03/04/2012 Spotlight

A tale of two cities - Plymouth University is cutting 100 jobs when

Exeter continues to expand. Good evening. We find out why jobs

are going at Plymouth and the possible impact.

Also tonight... The Devon war photographer injured in Syria - his

wife tells Spotlight he's passionate about the situation

there. He wants to do everything he can to

keep the house of the world on Syria and make change happen.

How the Falklands conflict continues to take its toll on

service personnel 30 years later. And the personalities of Porthleven

frozen in time for a unique project. A growing divide is opening up

between the South West's two universities as new government

funding policies take effect. The University of Plymouth is planning

to cut up to 100 jobs over the next three years while Exeter expands

and takes on new staff. Government reforms mean Plymouth must cut its

annual �200 million budget by around 2% a year until 2015. There

will be 40 redundancies this year and around 60 in the next two years.

The university hopes to cut the number of compulsory job losses

through natural wastage and voluntary redundancy. There will

also be some redeployments, with some workers having to take on

lower-paid jobs. But Plymouth's problems are quite a contrast to

the success being enjoyed at Exeter University.

After years of expansion this is an abrupt about-turn. There are

compulsory redundancies. feeling at the moment is that

people are anxious and worried about jobs and in this day and age,

people do get worried about his issues. We are trying to minimise

any compulsory redundancies. Plymouth is suffering as it is

losing money in government's transformation of university

funding. The approach is market-led and means most funding comes from

the fees students paid and tends to favour a more academic universities.

-- more academic. No one from Plymouth would be interviewed. The

statement said it would emerge stronger still and was acting to

sustain the university's reputation as they were meeting place to study,

work and the business. Contrast the difficulties in Plymouth with the

picture in Exeter. The university's income is growing, taking on more

staff and it is expanding. Almost �300 million is being spent. Exeter

has just been invented to join -- invited to join the Russell Group.

I think Exeter will be in a very strong position, because students

will be better at A-level and will have a completely free market and

we can take as many of them as we like. Also, international markets

are expanding so student choice with the freeing up of markets is

bound to be good for Exeter because we are a popular university. To add

extra shine to Exeter's smile, next month, the Queen will open the new

buildings. Why is Exeter looking so well positioned for this new

funding regime? Senior managers here have argued that they have

been ahead of the game on this one and have seen something like the

transformation we are seeing in the sector coming and have positioned

themselves accordingly. There was a painful reorganisation several

years ago, some people may remember, and they believe that has position

them well for what is happening now. Plymouth have not been through that

and are having their reorganisation now and it has proven difficult.

There are concerns about changes, are a pair? That is right. Some in

the university sector believe this new system built in instability,

because they were not know you're on your how many students to expect,

which will make budgeting difficult, particularly in the longer term.

Others are concerned it may stifle innovation, which is a lot of what

universities are supposed to be about. They fear universities will

focus on core courses that they are sure will attract students, which

will mean that innovation is stifled. As for the National Union

of students, they are concerned this is about the Government's

saving money and burdening students with large debts. What will be the

likely outcome of the changes? is extremely difficult. The

government have been very stark about saying it is simply about

trying to drive up standards and improve the student experience.

This is a very political issue and it will probably only become clear

over the next few years. That will lead up to the general election in

2015. We will see a lot of debate about this, particularly as it has

been a source of some controversy and unease in the coalition. A lot

of Lib Dems are uncomfortable about tuition fees forming the core of

university funding. A Devon-based war photographer

injured covering the uprising in Syria is said to be determined to

return to the country. Paul Conroy has had several operations in

London after being hurt in an attack which killed two journalists.

His wife has been speaking to our reporter.

Paul Conroy, lying injured in Syria after a rocket attack that killed

200 journalists. -- other journalists. He was flown out of

the country. He has told his wife he is keen to return to Syria and

other war zones. He will go back one day, but not imminently. I do

not think he is terribly popular with the Rajiv over there at the

moment. He cannot go back. He is very passionate about what is

happening there and he wants to do everything he can to keep the eyes

of the world on Syria cars --. Paul Conroy was heard his wife told

Spotlight she hoped he would stop. Weeks on, she says she support his

decision to keep working in war zones. I do not know how I will

feel about him going away but I have pointed out that wherever he

goes in the world, he will be a target because he is so high

profile and wherever he is, I guess the bad guys will want to get him.

Paul has had several operations in London and his wife says he will

have a limp. This is the side that greets him when he gets home, a

flag of the Free Syrian Army flying as a mark of respect. I believe in

him and I believe the people looking after him would get him out,

that was their priority. That was their priority and I am eternally

grateful to them. The government today launched an

initiative to breathe new life into the right-to-buy scheme. Ministers

hope offering council tenants discounts of up to �75,000 will

encourage more of them to buy their council houses. They insist the

amount of social housing will shrink as the sales receipts will

be used to build a new home to replace each one sold. Our

political editor is here to tell us more. This is a blast from the past,

isn't it? That what one of Margaret Thatcher's flagship policies in the

1980s. Since her time, the discounts have been cut and the

sales have fallen off. David Cameron said he is restoring a

vital run on the property ladder. He is probably going to restore

relations with some of his backbenchers. A lot have been

grumbling that the government seems to be pursuing policies that might

alienate core Tory voters. This is the sort of thing that the

backbenchers will applaud. He insists this is a win-win situation

for housing because more people will be able to afford to buy their

own homes and at the same time, the money that is raised will be

affordable social housing has been lost. Does everyone share that

optimism? No, for instance a housing charity Shelter says that

right-to-buy mortgage holders are three times more likely than other

hours holders to be repossessed and that there needs to be rigorous

controls. They are sceptical as whether there can be like-for-like

replacement and during the consultation process, the chief

executive of one of the region's housing is as the nation's warned

it could mean that people are not able to afford to buy and it could

take the sales receipts and three houses just to build one. What do

the other parties think? Labour share the concerns about

affordability and the concerns about replacing microlite. Some of

the trenchant concerns are from the Lib Dem MP for Torbay who said the

policy is madness. He said, the best council houses were sold years

ago and we are left with the stuff that people do not want to buy or

cannot afford to buy. He said it was the right-to-buy revolution

which has landed us in the housing crisis that we are now trying to

solve. A nine-year-old girl from Dorset

has suffered a fractured skull in a skiing accident in Austria after

losing control and smashing into a ski hut. India Furness from the

Cerne Abbas crashed through a safety net and wooden fence before

being catapulted through the window of a disused cabin. She was

airlifted to hospital in a coma, but has since regained

consciousness. Doctors say a helmet probably saved her life.

An investigation is under way after an accident involving two vehicles

in South Devon in which a 25-year- old man died. The A385 Totnes to

Torquay road, near Berry Pomeroy, was shut for several hours last

night. Bikers in Plymouth are calling for

all road users to be more careful after a sharp rise in the number of

fatal accidents in recent months. Plymouth Motorcycle Action Group

says both bikers and drivers need be more aware of the dangers.

Tributes to one and eight people killed in road accidents in

Plymouth in the last eight months. Seven of them were bikers. Despite

high-profile awareness campaigns, a motorcycle Action Group says the

city has one of the highest death rates for bikers. It is calling for

road users to be careful. Is not just car drivers, it is also

baggers. We need to get motorcycle riders to get themselves out of the

blind spot and to where the correct protective clothing. If you're in

an accident, that will help. number of accidents and serious

injuries involving motorbikes has been falling, but in Devon and

Cornwall, the number of deaths rose from 10 in 2010 to 13 in 2011. So

far this year, there have been for a fatal accidents in Plymouth alone.

The are lots of reasons. Some of the accidents have been through

drink driving. There are other causes which are under

investigation. If you are a motorcyclist, drive within the

limit and ride defensively. Police are offering a number of bikes the

events of mind motorcyclists to be assessed by experienced police

riders. -- what about safety events. -- a motorbike.

In a moment, the second in our series remembering the Falklands

War and the consequences faced 30 years on. Also still to come...

The efforts in Weymouth to shore up the harbour - but will it be enough

for Condor Ferries to return? And history returns to Newton Abbot

- the market attracting visitors from far and wide.

Veterans support groups are warning that 30 years on from the Falklands

war, the UK is facing a tidal wave of post-traumatic stress disorder

cases. The Royal British Legion says more people have committed

suicide since the Falklands as a result of PTSD then were killed

during the conflict. And it is predicting far more cases from

operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adrian Greenwood's memories of the

Falkland are as vivid as the art works they inspire. -- art work. He

was a sailor on board HMS Glamorgan when in 1982, Bishop was struck by

an Exocet missile. -- the boat. was twisting and manipulating Steel,

which was a screaming sound. 14 of his shipmates were killed but

Adrian was not diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder for more

than 20 years. I hid it from my partner and for my children. --

from my children. You would pick your time and a place, because

there was nobody to speak to. Who did you tell? Today's session is to

think about your stress... people on his Royal Navy course are

being trained in from a risk management. It is designed to

encourage discussion of traumatic incidents and identify those in

need of support. By people talking about it, they start to process

their emotions and feelings and they can cope better. Many believe

the roots lie in the Falklands. This man feels that while some

clubs were flown home immediately after the surrender, he, and the

Royal Marines, seal be a 1,000 miles, giving them time to

decompressed before coming home. Trouble be 8,000 miles by ship.

would shed a tear and it was a common experience. And then life

was OK. Even so, PTSD caught up with him in the end. It took about

20 years to have a Bard of PTSD. -- a Bard. And they said, come on, sir,

we depended on you. I said, for heaven's sake! The important thing

is to recognise that, that's all. It could be anybody. Talk to

somebody. Just tell somebody. It is hard work holding it in. The 14 men

who lost their lives on board HMS Glamorgan are among those

remembered in this Falklands memorial here on Plymouth Hoe. 255

British service personnel were killed during the conflict and

though there are no official figures, it is widely accepted that

many more have since taken their own lives due to be affect of PTSD.

30 years on comes a stark warning. I think we are in for a significant

number of mental health casualties downstream of the current

Afghanistan and Iraq awards -- wars. John McDermott was a 25-year-old

gunner in the Falklands. Now he work -- runs a support group.

is an invisible wind. There is no other way to describe it. It is

something that happens to us all because we are all human, no matter

how well people are trained. The best result is humanity. Since the

Falklands there is undoubtedly more support for those fighting PTSD.

With many more undiagnosed, how far will the support stretch?

Councillors in Weymouth have voted to go ahead with �2 million worth

of repairs to the town's ferry berth. It will be nearly a year

before the work is completed. Condor Ferries, which sails to the

Channel Islands, had to move services to Poole in February after

cracks were detected in the pier. The ferry service is worth more

than �7.7 million to the local economy and supports more than 200

jobs. The life has gone out of Weymouth's

ferry port. It is two months since cracks appeared in the harbour

structure and Condor Ferries were forced to move their operations

elsewhere. It is the council's job to fix it. Remedial work was not

effective so councillors voted today to carrying out major repairs.

The hope is that it will be carried out by next March. It brings a lot

of the local economy and we are keen to retain the service. We are

working closely with Condor Ferries and the engineers to make sure we

have a solution in place. cannot guarantee it will be ready

in time. You can never guarantee anything with marine engineering

works but we are confident we will meet the timetable. Repairs are not

the only issue. Condor Ferries have told the council they want to

return but are concerned about the poor facilities at the port. The

council are to look at an improvement scheme and are

investigating external funding. Local businesses affected by the

loss of the very say it is vital they returned. I would be doing

whenever I could to keep them if I was on the council. We need our

council to go out there and lobby and work to get them back and get

better facilities than they have got at the moment. Condor Ferries

said they continue to liaise with the council regarding future of

Weymouth port. For the moment, no one knows when or if Condor Ferries

will return to Weymouth. Their departure has left a big hole in

the local economy. As one local councillor put it, we need to crack

on with the solution. There has been a 25% increase in

the number of new cases of the Schmallenberg virus detected across

the South West in the past week. Official figures show a rise from

16 to 20 in the number of livestock tested positive for the disease in

the region. It is thought the virus is spread by mosquitoes, midges and

ticks. Continuing dry spell has forced

Taunton Racecourse to abandon their final meeting of the season, which

was due to take place on 12th April. The Somerset racecourse is too hard

and the safety of the horses has been taken into account. The

fixture will now be hosted by Newton Abbot in Devon on the same

day. A historic horse and pony market

has returned to Newton Abbot after nearly 40 years. It is hoped the

monthly sale will attract widespread support and give a

welcome boost to the local economy. The first year took place earlier

today and attracted buyers and sellers from far and wide.

This four year-old donkey was first up and resumed a time-honoured

stands... Others were more willing to take the limelight and billing -

- bidding was brisk. How many have you bought today? Three are for,

something like that. The last for sale here was a boy at 40 years ago.

I came to that one. -- about 45 years ago. For some, there were

tough decisions. You have got to do all the vaccinations, you have got

no saddle or no bridle. But I have been sitting on it and stroking it

and I have been calling its name and it has been coming to me. It

has been really friendly. You want to take it home, don't you? Yet.

Four those running the event, certain jobs are higher risk than

others. We wait for the horses to come in and then give them their

labels. If they have not paid their entry free I take their money and

put a sticker on their bottom and then they are off into the fence.

There are several hundred people here from all over. They have come

from Wales, from Midlands, right down to Penzance. It is people

coming to the town that have not been here. It is in the centre of

the towns and they're off to do shopping later on. After two hours

Road, some were definitely flagging...

A photographer from Cornwall has just finished a huge task -

photographing more than 1,000 people in his home village of

Porthleven. One of the main reasons for the ambitious project was to

turn them into a book and raise money for charity, but the photos

have also gone on display and have got everyone in the village talking.

If you live in Porthleven you might be in this gallery, though we might

take time to find it as there are more than 1,000 faces in this room.

Gerald Pendennis has found his. He has been a former all his life.

come into the village all of my life and have done business in the

shops. We are delighted that we have moved to the village now.

Irene wanted to be photographed with a prop that everyone in the

village would recognise, her shopping trolley. I love my

shopping trolley. It is great for going up hills because I can always

stop and lean on it. And this man said he is lucky to be here to take

his photograph -- have his photograph taken. 18 months ago, he

almost drowned just outside the harbour. I lost my vote. I went

into the water and the boat went ashore and there was nothing I

could do about it. I was picked up just by luck and I was safe.

exhibition always -- also features newcomers. The hands holding her

belong to four generations of her family. The village has nine set of

twins and a lot of dogs. It is a little archive of the Porthleven.

This is local people who have lived here for generations along with my

new blood. There are so many voters, now filled to Burkes and they have

been sold to raise money for the Cornwall hospice and the county's

What a great idea, something to be Any snow coming?

I don't think so, maybe some sleet. Variety is what makes them where

they are so special. -- the weather so special. A big change as the

cold air starts to flood in. There is going to be some rain at the

moment, turning to show was as it moves away. Behind it, it turns

colder. There is a chilly north- easterly breeze and a high wind

chill. After an extended dry spell, if you are heading out on the roads,

it could be quite slippery or greasy because of the lack of rain.

The satellite picture shows you a stripe of cloud coming into

southern Britain. There is going to be showers and rain but this

evening. It moves away quite fast over night but it is a brighter

story for tomorrow so we have -- as we have further outbreaks of rain

in the form a showers tomorrow. There will be a strong north-east

wind. By the time we get a Thursday, we still have the North East winds

and stir quite lively. By the time we get into Friday, there is a

ridge of high pressure some drier and brighter. Not necessarily

warmer. We hold on to relatively cold air. These are the shower as

we have seen in the last few hours. For a time, we will have some clear

skies but then the showers return towards dawn tomorrow and for all

of us, a cold food to the date first leg. Morning temperatures

just a few degrees. There will be sunny spells and quite a few

showers and some of them will get a tiny bit of sleep over the highest

parts of Dartmoor and Exmoor. For the rest of us, cold rain. Any rain

at this time of the Year for the gardeners will be appreciated. You

will need to wrap up warmly if you're out and about. Cold and

strong north-easterly breeze means a high wind chill for all of us.

For the Isles of Scilly, a very windy day tomorrow. Strong to gale

force north-east winds and plenty of showers as well. A cold wind at

that as well. It gets brighter and warmer towards

the end of the week. Patchy rain on Friday night, clearing by Saturday.