15/01/2014 Spotlight

That's all from us. It's goodbye from me. And on BBC One

The growing anger over flooding. Victims confront a Government

Minister and call for more help. Good evening. Welcome to Spotlight.

The Minister was in Somerset to see the scale of the flooding there but

says he can't promise any extra money. The Government will put money

into schemes which we think will work and help people, together with

the money being put together locally if we can make a contribution we

will be keen to do that. Having seen the problem firsthand, what we will

do tomorrow. Also, protected status for the region's beef and lamb. Only

animals born and raised here in the south`west will be able to carry the

label. Royal Marines to the rescue. 40 cars Strand 2 Strand 3ed by a

Christmas Day landslip are liberated using landing craft.

The Government's Floods Minister has been in Somerset this afternoon

seeing for himself the devastation caused by flooding in the county. He

came face`to`face with those who've been personally affected and he was

left in no doubt about their anger. Afterwards, in an exclusive

interview with our Somerset correspondent Clinton Rogers, he

said he would take their concerns back to Government, but couldn't

promise any financial help. We had this meeting last year.

Annual meeting. There was a sense of, we have been here before.

Another flood, another Ministerial visit to Somerset. Among those

turning up demanding help, two people from a village who came in

Wellingtons to make a point. There must come a time they think we have

a point here, better dosh something about it. It was no surprise among

the victims, landowners and civic leaders who came, the consensus was

that flooding on this scale could have been avoided if the Environment

Agency had properly maintained the rivers. Declog them, dredge them of

silt. Instead, 12% of Sedgemoor is now under water. We have a nuclear

power station coming in. How can you afford to have A roads blocked off

for weeks? How can you manage with 12% of the land mass flooded? We

want to encourage the supply chain to come in. If they visit us now,

why would they put money into Sedgemoor? So, was the floods

Minister able to promise anything? What we want to do Something that

will make a difference. They're telling you what that is, dredging.

Will you come up with the money for dredging, yes or no? We are putting

in 2. 3... For dredging? I have to keep asking. They just want you to

answer the question, will you pay for dredging? The Government will

put money into schemes which we think will work and help people,

together with the money being put together locally if we can make a

contribution we will be keen. I can't commit here as a new Minister

coming in and seeing the problem firsthand of what we will do

tomorrow. This afternoon the County Council did promise an extra

?500,000 towards dredging. But to clear the rivers properly could cost

anything up to ?20 million. So far, no one is digging deep for that kind

of money. The recent storms have left a trail

of destruction in many communities. In Cornwall, The Royal Marines have

been drafted in to help rescue around 40 vehicles which have been

stranded since Christmas after a landslip cut a village in two.

People living in Calstock haven't be able to move their cars since the

road gave way. Johnny Rutherford watched today's military operation

unfold. Probably one of the biggest military

operations to happen at Kalstock since the world war. This is the

reason the 40 cars got stuck, the road collapsed on Christmas Day and

at a village meeting with councillors to decide what to do a

ten`year`old boy suggested they get the Navy to help. He had recently

met the Commodore and showed councillors his business card. Now

he is a local hero. They usually come down for practices. I thought

if they can do it for practices, they can do it for smaller cars than

they normally do. You see it happening behind you, what do you

think? I feel good. I like it. There's so much commotion down here.

The operation, four landing craft, to take 40 cars away. It's slow, but

it's happening. It's our intent to free up this road here... Car owners

were anxious to get their vehicles back. Some desperately needed for

business. It's large the van, do you think it will be all right?

Optimistic, yeah. These guys are fairly good, aren't they? They sort

of seem to be good everywhere else in the world, hopefully they can do

the same thing. Looking forward to it really. Quite exciting. One and

only chance to be on a landing craft, I think. The Royal Marines

first assault group treated the rescue as a training exercise. We

are having to put wood underneath and adapt it as the tide comes in so

we get the vehicle on there unscathed. The cars were taken down

the river to be unloaded at the National Trust's harbour. It's a

complex problem and we have people working for us who know how to deal

with complex problems. For the future how long? For the future I

wouldn't like to put a time on it, you never know what the weather is

going to do. Drivers were pleased to get their cars back. And enjoyed the

ride. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has

been invited to Devon to see the impact the weather has had on the

county's roads. Devon County Council has written to David Cameron to ask

for the opportunity to discuss concerns over road maintenance. It

says it's currently facing an estimated ?750 million backlog to

bring the road network up to a good standard. Farmers and economists

have warmly welcomed the granting of a special new status to some of the

south`west's most important foods, saying it'll provide a multi`million

pound boost to the industry. West Country beef and lamb have been

given Protected Name Status by the European Union, after a long

campaign. Our correspondent Simon Hall reports from the Devon village

of Christow in the Teign Valley. Lamb and beef from the south`west

now has official recognition as amongst Europe's Premier Foods.

Protected name status guarantees its authenticity and origins and bans

imitations. Devon farmer Peter was one of the leaders of the eight`year

campaign for the stats. We are all very `` status. We are all excited

and delighted we have this new branding image for the high quality

meat produced within the south`west. We are fortunate that we have an

extended grass growing season in the south`west of England. We are now

able to brand that high quality product and sell it worldwide. In

the short`term it will mean consumers have a choice. They can

see on the supermarket shelf West Country lamb or West Country beef,

will know what it is and what it means and where it's come from.

They'll have the choice over meat from elsewhere in the country or

overseas. In the longer term, we hope that will command a premium

once it's within the consciousness of consumers. The new status

protects lamb and beef from the six Counties of the greater south`west.

It means animals must be born, reared and slaughtered in the

region. They must also be fed mainly on grass and forage. One leading

south`west economist told me it will be a significant marketing asset.

Consumers will certainly buy this because they want the premium

products and they're prepared to pay more for it. It also helps exports.

Our European neighbours will also recognise this as an important added

value to what they buy from our products in the south`west. West

Country lamb and beef now joins other iconic foods like the Cornish

pasty and Jersey Royal potatoes which already have protected name

status. New labelling and marketing for West Country lamb and beef is

expected to start in the spring. Although farming makes up a

relatively small part of the south`west's economy, it is a

much`loved and respected industry. Today's news is then likely to lift

the morale of not just farmers, but also the wider region, too.

Policing this year's pilot badger culls in Somerset and

Gloucestershire cost ?2.4 million. That equates to ?1,300 for each

individual badger culled last autumn as part of the controversial attempt

to fight TB in cattle. Our political editor Martyn Oates joins us now

from Westminster. This is twice the cost of originally estimated? That's

right the association of police officers originally thought that the

culls would cost half that. They reckoned that each cull per year

would cost around ?500,000, bear in mind whatever else is decided in

terms of extending the cull each of those two pilot culls in Somerset

and Gloucestershire, will continue for the next three years. Opponents

think the police cost is yet another reason why the Government should

reconsider extending this further. Here is the former Labour Defra

Minister. At a time of pressure on budgets it's important the

Government takes into account the cost of policing in its overall cost

benefit analysis of this cull. We don't yet know whether the cull has

been at all effective. We need to still wait for the ruling of the

independent scientific panel. What's the Government been saying about

this? The Government says the cost of policing the culls is ` the

Government says if unchecked TB could cost the taxpayer ?1 billion

over the next ten years. However, it's also ` the Government figures

for the incidents of TB in cattle herds are wrong for the last two

years, so that's exaggerated the problem. Meanwhile, the a

Conservative MP has defended the cost from a different angle. This is

the price of democracy. We allow people to demonstrate against the

cull. They've got in the way of the cull and caused extra police costs.

There is still the need to cull those diseased badgers in order to

cut out the disease from our dairy cattle and our beef cattle. This is

one of the prices we have to pay. Ben Bradshaw mentioned the

independent panel of scientists who will scrutinise the pilot culls,

when will we hear from them? Very soon. Their advice will only be

advice, it won't be binding on the Government. Ministers will make the

final decision as to whether to extend the cull to other parts of

the country, probably Devon and Cornwall and will make that decision

next month. Everything will happen quickly now. Thank you.

A dispute about a green in Dorset, where people walk their dogs and

children play, today reached the Supreme Court. The long`running case

is over whether the area of Weymouth, known as Markham and

Little Francis, should be protected from development. Campaigners say if

the hearing rules in favour of the property company, the decision could

pose a threat to many open spaces. Here's our Dorset reporter Simon

Clemison. As these children gathered flowers

all those years ago could they have imagined the fields in which they

played being the centre of attention in the highest court in the land?

Probably not. Generation after generation have enjoyed Markham and

Little Francis. It's not what you might think of as a green. The legal

battles over its future are far from typical, too. They could have a

bearing on other towns and villages. Today, campaigners were back outside

a court which hears cases of importance to the whole country. On

a personal level it's been a hugely long journey. On a national level it

will help to protect town and village greens across the country.

If you win, of course. Of course if we win, we are hopeful. Any

community which has been enjoying the use of a green has been able to

apply to have it protected as such as long as a list of criteria is

met. People living around the edges have been able to know they've been

able to get on to the land. In challenge after challenge at one

point a judge came to way mouth because so many people wanted to

give evidence. The property company has attempted to get the site

deregistered. Today inside the Supreme Court lawyers for the

campaigners said they bought the land knowing it was listed and left

it years before doing about it. Lawyers for the company said if the

suggestion was they had an obligation to act sooner then

protesters were making up laws. The arguments are complex. This case has

been going on for nearly ten years. Because it's never been finally

resolved no one know what is the wider implications might be. Some

argue if they lose protected status other greens in towns and villages

could be at risk. Others disagree. Everything could become clearer when

the judges make their decision in the coming weeks, that's unless it

goes to the European Courts. Dozens of firefighters tackled a

large fire at an industrial estate in south Devon last night. Five

appliances and two water bowsers were called to the Ipplepen area of

Newton Abbot around 7.30pm. Three lorries went up in smoke. There were

no reports of any injuries. Welcome if you have just joined us.

Still ahead, it's overgrown and strewn with litter, but an 18th

century graveyard is about to undergo a facelift thanks to an

anonymous donation. Watch out for a trail of giant sun fish coming soon

to the streets of play nowt `` Plymouth.

A film shot in Cornwall with the help of staff and students at

Falmouth University, has been shortlisted for a prestigious film

award. Island Queen cost just ?1,000 to make, but despite this it will

feature alongside blockbusters starring big names from all over the

world at this years BAFTAs. Eleanor Parkinson reports.

Island Queen is a film about a young woman who lives on a small island

and gets herself in deep water after she decides to have a baby. I am

going to have a baby. What? Loads of girls we know have babies. Not on

purpose. Well, I am going to be a nurturing and interesting single mum

with hidden sorrow. What a stupid idea. The film was shot over three

days entirely in Cornwall and cost just ?1,000 to make. Now it's been

shortlisted for a BAFTA in the category of Best British Short Film.

The producer is Emma Hughes. Her colleague Kirsty Smith was the

director of photographry. It was a film between friends really. The

production team worked for ?1,000 and that was mostly on transport to

get the crew and actors down from London. So, we really relied on the

goodwill of the locals and the ferry, and the cinema to get the

great locations we managed to get. The morning we found out we had been

shortlisted, nominated for a BAFTA, I think Emma and I actually didn't

sit down for about an hour! We jumped around a lot. Lots of

screaming Lots of excitement. Lots of phone calls to everybody who had

been part of the team. Yeah, I don't think it really has sunk in. My

sperm donor was the best, he is 6'4". Thank you! He is a physicist

and keen basketball player. New dresses for the catwalk and possibly

more celebrating for the team behind this comedy on the perils of living

on a small island. Here we are. We will have to do each other. Deal.

A historic graveyard in central Exeter ` the burial site for at

least 1,300 people ` is to be restored, thanks in part to an

anonymous donation. The Exeter Dissenters Graveyard dates back to

the 18th century. Dissenters broke away from the mainstream Anglican

Church. For years, the site has been left overgrown and littered with

rubbish. But as John Henderson reports there are now plans to tidy

it up. A snapshot of life and death from

the 18th century. This small plot of land is just outside Exeter's

historic city walls. Significant as this was the place where people who

dissented against views or practice of the Church of England were

buried. This graveyard was founded in 1748 and continued in use until

1854. But the dissenting tradition goes back to the Puritans and times

of Charles I and the civil war with diggers and levellers. Here lieth

Sarah... Graveyards and a change in the law reduced the need for a once

popular burial site. People would have been packed in tight. It's

thought there were 1300 men, women and children laid to rest here. It

could even be as high as 2,000 burials. The dissenters graveyard

near the old eye hospital has had various owners but was recently sold

to the Trust for less than market value. An anonymous donor helped

fund the purchase. The plan is to remove stuff like this, find and

check the original tombstones and monuments and restore the site. Good

news for people with descendents buried in the graveyard. My great,

great, great grandfather is buried there with two of his wives and

three of his grandchildren. This is really good news. In terms of its

size, the dissenters graveyard is small, less than two tennis courts.

Its historical value is far larger. It is, as far as Exeter is

concerned, certainly unique. Therefore, needs to be preserved.

The Trust is now looking for volunteers to help with the

restoration work. Now, if you were going to walk

roughly 16 miles across Exmoor, you'd probably want to check the

forecast first and set off nice and early to avoid getting lost in the

dark, wouldn't you? Well, that is, of course, unless you're taking part

in this year's StarTrek challenge! It's been running for more than 20

years and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Spotlight's North Devon reporter, Andrea Ormsby, has the story.

Exmoor, the final frontier. These are the voyagers of the Star Trek

Challenge. Their mission ` to boldly go where no man has been before.

Look out! Today, a test run of a gruelling 16`mile trek across

Exmoor, hard at the best of times, but add darkness to the mix and

suddenly it's a real challenge. The walkers go out in teams of 4`6 and

they must have at least one or two map readers because you can imagine

on these moors at night you can easily get lost, which is why we

have a very, very good search and rescue team who make sure that

everybody is safe on the night. The Star Trek Challenge is in its 22nd

year. It's raised well over ?500,000 for local charities in that time.

It's a huge event with around 3`400 competitors and more than 100

volunteers. It takes us a year literally from start to finish. We

are already looking at next year's route at this time of year. It's a

huge undertaking and we couldn't do it without the fantastic support

that we get from landowners, national Trust, Exmoor National

Parks, all these sort of people. The route changes every year and is

always kept top secret until the last moment. But it's not just about

skills and speed, clues are also given along the way which add up to

deciding who the winner is. It's great fun. It really is good. You

are out there, it's a challenge. We have had all sorts of weathers out

there, some beautiful frosty evenings, some very wet evenings.

Some very, very misty evenings when some people have got lost. It's a

real challenge with some basic map reading skills as a challenge that's

really open to anybody. This year a shorter eight`mile route is being

introduced for the first time. Competitors taking part over the

first and second March will be hoping for clear skies and a full

moon. Hopefully no extra terrestrials!

Sport, and despite twice taking the lead in their FA Cup third round

replay last night, Plymouth Argyle eventually bowed out of the

competition 3`2 against Port Vale at Home Park. Andres Gurrieri scored in

the opening 90 seconds to give Argyle the lead, and Conor Hourihane

restored their advantage after Vale had equalised. But the Potteries

team overturned the deficit in the second half, before Pilgrims striker

Reuben Reid saw his penalty saved ten minutes from the end.

Now last summer it was brightly coloured gorillas dotted around in

South Devon. This year Plymouth is joining in but with a more nautical

theme. They swim, they splash, and one can already be found outside of

the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. Spotlight's Heidi Davey

has been along to meet the South West's newest visitors.

OK, OK, so you probably guessed it, they're fish, but not just any fish.

These have been designed by local apprentices and artists as part of

the National Marine skwap aquariums Making Waves Project. Soon you will

be able to see them up close as they make a trail for you to follow

around the city. It's going to launch on 3 March, which is National

Apprentice Week, so a big celebration and they're going to be

placed on the sif yak pi `` civic piazza. People can investigate what

they need to find on the trail and they'll be going out on individual

locations on 10th March. Each one of the 16 sunfish has been sponsored by

a local company. They in turn picked a winning design. The young artist

we met was definitely pleased to have been selected but slightly

daunted by the challenge. Yeah, there was a slight hesitation

towards it. Oh, that big! Even though you are told the size, it's

different when it's in front of you. But being a local artist she's proud

to help Plymouth show off its maritime roots. It's really nice to

know that someone like my design and ` someone wanted my design and

wanted to take it on, especially being at an entrance. People are

going to see this as they walk by. Kids are going to enjoy it and

that's the rewarding thing. When you see a brightly coloured finn dotted

about the city there's no need to hide as this lot are here to keep a

beady eye on the proceedings. Amazing works of art. Yeah,

absolutely. Fun seeing those on the streets of the city. Not really the

weather for sunfish, David. They'll be more at home with the wet

weather. Yes, it's not been particularly good today. It's

brighter tomorrow. You might need to throw an extra log on the

woodburner! What extravagance! Colder tomorrow. A breeze

developing. It's been lively today. The winds strengthen tomorrow. We

will see sunshine. That's perhaps the good news. The bad news is we

will also see showers and one or two of those showers could turn out to

be heavy. We are still very concerned, we have

several flood warnings in force. If you need more information or find

out what to do if your home is at risk of flooding thering is the

number: `` there is the number: We are expecting some rain over the

next couple of days. There is a lot of clear skies to the west of us,

that's happening tonight. Although there is cloud in here, it's broken

cloud so we should see sunshine in between the showers tomorrow.

Effectively low pressure is still well and truly in charge. That

doesn't change very much over the next 24 hours. This is the middle of

the day tomorrow. By Friday it's still close by, perhaps even more

persistent rain coming up, affecting the Channel Islands and drifting

towards us during the latter part of Friday and Friday night and into

Saturday. The showers that we have seen coming in from the west are

also lively but the main concern is this area of rain. It's moving

quickly. It will move out of the way later tonight. Some brief and heavy

showers will follow. For a time tonight we will get a good deal of

clear skies and also start to see temperatures dip into single

figures. Perhaps by the end of the night a few places might get as low

as three or four above freezing. Just about cold enough briefly for a

touch of frost. That is limited because the breeze remains a fresh

one, it increases in strength through the day. Plenty of showers

around and sunshine in between the showers. Every now and then one or

two showers could even be of hail with thunder mixed in and some

fairly hefty downpours of rain. A windy day which will be strong to

near gale force at times. There are the temperatures. It's a colder,

fresher feel to the air. For the Isles of Scilly some sunshine and

showers and blustery day for all of us. Times of high water:

If you are heading to the beach for surfing, the surf is likely to be

choppy. Cleanest waves along the coast. Sea conditions are rough over

the next few days. There have is the coastal waters forecast.

The outlook is not particularly good. At least the winds ease down a

little as we head towards the weekend. A drop in the temperatures

come Sunday. Friday largely dry. Friday night outbreaks of rain. Slow

to clear on Saturday. Misty and chilly first thing on Sunday

morning. Have a good evening. Back to you.

Thank you very much. That's all from us for now. If you are getting home

from work, then you can catch up with all the day's news in our late

bulletin at 10. 0.25pm. We are back at 6. 30 am tomorrow. Bye.

Hidden beneath your feet are magical worlds,

home to extraordinary little creatures.

Imagine being able to experience this wonderland through their eyes.

see the incredible adventures of these miniature heroes