23/10/2013 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening and welcome to the news from BBC Channel Islands. Airline

monopoly could price visitors out of Guernsey. The tourism industry's

fears over Aurigny's dominance. Plus, bad timing? The day after a

tax agreement is signed, more headlines about companies dodging UK

tax in the Channel Islands. We are not encouraging the dodging of tax.

UK companies are using perfectly legitimate tax loopholes that exist

in the United Kingdom. And road to nowhere. The anger of businesses and

motorists over a key commuter route being closed for weeks. Hoteliers in

Guernsey say an opportunity has been missed, following news Easyjet's no

longer looking to fly to the Island. The low`cost airline dropped its

application to fly to Gatwick, after the Government started looking at

ways of preventing competition on the route ` all to protect the

States`owned airline Aurigny. Penny Elderfield reports. Reservations

coming in. Got it, really, on the island is not looking forward to

that. We have 40 hotels still operating and 160 restaurants and

people flying here on cheap flights would have had more money to spend.

And if you want to fly to EasyJet you can only go to Jersey, now.

Because ironically, on the day we're talking about EasyJet not coming to

Guernsey, the airline's started selling new flights in and out of

Jersey starting next year. But there is a big difference between the

Islands ` Aurigny. The States`owned airline will be the only way of

getting from Guernsey to Gatwick in future. And Easyjet pulled its

application after moves by the States to make sure that remained

the case. Moves the Government stands by. It is easy to think that

one airline is a salvation and is the route to cheap fares, but this

is about the long`term sustainability of that route which

is our most important route. For Aurigny it's welcome news. Worried

that if the extra competition had been there, they might not be, for

long. Our concern was that this would have put undue pressure on us.

We would probably have left the scene completely and then we would

be in a serious situation. But for those involved in a tourism industry

they say is struggling... Some of them are hanging on by their

fingernails at the moment. Aurigny's views may have been listened to but

their views were not. This particular states department has

acted in the interests of Aurigny but not in the interests of the

tourism industry of Guernsey and have not represented the interests

of the people that live on the island. So Aurigny will get the

monopoly the States thought it needed. But anyone wanting more

choice, and potentially cheaper flights will be left disappointed.

Some roads in Guernsey will see the speed limit drop from 35mph to 5mph

in 2014. One of the roads seeing a drop is Summerfield Road where

seven`year`old Mai`Lea Falla died in November 2012 after being hit by a

quad bike. It will be for an initial trial period of nine to 12 months.

Tax information from the Channel Islands will now be automatically

shared with the UK. Jersey and Guernsey's Chief Ministers have

signed a tax agreement with the UK Government to show their commitment

to improve tax transparency. But what effect will this automatic

exchange have on the islands? Emma Chambers reports. Will these two

signatures end the UK's perception of the Channel Islands as a tax

haven? Yesterday Jersey and Guernsey's Chief minister's signed

an agreement with the UK Government to share all tax information

automatically. The British Treasury say this is part of a global

strategy to help remove the hiding places for those who seek to evade

tax. The Channel Islands are one of the first to sign up to the new

system. It has been government policy for a long time that we would

comply with relevant international standards and when those standards

change we engage with them and we want to help develop them. We know

that the world is moving towards an automatic exchange of information

and we believe that signing the agreement is in the best interests

of Jersey. But what does this new agreement involve? Any financial

information is passed back to the UK on British residents. So anybody

living in the UK, but has some kind of arrangement here, those details

are disclosed to the UK tax authorities, so they will be so that

they have got lovely information so we are cooperating and making that

happening effectively and efficiently which is good for our

relationship with Britain, good for transparency and good for our

reputation. Good for our reputation ` but will this move put people off

doing business here? Not at all It just becomes another compliance

issue. But it does not help everyone to business. Without additional

costs. The ink hadn't even dried on the agreement before there were

national headlines suggesting UK Companies use the Channel Islands to

reduce their corporation tax. Our politicians believe this agreement

will improve our image ` but it might take longer to change the

front pages. So can this deal stop the negative headlines about these

supposed tax`dodging practices of big companies doing business through

the Channel Islands? Earlier, I put that question to Guernsey's Chief

Minister, Deputy Peter Harwood. With respect we are not encouraging the

dodging tax. What has happened is that UK retail chains are using

perfectly legitimate tax loopholes that exist under United Kingdom

laws, to enable them to reduce their tax and United Kingdom. It is a

matter that is within the control of the UK Government and the Treasury.

They could if they wanted cup of those particular tax provisions that

these organisations have taken advantage of and they can close that

down any time. Is this just a rubber`stamping exercise or will it

change any of that? What it does is opens up a channel of communication

for the exchange of information between Guernsey, Jersey and the

Isle of Man and other territories with the United Kingdom Treasury. It

should make the UK Treasury being more effective and efficient in

collecting the taxes that are legitimately due to it. And these

placing strong that demands on you? What is the hold`up? The US

government was in shock down for a beer part of this month which has

delayed the final negotiations. We have not got an agreed position We

had hoped to have signed the agreement with the US at the same

time as the UK but that was not the case but that was due, solely, to

the fact that the US government was shut down earlier this month.

Commuters in Guernsey are being warned to expect severe delays. One

of the main routes in and out of St Peter Port is being dug up to

install new telecoms cables. The work's expected to take more than a

month to complete. Mike Wilkins reports. There's rarely a moment day

or night when this road is traffic free. The Rohais is one of the main

routes in and out of St Peter Port. And from Friday it will close for

more than a month. The reason is this. Fibre`optic cable. The

telecoms company JT is upgrading its network so the road's got to come

up. We would obviously like to apologise to commuters for any

inconvenience this is causing, but this is part of our multi`million

pound investment in the island in rolling out fibre to local

businesses and part of the Rover programme for the States of Guernsey

education system as well. It's not just commuters who use this stretch

of road, it has one of the island's biggest supermarkets on it as well

as one of the largest hotels, so shoppers and tourists will also be

affected. The result was a problem on Guernsey. Most of the services

are on the roads and if we want to have modern communications then I'm

afraid that is where the work has to be done and we have over 2000

roadworks throughout the year. So whilst JT's aiming to improve

broadband connectivity for its customers, it's the commuters and

their connection to town that will suffer the most. Strong winds and

rough seas have meant Condor cancelling their fast ferries to the

UK today ` will tomorrow be any better? Here's the weather with

Holly. We have some quiet conditions at

first. Some fog initially should clear through the morning then we

are looking at a mostly drive picture `` drive picture. But we're

going to notice the breeze picking up. We had a line of cloud going

through earlier today. That was associated with showers. Behind it,

skies are largely clear. Through tonight we're going to keep some

clear conditions. You can see that Russia is rising a little bit. The

winds are dropping. Now, as we head into tomorrow, you notice that those

isobars start to squeeze together which will mean that the breeze is

increasing and that warm front might bring us one or two showers. But,

mostly a drive picture. Come Friday, low`pressure in charge of the

weather. We have some showers feeding in from the west but we

should be well protected from them and we should find that it is a

largely dry and fine picture. Quite a fair overnight, allowing some mist

and fog to form through the early hours. It might become a little bit

chilly compared to recent nice. We might start tomorrow with some

visibility problems but as the breeze picks up that should clear.

Sunny spells through the day with the risk of 12 showers. Mostly, a

drive picture. Temperatures, not too bad for the time of year at around

18 degrees. That wind will remain blustery through the day. And the

coastal waters forecast. And we see an increasing risk of

some rain later. The sea state is moderate other rather rough in the

North. And if we look at the tight times. `` tide times.

For the next few days, essentially dry by day, but Thursday, Friday and

Saturday night or bringing the risk of some heavy rain and if we look

ahead to Monday we have the potential for some quite stormy

conditions. Top chefs from Jersey and Guernsey have been competing for

the culinary crown. Their task was to prepare and cook a four course

dinner for a team of judges, all themselves chefs at some of the most

prestigious London restaurants. Unlike football match, the winner

was team jersey. Jolly well done. Time for me to hand you over to

Justin and Rebecca with news of how one town's most famous export was

used in today's royal christening. can sit down between now and

Christmas, and put our differences all to bed and go on with this

company where they can deliver for the travelling public, and we can

deliver for our members. Thank you very much.

Russia has dropped piracy charges against 30 Greenpeace activists,

replacing them with hooliganism charges. Three of those held are

from Devon. The new charge has a maximum penalty of seven years

rather than 15. Well, Janine Jansen joins us with the latest from our

newsroom. We have just heard news that Russia

has dropped all piracy charges against all 40 members of

Greenpeace. The concern over the piracy charges was a maximum jail

sentence of up to 15 years. The new service says this has been replaced

by the lesser charge of hooliganism which carries a maximum punishment

of seven years in jail. Three out of the six Britons come from Devon,

they are Alexandra Harris, here in Britain. The debate was taking in

the Commons, and the local MP commented on this earlier today. I

know that both families suffer the inevitable ` the shocking anxiety

and anguish of knowing that those whom they love are isolated and

segregated in a far`away place, accused of something that they are

convinced, as I am, they did not do, and anxiously awaiting their return.

This news will be great news for the families tonight, who say they have

had very little contact over the last 45 weeks.

Still to come in Spotlight tonight, we meet the Weymouth footballer

who's lucky to be alive. Also ahead, it's been a big day for

little Prince George ` we head to the East Devon

Now to the remarkable story of a Weymouth footballer whose recovery

from a life`threatening illness is being described as a miracle by

doctors. Kyle Critchell grew up playing alongside the likes of Theo

Walcott and Gareth Bale, before moving to Torquay United and

Weymouth. In August, he contracted severe sepsis. It was so serious his

family were told his life was in the balance. But Kyle is on the road to

recovery and he's given his first interview to the BBC's Laurence

Herdman. Kyle Critchell lives and breathes

football. In 2005, a precocious talent lined up in the Southhampton

youth team, women with Premier league stars of the future. But

eight years later, he faced his darkest hour. I went to a training

game with Weymouth, and got home in the evening and had a sore back. I

woke up in the morning and it was excruciating. The pain was terrible,

and we called an ambulance, and they give me pain relief to put me in a

comfortable position. That is when it started. Sepsis is an

overwhelming infection, but most people have not heard of it. The

body responds by injuring its own tissue and organs. It accounts for

37 thousand deaths in the UK each year. That is more than double

cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer combined. Very quickly, he

became dangerously ill. I asked my family a few questions regarding,

and my dying? And I can't remember this. Doctors prepared his family

for the worst, and his fiancee was left with a harrowing decision. He

was in a high dependency unit, and it was whether he should go into

life support, and the decision was made that he should stay in high

dependency, tried in the entity different breathing machines. Former

team`mate Gareth Bale signed a contract to become the world's most

expensive player, while Kyle was recovering from one of the most

deadly diseases in the world. They weren't expected me to be here, so

it has to be a minor miracle, if not a major medical, and I'm so happy to

see that I have come through it and can hopefully live normally and

achieve the things I want to. Football means everything to him,

but whether he resumes playing spell remains to be seen. Right now, the

focus is to get well and to raise awareness of sepsis. A little`known

condition that nearly claimed his life.

An East Devon town, renowned for its lace`making, kept up a Royal a

tradition today by playing a part in the christening of Prince George.

When the young prince arrived for the ceremony in the Chapel Royal at

St James's Palace, he was resplendent in a replica christening

robe of Honiton lace. Hamish Marshall traces the history of the

intricate fabric and its links to the Royal family.

Keeping the past alive. It's intricate and time`consuming, but

Holly is mastering the art of making Honiton lace. The 14`year`old shows

off her skills at the Thelma Hulbert gallery in the town. It does take a

while, but it is rewarding, because you have something to show, and

hopefully, it might go towards my art GCSE, which I'm working on now.

It is quite difficult, but once you get used to it, it's not bad. For

four centuries, Honiton and lacemaking have been intertwined.

It's very fine, the result of a miniature weaving process. One

square centimetre can take up to five hours to produce. Large pieces

are often the result of dozens of people's effort, and it's reached

the highest houses in the land. NEWS REPORT: Our first look at Britain's

month`old Royal Prince, Charles of Edinburgh. Sleeping peacefully

through an hour of history... From today's future King, six decades

ago, to his son, today's proud father in 1982, Honiton lace has

been part of the christening robes, a tradition continuing in 2013.

Queen Victoria was a great supporter. Those who keep the

Honiton tradition alive today hope coverage of the christening will

help boost their craft. Well, I hope more people will visit the museum.

We have lovely examples of lace in the museum, some of which goes back

before Victoria's time, but quite a lot of lace that was used by the

Royal family. We've got a nice piece that went round a skirt that was

commissioned by Queen Victoria, which is on show in the museum, and

I hope people come to visit us and see that Honiton lace is still being

made. There are two places in the town where the history of lace is

brought to life, and one reveals another Royal connection. This

negligee and nightgown belonged to Wallis Simpson.

Onto sport, and there wasn't a single goal scored by the three

Devon football teams last night. But at least two of them managed to

prise a draw from their contests. Spotlight's Dave Gibbins has the

details on a night which literally saw the lights go out on Plymouth

Argyle. Exeter City stayed third in league

two after their goalless draw at Oxford University, were right behind

them in the placings. If Lennon had executed the best chance of the

evening, city would have claimed two seconds, but to come away with a

point was good enough. Limit Argyle have schooled only eight goals in

their 13 league games `` Plymouth Argyle have scored only eight goals.

Lewis Alessandra came closest to finding the promised land the call

call, as manager John Sheridan extends his search for a striker.

They also concentrated on buying new bulbs, when the stadium descended

into darkness for 11 minutes, when the flood lights went out. The venue

at which there was some goals was where Torquay United slipped to a

two nil defeat at Bromwich Albion. There is early days, manager Alan ``

the manager is hoping his two new recruits will breathe new life into

the goals. In just a few minutes time, Exeter

Cathedral will be welcoming the Countess of Wessex for a performance

of biblical proportions. The story of Noah's Ark was set to music in

Benjamin Britten's famous opera, Noye's Fludde, and tonight it'll be

performed by 170 school children from Devon as part of the Two Moors

Festival, set up in the wake of the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease

in 2001. John Henderson went along for a sneak preview. They came in to

buy two, the cast of Norwell's flight. Among them was ten`year`old

Grace who is playing a peacock. Charlie and I are the animals in the

art, and I am a peacock. What do you have to do? We have to walk up the

aisle, and go on to the arc, and we're singing where we do that. What

is it like? It is really nervous, but it's really exciting at the same

time. Her brother might be a wolf, but even be the `` they have worries

about performing. I hope my brother doesn't make faces at me, but he is

done it at other performances, which is about mad. Noye's Fludde is

predominantly an amateur cast, but it does have a former journalist

playing God. It is rather daunting, playing God, and apparently it has

bad luck attached to it, but hopefully it will be all right. The

production is part of the Two Moors Festival, which was started to

encourage people back to Devon after the foot and mouth outbreak. The

director hopes it will inspire his young cast. The key thing for me was

inspiring them and making sure they had a good experience, because these

things can be brilliant for confidence and can be an amazing

lifelong experience that they will remember for ever. Lots of people

can be quite with `` they can also be quite dangerous if they are to

ski. Whether it is divine intervention or not, this arc is

full. The performance as a sell`out. It looks and sounds very impressive.

Good luck to everyone involved. Hopefully we won't need now is at

end terms of the weather? We have some rain on the way, but hopefully

not yet. Tomorrow, it is not looking good, I suppose, with some early

mist and fog, and the wind picking up, but we may see a few showers.

The slump of cloudy can see in the Atlantic and extending towards Spain

has asked in its sights for Thursday night. At the moment, we have clear

skies, but you can see it will be quiet at the moment, but this is the

next weather system that will push in. For Thursday, a few showers

perhaps, by Thursday night will see that weather system feeding across

us, and it will be showery and blustery. You can see on the

satellite picture, we have some cloud and 12 showers as well, but

essentially, has been pretty nice, and his boys `` as it was install

the park today. You can see the leaves barely moving. Not much in

the way of cloud there at all. Indeed, that lack of cloud will lead

to tonight, just of view mist and fog patches forming in the early

hours, not too many, just here and there. A very chilly night compared

to some recent nights, with some spots getting down to six degrees.

Tomorrow, so mist and fog event initially, with the breeze picking

up, which should help to clear it, and Macy's some showers especially

out of the West will stop `` wee shoes `` we should see some

showers. For the Isles of Scilly, the pieces will increase through the

day, and probably they will be the most likely spot to cease and

showers. The times of high water are here. Looking at the Surf conditions

for tomorrow, the south coast looks quite choppy, and the waves won't be

very impressive, but quite usable. Coastal waters will have when is

backing south easterly seven or eight and some brain feeding and

later, and we will see some rain reducing visibility through the

course of the day, day. The rest of the week, Thursday night is

concerning, with an area of heavy rain. We have Met Office early

warning and we could have large puddles on the road. A dry start

essentially on Friday, but you could see some unpleasant driving

conditions, and the rain will build on Friday. The weekend, Saturday

will start to write on rain will moving later, with strong winds

expected as well. On Sunday, we will see some deals and sharp showers,

but it will be worse on Monday, where you will cease and gales.

Thank you, Holly. That is the news and weather. There will be around

the updates on your radio stations. From everyone here, good night.