06/12/2013 Spotlight

The sun shall never set on so glorious a human

Paying respects to Nelson Mandela, flags are at half mast and across

the region books of condolence have opened.

Good evening. In Spotlight tonight we'll be seeing how the South West

has been marking the death of Mr Mandela.

We'll look back at how the struggle against apartheid was debated on the

streets of the South West and hear some of today's tributes. The way in

which he kept incredible dignity and spoke to everybody about the way and

need to work together to work out their differences is still

incredibly powerful followers. Ex`mac also today, prison for life,

the Royal Marine who murdered an Afghan service `` and Afghan

insurgent. He will spend at least ten years in prison. Out in

Cornwall, a hospital investigates if delays in cargo treatment may have

caused a patient's death. `` Cardio treatment.

The South West is tonight paying tribute to Nelson Mandela. The South

African Flag has been flying at half mast in the centre of Plymouth in

honour of the country's first black president who brought down the

apartheid regime. A number of books of condolence have opened for people

to pay their own tribute. Spotlight's Hamish Marshall reports.

Thousands of miles from South Africa the impact of Nelson Mandela's death

has been felt strongly. The city council today flew the flag of the

rainbow nation at half`mast. The former leader of the ANC was

remembered during players at Truro Cathedral. The sense of PC had at

all time and sends of wanting to set down and talk and listen. I do

wonder if we can learn something from the great legacy he left people

were willing to sit down with people with whom they disagree violently

and not be so tribal, but want to work together. Eagle working to add

their names to the book of condolence. What I liked about the

man was that he preached forgiveness, the egg, big thing. It

is not shown very often. He was so gentle and everyone loved him. It is

a terrible loss. Tim Massey who lives in South Devon remembered Mr

Mandela when he helped him `` when he helped organise an AIDS awareness

concert for him. There were two types of young people, that factory

gates of people young men will listen to, one was young men and the

other was politicians. And of course, I am both. That shows the

self`deprecating humour of the man and his way of being able to get to

the point very quickly. Exeter was home to one of the UK's all this and

higher pathway groups, and from the mid`60s at Fort the South African

regime. Many activists held gatherings with singing and speeches

in the city centre tomorrow night. `` will hold gatherings with singing

and speeches in the city centre tomorrow night. One of my letters

was actually published in the South African newspaper, which caused

great excitement. I think he was a symbol for me of someone who stood

for justice and equality and freedom and a great inspiration, and his

legacy will live on. Politicians from across the spectrum united in

praise of Mr Mandela. It reminded me of one of the first things I did in

politics, my first public event was a letter to the paper criticising

the then local merrier for facilitating the South African rugby

team at the time I tried to bring a profit. Which of course also Mandela

achieved. People actually trusted in his ability to lead South Africa

forward in a way that did not lead to mass retribution and hatred which

could so easily have happened. Youngsters in Tavistock were today

assessing a man who said education is the most powerful weapon you can

use to change the world. Wattage of the inspirational is how his general

attitude about people, that everyone is equal, he treated everyone the

same. It is important that they knew about his legacy of what he stood

for, obviously that is still pretty painless. It is not just from my

generation but also the generation. Some sports fixtures this weekend

have already announced plans to mark Mr Mandela's passing. What events

are expected. `` more events are expected.

Well in 2005 Nelson Mandela made a surprise appearance via video link

at a concert being staged at the Eden project in Cornwall. The event

was a celebration of African music and was part of a series of Live

eight concerts ahead of a global summit to discuss poverty in Africa.

Well joining me now is Sir Tim Smit, one of the founders of the Eden

Project. As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality

exists in our world none of us can truly rest. What was that moment

like, when Nelson Mandela appeared? It was absolutely electric, of

course. I had not realised, having been a fan from a distance, I had

not realised quite how deeply he influenced so many people. We had

120 African musicians on stage with Peter Gabriel who was co`hosting,

and we were uplifted. One of his special qualities which many people

have not spoken about this that he made a generosity of spirit

politically OK and it was not smothered in that sort of wordy

sanctimoniousness, cynicism is a form of defeat. Many people felt

that he almost gave them permission to be the good person they would

have liked to have been, and that is a terrific gift. I will not forget

that day. We were nothing much more than the fourth in the belly button

of history but it was magic. It was an amazing day. How did it come

about? I had known Peter Gabriel for many years, and when Bob Geldof was

getting a lot of grief for only having American and Western acts on

the live aid bill, we started to feel really on `` really uneasy

because Bob's intention was a very good one. He was being criticised

because people are getting bored. We thought, let's turn Eden into Africa

for one day. He was on the next plane. We had to raise about ?1

million in sponsorship, we have to borrow helicopters and a jet plane,

and we had Angelina Jolie here speaking as well, so we had the

paparazzi, which was a first for us. Peter's address book is believable.

The most extraordinary thing was that the surface MPs will

extraordinary because they made the foreign office open visas for 120

musicians who did not have visas, at the time of high terrorism alert. It

went from nothing to deliver the in 17 days, which goes to show that

when there is a well, humans are pretty darn good, aren't they? Thank

you for sharing your memories. A Plymouth`based Royal Marine who

was filmed executing an injured Taliban insurgent has been sentenced

to life in prison and told he must serve a minimum of ten years in

jail. A court martial heard that Sergeant Alexander Blackman, whose

name was made public for the first time yesterday, had completed

several combat tours over 15 years and was due to be promoted within 42

Commando. His commanding officer described the 39`year`old as a

'normal citizen tainted only by the impact of war'. John Henderson

reports. Royal Marine Alexander Blackman, a

highly trained elite sergeant with 42 commando. He had seen action in

Iraq, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. It was in hell 2011

that he was filmed shooting and injured insurgent. Last month he was

found guilty of murder, the first British serviceman to be convicted

of murder of overseas duties since the Second World War. A few hours

ago a court`martial surf `` sentenced him to life in prison and

he will have to spend at least ten years in jail. I think it is as fair

a sentence as you are going to get, mitigation has been taken into

account, possibly not as far as some think is appropriate but a clear

message is that there is a line and you do not go over it and if you go

over that line you will be punished. In a letter to the court`martial,

Sergeant Byron's commanding officer gave his full support, he said that

fundamentally he is not a bad man, in fact in almost every respect he

is a normal citizen, tainted only by the impact of war. For dash to

commando base just outside Plymouth was just seven nine in the two of

Afghanistan in 2011. Some in the village not be sentenced today was

too harsh. Was doing the job he had been trained to do. What he did he

should not have done but I think the sentence is out of proportion. He

should not be going to prison and he should not be going for life. They

have done now is ruined the whole family, that is all they have done.

I feel sorry for his family. They must live with it now. Tonight,

Sergeant Blackman said he was devastated at the life sentence and

his lawyer confirmed there would be an appeal.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust says one patient may have died as a

result of delays for treatment within their cardiology department.

An independent review has described the way the department was run as

'somewhat dysfunctional.' The Trust says that all heart patients on

waiting lists have now been seen and they are working on improving their

systems. They say the department is safe for patients. Eleanor Parkinson

reports. Last September, the BBC revealed

that hundreds of patients with heart problems were waiting too long for

treatment or medical reviews in the cardiology department. The trust

commissioned an independent review, which did not criticise the medical

care in the Department but it did criticise the way it was being run.

The report says there were problems with the leadership within the

department and between managers and staff. It said complex rotors and

timetables for consultants were also holding up the admission of patients

and at times the Department seemed somewhat dysfunctional. Today, the

trust accepted the criticisms and said they could not rule out that

anyone's health had been made worse. They said that one patient's death

may have been caused by the delays. We have identified at least one

patient who may have, to serious harm or potentially death from the

backlog, and that is part of the investigation at the moment to

establish whether the backlog was the cause of that or whether there

was another cause. That is still being investigated? You cannot say

whether the death was caused by the delays or other circumstances? We

are concerned it was caused by the Delhi and that is why we are

investigating it. The trust say that nearly all patients who needs to be

seen have been seen in the modernising the way the department

has been run. In a separate investigation, one consultant

cardiologist, one of seven working at the hospital, is on restrictive

practice while his workers reviewed. There's been a mixed reaction to

news that the railway line between Exeter St David's and Taunton will

be closed for three weeks in the New Year for engineering work. Business

leaders say they're getting a "stop`go" service from Network Rail

after the line was shut because of flooding this time last year. But

there is wider agreement on the need for investment in the network. Simon

Clemison reports. Listen to the sound of the 1011 arrival into

Exeter Saint Davids this morning. From the 18th of January, for three

weeks, passenger trains will fall silent on the line from here to

Somerset. Daniel Kennard lives in Torquay and is an engineer for it,

the important which also has offices in London and the south`east. Trains

keep as carbon emissions down and allow them to get work done on the

journey. We go six or seven times per week to London. What if this is

disrupted? It can be a big problem for us. The closure of the stretches

so the weight bold panel can be upgraded. Some services will be

berated by Yeovil, adding an hour to the journey. There will be

replacement buses, too. Other parts of the network and effective,

trained teams will play `` will change on the journey from Plymouth

to Newquay, and other lines will face alterations on the weekend. The

geography the of south`west means we rely on cars more, but for the

increasing number who take the train the same geography makes this real

wheeling crucial, too. Together with road links and air links, there are

few routes in and out, but not many. When one of those gateways is

blocked, the region can suffer. Businesses in Devon loan estimate

they lost half ?1 billion because of flood relief last year. Businesses

will welcome this investment but it is hard for the businesses to cope

with a three`week gap in service that has very little. Neck or real

TV will do all they can to get passengers to their destinations. ``

Network Rail. I would like to see more investment in a really, perhaps

with more disruption,, to ensure we have a much better really into the

future. The question is whether the gene will outweigh the pain. ``

whether the game will outweigh the pain.

A Devon council has been cleared of health and safety failings following

the death of a pensioner who drowned while trying to get off a ferry.

Dorothy Stevens, who was 80 and from Silverton in Devon, died in July

2010 after falling from the steps after she'd got off Butts Ferry in

Exeter. Exeter City Council denied breaching safety laws, saying she

fell because her walking stick broke. The case had been brought by

the Health and Safety Executive. We have the sport coming up in a moment

when we will review our unsung sporting hero of 2013. And bah

humbug, the stately home taking on the Dickensian theme for Christmas.

Last week on BBC Spotlight we featured the case of tenants of

flats in Exeter, run by Sanctuary Housing, who say their homes are so

cold and damp their health is being affected and in some cases they're

struggling to choose between eating and heating. Since then we've been

contacted by a number of other people also complaining about

Sanctuary housing failing to respond to problems with their homes. Jenny

Walrond has been to meet two of them.

This is the loft. And... As you can see, a lot more water than I

expected. And unexpected shower for Steve as he showed me around his

house. The inside of his loft has water running down and considerable

more. The gamble appears to be coming through the ceiling. This

started just after about two months of being here. And this is not just

mould? No, it is longest tape mould as well. This blows bubbles up from

the sink, I do not know whether it is coming from. We do not use these

sink because this is so disgusting. I have report the problems over the

past two years. They said they said the bill, it and send people out and

we are waiting, all the time for when they are supposed to come out

and they do not bother to turn up. In Plymouth, Stuart Wilson says he

must run his geeky modifier constantly to cope with the dad and

his maisonette. It is privately owned, but managed by Sanctuary, and

Stewart says he plays around ?6,000 per to them. When we had the cold

snap I came downstairs only to find that we actually had a schooling on

the inside of the wall, which was quite a surprise. At the same time

we found that the amount of mould as again increased to the extent that

we have had to replace these curtains. With a flat roof and solid

concrete walls, he says he has no intuition and cannot afford to heat

his home properly. When we run one heater in the living room costs as

?3 or ?3 50 per day to keep that going. What we tend to do is have to

cut back on heaters elsewhere in the house or else we are just having to

be very careful about cover bills going out. Stewart also claims that

sanctity feels that responds to complaints about the state of the

building. Young, there does not seem to be any willingness to actually

listen to me. They are dreadful. Sanctuary Housing declines to do an

interview with BBC Spotlight, but said the tape of their tenants very

seriously and works hard to achieve their current high level of tenant

satisfaction. It says it has visited Stephen Kallis's home on several

occasions to carry out repairs but have been denied access. Sanctity

CBI meeting the city Council this month to discuss plans to install

new double glazing, cladding and better roof insulation and Stuart

Wilson's building. Sports news now and one of the

biggest names in rugby will be gracing Exeter Chiefs' Sandy Park

tomorrow. England World Cup winning hero Jonny Wilkinson captains

Heineken Cup holders Toulon, as the pool stage of the competition

continues. Fly`half Wilkinson is just one of many top names which

litters the Toulon side who beat Clermont`Auvergne in May's final.

It's the first of two successive dates with the crack French team,

who host Exeter next weekend. He has obviously done fantastically well,

he won the condition last year. These guys are the holders so we are

putting ourselves against some of the best players in the world over

the past few years. That is exciting for us but we will not be overawed,

we will get stuck in and see where we come. Everyone in the squad, they

have superstars across the team. That is what we strive to do, we

strive to be playing against the best teams in the Heineken cup,

bringing Jonny Wilkinson and the likes to the park.

South West football sees two crucial encounters this weekend. At Huish

Park, Yeovil Town could move out of the Championship relegation places

by beating the team above them ` Charlton Athletic. Gary Johnson's

three new loan strikers have made an immediate impact, with John

Lundstram from Everton setting up the Glovers for this key game by

scoring the only goal against Blackpool this week. Plymouth Argyle

have eyes on a lucrative third round tie in the FA Cup. They need to

overcome Conference side Welling United at Home Park and are hoping

that Reuben Reid delivers the goods again. We must get through with no

free time. We want to attract a big game, and financially it is good for

both clubs. The only home team, we have been playing well.

Time now to announce the winner of our Sporting Unsung Hero award for

2013. We received scores of nominations and over the past week,

we've been showing you the five finalists for this year's accolade.

The judges decision was that a man who's given 53 years sterling

service to Plymouth Judo Club was the winner. Dave Gibbins has been to

carry out the honours. We are fewer at the judo club to present this

year's BBC South West unsung hero award. The problem is the recipient

knows nothing about it, but he well any moment. Follow me.

Here we are then. And we are going straight across the judo mat to see

Mr Alan Kimber. He has no idea, but he does know. , after more than 50

years of coaching, influencing and refereeing thousands of youngsters,

I am delighted to present to you the BBC South West unsung sporting hero

award. Somebody could have told me! Thank

you. How do you feel? Honoured. Honoured, yes, I have spent a lot of

years doing this but I did not expect any reward. You do it because

you like doing it. Though I don't do a great deal of mat work these days

because I am not able to, it is nice to see that people are enjoying what

I have been doing over the years. It is fully deserved. Well done!

APPLAUSE .

Congratulations to Alan and well done to all our unsung sporting

heroes. Next week we'll be revealing the winners of our Sports Awards,

starting on Monday. He was released in!

Volunteers at the stately home Killerton house have been adding the

finishing touches to celebrate Christmas past, present and future.

Yes, the National Trust's property near Exeter has been welcoming its

visitors with the Dickensian theme of 'A Christmas Carol.' Johnny

Rutherford has been along to have a look.

It is a Dickensian themed Christmas. The 18th`century family home has

been transformed back to it through the user. As the Lebanese are

screwed story gets you through time, teaching you the meaning of

Christmas. `` Ebenezer Scrooge. This is all thanks to endless dedication

from National trust volunteers. It is all about Christmas. Someone who

is happy and miserable and lonely, which makes him grumpy, finding that

he can enjoy Christmas. That it is indeed getting and meeting people

and laughing and having fun and I think some of the best fun we have

had was working out how to do the shop fronts. I look in books to see

what the Victorians did so we can pick up some ideas. And the reading

and things that catch the light is what they would have used with

candles, but we have electricity. The stately rooms are decorated to

match with a Dickens novel, the Christmas Carol. Christmas past

present and yet to come. Remember, you reap what you sow. There are all

sorts of hidden treasures to be found here. There is a Christmas

trail outside that kids can do to actually run of steam, there are

quizzes they can do, there are lots of things and the feedback we have

had has been fantastic. It brings out the Christmas spirit. At the end

of your visit you get the chance to make a wish and hang it on the

wishing tree. I can see what that said! Dan is

here this evening to tell us what the weather has in store. I think

the wish was for Davids or I can pass that on.

Good evening. I think Christmas is too far away to protect what we will

have a go at the weekend. Fairly cloudy to start tomorrow, there will

be some light winds through the weekend and we will see more in the

way of brightness before Sunday. The cable at the big satellite picture,

you can see this massive cloud towards Scotland and the North of

England. For us it is not quite as cloudy, but this will bring in rain

and snow. He noticed you will pressure bringing storms for the

eastern side of the country. This will make it three for the East and

the winds easing. For others we have high pressure, not moving too far

over the next few days. It is bringing in a more westerly airflow

into Saturday and going more south`westerly into Sunday. It will

feel slightly less cold that has over the past few days. Looking

closer then, you can see the code along with brighter spells, perhaps

one or two showers and there. This quote here pushing in as the ornate

mates were generally cloudy story with maybe one or two showers

around. They will have to be on the right side. The clothes will help

cold temperatures up through the night and for most of us, fall

watchable for five degrees. Further to the east to Devon and Somerset

temperatures could drop one two degrees. There will be a chance we

could see some patchy frost. Tomorrow starts off fairly cloudy,

again we have showers coming through but they will be fairly late and

move through fairly quickly. Some of us will not see them at all.

Generally cloudy with one or the better moments and temperatures

could reach nine or 10 degrees. For the Isles of Scilly, it will be

generally cloudy with drizzle around that time. I want is at 7:32am. Not

that much swell out at, probably around one or two feet, but more

further west. The waves are generally clear for surface. We have

winds from the west or Southwest, three or four, generally moderate to

good visibility. Looking further ahead, generally settled over the

next couple of days, generally brighter for Sunday and from Monday,

and it will stay dry with winds coming from the south later. That's

all for now. And our main news again tonight. The

South West has been paying respects to Nelson Mandela. His death has

seen flags flown at half mast in the region. The Bishop of Crediton says

he's left a legacy the world can learn from. The way that he can

decide violence and in a sense save the nation. If you can do that on

that scale, when he had suffered as much as he did, it says something to

all of us that we can overcome our own resentment and bitterness to

make a difference in our own families, our own communities. That

isn't from ours. Thank you very much. Have a lovely weekend.