04/11/2013 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford.

In tonight's programme: the death of a soldier. The NHS is asking is how

it should save millions of pounds. Residents of a lost Wiltshire

village make a bitter sweet return after 70 years.

The family of an Oxfordshire`based serviceman has been hearing how he

was shot dead by Afghan police who he'd been helping to train. This is

what's known as a Green On Blue attack. An inquest underway in

Oxford has included evidence from military colleagues of Corporal

Brent McCarthy, from RAF Brize Norton, and also Lance Corporal Lee

Davies, who was killed in the same attack in May last year. Their

deaths were described by the Defence Secretary as a "cowardly act of

aggression". Angela Walker's been at today's hearing. One of the

witnesses told the court that he and the soldier were engaged in banter

with two policemen a few minutes before the attack. He said there

seemed to be no stray atmosphere and they were taking photographs of each

other, but they noticed one of the policeman appeared to wet his

trousers and they laughed and discussed whether he may be afraid

of them. He then went into the building and a few minutes later he

heard gunfire. Corporal Brent McCarthy and Lance Corporal Lee

Davies had been shot at close range. Parts of the apologist reports were

read out and both men died as a result of gunshot wounds resulting

in catastrophic injuries which were an survivable. Two of the officers

giving evidence described how they rushed to the scene of the gunfire

to assist. The guardsmen told the court from a window he could see the

two Afghan uniformed policeman engaged in the banter running from

the scene. Corporal McCarthy and Lance Corporal Davies for part of a

police advisory team but they had been alongside the Afghan uniform

police. They were providing security while their commanding officer was

in a meeting. The inquest will continue tomorrow. Three servicemen

will take to the stand tomorrow to give evidence and the family will be

hoping for answers to their questions about his death.

A man from Milton Keynes who admitted raping a pensioner with

dementia after breaking into her Oxford home has been sentenced to 15

years in prison. Daniel Smith attacked the bedridden woman in her

eighties last December. Today a judge at Oxford Crown Court said

Smith, who had 30 previous convictions, had carried out a vile

and despicable crime and posed a serious risk of committing a similar

offence. 23`year`old Smith will also have to sign the sex offenders'

register. We're all used to consulting medical experts when we

need them, but now the NHS wants to consult us.

With tight budgets and demand for services continuing to rise, the NHS

in Oxfordshire is now seeking ourviews on where, and how, it

should make savings. Officials have announced plans to spend the next

couple of months listening to our views on which services we value

most. Tom Turrell's been looking into the issue and is here now. They

want to know which bits we like and hold onto, and which bits we are

less bothered about, so they can tweak or cut them. They are in this

situation because the NHS budget in Oxfordshire has flat lined, it

hasn't got any bigger. Demand has risen year`on`year. We are a growing

elderly population, we will live longer than our parents, and the

price of drugs is rising. Of the 650 million budget every year the demand

is rising by about five seven. Before we make any changes at all I

would like to know what they really like, what they don't mind. That is

what this process of ASCII men to come to meetings is all about. It is

a complicated area. We will engage people as widely as possible.

We will know more after the Building work to transform the

emergency department at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon will now

be complete by Christmas, that's five months ahead of schedule. The

?1 million refurbishment includes a complete redesign of the accident

and emergency department, as well as the creation of a specialist

childrens' unit. A flood alert has been issued for

stretches of the River Evenlode through the Cotswolds into

Oxfordshire. River levels will rise and flooding

is possible. It made reach its banks. Flooding of holdings seems

unlikely. Further showers are expected.

The weather will be coming up later. improve traffic flow and safety for

drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Still to come in this evening's

South Today: Just keep your eye on the ball ` the wind is up and the

Saints' goalkeeper is left red`faced. It is expected that the

cost of building the Royal Navy's latest aircraft carriers will

increase to ?6.2 billion. When the contract was first

announced six years ago, the projected cost was around half that

figure at ?3.5 billion. The defence project is one of the biggest ever

undertaken in the UK and has been beset by construction and design

delays. Both carriers are to be partially built in Portsmouth and it

will be a decade before they come into service.

The Medmerry coastal defence scheme, near Selsey in West Sussex, has been

opened officially today. The sea has been allowed to flood a

large area that had been protected by a shingle bank for hundreds of

years. Back in September, the Environment Agency breached the

shingle bank to create the largest coastal realignment in modern

British history. The sea is now held back by a new bank inland. The

flooded land will become salt marsh and is being managed by the RSPB as

a nature reserve. Imagine being given just six weeks'

notice that you were being evicted from your home. That's what happened

to the residents of the Wiltshire village of Imber back in 1943. They

were removed from their homes so the village could be used for training

troops and never allowed to live there again. So, when the remaining

former residents and their families went back on the 70th anniversary of

that departure it was a bitter`sweet return. Laura Lyon reports.

Saint Giles Church in the village of Imber looks and sounds like any

other, except it doesn't have any parishioners. These sisters can only

ten to their parents grave when the villages opened up to the public by

the Ministry of Defence. Mums favourite colour was red. We always

try to put red around. At the beginning of November 1943 residents

received letters from the War office telling them to leave their homes

within six weeks. In the middle of Salisbury plain, the village was

ideal for American troops to train. The sister still remember the impact

of those letters arriving. I can remember my mum being really upset.

She just sat there and cried stop this family still enjoys making the

annual pilgrimage. When we used a comeback in the first few years, you

did meet up with people that you could remember. The years have gone

by, and you don't see anyone about. There are not many left. The

families were rehoused across a wide area. Generations later younger

relatives make the trip to explore their ancestors homes. We came to

see our cousins. And to know more about her family. The church is one

of the only buildings left in its original form. Others remain out of

bounds, still used for military training.

On Friday. Now on Friday you may remember we

asked you to help us find a woman from the Isle of Wight. She'd left a

touching note on the grave of her grandfather, who died in the first

World War. Well, we've found her. The grave is of Private George

Hanlon and its in the Howard Davis Park Military Cemetery in Jersey. On

the grave was a note that simply said, Dear Great Granddad. We have

found you at last. From Rosie. Rosie turns out to be Rosie Weston, who

now lives in Normandy. I always thought it was so sad that he was so

far away and no one could visit him. I asked them, my husband and his

friend, to go and have a look for him. They find the grave. We

prepared the new beforehand and too good with us with the plastic rules.

In case you're wondering, Rosie wasn't watching us in Normandy ` it

was her sister, who still lives on the Isle of Wight, who put us in

touch after seeing Friday's programme. Now, this sport. Picture

the scene, a rock`solid defence, then this happens. Let's take a look

at the moment. This is just a few seconds after kick`off at the

Britannia stadium, Boruc done by the bounce, it seems. It was only the

third goal Saints have conceded all season, certainly the most bizarre,

and it put them behind. It has happened before, Peter Shilton in

1967. In form Jay Rodriguex planted this header into the ground and

eventually into the net to equalise for Saints before half`time. They're

sixth in the table. Here's Boruc. Obviously it was windy. After the

points I realised I was in the middle of nowhere. They need to try

to stay focused on the next game. Some people run me to tell me about

Peter Shilton in 1967, so thanks for that. Reading harbour hopes of a

swift return to the Premier League and, although they were beaten 5`2

at Sheffield Wednesday, manager Nigel Adkins took a lot of heart

from the performance. Matty Fryatt scored twice on the

day, former Royal Michail Antonio with a good finish. Pavel Pogrebnyak

with a header. Unlucky, before half`time. Sean Morrison with an own

goal. Wednesday went further ahead, so Adam Le Fondre's penalty was a

consolation. It is hard when you get beaten 5`2, but you actually played

all right. Well done to Sheffield Wednesday. They have had to wait a

long time for this. They got a thumping victory. We know that we

have to do better. We will start again on Monday morning. We will try

to This started with a bang. It should

have been enough to make them safe. There was an exciting finale. It was

times. John O'Flynn turned in a deep cross. Carson redeemed himself with

a couple of late saves. Portsmouth held on.

Two Hamble`based yachtsmen will have to wait three more days before being

able to start the Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race from France to

Brazil. The start of the race has been delayed for a second time due

to bad weather. Our reporter Andy Breare has been speaking to Sam

Goodchild and his co`skipper, Ned Collier Wakefield, in Le Havre today

After news of another delay, there has been a despondent mood in the

race village today. Le Havre was battered by 70 Malabar wins. The

skipper says that the postponement is understandable. He understand why

it is made. You just want to get on with it. If we had an option to go

in later wins, then let's take it. I want to race, like everyone else,

and you want everyone to have the same chance of winning `` 70 Malabar

wins might not let everyone finish! They couldn't start the race today

because of the high winds. The race was postponed until Thursday. It

actually happened two years ago as well. There are a lot of owner

drivers, as we call them, in this class. The lasting you want to do is

go out and lose all your investment. 80% of the fleet didn't want to

leave. For us it is the right decision. The last thing we want to

do is go and break our boat. If we can sail in later wins, we will be

happier. The frustrating game continues, then, as they prepare to

race to Brazil on Thursday. Elsewhere this weekend, James

O'Connor produced what London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith

described as an outstanding display on his debut for the club.

The exiles were beaten by Northampton on Saturday. O'Connor

set up Salosi Tangithaibau for the Exiles's only try of the match. And

the game was even until a late try from the visitors. Meanwhile,

Basingstoke Bison held off the challenge of Peterborough on

Saturday night to claim a 5`2 win and stay second in ice hockey's

Premier League. The fifth goal came from Tomas Karpov, his second on the

night. Now it's that time of year again `

the bear's big night out for Children In Need at Beaulieu is just

11 days away, This week, we'll be looking at how the money you gave so

generously last year has been used across the South, starting tonight

with a look at projects in Portsmouth, the Thames Valley, and

first, the Isle of Wight. This project at Newport supports parents

with anxiety or depression issues, to make sure that the children get

all the care that they need. They give us ?6,471. We provide to 40

family groups for families who are vulnerable and isolated. It might be

that their parents are suffering from anxiety or depression which

means going to agribusiness would be difficult for them. It is lovely to

see her family coming together and be helped. To know that help is out

there is amazing. This is the only charity in Berks to help those who

have been told they are HIV`positive. The money has allowed

them to hire a youth worker. HIV is a manageable condition, but the

shock of having the diagnosis can be devastating. You can get on with

your life. We got ?94,000 over three years. To what is the door and meet

other people who are positive as well, you can see the relief on

their fierce. They can be themselves here and just have fun stop it

really makes a difference. Think of Pompey, and you probably

think of the role. The culture number of different sports, and as

well as focus on fitness, it is about building confidence and

friendships. Children in Need funded us ?44,500 for a two`year project

that aims to offer an `` an inclusive after`school club,

increased their friendship groups, increased their physical activity

and increase their confidence. We have seen a real difference. We have

seen lots of smiles at the end of sessions, which is fantastic to see.

It was an exciting night of dance, music and song at the Mayflower

Theatre in Southampton last night. All to raise money for Children in

Need and they did really well. The touring caste and backstage crew of

Ghost the Musical took the Strictly idea and performed brilliantly.

Among the judges were actor Nigel Harman and Jason Donovan. And Sally

was also there to get it off to a roaring start. Here's a flavour of

the night! You have a treat in store tonight!

I thought Jack was let down by the girls, because he was that good! It

is always nice to get out there and sing songs. Great to see here

supporting it. Jason Donovan was singing on stage! Really good!

Here is a cheque for ?36,000! That is incredible!

I think that is amazing. An amazing amount of money. You have all done

fantastically well. Let's get straight on to the weather.

Starlings making shapes in the sky at Somerley estate near Ringwood,

captured by John Levell. Dan Smith took this fantastic photo of a heron

in Midhurst in West Sussex this afternoon. Helen Smith captured the

high tide at Mudeford Quay in Dorset.

Through the course of the night we will have clear skies at first, but

there will be increasing cloud from the West. Where BT have clear skies,

temperatures will fall away rapidly. Temperatures will fall to around

three or four Celsius. So, call started the day tomorrow, but

temperatures picking up nicely throughout the course of the day.

Rain at first in the morning, outbreaks of rain in the afternoon,

but becoming drier and brighter. From lunchtime onwards we will start

to see the sunshine. A blustery north`westerly wind with highs of 13

Celsius in some parts. Temperatures around average for the time of year.

Tomorrow night, we do it all again, really. Increasing cloud and rain

spreading to all parts by Wednesday morning. It is bonfire night

tomorrow night and there will be a blustery wind. Showers the further

west you are. It will be cleared the further east you are. There will be

dry periods to be had on bonfire night, but all seasons `` but also

some showers and western areas. It will be a wet starts on Wednesday,

the potential for deals on the site closed. Winds will be brisk from the

west or north west. It will be a wet day, rain throughout the course of

the day. Here is your outlook for the rest of the week. Showers will

clear tomorrow. Further reading on Wednesday, a soggy day. Deals along

the south coast. There will have showers and sunshine, and the same

month riding. That is all we have time for

tonight. Chris is here tomorrow. We will have more Children in Need it's

in pieces, as well. Thank you for joining us, enjoy your evening.

A family memoir that captured the hearts of millions.

A potter telling stories out of porcelain