12/04/2012 Spotlight

Concerns for our wildlife as river levels continue to fall. Whilst

there aren't any drought restrictions here at the momment,

it's not to say our wildlife isn't in trouble. Good evening. Experts

say fish and animals are at risk. Also on Spotlight tonight,

continuing to lead the way in marine technology. The tests off

Cornwall which could generate electricity and future business

across the south west. And the young miner who died on the Titanic.

One local story from an event which Wildlife Trusts are growing

increasingly concerned about falling river levels as the South

West is hit by an environmental drought. They're warning low river

levels mean salmon are unable to get upstream and water voles are

struggling. Figures from the Environment Agency show that for

this time of year four major rivers in our region are suffering low

flow rates. The rivers Tamar and Exe are described as having

"exceptionally'"low flows. But it's the rivers Tone and Frome that have

the lowest in the region. They are described as having "extremely" low

flow rates. If you take the River Tone as an example, this morning,

just outside Taunton at Bishops Hull, the Environment Agency

recorded the river level as 0.12 metres, when the typical level

range for this location can go from 0.09 metres to 1.07 metres for this

time of year. Adrian Campbell is at a tributary of the River Tone in

Dorset, where it's a similar story. The catchment area here has not

seem much rainfall for the past couple of years, like much of the

south-west, and it has had a big impact on the ecosystem. Low water

levels affecting the fish and in the water meadows there are fewer

invertebrates. Quiet Life Trust are concerned and are asking us all to

take it very seriously -- at the Wildlife Trust.

Appearances can be very deceptive during what is called an

environmental tried. In this part of Dorset, some stretches of river

look almost normal today but groundwater levels of very low and

that worries the Dorset Wildlife Trust. This is the main channel, I

can see that the gravel is quite high, what other concerns? Normally,

the high winter flows are important for keeping the oxygen levels high

for diluting pollutants and also just keeping the water levels high

to allow for the passage of fish. As a trustee have been tried to

help, what have you been doing? Dorset Wildlife Trust is run in the

Dorset wild rivers project across the county to restore our rivers

back into their natural state. have had to dry years. The

Environment Agency says we are nearing the end of the typical

recharge period. Rivers in parts of East Devon and Dorset which depend

on groundwater of bomb rubble. Aquifers need to be recharged with

demands of gentle rain which was sink into the ground. This man runs

a consultancy Business on the river at Frome. The Frome is running

about a foot below summer level, so very low for the time of year. This

water should be running about two feet above what it is running at

the moment. Wessex Water is already recharging rivers from boreholes.

We plan for dry weather, we have invested for dry weather over many

years and what you see today is one of the powers of the teas we have

put in place, one of 18 Streams support services, to make sure that

we can alleviate the impact of dry weather by topping up by

maintaining stream flows in reverse. Reverse helped to top up reservoirs

with water draw in the winter months and the water can be saved a

man is that well. But the Environment Agency and the Wildlife

trusts say that by being bought a wise we can all help.

The Environment Agency had been looking at the whole situation very

closely and it could be as early as next week when we can expect some

kind of announcement about some kind of restrictions, possibly for

farmers. It is important to stress we're not talking about domestic

supplies. South West Water says it is, then

there will be no need for restrictions, even if the drought

is a fish leap required. So what is Drought Status? If it's announced

by the Environment Agency this relates to the implications of a

long-term lack of rainfall on the water environment. So that includes

rivers, ponds and wetlands. But South West Water say this does not

refer to the state of public water supplies. At the moment, its total

reservoir storage is 84%, that's just 1% lower than this time last

year. Similarly, Wessex Water say their reservoir storage is at 85%.

Its below average for this time of year but still much healthier than

other parts of the UK. Dorset relies partly on water from

underground aquifers. These ground water levels are also below average.

But the company is moving its supply around their region from

areas of surplus to areas of deficit. Any rain will be very

welcome, particularly for the agricultural communities. The

ground is pretty dry. If you dig down a foot or so, it is very dry

as it will take a lot more rain for to get through that soil. It is the

rain getting through the soil there we need get into the equity fires,

the underground storage of water. How much rain do we need to see an

improvement? In summary, we need a lot of rain, and a lot of rain over

a lengthy period of time. We are 50% down over what we should have

seen over the last 12 months. We will need to see rain for several

months before things get back to normal. Beautiful Falmouth Bay.

Protected from southwesterly gales by the Lizard peninsula, it's a

well known haven for shipping. We head out in the harbourmaster

launch to the test area - three miles offshore. It's this

location's relatively calm waters that make it the perfect place for

initial tests on wave energy devices - machines which convert

the movement of the sea into electricity. From here they'll be

moved to Cornwall's wavehub site off Hayle, where conditions are

much rougher. The industry is still at a relatively early stage. What

was required in order to give developers confidence was in effect

and nursery site. That is what this provides. The first machine to be

moored here is known as Bolt Two - it's been built as a joint project

between a number of companies lead by an offshoot of the Fred Olsen

ferry line. This device is a real collaboration. The company from

Orkney worked on the moorings and Exeter University are carrying out

the environmental monitoring. is a fantastic thing that does

happen today because it is the first time we see real kit in the

water as part of a big ambition for marine energy. In the long term we

should have good jobs, good business opportunities as well.

This is literally the first step in the water. Falmouth's harbour

authority say the triangular test area has room for three devices at

any one time. It insists they will be well marked and lit, and will

not be a hazard to shipping. More than �30 million has been

saved by a two-year job freeze at Devon County Council. The authority

says it's saved the money by not replacing many of the 2,000 people

who've left over that time. The unions claim it's left some

departments without enough staff which means they struggle to

deliver services. Meanwhile, people working at Exeter

City Council are being invited to apply for voluntary redundancy

between now and the end of May. The council says it's offering

redundancy because it's under huge financial pressure.

Later in the programme, a special link up with the memorial cruise

marking the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Plus

the story of one Cornish miner who went down with the ill-fated ship.

And is this the work of Banksy? Find out why some believe it's an

act of revenge against the local mayor.

The Conservatives are targeting taking outright control of Weymouth

and Portland Borough Council in the upcoming local elections. The party

is currently three seats short of its target. But as Hamish Marshall

reports, it's hoping to make gains which give it outright control for

the first time since 1979 - the year Mrs Thatcher came to power.

Soon ten Olympic gold medals will be awarded here. First there's

another race - the one for local power. Making the most of the

Olympics, jobs, the future of the borough's cross-Channel ferry

service and what to do about the Pavilion are among the local issues

on which candidates are looking to win votes. Currently no party has

overall control. The Conservatives are the largest group with 16

councillors - three short of a majority. The Liberal Democrats

have ten seats, Labour has seven and there are three Independents.

On May 3rd, the Conservatives and Labour are standing in all 12 seats

being contested. The Lib Dems have eight candidates, the Greens four,

there are three independents and one candidate from the United

People's Party. The Conservatives are banking on a good showing to

take the seats they need to taken control of the Council. Because we

have been a hung council almost since I can remember, we cannot

take the difficult decisions, or rather when the difficult decisions,

long there is always somebody able to say I didn't want to do that and

then the decision is usually not made for they make on decision and

then decide to do something else later. The Lib Dems have six seats

to defend - when they were last fought in 2008, the party was doing

better in the national opinion polls than it is today. We have to

invest in the town. We have to make sure we take the inward investment

coming on from the Olympics and from the fact that we're not the

end of the railway line, we are the essential lifeline for the Channel

Islands and hopefully through to France as well. We have to x the

take the opportunity, which means that we have to look for partners

who were prepared to invest with the council. The last set of

elections here left Labour as the third party. It has two members on

the ten-member board which runs the council - it wants to win more

seats so it can have more say on decisions. There has been no money

spent on maintenance of our major assets. What that has meant is that

we know we are at a point where we have to do work on those major

items and that is going to cost our council tax payers over the next 20

to 40 years. There are many sides to Weymouth. Tourism, jobs are

required, it is retirement haven but there are pockets of poverty as

well. Each of the candidates standing in the selection police

they had the plans to move the poorer for it. The sinking of the

Titanic 100 years ago affected communities across the region.

There were dozens of passengers and crew from the South West on the

ship's ill-fated voyage./ Among them was a young copper miner from

Cornwall on his way to join his two brothers in America. John Danks

takes up the story. This is Barnoon cemetery near St

Ives. It was here in May 1912 that hundreds of people came to pay

their respects to a young victim of the Titanic disaster. William

Carbines was just 19. But, unlike so many victims of the sinking, his

body was not only found, but transported all the way back to be

buried in Cornwall. William Carbines, like many Cornishmen at

the time, was a miner. According to the passenger list he was one of 14

miners heading to America. And of that number most were from Cornwall.

The Cornish Global Migration Programme, based in Redruth, aims

to trace the movements of people who migrated from Cornwall. They

have around 60,000 names on their database. Volunteer Mike Kiernan

thinks he knows why miners from Cornwall were heading to North

America in 1912. In Cornwall, the value of minerals produced was one

of the highest on record, which you would want to why mind is needed to

leave cocaine the to find work. The answer is simple. There were very

few minds at that time still left in production and new technology

meant less people were being employed. Willy Carbines boarded

Titanic in Southampton as a second class passenger bound for a new job.

He was to join his brothers at a copper mine in Calumet in Michigan.

But when the ship was holed by an iceberg, Willy, like most men on

board, had no means of escape. This water-damaged portrait of him was

found among his belongings when his body was pulled from the sea a few

days after Titanic had sunk. John and Robert Carbines now had the

grim task of identifying their brother's body. This document from

the time details what else Willy had on him - a watch and chain, a

pipe, a knife and some money. The two Carbines brothers signed in

receipt of the items from the White Star Line. The tragedy shocked the

people of St Ives, indeed others from the town had also been on

board Titanic. Among the many wreaths laid at his funeral, one

from his parents, brothers and sisters which simply read, "To dear

Willie with heartfelt sorrow." A memorial cruise to mark the

centenary of the sinking of the Titanic is continuing its journey

to the mid-Atlantic, where, on April 14th, a service will be held

on board in remembrance of those who died that fateful night.

Earlier today I spoke to the BBC's John Kay. Who's onboard the MS

Balmoral, who explained how this journey was extremely emotional for

many of the passengers. I think it is getting more

emotional for people, every mile there with travel closer to the

right side. When we left Southampton on Sunday there was

lots of glitz and glamour and fancy dress costumes, smiles and

celebrations. I think that is because the passengers, some of

them books District two or three years ago, and for them it was the

relief that it was happening. Since then, as we're headed out into open

seas, I think people have started to reflect more on the actual

centenary and working out how they are going to Mark that when we get

to the wreck site. Of course, up the stories that you must be

hearing must be fascinating, and some stories from people here in

the south-west. That is right. A lot of people on the strip of what

are called -- are people who are obsessed with the ship and what

happened to it. But I would say there are about 100 people on board

to have a direct connection with the Titanic. Two of them are

joining me now, Jayne Anne Frank Allen, who live near Ashburton in

Devon. It is mainly because it is your great uncle Tom who died on

the Titanic. Great Uncle Tom died on the Titanic though his wife

survived. They were privets, they were tracking first class, but is

still not take away the trauma. had to stay on board, it was women

and children first, so Edith went away in her life card and they were

separated. As a married couple here it is impossible to imagine that

sort of dilemma. He cannot imagine it and in the board of inquiry been

mentioned how Tom did say goodbye to eat it, bearing in mind that

they were quite recently married and it must be very upsetting for

them both. Also for her, going away not know what could happen to him.

What is like for you now, as we get nearer to that centenary?

centenary to me is very important. I come here not just for myself,

but for the rest of the family and my grandfather. When you come out

here and see the a la indication realise what a vast space cities

and you can never imagine what went on that night. We are in relatively

calm conditions right now. It is important any just realise how low

they must have been out there. Frank, you do not have a direct

funding per you have come from Guernsey and you're here to

remember the surprisingly large number of people on the Titanic

cocaine from Guernsey and the Channel Islands. Yes, there were

about 60 or 70, mostly second class and third class, and some crew as

well. I haven't got any connection with them but I do have some

privilege of being from Guernsey and on the night, on we are

remembering everybody, I shall be thinking of the people from Kent

see, that lovely little island that I know so well. -- Guernsey. They

will be remembered, and the story has been largely forgotten and

untold. Thank you for reminding all of us about it this evening. On

Sunday, Joan and Frank will be on the deck in the early as when the

special centenary service takes place. Some people planning to

scatter wreaths and petals into the water to remember those who died.

There's more on the miners from Cornwall who were aboard the

Titanic on our website, bbc.co.uk/cornwall. And in

Spotlight tomorrow we report on the ship's surviving crew who were

brought ashore in Plymouth. A wounded serviceman who lost his

arm and leg after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan four years ago

is determined to show that there is life after disaster. Ben McBean

from Plymouth is also fundraising to help injured soldiers. He has

received a Rotary Young Citizen Award in recognition of his

inspirational work - chosen from nominations put forward by Rotary

Clubs across Britain and Ireland. am always trying to help lead. If I

can raise litters say that �1,000 for running a mile, then that will

get a small wheelchair or a workroom, so it is well worth doing.

I like to help charities and to avert hurls, to give something back.

He will receive his award in a live programme on the BBC News Channel

at 11:30am on Saturday. There's a big question in Somerset

tonight - is it a Banksy or not? A piece of work which has suddenly

appeared beneath a bridge in the centre of Taunton is said to be the

work of the world famous Bristol- based graffiti artist. And what's

more, the word is that it's revenge for the local mayor's criticism of

graffiti - and also Banksy himself! Clinton Rogers has been to take a

look. It appeared overnight and it's

raising quite a few eyebrows in Taunton - even among those who've

never even heard of Banksy. wouldn't think it is at Banksy

because his work is usually a because scale. The rat is very much

a Banksy trade mark and it was not very long ago that a local mayor

was being rather critical of the world's most famous graffiti artist.

It was after a blitz of graffiti attacks on the centre of Taunton

that the mayor spoke his mind, and pointed the finger of blame at one

man. I think Banksy has got a lot answer for. He has some green

pitches and I think people are taking off after him and thinking

they can get away with it. Do you think anybody should of done that?

But today the mayor, who brought his grandson to see Taunton's

latest maverick artwork, Was sticking to his view. Once again,

Banksy, you are teaching young children that they can put it back

anywhere that they want to. That is not correct. People close to Banksy

insisted it wasn't his work. But such is the enigmatic nature of the

man, the chances are you'll never know for sure.

Time for the weather forecast and I hear ticketing very cold at the

We have had some fault today but we have also had their showers. One or

two of those have been quite heavy just in the last couple of hours.

Tonight, almost all do showers will die away, Pete skies will clear,

and it'll turn frosty again. The structure of the cloud at the

moment shows shoot that we had some very large pieces of cloud. There

is generally a lot of cloud out here and eventually we will see

some more persistent rain, but probably not until Monday. In

between we have Calder air coming in from the north. Expect some

showers to fade away tonight and then it turns frosty. Tomorrow we

will have more frequent showers but they may not be as potent as today.

By Saturday, we have genuine the Northern League wins. Tempered by

the sea temperatures but nonetheless the cold blast on

Saturday. A widespread overnight frost on such tonight in to Sunday.

This was the picture earlier today. You could see where the showers

have been. Then they are moving away from us now. In north Devon,

there was a lot of fine weather but you can see there cloud in the

distance. When the sunshine come said, with a bit to shelter from

the breeze, it feels quite pleasant. The showers are never too far away.

They will be slow-moving showers tomorrow so perhaps it will not

look quite the same, with larger cloud developing. The showers will

fade away tonight and will be a lot of clear sky so that means we will

see frost. We will start to see the frost appear as the CROWD: Moves

away. Temperatures anywhere from zero to three or four degrees above

freezing. A fine, sunny start. We get showers bubbling up at the same

time and they will be fairly slow- moving so were they to happen we

could have quite a hefty downpour. But the nature of showers that

means that just down that road he may stay in sunshine. And range of

temperatures from 10 to possibly 13 degrees. Much lighter winds, from

The winds are much lighter now. The drop in the temperatures will

happen not only because we see temperatures fall but there will be