:00:08. > :00:11.Hello, welcome. The stories and investigations from where you live.
:00:11. > :00:15.Mobility or liability? They are more popular than ever, but
:00:15. > :00:21.accidents involving mobility scooters are on the rise. We meet
:00:21. > :00:27.the Plymouth pedestrian hospitalised. The irony is I need a
:00:27. > :00:36.mobility scooter. Get set, go. wonderful world of Devon's
:00:36. > :00:41.Widecombe fair. We have had horses, but never a pantomime horse. It
:00:41. > :00:46.cheated. It ran around and it was supposed to jump. And 50 years
:00:46. > :00:55.after it closed, the Devon branch line that is back on track. I can't
:00:55. > :01:05.believe it. I really can't believe it. It is wonderful. I am Sam Smith.
:01:05. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :01:18.This is Inside Out South West. Mobility scooters give freedom to
:01:18. > :01:23.disabled people in the south-west who might otherwise be stuck at
:01:23. > :01:27.home. But accidents involving them are on the increase. Some people
:01:27. > :01:33.have even been killed. Now there are calls for compulsory training.
:01:33. > :01:37.We have been investigating. Britain's roads and pavements are
:01:37. > :01:43.teeming with mobility scooters. Around 300,000 at the last count
:01:43. > :01:51.and rising. For many, they are a lifeline. For others, they are a
:01:51. > :01:57.menace. Mobility scooters are big, strong and can do a lot of damage.
:01:57. > :02:02.People are getting hurt. People are getting killed using these because
:02:02. > :02:06.they do not know how to use them safely. A quick trip to the shops
:02:06. > :02:15.ended in hospital for Graham. Battered, bruised and broken, he is
:02:15. > :02:19.the latest victim of a scooter accident. I went for a loaf of
:02:19. > :02:23.bread and as I stepped out of the shop I got hit by what in effect
:02:23. > :02:28.turned out to be a mobility scooter. It was a shock. It knocked me eight
:02:28. > :02:37.feet. I broke my hip. And my left shoulder. I have had an operation
:02:37. > :02:44.on both. The accident left Graham semi-conscious on the pavement. The
:02:44. > :02:51.scooter driver was also shaken by the condition. She sat in shock, if
:02:51. > :02:55.anything. I looked at her and I felt sorry for her. She did not
:02:55. > :02:59.leave their house to hurt somebody, did she? I didn't leave the house
:02:59. > :03:02.to get hurt either. It was a lose- lose situation for both of us and
:03:02. > :03:06.with the police being involved, I believe, she would have been
:03:06. > :03:14.traumatised as well. While Graham was taken to hospital, the scooter
:03:14. > :03:18.ended up among the mangled racks in a police garage. -- mangled wrecks.
:03:18. > :03:21.It is now being checked to see if the speed setting was on 4mph, the
:03:21. > :03:26.legal limit for pavement use. common with scooters, people are
:03:26. > :03:34.being involved in collisions on the road and the pavement. This is a
:03:34. > :03:39.Class 3. Unfortunately, this is 140 kilos and with the driver on top of
:03:39. > :03:46.that, it is a considerable weight to be on the pavement. And to hit
:03:46. > :03:50.somebody? Indeed. The inspector found the driver was not breaking
:03:50. > :03:52.the speed limit. In the past three years, Devon and Cornwall police
:03:52. > :03:56.have recorded around 200 public safety incidents involving mobility
:03:56. > :03:59.scooters. Police have limited powers to prosecute because they
:03:59. > :04:08.are classified as medical devices, not vehicles, and are outside the
:04:08. > :04:16.law. Legislation does not cover them under the Road Traffic Act,
:04:16. > :04:24.unlike a motorcycle or car. We are limited to to deal with people
:04:24. > :04:29.involved with these. This is what is left of a scooter driven by a
:04:29. > :04:32.man who had been drinking. Out at night with no lights and on a main
:04:32. > :04:40.road, the scooter was hit by a car. The rider was seriously injured,
:04:41. > :04:44.but he was not prosecuted. Somebody could go to the pub, have a skinful
:04:44. > :04:48.and come out and drive it, have an accident and not be prosecuted?
:04:48. > :04:54.Bizarrely, yes. Obviously I would not advocate that but it does
:04:54. > :05:02.happen. The Government is urged to make scooter use safer. Leading the
:05:02. > :05:04.calls is a Plymouth MP. Some action has to be taken to ensure standards
:05:04. > :05:11.are maintained in terms of safety of these vehicles and basic
:05:11. > :05:14.training ought to be undertaken by all users. Norman Baker the
:05:14. > :05:18.Minister said he was reviewing this when I had my debate some months
:05:18. > :05:23.ago, in March, and we have not heard anything and that is why I am
:05:24. > :05:27.chasing him. I need to know what the outcome is of his consultations.
:05:27. > :05:37.It is in the interests of all road users and in pedestrian areas that
:05:37. > :05:43.we try to improve safety for everybody. She has had one success.
:05:43. > :05:47.Police will now have to record accidents involving scooters.
:05:47. > :05:51.will be accidents on the road. They will not take account of the ones
:05:51. > :05:58.on the pavement. There will be some reporting. It will help to identify
:05:58. > :06:01.the nature of the problem and we can move on from there. The few
:06:01. > :06:06.rules there are about scooters have not changed since the days of the
:06:06. > :06:09.invalid carriage, which have been obsolete since the 1970s. Scott
:06:09. > :06:13.says he would be lost without his scooter. With arthritis and heart
:06:14. > :06:20.problems, he cannot walk very far. It is a lifeline. I would not be
:06:20. > :06:23.able to get out of the flat without it. Every year around Christmas,
:06:23. > :06:32.the former soldier decks his scooter with tinsel and all the
:06:32. > :06:41.trimmings. I do it every year, for the kiddies. They come to accept it
:06:41. > :06:44.because I have been on it for a few years. If I go down and I haven't
:06:44. > :06:50.got it on, "Where is the Christmas stuff, Mr?". He has had no
:06:50. > :07:00.accidents in his eight years as a scooter rider. He does not feel
:07:00. > :07:05.
:07:05. > :07:09.welcome on the pavements or the roads but he says he has no choice.
:07:09. > :07:13.They won't allow us to use a bus lane or cycle path. If you are
:07:13. > :07:16.doing eight miles an hour you have to go on the road. That puts you in
:07:16. > :07:20.the middle of the road. You have the cars hooting at you. Get off
:07:20. > :07:23.the road! You do not... Where do you stand, what do you do? Cornish
:07:23. > :07:26.safety campaigner John says it is up to disabled people to ride
:07:26. > :07:32.responsibly. And not like this. A scooter used as a carpet carrier in
:07:32. > :07:42.Somerset. There is no restriction on who can buy them and who can
:07:42. > :07:43.
:07:43. > :07:47.sell them. There is no restriction on who can use them. You would not
:07:47. > :07:51.put a person who cannot drive a car and say off you go, put them on a
:07:51. > :07:53.motorbike and say off you go. says it is obvious what needs to be
:07:53. > :07:56.done. Legislation saying the vehicles must be checked every 12
:07:56. > :08:00.months like a car, to make sure they are safe. Training. It does
:08:01. > :08:04.not take a lot of training. It means building a person's
:08:04. > :08:14.competence. John's wife Betty is getting her first lesson from
:08:14. > :08:15.
:08:15. > :08:24.trainer Simon. Do you drive a car? I do not. Until now, Betty has been
:08:24. > :08:30.too nervous to use one. Put the key in. Right, turn it. Do not touch
:08:30. > :08:40.that one or that one. I was a little bit scared, because when you
:08:40. > :08:50.first get on one, they tend to run away with you. Go too fast. I did
:08:50. > :09:08.
:09:08. > :09:17.not realise how to slow it down. Betty soon gets into gear. And
:09:17. > :09:25.within an hour, she is braving the open road. I certainly feel more
:09:25. > :09:28.confident. She is convinced insurance is a must. If you do
:09:28. > :09:38.knock someone over on it, that person does not have a leg to stand
:09:38. > :09:39.
:09:39. > :09:42.Meanwhile, Graham has learned the police are taking no action against
:09:42. > :09:47.the woman who knocked him down. When something happens it happens.
:09:47. > :09:52.You have to deal with it. The irony is that it is me who now needs a
:09:52. > :09:55.mobility scooter! It is serious because somebody could be killed.
:09:55. > :10:01.The Department for Transport says it is looking at bringing in a test
:10:01. > :10:11.for new users. Campaigners believe that is the only way to take the
:10:11. > :10:16.
:10:16. > :10:19.liability out of mobility. Every year, hundreds of people
:10:19. > :10:24.gather in a Dartmoor village from far and wide to celebrate an event
:10:24. > :10:29.that has been going on for the best part of 200 years. That village
:10:29. > :10:34.happens to be the home of Tony Beard, the Wag of Widecombe. Here
:10:34. > :10:41.is his personal take on the celebrations.
:10:41. > :10:47.It is early autumn in Widecombe. The harvest is well under way and
:10:47. > :10:50.they are busy baling down at Chittleford Farm. Up on the moors,
:10:50. > :10:57.cattle, sheep and ponies have been enjoying warm sunshine before the
:10:57. > :11:07.onset of winter. Hello, here is local tree surgeon Geoff Partridge.
:11:07. > :11:11.He is training for the famous annual event. The terrain you run
:11:11. > :11:17.over. It is quite treacherous. It is not uncommon for people to come
:11:17. > :11:20.out with bleeding legs and twisted ankles. There is more training
:11:20. > :11:25.going on outside the Rugglestone Inn. Although the landlords appear
:11:25. > :11:29.more interested in the contents of the barrel. I walked around the car
:11:29. > :11:34.park, a couple of beers, all going well. Full steam ahead, ready for
:11:34. > :11:41.the big day. Here is one of the big day's real stars. Getting a
:11:41. > :11:45.makeover in preparation for her central role. Next Tuesday, you
:11:45. > :11:55.will fill yourself up with peppermints and buns and goodies.
:11:55. > :11:58.
:11:58. > :12:01.Then she shall go to the ball. In a few days, a peaceful village will
:12:01. > :12:07.be transformed. If you still haven't worked out why, this is a
:12:07. > :12:17.clue from inside the church. Uncle Tom Cobley and all
:12:17. > :12:46.
:12:46. > :12:51.The glorious morning greets us all, When it started, they sold cattle
:12:51. > :13:01.and sheep. Those days have long gone. It has turned into a
:13:01. > :13:10.
:13:10. > :13:19.We have a full programme of events. To give you some idea, we have a
:13:19. > :13:22.wonderful display of sheep, cattle, horses, early this morning. We've
:13:23. > :13:31.got two special breeds of sheep up on Dartmoor - the Dartmoor White
:13:31. > :13:41.Face, whose faces, as the name And then there's the Dartmoor Grey
:13:41. > :13:45.
:13:45. > :13:49.The grey faces are one of the author's native breeds in the world.
:13:49. > :13:54.The used to run on the moor, and unfortunately they went out of
:13:54. > :13:58.favour, but in the past 10 years, there has been a resurgence. I
:13:58. > :14:03.think they're very attractive to the eye. They are one of the most
:14:03. > :14:07.attractive breeds. People see them at the show wasn't like the
:14:07. > :14:10.appearance of them. The Fair is serious business for all those
:14:10. > :14:20.people who go to the trouble of bringing their animals down here
:14:20. > :14:20.
:14:20. > :14:30.And this is pretty serious too. We have 18 separate horse and pony
:14:30. > :14:38.
:14:38. > :14:48.events at Widecombe Fair, all hotly He we have the results. This was
:14:48. > :14:51.
:14:51. > :14:54.first, the second was Mary-Jane But Widecombe Fair is not all about
:14:54. > :15:04.serious competition, we like to have a bit of fun too, and once the
:15:04. > :15:05.
:15:05. > :15:13.horses and ponies are safely out of The idea for the terrier races came
:15:13. > :15:17.from that man we saw earlier running on the moor. It goes right-
:15:17. > :15:26.back, obviously no horses were on the fair because there was equine
:15:26. > :15:30.flu, so they did terrier racing. It has come from there. It should be a
:15:30. > :15:40.simple affair. The terriers are given a sniff of the lure before
:15:40. > :15:45.
:15:45. > :15:55.But it seldom goes according to plan. This lot - or perhaps I
:15:55. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:10.should say their owners, can't wait Geoff certainly has his work cut
:16:10. > :16:12.
:16:13. > :16:19.out trying to keep this lot in Widecombe Fair is only possible
:16:19. > :16:23.because of all the hard work put in by countless local people. We'll
:16:23. > :16:26.see Geoff in his main event later but for now he's taking a well-
:16:26. > :16:32.earned rest with Uncle Tom Cobley, Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer and the
:16:32. > :16:35.rest of the crowd. But where's the old grey mare? Well, she's getting
:16:35. > :16:38.some star treatment just around the corner While Geoff and the grey
:16:38. > :16:48.mare are enjoying their break, our village's namesake makes a special
:16:48. > :16:58.
:16:58. > :17:08.Do you expect to win? No. You are under starter's orders. On your
:17:08. > :17:08.
:17:08. > :17:12.Ann Widdecombe is just the person we need to keep this lot on the
:17:12. > :17:20.straight and narrow. But that's by no means an easy task, and at the
:17:20. > :17:27.end of the race she's forced into a controversial decision. You ran
:17:27. > :17:31.round the side. I saw you. You disqualified. Number five is the
:17:31. > :17:37.winner. By the time I got to the car park, the stewards there had
:17:37. > :17:44.already heard. This has caused quite a stir. They have never had
:17:44. > :17:47.people disqualified. It cheated, it ran round the huddle. It won't do.
:17:47. > :17:50.After the pantomime derby it's back to the serious stuff. In the
:17:50. > :17:53.committee tent, they're busy writing out certificates for all
:17:53. > :18:03.those who enter our next event - the Uncle Tom Cobley Novelty Race,
:18:03. > :18:09.
:18:09. > :18:19.Runners are dropped off on top of the moor and it's up to them how
:18:19. > :18:23.they get to the bottom because Geoff Partridge is up there
:18:23. > :18:33.somewhere. He's won this race four times but there's a lot of young
:18:33. > :18:34.
:18:34. > :18:44.This year's winner is 20-year-old local lad Peter Mann, but Geoff's
:18:44. > :18:48.
:18:48. > :18:51.The first path of the run I was on my own, I joined up with a first
:18:51. > :18:57.group, two fields from the finish, but they had two young legs for me.
:18:57. > :19:01.I could not keep up. I'm really pleased. Coming 5th is good. Most
:19:01. > :19:05.of these runners will be glad to get home and put their feet up. But
:19:05. > :19:15.not Geoff. As the day winds down and the beer begins to flow, Geoff
:19:15. > :19:16.
:19:16. > :19:20.is still at it - this time helping It's one of the day's last
:19:20. > :19:29.competitions - most of the Fair has now packed up and either gone home
:19:29. > :19:32.This year we were blessed with some fine weather and the day was a
:19:32. > :19:42.great success. God willing, we'll all be back next year to enjoy
:19:42. > :19:55.
:19:55. > :19:59.another wonderful day out at This is the wonderfully scenic
:19:59. > :20:04.route of an old train line that once ran from Devon into the heart
:20:04. > :20:10.of Dartmouth. Like so many others, it closed in the 1950s. It never
:20:10. > :20:14.reopened. Do not underestimate the dogleg determination of though his
:20:14. > :20:24.-- those who love the old railways, because we had the story of one
:20:24. > :20:27.
:20:27. > :20:37.For more than 100 years, the many branch lines of the South West
:20:37. > :20:44.
:20:44. > :20:49.Opening up the wildest of places to city dwellers like Aubrey Hawke.
:20:49. > :20:56.was a lifeline for me to go to the Mirror lands. I'd catch the train
:20:56. > :20:59.to Shaugh, walk up to the Aubrey was a regular on the popular
:20:59. > :21:09.South Devon and Tavistock line which ran through the picturesque
:21:09. > :21:09.
:21:09. > :21:14.I've actually seen the platforms so packed with people, they were all
:21:14. > :21:19.down the little approach, almost as far back as the bridge. They came
:21:19. > :21:28.home after that being out on the day. But in 1962 the line was axed.
:21:28. > :21:31.Aubrey couldn't resist one final trip on its last day. I read this
:21:31. > :21:40.in the Evening Herald, but the line was going to close, and the printed
:21:40. > :21:45.the Times of the train, which was 10:40am from Plymouth. They were
:21:45. > :21:48.hoping I would be the last person. But as Aubrey headed for the
:21:48. > :21:58.station, wintry weather was closing in. The sensible people had stayed
:21:58. > :21:59.
:21:59. > :22:04.at home. Lo and behold, I'm the only person standing, so I wait
:22:04. > :22:14.around with my little camera. The train arrives, and I thought I
:22:14. > :22:15.
:22:15. > :22:23.would take up a photograph, and then take the train to Tavistock.
:22:23. > :22:31.The weather got worse. It was a white-haired, really. All the trees
:22:31. > :22:34.were covered in heavy snow. I was quite relieved to get a Tavistock.
:22:34. > :22:44.He was right to be relieved. As the blizzards continued, trains became
:22:44. > :22:44.
:22:45. > :22:54.One fought its way back to Plymouth, carrying Aubrey, its last ever
:22:55. > :22:56.
:22:56. > :23:06.passenger. It was quite a day. Quite an event. Aubrey made it home,
:23:06. > :23:12.
:23:12. > :23:22.When the thaw came, the closed line fell into disrepair. But where
:23:22. > :23:33.
:23:33. > :23:43.Volunteers have been resurrecting They've done just over a mile
:23:43. > :23:48.
:23:48. > :23:52.through the Plym Valley. It's taken When you are asking people were
:23:52. > :24:00.basically retired, or office workers to come out and physically
:24:00. > :24:05.get wet, do hard manual labour, not everybody wants to do it. From
:24:05. > :24:09.painting, kneeling, screwing, welding, everybody brings a lot to
:24:09. > :24:14.the railway, and what you see today is the effort we have all put in
:24:14. > :24:17.over 30 years to make it this. they're heading for a major event.
:24:17. > :24:20.On 30th December, exactly 50 years after the line closed, a newly
:24:20. > :24:29.rebuilt stretch will open to the public. These gates mark the start
:24:29. > :24:36.of the extra half mile. The track is being settled, then we will have
:24:36. > :24:46.some training, it used to using this section of line, and hopefully
:24:46. > :24:53.
:24:53. > :24:59.These gates were hand-built by this volunteer. His approach moment?
:24:59. > :25:03.I've spent quite a bit of time making these gates, it is fantastic.
:25:03. > :25:07.Another piece of the jigsaw. who should be the first passenger
:25:07. > :25:17.to go all the way? Who else, but the LAST passenger from 50 years
:25:17. > :25:25.
:25:26. > :25:32.Waiting room, I did not think I would see this again. Wonderful.
:25:32. > :25:42.Nice to see you back. Wonderful, 50 years since we did this. Thank you
:25:42. > :25:51.very much indeed. Time to see what inflation has done to ticket prices.
:25:51. > :26:00.One ticket please. This is your ticket, the very first one.
:26:00. > :26:08.much is that? 10p, especially for you. For Paul, the trip will mark
:26:08. > :26:13.the end of a long struggle. I feel relieved, I have completed my
:26:13. > :26:18.effort which was to get the track back. The effort was to lay the
:26:18. > :26:22.line back to the bridge, we have done that. We have been a long time
:26:22. > :26:28.building, now we want to start playing with it. 50 years after he
:26:28. > :26:38.last stepped on this line, Aubrey is back. Just as then, there's a
:26:38. > :26:59.
:26:59. > :27:09.For Aubrey, it's the second trip of Wonderful, this is really first-
:27:09. > :27:15.
:27:15. > :27:25.class. It's been a long time since I really can't believe this. It's
:27:25. > :27:28.
:27:28. > :27:33.wonderful. 15 minutes later, Thank you very much, gentlemen.
:27:33. > :27:40.Thank you for coming down and been part of her special day. Hopefully
:27:40. > :27:45.see you again. Nice to see you. Glad you enjoyed it. Nice to me you.
:27:45. > :27:48.It is nice to be back, 30 years of hard labour. There are tears.
:27:48. > :27:53.People can come and enjoy what we've done. Hopefully we can
:27:53. > :28:03.develop it and finish it off. It feels great. They are happy to be
:28:03. > :28:13.
:28:13. > :28:21.Thank you to everyone involved with this railway, congratulations on