17/11/2011 Spotlight


17/11/2011

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Taking on the banks - the local businesses who claim they're being

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badly treated by their lenders. Good evening. A campaign has been

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launched to get banks to pay back some of their charges. We'll hear

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from angry business owners and the bankers' association. Also tonight:

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a royal salute. The Duke of Edinburgh joins the crowds in North

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Devon to officially welcome home troops from Afghanistan. Afraid to

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go shopping - the blind woman calling for a better road crossing.

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I can run out of milk or bread, but I won't get it if I feel not

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confident enough on the crossing. And animal magic - the spectacular

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lanterns which lit up the city of Truro. Businesses in Cornwall have

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joined together to try to reclaim millions of pounds from the banks

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and help boost Britain's economy. The Cornwall Business Forum is

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beginning a campaign to lobby the Government to force banks to repay

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what they call a range of unfair fees and charges. They're writing

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to all of Britain's MPs and want to create a nationwide movement,

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arguing it could boost investment and help create much needed new

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jobs. Our correspondent Simon Hall has been talking to businesses

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about their experiences of the banks. Linda is bitter about her

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bank. It pressured her to sell her restaurant to pay off a loan, she

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says, although she was making a profit. The sign isn't in place yet,

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but she is selling. Bank charges have been increasing and Linda and

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her husband have used save togs keep going, but have now had enough.

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We felt devastated. You know, to the point of you are sort of losing

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your home and in these times, we're not youngsters, we have got to

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think about our pensions and this was our pension. We just felt we

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were sort of almost sold down the river by the bank. It is perhaps an

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insight into the strength of feeling among businesses that in

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the course of researching this story a large majority of those we

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spoke to had concern about the way they were being dealt with. Very

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few wanted to speak out. Now the Cornwall Business Forum have

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started a campaign to get money back. They want the Government to

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force them to repay extra charge and interest levied on business

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since 2008. They believe businesses on average could benefit by

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thousands of pounds each. There will be more money in circulation,

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more confidence, more jobs. And there will be a lot more businesss

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that will survive. That is what you believe the economy needs? Yes.

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we can support this campaign and get money put back into businesses'

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pockets that be used to grow or pay down debt elsewhere, it can only be

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to the benefit of all. Cornwall Business Forum has lunch launched...

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The forum has an online petition asking MPs to support it.

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Treasury said the Government has put in place measures to encourage

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the banks to lend to business as part of their project Merlin. They

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had helped to provide the finance to do so. Injebgtding hundreds of

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billions -- injecting billions into the economy under the quantitative

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easing programme. Earlier I put the points raised in that report to

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Eric Leenders, from the British Bankers' Association. I began by

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asking him if he accepted that there'd been a big increase in

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banking charges for businesses since 2008. Well that is correct,

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that is the case. That reflects the increased cost of capital. That was

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at the same time you were being bailed out by the tax pear payer.

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But still the industry has to carry higher capital which has its cost

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and that industry faces the same inflationary pressures on its costs

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as any other business does. And it is not every bank that was bailed

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out. In fact it was just one or two. Despite that, the national

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federation of master builders has published a survey showing that the

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majority of its members have reported difficulty in getting

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borrowing from their banks to help them expands. One example from a

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business in Cornwall that was profitable and she says the bank

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was telling them to sell the business, because they wanted their

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money back. It does not suggest the banks are lending fairly. Let's

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take a look at that case study. The first thing I would say is profit

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is absolutely essential as it demonstrates that there is a future

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viability in the business. The next question for me would be, where

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that profit actually shows up on the bank's balance sheet and it is

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-- I it generated sufficient cash to enable it to not only meet its

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current fixed and variable costs, but to meet the additional costs of

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any expansion. The business forum has a campaign to get the banks to

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hand back some of the charges, will the banks do that? Well clearly

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those banks have take an fee for a service that they provide. If an

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individual bank has a an individual customer has a particular issue

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with an individual bank, that is a matter for them to take up with the

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banks. Do I feel that necessarily if a business generally faces

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increased costs and passes them on they should discount the costs? I

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think that fundamentally that is not quite how I would expect to see

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business operating to ensure that it is sus stainable and that in a

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position to weather any future negatives that might face, that it

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might face. Thank you. Detectives investigating the crash on the M5

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in which seven people died appealed again today for anyone with video

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footage of a nearby firework display to send it to them. Avon

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and Somerset Police say they're still trying to piece together what

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happened before the accident near Taunton on November 4th. They've

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been investigating whether smoke from fireworks at Taunton Rugby

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Club may have been a factor. 87 jobs are going at the Western

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Morning News and Herald newspapers in Plymouth. Northcliffe Media is

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restructuring some behind the scenes jobs, affecting posts at its

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base in Derriford. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh took

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the salute in Devon today as Commandos from RMB Chivenor marched

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through Barnstaple in a homecoming parade. Crowds turned out to honour

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the Commando Logistic Regiment, back after six months in

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Afghanistan. Spotlight's Andrea Ormsby was given special access as

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the commandos got ready for their big day. 7.30 and the regiment is

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on the move. Morning, time to go. Polishing, shining, shaving.

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Everyone wants to look their best, because today is a big day.

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Mark Edmunds a medical assistant. All my family live in the area and

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it is an important day for myself and the community. These are the

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medics of this regiment, they spend all their time on the front line.

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Hard, really hard. Get up, there would be a morning patrol. You go

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on that, that could be anything between an hour to four or five

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hours long. And they got longer and longer. Being the only medic, you

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go on every patrol. Outside the families are gathering. Everything

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has been thought of, this is after all a military operation. Anyone

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for coach 9, please make your way to the coaches. 10.30 and the

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parade begins. The sun is out, the band is playing, the crowds are

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here and the boys are back home. was so proud to think that all

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these soldiers, what they do for us all. I just felt... Beyond words.

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Goodlads. I think they have gone a long way. I was in the Second World

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War. Very good. The Duke of Edinburgh took the salute. I was

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delighted to see him walk up with his troop. And yeah, lovely. He is

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my boyfriend, so proud. Back at base and prin Philip presented

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service medals. Entertainment too from choir of military wives based

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here at Chivenor. Now the troops are off home for a well-earned

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break. A woman who's registered blind is claiming that she's

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sometimes had to go without basic food and provisions because the

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road near her home is too dangerous to cross. Rose Hewitt has been

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campaigning for a new crossing in Goodrington in Paignton for four

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years. Today she's been addressing local councillors to get them to

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make it a priority. Spotlight's South Devon reporter John Ayres has

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more. Rose is helped by her guide dog to the shops. But this

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staggered crossing presents a problem. When I cross the first

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half, I can't hear what is happening on the second half,

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because of the noise of the traffic behind me. As you can hear, it is a

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very busy road and it's even worse when it is wet. The dog helps, but

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doesn't decide when she crosss the road. The council has considered

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providing traffic lights that beep, but some businesses and residents

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say they will lose parking spaces. It will kill trade for a start.

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Because nobody will be able to stop at all and there is very little

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parking there now. And traffic, well it is going to congest traffic.

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The council gets money from the Government for road safety schemes

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and this has been considered. But the local priorities change on a

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regular basis and Torbay has had accidents at other sites. We have

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drawn up proposals and consulted on changing it. It has been considered

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by our members as a potential road safety scheme. But at is in moment,

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we don't have the funding. But it will be considered again in the

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future. If I'm just not feeling confident, I just will stay at home.

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I can run out of milk and bread. But I won't come out and get it if

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I feel not confident enough on this crossing. The meeting with the

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council won't bring about any immediate changes. But rorz is

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trying to keep her campaign at the front of their minds. -- Rose.

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Exactly one year ago tonight, Spotlight was dominated by the

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flooding which had hit Cornwall. Forty millimetres of rain had

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fallen overnight and hundreds of homes had been flooded. 12 months

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on, Matt Pengelly has been back to one of the worst hit areas, St

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Blazey, where it seems people still dread a forecast of rain. 17Th

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November, 2010, rain leaves destruction through Cornwall. This

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was the river Freedom of information. The roads elsewhere

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awash. And St Blazey under water. Some 400 properties were swamped.

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Tony was one of those flooded out. Now he is back in his home, but

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still feeling the pain. From where we were two years ago, the house

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prices developed by �46,000. That puts in a position where we have

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negative equity and we're stuck in a place that we get nervous about

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when its rain. These are some of the people who it is hoped will

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make a difference if the floods return. Community wardens. Three

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quarters of a million pounds has been secured for flood prevention

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measure, but that money has not been spent yet. And this was the

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scene yesterday. It is like a... Captured on camera by an angry

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Debbie Evans. We lost a house last year to the floods and the car. We

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have been out of the house for eight months. We have only been

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back in for eight weeks and we have already had three flood alerts in

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four weeks. There is room for doing more and we are working quickly. So

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the individual property protection will help. That will help. That

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does not discriminate against where the water is coming from, but keeps

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it out. With more rain forecast, resident hope the floods of last

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The Government has announced it will appeal against the High Court

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decision to block plans for an incinerator at St Dennis in

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Cornwall. The move comes less than a month after campaigners against

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the plant celebrated their success in blocking the development. Work

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has already started in the village on access roads to a site where the

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proposed incinerator would go. Cornwall Council is welcoming the

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Secretary of State's decision. Police in Exeter say they have

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uncovered a drugs factory which had the capacity to grow cannabis with

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a street value running into tens of thousands of pounds. An officer

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came across the building in the Polsloe area of the city when he

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smelt the drug in the air last night. One man has been arrested.

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Whoever house - - is running this set-up, they have lost a lot of

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money. Again, I am very pleased at what we have achieved.

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Soldiers from across the South West have been marching through the

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Welsh town of Chepstow today. The 1st Battalion The Rifles, which

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recruits from Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, has been granted the

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Freedom of the Town after its six- month tour in Afghanistan. Hundreds

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of family and friends travelled to see them presented with their

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campaign medals. The 1st Rifles lost five soldiers

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on this latest deployment, and the battalion has lost 16 since the war

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began there. 23-year-old Plymouth student Private Jonathan Kitulagoda

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was the first to die when he was killed by a suicide bomber in

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Khabul in 2004. He was serving with the Territorial Army Rifle

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Volunteers. TA medic Sergeant David Jones, of Exeter-based 6 Rifles,

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lost an eye in the same blast. Seven years on he has spoken for

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the first time about the incident to our defence reporter Scott

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Bingham. Our first incident ending - - in

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Afghanistan was a suicide bomber. We had the first incident in

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Afghanistan and kept was the first- person to die. We were driving back

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to camp. Their vehicles were packed with explosives at the time, which

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we didn't know about. Initially I was blind. I have got some sight

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back in my right eye. I tried to help out kit, but to no avail. He

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was a good guy. He had just finished university and was saving

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up some money to go travelling. I accepted it from day one about my

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high. - - My ally. People at the heart of an incident tend to have

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no ill-effects. It is the people around you that want to help, but

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can't help, they are the ones that suffer. It is a part of my life

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that is over and I will just carry on. It does not affect me at all. I

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suppose I have changed a bit, but I think I am a lot more calm now. I

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respect life now. Life is too short. It's very short.

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Remember this? We showed it to you a couple of weeks ago when the

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photo won the public vote for the Countryfile Children in Need

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calendar competition. After that, the Tiverton Canal Company invited

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some very special guests along on their last trip of the season.

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Children in Need funds outings and holidays for Orchard Saturday Club

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in Newton Abbot and the Community Equality Action Club in Exeter.

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This is how Samuel and his friends got on when they went for a trip on

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the horse-drawn barge. Being on a real-life barge, how

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shall I put it? Amazing, old- fashioned. Dukinfield how it list

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to be like to ride on an old barge. Not many people like me get to have

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a ride on one of these barges. Well, how shall I say? I am a mild

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artistic. I don't show it often and pretend that I don't have it. I try

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to act like a normal gentleman. these children, this Saturday Club

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is vital. It gives them a valuable play experience and an opportunity

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to develop their play skills, which to develop later with these

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:18:58.:19:06.

children. It is amazing. We get to meet new friends and 60 people with

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autism as an problems like this. People come to the Saturday Club

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for social interaction activities, and for parents and families to

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have a break, with siblings to spend time with their parents about

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coping with the high needs of their siblings. It is great because

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they're helping children like us to go on trips to people that we

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didn't know. It is quite fun. best bet about Saturday Club is

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meeting up with friends. I really think these people who give the

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money to us. It is a big help. They are always good trips and exciting

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things. I like Pudsey Bear so, so much! A I love Pudsey. By

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definitely love Pudsey. I would give Pudsey �300, if I was a nice

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young gentleman who had �10,000, I would donated right away so

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children and need - - Children In Need King David to the children who

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money makes. And if you'd like to give to Children in Need this year

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the number to call is: 03457 33 22 33. Standard geographic charges

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from landlines and mobiles apply. Every penny goes to help

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And to say thank you to all of you who're fundraising or supporting

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Pudsey this year the party is at the Eden Project tomorrow, where

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it's free to get in after 6.00pm. I hope lots of you will come along.

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Now, we promised you the pictures from last night's City of Lights

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festival in Truro and, as usual, the giant lanterns were a real hit

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with the crowds. Eleanor Parkinson joined the procession and has this

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:21:34.:21:35.

report. This city of light always makes an

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impact on the crowd, and this year its larger-than-life man turns were

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no exceptions. The theme this year was one of light, celebrating 50

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years of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Some of these giant

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creatures are not often seen in Cornwall! A I think it's amazing.

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Does it look like a real giraffe? Yes! When its head comes down it is

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quite good. The this quid can be found in Cornish waters, but in the

:22:05.:22:15.
:22:15.:22:22.

wild it is only two inches long. Although the lanterns are made from

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paper, willow and glue, there is quite a bit of Engineering. But it

:22:29.:22:36.

can take you by surprise! It has very fine a joint., so it is very

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fluid and you can keep that mobile. Both they'd look like they could

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cause some trouble. Yes, they are mitts - - mischievous. Hunt did so

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children take part in the event. These penguins are made at the

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:23:03.:23:07.

school in Truro. The lanterns will Still, a big fund-raising nights

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tomorrow night with children and need. - - Children In Need. I have

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had a word with Pudsey, and he assures me it will be drive. Good

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evening. We have got some dry weather tomorrow, but before we get

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to tomorrow, there is every chance we will see some rain turning up.

:23:31.:23:35.

Maybe there will be drizzle in the morning, but it will become drier

:23:35.:23:39.

and brighter through the day and into the evening. Lots of cloud

:23:39.:23:44.

here. You can see this cloud marching steadily northwards. It

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isn't making much progress East, but a basket closer to us over

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night denied giving us a few outbreaks of rain, before moving

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away again tomorrow. Southerly wins again tomorrow. A-week weather

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front will straddle the south-west on Saturday. On one side some

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bright weather, and the other side some showers. Here is that band of

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cloud and rain. It is coming in Thailand and the north-west of

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Scotland with some heavy bursts of rain. For us some more cloud over

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night tonight. It will be relatively mild. There will be

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drizzle every now and then. It'll be quite misty and murky over the

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higher ground, with some hill fog. The winds will occasionally reach

:24:35.:24:42.

gale force in west Cornwall. Tomorrow we have got a lot of cloud

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giving some outbreaks of patchy rain, but that rain band will move

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out of the way and there is a chance for some brighter spells

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developing with a bit of sunshine coming through. Compared to today

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it will not be as sunny. We did have some sunshine today. A lovely

:25:02.:25:06.

day, really. The breeze has been steadily increasing throughout the

:25:06.:25:10.

day which has been churning up the sea. We have seen temperatures up

:25:10.:25:19.

to 14 degrees. Perhaps we will get some sunshine every now and then

:25:19.:25:24.

tomorrow, but the main thing will be a lot of cloud. The cloud will

:25:24.:25:29.

produce some spits and spots of rain. Before that, I think we will

:25:29.:25:35.

find some bricks. Temperatures will be what we have had recently, 14 or

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possibly 15. They will be quite a keen breeze from the site or south-

:25:39.:25:43.

east, but bubble slowly dropped throughout the day. Let's look at

:25:43.:25:53.
:25:53.:25:53.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds

:25:53.:26:36.

The outlook into the weekend, bright and dry but quite a lot of

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cloud on Saturday and Sunday, but it will stay generally mild. The

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risk of more persistent rain by Monday.

:26:45.:26:48.

The top stories tonight: Cornish businesses are calling for the

:26:48.:26:51.

Government to force banks to repay millions of pounds in fees and

:26:51.:26:55.

charges. Huge crowds have turned out to

:26:55.:26:59.

honour Commandos from RMB Chivenor who have returned from Afghanistan.

:26:59.:27:06.

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