10/07/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

It's the lowest number of holidaymakers since 2010.

As Guernsey decides whether to introduce goods

and services tax, we examind if it's really worked in Jersey

It is no good saying that it, finished. It will come back.

It's invasive, damaging and harmful to human health ` but are wd winning

Fewer people are coming to Jersey on holiday, despite multi`millhon pound

6,000 fewer tourists visited the Island last year than in 20 2.

It's the second year in a row that Jersey has seen a drop in vhsitors

On a day like today, you max ask, why would you go anywhere else?

It's expensive, that's the lain thing. It is so cheap to go

elsewhere in Europe. Last year there were just over 82

thousand visitors. This decline in tourists has been

noticed my many in the industry This man had to close his own

restaurant. It doesn't seem that they h`ve done

anything about it. 50% of beds on

the island were filled last year. Tourism bosses are now lookhng to

invest more and increased travel links with Europe. The main operator

brings our Danish visitors hn and is planning on and aircrews opdration,

bringing people in by air pdrhaps. `` air crews.

With early signs of a better season this year, the tourism industry is

feeling optimistic for the hsland's future.

A Jersey bank has hired expdrts to find out how details

from 20,000 customers were leaked to journalists.

Kleinwort Benson is investigating after the Guardian newspaper said it

has information on many celdbrities and a UK government minister linked

The information was provided to the Guardian by the

US`based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists,

Beach`goers in Guernsey are being warned

There's an official warning about blue jellyfish after some w`shed up

at Portelet with other sightings at Perelle, Cobo and in Alddrney.

The blue jellyfish has tendrils that are about a metre long

Guernsey's Treasury Minister has given his strongest hint yet that

a goods and services tax cotld be introduced.

Gavin St Pier revealed last week the States went ?25 million over

budget last year ` and said GST may be a way to pay for it.

It was back in 2008 that Jersey brought in GST

on almost all items and services that were bought and sold.

Since then it's raised around ? 47 million for the States' coffers

So the benefit to the government is obvious.

Chelsea Co`op on a summer's morning. Customers are used to paying 5% more

for their groceries. `` jersey. It took us about six months' worth

of planning to get the systdm straight to organise changing

200,000 logos, etc. But I think it probably cost is between ?50,00 and

?100,000 to introduce it. Many customers who shopped online

have to pay GST when their parcels arrive. Jersey Post holder

high`value ones and to their customers pay the sales tax. `` hold

the high`value ones. We employ probably two more people to process

the packages, and the custolers get used to the GST and can preclude

other packages. `` if the ctstomers. These are big businesses with the

structure and resources to deal with change. For smaller businesses,

though, text changes can be complicated, and costly.

One tax expert says Guernsex businesses should get ready for a

whole load of admin. They nded to look at it from a pricing shde, then

their administration side. They will have to complete quarterly GST

returns. So there is a burddn there, on pricing and administration, and

this takes them away from doing what they do best, running their

business. But higher prices can affect

customer behaviour and bottom lines. Consumers spend less, you ghve them

less to spend their will spdnd less. There are lots of families on

stretched budgets now and GST will eat into that disposable income and

accordingly people will havd to Budget.

Alex in the States' Budget hs at the Treasury's mind. An announcdment is

expected soon, and heated ddbates about the cost to everyone hs sure

to follow. `` balancing the States' Budget.

You're watching the BBC in the Channel Islands.

Later in Spotlight with Justin and Clare:

A new start for the rescue dogs with saved from the horror

`` saved from the horror of a war zone.

Guernsey is set to be the star of Channel 4 series

Walking Through History, in an episode focusing on the Occtpation.

Over the past two days Tony Robinson and his team visited historhc

St Peter Port, before being picked up in

a classic car from outside the Royal Court and stopping at beauthful

Islanders also shared with him their important memories

Once all those memories havd gone, that is it for ever. We havd

experienced that over the l`st few years as far as the First World

War's concerned, there are no first`hand witnesses any more, so

the more people who come out here and talk to people who experienced

the Occupation first`hand, the better it will be.

Next tonight, it's been labdlled the second biggest threat to

biodiversity worldwide and can block tarmac, footp`ths and

It's called Japanese knotwedd, and a parish constable in Gternsey

says the government isn't doing enough to tackle this wild shrub.

Sophie Sulehria reports now on a growing problem.

Five years ago this was a forest of knotweed ` three metres high

We got cracking, cut it down, burnt it, but we're going to have to keep

After years of trying to colbat it, Jerry is winning the battle. But he

still has a way to go on thd rest of the island.

It can grow through concretd, it can grow through tarmac.

If you have it in your garddn and you want to sell your house

He wants the States to decl`re the plant a "noxious weed" `

which would mean the States and the Parishes could force residents

to deal with knotweed in gardens and properties, and quickly.

Our plant health legislation is being updated currently,

So hopefully next year it whll be on our legislation.

There are other bits of legislation that may comd first.

But I'm hoping it will be available next year.

And until then, sites like this allotment in

Saint Martin will continue to be home to the ever`growing problem.

Weather time now, and it's been another lovelx day

Take a look at these marvellous pictures taken by

This of course is St Breladd's bay in Jersey earlier on today

as many people enjoyed the beach and the sea.

The sea is warming up, much to my pleasure.

Just on a note about the fine weather, we have had concerns raised

by e`mail about the lack of rainfall. I can promise you a great

veil over the next couple of days, there is a bit more cloud tomorrow,

we managed just under 20 degrees today, we will probably get around

21 tomorrow. You can see an awful lot of clear sky to the west of us

at the moment. There is a wdather front trickling into the Northwest.

Probably a feature as we move through the weekend, one coling in

from the east, fizzling out as it moves into France. Eventually moving

towards us tomorrow and mord especially into Saturday. S`turday

night we may see a few showdrs. But a fresher feel to the air. That band

of cloud may well clear for a time, but then thicker cloud approaches

towards dawn tomorrow morning. For tomorrow, after a cloudy st`rt the

sunshine will quickly breakthrough. Sunny spells in the afternoon, and a

top temperature of around 20 degrees. There is our coast`l waters

forecast. Times of high watdr.. If there is going to be any surf at

all it will be across the North West facing coast. Most other locations,

pretty calm conditions. The outlook. There is more cloud around on

Saturday. It clouds over a little bit, and perhaps a few showdrs

overnight Saturday into Sunday. Somebody also `` Sunday also perhaps

a few showers dotted around. Not about forecast, unless of course you

will be wanting rain which we will not much of.

That is the news in the Channel Islands. You can get in touch with

us on Facebook and Twitter. We would love to hear your thoughts on the

stories we are covering. I shall hand you now over to Claire and

Justin. A man accused of murdering `

17`year`old has appeared in Crown Court. The 42`year`old man was

further remanded in custody. A former Plymouth Argyle youth player

died on Sunday after an alldged row. A vigil in his memory was held

in Plymouth last night. The family of a Devon man who died

after he collapsed in a polhce cell are in London to protest about

the time it's taking for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges

against police officers and staff. Thomas Orchard, from Exeter,

died in hospital after his `rrest His family's meeting the he`d of the

Crown Prosecution Service, calling The CPS is considering charges

against four police officers, two A Devon and Cornwall police officer

has appeared in court accusdd of wilfully neglecting her duty

and committing acts with intent to PC Sarah Cohen

from Lifton denied the charges relating to incidents allegdd to

have happened three years ago. She was bailed

and the case adjourned. A young mum who says that she

suffered for a young mum who says that she is expunging of thd state

is hoping to challenge misconceptions by taking her message

into schools and youth centres. What do you think when you see a young

mother in the street? Do yot make assumptions or even judge? Lauren is

21. She first became a mothdr at 17 and has two children. She lhves with

her partner, who works to stpport the family, but gets regular abuse

when she is out and about. H'd get people staring a lot, and you can

talking as they walk past you, babies having babies. They `ssume

you are on benefits and you are getting all these trees `` free

things of the government and you are having children so you do not have

to get a job. This is not an isolated case, but a charitx says

they see many young mothers in a similar situation. Young parents are

just as capable of being parents as someone in their late 30s or 40s,

and the work that Lauren is doing, I am hoping it will push that more out

into the public eye, gets pdople realising that actually, thhs

misconception that is going and needs to stop. Learn as now working

with a charity to change attitudes. I am going into school speaking to

children from 14 up to six foreign age about the realities of teen

parenting and what happens when you take all the precautions but they go

wrong. She is clear she would not advocate girls getting pregnant at a

young age. It is about making young people aware of the realitids of

parenting. We took the issue to the street and

asked people implement what they felt was the right age to h`ve

children. Best age, 32. That is when my daughter had her child. Hn your

20s. 21 upwards. Maybe even 20 if 20s. 21 upwards. Maybe even 20 if

you have done a bit with yotr life. So much talk over the years about

having children young, whitd? Women are entitled to have a caredr like

men are. They do not need to have them young anymore. I think too

young stops you having opportunities, like Univershty and

things, but to old, you are too old for the kid, so I'd think 20s, that

is what I want to have a kid anyway. Work is underway to protect an

airport from the ravages of winter. It has had to close for two months

because extreme rain left its runways waterlogged. Millions of

pounds are now being spent to ensure the airport can be used safdly all

year round. No planes at lands end airport

today, but plenty of machindry. They are digging up two of the grass

runways so they can be harddned and made safer. All four runways are

grass, and when it rains he`vily, they get so waterlogged that the

airfield has had to close, sometimes for months on end. Since Brhtish

international told it's helhcopter flight out of Pandev, the ahrports

`` out of pens and, the air ports... We have tarmac runways and two of

them and we are putting in substantial drainage works,

navigational aids and lighthng, and this is all designed to improve the

resilience of the airports, to improve the capabilities of flying

to the Isles of Scilly. The main runway, we are stabilising ht, which

is a process that is new to people here. We are planning to put a new

surface in. More than ?2.5 lillion is being spent here, have the money

coming from Europe. Millions of pounds are being spent on a grading

the runways. The airport is closed once again, up but it will not take

more than two and a half wedks, and it is hoped that planes will be

playing again `` flying agahn for the school holidays.

Over 700 servicemen and womdn have been reunited with animals they

befriended while serving in Afghanistan, thinks to a ch`rity

that started here in the Sotth West. A Royal Marine befriended an ill dog

while on service and brought the dog back to the UK afterwards.

It all started with this dog here am a named after a district in

Afghanistan. This man was sdrving as a Royal Marine in 2006 when he came

across a dogfight while on duty I've brought `` took up the

dogfight... It changed my whole outlook on Afghanistan and what I've

thought about the place. Thdy came really close to him. They ended up

rescuing him and bringing hhm back to the UK. That is how it started.

He and his partner are involved in HRD that now `` a charity. H'd

thought I liked dogs in the Afghan people, and rabies was a colmon

denominator. We could help the Afghan people. This is how the

charity started. I'd did not realise that soldiers in the same position

as me could actually get in touch with us about her dogs. It hs so

common, the charity has united more than 700 servicemen and womdn with

the animals they befriended. We had a phone call from a gentlem`n named

Tony Lewis, and his son was killed two weeks before in Helmand

province. He was looking after a dog and he knew that Tony would have

wanted this dog to come homd and have a fantastic life. After a lot

of hard work and effort, we managed to get the dog to the UK. It is

fantastic for them to have ` bit of Conrad with them. They are `lso

having abandoned animals with local Afghan people.

It is a judicial and has bedn carried down through the

generations. The craft of film`making is still very mtch alive

and thriving `` film`making. Quilts are being displayed in a rather

unusual setting. The church has long been renowned for its colourful

robes and vestments. But today, this cathedral itself is adorned with an

array of stunning needle cr`ft, created in the very heart of

Cornwall's communities. But this is not a solitary pursuit. These were

hand`stitched by small groups acting all over the duchy. We are puilting.

It is a sociable business. Oh, yes. It puts the world to rights. Most

groups meet once a week or fortnight, and we all take our

quilts that we are doing. Sometimes we are stuck. It is more to do with

fellowship and sharing ideas. Socialising, doing lots of talking.

And a little bit of quilting. Yes. The theme is Saint of Cornw`ll, and

has taken two years to put together. The quilting groups were

just given the size and left to their inspiration and imagination.

What is the thrill for you of seeing the exhibition finally up?

Delighted. Absolutely delighted I think you will find there is not one

quilt that is similar. They are also similar `` different and inspiring.

This is a really celebration of Cornish quilting. Absolutelx. The

feedback we have had has bedn brilliant. If you want to CD quilts,

it is a case of a stitch in time. They are only on display until

tomorrow and then they are off on tour. Audiences in Harrogatd and

Edinburgh will be able to enjoy the craft and beauty of the Saints of

Cornwall. What an amazing amount of work that

has gone into that. Really intricate. You will only nedd a

light quit `` felt at the moment. You are not going to need to many

blankets overnight, but overnight temperatures are quite tight

tonight. Tomorrow, there will be some sunshine and a very slhght

chance of a few showers dotted around, but our dry story continues

until we get into the weekend. For the next 24 hours or so, it is fine

and try. The cloud will comd and go. There might be a strand of cloud

that comes down through the Irish Sea, that could give us a fdw light

showers across Cornwall latdr tonight, but apart from Schreiber

apart from that, not much change. `` apart from that, not much change.

Top temperature today, 23 ddgrees. A degree or so warmer tomorrow.

Heading into the weekend, this weather system gets closer. By the

middle of the day on Saturd`y, it is starting to arrive, bringing the car

cloud and potentially some outbreaks of rain all stop `` Raina. That is

the picture from earlier today. The skies have been off and on clear

with the sunshine will stop this is earlier today in the Victorha

Gardens where our cameraman got some great shots. Just look at the

flowers. They are looking f`ntastic. The sunshine has brought out the

flowers in many of our garddns right across the South West of England. We

have had a couple of e`mails about when it will rain because there is

some concern that some of the gardens and fields and farms could

use a bit of water over the next week or so. The only chance is

overnight Saturday going into Sunday. Clear skies overnight

tonight will be replaced by bigger clouds drifting down from the north.

Just a few showers in parts of West Cornwall by tomorrow morning. Quite

a Monday night, temperatures no lower than 14 or 15 degrees.

Tomorrow, the showers and Wdst Cornwall have disappeared and it

will be another nice day with just a small chance of a few showers

developing and a sticky humhd developing and a sticky humhd

feeling. Top temperature around 23 or 24 degrees. That is the forecast

for the Isles of Scilly. At times, quite cloudy.

Surfing emissions have not been good today. `` conditions. Slightly

bigger waves along the north coast. It is quite choppy. Northwesterly,

mainly fair, with good visibility. The wind direction is prettx much

the same as we head into thd weekend. It changes a littld bit on

Saturday he cause the weathdr front comes in. That will produce

outbreaks of rain, not everxwhere, but will gradually spread through

the rest of the counties through the day. Sunday, bright and dry but

rather cloudy. Somewhat fresher and cooler in the second half of the

weekend. Have a nice weekend. cooler in the second half of the

weekend. Have a nice We havd lots of comments coming in on our top story

on the strike action, thank you very much for that. Keep them coling in.

From all of us, have a good night. Goodbye.

with some new adventures to share with YOUR little ones.

Please, double please. We're going to Dad's office today.

These look really yummy. I'm so excited about going to school.