13/02/2014 BBC Oxford News

Good evening. A letter bomb has been sent to the Army Careers Office in

Oxford. The suspect package was found this morning, leading to part

of the city centre being evacuated. Six similar packages have been sent

to other army centres, including one in Reading, in the last few days.

The Government says the devices bear the hallmarks of Northern Ireland

related terrorism. Adina Campbell has been following the story and

told me about the latest developments. We now know that seven

letter bombs, including the one found in Oxford, have been sent to

BBS army recruitment centre this week. Today about ten o'clock this

morning the ball became aware of something not quite right and

eventually police officers, fire officers and the bomb disposal unit

were called to the Army careers centre to carry out investigations.

The emergency services confirmed they were looking into a suspicious

parcel. Homes and businesses in the area where is actuated. We turned

the lights off and walk away from the scene. Whenever there is the

bomb skier you do fear for your life a little bit but I think he had it

all under control and it was OK in the end. `` bomb skier. Officials

have held the big meeting to discuss what happened. All of the packages

contain small but potentially expose of devices. They have said this

could be linked to Northern Ireland. Items have been sent off for tests

and military officers have been given more guidance on how to deal

with these threats in future. Next tonight: More bad news for First

Great Western passengers. Engineers are planning to close the line

between Reading and London Paddington so that flood damaged

signalling can be replaced. The work could take weeks and follows a

warning that it'll be two months before ground water levels recede.

Our Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton reports. The top speed

through the Thames Valley should look like this, 125 mph. Today the

speed limit is five miles per hour. One train in five is running. The

Environment Agency thinks it could be April before ground water

subsides entirely. We are working closely with network rail and the

Environment Agency to understand how quickly that water can get back down

to the water table. This weekend engineers will take out some signals

which should allowed two trains in five to get through by Monday. After

that they are considering closing one of Britain's busiest rail routes

to appear it. It is a massive task. Replacing damaged rails would

normally take months but they are considering putting hundreds of

people on the project to complete it within weeks. A passenger group

supports this plan. If they are told to weeks problems will be to ten

years of good work they will accept it. To take the 35,000 usual

passengers by bus you would need the fleet of 700 coaches. A sticking

plaster solution will not heal the problems. Over the next few days,

we've been told to expect the highest water levels on the Thames

in Oxfordshire since 1947. Peter Cooke's been finding out what impact

this year's flooding has had on two businesses. Just one Oxfordshire

business, their bill ?60,000. Gary Soame has run his company in Witney

for five years, today he was moving to new and higher premises. So, does

he feel supported? We have had some support, the business rates have

been frozen up to a PE dog six months which has helped. One of the

business develop council as has been to see us and helped relocate new

premises. Businesses are being given an extra three months to repay any

money they owe the taxman. It will be grants of up to ?5,000 to help

with future flood protection. Could they have done more? I do not think

we having gauged with people in the way we might. We have not supported

them in helping them build resilience within their communities

in the way we might. We must do better in the future. This football

club last month had its income wiped out by the water. And this is it

today. It is just one of dozens of his misses throughout our region

counting the cost of this unprecedented winter weather. The

say they will be feeling the effects for some time to come. A

multi`million pound centre dedicated to treating cancer patients could be

built at Milton Keynes Hospital. The unit would include a radiotherapy

area. The hospital's chief executive says the plan is in the early stages

but it would help patients who have to travel out of the area for

treatment. The Countess of Wessex has been in Oxford, visiting the

Oxford Food Bank to learn about the work it does. The charity is

celebrating its fifth birthday. Charlotte Stacey reports. Chatting

over a pack of potatoes, party time at the Oxford food bank means

celebrating all types of food, even when you have got the royal guest.

The Countess of Wessex joined volunteers for celebrations this

afternoon. The Oxford food bank is unique because it takes mainly fresh

food from suppliers who cannot sell it and gives it to people who cannot

afford it. There will always be wasting the food cycle, it is

criminal that goes into a hall in the ground when you see the quality

of what we get and you think what can be done with it. The food bank

deliver these are vital, not just for sustenance but for helping

people get better. If you have an illness, particularly mental health,

sitting down together to consider what they eat and cooking a meal is

very good for us. The Oxford food bank provides 8000 meals for people

each week. The say all that food is worth ?800,000 per year. So what did

the royal visitor make of it all? It is amazing to see you can do so much

with the fresh food which we sometimes think will be un`usable

after its sell by date. There are hopes the food bank model can be

enjoyed elsewhere. For the moment everybody is just enjoying the

party. By Mike wrote the weather is coming up soon, but from all of us

here, good night. The risk of ice on untreated surfaces. The odd stray

shower as well. We are expecting a band of rain to move into model.

Through the day tomorrow, and through the night into the early

hours of Saturday morning that dream could become heavy in places. Before

it clears most places during the afternoon when it will be followed

by showers. Temperatures up to around 11 Celcius. The link will be

an issue into the early hours of Saturday morning and

few days and now we go to the weather centre for the national

forecast from Nick Miller. Hello, in this winter of perpetual

autumn, it seems we're never more than a day away from a storm so we

must be due another one and as you've just heard, here it comes,

deepening in the Atlantic Trio heading for us. Overall for the UK,

we're not expecting this to be as severe as the storm yesterday that

there will be some significant impact, particularly where the Met

Office has weather warnings in force and that means more rain will serve

to heighten the floods. All the while, the wind is picking up,

reaching its peak tomorrow night in southern England. This is the rest

of tonight and where we've had showers, south-west England and

Northern Ireland and Scotland, as icy patches developing. Quite a cold

start but, for Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, a dry

start for most of us. Look at this - the rain from that area of low

pressure I showed you is already across much of southern England and

South Wales. These triangles are Met Office amber warning is for rain