19/12/2013 BBC Oxford News

Adebowale show nod remorse. That is all from us. Now we join our news

teams where Hello and welcome to South Today

from Oxford. In tonight's programme: The family

of murdered teenager Jayden Parkinson say they're devastated and

heartbroken. A body believed to be Jayden's was

discovered in a graveyard last night. Tributes have been left at

the church. Also tonight: Improvements on the

track, disruption overhead. How plans to knock down and rebuild this

rail bridge will see a stretch of road closed for six months.

And later on: How a hunch by a policeman's widow led to the capture

of two of the Great Train Robbers. Good evening. Police say they

believe a body found buried in a churchyard in Didcot is that of the

missing teenager Jayden Parkinson, who disappeared more than two weeks

ago. Formal identification has not yet taken place, but officers say

they've prepared Jayden's family for the worst. The 17`year`old's former

boyfriend, Ben Blakeley, has been charged with her murder. Our

reporter Peter Cooke is at All Saints Church where the body was

found. Peter.

A quiet and calm scene here tonight as police wind down their presence.

He forensic tent over the grave which was the focus of this

investigation has been taken away. After days of distressing scenes,

the church will return to serving its community tomorrow. People are

being invited to come and light candles, pray and pay their own

silent respects. Our reporter Jessica Cooper has spent the day

here. They came in the numbers, laying

flowers and Christmas treats in memory of Jayden. She had not been

seen for two weeks but had never been far from people 's thoughts. I

am devastated, such a lovely girl. I feel for her family and its. ``

parents. It is just awful. I did not believe it could be true, it is

really awful. Tributes can then read online. `` tributes continued on

line as her friends described her as such an inspiring and beautiful

person. A vigil was held last night for the young people Didcot remember

Jayden. They have paid tribute saying she was a bright spark who

will be missed. This has been a long and difficult search for the

police. They really feel for Jayden's family. We have prepared

Jayden's family for the worst but I am afraid nothing can prepare you

for the loss of your child. They remain heartbroken, devastated and

our thoughts are with them at this time. It was upsetting for the

church as well which found itself at the centre of this search. I do not

think any of us could believe that someone was capable of burying a

body in our Churchyard, it felt very long. Very unsettling and I am sure

that people have got relatives buried in there and that they felt

the same way. The news that the committee dreaded was confirmed

today but there is now a sense of relief that the search is finally

over. Jessica Cooper, BBC South Today.

This case is far from over. Two young men stand accused of being

involved in Jayden's murder and detectives are still building their

case against them. For Jayden's family, instead of planning for

Christmas, they're now planning for a funeral. With few answers to the

question ` why has this happened to them?

Peter Cooke and Didcot, thank you. Businesses based along the A338 that

links Wantage and Oxford say the planned closure of part of the road

for around six months could damage trade. Network Rail want to demolish

a bridge at the start of next year so they can make improvements to the

track below. But with commuters also facing long delays concerns are

growing. Tom Turrell reports. Thousands of vehicles use the A338

from Wantage to Oxford every day, but early next year, part of this

road near to the Volunteer pub could be shut for around six months. It's

so this bridge can be demolished by Network Rail, so improvements can be

made on the track below. But businesses based along the route say

the plans worry them. Shutting off this road will affect all of my

supplies. It is going to be a bit awkward and I will have to wait a

lot longer for part to turn up and potentially customers will not get

the cards. Once Network Rail demolishes the

bridge, it'll get on with the job of fitting electric overhead cables

above this track. If the A338 is temporarily closed, then much of the

traffic could be forced onto other routes such as the A34, but that's

not pleasing everyone. Residents want to see a temporary bridge that

Network Rail can put in place which means that people can still go over

this railway and the works can still take place.

But villagers in places like West Hanney are concerned their roads

too, could turn into rat runs. But Network Rail say the work they

are doing will provide a cleaner and more efficient service and they

believe it will lead to faster and more frequent trains as well.

The exact timings and length of any road closure is still to be decided,

but it seems many already frustrated commuters in Oxfordshire could be in

for a difficult journey in 2014. Tom Turrell, BBC South Today.

It's used by Oxford's school children and youth groups, but the

Stansfeld Outdoor Education Centre could become the latest casualty of

cuts. The site in Headington is owned by

Birmingham City Council, which needs to plug an ?800 million hole in its

budget. It's launched a consultation into the site's future and some

councillors here have put together a petition to try and save the centre.

Adina Campbell reports. Doing the rounds to drum up support,

there may be thousands of leaflets to post, but the objective is clear,

to keep this children's centre open. Birmingham City Council has done a

consultation on this over Christmas and everyone is too busy getting

ready for Christmas. This is an important resource for us locally

not just around the Birmingham area but for us locally as well. Without

enough backing Stansfeld could close. It is owned by Birmingham

City Council which must make savings of ?840 million over the next three

years. Just behind me is where all of the action takes is on these 17

acres of private land. We were not allowed to compensate but some other

facilities include woodland, a pond and racecourse facilities. It is a

place where primary and secondary school children can learn about the

outdoors whether it be camping experiences or detracts. This skill

has been using the centre every week for the last three years. We go out

and take photos. We take videos of stuff. The best thing is that you

can stay there for quite a long time.

In a statement Birmingham City Council told us that the outdoor

learning service is running at a deficit of over ?1 each year and is

really underused and many schools use other provisions. We see

children become completely different people once they get outdoors. Some

quiet children, for example, take them out into a forest setting and

they become leaders and you see a different personality. The

consultation will close next month. The train operator that runs

services locally has come top of a punch at the table for 2013. Network

Rail's figures showed that many of the teams were on time this year.

The national average is 67%. Now, more on the Winter Wonderland

attraction in Milton Keynes which closed after just one day.

The attraction was inundated with hundreds of complaints after

visitors complained the festive fair had ruined their Christmas. Well,

now the local community has banded together to put on alternative

events across the town. Angela Walker reports.

It was meant to be a Christmas treat. Some parents paid more than

?100 million, some draws more than 100 males, but when they arrived

there was disappointment at the so`called Winter Wonderland and

Milton Keynes. The event close after just one day following complaints.

The Acer Inc has no pace and they bring their arsenal antlers. And the

comments today, MK Iain Stewart asked what changes can be made to

prevent similar kiosks or in the future. Trading Standards are

looking into it and people have been promised a refund. It has left many

families disappointed. Charity is set to benefit from this fear have

lost out. These parents have taken matters into their own hands and

holding to make up for it. We are going to try and put on as big an

event as we can to see as many children as they can.

The company has offered to honour any children who had bookings even

though it had nothing to do with the field event. It was a bit of a

shame. Within the board their parents and grandparents who not the

importance of Christmas to children so we wanted to do something to help

them. The ice rink is providing the venue for Saturday's event which has

been boosted by donations from local businesses. The organisers of the

Winter Wonderland event have apologised and parents await a

refund of all Trading Standards continue investigating what happened

at Campbell Park, it seems the community here will not let it spoil

the magic of Christmas. Angela Walker, BBC South Today.

That's all from me for the moment. I'll be back at 10:25pm. With more

of today's stories, here's Sally Taylor.

night will cost the charity an extra million pounds a year. A specialist

doctor and critical care paramedic crew will be on board. Still to come

in this evening's South Today: The Great Train Robbery and how a hunch

by a policeman's wife helped catch two of the gang. BBC South Today can

exclusively reveal that the Royal Navy is taking a series of steps to

take pressure off sailors and their families following the impact of

recent defence cuts. Last night the UK's most senior military officer

warned that if the Navy gets any smaller there could be serious

problems in the future. BBC South has learned that a letter has been

sent to everyone in the Navy saying a big review is going to be carried

out to try to reduce the workload. Steve's in Portsmouth tonight.

Steve, a letter like this sounds unprecedented. What does it say?

Yes, the Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Phil Jones sent all sailors

a letter on December 13th acknowledging the stresses and

strains that have resulted from cuts in defence spending. He says in the

letter: "I am only too aware of the demands a busy Royal Navy places on

you individually and collectively, and on your families." Now the size

of the Navy has already been reduced ` both in terms of warships and

personnel. There are now 19 destroyers and frigates compared to

about sixty at the time of the Falklands War. And recent reductions

mean there are now 30,000 sailors ` compared with 70,000 in 1982.

Despite the reductions, the Navy has had a heavy workload. That was

underlined in the speech the Chief of the General Staff made last

night. Unattended, our current course leads to a strategically

incoherent force structure, exquisite equipment but insufficient

resources to man the equipment or train on it. This is what the

Americans call the spectre of the hollowed force. We are not there

yet. But across defence I would identify the Royal Navy has been

perilously close to its critical mass in manpower terms. There have

been issues about the rear `` reliability of warships. One that

says there is a shortage of engineering expertise in some parts

of the Navy. Other issues are they are short of sailors and because he

doesn't exist or is in the Far East, the ship has to stay in harbour and

the guys in hospital until he comes out again or is on a course. Those

issues are what stops ships sailing. No one on the Royal Navy was

available today but changes will be made, there will be a big review of

the programme to reduce the pressure on people and ships. There will be

engineering and engineering support. The first Sea Lord said everyone in

the Navy is going to be working hard to address the challenges thing.

Several pubs and clubs have signed up to a pilot scheme which stops the

sale of alcohol in Weymouth in the early hours. Weymouth Portland

Borough Council hopes it'll reduce the number of alcohol`related

incidents and reduce anti social behaviour. It'll see the end of

alcohol sales at 5am in several places and could be rolled out

across the borough next year. Villagers have been given permission

to buy a World War II tower. The tower has been disused when the NATO

airbase closed. The tower on the edge of Greenham Common has been

disused since the NATO airbase there closed in 1993. Now, here's a

question for you ` can sport cut crime? There's new evidence from a

jail in Dorset suggesting that young offenders playing sport,

significantly cuts re`offending. A study at the Portland Young

Offenders Institution shows activities like football and rugby

cut the number of inmates returning to prison by more than thirty per

cent. Rob Powell reports. The Victorians who built a prison on

the isle of Portland felt jail should be an unpleasant place. A

deterrent to stop crime. So what would they have made of this? Sports

like rugby are being used in Portland in an attempt to stop

re`offending. And, according to new research, it's working. We have seen

powerful effects in terms of improving communication skills,

ability to regulate emotions, it has been powerful in terms of working

with violent offenders who in the past may have had trouble managing

their emotions and anger. The report by Royal Holloway

University showed the re`offending rate at Portland Young Offenders

Institution was only slightly lower than the national average at 50%.

But of those taking part in the sport programme, only 21% were back

in court after a year. But is a lighter approach like this really

appropriate for prison? This isn't a soft option. Some of these

programmes can be quite challenging. They are not seen as

just kicking a ball around and having fun. There are structured

programmes associated with these initiatives and they can be

challenging. There are lots of changes being made to the South's

prisons at the moment. The prison here in Dorchester closed this week.

And will re`open as a resettlement jail. It will house local inmates in

the months ahead of their release, allowing them to build relationships

with the outside world. Another attempt to reduce re`offending and

help prisoners and the public. A world record attempt to see the

world's largest dinghy sailing race is being planned for next September,

and all in memory of Olympic Sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson. The Dorset

sailor died after an Americas Cup training accident in San Francisco

Bay earlier this year. The race, which is being called "Bart's Bash",

is a mass participation club race, being held across the whole country.

It is one of the most famous crimes in our history` and tonight the

second part of a BBC drama documentary will focus on the police

investigation to track down the gang which carried out the Great Train

Robbery. But what you may not know is that the very first arrests in

the case were made in Bournemouth, thanks to a hunch by a policeman's

wife. One of the detectives involved still lives in the town. He's been

back to the scene with our reporter Jo Kent to tell her his story.

At the time it was the biggest robbery in British history. Two and

half million pounds was stolen in the hold up of a Royal Mail train

travelling from Glasgow to London. The gang behind it were the

country's most wanted men. We have come about the Garrard to

rent... A few days later in Bournemouth,

policeman's widow Ethel Clark made a call to the local force. Stan Davies

decided come with me, Charles, we will see this lady. Mrs Clark

advertised her garage to rent and these characters had seen it, turned

up and agreed to have the garage and to her surprise they paid three

months in advance with ten shilling notes. As the detectives had a cup

of tea, the two men who aroused the suspicions returned and they were

not going to go quietly. A struggle ensued. The section of Trellis was

taken down, rolling about. Joe public was standing around looking

because you could not really say, we were in plain clothes. You could not

say who was the goodies and baddies. When you got into the boot

of the car, describe what was in front of you. We had a cursory look

at the bags and suitcases and sure enough stuffed full of banknotes. We

knew we had captured people involved in the train robbery or the actual

robbers. Roger Cordery fixed the railway lights to stop the train and

William who maintained his innocence. Back at the station,

other detectives took over. The two men being questioned are here in

Bournemouth police headquarters being questioned by the detective

superintendent of Scotland Yard and the detective superintendent of

Buckinghamshire CID. Charlie Case calls it 20 minutes of fame, she

received a commendation from Bournemouth Council and later gave

evidence at the trial. I would have liked to have been a cloud to see

the action, if they haven't clobbered the train drivers, it

would have been the perfect crime. That was their big mistake. Memories

of the Great Train Robbery. It is eight o'clock tonight on BBC One.

It's been a great year for South Today. The Mary Rose museum

reopening, broadcasting live from the Needles lighthouse and Alexis

taking part in a horse race, But we start with a look back fifty years,

1963, when temperatures plummeted and the region was frozen solid for

two months. Alexis met some of those who were affected. The big freeze

dramatically change the landscape in the south. In some places there were

snowdrifts of 15 feet, it had a massive impact on peoples daily

lives. People like Wendy. 50 years ago she helped clear the roads and

pavements of Southsea. Lovely sunny days. There were icicles everywhere.

Christmas evening is always a big event and one of the most

significant events we went to this year was the opening of the new Mary

Rose Museum in Portsmouth. Thousands of artefacts and the ship itself

standing pride of place. This is an exciting bit of the Mary

Rose haven't seen before. She has always been shrouded in mist but

those great Ducksch pumping out air to drive her `` to dry her.

It makes you believe you are on the ship.

Seeing it. They are original items. Can see the whole length of the

ship. A boy is best friend and the story

of a special bond between them. These two have a magical connection.

They are inseparable. He changed my life.

Seven`year`old Owen has a rare disorder, it causes severe muscle

stiffness. The dog has three legs. He was tied to a railway track and

hit by a train. I was scared before but now I am

not. Christmas is a time for families and for brother and sister

Rose and John it will be special. They were separated 75 years ago,

they have not seen each other since but this year there was an emotional

reunion. When I made contact, it was a

voice, I did not know if it was real. My emotions...

Be calm. You are with your brother now. The photo album is at the

ready, lots of catching up to do and many new memories to be made.

This is the best view from up here. It is nothing compared to the view

Sarah had this year when she presented the weather on top of the

needle lighthouse. She has a head for heights. Such a privilege to be

here and when I was signed up for this, people said how you for

heights and I did not contemplate it until I came up the stairs.

And then you get a sense of where you are. The geography is incredible

but what a view. The weather presenters take on any

challenge. Alexis has been a jockey, the Wall of death and she has

tackled an assault course. There is nothing she won't do.

It was a fast and furious start and within seconds I saw my horses shoo

fly through the air. It has been the best experience

ever. Well done, she is back safe. That still raises the hairs on my

neck. I was so nervous for you. You were brilliant. It was an experience

and a half. Tomorrow night we will have big

sporting moments from the year. The weather was dreadful last night.

Guests of 94 miles an hour on the needles.

We have some pictures. Ray Passmore captured a fishing boat in Poole

Harbour at Dawn. Ian McLeod took this photo of a group of walkers at

Figsbury Ring near Salisbury. And Chris West captured a brave swimmer

or paddler at Worthing Pier. Through tonight, the wind will die

down but we expect some rain and it could be a wintry mix, sleet, hail,

maybe some snow on the Chilterns. It is unlikely to settle. Through the

night, the showers will disappear, temperatures taking a plunge. A big

risk of ice on untreated surfaces. A dry, sunny start tomorrow, the best

of the sunshine in the morning. If you stray showers in parts of

Wiltshire but a dry afternoon and dry day. Temperatures to rise

reaching eight and 11 Celsius. The rain works in tomorrow evening, it

could be heavy at times, there is a yellow weather warning for the rain.

We could see 20 millimetres in some places, quite heavy torrential rain,

localised flooding or stay tuned to local radio. The rain will linger

through tomorrow, quite heavy at times. The temperatures stay mild,

lows of ten and 11 Celsius. A wet start on Saturday and the rain isn't

going anywhere quickly. The wind stays brisk, we expect gusts into

Saturday on the south coast of up to 60 mph. So, a wet and windy day

tomorrow evening, tomorrow night into Saturday and through Saturday

rain eventually clearing in the south`east. A mainly dry day to

write, 12 showers, wet and windy on Saturday, a drier day with showers

on Sunday and very windy. Severe on Monday. That is all we have time

for. More at 10:25pm. Seeds arrive. Enjoy your evening. Good night. Good

night! Me and Alan don't always

play by the rules. I think perhaps we should

never mention it again.