12/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

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

The toll on his physical and mental health. We hear from a man who has

been in prison in the Philippines for five years without a trial.

Also tonight: Living with lupus. The man on a mission to make people

aware of the debilitating illness so they can spot the symptoms and get

help. How this giant screw will provide

enough energy to make Blenheim Palace greener.

And later on ` from the brink. The success story of breeding peregrine

falcons in the South. Good evening. A man from Swindon who

is being held in a Filipino jail has spoken publicly for the first time

about the toll it is taking on his mental health. 48`year`old Kevin

Taylor has been in prison for five years but is still waiting for a

trial. He is accused of being involved in illegal immigration with

his Filipino wife. His parents have spent ?18,000 fighting his case.

Sarah Jane Bungay has the story. Kevin Taylor in happier times. He

had made a life for himself in the Philippines ` a wife, three young

children, and his own business. But then everything changed. Kevin's

wife, Charlene, has detailed his arrest on her blog. She says it was

in May 2009 that he was taken on suspicion of illegal recruitment.

Kevin has always claimed that it was disgruntled former employees of his

company who brought the accusations. He completely denies them. But his

wife is now also under arrest. He has been speaking to the BBC about

their time behind bars. I sleep on the floor, on a mat. I have done

that for the last five years now. I suffer from boils a lot and skin

rashes. So I get some depression tablets every day ` that helps. For

Kevin's parents, from Swindon, it has meant a huge financial toll.

?18,000 of savings have gone on trying to resolve the situation. We

have always said that if he has done what they say he did, then they have

to put him on trial and he has to take his chances on whatever

sentence he gets. But do not do it this way. This is not right. This is

the way that the legal system works in the Philippines. We have built

our hopes up but then either because the prosecution or the defence or a

witness does not turn up the whole case falls. Today the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office told us it remains in direct contact with Kevin

by letters or telephone but adds that it is unable to interfere in

the judicial process of another country and must respect its legal

system. I have not seen my daughters for 18 months. It is heartbreaking

really. You miss them so much. Kevin is now pinning his hopes of the 3rd

of July when his case will, once again, come before a judge in the

Philippines. Sarah Jane Bungay, BBC Points West.

Laura Bevan is from Prisoners Abroad, a charity which helps people

like Kevin financially. They provide food and medical aid. Laura spoke to

me a little earlier and I asked her what the conditions were like in

prison there. I believe they are almost the most

overcrowded prisons in that area of Asia. This can mean that disease can

spread very quickly and the unsanitary conditions can really

exacerbate any health conditions that people have. Also, being in

prison overseas can really make your mental health deteriorate. It can be

very difficult being far from home. Five years seems like a long time to

be imprisoned without a trial. How common is that kind of situation?

Prisoners Abroad does not get involved in the legal process, but

certainly we are supporting people through very long periods of

detention and we are there to help people right from their period of

arrest through to their time of release, which can be any number of

years. We will help them with whatever they need help with during

that time. Those kinds of conditions sound like they would take a big

toll on someone physically and mentally. That is right. People have

told us that even if they didn't go into prison with a health condition,

one can develop while they are there. They are not getting the

right diet, clean water to drink, and the medical care that they need.

That is why people need the services of Prisoners Abroad. They need our

grants regularly just to help them survive what would otherwise be

dire, and often life`threatening, conditions in prison. Laura Bevan,

thank you. Thank you. The treasurer of the Oxford Union

has resigned from his post following an allegation of rape against the

society's president. 21`year`old Benjamin Sullivan was arrested and

bailed last week after being questioned over accusations of rape

and attempted rape. Charles Malton, a student at Christ Church college,

said he was leaving his role over the way the debating society had

handled the allegations. A man has appeared in court after

being arrested by police who raided a pub in Oxford in a major drugs

operation. Thames Valley Police carried out the operation at the

Nelson Pub on Between Towns Road in Cowley on Friday night. Kenston

McIntosh, who is 55 and from Freeland Road in Oxford, was

arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs with intent to

supply. The force said a large amount of cash was seized from

another man. Honda has confirmed it will be

making ninety`nine compulsory redundancies at its Swindon plant

before the end of the month. The firm had been appealing for workers

to volunteer for redundancy, after announcing more than 300 positions

had to go. Honda has blamed continuing poor sales in Europe for

its decision to close one of its two plants in South Marston.

The health condition lupus can be very debilitating, even life

threatening, but it is also very difficult to diagnose. A man from

Wantage in Oxfordshire has made it his mission to highlight the

symptoms in the hope that more people will recognise the signs and

go to their GPs. Caroline Richardson reports.

By his own admission, Jon Kingdon is the oldest teenager in town. At 61,

he does not drive a sensible family hatchback. He likes to attract

attention with his souped`up Mercedes and banging sound system

because he has a message. Lupus can affect anyone, but 90 per cent of

the sufferers are women. It can affect your skin, muscles, joints,

and internal organs. Jon's symptoms started with fatigue and joint pain.

Doctors thought it was rheumatoid arthritis. Then serious heart

problems led to open`heart surgery and the eventual diagnosis of lupus.

It is very hard to diagnose. I know people who have been misdiagnosed

for 17 years, or not diagnosed at all. I was lucky because I had a

doctor who knew about lupus. Combining his twin loves of cars and

1970s soul and funk, Jon is a familiar sight at car shows raising

money and awareness for Lupus UK. My car has now been transformed into

the Lupus Mercedes and it is well known around the circuits. I play an

Internet radio station and I also play 1970s soul in the car. It is

all that is allowed. An Oxfordshire cricket club that was

severely damaged after being struck by lightning has been demolished.

Banbury Twenty Cricket Club, on Ermont Way, caught fire in March

during a thunder storm. The club has been run from the same site since

the 1930s and all its memorabilia was destroyed.

It is a move designed to make Blenheim Palace one of the cleanest

stately homes in the country. Today, a giant screw has been installed

inside the palace grounds to harness power from a river on the estate.

The project, which has cost nearly ?200,000, aims to cut carbon

emissions at one of Oxfordshire's biggest tourist attractions.

Katharine DaCosta has been to find out more.

It has taken four years of painstaking design and planning, but

today a giant corkscrew was very carefully manoeuvred into place on

the River Glyme in the heart of the Blenheim estate. The Archimedean

screw is designed to harness the water's natural energy. The screw

sits on a 22 degree angle and as the water falls with gravity from the

top of the screw down to the bottom, the weight of the water trying to

get to the bottom pushes on the screw and causes it to rotate. At

the top, we have a generator, which catches that rotational movement and

turns it into electricity. Over in South Oxfordshire, this scheme in

Maple Durham is already generating electricity. This turbine was

installed at the last working water mill on the River Thames in 2011.

And there are dozens more pioneering projects being planned along the

Thames. The Blenheim Project is relatively small in comparison, but

it is part of the estate's mission to become the country's greenest

stately home. It has already installed solar panels and a ground

source heat pump. This hydropower scheme should save a further ?5,500

from its energy bills. Unlike wind and solar, hydro power does not rely

on the weather so it can operate all year around. This particular scheme

is designed to generate 15 kilowatts of electricity. That is enough to

power the equivalent of 20 homes. And any surplus energy generated can

be sold to the National Grid. With a 40`60 year life span, this giant

turbine has provided a modern twist to this historic estate. Katharine

DaCosta, BBC South Today. That is all from me for the moment.

I will have the headlines at 8PM and a full bulletin at 10.25PM. Now,

more of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

It sounds like a scene from a cold war movie, but it is happening

regularly just now. She is Russia's biggest warship. As she came up the

channel, another was sent out to do what is now in a naval circles as a

meet and greet. We are fellow professionals. We tend to exchange

niceties. We have a look to see what they have in place. It was the

second monitoring mission in several months. In April, she was of

Scotland. Jets have also been used to intercept Russian surveillance

aircraft. The Ministry of Defence says a frigate or a destroyer is

always ready to respond quickly to any incidents. The Navy captain

described a squirt in Russian ships to international waters as routine

business. Defence analysts say that cuts mean that the UK had less

crafts and jets to monitor the Russians. If we're going to cover

the Russians every time we will have to more ships or have a maritime

patrol aircraft. ourselves a maritime capability,

which was act when we lost the nimrods.

HMS alliance before and after it was refitted. Prince William last saw

the submarine in 2008 when it was on its last legs. Six years later, the

Prince saw her in good form. As Commodore in chief of submarines it

was appropriate that William was there as he attended a rededication

service for the boat. He was any good spirits. It was made to look as

if it was operational. He met veteran mariners. There is nothing

to break here. He said, you say that. He was easy to talk to. It was

a pleasure and a privilege. It was fantastic that the prince came. It

brings great attention and attraction. Prince William was given

a top of run and presented with a badge. There is no doubt that this

vessel has come a long way. It's ?7 million face`lift means its

existence has been extended, allowing visitors to enjoy her in

the years to come. falcons disappeared from the south.

But now there are about 40 pairs across the south of England.

It is a secret mission to help a rare bird. These birds have been

persecuted for a number of years. People will take the eggs because

they are collectors or they will take the checks for topping three

will stop. the youngest member of the squad.

Southampton fans heard there were major offers for two of that trio.

The Saints players had a lap of honour yesterday. Today, some of the

players got the call ups they had dreams. They deserved it. It is

unbelievable for the club. It is an amazing time for all Saints fans. I

think it is great that they have made it. Look sharp, what can you

say. `` Luke Shaw. The guys have performed outstandingly the season.

They have been spoken about at an international level. It is well

deserved. Southampton finished the season eight in the table.

Yesterday, they drew with Manchester United. The reward for Saints,

considerable money. Shaw Is now being targeted by United. One player

spoke to the BBC this afternoon. We have done well. We have got a

great blend of players. There are younger players as well. It is

exciting. They were preparing to lay a new pitch at St Mary 's. The fans

will hope that the players will be back in August.

Well done to everyone. Brighton have announced that they have accepted

the resignation of the boss. They lost 4`1 last night. They ended any

hopes of reaching Wembley. Garcia was that the club for a year.

We have a special guest. Congratulations. They performed

brilliantly on the day. It was a tremendous atmosphere. It is a small

crowd for a Wembley final, but they made noise. The celebrations have

been going on all weekend. Let us see what they did this afternoon at

the City Hall. They were still on a high 48 hours after the match. This

was Wembley. Here is the most important goal in the club's

history. All the fans enjoyed it and they celebrated on the pitch and

through the night. It was the best moment of my life. Brilliant. They

did their job, I did my job. We did not want to make a mistake on the

big stage. I am still on the ceiling to be honest. My dreams have come

true. Picking up the trophy was something that really affected me

inside. It will stay in my memories. That was his last game as the

manager. Well done. A lot of people have been asking what happened to

the drone. It seems to have hit the water. I think it is at the bottom

of the sea. It is such a disappointment for the boys from

Southampton University. It was the wind. Here are some pictures.

There are showers with Hill today. `` hail. Temperatures, 5`6 Celsius.

Showers through the night. Temperatures tonight, 6`7 Celsius.

Tomorrow, showers. They will disappear, but will return in the

afternoon. There could be some thunder. Temperatures tomorrow,

15`16 Celsius. The wind is like. `` The winds will be light. The showers

will ease tomorrow night. Similar temperatures to today. Up to around

10 degrees in the towns and the cities. High pressure is building

and through Wednesday, Thursday, and even the weekend, the high`pressure

will remain. It will be settled. There will be some sunshine. There

is warm air coming our way. By the end of the week it will be lovely

and warm. Temperatures, 19`20dC. Looking pleasant towards the end of

the week. Some showers in the next few days. Some rest of showers on

Wednesday, but it will be dry on Thursday and Friday.

A challenge for the starters of hearts `` boat . He is looking to

break the world mile `` the world record by covering 200 miles in a

day. For this man, Goodwood was the scene

for the moment that changed his life. Now he hopes it will see his

triumph. It was 14 years ago that Steve lost his leg when a car

collided with him at 100 miles an hour. But his love of motorsports

have endured. He still marshals at international events. Today he was

at a practice session for his own 24 hour into this challenge. The tyres

are holding up well. Next weekend, Steve plans to travel 200 miles

around a special circuit in a mobility scooter. I was lucky that I

had 40 years as an able`bodied person. I was sadly involved in an

accident and I have had to rediscover who I am. Part of this is

this challenge. 53`year`old Steve attempted the record two years ago

but was aborted by the weather and since then an American has claimed

the title. I know that I can stay awake for 24 hours and ride. It is

down to making it happen and we claiming the record for England.

Hopefully it will also be a personal victory for Steve when the flag

falls. What a great attitude. Very positive. Good luck. That is all

from us. Thank you for watching. Good night.

# A Christian land of over a thousand years

# Today, England needs her sons and her daughters

# This is England - the land of St George