07/03/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

away. That's all from the BBC News at Six. On BBC One, we now join the

Welcome to the programme. Coming up BBC's

Welcome to the programme. Coming up tonight.

The hidden killer. A widow's plea for action on asbestos, aftdr her

husband died of a rare cancdr. I would like people to be aware it

is a silent and hidden killdr. Also ahead: The price of a

university education, and why some islanders will now pay more.

And, from St Ouen to the World Championships. The teenager making

waves in the world of watersports. There are calls this evening for a

change in the law to ban thd importation of asbestos into Jersey.

The material was widely used in the building industry for decadds, but

was banned in many countries when it was linked to forms of cancdr. Some

countries, though, such as China, still use asbestos. And campaigners

say there's little to stop ht coming into the island again. It is illegal

to import the mineral into Guernsey. Louise Walter reports.

Keith Shaw died of peritone`l mesothelioma. It's a rare c`ncer,

commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. He'd worked at Highlands

College, where the buildings have been found to contain asbestos. At

Keith's inquest, the Deputy Viscount didn't directly link his de`th to

his working environment, but did note the correlation between the

cancer and the once common building material. Keith's widow says she

wants people to examine the dangers. I would like people to be aware that

it is a silent and hidden khller. The more where people are, the less

likely people will disturb ht which is a huge risk. And the mord

employers particularly and property owners will take it seriously.

The use of asbestos is now strictly regulated in Jersey, but thdre's no

ban on importing it. The falily s lawyer says that needs to change.

At the moment, Jersey seems to rely upon a ban of importation of

asbestos in the UK and France. It seems to me, given faces such as

China are still manufacturing Aspas DOS goods, we ought to have a law

that says we don't import it. But, with bans on asbestos hn Europe

and many other countries, Jdrsey's Health and Safety Inspector`te says

that would be unnecessary legislation.

There is no legal ban as such but, in effect, because the majority of

imports come from Europe and France where there is legislation, there is

effectively a ban. Environmental Health say such a law

change is not a priority. The department doesn't believe

importation is a problem. Education, Sport and Culture couldn't comment

on the historical concerns of asbestos in Highlands College, but

says asbestos in all states schools building is actively and carefully

managed. Meanwhile, Jersey won't be stepping

up checks on the radioactivd gas radon in local buildings, unless new

evidence from the UK or EU dmerges. Radon occurs naturally in granite,

and levels are considered hhgh in Jersey. This week, the Environment

Scrutiny Panel finished its study of whether the island is responding

properly to the health risks from being exposed to gas. A study found

17% of homes tested containdd high levels of radon.

Next tonight: A victory for Channel Islands students, and their parents.

UK universities have backed down on attempts to charge Islands students

overseas tuition fees. They'll now be charged the same as Brithsh

students. But, as Mike Wilkhns reports, some parents will see costs

rise. Higher education is becoming an

expensive business. It cost the States of Guernsey almost ?6 million

to help its students go onto university last year. For a while,

it looked like the costs were going to rise even further, as Brhtish

universities threatened to class Channel Islanders as overse`s

students. But the islands' dducation bosses have recently made a

breakthrough in their negothations. This is good news for the Channel

Islands. All UK universities have agreed to charge our students the

home tuition fee rate. The only exceptions are Imperial College

which has always been outside the agreement reached with Univdrsities

UK, and continues to charge its own tuition fees. And Cambridge which

insists it will charge our students overseas rates.

However, while lower`income families won't see any difference to States

assistance, it's a different story for students from middle and

higher`income families. The Education Department is increasing

the maximum contribution parents will pay in future, to almost

?9,000, effectively paying `ll the fees for many courses.

It is only the upper middle classes and the wealthy who will be affected

by this. But even they, therefore, if you became a doctor or bdt, they

will still get the extra feds paid by the state as a grant over and

above that ?9,000. So, while it's good news th`t, for

now, Channel Islanders won't be classed as overseas students, the

news isn't so positive for higher`earning families who will

still have to pay more to sdnd their children overseas to university

People in Jersey are paying more than other UK shoppers for products,

9% higher than in the UK. Elsewhere, islanders pay 20% more in housing,

health and education. Meanwhile, Guernsey's Blanchelande

College will start accepting boys for the first next year. Boxs can

currently attend the primarx school. But there's isn't a boys' sdcondary

school offering a Catholic dducation in the island, so the board of

governors has decided to make the college co`educational from

September 2015. The Bishop of Dover says he's

"working out" the right rel`tionship between the Church of England and

the Channel Islands. The Right Reverend Trevor Willmott has been

speaking for the first time since he took up his new role overseding the

Anglican Church in Jersey and Guernsey. The Bishop was asked by

the Archbishop of Canterburx to step in, after the Channel Islands split

from the Diocese of Winchester. Inevitably I shan't carried forward

some of the recommendations but it will be continuing to help the

church to flourish and have good relationships with the world wide

church of which we are part. After the lovely sunshine wd've had

this week many of us have bden looking to the beach.. And one young

islander who always makes the most of Jersey's coast, whatever the

weather, is 17`year`old Aaron Rowe. He's been selected to represent

Great Britain in the Stand`Tp Paddleboard World Championships in

Nicaragua. Jen Smith went along to meet him.

We're used to seeing surfers out enjoying St Ouen's Bay on a sunny

day. But, now, stand`up paddleboarding is becoming one of

the island's fastest growing sports. And a Jerseyman is going to the

sport's World Championships. Aaron, firstly, briefly explain to us what

is paddleboarding, and why do you do it? It is standing on a large surf

board using a single bladed paddle. You can use it as a lever to turn.

What is it about the sport xou like? You can go up if it is windx, flat,

if are waves. You are competing in the surfing and racing in the world

Championships. How do you r`te your chances at the World Championships?

About 50`50. I will have two up my training schedule. How do you train?

It is pretty slack at the moment. If you want to do well, you have to

work on your cardio, your ldg muscles, call body strength. Good

luck. David will have the forecast for us in a moment.

But first, the sport. At the World Cricket League Five

tournament in Malaysia, Jersey have won their second match, while

Guernsey suffered their second defeat. Jersey's win came bx 10

runs against Tanzania. And Guernsey narrowly lost to Nigeria, as their

opponents chased down the t`rget of 192, with just five balls to go

Jersey singer Jamie Lovatt will try and make it through to the next

round of the BBC's The Voicd tomorrow night. Jamie, who went to

Hautlieu School, moved to London to pursue his music career. Two weeks

ago, he was voted into the second round of the competition. J`mie

chose Kaiser Chief frontman Ricky Wilson as his mentor.

I can't tell you who I am p`ired with, what I am singing. We aren't

really told these things until a few days before. We will be putting

their guitar down next time. If you have seen myself before without a

guitar, it could get a little bit dangerous. I am looking forward to

it. I want to obtain the best I can. The manager of the Alderney Wildlife

Trust plans to swim from Alderney to Burhou on Monday, to raise `wareness

of the plight of sea birds killed by the winter storms. Roland G`uvain

says it's been a terrible n`tural tragedy, and he's particularly

concerned about the effect on the Channel Island's puffins. Hd hopes

to see evidence that some are making their summer home on Burhou.

Time now for the weather. Please tell us we are in for a sunny

weekend? Those seed temperatures, 10 degrees,

it is a cold temperature to attempt that swim. We have a lot of mist and

low cloud around now. It will be gone by morning. It is a fe`ture for

overnight but it will move out of the way. By morning, after briefly

some cloud, it improves. Thhs area of low pressure travels all the way

northwards away from us in the next 24 hours. We will see warm

continental air from France drought across as, quite a big improvement.

An improving picture with more sunshine developing. Even though we

may start misty, we should see sunshine eventually. Overnight

temperatures will get down to five degrees. But we will see a fine

start to the day tomorrow, `cross parts of South West England as

well, sunny spells developing. Very quickly, temperatures will rise

Temperatures up to about 15 degrees. But we may see 16 somewhere on the

north coast of Guernsey. We continue fine weather as we move into

Sunday. Sunday, although thdre will be a fair of Cloud overnight,

briefly first thing in the lorning, another fine and warm day,

temperatures getting back up to even 17 degrees. We are looking `t some

fine, warm weather over the next few days. A bit more of a breezd is

developing from the south, ` breezy day tomorrow. On Sunday, thd breeze

will ease a little. The find weather continues into next week. Some

stubborn cloud around on Monday Cloudy and grey briefly in the

morning. A dry story all thd way through to Tuesday next week. It

will probably last all the way into Thursday.

Seaside towns around the Sotth West are to get cash injections from the

Big Lottery's Coastal Communities Fund in order to create new projects

and safeguard jobs. St Ives in Cornwall will get ?500,000 for a

water sports centre, Minehe`d in Somerset ?300, 000 for a tr`ining

and skills hotel and Weymouth in Dorset will be given ?650,000 for

two nature reserves. EXETER Projects in Devon have been awarded

the largest share, with just over ?2 million for two schemes ` a ?1. m

arts and enterprise centre hn Teignmouth and ?300,000 for a

Jurassic Coast visitor centre in Seaton. Spotlight's Hamish Larshall

reports. No wonder they were celebrating in

Teignmouth today. After years of campaigning, local arts will have a

new home. The Carlton Theatre will be knocked down and replaced with a

new multi`purpose centre. If you take a look at the outside ht is

deteriorating. People think it is closed, so a brand`new building on

the seafront is bound to attract people. The ?1.75 million from the

coastal communities fund colpletes the funding needed for the new

facility. It'll provide a 200`seated auditorium, a work hub of ehght

separate rooms and exhibition space. This building will bring a of new

businesses into the area. Epually, the businesses need the colour of

the arts. If you look at all the major events in the UK, the arts

have always been prominent. A few miles east, as the crows flhes, and

you have the Jurassic coast. It attracts hundreds of thousands of

visitors, and Seaton with its shops, restaurant, pubs and bed and

breakfasts, is hoping to cash in on that. Soon this site of a former

holiday camp will start turning into Seaton Jurassic, the biggest visitor

centre on the World Heritagd site. Those behind the scheme say it'll

create 12 full time jobs and indirectly create another 100.

Whilst the core benefit will be generated here, the area around

here, be at the local self`catering cottages and hotels, we havd a plan

where we can deliver one hotel in the area. That'll be underphnned by

an extra visitors we get in. Todays grant was for ?300,000. It's hoped

the centre, run by the Devon Wildlife Trust, will attract up to

70,000 visitors a year for ` hands on experience. It is import`nt.

There is a lot more interaction these days. There is more touch and

feel. That is where we have to be when we develop the centre. Building

work, both here and Teignmotth, should start later this year.

In a huge weekend for the Exeter Chiefs, not only do they have two

England players in action ` Tom Johnson and Jack Nowell ` they also

have an Anglo`Welsh Cup semhfinal against Bath. This year has seen the

club's academy produce a nulber of first team players. Andy Birkett has

been along to meet a few of the new stars.

They have only been waiting in the wings a short time, but now they are

taking centre stage. Sam Hill and others are on up. The systel is

working. We identified guys from 13 years onwards. We get them from

schools and centres in Cornwall The guys have potential and where card

and they will come through. And the Jack Nowell he has made the step

from junior to senior level in six months. I had a massive year and it

is good to see someone I pl`yed with going on to do such good thhngs We

said when we joined it would be special for the one day when we are

playing together. We are getting there now. I was hoping to get some

time but I didn't expect to play as much as I have. It is unbelhevable.

It gives you a buzz. Nominated for the award, his ambition is to join

Jack Nowell on the stage. It has been my ambition to favour Dngland.

I was a bit disappointed I didn t. I have to work on my set piecd stuff

and get that solid and then hopefully impress and go through.

These guys are now played England. There are the players we wotld like

in a year or five years timd to push on the whole ethos of the club. We

have some strong players coling through. If we can keep devdloping

them and improving them, thdre is a good future for sure.

On to football, and some sax this is the business end of the season. Here

in the South West, it promises to be an interesting few weeks ahdad.

Spotlight's Dave Gibbins reports. The pot is starting to simmdring

nicely. There is a time Yeovil Town could remain a championship club

after going four games without defeat, including a draw at Reading

last week. If they keep that run going by beating Sheffield Wednesday

they could climb out of the relegation zone. The job Gary has

done is unbelievable. We have that fighting spirit. It remains to be

seen whether we can do... Fhnish the job off, which I believe we can

Plymouth Argyle have come from nowhere to get two points whthin the

play`offs. That is because of a three match winning run. Thd last

games have produced nine go`ls. That included this 5`0 hammering. Since I

have come back from injury H've been playing well. The whole teal is

playing well and scoring go`ls. I'm just trying to do my best for the

team and hopefully get the three points. Exeter will have to sharpen

up in front of goal. They whll have to claim their first win at home

since October, but they will look below them in the league. It is

looking grim for Torquay Unhted They are seven points away from

safety. They haven't won in five league games, and tomorrow they face

one of the play`off contenddrs, Fleetwood Town.

You can follow your team on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Somerset along

with updates on the BBC Sport website.

Now to a story which has already got a lot of people talking across the

South West today. We need your help to solve a mystery. Following our

series last week about the hmpact of the First World War on the region,

we were contacted by a viewdr who'd found two diaries written bx a South

West soldier. I have been t`king a look at the diaries to see hf we can

track down the family of thd man who wrote them.

The diaries cover the period from September 1915 to July 1918. Herbert

Cecil Elgar was heading with the first Devon Royal Yeomanry to

Gallipoli. They sailed from Liverpool, and on 25th of Sdptember

he writes, all aboard, we'rd in high spirits and we were escorted by

three destroyers. Soon saw the last of dear old England. Valerid Harper

came across thr diaries aftdr they were found in the roof of hdr

previous home in Plymouth. Ht is just so incredibly well written and

a lot of it is by pen and ink, so how they managed to do that under

the conditions. It is so gr`phic and beautiful really. By Novembdr 1 15,

Herbert and his comrades were under heavy shelling from the Turkish On

the ninth he wrote, my birthday Reached my coming of age. Btt two

days later it seems the shelling intensified. He writes, our best

officer Captain Teddy Hain, from St Ives in Cornwall, was killed. His

death cast gloom over the whole regiment. The cold weather soon

played havoc with Herbert's health. November 28, 1915. Still frdezing,

especially my poor feet. I can't feel them at all. Oh for a little

warmth. By Christmas Day, hd was in Alexandria, in Egypt. This hs entry

for the 25th. Thought a lot about home. Feed decidedly better, never

do I want frostbite again. Had dinner of boiled beef. I'm hn tears

reading them. The hardships they went through. It is just awful. And

I kind of fell in love with this guy. I thought he was so am`zing

how, with all this awful sttff going on, they still managed to fhnd

things of interest and other things. Indeed there were lighter moments.

He describes taking it bet with a friend over whether there wdre more

acres of land in Yorkshire than words in the Bible. He appe`rs to

have spent most of 1917 in Palestine, where the death toll

continued to rise. On April 21 he wrote, Mitchell died of wounds, very

sorry. He came from Bodmin. By 918 he is in France, and in the middle

of the year receives some good news. The entry for June 30th records

going on leave today. Bit excited. By two July he is back in the

south`west, then writes, delighted to meet Father and the girls at the

station. `` July the 2nd. On six July he describes a day out in

Plymouth. Lunch at Colliers. Tea at Goodbody's. On the 14th he wrote,

packing to go back to Francd. And that is the last thing he wrote in

the diary. I would like to know what happened to the chap, because it

suddenly comes to an abrupt end So for my own interest, I would like to

know what happened to the chap, and I would love them to go back to

their family. Do you know the family? Valdrie has

let me look after the diarids and I've taken them home this wdek. They

are fascinating read. If yot can help us, get in touch by e`lailing

or even drop me a line. Thanks to everyone who has got in touch. He

did survive the war. We would like to please the rest of his story We

will let you know how we get on Time for the weather. David, talk of

sunshine. It can't be true? I've waited four months to tell xou on

Friday we have a dry weekend. We have some fine weather to look

forward to. We may get 17 ddgrees on the north coast. Some mist `nd low

cloud but that will go away. It is much warmer temperatures up to

figures. Most weekends we h`ve been looking at wet and with the that

Ratko windy weather, but warmer is coming in from Spain. It's lore of a

breeze tomorrow, but that whll help lift those temperatures and after a

misty start it should improve. By the time you get a Sunday there s

not much change. One week sxstem is bringing us more cloud, espdcially

on Sunday. There will be just a cue light showers. Find this evdning,

and we have had some gloriots sunshine today `` fine this

evening. We did have some bdautiful weather at this beach. BC is a bit

chilly `` the sea. It has bden studied by those big waves, so some

pretty chilly conditions. On the north coast it will be pleasantly

warm. It will be like spring. Later on tonight, all the cloud that has

been sitting in the English Channel will gradually drift back across

us, so many others waken up to a disappointing start. It is listy and

great and there may be some spit of drizzle. Don't be too downhdarted,

because it will improve in the morning. Overnight haemorrh`ges of

four degrees. After a great start `` overnight temperatures. We could

easily see temperatures of 04 to 15 degrees, possibly a 16 or 17

degrees. That is the forecast for the Isles of Scilly. A cloudy start

and fine and dry. Don't expdct it to be sunny all day. Perhaps more black

cloud appearing later in thd day. These are the times of high water.

The waves on huge but some clean, usable safe. Bigger waves on Sunday,

especially along the north coast. That is a dry forecast for fought

days. We haven't seen that for several months. Enjoyed that

sunshine. That is all from ts tonight. That is the last spotlight

from the studio for the timd being. This has been our home for lany

years. It is home to many dhfferent programmes. These set the Stnday

Politics show is still in a studio at the moment, with a progr`mme

this Sunday. We are moving to Tenby Studios for the next few months

while this one is refurbishdd `` temporary studios. A refurbhshment

is long overdue. We will be in a new studio on Monday. Hopefully you

won't see too many changes. Have a good night.