:00:00. > :00:00.Peter, thank you. That's all from the BBC News at Six,
:00:00. > :00:07.Peter, thank you. Hello, good evening, welcome to the
:00:08. > :00:11.BBC in the Channel Islands, our top stories.
:00:12. > :00:14.A costly clean up, storm`lashed sea walls, properties and even Castle
:00:15. > :00:25.Cornet need work, but the budget's already spent. The budget for those
:00:26. > :00:29.sea walls and coastal defences will be gone, without question. But that
:00:30. > :00:36.is not the end of the world, you know. The team here prepare for yet
:00:37. > :00:42.more bad weather over the course of the next few days and I will be
:00:43. > :00:44.asking the minister responsible if they were well prepared and how much
:00:45. > :00:48.the clean`up will cost. And caught on camera, twitchers
:00:49. > :00:49.rejoice as a rare bird returns to Jersey's coast, 100 years since it
:00:50. > :01:03.was last seen there in the wild We're getting reports this evening
:01:04. > :01:07.of flooding in parts of Guernsey. Police say they've been dealing with
:01:08. > :01:11.up to 60 flooded roads, and they've run out of road closed signs and
:01:12. > :01:15.sandbags. Excessive rainfall is also causing problems in parts of
:01:16. > :01:18.Alderney. Meanwhile, strong winds have hampered clear up operations
:01:19. > :01:22.across the Channel Islands, as teams try to repair the damage to sea
:01:23. > :01:24.walls, slipways and roads. Guernsey's Environment Department
:01:25. > :01:27.has revealed it's already almost completely spent its budget for
:01:28. > :01:31.maintaining the island's coastal defences. Meanwhile, in Jersey the
:01:32. > :01:35.cost of repairs runs into the hundreds of thousands of pounds
:01:36. > :01:39.More on that in a moment, but first Mike Wilkins has been to see the
:01:40. > :01:43.damage in Guernsey. A lower tide but one that's still
:01:44. > :01:46.wreaking havoc. Today, this part of Guernsey's east coast was given very
:01:47. > :01:56.little time to recover as the waves smashed in once again. Behind me,
:01:57. > :02:00.the colourful breakwater has been damaged. Huge rocks dislodged, and
:02:01. > :02:05.it is still early to say how much it is going to cost repair. But this is
:02:06. > :02:08.absolutely crucial to the protection of Singh Peter Fulton. Across the
:02:09. > :02:14.island, teams have been working against the elements to repair the
:02:15. > :02:18.damage. We can't do that when the tide is coming over so we have tried
:02:19. > :02:21.to clear as much as we can. Some places, we have had to leave because
:02:22. > :02:25.it is dangerous to get to them. As we start just the second month of
:02:26. > :02:33.the year, the Environment Department's maintenance budget has
:02:34. > :02:36.almost been spent already. The budget for the sea walls and coastal
:02:37. > :02:40.defences will be gone, without question. But that is not the end of
:02:41. > :02:43.the world. Repairing all this will cost a lot of money and the
:02:44. > :02:47.Environment Department is going to have to find more and re`prioritise
:02:48. > :02:51.its plans to ensure the island remains protected from future
:02:52. > :02:54.storms. As the unlikely begins to happen at
:02:55. > :02:58.Castle Cornet, some reassuring news for insurance customers. Some
:02:59. > :03:08.companies say the storm damage won't have a huge effect on premiums. The
:03:09. > :03:13.number of claims we have had is far more biased to Guernsey than Jersey,
:03:14. > :03:20.and, specifically, localised to a smaller area. I do not see that
:03:21. > :03:23.first storm and the floods that have occurred will have a huge effect on
:03:24. > :03:26.premiums. For people that have been affected by storm damage, the advice
:03:27. > :03:37.is to speak to your insurance company as soon as possible. BBC
:03:38. > :03:40.Radio Guernsey is broadcasting a special programme this evening
:03:41. > :03:43.bringing you all the latest as emergency services deal with the
:03:44. > :03:46.flooding. There are problems with the FM service but you can listen
:03:47. > :03:50.online. Well, in Jersey, the States have
:03:51. > :03:52.issued a warning for flooding in low lying areas of the island for
:03:53. > :03:56.tonight and early morning. Meanwhile, the cost of repairing the
:03:57. > :04:01.island's sea defences is estimated to be at least ?200,000. Work has
:04:02. > :04:05.started on repairing the slipway at St Aubin. It partly collapsed after
:04:06. > :04:09.the days of storms. La Grande Maison slipway near St Catherine's lifeboat
:04:10. > :04:13.station has also been damaged. Well, with more weather warnings on
:04:14. > :04:16.the way, our reporter Edward Sault has been to Jersey's Transport and
:04:17. > :04:21.Technical Services depot in La Collette to speak to Minister Kevin
:04:22. > :04:25.Lewis. You join me at a wet and blustery
:04:26. > :04:31.transport and technical services depot in St Helier. This is where
:04:32. > :04:34.the road sweepers for the island are kept that up operated by this
:04:35. > :04:37.company and you can see for yourself. Here are two that have
:04:38. > :04:41.been heavily involved in the clear up this week as a result of these
:04:42. > :04:45.storms we have been experiencing. They are undergoing for more of a ``
:04:46. > :04:48.their undergoing a clear up before they go out on the roads. How bad
:04:49. > :04:53.has the weather been in your experience this week compared to
:04:54. > :04:57.other years? I have never known it this bad. It has been storm of the
:04:58. > :05:04.century, as far as I'm concerned. How much will the clean`up cost We
:05:05. > :05:08.are looking upwards of ?200,000 But there is probably more to come. We
:05:09. > :05:13.have a red warning tonight, so we are anticipating roof tiles to come
:05:14. > :05:18.flying down, trees, a few of them will come down. We advise anyone if
:05:19. > :05:23.they have anything in their garden that can blow around, please secure
:05:24. > :05:26.it in your garden. This weather is quite unprecedented, more as
:05:27. > :05:31.expected, what problems do you envisage? We have several teams on
:05:32. > :05:39.stand`by, the Fire crews on stand`by, the sweepers, but a lot of
:05:40. > :05:43.it has to be done by hand because the seaweed is far too heavy. So the
:05:44. > :05:57.clear up teams are on stand`by. So, you are prepared? Yes. Thank you.
:05:58. > :06:04.So, they are prepared. Jersey got another red issued warning from the
:06:05. > :06:06.Met Office. This clear up will continue for the next few days.
:06:07. > :06:10.The head of Jersey's Fishermen's Association says this winter's been
:06:11. > :06:13.one of the worst for local fishermen in 35 years. Don Thompson says boats
:06:14. > :06:17.have rarely left the harbour for six weeks due to the rough seas and
:06:18. > :06:20.storms. As well as leaving fishermen hundreds of thousands of pounds out
:06:21. > :06:22.of pocket, it's starting to have an effect on local fish supplies as Jen
:06:23. > :06:30.Smith found out. Get them while you can. Vicky
:06:31. > :06:34.Border's been selling fish in Jersey at this family business for more
:06:35. > :06:38.than 15 years. She says she still has plenty to fill the shelves now
:06:39. > :06:47.but, by the weekend, shellfish will be gone. Crab and lobster are the
:06:48. > :06:51.main problem. When that is gone it's gone. There's nothing we can
:06:52. > :06:54.do. We've got to hope there is light at the end of the tunnel not too far
:06:55. > :06:57.away and that fishermen can go back out because these are the guys I
:06:58. > :07:01.feel sorry for. Vicky's shop relies on the catch local fishermen bring
:07:02. > :07:04.in. But the boats have been stuck in the harbour since December, so
:07:05. > :07:12.there's little to go around. We re running into the six`week since we
:07:13. > :07:18.have had any income at all. We can suffer a couple of weeks, but this
:07:19. > :07:21.is really... This is creating real difficulty particular for the young
:07:22. > :07:24.fisherman, to have no income at all. The slump in local fish is having a
:07:25. > :07:31.knock`on effect. From fishermen s pockets to restaurant plates.
:07:32. > :07:38.Lobster, crab, it is all imported at the moment. Scholar 's. And a lot of
:07:39. > :07:45.the fish, the wet fish. A bit of it comes from the mainland anyway so we
:07:46. > :07:48.are managing, in that respect, but local has been pretty bad for local
:07:49. > :07:51.fish. Vicky's optimistic there'll be a break in the weather soon, so
:07:52. > :07:55.Jersey's fishermen can get back to sea. But with more bad weather on
:07:56. > :08:02.the way for the weekend, these nets may be ashore for a while to come.
:08:03. > :08:06.The trial of the man accused of killing Guernsey woman Sarah Groves
:08:07. > :08:09.has been postponed again today. The 24`year`old was found dead on a
:08:10. > :08:12.houseboat she was sharing with a local family in Kashmir last year.
:08:13. > :08:17.Dutch national 43`year`old Richard De Wit denies her murder. A
:08:18. > :08:21.neighbour of the houseboat was due to appear this morning but didn t
:08:22. > :08:23.turn up to the hearing. The trial is scheduled to resume on 17th
:08:24. > :08:26.February. 250 passengers in France bound for
:08:27. > :08:32.the Channel Islands were turned away this morning due to a strike by 20
:08:33. > :08:36.Condor Ferries crew members. The company says it was given no notice
:08:37. > :08:40.of the 24`hour strike by French port workers, as part of against
:08:41. > :08:49.austerity measures. Tomorrow's service between the islands and St
:08:50. > :08:54.Malo has also been cancelled. Sport. And in tennis, singles wins
:08:55. > :08:58.for Guernsey's Heather Watson and Jo Konta helped Great Britain to a 2`1
:08:59. > :09:01.win over Latvia in their opening Fed Cup group match in Budapest. Judy
:09:02. > :09:05.Murray's team next face Hungary on Friday afternoon. Only two of the 17
:09:06. > :09:10.teams in action will have a chance of qualifying for the World Group II
:09:11. > :09:15.play`offs. Good to have you with us. Later on in Spotlight, a town
:09:16. > :09:20.mourns its historic rock tower, condemned after the storms.
:09:21. > :09:24.This was a sight not seen in the Channel Islands for over a century,
:09:25. > :09:29.but now these red billed choughs are once again being seen and heard
:09:30. > :09:31.along Jersey's north coast. A project to re`introduce these rare
:09:32. > :09:36.birds into the wild by Durrell wildlife trust is well on its way.
:09:37. > :09:38.And, for the first time, it's been captured on camera. Emma Chambers
:09:39. > :09:43.reports. A rare moment captured on camera. A
:09:44. > :09:48.chough flying in Jersey's open air, over 100 years after they were last
:09:49. > :09:51.spotted in the wild. Durrell has been re`introducing the birds back
:09:52. > :09:55.to the islands north coast. A project that's not only taken a lot
:09:56. > :10:04.of time and effort but has also been filmed. A first for the Channel
:10:05. > :10:08.Islands. One of our supporters recommended to us before we even got
:10:09. > :10:14.the first birds that we should arrange to have a film made from day
:10:15. > :10:19.one. And to cover all of those minor jobs that have to be done. It was a
:10:20. > :10:23.brilliant idea. Rather than make a film at the end and then have no
:10:24. > :10:26.background stuff to show what we did at the start of the project, we get
:10:27. > :10:29.it first. The footage shows every aspect of the re`introduction
:10:30. > :10:35.programme. From attaching radio transmitters, to the first moment
:10:36. > :10:38.the choughs were released. It's documenting because it is such an
:10:39. > :10:45.important project but also for research projects, like the ones in
:10:46. > :10:50.Hawaii, they will benefit from this, sharing information. But also
:10:51. > :10:54.keeping the public up`to`date with what is going on. It's great to be
:10:55. > :10:58.able to show them what is involved in this. It's not just a case of
:10:59. > :11:01.throwing them out and hoping for the best! The eight choughs at Sorel
:11:02. > :11:04.Point are currently being kept inside the aviary due to the
:11:05. > :11:08.weather, but there are more filming opportunities in store for this
:11:09. > :11:13.year. We have to release is planned this year. With the birds that are
:11:14. > :11:17.already there and any birds we can breed this season, so that would be
:11:18. > :11:21.in the late summer. And with the breeding itself, we are doing some
:11:22. > :11:24.hand rearing and incubation and filming that. This footage will be
:11:25. > :11:28.used at Durrell's training academy but is also available on the
:11:29. > :11:31.projects website. `` on the project's website.
:11:32. > :11:36.Back to the weather now, and the story is changing to one of strong
:11:37. > :11:39.winds rather than high tides, isn't it? We've even had a warning from
:11:40. > :11:45.Jersey's Construction Council to secure any loose building materials,
:11:46. > :11:50.is it going to be that bad? The wind direction overnight
:11:51. > :11:55.tonight, we have had the coast, the south coast and the east coast of
:11:56. > :11:58.the islands being battered by the really big waves and the strength of
:11:59. > :12:05.the wind, we've had the heavy rain today and overnight we have a change
:12:06. > :12:09.in the with direction `` in the wind direction. It is the north`west
:12:10. > :12:16.facing coast that will get a hammering. As you mentioned, there
:12:17. > :12:20.is a warning. We could have gusts of wind as it is getting like tomorrow
:12:21. > :12:23.morning of between 60 and 70 miles an hour. The wind direction is
:12:24. > :12:27.completed different to what we have seen, it is from the North for
:12:28. > :12:32.Northwest, backing Westerly tomorrow. Tomorrow is not a bad day.
:12:33. > :12:38.It's going to start pretty windy, but the winds drop, and there should
:12:39. > :12:43.be some sunshine to enjoy which will hopefully cheer us up. There is more
:12:44. > :12:46.wet weather coming in overnight and it becomes very windy again as we
:12:47. > :12:51.move into the early hours of Saturday morning. Why is it so
:12:52. > :12:56.unsettled? Why are we seeing this strength of wind? Notice that on
:12:57. > :13:01.this side of the low pressure, there is a squeeze in the ice bars, that
:13:02. > :13:06.is the strength of wind that drifts across us. And yet, out here in the
:13:07. > :13:12.Atlantic, there is another sizeable area of low pressure. This is the
:13:13. > :13:17.next storm because we could have gusts of wind to storm force. It is
:13:18. > :13:20.racing across the Atlantic and it will arrive across most of this
:13:21. > :13:24.corner of Europe by the time we get to the middle of the day on
:13:25. > :13:27.Saturday. The showers overnight tonight are still quite lively and
:13:28. > :13:32.there are some that could give an intense downpour of rain. The main
:13:33. > :13:35.theme is the strength of the winds and overnight temperatures down to
:13:36. > :13:40.around seven. Those winds quickly eased tomorrow is by the time we get
:13:41. > :13:45.into the afternoon, there might be some showers, but there will be
:13:46. > :13:50.sunshine. Later in the day, figure cloud from the south`west,
:13:51. > :13:57.high`level cloud. Most of the day is dry. Generally lighter winds as
:13:58. > :14:03.well. The winds start of upper gale force but soon backing
:14:04. > :14:08.south`westerly force five, then south`westerly six. Fair then rain
:14:09. > :14:17.later. Times of high water. These are important.
:14:18. > :14:28.And very messy surf conditions. That is because of the wind direction
:14:29. > :14:34.change. Very windy on Saturday, less windy on Sunday, but still plenty of
:14:35. > :14:40.showers dotted around. Take care. Thank you, you take care, too. That
:14:41. > :14:44.is it from us here. BBC Radio Guernsey will keep you updated
:14:45. > :14:46.throughout the evening, and here in Jersey, police have set up a special
:14:47. > :16:42.flooding helpline. next 48 hours will be crucial
:16:43. > :16:48.because the people may have lost the clocktower and the community centre.
:16:49. > :16:59.Well, our Political Editor Martyn Oates is with us to talk about the
:17:00. > :17:05.many political developments today. The Local Government Secretary
:17:06. > :17:10.pledged another ?30 million for flood relief on top of the extra
:17:11. > :17:14.?100 million which the Prime Minister and as yesterday. But that
:17:15. > :17:18.is across the country and it is not clear whether it will be spent. But
:17:19. > :17:23.we do know more about the government's plans for Dawlish? The
:17:24. > :17:27.Transport Secretary is committing the government to a report that
:17:28. > :17:31.looks at a long`term solution including alternative routes. A lot
:17:32. > :17:40.of MPs are saying that they want the track commended as soon as possible
:17:41. > :17:45.but it is not sustainable on that seafront so some people may ask for
:17:46. > :17:54.that to be relocated. The local MP, however, says that is very expensive
:17:55. > :17:57.and the government needs to look at committing 300 million to 400 marine
:17:58. > :18:07.pounds to providing a good railway line from for the area. We must keep
:18:08. > :18:12.this line up and running and it is much more affordable to do that now
:18:13. > :18:20.rather than a new railway which would be ten or 20 years. In
:18:21. > :18:25.neighbouring MPs says we should keep the line and repaired it and also
:18:26. > :18:28.get an alternative route. And some MPs are angry that the Government is
:18:29. > :18:40.spending so much money on rail improvements elsewhere? They say are
:18:41. > :18:49.railway links Apple at the best of times `` are poor at the best of
:18:50. > :18:56.times. They will say that if the government does not work to improve
:18:57. > :19:04.the situation at Dawlish they will withdraw their support for other
:19:05. > :19:07.railway plans. The driver of a van that crashed 20 feet off a bridge
:19:08. > :19:11.and plunged into the flood swollen River Tamar says he needed to
:19:12. > :19:14.survive for the sake of his two children. Dan Behennah managed to
:19:15. > :19:17.escape by clambering onto the van's roof and grabbing overhead branches
:19:18. > :19:18.to haul himself out of the fast`flowing water. John Henderson
:19:19. > :19:22.reports. A big bridge and the great escape.
:19:23. > :19:38.This van crashed off the bridge and plummeted 20 feet into the fast
:19:39. > :19:43.flowing river Tamer `` River Tamar. Someone must have been looking down
:19:44. > :19:52.on me. I have a guardian angel and that is one of my lives gone. On
:19:53. > :19:59.Saturday, something went wrong. I slept and hit the corner of the wall
:20:00. > :20:04.and I was thinking that I was going through and there was nothing I
:20:05. > :20:12.could do to stop it. I just remember holding on to the steering wheel in
:20:13. > :20:18.the water coming up. I hit the water and of nose of the van came up and
:20:19. > :20:22.all the water was coming in the van so I thought I needed to get out and
:20:23. > :20:29.open the door and squeeze through and got onto the roof. You see that
:20:30. > :20:39.on programmes. As soon as the water goes past the door, especially with
:20:40. > :20:45.electric windows, you know. His only injuries are a broken
:20:46. > :20:54.collarbone and some cuts. What was going through your mind? This is the
:20:55. > :21:03.end. I had thoughts of the boys. That kept me strong, I suppose. It
:21:04. > :21:10.made me fight and I thought that they needed me around. Dan is sorry
:21:11. > :21:18.for the inconvenience he has caused but he is glad to be alive.
:21:19. > :21:25.We have heard some extraordinary stories in the last few days. In
:21:26. > :21:28.other news, a man has been charged in connection with the murder of
:21:29. > :21:31.David Alderson whose body was found in old mine works in Cornwall. The
:21:32. > :21:34.72`year`old from Falmouth was discovered at Wheal Maid last month.
:21:35. > :21:36.33`year`old Kevin Cooper from Carharrack near Redruth appeared
:21:37. > :21:43.before Truro magistrates this morning. He's been remanded in
:21:44. > :21:46.custody. And in sport, Exeter Chiefs wing
:21:47. > :21:50.Jack Nowell has kept his place in the England team for the Six Nations
:21:51. > :21:52.game against Scotland this weekend. The 20`year`old from Newlyn made his
:21:53. > :22:00.first senior international debut last Saturday. He played 66 minutes
:22:01. > :22:04.in the narrow defeat in France. The region is still coming to terms with
:22:05. > :22:11.the storms earlier this week but it seems we have more on the way.
:22:12. > :22:18.We have to make the most of any brief windows of opportunity as far
:22:19. > :22:22.as the weather is concerned about their are some days that are better
:22:23. > :22:31.than others. Tomorrow may be better than some. There will be lighter
:22:32. > :22:35.when is but sadly there is more wind and rain turning up overnight and
:22:36. > :22:41.into the weekend and lasting right through the weekend. The strength of
:22:42. > :22:45.wind is a worry as we move into the weekend as well as further outbreaks
:22:46. > :22:54.of rain. At the moment, we have an area of low pressure and as it moves
:22:55. > :22:59.away from us tonight, the isobars squeeze up and we could have gusts
:23:00. > :23:03.of wind from a different direction. The wind is from the North West
:23:04. > :23:09.overnight and it could be around 50 mph. There will be big waves on the
:23:10. > :23:13.north coast of the South West will get shelter because of the wind
:23:14. > :23:18.direction. This is the new area of low pressure racing across the
:23:19. > :23:22.Atlantic and will be over the United Kingdom for much of the weekend.
:23:23. > :23:28.Most of the winds through the weekend will be from the south`west
:23:29. > :23:35.of the West. That may give some shelter to those badly affected. We
:23:36. > :23:40.could have gusts of wind on Saturday between 60 mph and 70 mph. The wind
:23:41. > :23:45.strength and direction will change as we move through the weekend. For
:23:46. > :23:48.a short while tomorrow evening, they will be from the south and
:23:49. > :23:57.south`east but by the middle of Saturday, they will be mostly west
:23:58. > :24:02.of south`westerly. That is not a too bad direction from some of us. There
:24:03. > :24:11.are severe warnings on the Somerset Levels. You can go to the
:24:12. > :24:15.Environment Agency website which will give you more detailed
:24:16. > :24:26.information on the three`day flood risk. The rain that we have seen
:24:27. > :24:42.today will go away tonight but some sharp brain will return on gusts of
:24:43. > :24:46.wind. `` sharp rain. There may even be some sunshine. Overnight ten
:24:47. > :24:51.badgers will be five degrees are six degrees. It will be a dry morning
:24:52. > :24:56.and a few showers will turn up during the middle of the day and
:24:57. > :25:01.then the cat cloud will arrive in the late afternoon and evening but
:25:02. > :25:23.overall the highest temperature will be nine degrees or 10 degrees. Here
:25:24. > :25:37.are the times of high water. `` overnight temperatures. This is the
:25:38. > :25:47.coastal waters forecast. It will increase to deal for sake or be a
:25:48. > :26:01.force nine overnight. Some of the showers may be wintry. `` gale force
:26:02. > :26:04.eight or nine. Well, as the bad weather continues, there's more
:26:05. > :26:08.coverage of what's happening near you tonight in our late news ` and
:26:09. > :26:10.on your BBC local radio station, including special programmes tonight
:26:11. > :26:14.and tomorrow night on BBC Radio Devon with Vic Morgan and BBC Radio
:26:15. > :26:17.Cornwall with Martin Bailie ` that's from 7pm till 10pm. Our other
:26:18. > :26:21.stations across the region will also have coverage, as well as updates as
:26:22. > :26:25.they happen online. We'll leave you tonight with a look at how the South
:26:26. > :26:35.West is dealing with the effects of the storms. Goodbye. This is about
:26:36. > :26:44.the future of the Southwest as a whole. This joins London to the
:26:45. > :27:03.south`west. I have seen it bad but not this bad. The power of the ways
:27:04. > :27:11.that we witnessed were phenomenal. Some large pieces of masonry were
:27:12. > :27:19.being hurled through the air. Some were up to a tonne in weight. I have
:27:20. > :27:25.never seen anything as bad as that and I saw the storm in 1989. It was
:27:26. > :27:47.nowhere near as bad as that.