14/05/2014 BBC Oxford News

in the Turkish mine disaster has risen, over 200 dead and 120 are

still trapped. The progress in tackling

child exploitation in Oxford. Police say there've been 20

investigations connected to sexual abuse and grooming since

the problem came to light in 2012. He was one of the country's

most successful businessman. So how has Sir John Madejski lost

in excess of ?300 million? Patients waiting too

long to be seen: The report saying improvements need

to be made at the And later on,

singing away the blues. A new treatment

for mental health patients. Police and social workers in Oxford

have spoken to around 60 girls at risk of sexual exploitation

since they began their investigation A year ago seven men were jailed for

their role in a paedophile ring. Now police say they have carried out

more than 20 criminal investigations which have disrupted the abuse

of young people in the city. It was a case

which shocked the country. Six underage girls sadistically

groomed and abused by a gang They were sentenced to 95 years

in prison. But a year on,

what's changed to help avoid I think the most important learning

for us as being actually listening to the young women and the girls

themselves, talking to them and their families and learning lessons

from working with them. Since a special unit,

which includes the police and county 180 cases

of vulnerable children potentially A number were found

not to be suspicious. 40 abduction notices have been

issued, given to men seen If seen with the same girl again

they can be arrested for abduction. And the team are currently

involved in over 20 criminal investigations around issues

connected to sexual exploitation. I would say the figure of around 50

to 60 young women that we have concerns about, they may well be in

a much better position now but where we consider they could have been

victims. The men mainly came from the

East Oxford area. I see divisions within ethnic

communities. Where there should not be. And this is exacerbated the

situation. I feel safer living in London and walking out at night than

I do potentially yet coming back from a night out on my own.

Despite ongoing work with pubs and hotels in Oxford to spot signs

of grooming, some communities leaders think more can be done.

I am hoping we will begin to have more joined up work with the county

council, the police and the community. It is not happening at

A serious case review to identify how such horrific abuse was allowed

to take place and the failings of different authorities is due to

Madejski, the owner of Reading Football Club and other companies

in Oxfordshire and Berkshire has lost more than ?300 million

in the last six years, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

An investigation by BBC South has revealed that most

Our business correspondent, Alastair Fee, has this exclusive report.

He's rich and famous, a flamboyant character whose generous

In business, he's regarded as shrewd and honest but behind the image

these are tough times for Reading's most recognisable resident.

Since he made his fortune in printing Sir John Madejski's

Most notably, he became chairman of Reading Football Club in 1990.

He spent around ?37 million on the stadium that bears

his name and with it came a conference centre and hotel

but as the UK economy went into decline so did Sir John's fortune.

The majority of the companies he has a interesting had a negative net

worth. They are worth less now than when he originally invested in them.

He's built up a mixed portfolio containing hotels, a restaurant,

We've looked at 21 companies that he has a share in.

According to the last available set of accounts.

His ventures have included the Sackville Property Group

which recorded a ?10.8 million loss in the financial year ending March

2012, there have been no accounts filed since.

Reading football club which made a loss of ?2.3 million last year.

And there's the Madejski hotel and conference centre

which recently turned a corner returning a profit of ?378,000.

At his height, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated

Last year that figure had fallen by ?300m to ?100m.

He is struggling to balance the books with his companies at the

moment. He is quite honest about that.

This site in Bicester helps explain where much

In November 2012 Polestar took over Sir John Madejski's

When it went under, it's estimated Sir John lost more than ?80 million

It's not known how much Reading Football Club has cost him.

He thought he'd found the perfect buyer in Russian Anton Zingarevich.

It's now believed Sir John is effectively acting as a broker

Speaking last month he said he was keen to leave

The voracious cost of running a foot or club is absolutely immense and of

course, we have people with that sort of money that are few and far

between. It is critical that we find somebody. The search goes on.

Hopes to return to the Premier League were recently dashed

when the Royals failed to get into the play offs.

For the fans the uncertainty over future ownership continues.

He's still a very rich man but nothing like as comfortably

If the commercial property market makes big gains that will help

but ?300 million is still a lot to lose however wealthy you are.

A court has heard that two teenagers were killed

in an execution`style shooting in an alleyway in Milton Keynes.

19`year`old Abdi Farah died instantly, and 18`year`old

They were both shot in the head on the Fishermead estate in 2011.

26`year`old Dutch national Brahim Hajji and 20`year`old

Kenyan`born Ahmed Ahmed both deny two counts of murder.

Cotswold Airport has been fined ?75,000 following the death

Steve Mills died when a gas cylinder he was carrying exploded.

The airport operator Kemble Air Services Ltd was found

guilty of breaching health and safety regulations in March.

Accident and Emergency and Surgical departments at the

John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford are in need of improvement according

It says the four hospitals within the Oxford University Trust are

providing a good service but the John Radcliffe is often stretched to

its limit, and a shortage of staff is leading to long waiting

Katharine Da Costa joins me in the studio.

So, Katharine, what are the key issues?

Well, part of the problem is the cost of living here in Oxford.

The hospital trust is one of the biggest in the country, employing

They were inspected by the Care Quality Commission which has

rated three ` the Nuffield Orthopaedic, the Churchill, and

But action needs to be taken to improve the John Radcliffe.

The care and compassion of doctors and nurses was praised

But inspectors raised several concerns at the John Radcliffe.

Staff shortages in maternity, surgical wards

and operating theatres was having an impact on the quality of care.

Combined with being full a lot of the time this meant long waiting

times at A and cancelled operations.

Long waits too in Outpatients with not enough appointments

Oxfordshire's health watchdog's welcomed the many good comments in

today's report but says the impact of cancellations is being felt.

The Hospital Trust says it is already working with

If you're somebody waiting for a hip operation and you get yourself ready

to go in for that and you are told that it has been cancelled and been

put back, it is above the anxiety and the additional pain that causes

for people. The Hospital Trust says it is

already working with the local authority

and GPs to reduce pressure on A, it's reviewing all outpatient

services and it's looking at ways to We have increased the staff in the

trust by over 400 members with significant increases to the numbers

of doctors and nurses in the last 12 months. We will do what is

necessary. The CQC says

while all four hospitals provide a safe and effective service,

the staff shortages need to be So the hospital trust has

a lot to be pleased about ` it's been found to be focussing

on quality, innovation and care, but it can't be complacent, and

resolving its long`held problems with recruiting and retaining staff

won't happen overnight. An Oxfordshire man who suffered

brain damage when he was a child is set to become the first

person to complete an annual race Edward McDonaugh, from Bicester,

will take part in This year the race has been made

open to wheelchair users With a little help from his carer,

Jonathan is getting ready for the race of his life. The 24`year`old

was involved in a car accident when he was eight years old. He is

raising money for the charity which helped him recover. When I arrived

there, I was nearly dead. And when I left there, I was talking, walking.

I had made so much progress. Edward is leaving the section. He was

invited to take part by Sarah who has been running the event for 12

years. People ask us if they can run with a wheelchair or a buggy and we

have always said no because we have a delightful off`road section which

goes off alongside the lake which the runners love. Instead of saying

no, we thought we would say yes and put on a new route. A number of

other charities will also be benefiting. Once this is out of the

way, Edward has his eye on the London Marathon next year.

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

Now more of today's stories with Sally Taylor.

So how is money from Brussels spent locally?

We've been looking at a cross`channel project that

could help prevent coastal flooding that wouldn't be happening without

Researchers are examining old paintings of the Isle of Wight to

see how artists have captured the coastline over the last 200 years.

It's hoped that by studying past changes, better flood plans

Ed Sherry has been to meet the Hampshire charity

This steel engraving by William Westall from 1838 is called

Ventnor from a Hill above the Cove. Ignore the buildings

and you can see how over 175 years the cliffs

Where we are now is built on past changes, different climate change

and different effects. The cash has come from the European development

fund. Similar work is being done along northern France, in Belgium

and in the Netherlands. We have tried to get the types we can assess

and demonstrate the value of using these tools, covering all parts of

the coastline in the southern North Sea and English Channel region. A

database of paintings is being set up to allow coastal managers and

engineers to see how the landscape is changing and help plan coastal

development. The work is being led by the Hampshire `based Maritime

trust and they have received over ?1 million of European funds. We

survive on those funds and the European funds are very core to

that. We have a lot of expertise in the UK. Expertise we can share with

our European colleagues. The charity says the UK as a whole receives more

money from Europe and it pays in. The funding helps to better

understand a common European heritage.

Money for that project comes from a huge pot.

The EU budget for the next seven years has been

The biggest amount of around a third will go on what's called "cohesion".

That's funding for countries and regions that are economically

For the first time the overall EU budget was cut

The Greens voted against that, arguing for a freeze instead,

because they were worried about the impact on overseas aid.

We have a position as the number`1 on the planet. I think that carries

a responsibility, help others. The result of the cut has been we are

giving less money to people who need it. I didn't want that to happen. I

didn't want people to go hungry. There are a number

of smaller parties also on the European ballot paper, including the

Socialist Party who have a full list They're campaigning

for what they're calling To claim you can run this in the

interests of the people, you cannot do that, it is based on

exploitation. We'll be hearing more

from the other parties in the run up There is a full list of European

candidates on the BBC website. And on Friday we'll be looking at

whether hotels across Europe should Hundreds of patients with severe

depression and anxiety are being offered a new kind of treatment

in Hampshire ` singing in a choir. It's hoped that communal singing

will help improve About 400 patients will be offered

the therapy, including young mums Our Health Correspondent,

David Fenton reports. This is an unusual quiet because

most of the people here cannot sing. Or think they can't. Some of the

group have mental health problems and they are hoping this will help.

We hope it when fits our patients by releasing some of their anxiety and

distress, building up their confidence and giving them hope and

a sense of purpose. Julie had severe depression and anxiety for three and

anxiety for three and a half years. She has written poems about it will

stop for three months she could not leave her bedroom, let alone the

house. I thought I was going to faint, felt as though somebody was

strangling me and felt instantly sick. It took over my life. Today,

Julie has joined in the choir and they are getting into the flow and

enjoying it. It gets rid of my agitation and anxiousness. It

releases a lot of energy, surplus energy you have got. They have been

practising for an hour and they are just about to start singing.

The power of singing certainly makes you feel better. We have had some

breaking news? Bournemouth fans might not want to hear about Lewis

grab one. They have confirmed they have accepted a bid from Cardiff.

The player only signed a new three and a half year contract in January

after turning down a move to Brighton. He scored 22 goals in his

first season in the championship. Cardiff have just dropped out of the

Premier League. All of us sports fans are getting

excited about the World Cup, but one family from Hampshire have

a very special reason for being so. Connor Gardner has been picked to be

a flag bearer for England's opening game of the World Cup in Brazil

and all because he selflessly gave up some of his formative years to

care for his mum. I've been to a charity in the

New Forest today to find out more. Football dominates his life, but he

is off to Brazil on the trip of a lifetime. I am a bit nervous, never

been on a flight for this long. I said to him, you have been given the

opportunity to be a flag bearer. But he did not leave me. It is this

special bond that has brought this World Cup dream alive. His mum was

diagnosed with MS a few years ago, and he has been taking care of her.

I have stayed in and taken care of her. The honeypot children's charity

was there to help him. I used to be lonely, I didn't go out because I

wanted to help my mum. They have left to me to have free time. After

four years attending their respite centre, it was the charity that

nominated him for the prize. Who have you got your hopes up about

meeting? Steven Gerrard. What do your friends think about this? They

don't believe me. Swapping the tranquil of the New Forest for the

exuberance of Brazil, is an experience he will never forget. He

is excited, Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry

says he thinks the change of England coaching staff is a key factor

behind him being brought back Carberry was outspoken

against the previous regime, criticising a lack of communication

when he was dropped from the team. But after being recalled

for the upcoming one`day and T20 series against Sri Lanka,

he's delighted that all parties It was me expressing my opinion,

which I am entitled to. We have had a chat since and the lines of

communication have deemed better. I will be playing at the top of the

order. It is one of the things they have been looking at and see how I

go again Sri Lanka. Despite another week

of rain`affected matches, both Surrey and Hampshire recorded wins

in cricket's County Championship. A century from captain Graeme Smith

led Surrey to a tricky`looking At Hove, plenty of rain and a very

flat wicket meant a high`scoring Meanwhile, Hampshire is top

of Division Two after completing a comfortable six`wicket win over

Glamorgan at the Ageas Bowl. Bournemouth athlete, Steve Way,

named in England team for Commonwealth Games marathon

in Glasgow. A service of remembrance has been

held for those who lost their lives when an American bomber crash

landed on Chichester 70 years ago. The crew

of the plane successfully bailed out but three civilians were killed,

including a 14`year`old girl. Relatives of the bomber pilot

travelled from the United States The beat 24 Liberator was capable of

long distances and carrying heavy loads of bombs. Dozens set off

across the Channel to one railway yards in central France. Enemy fire

up the damage this plane and they aborted their mission. The pilots,

Joseph Duncan nursed the plane towards the south coast but a fire

broke out on board. It's got worse and got over land and told his crew

to bail out. He turned the aeroplane back out to sea and then he left.

All ten members of the crew survived but the plane did not crash over the

sea. It's damaged engines turned it 180 degrees taking it inland. It

crashed in the centre of Chichester on wartime allotments and a laundry

filled with workers. I remember this massive ball of flame. It is a thing

you never forget. I remember feeling the heat from the flames as well. I

ran home and my mother was running to meet me. We thought it had been a

bomb dropped. We heard later it had been a crash. There is a short act

of remembrance... 70 years on, the events are remembered at the

graveside of 14`year`old mate Granger who had been underway to see

her mother. This man wrote a history of the crash and he tracked down the

family of the pilot. His son came to represent his father, who is now 93.

The British and Americans were great friends. They were allies. It is the

tragedy of the war, I guess. He did what he could. It wasn't enough but

yes, he went on to keep fighting. Keep the bad guys back.

High pressure is in charge of the weather. We do have some lovely

weather pictures sent it. A stroll in the sunshine at Poole

Park by Ed Inman This view from Old Harry Rocks looking towards Swanage

was captured by Mike Ludwig. And Richard Jacobs captured

a Peregrine Falcon on a crane at Southampton Docks enjoying

the sunshine. A touch of mist and fog and maybe at

touch of frost. Most towns and cities I expect things seven to nine

Celsius. In the countryside, perhaps down to five or 6 degrees. Winds are

light and variable. Mist and fog to start tomorrow but that will earn

away. Sunny spells initially but there will be more cloud than today,

filling in from the North. Bright sunny spells for the afternoon and

they hiked up to 19 Celsius. Today we reach 19 Celsius. Tomorrow we

might have a high of 21 degrees. Through the course of tomorrow

night, skies were clear again. Another mild night to come with a

low of seven to 11 Celsius. Clear spells and the slight chance of mist

and fog patches first thing on Friday morning. Once again the winds

are fairly light. A lovely day on Friday. A contrast for tomorrow, 19

Celsius today, a high of 21 Celsius. Temperatures are continuing

to climb as we head towards the weekend. It is all thanks to this

area of high pressure. 22 Celsius through Friday, perhaps up to 23 by

Saturday. But there is this weather front moving south later on in the

day on Saturday. May producing thundery downpours. If you are

planning a barbecue on Saturday, do be prepared we could have

thunderstorms. If you do catch a shower on Saturday afternoon, they

could be heavy and slow moving. Temperatures are set to climb into

the low 20s at the weekend. Things change and a breakdown occurs later

on Sunday. Can I let you into a little secret.

She hasn't even got her shoes on. I have listers and die, get these

high heels on. It is not that bad. We are back tomorrow at 6:30 p.m..

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