22/11/2013 Spotlight

Thank you, Tomasz. That is all from the News At Six,

Farmers facing a financial crisis ` a big increase in the number who are

struggling with unsustainable debt. Good evening. Charities say they are

receiving more calls for help from Devon and Cornwall than anywhere

else. I'm of the time when I should clear all my debts, one should be

able to have less repayment with the mortgage gone, but unfortunately,

now I haven't. And tonight, the warning of poaching

becoming a problem of deer. We will discuss the issue tonight. And free

at last. The Greenpeace campaigners from Devon leave jail in Russia.

Rural charities are concerned debt is reaching unsustainable levels

amongst farmers in the South West. The Farm Community Network says it's

dealing with more cases from Devon and Cornwall than anywhere else in

the country with the majority of calls relating to finances. The wet

winter and the freezing spring are thought to be largely to blame. In a

moment we'll hear from the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution,

but first this report from Anna Varle.

It has been a difficult two years for Tom. He is one of many farmers

in the region hit hard financially by the appalling weather in 2012. He

has had to sell a third of his herd and ask the bank for a ?20,000 loan

to keep going. It feels like a weight on my shoulders. I am now

getting one bit and I'd rather I didn't have this. I'm at a time when

should clear all my debts and should be to have less repayment with the

mortgage gone and everything else, but unfortunately, now I haven't.

Like many farmers here, his fields were under water for months, which

meant he had no land to graze cattle on. Tom is not alone in increasing

his overdraft. We will charities say debt is reaching unsustainable

levels. `` rural charities. Joe is now working with many people who

have reached crisis point. It can be a very isolated lifestyle, farming.

They don't have contact often was many people visiting their farms and

if they don't have a family to offer them support, pressures and worries

on the farm can seem to be very... Insurmountable and they don't know

where to go to get help, so often having someone to talk to, that can

help them think about possible solutions. `` contact often with

many people. In Devon alone, the charity is already supporting a

total of 230 farmers and their families this year. That is before

Christmas hits. Animals had not grown as well as they normally do

and losses were heavy, certainly in the sheep sector. Lots of cows were

lost because of the bad winter and bad conditions. But generally,

people were very `` at a very low ebb because of the high workload as

well. The weather has been kind of this summer and Tom is starting to

rebuild his herds. But with just a month to go till Christmas,

charities are reminding farmers not to suffer in silence.

Earlier, I spoke to Phillipa Spackman from the Royal Agricultural

Benevolent Institution. I asked her why so many farmers in the South

West were struggling with debt. While the problems we have actually

had this year are that we are still mopping up from the effects of last

year, and if you think about the weather and floods that affected

Somerset in particular, and then the extreme cold and the snow that has

affected people this spring, in fact, you can see how many, many

thousands of pounds of extra costs were born by many, many farmers.

Really through losses. Just give us an idea of how serious things are?

How bad is it for some farmers? We are giving people money for things

like food, school uniforms, and we are helping them to pay with

funerals. These are costs which are substantial and they can really

through any family finances into turmoil. Non`farming families are

going through difficulties as well. Our farmers any worse than anyone

else in society at the moment? They would not want to be seen as a

special case because, as you say, we're all suffering from the

impending rise in bills and the extra cost is we are paying in our

utility bills and supermarkets. But three years ago, the government did

a report that said a quarter of four farming families were already on or

below the poverty line. `` of all families. And the domestic accounts

are almost intertwined with the business accounts, so problems can

quickly stem on the family finances. How well resourced are you, given

the demand for help is on the increase? We have given up twice as

much money so far this year to people of working age. It used to be

the cage `` case that we traditionally helped people who were

retired all had cases of illness or disability. But a third of cases

coming to us are working farming families. We are very grateful to

the help from the public as they have responded to amend a sleeveless

year. And the Prince of Wales has also given a lead in making

donations to our charity. `` have responded tremendously this year.

But we are seeing a rise in money being given out in grants to people

to help them cope with everyday expenses. Thank you.

Meanwhile, farmers on Exmoor are finding themselves a hotspot for

deer poaching. The police say thieves are now working in teams to

illegally kill and sell the animals. They are benefiting from the high

price of venison and demand from abroad for antlers. Last month, the

heads of 11 stags with antlers sawn off were found dumped near South

Molton. Farmers, wildlife groups and police are tonight meeting to

discuss the problem. Spotlight's Hamish Marshall is there. The

meeting will take place here in the village hall in about an hour's

time. The value of deer carcasses has doubled in the last four years

to around ?200 each and the antlers can fetch thousands, as you say,

especially on the export market. Why is this place being targeted? Well,

the animals, there is a very high concentration of red deer and good

quality as well. Large animals, and the larger the animal, the more the

carcass can be sold for. There are also decent medications here,

allowing poachers to get away. Joining me now is a policeman who is

the wildlife officer for Devon and Cornwall. How big a problem is this?

It is difficult to get figures but we are being told we are not seeing

the normal numbers in season compared to the growth of the

population. People are also apparently trespassing on the land

at night to the point where they are hearing shots fired. So you think

this is becoming quite organised crime? Yes. We believe there are

organised teams in the south`west taking deer illegally. It is the

season for deer shooting but you need the permission of the landowner

and you cannot do it at night`time? Absolutely. The main thing I am

getting from residents is shooting at night`time, and that is dangerous

as well. You have a project going on at the moment. Tell us what it is

trying to achieve. Operation Trespassers is to tackle nationally

the problem of poaching. Certainly it is a national wildlife crime

priority because of the concerns raised by my residents, and that

means it is a real priority. I can confirm that a number of heads were

found a few weeks ago or a month ago in South Moulton and the antlers

were sawn off. They probably were taken illegally and dumped there. We

are hoping the public will become our eyes and ears and take

confidence to report matters to us. We can then plan our patrols

effectively. Thank you. We will be at the meeting and we will have more

on this in our late news. Thank you. Three people from Devon who were

arrested as part of a Greenpeace protest have been released from

Russian jails. Iain Rogers from Exeter, Alex Harris from Dolton, and

Kieron Bryan from Shebbear were arrested in September. Emma

Thomasson has been to meet some of their families.

Elated to be free. Alex Harris, who works as a communications officer

for Greenpeace, was released on bail from a women's prison in St

Petersburg. Her first thoughts were of her family. I'd love them so

much, and thank you to them. My mum, my dad, my sister, Georgie, my

cousin Gemma. All of my friends. The whole of Greenpeace and the 2

million people all around that who signed the petition calling for our

release. Just thank you so much for your support. I wouldn't be free if

it wasn't for them. A massive sense of relief for her parents and sister

back in Dolton. Alex was straight on the phone to contact them. I

answered it and she said, it is me. And they said, who is me? And she

said, Alex. I'd just burst into tears. Very, very happy. Fantastic.

It is such good news. Lovely to see her face and you can see how happy

she is. It is wonderful. I told her I loved her and I was very proud of

her and she became a bit emotional and eye became a bit emotional! So I

broke the ice by saying, promise me one thing. The next time you go to

the Arctic, please go with a cruise liner! ?? WHITE Alex was one of 30

people arrested after the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise was boarded by

Russian security forces during a protest against oil drilling. They

were originally charged with piracy. That was was then downgraded to

hooliganism, which still carries a maximum penalty of seven years in

jail. Also released this morning, freelance video journalist Kieron

Bryan whose family lives in Shebbear. Tough. Really tough for

everyone, I'm sure. More than anything, it is the isolation, not

being able to speak to anyone, not being able to speak a common

language, and being trapped in a cell 23 hours a day is something I

don't ever want to experience again. ?? WHITE Kieron's dad is just

relieved to see his son out of jail. It has been a bit of a nightmare

throughout, really. Russia have made their point, possibly. Those people

there should really dropped the charges and have let them go. The

families are now hoping they'll be allowed back to the UK soon. If not,

they're applying for visas to travel to Russia.

Police in Exeter have arrested a 25`year`old man on suspicion of

murder following the death of a man last night. Officers were called to

a house in Alphington Road just before eight o'clock. A 43`year`old

man was found inside and was taken to hospital, where he died from his

injuries. A woman has told Spotlight how she

feared an abusive ex`partner would snatch her son because he was able

to track her movements by stalking her on the internet. Today a

campaign was launched by Devon Cornwall Police and domestic

violence organisations to highlight the link between domestic and sexual

abuse, and cyberstalking, as John Henderson reports.

I've just can't get away, there is nowhere to run, I sought the help,

get out the house, and still he has his fund.

A poem from Melanie about what it's like being stalked online. Melanie

isn't her real name. We've changed it because cyberstalking almost

ruined her life. Looking over your shoulder all the time, being in

town, thinking, you know, is he going to come from nowhere and

snatch my son? It is just scary how people can do this over the

internet. The internet has made communicating via social media sites

easier. But there are dangers. Cyberstalking is a feature of

domestic and sexual abuse. This morning in Exeter, police and victim

support groups spelt out the risks. We might say where we are going

rather than where we have been, so somebody knows physically where we

are going to be and at what time, and people check in. They might put

about their emotional state, things they are feeling, things they would

never normally dream to tell. The theme of the campaign is, everything

you do online leaves a trace. Which, in turn, helps the police stalk the

stalkers. People have this perception that anything online is

acceptable because it is online. They could be using an anonymous

profile. It isn't acceptable at all. Anything posted is in the public

domain and it will be dealt with swiftly. Melanie says she's staying

online. Quitting would give her abuser control and power. We need to

fight this cyber war to keep survivors strong.

Puddings at the ready ` we'll be gearing up for Stir Up Sunday.

And as Dr Who celebrates his 50th anniversary, could this be his

biggest fan? Time for the sport now. The owner of

the Cornish Pirates has denied that his stepping aside will herald the

end of professional rugby in Cornwall. Dicky Evans has made the

decision to take a back seat after 20 years at the helm. He now wants

shareholders to step up and play their part to keep the club going.

Andy Birkett has been talking to the Kenya based businessman.

When Dicky Evans announced he was stepping aside, many in Cornwall

wondered if this was the beginning of the end. I will still continue to

sponsor the club at I do not have the time or, frankly, at the moment,

the energy to carry on trying to keep an eye on everything. We are

hoping to put in place a proper board, a board of direct is,

representing the shareholders. We deliberately kept the subscription

to a low level so nobody can own this club. So what they are getting

is a club in the upper reaches of the championship with a stadium,

probably available 2017, 2018, plus support from me going forward, but

are actually don't have the time now to be involved on a day`to`day basis

with the running of the club. But at the moment, what stadium? Nobody is

willing to pay for the site held at the moment outside Truro. Three of

us paid for the design of the stadium. It cost 40 million. What we

don't have is the silver spoon in the mouth that perhaps other clubs

have had, whereby they could sell a ground and start off with 50

million`plus to build a stadium. It is a bit cheeky but it is very easy

to spend another man's money. People might say, he has got hundreds of

millions of pounds. What difference does it make if he pays for this

himself? And you are cheeky! That is not fair. I don't have that money.

If I did, I would pay for a stadium. That is not to say that if a stadium

doesn't come at the right time and eye can liquidate the assets I have

currently around the world at a profit that I might not put some

money in, but I don't have that money to hand. But the council dials

and last year it voted against using public money to fund it. I think you

are well aware I was in tears when they voted against the stadium

because we had an agreement with the council that they would provide a

stadium and eye would provide the team. I've kept my side of the

bargain and they did not keep theirs. `` I would. The council was

clear that public funding would not be used for the stadium, it said. He

flew in from his home in Kenya last week to watch his beloved pirates. I

was in Jersey not just for the rugby but to talk to the family, the

people who have forked out all this money. They think I'm mad. But they

did me proud when I was a kid so you have to look after people on the way

up because you might need them on the way down.

The Cornish Pirates are at home to second`placed Bristol on Sunday.

Tonight, Plymouth Albion go in search of their first home win of

the season against Bedford, who've lost seven of their first eight.

In the Premiership, the Exeter Chiefs host the leaders Saracens at

Sandy Park tomorrow. The Londoners have lost just once all season in

the League, while the Chiefs, with only two defeats, have come against

top four sides Northampton and Leicester.

Onto football, and Yeovil Town and Torquay United have chances to ease

their relegation fears this weekend. Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle both

face teams chasing promotion. Alan Richardson has a look head to the

weekend's action. Your Vail can look to improving. But others will be

looking for a repeat of last year's 2`1 win over the Rovers. Tomorrow,

there is a relegation six pointer in deep to from the manager as they

look to move out of the bottom to at Accrington Stanley's expense. Exeter

city look for their first win in six. Watch Dale could go top.

Plymouth Argyle look to extend their unbeaten run to seven games and they

host Dagenham Redbridge. Pupils at a school in Exeter are helping to

provide lives at a soup kitchen for the homeless. Even more impressive

is the fact that the youngsters are growing the ingredients in their own

garden. John Henderson has been to see them digging, cooking and

delivering school meals with a difference.

Ready, go! Josh and Joe getting stuck in. First task, pull up some

vegetables. Wait! ID and you pull! The boys are a `` are pupils at a

school for children with various complex needs and abilities. This

garden is a great place to learn. Leeks picked, it is time to get them

inside. This is heavy! I will splatter it all over! I dropped one!

Dropped it! A careful wash... Then slice and dice. This is going into a

vegetable soup for homeless people. It means people can get food if they

have not got a home. This is tasty. And they don't have to find food.

They can go and get free food and it keeps them warm. For their teachers,

it is an exercise in understanding where food comes from and working as

a team to prepare it. And also an understanding of themselves as part

of the wider community. And perhaps there are others less fortunate than

themselves and then maybe by growing vegetables and cooking food, they

can help these people. Lend it up, the young chefs are happy with their

work. Do you like it? Yeah. What do you think the homeless people will

say? Good! And a few hours later, a dozen or so people coming off the

streets. It is cold outside and hot meal is just what they need. Super

hits the spot. It is with vegetarian all Beacon, even, and with it being

local vegetables, it is fantastic. And it is all seasonal. Early on.

Really nice, warm, friendly environment to be in. And for all

their efforts, they have won ?500 from the recent community awards by

the University of Exeter. The plan is to spend the money on another

poly tunnel to keep the food coming and Josh and Joe Busey.

It's scared generations of youngsters ` and some adults, for

that matter ` and this weekend celebrates its 50th anniversary. All

over the world, audiences will simultaneously enjoy a special

episode of Doctor Who to mark the milestone. The programme has

millions of fans who know everything there is know about the Time Lord,

his companions and his foes. But in Somerset, there's one follower who

maybe the biggest fan of all. Clinton Rogers has been to meet him.

To call Tom Jessops a fan is, well, an understatement. In a bedroom

which is a shrine to the Time Lord, Tom has been glued to his TV screen

watching every available Dr Who episode from the past 50 years.

Don't be alarmed. Come from a land far away. Actually, no, I've just

come from my office in Taunton! Obvious question first ` white? Why

watch every single episode? Well, back in 2010, I realised we were

only a few years ago from the anniversary season, so I thought,

yeah, 2013, the 50th anniversary... So, hang on, you prepped this? Yes.

But this is TV viewing in the extreme. 798 episodes. 3,000 hours

of TV, averaging, he says, four episodes a day. Obsessed or just?

Obsessed fan! The cinema worker from Yeovil has met all of the surviving

13 doctors over the past 13 years. Colin Baker is his favourite, you

sense. Look at this! Oh, and he also has a wardrobe full of costumes he's

either bought or had made. And, here it is... My favourite. Colin Baker!

That is bright! Oh, yes. Probably the best`dressed man in Yeovil, who

will be dressing as the Doctor when he goes to work at Yeovil cinema on

Saturday for a big`screen showing of a special anniversary episode.

Now, that is dedication, isn't it?! It is time for the weather. We seem

to have a bit of a problem tonight because David is not here... Anybody

got a number for him? He is making a spectacular arrival!

LAUGHTER Who knew you got here like that?! No

expense was spent on that at all! I don't think the real doctor has

anything to worry about whatsoever! Let's just get rid of this. I will

press my clicker! A bit more down to earth, and let's have a look at the

forecast. A bit promising with some fine weather around, mist early in

the day with frost, and, yes, we will get some sunshine as it is

quiet and drive. Several big areas of low pressure,

one which isn't too far away from the coast of Spain and Portugal and

the other which could give heavy snow over the Alps. A very early ski

season there. But for us, and area of high pressure which gently moves

in towards us over the weekend, keeping things try and settled, with

plenty of sunshine in the daytime but rather cold at night. That is

the satellite picture from earlier today. The one exception has been

the Channel Islands, where we have had some showers, but the wind is

already falling light for the rest of us, and inland, we will see some

frost forming tonight. Mist and for patches early in the day, most

likely up into East Devon and Somerset. Temperatures anywhere from

a few degrees above freezing down to minus two degrees. A cold start but

a lovely day after that for Bob and mist has gone. More cloud drifting

in towards the Isles of Scilly and West Cornwall, but for all of us, a

lovely day. It is not overly warm, so do wrap`up. Temperatures of seven

or eight degrees. A bit more in the way of cloud over the Isles of

Scilly with the breeze from the north`east. Here are the high water

times. And for our surface, not a great

deal of swell, so not very big but it is clean. `` our surfers. Not a

great deal of wind. So, let's look a bit further ahead. Not a great deal

of change for Sunday, still fine and dry with a bit more in the way of

cloud coming our way, particularly the further east you are. More cloud

for Dorset and Somerset. The dry weather continues into next week but

still on the cold side with the risk of some overnight frost. Have a nice

weekend and back to you. Before we go, don't forget the

Politics Show on BBC One at 11 o'clock on Sunday, when, among other

subjects, they'll be looking at housing benefit changes and

investment in green energy. We were hoping to bring you Stir Up

Sunday, with the Christmas pudding being made by the Royal Navy, but it

seems to be stuck in the oven! We will put it on our Facebook page.

Have a good weekend.