18/02/2014 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's

programme... ?64 million of council cuts are

voted through in Oxfordshire. Council tax will rise by 2% ` the

maximum allowed without a referendum.

Also tonight, it's a condition that can cause pain and disability. One

in five children have flat feet ` now it's hoped technology will help

predict which of them will need surgery.

Training the teachers ` how instructors are learning new ways to

help young drivers stay safe on the roads. And later on, and the unusual

sight of a soggy moggy ` why a dip in the pool is good for this cat's

health. Good evening. ?64 million of new

cuts in Oxfordshire have been voted through today. The County Council

approved the proposals at their meeting at County Hall earlier. It's

announced that council tax is set to rise and there'll be less money for

housing support. Our political reporter, Helen Catt, is outside

county hall there and joins us now. Helen, was this a foregone

conclusion? Yes and no. These plans have been

worked on for many months. There have been public consultations,

there will be talks in oxygen. Other parties have had their opportunity

to chip in as well. In the end, it was a tight vote, just three votes

in it, 30 227. `` 30`27. What does this mean? The first place we will

notice it is in our council tax payments. It is going up by 1.99%.

It will be more money set aside for personal care visits. For example,

?800,000 will go into that to make sure they last at least 30 minutes

and not 15. There will be more money for flooding, ?400,000 in that. All

in all, there will be about six to ?4 million `` ?64 million in cuts. I

asked one counsellor what people would think of that. Governments of

all political persuasions have cut the budget coming forward. The

county council has been subsidising the city council and district

council for they as macro for the core funding. We have two prioritise

and that is what we have done today. There was also some vocal criticism

for central government for making the cuts to counsel's budgets that

they have to pass on. It was called a direct attack on local government.

Across the country, local government has been put in an untenable

position. They are determined that the deficit will be reduced by

sweating it out of local authorities. Of course, a lot of the

detail is still not known. It has been passed in principle. For

example, it needs to save ?3 million from children's centres. How that

will happen will be decided through a review which has not happened yet,

so we still don't know that the tail. Thank you. `` the detail.

A man's appeared before magistrates, charged with the murder of a teenage

boy in Oxford. 17`year`old Connor Tremble was stabbed in Fairacres

Road on Thursday night. He died in hospital on Saturday. 20`year`old

William Blencowe, from Banbury, is accused of killing him. He'll appear

at Oxford Crown Court tomorrow. Two Oxfordshire scrap metal dealers

who were found guilty of concealing, disguising or converting stolen

property have had their sentences overturned on appeal. Simon Rogers

and Martin Pace had received fines following an eight`week trial at

Oxford Crown Court but a judge has ruled the offences were

unsustainable in law. The pair worked at T R Rogers Sons in

Nuneham Courtenay. Three other employees ` Terence Rogers, Ian

Marshall and Darren Andrews ` were already acquitted of the same

charges. One in five children have flat feet.

For some, the condition will have little impact but for other children

it can lead to serious pain and disability. Now an Oxford researcher

is using motion technology to assess children and predict which may need

surgery. Sinead Carroll reports. Motion capture technology ` we're

used to seeing it used in films, commercials and video games but now

it's helping children with flat feet. We have special cameras which

pick up the positions of markers which we stick on the limbs of

children coming into the lab. We get them doing various things in front

of the camera and then we get an idea of how the child's is moving ``

how the child is moving. We also have special plates that measure the

pressure is and forces affecting their joints. A fifth of children

have flat feet. 11`year`old Hector is one of the more severe cases. It

has stop me playing with my friends. I cannot run that fast, so it is

difficult for me to join in. The pain is like a firework, it shoots

through my foot. The more I use my feet that day, the worse the pain

gets. 78 children have already taken part in this research at the Oxford

Centre for Enablement. It's funded by a charity called Action Medical

Research. A big leave because we have known all along that there was

something wrong. Jordan are genuinely in pain and complain about

it. They do not make it up, they are in pain. To be told a queue times

over the years that he would grow out of it or he was doing too much

or pretty much ignored, it is just such a relief. We now know he was

suffering, truly, and something is now being done. The project enables

children like Hector to get quick diagnosis and, hopefully, avoid

surgery. So now that Hector is getting the care he needs, what's

his aim? Running the marathon. The research will continue until next

year. More than ?40,000 has been paid out

to motorists in Oxfordshire for damage to their cars caused by

potholes in the past ten months. The road attracting the most claims was

the B4526 in Goring Heath, with seven in the past three months. The

same road also had the largest single claim, which was just under

?4,000. Plans for London Welsh Rugby team to

move to Witney have been approved. The club wants to relocate, in time

for next season, to the former ground of Witney Town Football Club.

They currently play at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. The plan was

submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council for approval. It

includes erecting a 10,000`seater stand at the ground. Now the club

has to go to the Professional Game Board for Rugby Union for final

approval. It is a major investment in the area. There is a lot of

confidence from the London Welsh. From our point of view, we look

forward to having elite rugby here. It will bring benefits to the

economy and tourism etc. Driving instructors in

Buckinghamshire have been taking part in a new training course aimed

at helping young people stay safe on the roads. They've been learning

about how to give feedback more effectively and different coaching

techniques. It's hoped that by improving teaching standards, more

17`to`24`year`olds will make better decisions while driving. Adina

Campbell has been to Aylesbury to find out more.

Hello, nice to meet you. I understand you will give me a few

tips. A lesson in safety. Ian Edwards

works for a company which runs driving awareness courses to

thousands of people each year. Today, he is in Aylesbury, it

encouraging instructors to think differently about the way they

teach. There has been a lot of research done over the last few

years in driver education that has really identified that

self`evaluation skills are a critical skill in the development of

young people and also in their development in driving, their

risk`taking profile. Road safety teams and councillors in

Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes are behind this new course,

particularly aimed at people under 25. The idea is to help reduce the

number of young drivers hand on our roads. They will be a time when you

are sitting in that driving seat alone, without any instructor beside

you and you need to take on board that he will be entirely responsible

for the safety of yourself and that vehicle. Latest Dublin figures show

that more than a fifth of deaths on UK roads in 2011 involved people

aged between 17 and 24. In Buckinghamshire alone, young drivers

make up more than a quarter of all people killed or seriously injured.

You must push your instructors are no that they are giving the best

destruction in possible `` the best instruction possible. That is the

only training you will get for the next 40 or 60 years. From April, all

driving instructors will be assessed about how they give lessons as part

of a standards check. Things like how well they give feedback and how

is they listen to the person they are teaching.

If you would like to get in touch with us here at Saturday to does a

story you think we should be covering, our address is on the

screen. That's all from me for the moment.

I'll have the headlines at 8pm and a full bulletin at 10:25pm. Now more

of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

bidding for the franchise is underway.

Still to come in this evening's South Today...

Doing the cat flap ` but it's all for the good of his health.

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to illegally

enter the UK after a lorry was pulled over on the A27 near

Chichester. The road, at Tangmere, was closed just before 1pm while

officers carried out a search of the Italian`registered lorry. Sussex

Police say the six people arrested are believed to be from Eritrea in

Africa. Many of our communities have felt the effects of the floods in

recent weeks, and it could be months before they start to see any

improvement. It's raised concerns about where we build new houses, and

what effect it has when we have such heavy rain. In one area in

Hampshire, a special drainage system appears to be improving things. A

housing development site in Waterlooville has installed SUDS, or

sustainable srainage systems, which slows the rate of water run`off into

our rivers and reduces flooding. Dani Sinha has been finding out

more. Laying the foundations for new homes

in Waterlooville, but what makes this housing development different

is the way it has been planned. Various drainage systems have been

laid and to prevent future flooding. This forethought consists of

hundreds of drainage ditches. Water runs up the road into gullies, it is

sent into the ground and any overflow is carried away in types.

Storage ponds and a dry basin also collect the water. It is certainly

part of the solution. There is no doubt at all that putting

sustainable drainage in new developments will hold back the

water, reduce the risk of flooding downstream, and we need to see more

of it to combat the things we have seen over the last couple of months.

This area is one that is prone to flooding. When there has been heavy

rainfall, it spills out onto the road. This is where two streams

meet. Now, despite the fact we have seen the worst rainfall here for 250

years, this land has seen an improvement when it comes to

flooding. We do not think you have had the floods here, or any more

frequently than we have had in the last 40 years. So, I am assuming

that the work they are doing at Waterlooville is making some

difference. Similar drainage systems may be made compulsory in the

future, but some developers may be opposed to it, due to the expense

and the need for open spaces. One of the key routes through Romsey

badly affected by flooding has been partially reopened today. The

entrance to Budds Lane and the nearby industrial park is now

passable with care. Two concrete bollards have been inserted into the

remaining floodwater to reduce the speed of traffic, and will allow one

vehicle to pass at a time. Greatbridge Road, south of the

railway bridge, remains closed. For the first time in Bournemouth

Air Festival history, it's been confirmed, the Red Arrows will be

performing on all four days. As part of its 50th anniversary display

season, the Diamond Nine's schedule will see the Hawk jets take to the

skies on each day of the show, which is being held over the last four

days of August. Today, the team also unveiled a new Union Flag tail fin

to mark its anniversary. That coming up in August, we look

forward to it. A parenting charity is campaigning

for a simple procedure, that is available in Southampton, to be

available across the country. Babies born with the condition tongue tie

can have problems with breast`feeding. The birth defect

means the tongue is connected too tightly to the bottom of the mouth

and can be easily treated. Jane Dreaper reports.

Baby Reuben is two and a half months old. His mother is breast`feeding

him, but it has been difficult. Reuben's tongue cannot move easily

and this affects his feeding. But unlike what happens when you feed

him? He gets tired halfway through. There local hospital in Southampton

as a clinic which specialises in treating the condition. Baby Reuben

is about to have his tongue tie divided. It is a very simple

procedure, which takes less than a minute. A small cat has been made

many his tongue. `` cart. Reuben is on his way back to his mother. If

you have a baby who is struggling to feed, causing pain to the mother,

you can come in, we can divide the tongue tie, put him on the rest and

have him feed painlessly, it is very dumb `` dramatic and works very

well. But a parenting charity says services for dealing with the

condition are too patchy. Some mothers pay for private treatment or

abandon breast`feeding. The charity's helpline is contacted by

distressed families. They are desperate, and in tears usually, not

only the mother, but the baby. She is in tears because she cannot help

her baby, cannot make baby quiet and happy. Because the baby is hungry

and they cannot tell you they are hungry any other way than by crying.

Back in Southampton, Reuben is feeding well. How is it different?

It does not feel like he is chomping any more. Not all babies with the

condition will need the surgery he has had, but if breast`feeding is a

problem, it can make a big difference.

Onto the sports news now. I see your shoes are still wet! It is very wet.

In a moment, we will talk about a new young ice skater, who seems to

have got a great future ahead of her.

Some tremendous pictures as well. We will get a chance to look at

Torvill and Dean as well. But I was very wet last night, very

waterlogged pitch. The all`Hampshire FA Trophy semifinal tie is evenly

poised going into Saturday's deciding leg. Gosport Borough took

the lead on a heavy pitch at Havant and Waterlooville last night through

Tim Sills. The advantage was only brief as Nic Ciardini equalised for

the home side. The return match is this Saturday, with the winners

going to Wembley for the final in March.

Swindon Town have missed out on going to Wembley next month. They

lost their Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area Final on penalties against

Peterborough. They led 1`0 in the first half with a goal from Alex

Pritchard. It was 2`2 on aggregate going into this one. But

Peterborough equalised late on to take the tie to a penalty shoot`out.

And when Swindon missed their fifth spot`kick, Peterborough booked their

place in the Wembley final. There are two league matches for

teams in the north of the region tonight. League Two promotion

hopefuls Oxford are at Newport. There are hoping to continue the

momentum. In League One, MK Dons are home to Preston. Both games are live

on BBC local radio. The goal is for you tomorrow, here on BBC South.

A teenage athlete from Berkshire will make her Great Britain senior

debut at next month's World Indoor Championships in Poland. I will tell

you about it in a moment. This is the athletics. 19`year`old sprinter

Sophie Papps, who comes from Bracknell, has been named in the

British team for the Women's 60 metres. At the weekend she produced

a personal best in finishing just behind world and Olympic Champion

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce in a heat at the Grand Prix event in Birmingham.

Fareham's Andy Vernon will compete in the 3,000 metres at the event in

Sopot, which gets underway on March seventh.

I was getting ahead of myself. Let no talk about the ice`skating. It's

seen by many as the pinnacle of sporting perfection ` Torvill and

Dean's Bolero. `` let's now talk. It was the the gold standard of ice

skating that won the duo a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. 24

million people tuned in to see it on the BBC. Now, 30 years to the day

after they stepped out onto that Sarajevo ice, the pair have returned

to the city, to recreate the iconic routine. And travelling with them

was a young skater from Basingstoke who already has her Blades firmly

locked into the line of success. Rob Powell has the story.

Valentines night, 1984. Torvill and Dean's heart`melting Bolero. 30

years on from that gold medal winning performance, and Torville

and Dean are back on the ice in Sarajevo. This time, they're not

alone. We have brought some of our junior team, we wanted to inspire

them as well and give them a taste of our history. And totally, we will

spur them on into future hopeful successes in ice`skating. And one

those hopefuls is 14`year`old Danielle Harrison, the British

junior number one, who's travelled from her home in Basingstoke to

perform in Sarajevo alongside two of her inspirations. Watching them do

that the label is so good. It is a privilege to be here and see them,

and meet them. It is amazing. Back on the ice in Basingstoke, and Dani

is at an early morning coaching session. She trains six times a week

before going to school. You just do it when you love something so much,

sport, you get up and do it. Even if you don't feel like doing it that

day. It is one of those sports you never master. You come into the

rink, you want to go forward. I want to turn from four works to

backwards. But then you find yourself hooked because the result

is something to learn. Mutter back Dani started skating when she was

six as something to do on a Saturday morning at the nearby rink. Now, she

competes around the country ` tournaments that often prove too

much for her mum. For now, Dani has both feet on the ground. Thankfully

she does not get nervous, she just enjoys it. You think, , just one

more turn, London one third. `` land on one foot. In four years' time,

she could well be in the Winter Olympic Squad. Dizzying heights,

indeed. That is wonderful, I felt quite

dizzy! Talking about the work she has put

in. She gets up at six in the morning. They say if you do not put

the work in... The talent is there, but you have to

put in the training. With luck to her. `` good luck.

We all know cats hate water. But the Verwood Canine Hydrotherapy Centre,

in Wimborne in Dorset, has other ideas. It's taken the unusual step

of putting one elderly feline in a pool to ease pain in his joints, a

treatment that's normally for dogs. Katy Austin reports.

This is Morph, a 14`year`old Devon Rex Cat. You would not normally put

the cat in the water. He's receiving hydrotherapy to help his arthiritis.

He has one session a week, doing circuits of the pool in a sort of

doggy paddle stroke. Hydrotherapy is normally just for dogs, it's rare to

treat a cat. When he first started the treatment, Morph wasn't very

keen. CAT MEOWS.

But now he's got used to it, he's soaking up the health benefits. The

hydrostatic pressure helps. It helps to ease the joint, helps the blood

flow and the circulation. It reduces swelling. And it is doing exercise.

It is good for muscles and fitness and weight control. The hydrotherapy

school here is also one of just a handful in the country to offer

training courses to other vets and their assistants in how to treat

animals with water. Morph's teatment has gone so well, the surgery could

offer it to more cats, if they're calm enough to cope with the water.

That is not a happy cat! Is it? But it is getting better.

Right, we're going to get onto the weather now. We have something to

show you. Really heavy rain today, and some

thunderstorms, this funnel cloud. Coming down from the sky. Once it

hits the ground, it develops into a tornado, but this one is a funnel

cloud. It was sent in by Kevin O'Donnell this afternoon. It is

quite an interesting development. Does it actually touch the ground?

No, it doesn't. It is a tornado. This is a funnel cloud.

Are you sure? Nick Morgan took this photo of Witch

hazel at Winkworth Arboretum near Godalming.

Ginny Boxall captured the floodwater at Chawton Church in Hampshire.

And John Torres took this photo of Harry Old Rocks in the sunshine from

Branksome. So, quite a few blustery showers

with Hill and under today. This week, some showers developing as

well, they could be on the heavy side. Very windy from tomorrow

night. We're looking at Gales Micki return. And it will be generally

frost free this week. `` dales making a return. The showers will

gradually ease during the first part of the night and we will see some

mist and fog patches develop. With those mist and fog patches, it could

become quite dense in a few places, more likely for the hills and to

river valleys. Temperatures down to around 47 Celsius. The wind

increasing in speed through the night, so tomorrow morning, the

showers will continue. Gradually easing through the middle of the day

before another band of rain arrives tomorrow evening. There will be some

sunshine to be had tomorrow, to bridge is a few degrees above the

seasonal average, reaching ten to 11. The wind a fairly light until

tomorrow evening. Then we will see up batch of rain moving. That is the

one which could give us half an inch of rain fall through tomorrow

evening and through the day on Thursday. Temperatures tomorrow

night staying fairly mild, lows of seven to nine Celsius. Rain to start

the day on Thursday, that will clear rapidly with a brisk south`westerly.

To follow that, we will see gusts of perhaps 40 to 50 mph along the South

coast. Inland, showers, still gusty conditions with the showers, perhaps

some hail and thunder. Let's have a look at the Outlook. Some showers

tomorrow, during the middle part of the day becoming drier and brighter.

Through the evening, that is when we will see the rain arriving into

parts of Dorset, that is when the wind will increase to gale force,

tomorrow night into Thursday morning. The rain stays with us

first thing on Thursday, gradually clearing East. That will be followed

by last three showers. Friday, sunshine and blustery showers, still

fairly windy. Once again, a similar story on Saturday. Looking ahead to

Sunday, the rain returns, as does the strong winds.

Tomorrow we'll be with a 91`year`old former pilot as she is reunited with

the type of glider she flew in the run`up to D`day, 70 years ago. Look

forward to that. More news at ten `` 1025. Goodbye for now.