02/04/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

This evening. Welcome to the BBC in the Channel Islands.

My sin overboard, ferry passengers help in the search for a woman who

is feared lost in the Channel -- missing overboard.

Lot sets date for our football and rugby teams. -- lots at stake.

The Hollywood movie that is going to make Guernsey wait a little

longer. But passengers have described how

they joined in a search for a woman who fell overboard from a ferry

yesterday evening. The woman who is in her 30s and from Bristol was

reported missing by her husband. The search went on for nearly five

hours before being called off late last night. She is from fish ponds

in Bristol. The woman who has not been named

her was returning after a day-trip to Guernsey. She was last seen at

4:30pm yesterday and the alarm was raised just over an hour later. The

captain asked passengers to help find her. They must have been about

five or six calls from the captain. Eventually, they said that they

would turn around and look for her. It was really odd. We thought she

was in the toilet or something, that was what everyone was saying.

But when everyone understood what was going on, it was really quiet

and quite weird. It was not very nice. The emergency services

including aircraft, and boats, scoured the area. The search was

called off at 10pm last night. will not survive very long, an

hour-and-a-half that the best. That is assuming that you are floating.

You will be looking for a head. If you think about how big a head is,

about the size of a football, it is not a very big target. Condor

Ferries insist that there are plenty of safety measures on board.

We have put railings and watches. It is not something that has

happened before. At the moment, the investigation is being taken over

by the Guernsey police. A police investigation has been launched but

that is standard procedure for a missing persons inquiry.

A senior Jersey Police officer has appeared before the Leveson Inquiry

in London which is examining the relationship between the police and

the press. Stewart Gull whose evidence relates to the

investigation of the Ipswich murders in 2006 said he had never

given off the record briefings and often spent five hours briefing the

media describing them as a time stealer but necessary.

A new headteacher will take over at La Mare de Carteret High School

after Easter. The school has been in the spotlight after

disappointing GCSE results last year which prompted a major review

of the island's education system. Vicky Godley the current deputy

head has now been promoted to the top job. She is due to start after

the school holidays. An inquest into the death of a man

who died after having a routine hernia operation at Jersey General

Hospital has been hearing from the doctor who carried out the

operation. The family of 75-year- old Joseph Vasse blames the

hospital for his death. Joseph Vasse was a much loved

father and grandfather but he died in 2008 after going into hospital

for a routine hernia operation. Today we heard from a doctor who

operated on Joseph Vasse, Mr Pal who had worked at the hospital for

some 20 years. He says there was nothing unusual about the procedure

and that he had performed 46 hernia operations every year. After the

operation, Joseph Vasse became unwell. He did lead -- developed an

infection. He had a history of heart problems. Joseph Vasse's

family blame the hospital for his death and say that Mr Pal who

carried out the operation needed a cataract operation on his eyes at

the time of the surgery. They intend to sue the health department

after the inquest. Guernsey and Jersey States will not

be continuing the legal battle to save LVCR. As of yesterday, mail-

order companies no younger get VAT relief on low-value items sent to

the UK. Thousands of islanders are employed in the industry and today

both islands decided not to appeal a High Court ruling which allowed

the UK Treasury to push ahead with the plans.

A short while ago I was joined in the studio by Jersey's economic

development minister Senator Alan Maclean. I asked him whether the

islands were rolling over and giving up. Certainly not. We have

taken the decision to not appeal. It is a pragmatic decision. Quite

simply, it will take two years to get to the European Courts of

Justice and it would not be very helpful from the industry point of

view. We will concentrate our resources on supporting business

now. We took be original action against the UK quite simply because

we were seeking to save jobs and we have clearly not been successful in

the short term. There are other things we can do. You say two years

is too long. It does that mean the industry is effectively dead as of

now? No, not at all. There is a strong future in the broader e-

commerce sector. It is just that as far as this particular battle is

concerned, we need to focus our attention on the supporting

businesses as they are now as opposed to carrying on with

expensive and long-term legal battles that we may not succeed in.

The what kind of support? We are supporting businesses insofar as

looking at new markets and new products and services. We have to

remember that CDs and DVDs were always a short to medium-term

technology. Advances means that the business had a limited time frame.

Businesses are looking at other markets and we will assist them to

do that. We have lost the LVCR battle. We have recently seen an

attack on stamp duty and capital- gains tax. Are we in a run where

the UK will start chipping away at business in the Channel Islands?

do not think so. We have to realise that ought to jurisdictions are in

a position where they have to recoup as much revenue as they

possibly can. The UK are doing that. We need to fight our corner. We are

prepared to do that which is the reason why we took the decision to

challenge the reason in the first place. We now have to look to the

future to find a long-term sustainable future. I believe that

for the broader e-commerce sector that does exist. Thank you very

much. You are watching the BBC in the

Channel Islands, later in Spotlight with Justin and Victoria, the 10-

year-old boy celebrating after getting his first book published

despite being dyslexic. Now, Jersey is facing near drought

conditions and farmers are warning that this year's Jersey Royal crop

could be devastated. March was the third dry month in a row with

rainfall less than half the average for the time of year. Farmers say

they desperately need rainfall in the next fortnight.

At Abbey farm in Lattac they are hoping that irrigation will save

this year's Jersey while crop due to be pulled in the next fortnight.

Underneath the sandy earth the tubers are not smiling because

there has been so little rainfall for the last three months. -- they

are not swelling. Irrigation it is expensive but it is all they have

got at the moment. It is becoming a real concern. It is the third year

running where we have had drought conditions. It is at an important

stage. They are just developing so it is now that will determine what

the full potential is under the old we will get from this year's

harvest. Are you expecting the harvest to be down on last year?

we carry on with drab conditions, unfortunately, yes, we will see

less crop available. Jersey's reservoirs still appear to have

plenty of the rain largely due to December ring false. When is a

drought not a drought? According to the Met Office, you need 0.1 mm of

rain fault for 15 consecutive days for it to be labelled an absolute

drought. That is what they have measured at Jersey airport but not

at the official monitoring station. It is not a drought yet but it is

not looking good. Growers say that this year's potato crop could be

half what it is at its best. It was a big weekend for our

footballers and rugby players. League titles and Cup finals were

at stake. Jersey Football Combination were trying to clinch a

place in the FA Inter League Cup Final. The Cheshire League Stud in

their wake. Neither team were going to give up their place in the final

without a fight -- the Cheshire Football League Stud in their wake.

They are both two wins away from representing England but only one

of them can go through. In the first half, the hosts were

dominating. Craig Russell had a great chance to put Jersey ahead

within the first 10 minutes. But his shot was denied by the crossbar.

A couple of years later, he scored put in Jersey in the lead. -- a

couple of minutes later. Danny Flynn and then try to make it 2-0

but he was caught offside. In the second half, ownership of the game

changed. With two minutes to go, Cheshire equalised a -- equalised.

It was goalkeeper Craig Fletcher who kept Jersey in the game. At a

1-1 draw it was down to penalties. Jersey was the first illness. But

Craig Fletcher saved Cheshire's next two. -- Jersey was the first

to mess. It was now down to Mark Lucas to score to put Jersey

through to the final. And he did it. What a game! A decent opposition.

We moved the ball around very well. I take my hat off to them, they

were probably the better footballing side tonight. The boys

showed a different side to their game tonight. They were struggling,

it was a case of, or will we have enough players to take penalties

tonight?! I am absolutely chuffed for the management and players who

have put so much work in. We have got an exciting six weeks to look

forward to us. Jersey-based the Isle of Man next week in the final.

If they when they will represent England in the UEFA Regions' Cup in

San Marino. Guernsey football club are through

to the final of the Challenge Cup after a thrilling Friday night.

They overcame a two-goal deficit. More than 1700 people watched

Guernsey. They will now face Colliers Wood United in the final

on 4th May. Jersey rugby team extended their

lead to six points as they beat Tynedale 64-0. It means they could

secured the title at their next home game against Macclesfield on

14th April. Guernsey rugby players ran in an amazing 14 tries to win.

Nick Barton scored six tries taking his tally to more than 1000.

Guernsey now lead by three points to Old Elthamians with just two

games of the season less to play -- left to play.

The filming of a major Hollywood movie in Guernsey has been pushed

back again. Producers of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel

Pie Society movie say it is now likely to happen next spring.

Showing off Guernsey's natural beauty, that is something that has

always been important to the producers of the film version of

this book, amiably it is now expected will not be found in

Guernsey until next spring. The question of which Hollywood stars

will feature in it is what is causing the whole that. Kate

Winslet has already been confirmed that Dublin has and a black actors'

schedules is not raising -- Kate Winslet has already been confirmed

but juggling her eyes and a that actas' schedules is not easy.

We know it is dry but let us find out what is happening with the rest

Barely a cloud in the sky. The cloud will increase for some of us

overnight. Pratchett cloud here and there but clear spells as well. --

patchy cloud. The winds are fairly light and coming in from the north

and west. Starting tomorrow, pretty decent weather. An area of low

pressure will come from the channel which may produce the odd spot of

rain by the end of play. High pressure is building and heading

towards us for the end of the week. Ade dry and bright start tomorrow.

The odd shower drifting. They will very much be hit and miss. Most

places will stay dry. The winds will start to pick up speed because

of the weather front pushing south into the Channel. The Marine

forecast... The pressure is currently falling. The Sikh state

is slight becoming moderate-wrath. -- the seat is slight. The

outlook... A lovely started the day. Showers first thing on Wednesday. A

cloudy start to their state. Brighter spells later on. The