29/04/2014 BBC Oxford News

at night. There is frost on the way. Thank you very much. Goodbye from

me. And on BBC Good evening. First tonight, a

Wiltshire police officer who fired a 50,000`volt taser into the chest of

a naked suspect in a cell, has been found not guilty of assault and

misconduct in a public place. PC Lee Birch always denied responding

angrily to the violent behaviour of his prisoner, Daniel Dove. Our Home

Affairs Correspondent, Steve Brodie, reports. PC Lee Birch left court

after the jury recorded is not guilty verdict in just 60 minutes.

They reached the decision after watching CCTV of the officer firing

the electronic stun gun into the chest of Daniel Dove. The jury

watched CCTV which showed Daniel Dove been told to strip was up when

he reached his boxer shorts and took them off and flip them at Lee Birch.

The pleas of seven produced the Taser stun gun which he had been

hiding behind his back, and shot Daniel Dove in the chest, who then

collapse, naked, onto the floor of the cell, after being hit by 50,000

balls. `` thoughts. `` volts. At the last minute, the Wiltshire Chief

Constable appealed to stop the release of the CCTV footage. It is

immensely disappointing that the Crown Prosecution Service elected to

withdraw the prosecution against Daniel Dove on the basis that Lee

Birch's credibility was now being questioned. The jury have had ample

opportunity to carry out an assessment of the credibility of Lee

Birch and their view was plain to see. For Lee Birch it follows and is

probably change of mind from the Crown Prosecution Service. Daniel

Dove was arrested by PC Lee Burch, and charged with being drunk and

disorderly. By March 2013, Daniel Dove was due to stand trial, then he

issues a private prosecution against Lee Birch for assault. In July, the

CPS dropped the case against Daniel Dove, claiming that the credibility

of Lee Birch as a witness had been called into question. The CPS takes

over the private prosecution and DC Burch was charged. `` PC Birch.

Daniel Dove was booked into the custody suite at Melksham police

station. It feels like if you touch an electric fence, like that, but a

lot stronger. It just grabs hold of you. Wiltshire police will review

their policy on Taser 's. We have subsequently rewritten the policy on

Taser 's, and change the selection of officers trained to use Tasers.

Lee Birch must now await the outcome of an investigation by the IPCC,

although he can return to work. A 22`year`old man from Abingdon has

been jailed for three years for sexual activity with a 14`year`old

girl. Owen Froude was arrested in January last year. In March he

pleaded guilty to inciting a child to be involved in pornography and

sexual activity with a child. He's also been placed on the sex

offenders' register indefinitely. The Swindon Town footballer Nile

Ranger has appeared before magistrates where he pleaded not

guilty to a charge of criminal damage. He will stand trial next

month, accused of causing ?2,000 worth of damage. Wiltshire Police

say he's not been charged with criminal assault as no formal

complaint has been received. Our reporter Ali Vowles was in court.

The Swindon striker has been held in custody since his arrest yesterday

and this morning he appeared before magistrates. Wearing a grey

tracksuit, Nile Ranger gave his name, age and address and pleaded

not guilty to the charge of criminal damage. Before settting bail

conditions, the court heard he has to attend three different court

appearances in Liverpool, Gwent and Newcastle in May and June for

various charges of drink driving and criminal damage. The Swindon Town

star left court with bail conditions stating that he appears at Swindon's

Gable Cross police station every Tuesday and Friday until his trial

back here in the Magistrates' Court on July 17th. The former Premiership

player moved in to a penthouse flat in this apartment block in the

centre of Swindon. Police initially said they wanted to talk to Mr

Ranger about criminal damage and assault, but today the force said

that it had received no formal complaint about the assault ` and no

further action would be taken. The six feet two inch striker moved to

the town after signing up with Swindon last year. He's not played

for the club since the middle of February due to a hamstring injury.

Mr Ranger didn't say much to the press today ` but when I asked him

if he would be attending Swindon Town's disciplinary hearing on

Thursday he said "he knew nothing about it ` he'd been in a cell and

his battery was dead." In a statement the Club says its provided

Nile with reasonable notice of this disciplinary meeting to allow him

the opportunity to state his case. Thames Valley Police says crime in

the Oxfordshire countryside went down last year but farmers have been

warned to be on their guard. The Police And Crime Commissioner

Anthony Stansfeld says stopping crime in rural areas is still a

priority. Jeremy Stern joined officers on their night patrol.

There's been some suspicious activity in Hook Norton. You could

pay some attention to that while you're out on patrol. Night patrol

in North Oxfordshire. Police say being seen out and about is helping

to cut crime rates in the countryside. We know the area quite

well, so we know that we are used to seeing and we know who would

normally be around so we are looking for anyone out of the ordinary.

Catching criminals is rarely easy but in the countryside there are

different challenges. You do not have as many witnesses as in an

urban area, and no CCTV to fall back on, so what we have been doing is

strengthening communication links with the rule community, farmers and

gamekeepers, dog walkers that know the area well. ?5 million worth of

equipment is stolen in rural parts of the South East every year.

Tractors and heavy machinery are targeted, as well as metal. Bikes,

horse tack and tools are also at risk. It is a large area.

Communities can feel isolated. We need to keep that reassurance of

visible patrols and crime reduction work ongoing to reduce the fear of

crime. Police are encouraging those who live in the countryside to

increase security and mark all of their women. The Transport Secretary

says he's confident building work will start on the HS2 rail line by

2017. It follows last night's House of Commons approval of the plans. 35

Conservative Mps voted against the scheme including Buckinghamshire MPs

Cheryl Gillan and Steve Baker and Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton`Brown.

Banbury's Tony Baldry abstained. I understand the concerns of

honourable members whose constituents are affected by the

route. I know that this is a decision be cannot duck, we have

waited long enough. The West Coast mainline can take no more. Work's

started to reduce congestion at the M40/ A34 junction near Bicester.

Three years ago the A34 southbound junction was revamped. Now the

carriageways are being widened to avoid rush hour jams on the

northbound approach. New technology will also be used to help traffic

flow more easily. Thousands of commuters from the region faced

difficult journeys to work in London as the Tube strike brought parts of

the network to a standstill. RMT union members have walked out

because of plans to close ticket offices. London Underground claims

more staff turned up for work than during the last strike but the RMT

says industrial action is "solidly supported". Here's Nick Beake. Rush

hour this morning, but these passengers were going nowhere fast.

This was Earl's Court in West London. Further east, down the

tracks at Liverpool Street, more crowds and Jews. `` queues. It has

just been chaos. I have been stuck. It is a long walk. The circle and

Waterloo City lines have been closed altogether, are the lines

have been running but the big restrictions. The RMT Lanes support

amongst Tube staff was solid. They cannot accept the closure of every

single London transport ticket office and we are determined to

stick this out until the end. London Underground claimed that most ``

more staff came to work there during the last strike in February and that

a record number of buses had apparently been brought out, there

were more boat services, too, if that was an option. Unlike previous

strikes, the RMT is the only union taking action, so is there a danger

that they will lose the support of the public critic Mark I support

them. Of course it makes travel difficult but that is the point.

Working from home might have been more popular option and more people

might have taken to two wheels to try and navigate what is a better

political row. That's all from us for the moment. We'll have the

headlines at eight and a full bulletin at 10.25. Now let's join

Sally Taylor for more of today's stories.

to abolish the service in 2017. Currently, the plan is to have fewer

bases and replace the helicopter with a modern one. South Dorset MP

Richard Drax is concerned about the decision. Still to come in this

evening's South Today. Happy Hocktide! The unusual ancient

tradition that involves Tuttis and orange men. John Moreland and Chris

Jarvis were knocked off their bikes in Purley on Thames in February.

This man was sentenced to ten years. His sentence was reduced. John's

fiance hopes to launch a review after meeting police liaison

representatives. We will do the whole thing again. He has had a

criminal life from 17. He still hasn't changed. We want to repeal it

to a higher sentence. Ten years is nothing for two people. Salisbury,

Portsmouth and Chichester have all got them and could Worthing be next?

I'm talking about 20mph speed limits which it's claimed can cut accidents

and reduce pollution. Pedestrians are seven times more likely to be

fatally injured if hit by a car doing 30 compared to 20mph. A

Government study found accidents dropped by around a fifth after

Portsmouth lowered its speed limit. The road safety charity Brake says

eight out of ten people now think 20 should be the default speed limit

around schools, residential areas and town centres. The issue is

proving contentious in Worthing where an opposition group called "20

Is Pointless" has been formed. Let's join Sean Killick live in Worthing.

30 mph. If that changes, they will be reduced 20 mph in term `` in

common with other residential areas. The main roads would not be

affected, but it has divided opinion. There is a campaign on

either side. First of all, why do you want this change? Ella macro

sadly, we have the highest numbers of injuries to pedestrians and

cyclists of anyone in West Sussex. Since we started the campaign, we

have also found that people have contacted us and said that they are

Now it is time for the sport. Former streets. We

Now it is time for the sport. Former Southampton midfielder Matthew

Oakley fears Mauricio Pochettino could decide to leave this summer if

a top`six club comes calling The Argentinian still has a year left on

his contract at St Mary's but has been linked with a move to Tottenham

and has brushed aside talk over his future for now. Pochetinno's been a

revelation at the club but on last night's Late Kick Off, Oakley

admitted it would be tough for him to turn a club like Spurs down. He

has done a fantastic job, and he is in demand. Southampton fans will be

not looking for him to leave, but when a tight `` when a team like

Tottenham come calling, if offered the job, he would take it. Aldershot

Town will be playing on one of the best pitches in the country next

season The Conference side who came out of administration last year will

be gifted Chelsea's Stamford Bridge pitch for free. It'll start to be

laid next month when Chelsea's current season ends. The Premier

League giants already pay reserve games at the Recreation Ground. This

summer will see the first staging of the Invictus Games. It's a

Paralympic`style event in London for injured servicemen and women. 100

members of the team will be selected and today Prince Harry was in

Wiltshire building his British team. He was visiting a Help for Heroes

centre in Tidworth and our reporter Fiona Lamdin was there. Reunited

with his fellow servicemen. Prince Harry knows that everyone here has a

story to tell. Jamie jumped from a burning plane. Others here were

caught in sniper attacks in Iraq, or lost legs to bombs in Afghanistan. A

gym full of inspiring stories. United by their dream to take part

in the Invictus games, the first for wounded soldiers. Over 200 wounded

British personnel have applied to take part in the games next

September. Today, Prince Harry is here to kick off its selection

process. Training hard next door, despite the circular ball, this is

wheelchair rugby. This is one of eight sports at the summer games.

They all come from a physically active background, and through

sport, what you can do is connect them with who they are again and

express themselves physically. They understand more about what

opportunities still exist and what they can do rather than what they

can't do. This road cycling team are testament to that. Despite losing

alung after an explosion in Afghanistan, Steve is about to set

off on a 20 mile cycle. I spent three weeks in a coma, two nights in

hospital, and nearly three years in rehabilitation. It is a long road,

and I am able to exercise again. I used to race competitively at

cycling, and it is great to possibly complete again. In 2007, I was shot

in the spine by a sniper in Iraq. We are all injured servicemen, and we

strive to be the best. We want to be the best. This is just another way

of showing that we have put in the work and you can see what you get

out of it, hopefully a gold medal. These games will give soldiers from

13 countries who fought together a chance to compete together. The

Sussex batsman Luke Wells carried his bat today as wickets fell all

around him at Hove. Wells scored 79 not out from a Sussex total of 142

in reply to Somerset's first innings 372. Sussex are heading for defeat.

They are currently 156`6. Meanwhile rain washed out day three of

Hampshire's game against Surrey. Reading and Brighton fans will cast

an eye over the result of the Birmingham Wigan fixture tonight in

the championship. A win for Wigan will mean Brighton and Reading are

battling it out for one place in the top six this weekend. It was started

in the 14th century by the Duke of Lancaster and seemed to be a jolly

good excuse for some light debauchery and a good drink. It

still goes on in the town of Hungerford today but is slightly

more tame. The tradition of Hocktide on the second Tuesday after Easter

includes tuttimen, wenches and lots of oranges. Caroline Richardson

explains. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The son of King Edward

III. It all started soberly enough. A tradition where the town's

commoners are called to court. Those who don't show up are rounded up by

the tutti men. Here they are with their tutti poles. More of them

later. They are forced to pay a penny fine. The commoners' wives pay

with the case. That is where it starts to unravel. Good morning,

madam. Over the centuries, there seems to be more kisses and fewer

fines. The tutti wenches help the tutti men, and anyone could find

themselves in an embrace. The procession is led by the orange man.

He hands out oranges to the commoners' wives. I take them round

to the other houses. We are giving out oranges. Why oranges? Well, this

has been happening here. It is always happened. Rumour has it that

every place you stop after they have a drink. They have a coffee,

whiskey, Sherry. Oh yea, all you people. Today's Hocktide is an equal

opportunities affair. The tutti men are women. That does not stop them

demanding a kiss. That is Eileen's husband. We are female tutti men. We

are called tarty ladies. We go round the houses, providing an

orange. Anyone who is trying to escape, they can through windows.

The tutti polls from medieval times. This was made to make life

pleasanter for us. It is a tough job. All that drinking and bonhomie.

This is a wine they have in Bordeaux for lunch. As they go, tankards in

hand, it is maybe a little bit clearer how it has evolved over the

centuries. That is an old tradition and one I

have never heard of! Any excuse for a drink! We have had a lot of

lightning through Hampshire and Dorset. Lots of lightning strikes in

different places. We've had some lovely sunsets recently, here is one

from last night taken by Andy Lions at the Lifeboat Station in Swanage.

Geoff Linton took this photo of an iris in the rain in Sturminster

Marshall. And Phil Little took this picture of the ominous clouds in

Farnborough this afternoon. We are expecting a number of storms this

evening. We will have some mist and fog patches. Very similar to last

night. The showers will disappear and with the light winds, the chance

of mist and fog tomorrow. Temperatures falling to seven to

nine Celsius. Tomorrow is a decent day. One the mist and fog lifts, the

sunshine will break through. Not wall`to`wall son. The odd stray

shower, and temperatures will reach six he `` 16. Pleasantly warm in the

sunshine with the light southerly winds. Tomorrow, all change. It will

be fragmented and on and off. Temperatures down to nine to 10

Celsius. Yet again, eight Frost free night with mild temperatures. A wet

start for some on Sunday. `` Thursday. A weather front sinks its

way in. There will be rain at times on and off throughout the day. The

good news is, I pressure starts to build into Friday and into the bank

holiday weekend. As we look forward to the rest of the week, sunny

spells for the bank holiday weekend. It will be mainly dry, the odd

shower expected. Overnight frost. Gardeners beware! As we look ahead

to the rest of the week into the bank holiday weekend, it is going to

be a decent day. The odd stray shower with light winds. Rain and

off on Thursday. Quite an damp day, and a rumble of thunder. Thursday

and Friday starting to dry out. Friday and Saturday drying out,

turning a lot drier. We will be back here at half past six. In tomorrow

nights ` how an initiative to teach archery to blind and visually

impaired people in Bournemouth is hitting its mark. Thanks for

watching. Goodbye. We welcome immigration,

we want immigration. # Time for hope and action

to set our people free