25/06/2014 BBC Oxford News

The social media dangers which could leave children with

a criminal record. We have a special report.

Also: an old problem with new victims

We look into a housing shortage for the elderly

as rising life expectancy leads to a hunger for homes.

And the new squadron of army reservists based

in Oxfordshire, but learning to be soldiers on land and sea.

And later on ` what does it mean to be British

An MP says its values should be taught in schools.

A BBC investigation has found Thames Valley Police is investigathng

crimes involving children as young as 11 sharing explicit photos

of themselves and their peers over mobile phones and social media.

A freedom of information repuest has revealed there's been a sharp rise

in cases of so`called "sexthng" reported to the police, and schools

in the area are increasinglx calling in officers to help deal with

Our Home Affairs Corresponddnt Emma Vardy has this exclusive report

Some of the scenes are played by actors.

I knew what was going on was really, really wrong, but he always used to

blackmail me into doing stuff I did not want to do. In Private lessages

over Facebook, 14`year`old Lizzie, whose name we have changed, told us

she sent explicit photos of herself to her boyfriend. I remember one

night we had a massive argulent and then he messaged me on Facebook

saying, we can forget all about this if you send me a naked picttre. He

would not talk to me if I dhdn't send him anything. He wouldn't talk

to me for like three days, he would just blanked me. Cases like this are

being reported to the policd more frequently than ever before. We

spoke to local schools and the police force in our region to ask

how it's being dealt with. Tnder the Freedom of Information Act, we

obtained details of sexting incidents recorded by teachdrs

showing a sharp rise over the past academic year. Schools told us they

have been confiscating and checking youngsters' phones, and deldting

images in front of parents of the youngsters involved. They s`id they

are increasingly referring hncidents to the police. Last year, Thames

Valley Police dealt with 40 incidents of sexting involvhng

children under 16, compared to just 14 cases a year before. Our request

revealed the forces dealt whth children as young as 11, and victims

of crimes involving sexting. Last year, police pressed charges in two

cases involving a 15`year`old and a 13`year`old. Another receivdd a

youth caution. We invited Thames youth caution. We invited Thames

Valley Police to be part of this report, but the force has rdfused to

comment. The increase in sexting crimes or how it is being ddalt

with. Many young people will not speak freely about the problem, if

there is a problem. So it is for the parents to actually start the

conversation, be quite open. There are warnings we could see more cases

involving sexting ending up in court in future.

The Department for Education's told us that a new

curriculum being brought in means children will soon be being taught

about staying safe online from the age of 5 ` but is this dnough?

Jonathan Taylor is a former officer with the Metropolitan Policd and now

advises schools and policy`lakers on child online protection.

I asked him what more can bd done to protect children.

When looking to protect children from what's been coming out

in the reports about sexting, we have the issue here

Now, this is teamwork betwedn parents, who bought the devhces for

the children, schools, who `re now under guidance from Ofsted to bring

training into school for parents and children, but also law enforcement,

because remember that if a child or young adult is going

to take and send a sext, thhs could be a sexually explicit imagd

of a child, which could be covered under the Sexual Offences Act 2 03.

So this is teamwork between everybody to make stre

A child could get a criminal record, then?

That's the problem we have, because as the image could dasily be

an indecent image of a child, by definition, and the act hs

the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which means if a parent insists that

somebody is arrested for codrcing their child to take and send a sext,

then of course, yes, they c`n be arrested, and they can end tp going

to court or get a caution and go on the Sex Offenders' Register for one

year, which, of course, creates awful harm

for their online reputation, digital footprint, because these

images are there forever, and of course, they are searchable.

But is this a criminal problem or one of education for not just

Again, a good point. It can be criminal.

We have to remember that, and that's something all children and xoung

adults must remember, that hf they are going to take an image that is

sexually explicit, it could easily be dealt with by law enforcdment as

an indecent image of a child, but personally,

it's about education and aw`reness in schools, getting into schools.

I spend a lot of my time now in schools speaking to children

about the implications of inappropriate conduct and content

Good to talk to you tonight, Jonathan Taylor.

Thanks very much indeed. Thank you.

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder

after finding the body of an 82`year`old woman in Milton Keynes.

They were called to the house in Latimer yesterday lunchthme.

A 48`year`old man was arrested a few hours later and is

Police are carrying out house to house enquiries in the area.

We need to build more homes suitable for old age.

That's a challenge set by Oxfordshire's Director of

When the NHS was founded, almost half the population died

Now women in the county can expect to live to 87 and men to 84.

But the lack of homes in whhch they can live is a serious probldm.

Active and independent living ` that's what's important to

pensioners at this over`80s lunch club in Holton near Oxford.

Some, like 90`year`old Beryl, have struggled to find suit`ble

sheltered housing locally, so have made alterations to

I got a chair, and to walkers. That has made a lot of differencd,

especially in the bedroom, xou know. Otherwise, I can't roll over to get

it properly. Many fear if they do eventu`lly have

to move into a home, it'll lean Home is where you bring your

children up, and home is whdre you have happier memories, so I do want

to move from where I am. Thdre is and any sheltered accommodation

here, not in the village. I would not want to move out. Now, the

director of health at which it is calling for more suitable homes

rebuilt the elderly, like extra care housing schemes like this one in

Witney. It enables older people to live in their own homes, with the

reassurance of 24`hour care nearby. It makes sense to start building

houses that will be more suhtable for older people to live in. I am

not be experts on what thosd would be like. Older people are the

experts at those would be lhke. But I don't think we have quite got the

mix right in the county at the moment. But Age UK says extra care

housing is only one part of a major challenge. We need a massivd drive

on home repairs and adaptathons we need to use technology more

imaginatively to support people in their own home, and I think we need

to look at new schemes like home share for cooperative living

together. Oxygen's local authorities say they are on track to deliver 800

extra care homes by 2018, btt Age UK warned that is nowhere near enough,

saying we will need to find many more ways of caring for a r`pidly

ageing population. The number of obese children in

Oxfordshire has fallen for the first In the year 2012`13,

the percentage of 11`year`olds who It's lower than

the national average apart from in Oxford, where 1 in 5 children

leaving primary school are obese. Health professionals say

the drop is good news, but obesity Army reservists

from a new squadron based in Banbury have today been trained

about warfare on land and sda. 142 squadron was set up in @pril,

part of a drive to recruit thousands Today they were at

a training base on the south coast. They're thousands of miles from

Iraq and Afghanistan, but these soldiers are facing

problems that happen for re`l. Here on the Solent,

the squadron's working out how to get military equipment

and transport from ship to shore, but they're having to improvise

because just like in war zones, They're trying to find

a suitable place. It's rather different

from their day jobs. I'm obviously

in a classroom all day, and when I'm out here, outshde doing

stuff, it's completely diffdrent. "Well, what did you do

at the weekend?" "Well,

I just sat in my room watchhng TV." "Well,

I went and did a beach landhng. 142 Squadron was set up in Banbury

earlier this year. Previously called the

Territorial Army, these reserves will soon have a more

significant role, with a nulber On average, they'll do 27 d`ys

a year, but if necessary, We have to rely heavily

on these individuals to acttally come on operations with regtlar

soldiers, so to that end, they have So the image of them just coming

here at weekends, putting c`m cream It has been for

at least a few years now. 56 soldiers make up the squ`dron,

30 short of what's needed. The government wants 30,000 Army

reservists by 2018. Why do you think there have

been recruitment problems? I don't think there are

recruitment problems. At the moment,

I have a squadron in Banburx with 15 people in the recruiting process,

and about 75% manned. The reservists will train hdre

for a week. Within a year, new recruits could be

ready if needed to fight abroad Thousands of people have gathered

in Wallingford to watch forces from The base exercised its freedom

of the town today as part of their The parade was accompanied by the

Central Band of the Royal Ahr Force. RAF Benson supports troops

serving on the front line. Eight o'clock at lines tonight at

830, but Sally Taylor is right on time now.

Still to come in this evening's South Tod`y:

What does it mean to be British The question a local MP has

brought up at Westminster. A school support worker has told a

court of the "horrific" momdnt when the car he was driving collhded with

an ambulance near Brockenhurst. The ambulance driver

and an elderly patient were killed Richard Husband, who denies two

counts of causing death by careless driving, told the court he checked

his mirror before overtaking the car in front but did not see

the ambulance coming from bdhind. Richard husband is 26 and told the

court that in April he was driving children to school in his role as a

support worker. He said that he saw a Skoda slowing down and indicating

in front of him. He said he thought it was slowing down for personal

reasons, perhaps to answer ` mobile phone call. He checked his wing

mirror, indicated, and overtook He said that he could not be mdmber

what he saw in a mirror but he certainly did not remember `n

ambulance or blue lights. Hd said, I had no idea what hit me. It was just

horrific. The ambulance left the road and hit a tree. The passenger

in the back, an 88`year`old, died of injuries sustained in the crash The

driver, 42`year`old Gillian Randall, also died. A paramedic and one other

passenger were seriously injured. Richard husband said that the pupils

in his car were playing mushc very loudly with their smartphonds

connected to the car stereo. Giving evidence, he said that the lusic was

at a normal level and did not affect his concentration or comprolise his

driving. Under cross`examin`tion it was suggested to him that hd had a

momentary lapse. He disagredd, saying I was paying the best

attention I could. He denies the charges of causing death by

dangerous driving. The trial continues.

They say lightning doesn't strike twice.

But try telling that to 15 families in Berkshire.

They were flooded due to a burst water pipe three months ago and

Having dried out, many had just started the work of

Only to be devastated by another flood, from the same water pipe

David Allard has been to medt some of the unlucky homeowndrs.

When this has been your homd for more than 40 years it is hard to see

it like this. A lifetime of bringing up a family... I am sorry. Their

home flooded on March six. Tntil last week, repairs were going well.

At 3:15pm the pipe burst. The lads did their best to keep the water

out. Both burst water mains sent out. Both burst

water cascading down the ro`d and water cascading down the ro`d and

into these homes and Gardens. Fully submerged. Our patio doors. Here is

the first level from March. Just below, you can see the level from

the flooding last week. Complete disbelief that it happened `gain. My

wife was in tears. Once is `n accident, the second time, hn my

mind, it just should not happen John was hospitalised last week and

doctors say the stress is affecting his health. I read the families a

statement from Southeast water. We are doing everything we can to get

residents into their homes `s soon as possible, I would like to thank

customers or their patients and cooperation. They have not contacted

us to offer an apology. That is the first I have even heard. Sotth East

water and say they are investigating why the pipe burst again but

acknowledge the stress causdd. These families are unlikely to be home

before Christmas now. Should schools be taking

on what's been described as "the business of nation`building"?

John Denham, the former Labour Cabinet mhnister

and Southampton MP, believes classrooms are the key battleground

for instilling a stronger sdnse of Britishness in society.

But what is Britishness? And should we be teaching it

in school? Our Political Editor Peter Henley

has been looking into this, and joins us from the very British

backdrop of Westminster. Peter.

We just had the chimes of Bhg Ben echoing. Forum is always refer to

democracy and the Queen when they think of Britain. `` foreigners But

in this country get the impression that we don't understand as much as

they do about the British w`y of life. That is worrying the

government. What exactly should they teach in schools? What says British

to you? Wimbledon? Festivals? The art of curing politely? `` pueuing.

At this language school in Hampshire they come from all over the world to

learn our words and our way of life. Always gentle. People with knowledge

and culture. More polite th`n South Americans. The people are khnd and

polite. But should a countrx's culture be part of school ldssons?

It is not something you can teach. It is down to parents, your peers,

you can guide people in the right direction, take them to a place

culture, but it is something that a good grounding in history would

teach. There's only so much you can from textbooks. For culture, they

like to take these students to the pub. The union flag is flying this

evening over Victoria Tower. How many people now the House of

actually works? Why the bishops have a part in making our laws, rather

than rabbis or imams. Some LPs said that what teachers need bashc tools.

We are patriotic. We are reserved and no expression of it. In America

they have debates about the Pledge of allegiance to the flag. Hn our

school we don't even have the flag to pledge allegiance to it. What

matters is our history and the things we have been through. People

bring their own history. A shared history makes Britain what ht is.

That is the basis of promothng British values and schools. Sarcasm,

a sense of humour also seen as British values. One MP pointed out

that the right not to share British values is a British value in itself.

And what is all this about @rmed Forces Day in the House of Commons?

It ties in with Britishness. There are currently four reserve list in

the House of Commons. They `ll have connections with the South. There's

Swain, of new Forest. Mark Lancaster worked with him in bomb disposal.

And the Portsmouth MP is a Naval reserve list. But the speakdr will

not allow these people into the chamber in military uniform.

Something which said the Botrnemouth East MP. `` upset. Historic`lly

there was concern. Charles the first since troops in and that is why we

have the famous knocking on the door. In World War II we were

allowed to wear them but more recently it is the code of conduct,

it is not heart of the rules. `` part. 15% of the Army reserve lists.

They are trying to build it up. `` are reservists. Perhaps somdthing

the speaker will look at. A dozen extraordinary cars,

some of them worth millions of pounds, have been cruising

through the south today in the hands They all won the right to gdt behind

the wheel by bidding in an `uction for Children in Need organised

by Radio Two's Chris Evans. Their prize is

a five day jamboree with all sorts Tonight the cars have stoppdd at

the Chewton Glen Hotel in H`mpshire, Other people might not know but I

know you are a petrol head. You must be in heaven.

Absolutely. I have pictures of some of these cars when I was a boy. Now

here they are in the flesh. 12 couples did anywhere from ?75 to

?125,000 for the joy of driving these. `` bid. One of the most

glamorous convoys over to t`ke to the roads. The dirty dozen, divided

into the magnificent seven. This morning they left London and

travelled here through a secret location in Gloucestershire where

they saw the secret car collection of Nick Mason, Pink Floyd. The cars

are fantastic. A wonderful experience to drive. We looked at it

for a few years. We didn't pay the mortgage, we did this inste`d. This

is the third one we have drhven Fourth? Every time we stoppdd,

everyone changes round. Every single penny goes to children in nded.

Nobody is taking anything ott of it. There is nearly ?1 million going to

children. Chris Evans was there to meet them. It is the six tile he has

organised the event. Many of the cars are his, including a Fdrrari

once owned by Eric Clapton which cost Mr Evans ?10 million. The Aston

Martin was a gift to Peter Sellers from Princess Margaret. It hs a risk

handing these cars over two unknown drivers but the organisers said

several conditions. Over 30, clean licence, and

breathalysed. The couples have got two nights here

complete with gourmet dinners. On Friday they will sail from Lymington

with Ben Ainslie and the whole thing ends up at the Festival of speed at

Goodwood. The very definition of how the other half live.

Have you at the very least be allowed to sit in one?

No, they have not let me! Please, somebody, just make him a

happy man tonight. And now the weather. The rahn is on

the rain is on the way tomorrow afternoon. We have had a lovely day.

Maureen took this photo. Christopher took this photo of a paraglhder And

Anna took this picture of a Kingfisher.

Lovely sunny conditions tod`y. But a contrast in temperatures. Still

around average for the time of year but but a quite like to comd.

Staying dry. `` quiet night. Clear spells in towns and cities, lows of

12 Celsius. In the countryshde and to the north, fallen to arotnd five.

Coastal counties, eight Celsius A fresher and more comfortabld night

for sleeping. A sunny start tomorrow. Increasing cloud from the

south`west and rain arriving in Dorset around 4pm. Pushing past

Southampton around six p.m.. Engulfing much of the region by

light evening. The best of the sunshine for northern and e`stern

areas. A high of 21 Celsius. Temperatures average for thd time of

year. The Shah was and rain will move in from the south`west. ``

showers. Drier periods as wdll with temperatures falling to 14. That

signals a change heading into Friday. Unsettled, low pressure not

far away. Because of that, various fronts moving into Friday, there

could even be the odd thunddrstorm. Temperatures will be suppressed A

high of only 17 Celsius. But the sunny spells in between the storms

will have highs of 21. All change overnight into Friday. Still the

risk storms on Saturday, better on Sunday, but the risk of a shower.

Tomorrow night we will follow the World Cup football coverage. Good

night.