07/10/2013 Spotlight

"Potential nuclear implications"; concerns over safety at Devonport

after power to cool reactors was lost for 90 minutes. Good evening.

The incident happened last July but the details have only just emerged.

Local residents and MPs are now demanding to know why they weren't

told sooner. We need our people in Plymouth to keep their faith in the

dockyard and in the Royal Navy bearer and we can only do that if

they are a bit more open. The care homes exposed by whistle—blowers.

Nicholas and Anna Chapman were told to improve their homes — the city

council removed the residents. And the operations being cancelled at

the last minute because of a bed shortage in Cornwall. The company

which runs Devonport Dockyard is tonight under pressure to give

assurances over nuclear safety. Babcock has been served with an

Improvement Notice by regulators following an number of incidents at

Devonport where proper guidelines weren't followed. That comes on top

of an incident in July last year which an official report describes

as having "potential nuclear implications." There was a complete

loss of its nuclear ringmain for more than 90 minutes. That power is

vital to cool nuclear reactors. Hamish Marshall is live at

Devonport. Nuclear safety incidents are rated on a scale from A being to

the most serious to D. This was rated as B. This one happened on the

first Sunday of the Olympics last year — but details have been kept

secret until now. The city's two MPs want assurances from Babcock Marine

and say the company has to allay the concerns of people who live around

here. At see their work is mostly unseen, but the refitting and

maintenance of Britain's nuclear submarines takes place to thousands

of homes and that is why this incident has run so many other

bells. Power is vital to ensure that the nuclear reactor is kept cool. On

Sunday, July 29 last year, power was lost for 90 minutes. It was due to a

defect on the switchboard. Defects on the stand—by generators prevented

the immediate resupply. The annual report into nuclear incidents says

it was a category Be incident and it had potential nuclear implications.

The operators own report found an inability to learn from previous

incidents and to implement the recommendations from previous event

reports. Why did the back—up knotwork? It did not start. Someone

has done the maintenance and someone should check this, but what is

happening? Why did it not start? There are bigger questions to be

asked. This was the most serious incident last year, but a series of

other events were guidelines were not followed has led the regulator

to issue an improvement notice. Local MPs say Babcock Marine must

explain what went wrong and how it plans to ensure it will not happen

again. What we need to understand is why the processes went wrong and

what has been done to ensure that further fail safes are in place and

that people are following the right safety culture in the dockyard. If

they can answer those questions, then I am sure at the public will

feel happier. Today, local residents have been seeking reassurance. For

this to have come to light at a late stage is a big concern. The time

lapse in between it happening and is finding out. It is not right, it is

disgusting. They should have notified us right away. Babcock has

declined requests for an interview and the MoD says they have agreed to

an improvement programme and it says we take all safety concerns

extremely seriously, but there is no immediate safety impact. This is the

official advice which is given out in the event of a nuclear emergency

at the site. It is issued by Plymouth City Council, but they have

issued a statement saying it was not directly informed about this

incident when it happened last year and the council says it will raise

this issue at the highest level and seek assurances and wants to be

immediately informed of any future incident. That is what MPs say as

well and they say they will be looking at this to see if the

improvement notice which has been served and see if it makes a

difference. Two care homes which closed after their elderly residents

were removed by Plymouth city council were on the brink of being

officially closed by the care watchdog, a BBC investigation has

found. The Care Quality Commission says the company which ran the homes

was "struggling financially". The council says it had to step in with

emergency staffing and food after the owners Nicholas and Anna Chapman

seemingly "abandoned" the homes. Sam Smith reports. Plymouth Council

effectively closed the homes after hearing mounting concerns from

relatives and two whistle—blowers, former staff Launa Llewellyn Jones

and Rose Parker. There was never any heating in the winter. We would get

told to put a blanket over them. Janine Roberts mother was in Park

View until she was moved out. One Christmas, a manager at the time

said they had to chip in because they had had not had any extras to

do a Christmas dinner. They had bought the turkey. The staff bought

the turkey? Yes. The homes had been inspected by the Care Quality

Commission and had failed certainly cull standards including management

of medicines and meeting nutritional needs. The whistle—blowers took me

to South View. They were concerned that confidential files were

abandoned here. Oh my God! This is appalling. Even the care plans are

there. That is private and confidential information. Sue

McDonald says the final report published in May appalled her and

she thought it would lead to the closure of the home. It did not. The

CQC says it believes it did all it could and says that it was taking

steps to close the homes. Before it could, Nicholas Chapman took himself

off their register. Does that mean he could run a care home again? He

could apply to run a care home. We do have a memory and we are well

aware of his record. He is not automatically disqualified? No. The

Chapmans, directors of Ashley Residential Care Limited have not

responded to our letters and phone calls. Sam Smith joins me now. Where

are the Chapmans? That is a good question. We would like to ask them

why they ran the homes like that and give them a chance to apologise. We

are not the only ones who would like to talk to them. They have many

creditors, suppliers and former staff would like to speak to them as

well. We visited all their addresses and they are not at any of them. How

could this have happened? The city council carried out an investigation

and said they could not tell residents and their relatives what

they were doing because information came to them confidential legal. The

Care Quality Commission, that publishes its reports online and the

trouble with these homes was that the CQC would go in, point out the

problems, the homes would improve for a while, so that they could not

be close, but then they would move backwards. The regulator had a job

harbouring evidence as well. What is the one thing that people can do to

ensure they are choosing a good home? Although the regulator has to

dress —— treat some evidence in confidence, it publishes reports

online and anyone can read those. At these homes, you could see how many

times the regulator was going in and out and how many problems they were

finding. Thank you. There is more on that subject in Inside Out South

West tonight at 7:30pm. A lack of community health and social care in

Cornwall is leading to bed blocking and cancelled operations. Spotlight

viewers were among fourteen people who had surgery postponed at the

last minute today at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, because there are

no beds available. The hospital says some 50 patients are fit to leave

but there's nowhere to move them on to, which is causing the shortage of

beds. Our Health Correspondent Sally Mountjoy is here. What exactly is

the situation? Some people have been in touch to say they turned up for a

planned operation today only to have it cancelled. One woman had been

waiting nine months and she had put elaborate plans in place to keep her

business running. And another woman spoke to the anaesthetist and

surgeon and even had a cannula inserted in her hand and then she

was told that there were no beds free. I am not getting paid and I

have to wait for another date and when that will be I do not know. How

do you feel? Devastated. I cannot understand why the hospital has not

come up with the strategy so this does not happen to people over and

over again. Clearly distressing, but what has brought this about? The

Chief Executive says they currently have 50 medically fit patients who

cannot be discharged because of a lack of community health and social

care support and she said it was this ongoing situation that was

causing the cancellations. She said they were sorry and were trying to

provide new dates for people, but the problem is that many people,

particularly frail older people might be well enough to leave

hospital, but they are not well enough to be sent home without any

support. If there are no places in community hospitals and note

packages from the council, the hospital has to keep the patients.

The pilot cull of badgers in Somerset — part of the government's

plan to eradicate TB in cattle — has officially come to an end. The

government granted a licence for the shooting in a large area of West

Somerset to last six weeks. But even though that period has now closed

the protestors say they will stay. Our Somerset correspondent Clinton

Rogers reports. The prettiest of settings, for the ugliest of rows,

from today, the guns have fallen silent in this rural corner of

Somerset. The village of club and is in the middle of this. Even in this

predominantly farming community, opinions can divide friends. One

person was very much in favour of the cull and the other was very much

against it. The two were together and they just said, our friendship

is the main point, we keep our opinions to ourselves. The cull in

West Somerset began six weeks ago. Protesters have tried to follow

every move, as Marx then set out to kill 70% of the badger population,

around 2000 animals. No one is saying whether that number has been

reached or not. The temporary home of the protesters is still there.

Even though the official cull period has ended, they have no intention of

moving out. The only thing that has stop them getting the numbers they

wanted was because there were so many people getting in the way. Much

respect to those people, but if they disappear, I think they will have a

field day. The National Farmers' Union in Somerset says the fact that

no one was hurt in confrontations shows the cull was carried out

safely. On the ground, I think it has gone as well as anyone could

have hoped. There have been arrests, three in Somerset and 18 in

Gloucestershire. The cull is over here in Somerset, it started later

in Gloucestershire and still has a week to run. Only then will the

department start analysing statistics and working out whether

it is over here in Somerset, it started later in Gloucestershire and

still has a week to run. Only then will the department start analysing

statistics and working out whether and if the pilot was a success and

whether it can be rolled out across other parts of the country. I am

told a pronouncement on that is still many weeks away. Much of the

region's rich and varied past has been preserved on film thanks to the

South West Film and Television Archive. It's celebrating its 20th

year and the collection includes more than forty thousands items from

the old Westward Television and its successor TSW. But despite

preserving the past, the archive is also looking to the future. It is

about to be forced out of its current home which is due to be

redeveloped. John Danks has been finding out what it will mean for

the collection. The Melville building in Plymouth has been home

to one of the largest regional film archives in the UK for 15 years.

Next spring, work is due to start to convert this blog into a boutique

hotel. This means that all of these films will need to move —— block. We

are talking to the landlords and the council. The council is a key

partner for us with plans for the history centre. Hopefully, we will

be able to engineer some sort of solution. There are more than 43,000

items here, each one telling a story. This new script from 1963

talks of Penzance being battered by gales. There were interviews with

one or two famous faces. I did not really collapse. That was the

naughty newspapers. I had a bit of the flu. I am fine. Some of the

boast in treating images are those captured by amateur film—makers.

This one shows a Thatcher at work in the 1930s. Caught on camera by a

major bid —— got a shopkeeper from Turow. This oddity seems to show a

feature film made on a beach in Cornwall, the scene was shot by a

holiday—maker from London who also filmed these fish in the 1930s. ——

fishermen. The Southwest film and television archive could eventually

live here. The council is bidding for funding to help build a new

history centre on the site of the city's Museum. Even if it does get

funded, the new building will not be ready for another four years. The

archives are one of our key partners. We planned to build a

state of the art centre and they are one of our key partners. They are

safe. We will be working with them to find temporary accommodation.

Reassuring news perhaps for the staff and volunteers who work here.

While the archive celebrates its 20th year, this little chap is on

hand should any bunny hops be needed. Lovely to see him again. I

grew up watching him! Time for the sport now and Dave's here with news

of a great weekend for the city of Exeter. Exeter City completed the

first part of a double success for the city's clubs. They overcame

Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle by three goals to one at St James Park

after a goalless first half. So elation for the home fans, but

despair for the away supporters. This is how they saw the derby.

A fantastic game. A very bad side. They will be disappointed. What

about the goals? I loved them. I could not watch at 1—1. I Facebook.

It was a fantastic game and we deserved the win. I did not think it

was a good performance. At least two of the girls worked as a result of

terrible defending. There was not much in the way of tackling. —— girl

—— goals. We had a class act up front. It was a cool finish. We

followed Plymouth Argyle and it was one of the worst sides we had seen

for a long time. Very disappointed. I think we scored three very good

goals. They were good goals. I'm very proud of the players. We played

well. We lost the game, though. We are not winning football matches and

we need to. We need to stay together. The performance was OK,

but it was very poignant. Yeovil Town and Torquay United both

had days to forget. Gary Johnson's Glovers are still without a

Championship win since the opening day in August. Although they took an

early lead at Middlesbrough through Liam Davis, that was soon wiped out

and they eventually ended up on the wrong end of a four—one battering.

Yeovil are in the bottom three and now have a two week break to

re—group due to World Cup qualifiers. In League Two, Torquay

United are now fourth from the bottom after York City inflicted a

three—nil defeat on them at Plainmoor. United conceded all three

goals in the second half, the third scored by ex—Gulls striker Ryan

Jarvis. Exeter Chiefs have gone up to sixth in rugby's Aviva

Premiership after a fine 29—12 win at Gloucester. It was another strong

display from the Chiefs forwards, with number eight Dave Ewers again

catching the eye. He outplayed his opposite number, England's Ben

Morgan, and enhanced HIS chances of perhaps coming to the notice of

England selectors. Ben White and skipper Dean Mumm scored Exeter's

tries with Gareth Steenson contributing 19 points with his

boot. Plymouth Raiders have won their first basketball league match

of the season, beating former champions Newcastle Eagles in

overtime. They were behind at the halfway point of their BBL

Championship match at the Pavilions. But they managed to level matters at

the end of regulation time. The contest went into overtime and

Raiders pushed their noses in front to win 89—87. Finally, cricketing

twins Craig and Jamie Overton from Northam near Bideford, have signed

three year extensions to their contracts at Somerset. The

19—year—olds have both gone on to play for England Lions, while Jamie

was in the England One—Day squad against Australia this summer. Well

done to them! We are staying with sport. A British Olympian and

celebrity ski jumper have been helping to celebrate the 50th

birthday of Torquay's dry ski slope. It was Britain's first purpose built

outdoor ski run when it opened in October 1963. Since then thousands

of people have learned to ski there, with many going on to great things.

Spotlight's Carole Madge donned her salopettes to bring us the story.

Skiing on upturned toothbrushes for 50 years. These racers are enjoying

the legacy of the small band of passionate skiers whose pioneering

vision began the dry ski scope —— dry ski slope movement. That tiny

strip of plastic has grown up and who better to help celebrate than

our own three times Olympian, Chemmy Alcott? To be honest, I am such a

born competitor, when I see people knocking down gates, I want to be

doing that! I am very jealous of these guys. Look who has also

dropped in? You might not recognise him, but you will probably remember

the name, Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards. I loved every single minute

of being on skis, or whether it was alpine racing, or in Gloucester or

racing internationally, I would love to do it all again. Thanks to the

pioneers here he will not have to go far to get the chance. No

self—respecting reporter could possibly come here without giving it

a go. OK, so this might take a while. Talk amongst yourselves. It

is a great sport to do. It is amazing. I have been racing since I

was 12. It is all down to this club supporting me and coaching me every

Monday night. I do not think we will trouble the electronic scoreboard

with this run. I did not fall over! I think I was beaten by a

ten—year—old! Who knows? Some of these children might even be here to

celebrate the centenary of the club. She did really well! She is a good

skier. When does a red squirrel become a flying squirrel? A colony

of the endangered animals have left their home at a wildlife centre in

Surrey and been flown by helicopter from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall to

the Isles of Scilly. The animals were taken to Tresco as part of a

breeding programme because there are no grey squirrels which are an arch

rival of the red and no squirrel pox. It's hoped they might start

breeding as early as next year. You can see more on the squirrels'

amazing journey on Inside Out South West on BBC One at 7.30. Beautiful.

It is time for the weather. It is getting colder. Much cooler

area heading our way as we head through the week. The temperatures

we sort through the week where a shock. We could see temperatures on

Thursday no higher than 13 degrees. This is quite a difference compared

to the weekend. There is the risk of showers and the chance of it

becoming a breezy from Wednesday onwards. We still have an area of

high pressure and it is fairly weak and it is struggling to hold the

cold front at bay and eventually it will drift in across as overnight.

Once that happens, there will be colder conditions, brisk winds

developing on Wednesday and quite a drop in temperatures. The overnight

temperatures we will notice most of all and during the course of weapons

tonight, the colder air will flood in and night—time temperatures, will

give us not much frost, but it could be between six and nine degrees.

Quite a change on the way, but at the moment we still have mild air

and it is a little bit damp and some light rain is possible this evening

and later tonight, some breaks will develop in the cloud and that will

allow missed to form. Overnight temperatures will dip down to ten or

11 degrees. A bit cooler and mild around the coastline. Expect misty

nurse tomorrow, briefly some brighter weather and even some

tighter spells —— spells. You can see this cloud creep in producing

outbreaks of light and patchy rain, but a change to much cloudier skies

as the day goes on. Relatively warm, temperatures up to 17 or 18 degrees.

The Isles of Scilly will see rain and it will be cloudy. Times of high

water. For surfers... There is the coastal waters forecast. Here is the

forecast for Wednesday, a few showers are possible on Wednesday,

but it will be largely dry with some sunny spells and similar conditions

on Thursday, but it will be colder and into Friday, there could even be

some frost. Thank you. That is it from us, but there will be more at

local stories from across the South West coming up at 7:30pm on Inside

Out South West. We will be back tomorrow.