06/03/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Yard's handling of the case. That's all from the BBC News at Six, so

Welcome to Thursday's BBC Channel it's

Welcome to Thursday's BBC Channel Islands News. The top storids. Young

people in Guernsey are turnhng to alcohol because there's nothing to

do ` according to a new report. We are getting the information that we

need to, out to young peopld, about misusing alcohol. Also, the sex

education booklet being set home to children as young as four. H think

that the teacher should havd handed it to the parents, not to the

children themselves. And how your waste goes from this to this ` as

Guernsey gets ready for its rubbish revolution. Young people in Guernsey

are turning to alcohol becatse there's nothing to do. That's the

view of some schoolchildren who have taken part in a survey of more than

600 full`time students. The latest results from the Education

Department show that many are drinking alcohol regularly `nd a

significant number are smokhng cigarettes. Mike Wilkins reports.

Happy relaxing with friends, but some young people are consuling

alcohol, cigarettes and drugs on a regular basis. When asked, `lmost

half of those surveyed said they'd had an alcoholic drink in the past

seven days. Almost a quarter of students smoke cigarettes, lany

opting for cheap products. @nd more than a quarter had tried cannabis.

Some told me today that thex drank alcohol because there was a lack of

things to do. I do a lot of sport Verster Lake `` personally, but if

there was more for kids to do, the new skate park is excellent for

young teenage boys but therd is nothing for the girls. And we want

to socialise and sit and ch`t and we can agree do other strains that we

can see out of school. The only time that we can do that is at a party.

There's nowhere to go apart from in the summer, at the beach. Apart from

house parties there was nowhere to go at the winter. It is somdthing we

need to address through the drug and alcohol strategy. With tobacco

education, I was concerned that we saw a quarter of young people who

smoke. It should be noted that there were many positives in the survey

but two glaring issues are that cigarettes and alcohol remahn a

problem that won't go away. The Guernsey government has a drugs and

alcohol strategy. Do these results mean that it is not working? I spoke

to the head of the drug and alcohol strategy, Andrea Nightingald, from

our Guernsey newsroom a few moments ago. Actually, we were quitd

encouraged by some of the post` 6 survey. It showed that cann`bis use

is only by 9% of young people, which we feel is extremely encour`ging,

and we still know that we h`ve a way to go, but we are getting the

information that we need to, out to young people, about misusing

alcohol, how it can affect not only their health, but also their

families and relationships. The students are telling us that there

nothing else to do on island. What are the authorities doing about

that? We have lots of activhties that we put on for young people We

could be better at doing th`t. We have a new youth commission that is

looking at outreach, and extending it to active kids, not only sporting

but the arts commission is there, and we have to see whether or not we

can embrace young people into activities, to steer them away from

the use of drug and alcohol. And staying with issues affecting young

people ` What would you say if your four year old came home frol school

with this? It's a booklet to help parents explain issues surrounding

sex and relationships to thdir children. The pamphlet is produced

by a Jersey charity ` and some 10,000 copies have been givdn to

primary school and even pre`school children in the island. As xou can

imagine, it's created quite a stir, as Emma Chambers reports. These

children can also be... Str`ngers who are, other children? Thdy could

be adults. Talking to your eight`year`old son about sensitive

issues such as staying safe online, puberty and sex can be diffhcult `

but not for Ally. She says hts been made easier because of this book

called A Parent's Toolkit. Ht advises parents on how to ddal with

those awkward questions. I found that my son has opened up a lot more

since we had this book. Therefore, if I broach the subject, he would be

embarrassed. But when we sat down together, we were both embarrassed,

and the book helped us to look at it together. Although it has hdlped

many it has also caused upsdt. Not about what's in them but how the

books were received by parents. 10,000 copies have been givdn out

across Jersey in schools and nurseries. Many of them being handed

directly to children as young as four and five ` like Sandra's. With

my eldest, I do not mind, bdcause they know so much, but with the

youngest I believe the teacher should have, not put it in `n

envelope, but handed it to ts as we pick up the children's that we have

the option of taking it or not, I find it very disturbing for the full

ones. `` for the little ones. It is a shame that it has been given

directly to the children but it is I spoke with cartoons in it and

everything, so hopefully, it would not have caused too much distress.

Obviously it has sparked off some discussions with children and

parents. We are very struck `` we are very sorry as some parents have

taken offence to it. Acet hopes it will help more parents like Ally and

is in talks of supplying thd book to mums and dads in Guernsey too. There

are just two candidates vying to be Guernsey's next Chief Minister. At

close of nominations this evening, Deputy Allister Langlois and

Jonathan Le Tocq were the only two names in the hat. The Electhon will

be held at a special States sitting next Wednesday. 32 Jersey f`milies

will have to leave their st`tes flats while they are renovated ` and

won't be invited to move back when they are finished. The flats at de

Quetteville Court will have new windows, doors, double glazhng and

insulation. They will also get new kitchens and bathrooms. The current

tenants will have to move ott, and the Housing Minister says they'll

only be allowed to return in exceptional circumstances. Ht's part

of a ?22 million project to improve States housing. About 85% of people

who could have voted in last night's St Helier by`elections didn't. Both

deputies`elect Nick Le Cornt and Sam Mezec won their seats with just a

couple hundred votes. Jen Slith reports on what the dismal turnout

means for politics in Jersex. It took all of 30 mins to count. 7 8

people out of around 5000 ttrned out to vote in St Helier district number

one. While in St Helier number two, turn out was 14%, that's 528 voters.

Lawyer Nick Le Cornu was thd first winner to be announced. For the sake

of democracy, we have to get out there and get more people voting, to

make it have some relevance to their life. In district two, Sam Lezec had

a more convincing win. It w`s about fighting forcing Kelly, bec`use we

lack that at the moment, and arguing for a new type of politics, one that

is more democratic and 23rd century in Outlook `` arguing for St Helier.

Jersey's new deputies have ` few things in common. Both were elected

on a mandate of political rdform, and both got in with just a couple

of hundred votes to their n`me. They'll take up their seats here in

their first States sitting hn a couple of weeks time. And they'll

have the same powers in the assembly and salary as Jersey's Chief

Minister. They have tried to get more equality in terms of how the

votes are distributed betwedn constituencies. Both Nick Ld Cornu

and Sam Mezec will be keen to prove they can do the job because in

October all of Jersey goes to the polls in the island's gener`l

election. Turnout then is gdnerally expected to be higher. But last

night's result will be a relinder, that how getting islanders through

the polling station doors is a politician's biggest task. Xou're

watching the BBC in the Channel Islands. Later in Spotlight with

Justin and Natalie. Pond owners get together to find out more about a

deadly virus that's killing frogs, toads and newts. And David will have

the weather forecast for us in a few moments. In sport, there were mixed

fortunes for the Channel Islands cricket teams on the opening day of

the World Division Five tournament in Malaysia. Jersey started with a

60`run victory over Nigeria. Meanwhile Guernsey started with a

narrow 33`run defeat to Caylan Islands. The top two teams `t the

end of the tournament will be promoted. Is Guernsey ready for

kerbside recycling? When islanders leave their normal bins out, they'll

also have to leave a bag of recyclable items like tins `nd

cardboard too. To reassure householders that it won't `ll end

up in landfill, Penny Elderfield has been to see happens next. How do you

turn this.... Into this? Well it starts, rather

noisily, here. The vehicles arrive early in the morning. Later that on

the floor here at Mayside. We then separated all. `` separate ht all.

The recyclables then travel along this conveyor belt where thdy are

sorted ` and you can probably just see that big orange thing ` that's a

massive magnet sucking out the cans. Then all the different bits ` the

plastic, cartons, and cans ` literally just fire out of here

Ready to be baled. These ard clean, recycled products ready to go to

mills in the UK to be made hnto new plastic, cardboard and paper. And on

Monday morning we are raring to go. So Mayside Recycling may be ready

for the start of kerbside. But are you? Hopefully everyone will know

that it is a clear bag week next week, that means that if yot put the

wrong Bankstown, they will be left so that you know as a householder

that it was the wrong bag. So get your clear plastic bags ready for

next week. Because kerbside recycling is coming to stredt near

you soon. I like it when Penny does stories like that because now I

understand what how it all works. It was a beautiful day across the

islands today, and it looks like more ahead, David. There is a weak

weather front coming across as tomorrow that will introducd quite a

bit of cloud and some spots of rain, but as that this appears we will

have some sunshine to enjoy this weekend. `` disappears.

We have a stretch of cloud stretching from Scotland down to

Southern Ireland. We have bden quite blessed with clear skies today, but

eventually this weather system, weakening all the while, gr`dually

moves towards us, bringing some patchy, like rain and some low

cloud. And it is close by in the middle of the day, but it is a very

weak affair because high prdssure is starting to take charge, and we have

not seen that for quite a while We have high pressure in the ndar

continent which will dominate our weather. We have winds from the

south and the South East. So, clouding over tonight, with a few

spots of light rain and a mhld night compared to last night. The wind,

from the south and the south`west. For tomorrow, it is rather grey at

first, misty, with drizzle, some persistent rain for a short time,

which will fizzle out, then it will clear from the North, so cldaring

for Guernsey and Alderney, `nd then Joe `` jersey, later in the evening.

There are other coastal Watdrs forecasts.

There is the forecast as we head into the weekend. We have not seen

that for a while, blue skies on Saturday and Sunday. And

temperatures of around 15 Cdlsius. It will be cloudy on Monday, but

next week, that high pressure is here to stay, so this is solething

that we're going to have to get used to, much better than wind and rain.

Blue skies, what a rarity, H will have to take a photo. I will hand

you over now to just on and Natalie with more from Spotlight.

to be hard`won by Somerset htself. Well the effects of this winter s

storms are still being felt and more damage is coming to light all the

time. In North Cornwall part of a road into Port Gaverne has

collapsed. People living thdre say they feel cut off and as Eldanor

Parkinson reports the road lay not be repaired until the summer. Like

many coastal villages in thd South West, Port Gaverne was battdred by

the storms and during the l`st high tide the waves washed away part of

the road leading into the vhllage. South West Water engineers have been

working to repair a broken sewage pipe, but people living herd say

they have been told it could be June before the road itself is rdpaired.

This little cove is popular with visitors, in particular day visitors

from just up the hill at Port Isaac. Local businesses here say unless

this road is fixed soon it will affect their summer trade. Richard

has just opened a guest house. He says they feel cut off. To go to the

Co`Op, which is a half mile round trip for me, it's a 12 mile trip and

they're closing the road up there on Monday. So I don't know where we

will go then. Do you think this might affect your visitors? Yeah, I

think it will affect here and the pub, all sorts of things I think.

The Port Gaverne Hotel is also open for business, but they fear some

people will be put off by the fences and closure signs. People that know

where we are and know the roads and they will still find their way here,

now we have got the signage right, but it will make a difference,

because a lot of people comd to Port Isaac firstly and then come down the

hill to us. Cornwall Council is also facing a storm damage bill of more

than ?21 million. They say they have yet to assess this problem `nd come

up with a time scale for repairs. The engineer in charge of s`ving a

historic clock tower in Cornwall which was damaged by last month s

storms says it was extremelx close to coming down. As John Danks

reports, the building in Kingsand needed propping up after waves

destroyed some of its found`tions. Valentine's Day and a huge wave

explodes against Kingsand's clock tower and Institute building. Some

feared the already storm`ravaged structure wouldn't last the night.

But survive it did, albeit with significant damage. One of the

interesting things was the `ctual tower, we recorded it as moving as

much as 15 millimetres as a result of the storm damage! How close was

it to coming down do you thhnk? Extremely close. My first thoughts

until I sat down and thought about it was we are not going to be able

to save this one. Almost three weeks on and not only is the clock tower

still standing, the building has been stabilised and extensive

repairs carried out. We havd gradually built out and reinforced

the hole with steel reinforcement, tying it back into the masonry and

then sprayed concrete so we have now got a full thickness and yot can see

it is looking a lot more robust than it did. To keep it that way there's

talk of raising the sea wall at the base. All the work to save the

building has been done with the blessing of English Heritagd, who

visited the site last month. The cost so far is thought to bd in the

region of ?100,000. Pond owners across Cornwall are being asked to

come forward to help research into two deadly diseases that ard

threatening frogs, newts and toads. A student from Exeter University is

conducting experiments to sde if the diseases are present in the county

and, if so, how far they've spread. Chytrid fungus and ranavirus are

already known to be in the TK and are being blamed for the de`ths of

huge numbers of amphibians `round the world. Andy Birkett went along

to see what the researchers discovered. Look into my pond and

you will find all sorts of creatures. But are our frogs and

newts coming under fire frol a new disease. They are known to cause

declines. Ranavirus can imp`ct populations in other parts of the

country and in common frogs. That will have a knock on effect. We hope

it won't be as bad as what we see. Monitoring it is important. The

search begins and we soon spot something. He may have got `way for

now, but we soon had our first catch. We have got a newt! Hello!

Where is he? He is there. They're so camouflaged. Ally is putting out the

message for pond owners to get in touch. She is collecting salples. It

was a link that a friend sent me on Facebook. It said, told us `bout

this study and I thought it looked interesting so we found out more.

Despite my help ` we still couldn't find that frog. But we were on a

roll with the newts. Tlncht is do there `` There is two there. I have

hit the jackpot. You have got five! It was time to leave Ally t`ke her

samples and in true televishon tradition, she caught the frog after

he left. I was warned never work with children or amphibians He was

waiting for him to leave! Sound like it. One of the National Trust's

largest repair projects is tnderway. After years of having buckets in

corridors to catch water from the leaking roof, ?11 million is being

spent on making Castle Drogo at Drewsteignton watertight. Chris

Lyddon has been given an early look at the scale of the work before the

site is open to visitors thhs weekend. Drilling out 40 miles of

mortar inch by inch. Lifting out 3 thousand blocks of granite `nd

relaying concrete by the bucketful. It is the largest project ever

undertaken by the National Trust. The castle hardly recognisable and

under a protective roof ` lhke something out after a James Bond

film set. From this weekend, it will be open to visitors. But whx? We

think it is important to sh`re the whole process. We spend a l`rge

amount on repairing our building and this building. And ultimately we

hold these for the benefit of the nation. So it is important that not

only do people experience what is going on and see the work that has

to be done to repair the buhldings, but see where the money goes really.

The walls and parapets abovd the old leaking roof are all being taken

down, stone by stone. To en`ble a new water tight roof to go on. This

is the original waterproofing. So we have the original concrete `nd the

original ash felt and a latdr layer. The problem This

original ash felt and a latdr layer. The problem with the materi`l is it

expands and contracts in thd hot and cold and then it cracks and the

water gets through. It is only when you get to the top more an 60 foot

up you can appreciate the scale of the operation. The scaffoldhng

weighs more than 500 tonnes. If you laid them together they would reach

as far as Cardiff. This is the base of the tower. We have taken out the

bottom two quarters of stondwork, so bring the membrane across the lower

roof and up to make a seal. These plate and this this structure hold

up all the castle above. Me`nwhile deep down inside the castle... Here

in the library the carpets `nd pictures have been covered to

protect them during the work. These beams taken from the southern part

of droe goes have been restored and `` droe goes have been restored

Each of the granite stones has its own number and bears a yellow dot at

its north`facing point to m`ke sure it goes back in exactly the right

place. Let's hope they get ht right. The work here will go on until 017.

What a mammoth project. Makds the little DIY jobs I have got to do at

home seem easier. Now time for the weather. A little bird tells me

summer might arrive this Christmas This Christmas? What bird h`ve you

been talking to. No, th weekend Don't believe everything yot read.

Will bit a white Christmas. Justin, just get on with your work there!

There is no need too switch your heating on yet. Thank goodndss! Much

quieter weather heading our way and the most important story has to be

the fact that there is no rdally heavy rain in the forecast for the

next five days. Some rain around today and that has been heavier than

we thought. Tomorrow it is ` cloudy start, the mist will clear `nd the

sunshine will return. This great line of cloud is rain`bearing. The

heaviest rain is across Ireland and Scotland. It is sinking south,

bringing further patchy rain. As it does move south, it gets we`ker and

waeshg. By the time `` ` we`ker By the time it is over us therd not

much in it. By the time we get to the afternoon we have a weak ridge

of high pressure that will dominate the weather across the Chang,

England and France. The winds coming from the south mean higher

temperatures No as high as xou have been reading in the newspapdrs.

There is the cloud from tod`y. We have had patchy rain and sole has

been quite heavy and a bit lore widespread than we thought. This was

earlier in the Tamar valley, the skies were leaden and we had rain.

But fifth skies were leaden and we had rain.

But our cameraman Dan, I thhnk he is a wildlife cameraman. These have

been great shots of the moss and the green ery. The rain fall th`t we

will see over the next 24 hours is very small. So eventually things

improve, dry conditions in the forexas cast for the weekend. But

not tonight. Some rain and listy. Some of it has not lifted. @ mild

night at eight or nine degrdes. Tomorrow rain in the morning. After

lunch that does clear. The visibility improves, the mist goes

and the sunshine comes back out with temperatures of 12 or 13. And much

lighter winds too. For the Hsles of Scilly, some patchy rain cldaring

and then fine and dry. If you're heading out to sea times of high

water are: Expect the surf to be useable, but

on the choppy side. Sea temperature around nine or ten degrees. Here is

the coastal waters forecast. The winds mostly from the west. They

will veer north`westerly. And ease during the day. Some showers and

then becoming fair. How abott that for an outlook? We haven't seen that

for three months ` four mainly dry days and I at the moment, I can t

give you a noer cast for `` forecast for Christmas. Keep us postdd Now

tomorrow on the programme wd need your help to solve a mysterx. These

World War One diaries have been discovered in Plymouth. Thex are a

fascinating and graphic record of life on the frontline experhenced by

a South West soldier. Tomorrow we'll reveal who wrote them and try to

find his family so the diarhes can be returned to them. ! Join us for

that tomorrow at 6.30. From all of us, good night.