26/09/2013 Spotlight

A boardroom drama — the former hospital chairman who turned up at a

trust meeting today vowing to clear his name.

Good evening. Welcome to the programme. Martin Watts is taking

legal action against the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, saying

he's determined to restore his reputation. I'm not going to allow

my reputation to be sullied by what I regard as both false allegations

and, even worse, an incomplete and false so—called independent report.

Also tonight: Important public services in Devon are facing

widespread cuts. The leader of the county council says children's

centres, libraries and roads could all suffer as he finds £110 million

of savings. And not giving up yet — campaigners

fighting to save Brixham's Coastguard Station keep battling

despite being given a closure date. The ousted chairman of the Royal

Cornwall Hospitals Trust today made a dramatic public announcement that

he is to take the trust and another NHS body to employment tribunal.

Martin Watts says he was forced to resign following investigations into

his behaviour. Today he stood up in a trust board meeting to declare

he'd been unfairly dismissed and would fight to be reinstated as

chairman. Our Health Correspondent Sally Mountjoy was there.

It's three months since Martin Watts resigned as hospital chairman. Today

he and two of the three nonexecutive directors who stood down in

solidarity with him were back for a board meeting, this time as members

of the public. We weren't permitted to film the meeting but when the new

chairman asked for questions, Mr Watts stood up and said he wanted it

recorded in the minutes that he was taking both the trust and the NHS

Trust Development Authority to and employment tribunal to clear his

name and get his job back. I cannot conceive that it has been necessary

for me to take the trust to which I'm wholly committed to a tribunal

court in February. And I'm going to have to dedicate a lot of time and

personal money into correcting what is an injustice. Two reports found

he'd breached a policy about Missy at work by invading the personal

space of a member of staff. He says the reports were flawed but he was

forced to resign by the head of the NHS Trust Development Authority.

Martin Watts asked the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to order a

ministerial review of this case but that was rejected. A supporter asked

the health ombudsman to investigate but that was turned down, as well.

Now Mr Watts says legal action is his only option. I deeply route at

it but I'm not going to allow my reputation to be sullied. —— regret

it. Sullied by what I regard as both false allegations and, even worse,

an incomplete and false so—called independent report. Some of those

who monitor health services in Cornwall back Mr Watts' decision. I

think he was badly treated and has every right to make an application.

I think we'll find out the true facts of what went on and what the

situation was all about, and whether it was just a campaign to get rid of

Martin for some reason other than what was said. The hospital chief

executive told Mr Watts at the meeting she wouldn't make any

further comment since he had issued legal proceedings. The NHS Trust

Development Authority said it had been notified about the claim but

wouldn't be making any comment, either.

Sally joins me now live from true road. What does the new development

mean for the trust? For some there is a sense of exasperation that Mr

Watts won't just go quietly. They have a new chairman and they have a

lot of work to do and today's agenda was proof of just how much. Under

discussion was the persistent problem of ad blocking, the

difficulty with eradicating a superbug, how they are going to

manage significant challenges with winter pressures in the coming

months, and how they are going to get over the obstacles to become a

foundation trust. There will be those who criticise Mr Watts for

taking legal action because it will divert from a hospital's real work

and be expensive, yet his supporters include a number of champions of

patient and health care in Cornwall and those people say he was a strong

and able leader and absolutely deserves to have his case heard.

Thank you. A range of important public services

across Devon face widespread cuts, the council leader has warned. John

Hart says children's centres, Hart says children's centres,

libraries, roads and bus subsidies could all suffer. He's beginning a

series of meetings tonight to outline the impact of new austerity

savings, saying he has to cut £110 million. Our home affairs

correspondent Simon Hall reports from Topsham, near Exeter.

Libraries are likely to suffer more cut in the latest round of budget

reductions in Devon, to the alarm of readers. I think it's an incredibly

important service and I work at the local school so I'm an advocate for

the library and its nice to come over and see the children here. For

personal reasons it's good and four children it's so important and I

think it needs to be kept. I think it's an important thing and they do

interesting things here, particularly for children, so it

would be a great pity. But in Topsham there is a plan which, in

other places in Devon, may have to be adopted — for a community group

to take over the library and use it as a hub for a range of services.

People are interested in what is going on locally and trying to

support things locally and we have an ability and abundance of

experience in our neighbourhood and we use those skills and experience

to bring the best out for everybody in that community. Devon County

Council say they need to reduce spending by £110 million because of

the government's austerity cuts. The service is likely to suffer include

libraries, children's centres, road maintenance, bus transport and

economic develop and subsidies. The settlement over the next two years

is going to be dire. We've gone with the fact and the meat. We are going

to be hacking into the bone of a county council. The county council

are now hosting a series of meetings with other councils in Devon and the

public, to discuss how to reduce the impact of the cuts. This is a

reminder that despite signs of economic recovery, the days' are far

from over. It is an issue which is likely to be one of the most

important at the general election and that is less than two years

now. Two Greenpeace activists from Devon

have been remanded in custody in Russia, to await trial for

attempting to climb an offshore oil platform in the Arctic. Alex Harris

and Iain Rogers are among 30 campaigners who are being detained

in Russia, after being arrested last week on suspicion of piracy.

Campaigners in Brixham say they haven't given up hope of saving the

town's Coastguard Station despite official confirmation of a closure

date. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said that Brixham will

close in November 2014 — two months after Portland, which is due to

close in September next year. Falmouth will stay open as part of

the Government's modernisation of the service. Scott Bingham reports.

Protest against the closure of Brixham coastguard began soon after

the plans were announced. More than two years and many twists and turns

later, confirmation has finally come. Two of the Southwest's three

stations will close next year but campaigners in Torbay still refused

to give up hope. I've been fighting from day one and I'm going to

continue to fight because I believe there is still an opportunity to

save the guys and girls in the coastguard station. They had to be a

date. They did slip and I thought we had an opportunity to get in and do

some more saving at the fight goes on until they turn the key for the

last time and lock that building up, and I'm never going to give up. The

timetable has slipped by several months. The closures were originally

expected next April but the MCA has now confirmed that Wrexham will

close in November 2014, two months after Portland, which will close in

September. —— Wixom. The government's modernisation of the

service comes into force in October. The MCA insists there will be no

reduction in the availability of resources. The chief executive of

the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said today in a statement, " this is

an exciting time. We are moving into a new era for HM coastguard that

will reinforce the ability of our staff to ensure the safety of

seafarers and the public. At the same time, our coastguards can look

forward to more satisfying and better rewarded careers".

Condemnation by MPs of the way that broadband internet is being rolled

out to rural areas is being echoed by the region's business community.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee says the taxpayer is being

ripped off. But there is, at least, a feeling that Cornwall is better

served than Devon and the east of the region. Our business

correspondent Neil Gallacher reports.

Small—business owner Pete Green has just about given up hope of getting

decent conventional broadband. He finds it too slow. So to collect to

the outside world from his home in mid Devon, he's resorted to a hook

up by his mobile phone which picks up a 3G signal in a window. We are

up over 11 megabits. People in Devon have invested money in it so we've

put our money up front for broadband and I just can't see that it is

actually coming our way now or in the future. I just can't see that

they are making enough inroads into it and anybody is really taking

responsibility for delivery. BT boss site —— BT's website says the entire

region is served. It's a different story in Cornwall where European aid

meant that public money started pouring into broadband for rural

areas well before the days of modern superfast broadband. Devon county

council sees a rather harsh distinction. I think Cornwall has

been extremely clever in getting ahead of the game and have used

their EU money very wisely. Broadband is recognised as an

essential investment and lots of rural areas there are flourishing as

a result of major investment. If we could reflect that in the Devon

economy it would be great. BT wouldn't be interviewed locally

today but in an e—mail told us it is connecting Devon and Somerset in a

project that had already made fibre broadband available to the first

time is a business is three months ahead of schedule. Pete and others

will be watching further progress closely.

A year since work started on a scientific dredging trial in

Falmouth Harbour, the BBC has learned any resolution is still

months away. The trial is looking into whether a deeper channel should

be dug to allow larger ships to use the port. Those who claim it's vital

to secure the harbour's economic future say they are frustrated with

the delays. People opposing the dredge on environmental grounds say

they still aren't getting answers to crucial questions.

The South West Ambulance Trust is failing to meet its targets for the

most serious callouts. The trust says that, in particular, ambulances

are getting backed up at local hospitals, which in turn affects

response times. A national indicator of the pressure services are under

July. Level six is described as a July. Level six is described as a

potential service failure. Shelterbox says it was among the

first to respond to Tuesday's Pakistan earthquake, which killed

more than 300 people. The Cornish—based charity already had

aid boxes in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, to help families

displaced by recent flooding. Next, we'll look at Sir Ben

Ainslie's triumphant transition from dinghy sailing to the Formula One of

yachting. Also still ahead: The new breed of sheep in demand and causing

a stir in the farming world. And piecing together Exeter's

multicultural history. South West sailor Sir Ben Ainslie

has taken his skills onto another level by masterminding an incredible

victory for Team USA in the America's Cup. As Spotlight's Dave

Gibbins reports, Ainslie's transfer from dinghy sailing has been one of

the most successful of all time. Ben Ainslie, seen here on the left,

has become the first British sailor to add success in the America's Cup

to an Olympic title. He won four Olympic medals and a silver in

dinghy sailing and was knighted for his services to the sport. The

36—year—old was called up as the tactician when the defence of the

trophy, the Formula one of the trophy, seemed to be heading for the

rock is. But with him on board, team USA —— staged one of sailing's

greatest comeback is to win 9—eight after they were trailing numeric

mine—1. We were still alive but we knew we had to get ourselves alive.

The sailors and designers did a great job. They did an amazing job

to get the boat round the track. We had one of the biggest fightbacks in

sport but it's an amazing achievement to add to what has

already been an incredible couple of years for Ben so I'm very thrilled.

Ben Ainslie was brought up and educated in true rogue and honed his

skills at a local sailing club. He also has strong links with a yacht

club in Falmouth. There is no question Ben's arrival changed the

chemistry completely and the Americans have hung on to the cup.

I'm not sure I wouldn't have preferred their opponents to hang

onto the cup, to be honest. Then now wants the America's Cup to be held

in Britain as he claims there is enough talent here to warrant a tilt

at the coveted trophy. Who is to say he won't succeed at that reject?

Somerset have avoided relegation from cricket's County Championship

Division One. One of their rivals in trouble, Derbyshire, were heavily

beaten today and they've gone down with Surrey. Somerset's final match

of the season against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge saw

them close day three 173 runs behind Notts. James Hildreth hit 161 for

the Cidermen. A group of farmers in the South West

have created a new breed of sheep and it's selling all over the

country. The Exlana grows a much thinner fleece which self moults.

It's been bred to save farmers the costs involved in shearing — and

demand for it is so high, orders stretch into next year. Anna Varle

reports. It has taken Peter almost a decade

to develop this breed of sheep. He's just one of six farmers who got

together and decided to create the Exlana, a sheep which doesn't need

cheering. To do it, they used to genetics of breeds from around the

world. We've introduced five breeds and cross them with the existing

breed and over nine years, we've stabilised the breed to produce the

sort of sheep you see here, which are quite uniform and very high

producing. The aim of the new breed is to save farmers money. The price

amongst the highest it's ever been amongst the highest it's ever been

but it still doesn't cover the costs of sharing. —— for wall. That is why

this group of farmers have developed a new breed of sheep. It takes away

all of the costs. The breeding programme involves recording 10,000

sets of data and farmers say the end result is an animal which produces

more lands and takes up less of their time. It takes a lot of the

day—to—day drudgery out of keeping sheep and we're now thinking there

keep a lot more sheep. I jokingly keep a lot more sheep. I jokingly

say that I think keeping 2000 sheep will be a part—time job. This year

there will be a total of 5000 Exlana use in existence, mainly in Devon.

The demand has been so high that orders are stretching into next

year. A group of researchers in Exeter

have been working together to unearth the city's multicultural

history. The project, called Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots, is

the culmination of a year's work to produce a website which people can

add to or learn from. John Danks reports.

They've grown up in Exeter but how well do they know its history? This

is one of the ways pupils are learning the stories of different

cultures, past and present. Some of the things are quite surprisingly I

didn't know pig hunters had links with Devon. I didn't know people had

done things in Exeter. They are interested to learn more about their

own city, the diversity, interesting things. Their history curriculum is

a set curriculum but this is expanded their local knowledge. The

school is not only using the history project but adding to it. Some of

these former pupils contributed their own stories, which will be

archived. My mum was a nurse in Singapore and then because Singapore

used to be part of England, she got a job here in the UK and then I

moved here aged eight and I've been here ever since. This woman is one

of the local researchers. She helped to create some of the stories. I

think there is still a perception that Exeter is all white. There is a

perception that it is all white English and that is not actually the

truth. That's been one of the important things about this project.

This spire from a church that once stood on what is now Cathedral Green

is a significant marker for the cultural heritage of the city. The

earliest record we know of a black person in Exeter was in the 1600.

There was a boreal of someone called Thomas who was described as being

the son of a Blackmore. There is a wonderful mystery. Who was Thomas?

How old was he? Where did he come from? It's hoped the project, called

Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots, will be rolled out across

other schools in the city. Plymouth's Theatre Royal has

reopened its doors again tonight after closing in April for a £7

million regeneration project. The Drum lifts its curtain first tonight

with a political drama — and tomorrow night's opening on the main

stage has been completely sold out. Johnny Rutherford has been to see

the revamped theatre. This is a five—minute call.

Stand—by, box office. Contractors, leave the site please. We have five

minutes till the opening of the Theatre Royal. It's had more than

just a face—lift — it's had major surgery. There are last—minute

touches but it is ready to receive its audience. There is a new

entrance area and box office, a bigger lobby and shop, a new cafe

and an extended restaurant with an outdoor terrace for summer evenings.

It may look shiny and new but it is still the old Theatre Royal

underneath. It is the Theatre Royal of 1982 with a twist. There are

several finishes. The ceilings came down and we put the same ones back

up because we are very fond of the building and the period it

represents, which is when theatres really started to be built with

larger for yeas, in the 1980s, to be more than just a performance space

but a community space where people can gather, relax and take time out.

The entire theatre has been given an upgrade and installation and will

soon has three stages. This performance area will be able to

seek an audience of 100 as part of the second phase in the £7 million

project. It will be used for community and education work. The

main stage gets a new name, the Lyric, and there is still the Drum.

So the stage is set for tonight's first performance, Fight Night,

here. Tomorrow night, they open with War Horse. We'll bring you more on

that tomorrow. That is what is happening at the

Theatre Royal but onstage now with the weather is David.

You won't need to turn your heating on this weekend. It stays relatively

warm. Good evening. We've got some showers to come our way as we head

into the weekend. Some will be quite heavy but look at the temperatures.

Pretty much above average for the time of year. Even if we do season

rain, the temperatures will stay into next week. —— see some rain.

I'm just going to get the right graphic up... Justin, stop making it

all go wrong! Let's look at tomorrow's forecast. Much brighter.

The breeze is the key because we'll see a change in the wind strength,

which was to the air. The air has been stagnant over the last few

days. This low—pressure is drifting towards us and squeezes up the

isobars to give us a bit more wind. Showers on Saturday, some of them

turning out to be heavy. Overnight the night, a chance of the odd

shower but not much. The skies clear later in the night and although

there will be shallow mist patches, we went to see the fog. NEC fork

left behind will be in the far west of Cornwall, near the Isles of

Scilly, but they will be moved away as the wind increases. A few showers

left behind towards the north of Devon towards the Somerset levels,

but they will move away towards the morning. Tomorrow, expect a lot of

cloud to start the day but through the morning and into the afternoon,

the sunshine will work through the cloud. The breeze is easterly, which

tends to give dry weather so we should cease in sunny spells. The

exception is in West Cornwall and around the Isles of Scilly where

more cloud will be coming our way and it will be thick enough here to

give showers later in the day. And easterly breeze right along the

English Channel and across the Channel Islands. In easterly wind on

the coast and in Torbay and Portland, it may not feel as warm as

the temperatures show. South of the breeze, we should see temperatures

of 20. Here's the forecast for the Isles of Scilly. A breezy day with

cloud and showers. Here are the high water times. The surf this week has

been pretty good with very light winds. Some lovely clean waves. A

bit more of a stir in the air which will change the structure of the

waves. The north coast has the cleanest to serve but becoming a bit

choppy along the south coast. —— the cleanest surf. Here is the coastal

waters forecast. I mentioned the rain as we move into the weekend.

Saturday's forecast is rather cloudy. Some of the showers could be

quite heavy but since both the brighter weather in between,

generally through the day on Saturday. Quite a cloudy day with

keen winds. Why Sunday, the winds begin to drop. There will be breaks

in the cloud and we will see some widespread and persistent light rain

or drizzle through the day on Monday. Quite a lot happening over

the next few days but the good news is, night—time temperatures not

really falling very much, and daytime temperatures holding up

quite well. Have a good night. Before we go, a reminder that we're

looking for our Unsung Sporting Hero of 2013. Do you know someone who

voluntarily gives up their time to encourage others to participate in

sport? If you do, now is the time to nominate them. There are two ways of

doing that — you can either go to our website bbc.co.uk/unsunghero —

or you can call 0845 308 8000 to ask for a nomination form to be posted

to you. Calls cost up to 5p per minute from most landlines, and

calls from mobiles may cost considerably more. Full terms and

conditions for the awards are on the website.

The main stories again: The former chairman of the Royal Cornwall

hospitals trust, Martin Watts, caused a boardroom drama by turning

up at a meeting vowing