint it looked like one had

dropped out. We have some problems on the way. We had a casualty. The

cost of almost 20 minutes. We are trying to catch up. We have to make

it back. My guys are really getting together. How are you treat? I am

not going to lie, it is harder than it looks on paper. After a short

stop it is time it to hit the road. For the last leg of the track they

are joined by a senior officer. They are hoping to raise more than

�10,000 with the money going to the Royal Marines Children's Fund and

Children In Need. They needed to cross the finish line by 2 o'clock

and as the our approach, the men appeared from MS... -- as the hour

approached, the men appeared from the nest... The guys pulled

together. It was a great effort by all. Where any idea was hatched, a

lot of the physical training instructor has said it could not be

done. They did it. I am really proud of them. As feats of physical

endurance go, this will take some beating.

Artists have spent the day putting finishing touches to the huge paper

lantern sculptures that will be paraded through the city of Truro

tonight. The annual City of Light spectacle attracts thousands of

people from all over the region. This year, you might be forgiven

for thinking that the zoo had come to town.

The City of Light plays a big part in Cornwall's seasonal calendar. In

2009 that theme was the history of Truro. This year, animals take the

stage. Val Andrews are always made in a secret location. Hours before

the event our cameras were allowed in. The man in charge was getting

to grips with a huge giraffe. have spanned the globe with the

right life we have got. We have creatures from the Arctic, it to

the equator, to the South Pole. We have got some Cornish while life.

We have got a squid coming which is the size of my thumb nail and it

lives off the coast of Cornwall but we have made it much bigger. Many

of these giant lanterns can move and this takes some engineering.

This peacock can fan out its tail. It is quite an exotic creature and

it will be nice to have something like that in fro on the night. --

Truro. This is one of the biggest creatures on display. A rhinoceros

can't weigh up to several times but this one is made from paper so it

is a lot lighter but it will still take six people to carry it. Every

year, hundreds of people take part in the procession, many of them

schoolchildren. Thousands turned off to watch. -- turned up.

We will have all the pictures from the procession in tomorrow's

programme. The creations get better every year.

I am afraid to ask what the weather And receiving is the only night we

could see rain. It may be that we see perhaps some showers coming in

to bid for Row area but gradually, they will tend to fade away. There

is a lot of dry weather, even with sunshine coming through. There is a

big area of low pressure in the Atlantic. This cloud is giving us

the rain. It is moving steadily and pushes to the north overnight.

There is another weather front approaching giving us a lively wins

the to end the day tomorrow, possibly gale-force in west

Cornwall. Most of the rain will just flirt with the far west of the

region. On Friday, there is the possibility of bright spells. Most

of the heavy rain is out to the West. We are looking forward to

reasonably dry weather. There is some rain now. The heaviest bursts

of have moved away from us and it be his -- has been replaced by

showers. Later this evening, some showers to come and eventually, the

skies will clear. Towards dawn it will turn Clear and there will be

the risk of fog patches forming. There is a risk of mist and fog

tomorrow morning. Quite a cold morning bat a fine chance -- bright

start. It will cloud over later in the day, particularly across west

Cornwall, with thick cloud producing light showers. That is

about as far as the rain will get before it goes northwards into the

Irish Sea to affect more Western parts of Wales. The wind will

increase tomorrow, becoming strong and possibly gale-force along the

south coast, particularly from the Lizard towards St Mary's.

Temperatures above average for the time of year. We have not seen any

frost during the like -- like time and that is unlikely over the next

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 51 seconds

We are at risk of seeing some showers on Friday. Some will be

ahead of the band of rain. A lot of dry weather. Persistent rain for

the far west of Cornwall later in the day. Saturday cloudy, Sunday

brighter and staying mild. The top stories: Despite a fall in

unemployment over all their record number of young people are out of

work. And service people back from