12/12/2011 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening. The Channel Islands headlines this Monday evening...

Discipline...or violence? Should smacking children be banned?

"Learn from my mistakes" - the message from a reformed drink

driver this festive season. You cannot blame anyone but

yourself for drink-driving. I am a victim of my own idiocy.

And from these tanks to the truffles of the sea - efforts to

boost the Channel Islands' iconic, native shellfish.

Should the States be able to ban parents from smacking their own

children? It is a question Guernsey's Director of Public

Health has raised in his annual health report, which this year

focuses on ways of preventing the mistreatment of the island's

children. They may be little angels most of

the time, but all parents know that is not always the case.

But if children do misbehave, is smacking an appropriate way to deal

with it? I do not mean to be cruel, but sometimes they have to be

checked. I think he Tapper man and already tapped on the bottom is

more of a shop. -- Ashok. And people taking about smacking is

exactly what Guernsey's Director of Public Health wants. He has raised

the issue in his annual report, which this year focuses on the much

broader issue of preventing the mis-treatment of children. Although

we do have services for child protection on the island, it is

important that it is prevented any systematic way.

Various recommendations are made in the report, including better

monitoring of the problem and suggesting ways of improving

parenting. But Doctor Bridgman also feels now

is the right time to talk about whether smacking should be banned.

There are places like Sweden where it has been banned and it has led

to the direct reduction. I think it requires a debate.

At the moment, it is up to parents how they discipline their children.

But today's report will spark the debate on whether smacking should

be one of the ways of doing it. Jersey Telecom has been given �19

million to upgrade the internet connection of every address in the

island. The fibre-optic network will allow

speeds of up to one gigabit and was given the go-ahead in a ministerial

decision by the Treasury Minister. The money will come from States

funds over the next three years and it is hoped it will help boost the

island's digital economy. �470,000 has been falsely claimed

by benefit cheats in Jersey. The Social Security department

confirmed tonight the money will be clawed back and necessary action

taken. It follows a well publicised campaign, launched in March of this

year, to stop benefit fraud in the island. We are delighted, because

our target was �400,000 and we have exceeded that. I can assure the

public that anyone who does get in touch, we do fall these claims up.

A is there a warning to anyone who is falsely claiming question mark

my think the message is that we take these matters very seriously

and they will follow up and take the necessary action against anyone

who is doing so. Guernsey Police says it is catching

more older people than younger people drink-driving this year.

Across the Channel Islands, anti drink-drive campaigns have been

stepped up for the Christmas party season, targeting those motorists

who think they can chance it. Mike Wilkins has been to meet one

islander who did chance it - and lived to regret it.

Giving his car the once over to make sure it is safe to be on the

roads. But years ago, Trevor Bazeley was not and was pulled over

by the police, convicted of drink driving, fined hundreds of pounds

and banned from driving for three years.

Trevor lost his job, his car insurance shot up and he had to

retake his test years later. I just feel stupid. It was a silly thing

to do. It was my own fault. I was not the victim of anything, except

my own stupidity. The police have been randomly

stopping motorists to blow into one of these breathalysers.

There have been 128 people arrested in Alderney and Guernsey so far

this year for drink driving. Malky, This compares to 149 for last year

and the same number for 2009. And in Guernsey, it seems it is

some of the older generations who are intent on breaking the law.

do not think we get many youngsters that drink and drive because we

have got the message across. It is usually middle-aged to older people

normally. I was actually very lucky to get caught. If I had not been,

the next thing they do that I might have caused an accident and

seriously injured or killed either myself or someone else.

Engineers say it will take two years to repair damage to

Alderney's breakwater. Last week's north-westerly gale tore off a 50-

metre stretch of facing, which was designed to protect the main

structure. The damage is in the same area as a major breach ten

years ago. We have inspected it over the weekend. Although the

damage looks quite bad, the actual structure of the break what it is

actually untouched. Unfortunately the weather is deteriorating, but

we have secured the main part of the damage and so we're just hoping

that the weather allows us to get their perhaps in the New Year to

carry out some further repairs. But I am afraid we are totally

dependent on the weather. And there is a weather warning in

place across the islands tonight and tomorrow morning. Severe gale

force winds and high tides could combine to cause some local coastal

flooding. David will be here with the details later in the programme.

Thousands of baby ormers are ready to be released into the seas around

Jersey. It is part of a new captive

breeding programme, which aims is to boost stocks of the shellfish,

after numbers were depleted by disease.

From these small beginnings, a Channel Islands traditional

delicacy will grow. These are baby ormers, bred from local stock here

at Marcus Taylor's farm. Soon, they will be released into

the sea to grow to full size and boost stocks diminished by disease.

People here like going out and catching them. Now, they are very

restricted in what they can do. Hopefully, by releasing these into

the waters, the numbers will grow and that pursue it will become the

norm once again. This is what a fully-grown ormer

looks like. These are known as "truffles of the sea". In three

years, these will be harvested off the coast here.

But this is where the ormers start life. There are 250,000 of the tiny

creatures in these tanks. Starting in the next few weeks, when weather

conditions are right, thousands will be released into the sea

annually. It is a joint scheme between Marcus's company here and

Jersey Inshore Fishermens Association. Over a period of five

or six years, we will see the real benefit from this. I myself would

like to think I would be going to try and find a feed myself!

The project is not cheap. But those behind it say it is worth it to

ensure an increase in stocks of one of the Channel Islands iconic and

native shellfish. The Jersey Charity Auction raised a record

�43,000 yesterday. This is celebrating the wedding of Kate

Middleton and Prince William. The biggest number of lots to date

were donated and auctioned on BBC Radio Jersey. The proceeds will to

help disadvantaged families and organisers say it was a bigger

success than they thought. There is issues need. This is going to

affect 15,000 people in Jersey. It may well short people that there

are people in that much needed in Jersey, but that does happen to be

the case, especially more in the last couple of years, with the

economic done town for still The first prize in the Channel

Islands Christmas Lottery reached the �750,000 mark on Sunday. That

equals last year's first prize, with a few days remaining until the

Just before we go to the weather, some of you may have spotted this

rainbow over Guernsey today. It looks like the pot of gold is at

Longue Hougue. Well, that is the pretty bit of the

weather! Now let us get the details of some extremely lively conditions

Good evening. We are going to have a couple of days when the wind is

going to be gusting very strong. The first batch of this wet and

windy weather will arrive this evening and coincide with some high

tides. We do have some warnings of the flood alert. This is for the

south coast of Jersey. It could cause some localised local flooding.

It is going to be windy and also we ate. You can see this weather

system pushing in, which will be away by a lunchtime tomorrow, to be

preceded by a blustery showers. On Wednesday, the wind is also with us,

but will also be accompanied by a showers, which could be heavy at

times. This evening, the wind increasing and bringing this batch

of wind and with it. Temperatures overnight down to seven degrees.

Tomorrow, we will have at showers right through the day. Tomorrow, a

top temperature of nine degrees Celsius. The coastal weather has

forecast has the wind south- westerly and between 7 and 8. Here

are the high water times. And here are the surfing conditions: He is

the summary for the rest of the week.

And finally, This is Jinsy, the television comedy written by two

Guernseymen, has been shortlisted for a major award.

The show is written, produced by and stars Chris Bran and Justin

Chubb. It is up for Best Sketch Show at