24/11/2011 Spotlight

And the ear infection which proved fatal. The father who died just

days after being sent home from an NHS droppings and. Good evening.

Following the death of Rikki Baker, a coroner has asked for a review of

policies of -- at the hospital. Education, rubbish, benefits and

travel, the some of the many services which could grind to a

halt with planned strike action of a pencil -- over pensions.

The realities of living on the street. Calls for action in Newquay

following the deaths of three rough sleepers in three weeks. You try to

survive. You take every day as it gets you.

A coroner has called for a review of procedures at an they'd just

drop-in centre after a young father was sent home with a deadly

infection -- and NHS dropping cent. Rikki Baker's family told an

inquest he was so well when they took him and to the centre he could

not walk properly. He was told to take painkillers but later died

when an ear infection spread to his brain. Chris Lyddon was at the

inquest. Rikki Baker was a loving husband

and father of two young boys. He had a phobia of hospitals. But

after suffering for days with a painful ear infection his family

took him to accident and emergency at the Royal Devon and Exeter

Hospital. Hoping to see a doctor. Instead a receptionist was no

medical training referred him to an NHS drop-in centre in the same

building. Wariness examined him, sent him home with eardrops and

told him to take painkillers -- a nurse. A nurse, seen here on the

right, told the inquest that she had seen hundreds of patients with

the infections and the medication she issued should have cleared the

infection. Despite calls to NHS Direct and Devon doctors, the

family were told to continue with Rikki's medication but he became

progressively worse. In two days he lapsed in and out of consciousness

and suffered a seizure and then collapsed. He was taken to hospital

and died four days later. The Royal Devon and Exeter is already

reviewing patient referral procedures at accident and

emergency, but recording a narrative verdict the coroner

called for a separate review oneself to prevent what he called a

similar incident happening again. But he said this was not an

indication of full tour blame. anything positive is to come from

the death of Rikki list -- it is that lessons are learned from what

happened and hopefully this will be prevented from happening again that

in the future. The family is pursuing legal action over Rikki's

care. They were told tonight that the hospital would have 56 days to

respond to the coroner's call for a review of protocol.

Dozens of South West schools are expected to be closed next week

when public sector workers staged a one-day strike. Councils and

hospitals are also warning of disruption to services during the

walkout at the changes to pensions. Out correspondent Simon Hall has

been assessing the likely impact and speaking to some of those

involved. For Tamika and her friend,

Wednesday brings the pleasure of a day of school. For mum Stacey, it

brings her birthday but also a concern. They will miss out on a

day of education and they miss out in this weather already with colds

and coughs. St David's Primary School is one of dozens in the

region closing because of the public sector strike. I know that

the teachers need to do something, obviously, but it is difficult for

a lot of people. I think the cause is at just one and I'm fully

supportive of those in the public sector. A range of public sector

services will be disrupted and the Union's day of action. Rubbish

collections and hospital appointments are expected to be

cancelled. Courts, housing and benefit payments disrupted as well.

We will focus on those jobs that are more important, so the staff we

have, we will looking at the staff that are coming in and making sure

that they concentrate on the most important and most urgent jobs.

Wednesday there will be a series of union rallies across the region

including here that Exeter Cathedral, also Dorchester, Taunton,

Torquay, Plymouth and Truro. They do see what the private sector make

of these public sector strikes, we have crossed the road from the

cathedral and visited Exeter farmers' market. Vic Sawdye is the

return -- is a retired farmer but stills runs a business and is not

impressed by the strike. It I think it is disgusting, personally. It is

not teaching the young people of this country what to do in life if

they want to get back and button- down and get on and do some work.

But the regional organiser of the biggest public sector union told me

to government's reform of pensions would make them unaffordable for

some workers. Our members want to be responsible. They want to save

towards their old age so they are not dependent on welfare and they

want to be able to continue to manage their family budgets and

really they have been left with such an awful choice to make that

it is not fair on them. The unions expect Wednesday to be the biggest

strike since the "Winter of Discontent" but the government say

current public sector pensions are unaffordable and must be reformed.

Ministers have told the BBC there will be no further concessions on

pensions because of the urgent need to reduce the budget deficit. The

unions appear in no mood to back down. Wednesday's strike action may

then be just the beginning. The our political editor Martyn

Oates has been following the story and joins me. Is there any

likelihood of Wednesday's strike being called off? That has looked

very unlikely for months now and even more so at the moment. The

government did make some concessions recently and they have

told the unions that is as good as it gets and that deal might be

removed if it is not taken up. But that has still left the basic

requirement for people in public sector pension schemes to pay more

in contributions and to work for longer. As we heard in the report,

people affected feel very strongly about it but beyond that there is a

fundamental disagreement as to whether the government really needs

to do this. The government says the present system is unsustainable.

The unions' point to the teachers' pension scheme and sake just a few

years ago the National Audit Office gave it a clean bill of health and

say it was sustainable and they also accuse the government of

making public sector workers' pay with their pensions for the mess

the banks have got the financial system into. It seems the

government is hardening its stance was the unions. Yes, ministers are

condemning the would be strike in no uncertain terms and saying that

strike action next Wednesday could cost the economy up to �500 million.

The TUC 80 days -- the TUC today say that his fantasy economics. The

Conservative and Lib Dems in government are on the front line

but Ed Miliband is in a difficult position because if the

Conservatives keep pointing out, he has the Labour leadership largely

to the unions. Labour relies heavily on the unions for finance.

When there was industrial action in June he condemned the unions at the

last minute and he is neither condemning or supporting at the

moment but says -- but saying both sides need to give some ground.

Council tax payers in Cornwall may have to pay millions of pounds more

for the proposed incinerator that St Dennis of the European

Investment Bank withdraws funding next month. The bank has stuck with

a project for the last five years but after lengthy planning delays

and continuing appeals and the courts, a loan of �80 million is up

for review. Adrian Campbell reports. The company wants to build this

energy waste incinerator at St Dennis with the help of an �80

million loan from the European Investment Bank. But has been in

place for five years but there have been delays with planning disputes

and the Bank wants to review its loan by the end of December. The

company has said if the bank does withdraw its loan to end the

current state of the financial markets means they could be an

extra cost to the council and its tax payers �23 million over the

life of the contract. The last time local environmental campaigners won

a victory in the High Court the bells were rung him at the church

in St Dennis. Since then the Secretary of State has appealed

that decision in the courts but the crucial question now is how long

will the money be available from the European Investment Bank.

hope that the European Investment Bank actually pulls the plug on

this �80 million and forces Cornwall Council and the company to

go back to the drawing board. I have always been clear that

incineration is not the right answer for the problems of waste in

Cornwall. St Dennis is not the right place and one single site to

serve off Cornwall's waste is not the right solution in principle.

Cornwall council says it hopes the European Investment Bank will

continue to offer that lone despite the delays. The company says of the

incinerator does not go ahead it could be eight years before an

alternative is in place but others think that is debatable. I have had

people say to me, people who want to exaggerate one way say ten years,

I have had people who say they are optimistic and it will take three

or four years. It depends how quickly the Government brings

forward new strategic processes. People living close to St Dennis,

who have campaigned against an Energy from Waste Land, hope things

are moving their way. As I see it now the Court of Appeal will have a

job to take place before Christmas and we are very near the end of

2011 when the European Investment Bank has to make a decision.

within five weeks it should become clear if the energy from waste

plant will keep the promised loan from the European Investment Bank.

There are calls for a night shelter in Newquay, after three rough least

has died in the town in the last three weeks. -- sleepers. Charity

and church workers believe eight people have died in the resort in

the last year. They say a night shelter would help save lives.

David George has been to one of Newquay's soup kitchens.

This is the public image of Newquay, sun, sea and sand, people on the

beach enjoying a holiday. But there is a very different town. Three

weeks ago a 40-year-old rough sleeper was found close to the

beach by his also homeless friend. I found him up against a wall,

shaking and shivering and everything else. He started walking

and then collapsed, so I ended up putting him on the floor, took my

coat off, put it on top of him. man died of pneumonia. A 21-year-

old woman and 27-year-old man have also been found dead in the last

three weeks. People are struggling, you know. There is nowhere for them

to go at night time Wedge -- which is when they need accommodation. If

it is freezing cold or wet, they are in wet clothes, they have been

beaten up, they are being picked on, robbed. Then they are in a downward

spiral. This is one of Newquay's two church soup kitchens. Here,

homeless people and others can get a hot meal. Today, it is Super and

half a pasty. Shame Raymond has lived on the streets for ten years.

For him, it started with a drink problem. On those wet, dark, windy

nights, when most of us are glad to be indoors, how do cope? I just

find somewhere that is very sheltered come a wrap myself up and

that is the end of it. I go to sleep. Organisers here say a night

shelter in the town would help to save lives. If there is a person in

difficulty on the streets and in danger health wise, he could get

off the street for the night and come into somewhere warm and baby

move him on in the daytime so there is a bed that somebody can get warm,

get out of the weather -- maybe move him on in the daytime. Today,

more than 30 people were given food at the soup kitchen. Tonight, many

of them will once again be sleeping on the streets.

Coming up next, a plea to thieves who have stolen a baby up -- baby

alpaca and later, cooking up a storm. By some of the country's

best-known chefs are setting up business here. And it has taken

thousands of dried flowers and hundreds of hours of work. We will

show you what it hears, later in the programme.

A family from Cornwall are appealing for thieves for dashed

are appealing to thieves to return a baby alpaca which was stolen from

fields. They say the baby cannot survive without its mother.

Taylan Brewer helps his father feed their alpacas. He knows them all

individually. He has given most of them names. The youngest member of

the herd is missing. The nine-week- old female baby. Thieves broke into

the field and still have. You can see where someone must have

attacked the animal had got it down, they must have lost it and up in

this top corner they must have committed to gain, probably bad

debt and got it back out of the same part of the hedge they came

from. Alpacas are usually very timid and difficult to catch. It is

believed the thieves picked on this one because she was the youngest,

smallest and the most friendly. This is the baby alpaca at just

three days old and nine weeks on she still is not weaned from her

mother. The family say without her mother's milk, she will struggle.

They're supposed to be on them on's milk for six months so she has not

started grazing or eating hay. I haven't tried anything. She can't

drink milk or anything, so she is totally reliant on her mum. Without

that milk, she will die. The police are investigating the crime but

this family have made their own appeal directly to the thieves.

They say she risk -- if she has returned or left somewhere that she

is safe and can be found, there is In a year which has seen its

airport close and its football team struggle for survival, there is one

area that may be looking up for Plymouth. The city is hoping food

could help make tourism the city's biggest earner. The region already

has a national reputation for fine eating, with several high profile

chefs and award-winning restaurants. And as Ali Chitty reports, Plymouth

hopes the arrival of two celebrity chefs will make the city a must-

visit destination for food lovers. The arrival of Hugh Fearnley

Whittingstall to the canteen has been putting food lovers and a

flutter but in an industry were 94% of restaurants feel in the first

year, why Plymouth and why now? This is a brilliant part of the

world. We have friends in this part of the world, with the farm and

around the dark with area. Plymouth has got so much going for it. There

is cent sense of change and development and excitement. About

the whole city. We would love to be part of that. The City has looked

inwards to the Navy and the dockyards to provide jobs. Now, the

farms and food producers are being seen as a source of income.

Plymouth still has one major asset. Plymouth Sound. The attraction was

probably largely practical but these days, it is a panoramic views,

which is why last month, Gary Rhodes announced a multi-million

pound restaurant at the Plymouth Dome. It isn't just celebrity chefs

looking to food and tourism. 15 years ago, the Barbican was filled

with cars and pubs. They have been replaced with restaurants and

seafood bars. Plymouth is moving at a fantastic speed. The developers

who have come to Plymouth, the restaurant terms, and the

International Committee, they have recognised that planet exists in

its own right as a quality place. Whether it is eating or ceiling or

walking along the waterfront, being on the Barbican. These brothers set

up in 1989 and say the only surprise is that people are only

now talking about plan if being put on the map. We are already here. We

had been here for 13 years. If anything, it is great for the area

and the City. It will bring more people down. In turn, they spend

money in restaurants but in the economy. They will go to the shops.

They would use the banks. At a cafe. And one of the restaurants. There

is enough for everyone to go around. If anything, it can only make

things bigger and better. They agree the city is ideally placed to

benefit from the fashion for locally sourced and produced food.

The fish, the vegetables, the meat. Everything. It is basically on the

doorstep in a small radius. Most importantly, it is fresh. It is a

quality and you look at things like to a man Valley for strawberries

and berries. -- team are valid. You cannot get sweeter. Years ago, most

of the fish landed here was sent abroad, especially to Spain. Last

year, the domestic tourism market Bernd the city �215 million so

marketing Plymouth as a vacation to stay could be good for the economy

as a whole. Always a bad time of the day for us to see food! It has

been a long time since lunch! A Plymouth man has enjoyed a double

celebration this year. A card from the Queen to mark his 100th

birthday and four medals from the Second World War. It's seven

decades since Vic George did his bit for the war effort. Now he's

received official recognition at last. BBC Spotlight's Matt Pengelly

has been to meet him. That is the Atlantic Star. That is... The Vic

George is 100 years old and is finally getting acquainted with his

medals. Once he can remember what they are. But they are brand new

and he has only just received them. That is the air force. I don't know

that one. He served as a civilian see man in the Merchant Navy before

and during World War Two. His ship was sunk by a U-boat off West

Africa in 1943. He was badly hurt and he spent the rest of the war

training young cadets at Gravesend. But he never sent away for the

medals he was entitled to. The Navy and the army, it is all different

when they come out straight from service into civvy street. I worked

into that gradually. I was not a serviceman at all. You did not

think about medals and things like that. Victor was helped by staff

from the starting point service, run by Plymouth Age Concern. I was

very pleased. It is very nice. I do not think that I would have get

this. Now, Victor has put the memories as well as the medals.

Football, now... Exeter City became the second South West club to be

eliminated from the FA Cup in 24 hours. Last night they went out 3-2

at Walsall in a first round replay. Despite Richard Logan giving City

the lead late in the first half, Walsall overturned that to go 2-1

in front. Exeter substitute Elliot Frear forced extra time with an

equaliser near the end. But the Midlands team grabbed what proved

to be the winner eight minutes into the extra period. The Christmas

lights have already started to be switched on. Tonight it's happening

in Exeter. And another great South West festive tradition is just

about complete. Johnny Rutherford has been to visit Cothele House,

where the famous garland is going on display. Final preparations for

a grand Christmas atmosphere in the Great Hall. Not a hint of tinsel to

be seen. Instead, a 60 ft Garnant in fitting with the Tudor

surroundings. Christmas trees were not around back then. In that time,

the hall would have been cut from green foliage from the estate.

Conifers and traditional plants and now, we have greedily with around

30,000 flowers, dried from the garden. The National Trust have

been making Christmas gardens at the house for over 50 years.

those were never... Into this space? The yellow ones? This year,

they have allowed visitors to join in, if they are willing to climb

the scaffolding. It is remarkable, the way it is made. We are

remarkably using very thin cord and wants all of the bunches are put

around, and then we put in those individual flowers, and I climbed

up. I and 82 years old and I am glad I can still do this! Tomorrow,

the garment get its final touches and will be on display until New

Year's Eve. It has taken two weeks of concentration to create. We have

to put them in in strict order. We work through different grasses. And

we finish off with these long, slender ones. It would be a shame

to not join in so on behalf of BBC Spotlight, as they say, this is one

be prepared earlier. Thank goodness he did dot bring that crashing

down! Can you imagine that?! Such a spectacular piece of work.

Christmas is still one month away. You Love Christmas! Good evening.

We have some rain in the forecast tonight but it is still relatively

mild. I cannot see any cold weather as far ahead. Some rain tonight,

that is coming in now and quite breezy overnight. Not as cold as it

has been. Temperatures holding up at seven or eight degrees. This

cloud has been brought in by this big circle. That is a very vigorous

area of low pressure, giving problems to the north-west of

Scotland. It is a very deep area. The weather fund, for the south, is

much bigger and there is a strength of wind tonight but moving through

fairly fast by midday tomorrow. We have some showers following on

behind and into the weekend, another with a system and that will

bring us some rain later on in Saturday night. Until then, a lot

of dry weather and are seen as the rain welcome during the night. He

read his, coming across Ireland and then to the north-west of Wales.

Earlier today, we did have some hazy sunshine. This was Plymouth

Hoe. Colin was enjoying some drier weather. The breeze has been

picking up. And that breeze is still keeping temperatures

relatively mild at 13 and 14 degrees. This season has not got

going yet. But the seas will put up tonight. And as the rain and cloud

moves through, Plymouth Sound will be one of the most sheltered places

with the wind coming from a different direction. Some light

rain he ran there initially and for a time, some moderate bursts as

this front clears away. And by the end of the night, it is gone for

all of us. We wake up to a fine start. Especially across Cornwall

and Devon. Still the risk of early showers along Dorset. For the rest

of us, fine and a fresher feel. Temperatures as low as seven or

eight degrees. Tomorrow, a fine start with plenty of sunshine, more

cloud from the north-west. That happens later but it will produce

some showers by the end of the afternoon. They will be fleeting

and fairly isolated but generally more cloud towards the early

evening. Temperatures tomorrow getting up to around 12 degrees.

Abri is making it feel colder from the west and north-west and for the

Isles of Scilly, quite blustery. The wind easing through the

afternoon. The times of the high water... Some big waves for the

surfers. This low pressure is up to the north and it is starting to

produce some sizeable waves. Choppy but sizeable. Six or seven or eight

feet. The south coast having the cleanest, up to five or six feet.

Really good conditions. The coastal waters, the windows from the west

and north-west. -- the wind is from the West. And good visibility. The

weekend, Saturday, bright and dry. Temperatures up to 13 degrees.

Saturday into Sunday, windy conditions and outbreaks of rain.

It will be reluctant to clear on Sunday morning but late morning and

the afternoon will see this return to sunny skies. 11 degrees and a

bright start on Monday, increasingly windy with more wet

weather on Monday night. Thank you. The top stories... An ear infection

which proved fatal. A coroner asks for a review of NHS procedures

after the death of a young father. And contingency plans underway