26/12/2017 BBC News

Millions hit the high street

for the Boxing Day Sales amid signs

growing numbers are choosing to hunt

for bargains online instead.

But in some cities, the queues

started in the early hours

of the morning as shoppers went

in search of big discounts.

I like feeling and carrying what I

have bought. It's like yes, success.

It's nice to get out, we've had some

lunch.

Try before you buy!

Also on the programme tonight

a British woman from Hull,

who took hundreds of painkillers

to Egypt, is jailed.

33-year-old Laura Plummer has

been sentenced to three

years for drug smuggling.

Her family say she's

done nothing wrong.

A kind gesture, that's all it was.

How can you be sentenced to three

years just for being kind?

COMMENTATOR: Harry Kane is the name!

39 goals in 2017 -

the Tottenham striker sets

a new record for the most

Premier League goals in a year.

Good evening.

Millions of shoppers

across the country have headed

to the high street today

for the traditional

Boxing Day sales.

In some places the queues began

to form outside stores in the early

hours of the morning,

with research suggesting

that one in three people

went in search of a bargain today.

But some retailers have reported

large numbers of people deciding

to look for bargains

online today instead.

And analysts say that footfall

in high streets and shopping centres

across the UK has been

lower than expected.

Duncan Kennedy is in Southampton.

It is looking rather quiet tonight,

Duncan.

Yes, it's around about six

o'clock, things are starting to wind

down but managers in centres like

this one are saying they had the

high footfall day, in other words

there are plenty of people coming

into shopping centres like this one

across the country, but have they

been spending? It is raining here in

the south and other parts of the

country but we are told that has not

stopped millions of people coming

out in search of a Boxing Day

bargains.

It's been fast, if not furious,

heavy if not heaving.

But, after all that turkey,

there have been plenty

of bargains to gobble up.

Have you got what you wanted?

Yes.

It's been successful.

Successful trip, yeah.

Here at Southampton's West

Quay Shopping Centre,

10,000 people an hour surged in.

What is it about Boxing Day sales?

Cheaper.

Half the price.

Really?

Yeah, really.

Some people say there are these

sales all year round.

To be honest with you,

Black Friday was better

than actually today.

And, it's only got the rubbish

what's left, that they've put in.

But, you are still buying it?

Yes, only because I got my

Christmas money, yesterday.

With inflation outstripping many

wages, some experts have been

predicting a slow Boxing Day,

but in many places, the discounts

are proving irresistible.

Well, I think, first

and foremost it's always

about getting a great bargain.

And you can see, on the windows

around us, there are stores

that have got 50%, 60%,

70%, even, discounts

on some of their products in store.

So, that is a great

incentive to come out.

In fact, researchers say that

something like 34% of us will have

gone shopping today.

That compares to just 25%

of us last Boxing Day.

They reckon that overall

we will be spending

more than £4 billion.

York was just one of the places

where they queued for the bargains.

Online shopping, it seems, not yet

the all conquering consumer choice.

Going on holiday next week,

so I've got some light

pyjamas, and some trainers.

Which are £5 and £14.

Very good, isn't it?

London's Oxford Street also

brought out the shoppers,

although some analysts said overall

numbers are down by 4%.

But many are still

bagging the bargains.

50% off Prada shoes.

So, that was actually good.

That's a £215 saving.

We do love shopping.

We like bargains more

than full priced stuff.

In Glasgow, two arms were not enough

for some to take care of business,

but whilst many online companies

were reporting sales of more

than 6% today, for others only

the real deal will do.

It's a bargain.

I think I've saved something.

Official figures for who spent what,

where, and when on Boxing

Day will come later.

Unofficially, it seemed

as traditional as ever,

and for some, it has been a case

of shop till you drop.

Duncan Kennedy, BBC News.

A British woman has been sentenced

to three years in an Egyptian prison

after being found guilty

of smuggling drugs into the country.

Laura Plummer, who's 33

and from Hull, was arrested

in October when she was found

carrying almost 300 tablets

of the painkiller

Tramadol in her suitcase.

Daniela Relph reports.

Laura Plummer's family and friends

say she is naive, not a criminal.

But today the 33-year-old shop

worker from Hull is beginning

a three-year sentence

in jail in Egypt.

Her mother, Roberta,

and her Egyptian partner,

Omar Caboo, have been at court

to support her during

the hearings this week.

Laura Plummer had been travelling

to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada

to visit Omar in October

when she was stopped

by the authorities.

In her suitcase were 290 tramadol

tablets, a painkiller which is legal

on prescription in Britain

but banned in Egypt.

She said the tablets

were for her partner,

who suffers from severe back pain,

but she was arrested and has been

held since then in a communal cell

with up to 25 women.

Her family at home in Hull

have described today's

sentence as horrendous.

She's just a normal

girl who works in Hull.

She just sells clothes,

she comes home, she watches telly

and she goes to bed.

She doesn't drink, she doesn't

smoke, she doesn't do anything.

She lives to go to Egypt.

She loves Egypt.

She loves the Egyptian people.

She's in love with Omar.

We cannot believe this

has happened to her.

We are absolutely devastated.

Laura Plummer had been

going on holiday to Egypt's Red Sea

resort for several years but,

for her supporters, she has been let

down by the country she loved.

This woman doesn't deserve to be

incarcerated in an Egyptian prison

and, to be honest with you,

as much as I respect the customs

of Egypt and the laws

and the judiciary and everything

else, this will put people off

travelling on holiday

to Egypt in the future,

and I think the Egyptian authorities

need to be mindful of that.

The Egyptian legal

system is complex.

Laura Plummer will now appeal

against the three-year sentence,

a jail term her family say

is shocking and unjust.

Daniela joins us from

the Foreign Office now.

Daniela, this case centres around

painkillers that are legal here,

but banned in Egypt.

Her lawyer says they've lodged

an appeal what chance does she have?

An appeal can take anything up to a

number of years so the reality is

any chance of Laura Plummer having

her sentence cut or dismissed looks

remote at this stage. But it appears

she's had as much help as is

possible from the Foreign Office

here. Her own local MP has had

several meetings with the Foreign

Secretary Boris Johnson and said he

was satisfied that everything was

being done to help Laura Plummer and

her family. Boris Johnson himself

has made a direct representation on

her behalf to the Egyptian Prime

Minister but even with all of that

help it didn't stop her being

sentenced today. This afternoon the

Foreign Office has issued the most

brief of statements in response to

her sentencing, in which it says it

will offer continued assistance to

Laura Plummer and her family, and

its embassy in Egypt is in constant

contact with the authorities there.

Thank you.

Academic institutions have been

warned by the government that

that they must protect freedom

of speech or face possible fines.

The Universities Minister,

Jo Johnson, said they had a duty

to ensure students could both hear,

and challenge controversial ideas.

Some universities and student groups

have banned speakers advocating

disputed points of view on subjects

including Israel's relations

with the Palestinians,

the role of the British empire,

and transgender rights.

We don't need people to be cosseted.

We don't need to suppress

debate and stifle debate.

Debate is how bad ideas

and prejudices get exposed,

and it's about how knowledge

advances, so it's an absolutely

vital part of the learning process

that we have full debate,

that we have freedom of speech

within the law operating

in our university system.

Two people have died

following a collision

between a police car and another

vehicle in Sheffield last night.

The 46-year-old officer, who died,

was responding to an emergency call

when his marked car was involved

in the crash.

A 61-year-old woman -

who was a passenger

in the other vehicle

- also died.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

A Russian cargo ship,

listing near Portsmouth Harbour,

is being assisted by the Coastguard.

The vessel is at anchor

in the Solent while a pilot vessel

assesses its stability and cargo.

The Coastguard said it had power

and was currently stable.

The 13 crew on board are reported

to be safe and well.

There are warnings, though, of gales

and rough seas this evening.

Cotton spinning was once a key

industry in the north west

of England and now it has made

a return to the UK.

A mill in Manchester has become

the only textile factory to spin

cotton commercially again.

The process has revived the sector,

connecting businesses

across the region as they make

clothes using the yarn.

Judith Moritz has

followed the supply chain

from start to finish.

Her report contains

some flashing images.

Fresh off the boat from California,

cotton has come back

to its spiritual home.

Refurbished and reenergised,

this Manchester mill

is the first in the UK

to spin commercially again.

For the first time in 50 years,

cotton is in full production.

It's really reengaged the weavers

and the finishers and the dyers

to pull together and forge those

chains back again.

And there is honestly

an enormous appetite

for provenance and British-made.

We're following the process

as the cotton spun here

finds its way from the bale

to the clothes hanger.

From its raw state to spun yarn.

I'm now going to take this cotton

from here in Manchester over

to Blackburn to be dyed.

That's for you.

What happens now?

We are going to take

this into our dye house.

We're going to load

it onto a dye stand.

We are going to bleach it,

we're going to dye it

and we're going to dry it.

This yarn dyer's used to source

all its cotton overseas.

Now it only travels 30 miles.

Turned pink, it's time to take

the yarn up the road

to Burnley to be woven.

The resurrection of the cotton

process comes at a good

time for the industry.

BBC News and the trade body

Make It British spoke to almost 100

textile businesses to see

how their 2017 has been.

30% of them say they're

exporting more British-made

goods than last year.

There is concern about

the age of the workforce.

Two thirds have staff whose

average age is over 40.

But overall, the news is positive.

50% of them are turning over

more than a year ago.

The factory weaving our pink

cloth is a good example.

Our order book is really healthy.

So the next six months'

forecast is looking great.

So much so that we're now having

to put on extra shifts

and recruit additional staff.

Here you are, then.

Back in Manchester, our cloth is now

ready to be made into a shirt.

Cut.

Pressed.

Stitched.

And finished at this factory.

One of the few of

its kind to survive.

I don't think we'll ever see

a return to the halcyon

days of Cottonopolis.

However, there is huge opportunities

for businesses and brands

like ours to create sustainable,

viable and ultimately very

profitable businesses by making

things here again in the UK

and selling to an

international market.

Spun, dyed, woven and stitched,

the cotton process has been sewn

back together again.

Our journey behind the seams ends

with a shirt made from local yarn.

Judith Moritz, BBC News, Manchester.

It's been a busy day

of Boxing Day sport.

With all the latest news,

here's Marc Edwards

at the BBC Sports Centre.

Hi, Sophie.

There have been goals galore

in the Premier League,

none more so than at Wembley

where a Harry Kane hat trick helped

Tottenham Hotspur

thrash Southampton 5-2.

It sees the Spurs striker

breaking records both

at home and across Europe.

Our sports correspondent

Natalie Pirks was watching.

Boxing Day is a time when most

struggle to move from our sofas,

but there was no such Christmas

slump for Harry Kane.

When Danny Rose was fouled

just outside the box,

Christian Eriksen's ensuing free

kick landed plumb on Harry's head.

Here goes Eriksen.

It's in!

Alan Shearer's Premier League goals

record had stood for 22 years.

Kane was engulfed as his

achievements sunk in.

But the game was yet young,

and there was another

record for the taking.

Lionel Messi has scored 54 goals

for club and country this year.

One more would take Kane to 55.

And Kane!

Beautiful from Tottenham.

Dele to Son to Kane for the tap-in.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Spurs were 4-1 up before Kane put

the cherry on the icing on the cake.

He was once labelled

a one-season wonder.

He will!

Hat-trick, Harry Kane!

His eighth hat-trick of 2017

tells you otherwise.

The game was a cracker,

5-2 the final score,

but one man shone brightest.

With the World Cup looming,

England fans will be praying Kane's

world-beating form continues.

Natalie Pirks, BBC News.

Elsewhere, plenty of entertainment

in the Premier League.

There was a six-goal thriller

at the Vitality Stadium,

with Bournemouth three times coming

from behind to draw with West Ham.

Manchester United rescued

a point in the 90th

minute against Burnley.

There were wins for Chelsea

and Watford as well.

Celtic moved 11 points clear at

the top of the Scottish Premiership

with a 2-0 victory over Dundee

at Dens Park.

James Forrest opened the scoring

before Leigh Griffiths

added Celtic's second

just before half-time.

It was the only Scottish Premiership

game today, with five

more to come tomorrow.

England's cricketers have had

a tough time in the field on day one

of the fourth Ashes Test.

A century from David Warner

and another great performance

from captain Steve Smith left

Australia on 244-3

at the close of play.

Patrick Gearey reports

from Melbourne.

No wonder they couldn't

wait to get in.

Australia's festive season began

with their series victory last week.

Ashes Monday.

In fact, in what seems an age

since England first landed,

the only thing they haven't lost

is the toss.

At the worst moment,

that deserted them, too.

So Australia batted,

of course they did.

This was a gift

certificate of a pitch.

Happy Christmas, David Warner.

50 runs at England's expense,

100 for the Aussies by lunch.

Ouch.

At the other end, Cameron Bancroft

had only been marginally more

involved than the spectators.

Out of sorts, out for 26.

A wicket, finally.

The rambunctious Warner grew edgy

as he neared his century.

On 99, he blinked.

There, Tom Curran's first Test

wicket, what a moment.

But just a moment.

Look at the replay.

No ball, not out.

A misstep to sum up a series.

Back came Warner.

Next ball, no mistake.

A 100, and the boundless

joy of a reprieved man.

His second life was short, though.

When James Anderson got him,

there was no escape.

England battled back.

Stuart Broad as much as anyone.

He'd gone 414 balls without a wicket

before he removed Usman Khawaja.

Broad's blood up.

Was this Shaun Marsh out next ball?

The umpire said no.

The technology upheld that.

Crucial.

Small margins can mean hard yards.

In one of cricket's great venues,

one of the great modern batsmen.

Steve Smith rolled ominously on,

unbeaten, perhaps unbeatable.

But had the cricket

matched the occasion?

We did our best.

We didn't bowl a great

first session.

We didn't add to that excitement,

unless you're a David Warner fan.

But second session, we did

all we could on that pitch.

It's certainly been a very

slow pace at the MCG.

It's the kind of match

which might be decided not

by magic, but by mistakes.

And so far in this series,

unfortunately for England,

they've made too many of them.

Patrick Geary, BBC

News, in Melbourne.

Might Bite, trained

by Nicky Henderson,

held on in an exciting finish

to win the King George VI Chase

at Kempton Park.

Nico de Boinville's mount led

from the front throughout.

The 6-4 favourite had to work hard

to stay ahead of 50-1