0:00:02 > 0:00:04We discover the Home Office has failed to gather intelligence
0:00:04 > 0:00:10about a smuggling gang who operated in Suffolk.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12The story behind a yacht used to smuggle illegal
0:00:12 > 0:00:15immigrants to the east coast.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18We have traced its former owner in Holland who met the people
0:00:18 > 0:00:20smugglers and ask why the authorities have
0:00:20 > 0:00:23failed to speak to him.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26There were two guys standing here, both with their hoods on.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30So I thought, OK.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33The community village near Bedford where former homeless people
0:00:33 > 0:00:36can rebuild their lives but where the rules are strict.
0:00:36 > 0:00:45Like brutalising at breakfast.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Thanks/
0:00:47 > 0:00:49And powerboat racing has been here for more than a century.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53But some believe new safety rules are forcing people out of the sport.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Revealing the stories that matter closer to home.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56It's the last in the series.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01That's tonight's Inside Out.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Hello, welcome to Southwold.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Now, when we think of smugglers, we think of things like
0:01:12 > 0:01:17pirates and these cannons.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19But the east coast has been described as a smugglers' paradise,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22with repeated attempts to bring illegal immigrants into Suffolk.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24We have been to Holland, to investigate the route one yacht
0:01:24 > 0:01:29and the people on board talked to get to Orford.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Richard Daniel has this exclusive report.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36The mouth of the River Ore on the Suffolk coast.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39It was here one morning in April this year, that a yacht
0:01:39 > 0:01:42called Sander ran aground.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45As coastguards approached, they noticed people going below deck
0:01:45 > 0:01:48and the hatch being closed.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52An inshore lifeboat then put a line on the yacht and towed it up
0:01:52 > 0:01:55the river to Orford.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59There, Border Force officers found six Ukrainians on board.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01All were deported.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Its skipper - Hennadii Kurtoglu, also Ukrainian - jailed for four
0:02:05 > 0:02:08years for people smuggling.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11He wasn't the first to bring Ukrainians in on a yacht.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Nor was he the last.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17And this is the boat he was trying to smuggle them in on.
0:02:17 > 0:02:2028 feet long -
0:02:20 > 0:02:22a top speed of seven and a half knots.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24And two cabins below deck.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I want to know where this boat came from.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And how its skipper almost succeeded in smuggling six illegal immigrants
0:02:31 > 0:02:36unnoticed into Suffolk.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38We ran a check on the name Sander.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40It was false.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42And beneath the black lettering on the stern,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45the faint outline of a word.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Nauwena, on the bow.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50another name.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Independence.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56In one locker, a bag of potatoes left behind by the smugglers,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00the label in Dutch.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05In another, bottles of liquid alcohol used for cooker fuel.
0:03:05 > 0:03:12Both pointed to the boat starting its journey in Holland.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Zaandam is west of Amsterdam.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20It's on a major shipping canal which leads straight
0:03:20 > 0:03:24out into the North Sea.
0:03:24 > 0:03:33Nearby is Dekker Watersport.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36We have a larger store here. A lot of books.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39This is where the smugglers bought the cooker fuel and other supplies
0:03:39 > 0:03:40before sailing to England.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44He had no idea he was dealing with criminals.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47We found here the original receipt, and there are some life jackets
0:03:47 > 0:03:48and the fire alcohol.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50And this was when?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52The 26th April.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Just a few days before the boat left for the UK.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59On a shelf nearby, the life jackets the smugglers bought,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02the cheapest in the shop.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I want to show you, here's the photograph of the boat.
0:04:06 > 0:04:13That's the same.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16If you look on the back, the stripes.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17The stripes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Unmistakeable.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21And has anyone come to talk to you?
0:04:21 > 0:04:22No.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23You were the first.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26So it was the first you knew of it as well?
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Yes.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31But what about the other word on the boat?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Nauwena.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Just a few miles away,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39the small village of Nauwena.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And its yacht harbour.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Peter Post kept his boat here for several years.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Before unwittingly selling it to the people smugglers this spring.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47Is this your boat?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Ya, definite.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51The Independence.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55We had did holidays it, sailing.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57We went to Eiselmeer, day trips to the sea.
0:04:57 > 0:05:04And you had lots of happy times?
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Yeah, always.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07He put the boat up for sale on the internet.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Soon after, he got an email from a man in London
0:05:10 > 0:05:11called Peter Millar.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13He said his son and skipper were in Amsterdam.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15And arranged for them to meet.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18There were two guys standing here, both with their hoods on.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I thought mm, OK.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27There was one young guy, 22 or 23.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31It was like they didn't want to be seen.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33There was one young guy, 22 or 23.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35He was the one doing the talking.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37In the conversation, he didn't understand
0:05:37 > 0:05:41anything about the boat.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43The older guy, he didn't speak any English at all,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and he was the skipper.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47The men were in a hurry.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49They bought it for 4,800 euros.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Paid in cash.
0:05:52 > 0:06:00Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought drug-smuggling.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01Yeah, that could be.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03But people?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05I thought oh, OK.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Has the British Border Force or the Dutch equivalent been in touch?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13No, not at all, nothing.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Nobody asked anything.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Hearing Peter's story, I find it extraordinary
0:06:17 > 0:06:19that the authorities haven't been in touch with him.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22He met the criminals involved.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25We even have the contract here for the sale of his boat signed
0:06:25 > 0:06:29by the man who later was sent to prison.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31But he wasn't alone.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Had the British authorities investigated further in Holland,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37They might have traced the second man at the Marina
0:06:37 > 0:06:39and the man in London.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41That could have led them to the criminals
0:06:41 > 0:06:46at the heart of this gang.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Stopping them from smuggling yet more people.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50So why are so many Ukrainians putting their lives
0:06:50 > 0:06:52in the hands of criminal gangs?
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Kateryna Vinitskyi Sikoza left the Ukraine six years ago
0:06:56 > 0:07:00and now lives in Rotterdam with her husband and daughter.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04When I left Ukraine, it was, er, yeah...
0:07:04 > 0:07:10It's a life of just hunting for food and money.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Tough?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Tough, yes.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17You're thinking of how to feed tomorrow your family.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Clearly some people are desperate, they're paying money to gangs
0:07:20 > 0:07:23to get them to the UK.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26For me, I would never do that.
0:07:26 > 0:07:33Maybe people from the warzone are escaping like that, I don't know.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The judge in the Kurtoglu case described East Anglia
0:07:36 > 0:07:43as "a favourite target to land illegal immigrants".
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Five days after we returned from filming in Holland,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51the Flamingo here arrived in Southwold harbour.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54This time there were 19 Ukrainians on board.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And the boat yet again had made the crossing
0:07:57 > 0:07:58from Holland to England.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Four people, all of them Ukrainian, have been charged
0:08:01 > 0:08:05with people-smuggling.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And in 2014, under cover of darkness, six Ukrainians
0:08:08 > 0:08:11were smuggled onto Orford Quay.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13A gang of four Ukrainians were jailed.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18One of them said he'd made the journey seven times before.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Those who work on the coast say it's wide open.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Does anybody know what's going on out there?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26There's nobody keeping an eye on it.
0:08:26 > 0:08:34You see yachts coming and going.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Especially in summertime.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40You can buy any flag on the internet, can't you?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Dutch flag, German.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Do you see the authorities very often?
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Border Force come in now and again, I can't remember the last time.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50We don't see them in the river here very often.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52In the past year, this volunteer rescue service has
0:08:52 > 0:08:54increased its patrols because of the threat
0:08:54 > 0:08:56from people smugglers.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00We've got 72 miles of isolated coastline in Suffolk,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04that doesn't include all the creeks and all the navigatable waterways
0:09:04 > 0:09:07that vessels can come into.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10No-one's keeping an eye on it.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13It's not so much say the individual that comes in,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16we all going to feel a little bit of compassion for those
0:09:16 > 0:09:18people, aren't we, that may need a better life?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Here we are, we're a volunteer unit you know, but it's not our main job,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24our main job is rescue, but now we've percolated
0:09:24 > 0:09:30into immigration.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Patrolling the UK coastline is the job of the Border Force.
0:09:34 > 0:09:44Alert is one of four of its smaller boats for inshore waters.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50We have new powers to deal with illegal immigration and modern
0:09:50 > 0:09:53slavery. So we need to increase our footprint to take action against
0:09:53 > 0:10:00those of fences.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's about making the space a hostile
0:10:02 > 0:10:03environment for criminals to work in and exploit.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06The reality is this, yachts can still get in undetected.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08And that is extremely worrying?
0:10:08 > 0:10:13And that's why we've upped our response against that.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16To give us more capability of getting into places...
0:10:16 > 0:10:18They're still getting in.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We're trying our very best to make sure that we're
0:10:21 > 0:10:22getting against those.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24It's not possible to be everywhere, all of the time.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26So why did the authorities fail to contact Peter Post,
0:10:26 > 0:10:28who sold his boat to the smugglers?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Or those who sold them equipment?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33The Home Office wouldn't be interviewed.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It told us there had been a "thorough investigation".
0:10:36 > 0:10:38And said...
0:10:38 > 0:10:41where it believed someone could be of use to an investigation it
0:10:41 > 0:10:43would speak to them.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I've shown how easy it is to buy a boat,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48fill it with illegal immigrants, and bring it across the North Sea
0:10:48 > 0:10:49to the East coast.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Now in the case of the Independence, it really was caught by pure
0:10:52 > 0:10:55chance, there really was no intelligence involved.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57And local people say unless there's much more investment
0:10:57 > 0:10:59in people on the ground, the problem of smuggling
0:10:59 > 0:11:02will continue.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Some great detective work by Richard.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09And if there is something that you think we should be
0:11:09 > 0:11:12doing a story about, I'm on twitter at David-insideout.
0:11:12 > 0:11:21Or you can send me an e-mail at the usual address.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26You're watching Inside Out for the East of England here on BBC One.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Coming up, staying in Suffolk where safety concerns
0:11:28 > 0:11:31about powerboats are causing more than just a ripple.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Homelessness in our region is rising every year
0:11:34 > 0:11:38and as it starts to get cold, we are reminded of just how awful it
0:11:38 > 0:11:40must be to have no food or shelter.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42People living in a very special community in Bedfordshire know
0:11:42 > 0:11:52all about that as all of them used to the homeless.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54-- they used to be homeless.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Shaun Peel paid them a visit.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59Rob Danes has seen rock bottom.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01And it isn't a good place.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05But from all of that hurt comes hope.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Like Rob, the people that live at Emmaus Village Carlton have been
0:12:09 > 0:12:12through the same mlil, the same hell.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15All the residents of this village used to be homeless.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19They call themselves companions.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24Like a lot of people, I had a house, cars, well-paid job.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28One or two wrong decisions and within three or four months,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30I found myself homeless.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34I spent around five years on the streets.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And then somebody told me about Emmaus and I've been with them
0:12:37 > 0:12:40pretty much ever since.
0:12:40 > 0:12:49The village, near Bedford, is on the site of a former reform is cool.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51-- a former reform school.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It's now home from homelessness.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55The companions live on-site in three accommodation blocks.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57They have to sign off all benefits apart from housing
0:12:57 > 0:12:59which goes towards their keep.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01They have an allowance spending money each week as drugs
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and alcohol forbidden.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05BEEP.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Each morning, the companions take a breathalyser test.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08It was their idea.
0:13:08 > 0:13:15Brilliant.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18It's just to help us be aware and if there was drinking issues,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20we will be getting breathalysed in the morning.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Very rarely is it an issue.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25When you have to go back to your room and sober up.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Because of the reuse trucks, we are dealing with the public
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and things like that.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So it's a good thing.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37We were sceptical at first, but it is a good thing.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39If more companies did that, you would find...
0:13:39 > 0:13:41You know, you can address people's drinking issues,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43drinking problems and make it a safer place.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's just part of our morning, now.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48We don't even think about it.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52The first Emmaus community was founded in France in 1949
0:13:52 > 0:13:58by Father Henri-Antoine Groues, better known as an Abbe Pierre.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02He was an MP, a Catholic priest and a member of the Resistance
0:14:02 > 0:14:04who fought to provide homes for those who lives
0:14:04 > 0:14:05on the streets of Paris.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Inspired by Abbe Pierre, the village at Carlton gives
0:14:08 > 0:14:10companions their lives back.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15They can stay as long as they want, or use it as a crutch and move on.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The first Emmaus community was set up in Cambridge in 1991.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Now there are around 30 across the UK, providing work
0:14:22 > 0:14:30and self-respect in equal measure.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33It isn't just a bed for the night, it's a reason to get
0:14:33 > 0:14:34out of it the morning.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37People can stay here as long as they want to.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39There is no criteria for time-limit on Emmaus villages,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41which is a really positive thing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43So there is no sense that they have got a deadline
0:14:43 > 0:14:45when they have got to move on.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So for some people, they will stay here for six months,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49some may stay for longer.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51All the companions come with a history of skills.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55So, when they come and join us, we try and do a skills audit with them.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We try and find out what is their skill set
0:14:57 > 0:14:58and what their interests.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01A nice set of golf clubs there, Shelley!
0:15:01 > 0:15:04If we get some furniture, a chair or a table, and it needs
0:15:04 > 0:15:07a bit of tender loving care, then we have got a workshop
0:15:07 > 0:15:10here and some of our companions are skilled in doing that.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11And they might just sanded down, painted.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And then it is reusing it, recycling it, and then we will try
0:15:15 > 0:15:16and sell it in the shops.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It's another source of income for us.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I lost my mum in September, the day after my birthday.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Six weeks later, I lost my dad.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30And Christmas came and got a bit dark and basically I just
0:15:30 > 0:15:35spiralled downwards, down and down and down.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And I ended up in the woods.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Living for nearly a year, homeless.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43So, yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46At the weekend, the companions do the cooking.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Today, Manuel and Peter are in charge of the kitchen.
0:15:50 > 0:15:57My wife died in 2011.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59And my life went absolutely turmoil.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Said goodbye to her to go to work and I got back in the evening,
0:16:03 > 0:16:08she was dead on the city.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11-- she was dead on the sofa.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And it was a brain haemorrhage.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Neither she nor me knew that was coming at all.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16And it took...
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I really haven't got over it.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20And that was six years ago.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23And I probably never will.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26That was a time when I went straight into drink.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30And lost, basically, everything.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34And then...
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Not suicidal, but I was on the verge of suicidal.
0:16:37 > 0:16:46Because life without Rhona was no life at all, as far as I could see.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49There are 42 places at Carlton for men and women.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53It is a social enterprise with shops selling second-hand goods.
0:16:53 > 0:17:02Lots of charities help the homeless, not sell second hand stuff,
0:17:02 > 0:17:09-- a lot sell second-hand stuff,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11but is the sense of community which makes this place different.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Tom used to be a companion, now he is the recycling manager.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Firstly, we try to reuse as much as possible.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Whether that be through resale, refurbishment or reuse.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That could be a number of things.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23That could be donations to other charities, using it to ourselves
0:17:23 > 0:17:28as equipment in our shops or offices, or giving it to people
0:17:28 > 0:17:30that need it more than we do.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35One bacon sandwich on white...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37is that to eat in?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Ian works in the bistro and like many of the companions,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42he once had it all before it all went wrong.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43I'll bring them over to you.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Just wait there, I'll bring them over to you.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47Homelessness has many forms and causes.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The list is as long as the cold nights of winter.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Marriage breakdown, bankruptcy, redundancy, drugs,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53gambling, alcohol, debt.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57We run a soup kitchen in Bedford city centre on Thursday and we help
0:17:57 > 0:18:00out on a Saturday night in a soup kitchen and between those two
0:18:00 > 0:18:04nights, will probably see well over 100 people.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Not all of those people are street sleeping because of drink and drugs,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11less than half the people in the Emmaus community
0:18:11 > 0:18:15in the UK are here through drink and drug problems.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17There are other things that affect people's lives.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And I would say to people, talk to a street homeless person,
0:18:20 > 0:18:27see where they are there.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29-- see why they are there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32They are not all drunk, they are not all high on drugs.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Buy them a cup of coffee, by then a sandwich.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36These people are scared, lonely...
0:18:36 > 0:18:37Hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That's the four emotions that people go through.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I wasn't one of these people that begs for money.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I would never be like that.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45But I honestly now can understand why people do.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49I mean, there was a chap in a while ago and I offered him
0:18:49 > 0:18:59some money and I said to him, I said you will from only by a drink
0:18:59 > 0:19:04-- I said, I expect you will only purchase a drink with this or
0:19:04 > 0:19:06something. And he said, I don't drink.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07I'm teetotal.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09He literally is working on the street to get
0:19:10 > 0:19:11some money to buy food.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13That literally is all he wants. And a bed.
0:19:13 > 0:19:20By the time I reached 21, knew if I did change my life,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22-- if I did not change my life,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I would from a blue dye is quite a young age.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26So, luckily, I came across Emmaus.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I came here, they were very supportive of me, helps me
0:19:29 > 0:19:30through all of my issues.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I am now teetotal and have been for almost four years.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36So if it wasn't for this place, God knows where I would be today.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Because I've come such a long way from where I was,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41the children have a relationship with their dad again.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43So I thank Emmaus for that.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45I'm looking forward to leaving here at some point so I can
0:19:45 > 0:19:46live independently.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49I'm looking forward to that day. And my mind is OK.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And I can actually do it and I know I can do it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's great to see a place like that giving people a second chance.
0:19:56 > 0:20:03Oulton Broad here in Suffolk has-beens anonymous
0:20:03 > 0:20:05-- is synonymous
0:20:05 > 0:20:06with powerboat racing.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It goes back more than a century.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But there are some people who fear that that tradition could dwindle.
0:20:27 > 0:20:37MUSIC, ENGINES REVVING.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43There has been power boat racing here at Oulton Broad in Suffolk
0:20:43 > 0:20:45for more than a century.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The very first race was in August 1903.
0:20:49 > 0:20:56Just six motorised boats took part and they were steam powered.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Today, it s very different.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02This is the biggest day in the racing calendar
0:21:02 > 0:21:05for the Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08But there are fears from some that this tradition of motor racing
0:21:08 > 0:21:14here could be eroded because of a change in safety rules.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27the second heat of this year's big trophy race...
0:21:27 > 0:21:29This is the earliest footage known to exist,
0:21:29 > 0:21:36with some wonderful commentary!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This time, another grim struggle between the two who won last year.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44The boats may be small, but are they fast?
0:21:44 > 0:21:51David Jones has a real love for racing.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54This is a fabulous vessel, it doesn't seem mind there is much to
0:21:54 > 0:22:02eight!This is a rebuilt 1960s hydroplane.So you're lying here?
0:22:02 > 0:22:09This is where you as the driver lying, stealing...Steering with one
0:22:09 > 0:22:16hand and one hand on the throttle. That's it. You normally hold the
0:22:16 > 0:22:23wheel about three or four o'clock. And as you come to return...You
0:22:23 > 0:22:33have the full purchase of the wheel. Why did powerboat racing start here?
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Adventurous people. People get a buzz for speed and I've got to do
0:22:37 > 0:22:51it.But just like a motorbike racing, powerboat racing can also be
0:22:51 > 0:23:01dangerous. Thankfully, fatalities are rare.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The Royal Yachting Association regulates power boat racing.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05And has brought in some tougher safety measures.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07And you would expect the organisation that oversees this
0:23:07 > 0:23:09kind of sport to make sure it s safe.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13But some here believe they re TOO stringent and are forcing
0:23:13 > 0:23:22people out of the sport.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25This is my old helmet, or the helmet I would use now.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27And one of those drivers is David Jones.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30He claims the new helmet he has to wear, is more dangerous
0:23:30 > 0:23:37than the one he s always worn.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It s an open face hat, as opposed to a full face hat,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41which has a visor there.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44If I go in the water I won t get the bucket effect
0:23:44 > 0:23:47which is all the water shooting up here and doing that,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51because the water can come out this way.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54If you have imagine a bucket upside down and that goes
0:23:54 > 0:23:56in the water like that, the water will do that,
0:23:56 > 0:24:03to the back of your neck, and I will not agree with that.
0:24:03 > 0:24:11The Royal yachting Association sent me a statement. The organisation
0:24:11 > 0:24:16said that they are happy to work with any individual to educate them
0:24:16 > 0:24:19about the technology to help them understand safety improvements which
0:24:19 > 0:24:22are of lucky for their benefit.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Tom Roberts races Formula two boats, that can reach
0:24:26 > 0:24:36speeds of up to 100 mph.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51So, Tom, you've got the new style of safety measure
0:24:51 > 0:24:52with this helmet here?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Yes, that's right, David.
0:24:54 > 0:25:03We use the frontal head restraint system now.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Ray Read races Formula two boats like Tom.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17And in the summer, he crashed his boat.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19He says the new neck restraint hindered his escape.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Yes, I was upside down in the cockpit, tried
0:25:21 > 0:25:22to release myself by...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25We have a training regime every year we have to go through,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27to open the cockpit canopy, take the steering wheel off
0:25:27 > 0:25:31and take the harness off, so we can get free and I had
0:25:31 > 0:25:32difficulty releasing myself.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35The neck restraint at the back of my neck was catching on the cockpit,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38so at that point in time, I was unable to release myself.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41So I quickly felt for my air regulator, to put it in my mouth
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and I was then breathing on my own and the driver
0:25:44 > 0:25:47was there almost immediately after, the driver was there to pull me out
0:25:47 > 0:25:48of the cockpit and release me.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51It must have been terrifying, you're under the water and you're stuck.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Yeah it was a very scary few seconds.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Without doubt it made it more difficult for me.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I'm not a great fan of the neck restraints.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00But the regulations are we have to use them, I've personally written
0:26:00 > 0:26:03to the RYA suggesting this should not be mandatory, but at
0:26:03 > 0:26:04the driver's discretion.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Malcolm Curtis is the Safety Officer with Oulton Broad Power Boat Club.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11I think some of those things should be left to the drivers to decide.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It's a personal choice - there should be some things that
0:26:13 > 0:26:16are mandatory and there should be those left to individuals,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18if they feel the risk of having a neck injury is greater
0:26:18 > 0:26:23than the risk of drowning, then obviously they should feel free.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Do you think that some of these safety measures could mean fewer
0:26:26 > 0:26:29people want to take up the sport and more people will
0:26:29 > 0:26:30leave the sport?
0:26:30 > 0:26:31It's potentially the case.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I know of at least two drivers who have already stopped racing
0:26:34 > 0:26:36because they won't race with the frontal head restraint.
0:26:36 > 0:26:46That has had an impact.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54But there are fewer and fewer young people taking up the sport.
0:26:54 > 0:27:03But Thomas is one of those taking up the sport,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06He's just really enjoyed it, there's a lot of safety measures go
0:27:06 > 0:27:10on so overtly it's a dangerous sport but you've only got to look around
0:27:10 > 0:27:15you, there's rescue boats, safety marshaling and actually I'd
0:27:15 > 0:27:19rather him be doing this than on the Xbox.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Do you think you'll pursue it?
0:27:21 > 0:27:29Yeah, I love it and I got a win.
0:27:29 > 0:27:37You one? For an inaugural race, that's pretty spectacular. Is it
0:27:37 > 0:27:40beginner 's luck or a start of a new career?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Start of a new career.
0:27:42 > 0:27:50Obviously the sport has to be regulated.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54But some people are really worried that these new rules will eventually
0:27:54 > 0:27:59kill off the tradition of powerboat racing here in Suffolk.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02But it's hoped the differences can be ironed out and with young people
0:28:02 > 0:28:09still showing an interest in the sport, the tradition
0:28:09 > 0:28:15of powerboat racing at Oulton Broad will go on for another 100years.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20And it's only when you get up close to those birds that you rely is how
0:28:20 > 0:28:24fast they go! That's it for Inside Out, and I will be back in the New
0:28:24 > 0:28:29Year. In the meantime, if you want to get in touch with me about a
0:28:29 > 0:28:39story, I'm on Twitter. Or drop me a and e-mail. -- or drop me an e-mail.
0:28:39 > 0:28:45In January, we will be meeting a stand-up comic who is tackling
0:28:45 > 0:28:49bullying in the classroom.She's my little sister but she grew up a jury
0:28:49 > 0:28:55came my big little sister.And the composer Benjamin Till grew up by
0:28:55 > 0:29:00the river and his neoclassical work is to be premiered at the Royal
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Albert Hall. That Inside Out, back in the New Year.