08/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

combat for the first time. That's all from the BBC News.

Hello and welcome from Oxford. Job fears. Worries start at the

Kenco coffee factory as the company emerges it is merging its business

with another firm. Also, the floats Minister visits

Oxford as he takes a look at the way the western convergence project

called `` could work. And MPs and other experts hold a

conference in Oxford to discuss human trafficking.

And the surprise found in a schoolteacher's draw is now being

kept as a pet. Good evening. There are worries

hundreds of jobs could be under threat in Banbury at one of the

town's biggest employers. The UNITE union says staff at the Kenco coffee

factory, which employs around 600 people, could be at risk of

unemployment. The company that owns the coffee firm has confirmed it's

merging with another business. The factory's been in Banbury for 50

years ` it now produces 100 million jars of coffee every year. Tom

Turrell has this report. Behind those factory gates, almost

600 people help produce coffee for household names like Kenco. But

staff at this and refractory `` Bunbury factory are being told about

a planned merger that will see their coffee making merge with a rival

firm, TE masterplan debts. `` master lenders. It will be anxious because

we have people who have worked here for about 40 years with good pay and

conditions. People are always worried about

losing their job but it might not come to that.

The union which represents the majority of staff here say they also

have their reservations. This plant has been here for 50 years. It is

the main employer so any loss of jobs or attacks on terms and

conditions will be massive. After speaking with the company, the

town's MP has more faith that lending the two coffee firms will

work out for the best. Each successive owner has invested

more money in plant. It is a huge plant, one of the largest of the

processing plants in Europe. I have little doubt that further owner

would continue to invest money into the plant. The current owners told

me: Reassuring words perhaps but for

staff going home tonight, they may feel a dark cloud could linger

overhead for some time yet. Victims of modern slavery could be

cleared from crimes like prostitution or growing drugs if

they can prove they only broke the law because they were held against

their will. Speaking at a conference on human trafficking in Oxford today

MP Frank Field called for more to be done to prosecute those criminals

and protect the victims. Sinead Carroll has more.

`` Stuart has more. Forced to work. The rest of suspected illegal

immigrants like these show that modern slavery is big business. The

government says tackling it is a priority. We have to get tough on

the slave drivers and if we can catch more of them, prosecute them

and put them behind bars, they will be fewer victims. Today in Oxford,

academics discussed the business of human trafficking. Many thought the

modern slavery draft bill doesn't go far enough. It needs to include

secretion, which it doesn't sufficiently at the moment. It

doesn't include detection of victims and it also needs to look at

liability of corporations to ensure that those who comply are protected

and those who wish not to comply are brought to justice. Often victims

fear the police and failed to report their situations. Frank Field said

people who commit crimes only because they were enslaved should be

pardoned. We don't want a get out of jail ticket for people who could

claim because they were enslaved and they can now connect murder. We

cannot go on where people have for example been enslaved, made to grow

cannabis and the cannabis farm is rated and they are charged with

breaking the law because they are growing cannabis. Parliament will

discuss the bill later this year. It is expected new laws will be passed

before the general election. It's claimed house prices in

Kidlington have risen steeply following the planned work of a new

railway station linking the north of Oxford to London. The Oxford Parkway

station's expected to open next year next to the Water Eaton park and

ride. Estate agents say the number of properties up for sale in the

area has fallen, creating a shortage of supply. In the Oxford area, the

average asking price for a home is now more than ?400,000 ` 11% up on a

year ago. We are seeing the market at the

moment pushing up growth. When the train station of rights, we suspect

growth will slow down slightly because we will see more sellers

coming to the market, which will balance the supply and demand.

It's a flood prevention plan costing more than ?125 million pounds and

today the floods minister has been in Oxford to see for himself how it

would work. The Western Conveyance Project will see a channel built to

the west of the city to carry water during severe flooding. The area was

badly affected following the heavy rain last winter with major routes

cut off for days. Our political reporter Helen Catt has more

details. Appropriate weather for a visit from

the floats Minister. Luckily `` floods Minister. Local Lib Dems had

invited him. Oxford experienced flooding through the winter period,

like many areas. It has been impacted time and again by flooding

so we want to invest money in dealing with that problem but we

have to make sure it is the right solution. We have to protect

Abingdon and Oxford and surrounding areas. The scheme would see a four

mile channel around Oxfordshire. The conservative and independent lead

counsel and the city council have backed it. We back the plan because

we think it will technically work. We have earmarked nearly half ?1

million for next year's work and we are happy to two more. UKIP,

standing candidates in the upcoming city elections, saying they support

it but some are worried what might be good for Oxford might not be so

grateful other areas. We are concerned that while it would take

water away from Oxford, it will send the water further south. It is a

long`term expensive project and we need something that is a broader

project that looks at more mitigation, tree`planting,

agricultural land management. Nobody is saying the western conveyance

channel will be a quick fix. The environment agency says it will take

up to eight years to build and it has got to get funding first. In the

meantime, permeable pavement are being discussed on Tuesday by the

county council. The Oxford Stadium ` the long time

home to speedway and greyhound racing in the city ` has been made

available for lease as a leisure site. It means there's a big

possibility that sport could return to the site in Blackbird Leys, with

plans for 220 new homes being shelved.

Artists in north Oxfordshire are hoping to raise tens of thousands of

pounds for charity through the sale of hundreds of sculptures in

Kingham. Around 300 pieces of art have been delivered to Kingham

Lodge. Jeremy Stern has been to see them.

In the extensive grounds of kingdom Lodge, there are some interesting

visitors. The family have welcomed hundreds of exhibits. We did it for

the first time two years ago and about 3000 people came to see it.

This time we have got works by local schools on show as well and we hope

we will have even more visitors come to see what it all looks like. The

first Oxfordshire Art week was held in 1981 and since then, thousands

have exhibited across the county. It is brilliant because it gives a

platform for professional and amateur artists and somebody who is

just trying their hand and wants to show what they've been doing. For

Ashley, it's more than a part`time. He spent 40 hours creating this.

I've gone for an abstraction of an owl. I always end up doing spiral

work. I thought I would put an owl on top and abstract form. Kingham

Lodge will be open to the public on Saturday and a share of the profits

will help charities in Oxfordshire and Africa.

Scientists in Oxfordshire have paid tribute to the space scientist

Professor Colin Pillinger who's passed away at his home near

Cambridge. Professor Pillinger had an illustrious career ` and worked

with scientists at the Rutherford Appleton lab in South Oxfordshire,

as part of the Beagle Two mission to Mars.

That's all from me for the moment. I'll have the headlines at 8:00pm

and a full bulletin at 10:25pm. For more of today's stories, here's

Sally Taylor. the game. I can really smile from

everywhere. `` on me again. Coming up, it was an unwelcome guest. The

corn snake that is now one of the family. Developers in Portsmouth

want to knock down a derelict office complex and build a new tower block.

If the plan goes ahead Brunel House would be replaced with a 387 feet

tower ` that's 118 metres. The project is part of a big

redevelopment of The Hard. This week we've been looking at unmanned

aerial vehicles, often called drones. They're being used for all

sorts of things. Engineers at easyJet have a drone for carrying

out safety checks on its aircraft. It can scan the plane's surface for

holes and dents much quicker than using the human eye. That means

fewer delays in getting them ready for the next flight ` good news for

passengers and saving the company millions. And there are benefits for

one of man's oldest activities ` agriculture. Sarah Farmer has been

to a farm in Wiltshire where drones are helping to increase their crop

yields. It is a beautiful day in the sunshine in South Wilts, but what

you do not expect to find in this open countryside is cutting`edge

technology. They are test flying drone that is used to carry out

aerial surveys of the farmland. And I get to press the launch button.

Here goes. It is no secret that crop yields can be improved if

fertilisers and weedkillers are applied selectively. Farmers need to

know how much they apply and where. This has been going on for a while

with satellites. And with large, manned aircraft and with unmanned

aircraft we can get lower, we can get higher resolution imagery and

get data that was not available before. We are providing maps of

where good and bad things are happening in the fields, and they

can react appropriately and make significant savings. The drone takes

hundreds of images and, in a converted granary, the pictures are

processed into maps highlighting the areas where there could be problems.

We are seeing the result of images from seven different cameras looking

at different parts of the spectrum, to pick out differentiation of crop

and we throughout the field, and the resolution and detail that we are

seeing is probably 100 times greater than the commercial satellites that

have traditionally been used in agriculture. In the field that data

is coupled with a GPS unit to target the areas identified by the drone.

From an environmental perspective it means putting down less pesticides

and herbicides, and when you put down fertiliser, you put it down

more accurately at the right rate to get the best response from the crop,

and if you can get more out of each hectare, every farmer has gone to be

happy. Drones are suited to aerial photography, but flying them is a

skill. `` skilled job, overseen by the civil aviation authority. Anyone

wanting to do any commercial activity with one of these has to

comply with UK aviation legislation and they need possession `` they

need permission to do that. 200 licences have been issued for this,

and as the public see more of them, Jonathan hopes that the drones will

be perceived better by the public. They had previously been seen in an

military context in Afghanistan and so on, now, there is realisation at

the same technology is being applied to these serial drones. It is very

good for small and medium enterprises like ourselves, being

close to good universities like Southampton, where we can draw on

skilled people as they come out of degree courses. I think that it is a

hugely exciting time for the UK. You have been leaving comments about

this on our Facebook page. Nick Bishop picked up on the idea they

could be used to deliver pizza. "What if it's too windy and you meal

is grounded?" Tony husband has been wearing about that! `` worrying

about that. And Ian Townsend has been in touch. He used to fly Army

drones with the Royal Artillery on Salisbury Plain in the 1960s. One on

occasion, a drone went missing over Easterton and landed close to a

farmhouse. The troop commander who was sent round with a bottle of

champagne to apologise and collect it, fell in love with the farmer's

daughter and ended up marrying her! Unmanned cupid's arrow! Keep those

coming in to the Facebook page. Sports news now. We are talking

about a cricket ground where some of the greats have played. And others,

like me! I have played there. I got 50 against an oxygen of the 11,

playing at this ground. `` against an Oxford University 11. Campaigners

fear one of the south's most historic cricket grounds could be

lost. Dean Park has hosted some of the sport's biggest names over more

than a century. These days, minor counties cricket is the norm there.

The current leaseholders, Bournemouth University, are leaving

the ground later this year and the owners are looking for a buyer amid

concerns that cricket may be the loser for a prime piece of land

close to the town centre. No play because of rain at Dean Park today

but those concerns that the future of this cricket ground are worried

that there might not be much play at all, one day. We are trying to prove

`` to keep the ground as it is. It is such a part of the heritage of

Bournemouth, that we are going to try and preserve it. Dean Park has a

rich history. Hampshire won their first county title here 1961. Even

WG Grace played at the ground. And royalty has taken guard at the

crease, too. Bournemouth sees a cricket match that will not go down

in Wisden. The Duke of Edinburgh proves that he is a prince amongst

cricketers. It was a lovely tree`lined ground in amongst some

big houses. We had a good win ratio there. It was a lovely place to play

cricket and we have got some fond memories of it. Bournemouth

University are the current leaseholders but will not renew the

lease when it expires in September. Friends of Dean Park believe this

could lead to a housing developer and there, long term. The owners of

the land insist that this will not happen, and a pavilion and all the

grounds are great to listed. Dean Park is in a conservation area, but

something will have to change. As a cricket ground, it does not quite

work. Looking after buildings of this age can be an expensive game.

We are trying to combine cricket with some other activities make

better use of it through the winter months. And we have that brings life

back to the ground and helps people to come here and see what is so

great about it. Dean Park goes up for sale again this summer. Cricket

lovers will be hoping that the pavilion Bell rolling out again at

this ground in the future. The Football League season maybe over

for South today's core clubs, but we know many of you in West Sussex will

be following Brighton and Hove Albion's promotion hopes in the

play`offs. Albion host Derby in the first leg of their play off

semifinal tonight at the Amex. A full house is expected to cheer on

Oscar Garcia's men, who pipped Reading to sixth place on the final

day of the season. The return leg is on Sunday. We will have the goals

for you tomorrow night. We'll be previewing Sholing Football Club's

big day out tomorrow night. On Saturday, they play at Wembley in

the final of the FA Vase. And it'll be a last game in charge for manager

Dave Diaper, who will step down after this weekend's showpiece final

against West Auckland. The club have already secured promotion from the

Wessex Premier League this season. Diaper will continue as the club's

chairman and director of football. Looking forward to that. Going to

Wembley on Saturday. It should be a great day. According to the song,

you usually need to go down to the woods to be sure of a big surprise.

But for Kayleigh Neal, she only had to go as far as her kitchen. The

schoolteacher from Southsea found a 3`foot corn snake hiding in a

cupboard. What's more, she had to live and sleep in her flat for two

days knowing it was still on the loose ` until a friend helped her

catch it. Dani Sinha has the story. Imagine opening your kitchen

cupboard and having this stare back at you. A three foot yellow and red

corn snake wrapped around your dusters. I thought I was going to

have a panic attack. I just had to, I was on the phone to see many

people at that time, just trying to calm myself down. After calling the

RSPCA and the police, to no avail, a snap of the reptile was uploaded

onto Kayleigh's facebook account, where she sought help

snakes so they are not likely to out breed their welcome. It's thought

Kayleigh's snake may have got trapped in the building when