20/11/2013 BBC Oxford News

suitable chairman of the Co-op. That is all from the BBC News at six.

A verdict of accidental death. At inquest heard how a man was killed

on a level crossing earlier this year. A total of 45 years in jail

for the men found guilty of a number of robberies in our region. They

stole nearly a quarter of ?1 million.

A 15`year`old boxer from Hampshire winds a gold medal in Russia. Ryan

Garner holds the European junior amateur title.

Good evening. It was described by the coroner as a nightmare scenario.

Today an inquest heard how a disabled man from Banbury died when

the car he was in, was hit by a train on a level crossing. The car's

engine failed on the Sandy Lane level crossing at Yarnton in

Oxfordshire. His partner who was driving tried repeatedly to restart

the vehicle, as the train approached. Two cars have been hit

on this crossing in the last ten months. The court was told the

engine failed as they drove onto the crossing. The signals began warning

them a train was on the way. Mr Kimberley remained at the wheel and

witnesses described him panicking and trying to restart the car. The

inquest heard around 45 seconds passed between these warning lights

going off and the train passing through. In that time, a female

passenger from another car ran onto the crossing trying to help. As the

train approached, she ran back to safety and saw as the train hit the

car with the two men still inside. This year, nine cars have been hit

by train is on level crossings in the UK and four people have been

killed. On this Sandy Lane crossing, two cars have been hit in the past

ten months leading to questions over the crossing's safety. The British

transport police said today there were no defects to the barrier when

Thomas died. Network rail said the warning signals had worked

absolutely correctly. His two nieces attended the inquest today. There

was a verdict of accidental death and they spoke of the horror that

must have been felt moments before the impact. His family asked network

rail whether there was anyway the train could have been stopped if

someone had alerted them to the fact that a car was stuck on the tracks?

The answer was that there would not have been enough time for the train

to break. The rail company said this accident was the result of an

extraordinary set of circumstances. Three men have been jailed for a

total of 45 years for a ruthless and callous number of robberies across

Oxfordshire and elsewhere in the South. The men stole nearly a

?250,000 from three banks and robbed a series of shops. A fourth man was

cleared of all charges. Today the Judge praised police for catching

the hardened and greedy criminals. A moment of terror caught on camera.

In December two years ago masked men broke into this Carphone Warehouse

near Reading wielding crowbars. It was one of a string of robberies

across the south in which thousands of pounds in goods and cash was

stolen. Police first launched a major investigation after a

Nationwide Building Society was robbed in Havant in Hampshire. On a

Friday night two years ago security staff were refilling the cash

machine when men smashed their way in with a sledgehammer and stole

?50,000. The local community or shocked by it. It takes years and

months to get back together. A lot of tenants here were dismayed that

it had happened in their precincts. Soon after two other banks were

robbed in Fareham and Farnborough. Police began to link the crimes.

After a long complex investigation, Andrew Smith was

today jailed for 11 years for conspiracy to rob. Richard Loveridge

and Stewart Last were sentenced to a total of 17 years for conspiracy to

rob and to burgle. Police say these two men are responsible for dozens

of crimes across Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire

and Surrey, and they made hundred of thousands of pounds which funded a

lifestyle including Rolex watches and Gucci shoes.

They were prolific in their nature, ruthless in the way they carried out

the axe. They used violence and weapons. By convicting these

criminals, the prevention of the crimes they would have been

committing is immeasurable. The Judge Sarah Munro QC said their

meticulously planned crimes were motivated by greed and would have

been terrifying experiences for all those who witnessed them.

David Cameron says he'll fight very hard for a Children's Centre in

Chipping Norton which is facing closure. It's one of more than 40 in

the county which are in the firing line, as a result of budget cuts

planned by Oxfordshire County Council. During Prime Minister's

Questions, David Cameron was asked about his support for the campaign

to save the centre. I support children's centres across the

country. In spite of difficult decisions that have to be made

across the country, the number of centres has reduced by 1%. Like all

members of Parliament, I fight for services in my constituency. But

Labour leader Ed Miliband said it highlights the Prime Minister's

double standards. Things are so bad he has even signed a petition in his

own area to save his local children's centre. Can you clarify?

Is the petition addressed to his local Tory council or is he taking

the right to the top? And the leader of Oxfordshire County Council has

told us that in order to make extra savings, it must look at all areas

but childrens' centres will be considered carefully.

It's been helping carers for nearly two decades, but now the last carers

group in Oxfordshire is facing closure. The South and Vale Carers

Centre provides help and support to people of all ages but it's running

out of money. Staff claim it will have to shut for good next year, if

there's not enough funding. Charlotte Stacey reports. Ada is a

full`time carer. Her children have different levels of disability and

her husband suffered a brain injury years ago and cannot work. The South

and Vale Carers Centre help her with the benefits. You can imagine the

impact. They help us with the forms and they are helping us to live. I

get very emotional because I don't know really how other people will be

able to cope on their own. County Council funding was withdrawn two

years ago. They have survived as an independent charity since. They have

supported over 1000 carers and a fifth of them were young carers. It

helped carers claim ?1 million in benefits and took many of them en

masse by trips. The charity has been going for nearly 20 years and has

helped thousands people in Oxfordshire. It needs around

?200,000 a year to survive but despite fund`raising, the money is

not coming in. There won't be a service that replaces this. There

are other services in the county but they don't provide this support in

people's homes. That is where our carers say they really felt it

helped them. If it closes, the nearest centres will be in Swindon

and Redding. For Ada, she hopes the vital support she has had will

continue to be there in the future in `` in the future.

People living near Oxford's park and rides say that recent price rises

have led to an increase in commuter parking on their streets. New

short`term charges were introduced at Water Eaton and Thornhill last

week adding to the charges brought in last year. The solution being

proposed by Oxfordshire County Council will make parking harder for

those visiting the city. Our solution to the parking problem

is to have controlled parking zone making it as little nuisance to

people as possible without having to bar `` Mark out too many bays. And

the BBC Radio Oxford Big Tour around the Ring Road continues all this

week. And on Friday from one o'clock, Kat Orman will be live in

North Hinksey at the Fishes Pub, learning about village life just off

Oxford's busiest road. British American Tobacco is closing

its office in Aylesbury. Oxford House was the headquarters of

Rothmans International from 1960 ` until it was taken over by BAT 12

years ago. The 60 members of staff are being offered the option of

re`locating to the company's new headquarters in Richmond`upon`Thames

next April. Once back home it's all too easy for

some to forget how much they're drinking. Now middle aged,

professional people are being warned to cut back. Figures released in

Buckinghamshire show many in the county are drinking well over the

recommended limit. The result is an increase in drinking related

diseases, a huge bill for local NHS services.

Falling in the street. Fighting with police. These are the sort of images

many associate with drinking too much. But according to new research,

that isn't always the case. Meet Nick Johnson. He's a teacher at

Oxford University. He's a married man and he's now recovering from an

alcohol addiction. I stupidly thought in an arrogant way that I

could teach and drink. As the years went on, I realised I couldn't

because it was changing my mental attitude. Also it was making me

increasingly more marginalised. It's people like Nick who Buckinghamshire

County Council is targeting in a new campaign. The aim is to change the

perception that only young binge drinkers are putting their health at

risk.. Adults who are drinking themselves into poor health without

bothering anybody else, often they are completely unaware they are

doing it. They are drinking at home but drinking regularly. In

Buckinghamshire one in four adults drinks above the recommended limits?

It's the 45 ` 64`year`olds who drink the most. The result is a health

bill of around ?28.5 million. It is hoped the campaign will encourage

people to think for they drink. That's all from me for the moment.

I'll have the headlines at 8pm and a full bulletin at 10.25. Now more of

today's stories with Sally Taylor. have been terrifying experiences for

all those who witnessed them. Still to come in this evening's South

Today... It was a long night for our trasnport correspondent, Paul

Clifton. You can see the railway being dug up here. It is 1am and the

tracks between Salisbury and Andover are being relayed.

A 34`year`old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman in

Worthing. Police were called after the 50`year`old was found dead in

her ground floor flat in Heron Court. Detectives want to hear from

anyone who may have seen a man and woman arguing in Bedford Row on

Monday afternoon. The postmortem examination took place earlier

today. Formal redundancy notices have been

issued today by the Hampshire rubber manufacturer Polimeri Europa, which

announced the closure of its factory at Hythe near Southampton earlier

this month. Trade Union representatives met with management

from the company this morning to try to save the jobs of the 300 people

at the site, including more than 160 contractors. The GMB union says that

talks will continue next week. As the UK aid for the relief effort

in the Phillipines continues to build, two Portsmouth`based warships

are playing a full part in tackling the humanitarian crisis there. The

helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious is taking on supplies before heading

to islands devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. When she arrives, she'll

take over from HMS Daring, whose crew is already hard at work

distributing supplies and helping to rebuild shattered Filipino

communities. Steve Humphrey reports. The crew of the Portsmouth `based

destroyer HMS Daring helping people in some of the most remote parts of

the Philippines which were struck by Typhoon Haiyan. The sailors have

been lending a hand wherever they can and working closely with local

people and with charities. These guys are going on top of the roof to

fix the roof. It is just so they can have a good, steady roof on the

school. Our first task is to clear this area so kids can start using it

again as a school. We are blessed and happy to have the Navy here to

help us rebuild our classrooms. The ship's helicopter has been

indispensable, bringing people and supplies was up one of the biggest

priorities here is restoring supplies of safe drinking water.

There are six wells on the island, so we need to establish the

condition of each of those. We have brought water testing kits, and we

can provide a stable water supply. It will replace HMS Illustrious. The

RAF has also been delivering supplies. Among the planes was a C

17 cargo plane from Brize Norton, which delivered heavy equipment. So

far, the British public have donated ?35 million to the relief effort.

Anti`cuts campaigners have held a small protest outside Southampton

City Council's headquarters. The demonstration came as Keith Morrell,

the leader of the Councillors Against Cuts Group proposed a motion

calling on central government to stop reducing funding for local

councils. The city council has to save ?20 million in next year's

budget. Now, have a look at this... It

covers up to half a mile each night, digging up old sleepers and

replacing the rail track. This giant train is replacing the line between

Salisbury and Andover for the first time in 50 years. It operates five

times faster than conventional gangs of workers. While it means

disruption for late`night passengers, the alternative would be

almost a year of weekend closures. Our transport correspondent, Paul

Clifton, spent the night watching it in action.

It is midnight. It is well below freezing. The men here are used to

that. They work four nights a week. The British rail network is busier

than usual. It is carrying bigger and heavier trains than before. We

need to keep up with that. This is the most efficient way of doing

that. At one third of a mile, this train is so long that it needs its

own railway running along the top, feeding the machine with new

concrete sleepers. The old wooden ones are dug up and stored. The

track bed is scraped, with the new line being laid and fixed in place.

All directly underneath the slowly moving train. In effect, we have a

moving factory building a railway whilst it runs on it. The Swiss

built train, with 80 support crew, can relay up to half a mile of track

each night. That is five times more than a gang of track workers could

achieve in a shift. Doing this the old way would have meant a whole

year of closing the row way every weekend. This is a track we were

worried about. It had a lot of speed astringents last year, cause a lot

of delayed to our customers was not just here but because trains late

going into Waterloo, it causes a lot of delay around Waterloo. We are

really pleased to renew this track. The last time the whole track was

renewed here, the trains look like this. Since then, bright lines have

closed, sidings have been removed, the work should mean more reliable

journeys on this increasingly busy route. Nearby, Grateley station is

deserted. The work means that late`night services are placed by

buses. Working four nights a week, the train will reach Andover before

Christmas and then work in the opposite direction, getting to

Salisbury by the end of January. He is tired today, I can tell you!

You will be tired, listening to the cricket.

The Ashes starts tonight. We're just over five hours from the

start of the Ashes at the Gabba in Brisbane. The South's three

first`class counties are all set to be represented in the England team.

Surrey's Kevin Pietersen will play his 100th Test, while his county

colleague Chris Tremlett has been tipped for selection as the third

seam bowler. Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry is set to make his

second Test appearance. While the biggest doubt concerns Sussex

wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who has been battling a calf injury. Play

gets underway at midnight UK time. Good luck if you are staying up,

tried to watch it all . It wasn't a good night for England

at Wembley, as they went down 1`0 to Germany. But the Southampton captain

Adam Lallana turned in another performance that caught the eye of

England manager Roy Hodgson. Hodgson called Lallana a "major find", and

said that the 25`year`old had played himself right into contention for a

spot on the plane to next year's World Cup in Brazil. It was only

Lallana's second cap last night but now his sights are firmly fixed on

reaching Rio next summer. It is where I want to be playing

week in, week out. It has given me even more drive to go back to my

club and the performing well each week. I am desperate to be involved

in the next squad and get to Brazil. A teenager from Southampton Boxing

Club is celebrating winning a prestigious gold medal. 15`year`old

Ryan Garner took the European Junior Amateur Title in Russia and now has

long`term ambitions of the 2020 Olympics and ultimately turning

professional. Behind the gloves, Ryan Garner is a

determined young man with big plans for his career. Having lost in the

first round last year, winning his 54 kilograms weight division this

time demonstrated a huge leap forward. I won the National 's twice

and another jab Egypt once was nothing is as big as this. I have

been to Chev Richards as big as this and did not get as far. ``

championships as big as this. It was physically demanding, with four

bouts in six days. We were all tired but I knew that if I dug deep, I

could be European champion and make everyone proud. Victory over

Ireland's Martin Stokes sealed the gold medal, a fitting reward for the

man who made captain for the England squad. It brought a smile to my

face. We tell him what he needs to hear rather than what he wants to

hear. That is important for a young lad like that. If he steers clear of

injuries, and stays in love with the game, he knows that he could have a

great future in the sport. He is eligible to join the GB squad, which

would make a sweet start to 2014. Another one whose progress we will

keep an eye on. This week, we're meeting the three

finalists hoping to be named the BBC South Sports Unsung Hero for 2013.

Tonight, we feature Penny Jann, team manager and secretary for a riding

club in Surrey. Just walking for the moment. For

three decades, Penny has been the driving force behind this riding

club. I don't know how anyone could put in that much. She is the glue

that holds every thing together. On top of a full`time job, she devotes

endless hours each week, often staying into the early hours to

organise events. She would not have it any other way. I enjoy seeing

them enjoy themselves, it is great for me when that happens. That team

spirit and atmosphere that you get from that. She is the mother of the

club, she gets to know everyone and she makes it a very happy and

enjoyable place to be. Well done, all of you. She has helped thousands

of people, inspiring them to have a go, no matter their ability. She

kept on and on at me about competing. I kept saying no, I am

not a competitor. She persuaded me to do the pairs competition and, to

our surprise, we qualified and won it! Which, at my age, was

wonderful. I have had to retire because I cannot do any better.

Penny's dedication is clear and arises from a true passion for the

sport. I do believe in riding clubs. It is a wonderful movement was a bit

rings people in and gives them a chance to do things. It may not

inspire them to be analytical rider but they will get on a horse and it

gives them an opportunity to do that.

We'll be meeting our third finalist tomorrow night.

And, finally, there was a blow today for Poole Speedway. Their captain

and former world champion Chris Holder has confirmed he won't be

returning to the Pirates for the 2014 season. The Australian suffered

a broken femur during a bad crash last year. He's decided to reduce

his commitments around the world as he returns to action. Holder has

tweeted, though, that it's not the end of his Poole career and promoter

Matt Ford says they could call on him on a short`term basis during

2014. One bit of news just in. If you are

an Oxford United fan, a match has been called off due to a waterlogged

pitch. That is off, I am afraid. Spare a thought for our colleagues,

who will have gone to Gateshead to bring you commentary and have but a

long trip home. Some of the fans will have gone as well!

We had thunder storms right across the region. We had reports on our

Twitter account. All over the region, we had thunder and hail

around midday. Some lovely weather pictures.

Chris Grimmett captured this tranquil scene on Hightown Common in

Ringwood. Autumn windfall photographed by

Ginny Boxall in Chawton in Hampshire. And who knows what is

going on here. This photo was taken near Setley

Pond in the New Forest by Martin Perry, just as the rain stopped. It

will stay cold each day this week and frost is on the card each night

as well. A truly feel to things each day and night. Through the course of

the night, we will see wintry showers. That may bring the risk of

ice, with Tebbit is falling away towards freezing. The wintry showers

will continue over the hills with a dusting of snow at lower levels,

packs a mix of hail and sleet. The rain showers will continue to the

night with lows of 2`3 Celsius and a north`westerly wind that wind will

take the edge off temperatures tomorrow. The showers will

continue, a wintry mix. Some sunshine on offer and the north

easterly wind will take the edge off that averages. There is a 3`4

degrees drop from what it should be at this time of year. The showers

tomorrow evening will fade away, with clearing skies. Under those

clear skies, Inc sheltered spots, there may be a touch of frost in the

countryside. Temperatures dropped to 2`3d, but freezing into rural spots.

The good news is this area of high pressure continues to build, we will

see the wind coming in from the north`west. There is still a cold

field of things but the wind will gradually ease. You can see the

widening of the isobars as we head through the day. Still the risk of

the odd shower, particularly for the southeastern corner of the country.

For the rest of the week, we can expected a view wintry showers

tomorrow, with a keen north`easterly wind staying with us right through

this week. Sunny spells and acquired a day on Friday, although the wind

is strong until the end of the day. The winds start to ease as we head

to the weekend. There is the risk of a shower Saturday. By Sunday, more

cloud and the North wind will make it feel quite raw in the open.

It is very, very cold. We will have more for you at 8pm and 10:25pm.

Thank you for joining us and make sure you wrap up warm. Thank you for

joining us. Good night. I'm Nigel Slater, a cook.

And I'm Adam Henson, a farmer. all back in touch with

where our food really comes from. You asked me to grow some

durum wheat to produce your pasta. Our own eggs, our own flour -

couldn't ask for more, really.