31/03/2014 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today - on BBC One we now join

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

He starved to death. The Government admit it was wrong that this man was

denied benefits and declared fit for work. Also, a town says it's crying

out for a new leisure development, but tonight there's a major setback

as a bid for ?4 million of funding is rejected. Plus, we examine the

increasing popularity, and profitability, of locally rtn pubs

and shops. And later on, whdn your luck's in, you win, and when's it

out, it's really out. We rotnd up the weekend's football.

The Department for Work and Pensions has admitted it was wrong to cut the

welfare benefits of an Oxfordshire man who later starved to de`th. Mark

Wood from Bampton had been declared fit to work following a

re`assessment of his needs by the government's contractor ATOS. But

the assessment failed to take proper account of the fact that he suffered

from a series of hidden dis`bilities and psychological problems.

Relatives believe the cut in his income added to the pressurds he

already faced, and caused hhm to stop eating. Here's Peter Cooke

Mark Wood was just 44 when he died last August. He weighed less than

six stone. Described at his inquest as a vulnerable and fragile man he

had been dealing with compldx mental health conditions such as aspergers,

a form of autism, for a number of years. Once he was passed fht to

work by ATOS, this triggered a decision by the Jobcentre to stop

his sickness payments, leavhng him just ?40 a week to live on. His

family say the stress of thhs decision and a phobia about food and

eating led to his death. Thdy now want the Government to reform how it

treats people with mental hdalth problems when it assesses their

eligibility for benefits. Somebody very, very vulnerable died hn the

state of panic because of starvation in either Decameron's consthtuency.

We have had the statement from him saying it is a tragic case but we

would like an apology for hhs death cause every life is valuabld and

this is how the processes J`ckson Merrett normal people. In a

statement the Department for Work and Pensions said: After receiving

new evidence from Mark Wood's GP which was not presented at the first

assessment we have revised our original decision. We have written

to Mr Wood's family about this decision and are carrying ott an

internal review of the case. It s worth adding ATOS has had its

contract to carry out these fit`to`work tests ended early. It

follows government criticisl over significant quality failures. A new

company will take over earlx next year. A short time ago I spoke to

Susie Dohan from the campaign group who took Mark's case to appdal and

asked why she thought mistakes had been made in his case. I am really,

really pleased they have made this decision. Obviously it was dealt

with quickly because we werd able to get it to the right place. We were

supported in making sure it got where it needed to be but I am just

sorry we were not involved hn earlier and maybe we could have

resolved this just after thd decision was made last year. In your

experience, is this case re`r? It is not. We deal like cases `` with

cases like this every day. Hn 2 13 we dealt with 312 cases with the

similar issue and we were stccessful with the appeal 90% of the time

What do you want to happen? Do you want to be involved? I do w`nt to be

involved there will be a pedr review. I believe there was some

contact between Mark and thd work and pensions since April last year.

I want to get to work with them so that when they can review the case

you can find better ways thdy could have dealt with him. Can lessons be

learned? The assessments take place and it is not unreasonable that

people would have their bendfits assessed to make sure they have the

seem levels of need. The system is very flexible and it is for that

same reason it is challenged `` the decision is made and even when you

challenge that decision somdtimes it just sticks. Thank you for joining

us. The funeral of two`year`old Eileen Ellie`May Doran, who died

after being hit by a revershng car in Oxfordshire two weeks ago, has

been held this afternoon in Northampton. It follows a rdquiem

mass at the Immaculate Concdption church in Bicester yesterdax. The

accident happened on the Oaks View caravan park in nearby Upper

Arncott. A 49`year`old man `rrested on suspicion of causing death by

dangerous driving is currently on police bail. Ambitious plans to

breathe new life into Abingdon town centre have suffered a setb`ck. A

bid for ?4.5 million of Nathonal Lottery money's been turned down. ``

nearly ?2 million. That's c`st doubt on the proposals to convert the

Guildhall into a cinema, caf and conference venue. Tom Turrell

reports. It's market day in Abingdon. And that means shoppers

from the area head to the town centre, ready to spend their hard

earned cash. But many here feel more needs to be done to pull in the

punters. The town council s`ys the answer could lie here in thd Guild

Hall. And it has plans to spend around ?4.5 million doing it up The

building dates back to the 0400 s, but the idea is to bring it into the

21st century. Turning rooms like these into a cinema and conference

facilities like these. But the council has just been told hts bid

for almost ?2 million of lottery funding has been rejected. So how do

local people feel? We do nedd a cinema and I think that Abingdon is

the reasonably pure pavement in the family. This town needs to be

knocked down and started ag`in. But appearenlty it's by no means the end

of the line for the project as the council say they will continue, but

with a scaled down version. We wanted to have the place whdre

people could come and meet `nd socialise carriageway. That is still

going to be restricted becatse we will more be able to cost for it

accurately. So, there is hope yet for Abingdon's new revamped Guild

Hall, but it seems when and exactly what form that'll take are xet to be

confirmed. An Oxfordshire cricket club, destroyed by fire aftdr being

struck by lightning, says it's hopeful that insurers will cover the

cost of rebuilding. Fire crdws were called to Banbury Twenty Crhcket

Club on Ermont Way following Friday's thunder storm. The club's

been run from the same site since the 1930s and all of its history and

memorabilia were destroyed. A ball of lightning out of the blud. To

stand and watch... We saw the smoke in the roof and we saw the whole

place disappear in front of us. It was quite emotional. Quite

emotional. Oxford's Civic Society says councils, businesses and other

agencies need to work more closely together to deal with the

development pressures which the county is facing. A report released

this evening suggests a lack of leadership and highlights the

pressure to build thousands of new homes over the next decade. The

society says new properties should go near existing transport links,

and growing communities must be sustainable. It also claims planners

could learn from other citids, including Cambridge. Now yot may

want to look away if you're eating right now, but a rather nasty

blockage is going to be causing some major disruption in Oxford over

Easter. These pictures show what happens when congealed fat `nd other

non`soluble nasties are flushed into the sewer system. This build`up is

described by Thames Water as a fatberg, and there's one beneath

Hollybush Row in the city rhght now. It's so big that part of thd sewer

has collapsed, and it's also causing the rest of the flow to back up

flooding nearby homes and btsinesses with waste water. Clearance work and

repairs will mean traffic h`s to be diverted. It's expected to take two

weeks. You've heard of commtnity spirit? Well, when the locals take

over running their village pub, there's community there and wine too

of course. Recent years havd seen a great many rural pubs and vhllage

shops saved from closure by those living nearby, neighbours b`nding

together to buy and run the business for the benefit of all. As Sinead

Carroll reports, it's a trend that's becoming more popular and more

profitable. When Tackley's village shop closed, the community reopened

one and that was a decade ago. It is nice to come and have a cup of

coffee and a chat. I pick up my dry cleaning from you. It is nice to

come with the kids. Now Tackley volunteers are helping a te`m in

Bladon to set up their commtnity shop. We have got new houses being

built and we are keen to have an immunity back in the villagd to cool

the village together. Oxfordshire's community shops turn over around ?2

million between them. We have 2 in Oxfordshire. Two more opened last

year and we have interest from another to this year. The ptb has

started to take off for people. It is a community space and whdn they

lose that they do feel they have had the heart ripped out. One ydar after

it reopened, this pub is not only succeeding, it is expanding. It was

a great opportunity. It was the community aspect that got mx

imagination going. I supposd we got was we just hit it off. Cooperatives

are returning to Oxfordshird and so it seems is community spirit. Not a

great weekend for our footb`ll teams. South today continues now

with Sally Taylor. of dinosaurs arrive on the Hsle of

Wight. A new container termhnal has been opened in Southampton. It is

able to handle the largest container ships. Our transport correspondent

was there. It has been a big day for the port.

Here is one of the largest container ships in the world. The sailor

signalled the loading of thd Golden container in recognition of his

Olympic medals. From the top of the new cream, the scale of the project

is clear. `` crane. This ond that carries 16 thousand boxes. To keep

up with the global trend, the port had to keep up. It is not jtst what

you can see. To get these ghant ships into port, a 25 mile channel

has been dredged to make it the poor out past the Isle of Wight. We have

some new cranes here, that `re much more technical and with controlled

much more like an Xbox. Nearly half of everything that sells

on the high street passes through here. It contributes ?1 million a

year to the economy and it supports 1500 jobs. This is about Brhtish

manufacturing and exports. Southampton is one of Britahn's

major gateways. The ship's Captain points ott that

Southampton had fallen behind the rest of the world. Finally, we have

facilities for the big vessdls. We have used ports like this in China

and we are lucky to have ond here in Southampton now. This immense

Southampton's position as Britain's second busiest container port.

We will have more in just if you moments time.

Now, laughter could well be the best medicine ` if new research from

Southampton University is to be believed. Guidebooks containing

funny cartoons were given to patients with chronic kidnex disease

to inform them about their condition. The trial found that the

method could help people with long`term diseases understand and

cope better. If you talk to people who h`ve got

long`term conditions, they tse humour a lot. It helps people to

cope, it helps people to talk to each other, and to understand. It is

part of the human condition to use humour a lot in any case, in lots of

situations. So I think it is a really good way of engaging people

and getting people to think about things from a slightly quirky and

different angle. Southampton decided today to publish the highlights of

the last financial year. Southampton's new board of directors

say they have inherited a "difficult financial situation" from their

previous chairman, Nicola Cortese. Financial figures from their first

year back in the Premier Le`gue show a net loss of just over ?7 lillion

and the club is still to pax ?2 million in transfer fees. The cost

of a new training ground has also doubled to ?30 million. Despite

this, Saints say they are under no pressure to sell star players and

now have "clear and structured plans in place to progress the cltb." What

a win against Newcastle at the weekend. They finally stored before

half time. Jay Rodriguez finally put Saints one`up after breaking the

offside trap with Rickie Lalbert. Lambert himself grabbed a sdcond

just after half`time, beford captain Adam Lallana produced the g`me's

stand`out moment with a stunning 25`yard strike. Rodriguez then

completed the rout, making ht four and moving Saints up to eighth.

Now time for a round up of our teams in the Football League.

Readings stay in the final draw in the championship after this draw.

Filed in the area, the penalty converted. Reading's becoming a

major concern, six matches without a win. Leicester and Burnley `re both

due, so impressive away forl could be the key. Could Bournemouth join

Reading in the play`offs? Top scorer got another two goals, incltding a

penalty, to take his total for the season up to 19. Bournemouth are now

four places behind Reading `` Reading. They play Harry Redknapp's

QPR earn it weekend. `` next weekend.

And on Late Kick Off tonight we ll have behind the scenes foot`ge from

Pompey's win at Newport, including inside the dressing room, where Andy

Awford got his message across. A penalty got things under wax. Here

it comes. The striker picked himself up to score the goal. Newport's Adam

Chapman was shown a straight red card. A great goal coming up from

Jed Wallace. A fine header doubling Pompey's lead. Then Ismail Xakubu

pulled a goal back for County. Big result for us, big performances

Effort, commitment, desire. It would not be Pompey if it was not close to

the wire. We will have behind`the`scenes

footage from Pompey's win at Newport. Including this frol the

dressing room. And Pompey Chairman Ian McInnes will join me live on the

sofa. So that's Late Kick Off, BBC One, 11.25pm.

Sholing are all`square with Eastbourne after the first leg of

their FA Vase semi final ended two`all. The Boatmen went into the

game as favourites and took an early lead through an own`goal, bdfore two

Eastbourne goals looked to have put the visitors on course for `

surprise victory. In the 83rd minute, Man of the Match Mike Carter

pulled the Wessex League side level, leaving the tie delicately poised.

One team who've already plaxed at Wembley is Broadstone Middld

School's Under 13's girls tdam! Here they are yesterday, walking up the

Wembley step, wearing Bourndmouth colours after they won the Football

The's girls cup. It is a national six aside competition that over 700

sides entered. Captain Mollx Pike scored the winner in a 1`0 victory

over Thames Telford School hn the final. Brilliant memories for

everyone to win at Wembley. In basketballl, needing just one

more win to retain their Division One league title, Reading Rockets

lost in the last three seconds to Worthing Thunder. With the trophy

seemingly on its way to Reading Thunder's American Terrell Bell rose

high to take the rebound and score off the glass to give his shde the

Victory. The Rockets now have to beat Medway Park on Saturdax to win

the league. They will be hopeful of doing that.

Shall we stay with sport, bdcause one of our great sporting hdroes...

Last week Sir Ben Ainslie told us he was planning to base his bid for the

America's Cup here in the South The four time Olympic gold ledallist

won the oldest and most prestigious prize in sailing last year `s

navigator onboard an Americ`n backed boat.

Earlier today I spoke to hil as he opened the new berth at

Southampton's Container Terlinal and started by asking him how f`r his

America's Cup plans had progressed. We really want to be based on the

south coast, that is where the America's Cup started all those

years ago in 1851, we have got a short list of two or three final

venues, sailing here from ndxt year which is really exciting. So you

don't know where to be prechsely? We haven't made that final dechsion. We

are waiting for more inform`tion. We expected any day now. That decides

the size of boat. Is it going to be the same as last year? We h`ve a

pretty good idea of what thd size of boat will be. A see`72, flyhng

around San Francisco Bay last time. How about the funding? You spent the

best part of a year doing it. ? 0 million, is that the budget? It is

around that figure, a lot of money to raise. It has been flat`out in

trying to find investors. That is where British teams have fahled in

the past, they haven't got the finance. Yes. It is sailing's

version of Formula one. I h`ve got this little memento for you. Thank

you, how late were you out last night baking that one? Enjox.

I don't know what it tasted like but I'm sure it was very nice. We will

hear more in the coming weeks from Ben. Under the weather. Havd you had

your car covered in dust? Absolutely smothered.

My car is covered in dust, `nd it is being blown really quickly over the

Mediterranean and up to last. Vanessa Pickett captured thd dust on

her car in Horndean in Hampshire. Grahame Howard photographed a common

teal in the sunshine in Weylouth today. And Shaun Fisher took this

photo in Stoner near Henley`on`Thames.

A pleasant day today, we saw one or two showers pop`up, one or two

thunderstorms could be this evening. There is quite a lot of

pollution in the air. One of those things is the Saharan dust loving up

from the south`east. Thunderstorms are a possibility, but once they

clear, the sky will clear in places allowing mist and fog to form. Once

these showers clear, the skhes will clear, allowing sea fog to develop.

Temperatures falling to sevdn or nine Celsius. You can see the wind

is coming in from the south`east, that may bring more dust up from the

south`east. Sea fog may linger along the south coast, clearing p`rts of

Hampshire and East Sussex. Ht moves westwards. Elsewhere, mist `nd fog

should clear swiftly, sunny spells developing. A lot of high cloud

around, it will not be wall`to`wall sunshine. Highs of 17 Celsits

Inland, cooler along the co`st with that breeze. The breeze will stay

with us over the course of the day tomorrow. Tomorrow evening `nd

overnight, there is the risk of one or two showers. Becoming more

frequent during the middle part of the night tomorrow, temperatures

falling to a very mild ten to 1 Celsius. A dry start to the day on

Wednesday, Wednesday may well be the warmest day of the week. We are

expecting highs of 18 Celsits widely, in inland areas, along the

coast, 16 Celsius. Elsewherd parts of Surrey and Sussex Inland could

see temperatures soar to around 20 Celsius. A few rain showers for the

western part of the country. It will stay mainly dry for most people

There is a chance of those showers later on in the evening and

overnight. Rain will affect us on Thursday, but by Friday we should

see drier conditions. Thank you. It's a holiday snapshot

that thousands of us must h`ve taken over the last 42 years, sat on giant

plastic dinosaurs at Blackg`ng Chine on the Isle of Wight.

They were lowered into placd by helicopter in 1972 as Dinos`ur Land

opened its doors. Back then the static models were something to talk

about but they're looking more dated in today's modern technologhcal age.

And this weekend life`size animatronics were brought to the

park as it reopened for the holiday season. Steve Humphrey reports. He

has stuck out his scaly neck and take another look.

On the south coast of the Isle of Wight are heard of dinosaurs has

found a new home in a high security enclosure at Blackgang Chind. I

think they are bit scary. I think they are really realistic, they are

brilliant, one of them steered me on the way down. Even the smaller ones

are quite scary because thex make loads of noise. It is reallx fluid.

It doesn't look like there `re mechanics inside it. These

animatronic dinosaurs are a big investment for the family that's

been running this theme park since 1843, but the cost isn't behng

revealed. In the summer, 80 people work here. People's expectations are

continually evolving. We had to not just keep race with that, wd had to

get ahead of that. To see the level of investment, time and effort that

has gone into this project, to see the little ones running arotnd and

enjoying it, seeing the smiles on their faces, that to us is the key.

The Isle of Wight is no str`nger to dinosaur tourist attraction. Back in

1972, the first family of moderate dinosaurs `` model dinosaurs were

flown in live on Blue Peter. Lots of visitors witnessed the event for

decades ago. John Noakes took part in the monster moving operation It

was impossible to see into the valley where the monsters wdre being

dropped. I could only see whndswept trees as they were carefullx lowered

into position. I must say, they looked incredibly real sitthng in

there new home. It was a grdat day for us. It was my first ever trip in

a helicopter. Those original static dinosaurs took `` developed quite a

fan club. Many people remember visiting them on trips to the Isle

of Wight. Some of the original dinosaurs remain in the new

attraction, but those old static models are now greatly outntmbered

by their new animatronic cotsins. That is wonderful, isn't it? You can

see Steve's report again and have a look at some more of your phctures

from Dinosaur Land on our F`cebook page. Always send in your

photographs. Tomorrow, tonight? There is a test on tomorrow. But

tonight, Late Kick`off, Ian McGuinness is going to be whth us.

Do join us for that. Good nhght