28/02/2012 Spotlight

Evacuated but still a long way from home - the Devon photographer, Paul

Conroy, is smuggled out of Syria. Good evening. We'll be live in

Paul's home town of Totnes where his family say they've finally

spoken to him. Also on Spotlight tonight - a climate change at Eden.

The charity blames flooding and the economy as redundancies are

announced. This is not a numbers game. Behind every single one of

those is a And the company told to clean up after dumping rubble on

ancient woodland. Person and family. To win this case, gives out a

signal to others that the county will not tolerate illegal activity

in relation to tipping. The Devon photographer, Paul Conroy, is

tonight out of Syria, after being smuggled across the border into

Lebanon. He's said to be in good spirits. Paul Conroy was wounded

during shelling in Homs, which killed his colleague the Sunday

Times war correspondent Marie Colvin last week. Our correspondent,

Simon Hall, is in Totnes where he lives. As the old saying goes, what

a difference a day makes. 24 hours ago I was standing talking about

fears for Paul, about a failed rescue mission, about more shelling

in the area where he was. Today, we are talking about him being safe.

And the delight here in to the necessary. -- Totnes. The candles

still burn, but one, small yet so very significant detail of the

chapel of reflection has changed. A hand-written note reading, "We

thank God that Paul is now free and safe in Lebanon." We have heard

he's out. We don't know where he is and we are quite happy. When we

hear him on the phone or turns up on the doorstep then we'll be very

happy. I think he'll be glad to get out. He's a strong character. He

has had to be to do what he's done, so I don't we have any qualms on

that aspect. He will cope. I am happy to confirm that Paul Conroy

is safely in Lebanon, where he is receiving full consular assistance

and I pay tribute to journalists who ensure that the world is aware

of the crimes that are now being committed. Paul was smuggled out of

Syria last night, with the assistance of rebel forces. He's

now in Lebanon, said to be not badly injured and in good spirits.

In Totnes one civic leader told me what it meant to the town. I think

it's great news and I'm sure that everybody is absolutely delighted

and wish that the stress was over for the family and he was safely

home with us all. One of my neighbours said we've just heard

this minute on the radio the wonderful news and it gave us such

a wonderful start to today. Now one final matter remains, just as the

prayer suggests. When Paul will return to Totnes. I've spoken to

Paul's wife Kate several times and she hasn't wanted to be interviewed

on camera. She told me these were emotional days for the family, but

he has released a short statement. It says she has finally been able

to talk to Paul. You will remember she hasn't been able to talk

throughout the six days, so that was some moment for her. She goes

on to say the family are overjoyed about Paul being safe and they are

very much looking forward to welcoming him home. Simon, thank

you. The Eden Project in Cornwall is warning that it will have to

make some of it's staff redundant. The charity's accounts show an

over-spend of �1.7 million. The Project has blamed the recession,

but also says that some of its financial problems were caused by

the floods of 2010. Eleanor Parkinson reports. The Eden Project

is one of the areas biggest tourist attractions with a global

reputation and last year visitor numbers were up. Despite this, the

charity says they still can't balance the books. 2010 was a

difficult year for the Project. It had to close for a week after

flooding. But they say the biggest problem has been the recession,

although people are coming in through the doors, they're careful

with money. I think everybody knows that available spend in the back

pocket is under severe pressure, particularly with household bills

as they are going up. We have to run twice as hard to earn every

sippingle pound that we earn. will you balance the books? There

have been talks about job losses. Yes. Unfortunately, this year we

will be looking at some job losses. We have tried to leave no stone

unturned in terms of looking at our cost base, but as we put the budget

together for next year, we think there are likely to be between 25

to 35 job losses. Visit Cornwall says it's a similar picture

elsewhere. They say people are booking holidays but when they get

here they're not spending money. think it is people being discreet

with their secondary spend. Whereas they might have enjoyed themselves

and worry later, the bill is very pressing so overall they're looking

to spend less. Staff at the Eden Project are already experiencing a

pay freeze. The job cuts come on top of that. The charity say some

employees have even offered to take a pay cut in order to save jobs. A

Devon chocolate maker has laid off six of its ten staff because of

tough market conditions. The new owners of Brownes Chocolates in

Okehampton bought the company out of liquidation last year and re-

employed most of the workers. Bosses say the latest cuts are

because of a very slow and competitive marketplace. Animal

welfare groups launched a new challenge today against the

Government's plans to cull badgers. Conservationists say the cull, to

try and control TB in cattle, isn't cost effective or humane and breaks

European regulations. Spotlight's Chris Lyddon reports. The Humane

Society, campaigners and naturalist Bill Oddie gathered in Westminster

today to warn that allowing farmers to shoot badgers under licence

won't stop TB. If it's a matter of saying get rid and that will be all

right, one might have to think again and bite the bullet and say

let's get a quota. It's not like that. It's not proven that they are

having the cull and it will make very much difference. Campaigners

say Government policy breaks the Burn Convention drawn up in Europe

to protect wild animals. 25,000 cattle are slaughtered in England

every year because of TB. The disease costs the country �90

million a year. It's such a waste of money. I would love the badger

lobby to come up with their positive answer. All I get is what

we can't do. Let's have a positive answer from the lobby as to what we

can do. Most of their suggestions are totally impracticable.

Live to our reporter in Westminster this evening. Martin, this is the

second legal challenge in just two days for DEFRA? Yes, the Badger

Trust confirmed that they've officially applied for a judicial

review. The farming minister said through the lengthy process of

planning the pilot cull that they thought the legal challenge was

inevitable and one of the reasons that protest took so long was that

the Government wanted to make sure that the plans were fire-proof.

There was a fairly well-placed rumour when the Government finally

announced the plans that the Trust wouldn't actually go for a legal

challenge. There might have been a little back-slapping and self-

congratulation and job well done among the ministers. Now, though,

it's clear that the Government's not facing just one challenge, but

two. A judicial review caused a lot a problems for the Welsh asemly --

Assembly? It did. What it demonstrates is that in situations

like this the Government needs to make sure every detail is exactly

right. In this case, the Badger Trust is challenging the

Government's decision to cull on the basis that it will spread the

disease further and make it worse. That is a major scientific argument,

which the Government thinks it has the answer. The Trust is also

challenging the cull on the grounds that the Government's cost

assessment isn't right. It's also questioning the role played by

Natural England. Those are more technical points, but the

Government will be well aware that a challenge on what seems to be a

minor technicality, which is upheld by a court could derail the whole

process. Thank you. A company which dumped rubble onto ancient woodland

in Devon has been told it has to put things right. Crumb Rubber has

one month to remove thousands of tonnes of material and to replant

trees following a public inquiry. Our environment correspondent,

Adrian Campbell, reports. Environmental campaigners filmed

rubble being dumped her in Devon in November 2010. This video footage

published on the internet was an important part of the case brought

by Devon County Council. There was a public inquiry this month and

Crumb Rubber has been told it will have to remove 3,000 tonnes of

rubble and carry out other works to the site. They have to replant

according to specifications which the inspector has agreed, on the

slope in order to try to bring that area back to life. As our ecol gist

actually said at the inquiry, the undergrowth, although it doesn't

look great at this time of year, has been there for 700 years, so

it's difficult to re-create that. The work will have to be

sensitively done, because there is a badger sett nearby which can't be

disturbed. Local environmental campaigners are pleased. We have

pleased that the county have pursued this. It's a beautiful area

of woodland and wet woodland and by think it's wrong that people have

been allowed to abuse the planning system and tip there, so we think

it's great that the area is going to get restored and it's great it

will be protected for future generations to come. The company

say they regret an accidental violation of planning regulations.

They say they're heavily committed to the environment and seeking to

resolve the problems. Devon County Council says this is an important

case. To win this case gives out a signal to other operators that the

county will not tolerate illegal activity in relation to tipping.

Devon County Council says it will closely monitors the restoration

works. Coming up next - how Exeter University hopes to create more

jobs in the region. Also, not quite the Orient Express, but you'll soon

be able to take a train to Agatha Christie's house. And, the latest

exhibit at the National Maritime Museum - find out what it is and if

they managed to get it through the door. The Vice Chancellor of Exeter

University says the organisation is stepping up efforts to help create

jobs in the region. In the latest in our series of interviews with

prominent figures in the region, Professor Sir Steve Smith told me

about plans to help graduates set up their own businesses in the

region and the significant role the University plays in the South West

economy. Let me start with the subject of money. Exeter University

puts about �350 million into the local economy every year. We've got

an estimate that in Exeter the public sector job losses that are

coming will lose about the same amount of gross value added, GVA,

to the city as we will add to the city by our natural growth. We got

Oxford Economics in recently and they did a study of what our

international students spend in the city of Exeter. Not the fees to us

or the money we give to people, but the money they spend in the city is

�57 million. That is significant. Say we doubled it, then that's

another �57 million, so the point on just the subject of money there

is a massive impact on the local economies. Those people who benefit

from a good university education in the south-west will then take those

skills, the international students to other parts of the world, the

others to other parts of the UK. There aren't the jobs for them in

the south-west, the high-paid, highly qualified jobs to stay in

the area and keep that money in the south-west? The interesting thing

about our students is many of them want to stay and many of them

therefore are interested in the whole start-up spin-out company

development. One model we are looking at is the link here to the

innovation centre and science park, of actually growing our own

businesses, which will provide employment opportunities from those

individuals. The core point is that companies locate where the skills

are. If the skills aren't somewhere then companies will move some else

else. -- somewhere else. For this university, turning out a large

number of graduates creates a pool of people to employ. If you look

around the world you will find growth occurs around research-

intensive universities. businesses seeing that skills are

developed here, somewhere like Exeter and therefore locate here?

Yes. The science park development that will happen just off the M5 is

a Met Office Devon County Council and Exeter City Council involvement.

There is no magic wand and it's not immediate, but I'm absolutely

convinced that universities by growing, by producing top graduates,

do attract companies in and we can see from the fact that our

innovation centres are full and people are spinning out companies

from the research gear and that creates the nucleus around which

you get the developments of the companies. Let's talk about

education in the wider context and standards of students coming

through. The Government has again, the Education Secretary, has

reinforced the Government's desire for schools to become academies, to

govern their own curriculum and decide their own budgets. What

impact do you think that will have on the standard? A lot of schools

in the south-west were already pushing and some are almost there

or about to get it. What do you think that will do? I'm agnostic

about the mechanism. I don't mind whatever it is or the status quo,

because I think if you look at the south-west in 20 years' time, what

will determine growth is the level of skills of kids at 16. You would

expect me to say university is a way to invest in, but equally the

key issue is making sure whatever the skill set, apprenticeships, or

whether it's working in voluntary work, or whether it's going Btec or

university, it doesn't matter. What matters is if you are not getting

that at 16 you are basically limiting your life opportunities in

the considerable future. That's why we and the others work closely with

Devon County Council and Exeter City council and Cornwall County

Council to try to boost performance in schools. We spend a lot of time

and money on that. We don't mind which way it starts. Thank you very

much. And you can see a full interview with Sir Steve Smith,

where he talks about tuition fees, education and his curious meeting

with the late Colonel Gadaffi, on our Facebook page. You don't need

to have your own Facebook account. All you have to do is go to

facebook.com/bbcspotlight. Recent interviews with Tim Smit at Eden

and the Argyle owner, James Brent, are also there. Greenway finally

gets its own train station 150 years after the villagers of nearby

Dittisham first asked for one. But the new steam train halt will

probably attract more tourists than local passengers. The stop will

allow visitors to alight at Dame Agatha Christie's summer residence,

Greenway House, which is now owned by the National Trust. The

Dartmouth Steam Railway hope the request stop and a redeveloped

station at Paignton will attract more tourists to South Devon.

Spotlight's, Emma Ruminski, reports. I hope this bird doesn't try this

when the line re-opens for the season. Work has just started on

the new stop. It will consist of a small unmanned platform where

passengers can request to stop on the route from pain tonne to

Kingsweere. It seemed to be right in terms of our structure and where

we wanted to expand. We are putting two or three new routes on and

Greenway is something we have wanted to do for a long time and

the finances are there for us to do it, which is great. We have just

managed to get the planning permission and go for it. The house

is difficult to get to for a reason. The position Dave the famous owner

privacy. The summer home is now open to the public and run by the

National Trust, but it has very little parking so almost all

visitors come here by ferry, vintage bus and soon steam train.

We are in the countryside. There is a 30-minute walk to the house from

here, which is uphill and down Dale. Fantastic for people who are used

to work walking and when they get to the top of the hill, fantastic

view of the river both up and down to Dartmouth. Fantastic. But for

those who are less able, or disabled, there's either the car

option or they can still come by boat from Dartmouth. The walk from

the train is a picturesque one over the hill behind the property. But

walkers will be rewarded with stunning views over the River Dart.

The house opens again this weekend and the first steam train will stop

here at the end of next month. Never say never - those are the

words of an inspirational deaf and partially sighted young man from

Devon who's in London today to collect his Duke of Edinburgh Gold

Award. Roger Mulholland is among scores of others from the South

West being recognised at St James' Palace. Sarah Ransome reports.

Roger has never been one to sit back and take it easy. He may be

deaf and partially sighted, but his determination and perseverance has

now end him a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The 25-year-old uses

sign language and visual symbols to communicate. His very proud mum

said he didn't let other complex difficulties get in the way. The

award helped him focus on his strengths and interpreted for him,

she says it was hard work, but lots of fun. I think it has reinforced

his good self-esteem, his can-do image of himself and his

determination not to sit back and be a bit of a wet blanket and let

other people run around after him. Roger went on a five-day expedition

to the Forest of Dean and camped out and cooked hids own meals and

learnt to map read. -- his own meals and learnt to map read. He

was working for Sense and he worked in the kitchens and also baked a

cake for the Prime Minister. Roger learnt how to play tennis and

badminton and now getting to grips with his next big challenge. He's

trying out as many other Olympic sports as he can throughout the

rest of 2012. Inspirational. Not an easy thing to get, the Gold Award.

Onto football and Plymouth Argyle hope to take another step towards

securing their Football League survival tonight. The Pilgrims, who

are unbeaten in their last four games, travel to Macclesfield. A

win could see them move four points clear of the relegation places.

There's full commentary on BBC Radio Devon this evening. An

unusual exhibit has arrived at the National Maritime Museum in

Falmouth today. The centre piece of a new Search and Rescue Exhibition

will be a sea king helicopter lent to the museum by the Ministry of

Defence. But will it fit through the doors? Spotlight's, David

George, went along to find out. This helicopter came into service

in 1970 and continued flying for the next 29 years. It was one of

the aircraft that rescued soldiers from the Sir Galahad in the

Falklands War. Now brought out of retirement, it's had an unusual

make-over. On this side it's the red and grey of the Royal Navy's

771 Search and Rescue squadron and over here, the bright yellow of the

RAF Search and Rescue force. It's an unusual colour scheme and unique

to this aircraft, as it goes into the museum. Really, it represents

the joint co-ordination that goes on between all the agencies that

make up the UK Search and Rescue forces. There is no rivalry at all

between yourselves at the Navy and the RAF? No, not whatsoever. I

can't imagine what would give you that idea! They reckon the six-

tonne helicopter is a couple of inches lower than the doors.

# Right said Fred, both of us together

# One each end and steady as we go... # I did say!

APPLAUSE Just how relieved are you? It's

good to see it go in. Touch and go. Very close, but we had all faith in

the boys to get it in. They've done a good job. Visitors to the

exhibition will be able to scramble in and out of the helicopter as

well as watch film of famous rescues, supplied by us. This is

wos castle in 2004. -- Boscastle in 2004. The helicopter will have

pride of place at the exhibition, which opens here on March 16th. I'm

glad they got it into place. I hope they don't have to get it out in a

they don't have to get it out in a hurry. Now to the weather. It's

looking good. Mild and dry. Good evening to you. Some sunshine

possible tomorrow, which we haven't seen much of today. It's good news

all round. In the sun we'll see good temperatures for the time of

year. Possibly 14 tomorrow. Maybe a little higher. The circulation

across the United Kingdom is clock- wise. Strands of cloud floating

around. Quite a lot of cloud across western Britain. The high pressure

moves over the next few days and as it does, it draws in slightly dryer

air from the near continent, from France, so hopefully more in the

way of sun for tomorrow before the cloud returns to the end of the

week. This area of low out in the Atlantic will come closer as we

move into the weekend, so make the most of the next three days. It

does become damper and more windy by the time we get to Saturday and

Sunday. There's the cloud from earlier today. A few holes. Some in

Cornwall and across parts of Dorset and the east of Devon too. This was

earlier today where Dan tried to find a bit of brightness. There

were a few holes here and there, but also generally that grey scene

spoiling what is an excellent view across the estuary. We are seeing a

few holes every now and then, illustrating some sun coming

through. Those will be much more extensive through the day tomorrow.

Hopefully, for all of us tomorrow, sunshine will perhaps be a little

more welcome. There aren't many holes now and overnight I think the

cloud will be fairly extensive. Quite misty conditions along the

south coast too, in Lime Bay. Further north, already breaks

developing in the cloud. Similar overnight temperatures recently.

Tomorrow, though, slightly different. The reason for that is

more breaks in the cloud. The sunshine will work on a lot of the

low cloud and by the afternoon a fair amount of blue sky appearing.

Perhaps not much in the far west of Cornwall and problems with

visibility. The eastern end of Lime Bay. Winds from the south and the

coastal areas probably not so warm with more of a breeze off a

A lot of cloud, particularly in the morning. Times of high water: Like

we have seen today, with light winds, there is some good surf to

be had. The waves may not be big, but up to four feet on the north

As for the outlook, it's looking good for Thursday too. We should

see some bright weather and sunshine. A patchy cloud. Generally

more than we should see tomorrow. Friday, on the whole, cloudy again.

Then into the weekend, some rain setting in on zafplt that may be

slow to arrive, -- Saturday. That may be slow to arrive, but windy