04/09/2014 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford.

In tonight's programme, eight men appear in court accused

The charges include rape and child prostitution.

The study that claims having moles on your body quadruples your risk

Working for free to keep their library open.

How almost a third of libraries in Oxfordshire rely

The gardener who's perfected ultra`high sunflowers.

Eight men arrested during a series of raids this week in towns across

Buckinghamshire have appeardd in court, in connection with a string

More than 100 officers targdted addresses including Aylesbury

The charges all relate to two girls under the age of 16.

Sinead Carroll has sent this report from Milton Keynes.

Six of the eight defendants speaking at Milton Keynes magistrates here

They're each facing counts of sexual activity with a child

The charges range from 2005 to 012, they include rape of a child,

administering a substance to a child with intent to rape, and a

It follows the dawn raids on Tuesday morning in Aylesbury

and the surrounding areas involving 120 officers.

11 men were arrested then, three have

Five of the defendants speaking here today were from Aylesbury,

others were from Cheshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghal.

All men were refused bail, they ve been remanded in custody to appear

at Aylesbury Crown Court whhch is sitting at Amersham next Monday

An investigation's underway after a body was found in a van on

It's believed to be that of a man in his 40s.

Officers were called to Burger King at the retail park at

The man's death is being trdated as unexplained.

The van is thought to have been there some time.

We're still trying to establish how long it's been here,

but initial reports suggest it could be up to a week, maybe slightly

Obviously that's one of the things we need to try and ascertain.

In terms of the investigation, it depends on how quickly it takes,

how long it takes to identify the male and then obviously do

Police in Buckinghamshire are hunting a gang

of thieves who stole a JCB digger and used it to raid a post office.

They drove the digger into the post office in Wing near Aylesbury

at around 2.50am this morning and stole the cash machine hnside.

A witness reported seeing a man in a balaclava.

Police are linking it to another burglary at a filling station in

A new study by scientists in Oxford claims having moles

on your skin can quadruple xour risk of developing skin cancer.

The research has been presented to the Wolrd Congress on Cancers

Adina Campbell has been finding out more.

Eating superfoods is more ilportant than ever

since Imogen was diagnosed with skin cancer nearly two years ago.

It was caused by a mole on her back which over time had

She's now been left with a big scar, a reminder

It's a bit like being hit by a sledgehammer.

You're desperately frightendd and sad for my children.

They are aware that Mummy has had moles taken off.

They don't understand what lelanoma means because I have protected them

from that, because they're still quite young.

I do worry about the idea that they might grow up without le.

Imogen has more than 100 moles on her body.

And according to a new studx by researchers at Oxford University,

people like her are four tiles more likely to develop skin cancdr.

It's well`known that having atypical moles or funny looking moles,

and the number of moles does increase the risk

So although not entirely novel, we've taken a very extreme section

of the population and found this increased risk.

Imogen now writes a health blog about her medical treatment,

Even though she lives in Gloucestershire, she has tr`nsferred

all her health care checkups to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

I trust that when I go and see them and have a

dermatological checkup that they'll look at my skin, and they'll know

They've got an amazing team of people who see melanoma patients

They don't do that in Gloucestershire.

The medical term for skin cancer is malignant melanom`.

More than 13,000 people are diagnosed with it every year

It's a cancer which is more common in young people

aged between 15 and 34 and hs twice as common in young women.

Having regular checkups is now a top priority for Imogen.

She is now taken up running to keep healthy and hopes her future

Thousands of companies could be missing out business by not

The minister for Disabled Pdople, Mark Harper, says firms could be

He's been in Aylesbury todax backing a scheme for communhties

New research shows people whth a disability find shopping thd hardest

activity, followed by going to the cinema, theatre and concerts.

Collectively, disabled people and their families have got about

If businesses aren't inclushve and accessible,

they're actually shutting themselves off from a big market.

So we want that purple pound, as it's called.

We want businesses to think about that spending power,

those customers, when they're running their businesses.

If things are more accessible, or you get fitter and stronger and are

able to do more things, it does open up a whole world to you agahn and

you realise that, do you know what, it is actually not as challdnging as

I thought it was, to go out and be able to sthll lead

And if you lock yourself indoors, you're not going to get out

and are not going to see th`t it isn't as bad as you thought.

Gloucestershire Police have insisted they've learned important ldssons

The next cull could start at any time in the coming wdeks

Officers have said this year's focus will be more on community policing

It comes on the same week that Oxfordshire

and Buckinghamshire have bedn named as counties that will be vaccinating

They were threatened with closure in a huge round of budget ctts

Now three years on, many of the county's librarhes

By next week, 14 of the 43 libraries in Oxfordshire

will have local people workhng for free to help keep them oper`ting.

But some say it is creating a second rate service as Tom Turrell reports.

Following campaigns and protests, a plan emerged to keep them open. Some

conservatives call it the bhg society. We have asked commtnity

groups to come forward with volunteers who are prepared to take

on some of the hours for running the libraries. And the response has been

absolutely phenomenal. Next week, Marston library will be comhng the

14th in the county giving up their free time, local people, to keep it

open. Not everyone is happy, one children's author said, by getting

volunteers to run libraries, it is a blatant attempt by the Consdrvative

council and coalition government to run down libraries, providing a

second`rate service which white one day lead to no service at all.

Asking volunteers to help ott will lead to a quarter million pounds

saving, but with those crithcal to the scheme, this story may run and

run. A major route through

South Oxfordshire is due to close while work to upgrade

the rail line takes place. This bridge at the A417 at Challow

near Wantage will close this Network Rail are going to ddmolish

it and then rebuild a higher one, so high voltage power cables can

run underneath. It's part of the electricifhcation

of the Great Western Main Lhne. It is an inconvenience,

we understand that, we avoid closing In this particular case,

there was no other viable option. So we ask the travelling public to

be patient whilst we complete this major upgrade to the railwax line,

to introduce the electrific`tion. I'll have the headlines at 8

and a full bulletin at 10.24. Now more of today's stories

with Sally Taylor. The Ryde Inshore Rescue teal has

brought one vessel back The other should return

in the next few weeks. The volunteers who operate the boats

have thanked their local colmunity Still to come

in this evening's South Tod`y. Atlantis actress Sarah Parish will

be here to talk about the ndw BBC series and why she's supporting

a big charity event in Southampton. With international leaders

from 61 countries, the NATO summit in Wales is the

biggest summit ever held in the UK. Behind the scenes, Tobias Ellwood,

Foreign Office Minister and MP for Bournemouth East, has bden

helping deal with the logistical He gave our Political Editor

Peter Henley an exclusive look Tight security,

a constant stream of limoushnes That's been the question worrying

Bournemouth MP Tobias Ellwood for more than a year after being

made Parliamentary liaison to Inside the Celtic Manor,

there's a buzz of military There's things that happen

in the evenings in the lobbhes and the corridors

of these meetings that are `lways very, very important but thd main

business will take place downstairs In 48 hours there are weighty

topics to be decided. In the past,

you might have thought a NATO summit But with the war in Ukraine and

fighters from the south coast going to join ISIS in Iraq, the ddcisions

being taken here seem much lore Each NATO country has a place

in the room at the heart So this is where the conferdnce

will actually take place. As you can see, a lot of delegations

will actually be here and the Prime Minister is actually coming down to

say thank you to the supporters Now Minister Tobias Ellwood is

a former soldier. I think just met one

of my former sergeant majors. Of course we're taking

the opportunity to display what The aerospace industry is ilportant

to the south`west, the biggest industry,

so they will be on display. Inside, we have various British

stands as well as international stands too, so it isn't just Britain

but all the nations here sh`ring It's a mammoth task of organisation

with 1,400 media alone waithng to analyse whatever new directhons

the delegations eventually decide. The former residence of the

Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has loved

a step closer to becoming a school Undershaw, near Hindhead,

needs extensive repairs aftdr it Now Waverley Council has given

permission for a change of tse. A charity is in the process

of buying it. English Heritage have welcoled

the plan, but say care must be taken to preserve Undershaw's significance

as a grade 2 listed building. Here's the most enduring of

fictional detectives but at the home of his creator, it's lasted rather

less well and plans to transform it into a school for children with

special needs are hated by some Arthur Conan Doyle purists

as much at the latest reimagining of his most famous creation, even with

their echoes of the original role. The house he had designed

for his invalid wife who had TB So the staircase is not

a very grand staircase. It's very disappointing in lots

of ways but as you walk down you will realise very deep steps, very

shallow steps, very easy to go up and down, perfect for our children

who have got a physical dis`bility. I get letters asking

for his autograph, Plans and assuaged are more

concerned with more traffic matters which is different from

Conan Doyle's days here. Making space for

the new occupants will requhre extra buildings but the house as Conan

Doyle Neuadd, will be retained. His writing room, for example, being

restored to provide a headm`ster study. In effect, it was

saved last night by the unanimous vote to approve this change of

useful split means that we can now proceed to restore this wonderful

old building Detailed plans for the placd will be

lodged with Waverley Council A West Sussex company has ddveloped

what it claims is a reliabld way of mixing fuel and water to help reduce

pollution. Sulnox Fuel Fusions, from Partridge Green, has producdd an

emulsifier which prevents w`ter and fuel from separating. It will be

tested by Shoreham`based engineers Ricardo and Cambridge University.

Today there was a demonstration on a 1959 Routemaster bus at Brooklands

Museum in Surrey, comparing standard diesel with the new fuel.

When the black smoke came ott, everyone could spell immedi`tely how

Once we went over to the Sulnox the smoke is whiter,

You're getting very, very mtch less particular matter, which is

Percentage wise, what we talking about?

Minus 90%, which, from a modified engine 1959 vintage, is rem`rkable.

I think your science degree to understand that. On to sport. Rugby

starts this weekend. It's a good time for rugby at the moment. A lot

more money coming in and thhs weekend, the Rugby union prdmiership

season gets underway. London Welsh will be looking to maintain momentum

after promotion into the top tier while at London Irish, who play

their games at the Madejski Stadium, will hope to avoid another

relegation scrap. We went along to training.

A new campaign, and the slate is wiped clean.

Last season's relegation fight consigned to the past.

All focus is now on the curtain`raiser

It's always a little bit more spice as well

because, historically, this has been the derby game for London Irish

and Harlequins, with local bragging rights, because we occupy a similar

We know a lot of their playdrs and they know a lot of our boys

It's a great occasion, terrific way to kick off thd season.

On this display, London Irish are doing everxthing

The arrival of a dozen new faces and much`needed money has lhfted

With new investment in a state`of`the`art trainhng

facility, Irish will be hophng to look up the league this season

The new owners have put a lot into the club, invested heavily

and you can see the facilithes now, so we have got everything that we

Things are really stable and they haven't really been

They may have lost star turn James O'Connor but Brian Smhth

A shored up forward pack should allow the men out wide

The big picture is everyone wants to be at the top table of Etrope.

We understand we need to be patient but we want to push forward

and make big strides as quickly as we possibly can.

Starting with learning thosd bragging rights on Saturday.

In speedway, the play`offs `re still on track. Wolverhampton werd beaten

48`42 last night. That's after being behind for the first 12 heats. Just

three fixtures remaining. Ndxt up is Lakeside away tomorrow. You may have

seen our report on the future of Salisbury city football club earlier

in the show. This weekend as non`league football date scheduled

to coincide with the Intern`tional football fixtures, all of the local

non`league football clubs h`ve reduced ticket prices this weekend

to encourage fans to support the local team. One non`league team

that's taken a different approach to attracting attention is Bashngstoke

town of the conference South. They have put in a bid for Brazilian

superstar Ronald Ennio. The World Cup winner has played on sole of the

biggest stages in world football from Barcelona to Milan but when the

club had that is available on a free transfer they e`mailed his `gent to

see the move could be done. We took at look at what plaxers were

free, obviously with the tr`nsfer Shocked I suppose is

the right word that Ronaldiho was a free agent, so what better way to

get back into football than to come Unfortunately, there have not heard

anything back. Actress Sarah Parish is known by her roles in a string of

TV programmes ranging from Cutting It and Mistresses. Also the scheming

Queen Pasiphae in Atlantis. She s in Hampshire this weekend for ` big

event to help a charity close to their heart. She is with me now on

the red sofa. Thanks for coling in. What is this big thing on Stnday?

I'm hosting and enormous sponsored walk in aid of the charity which

supports a paediatric intensive care unit at Southampton. We are looking

for as many people as possible to come along and walk with us. You

don't have to be sponsored or registered, just turn up on the day,

have a burger and a drink, `nd are looking for as many people `s

possible to come along and walk with us. You don't have to be sponsored

or registered, just turn up on the day, have a burger and a drhnk, and

do a prams, dogs, anybody w`nt. You're raising theirs for something

and there was close to your heart that you and your husband h`ve set

up this foundation to raise how much in total? We have found a trust in

memory of our daughter Emma Jane. We have been asked by Southampton

Hospital to raise ?1 million the new Children's Hospital king buhlt in

Southampton. It will serve `s the South of England so it's incredibly

important we get it built. Xou don't talk much about her. Just tdll us

what did happen. My first d`ughter was born in 2008 with a verx nasty

congenital heart defect. We could not save her unfortunately. But she

did manage to live for eight months, half of the time was spent hn

hospital in Southampton so we got to see how fantastic the staff were

there. Five years ago. Is it still is painful now as it clearlx was

back then? The sadness never goes. The pain never goes, but evdry time

I raise ?1 for the charity we have started, I remember Emma Jane and

that's got to be good. You know you are helping other families. If she

can save other lives, help other children, fantastic. The person who

raises the most money gets to go with you on the Atlantis set. It's a

fantastic prize. They come `nd spend the day with me and have lunch, meet

all the cast, and if there hs seen, they could get dressed up and could

become a supporting artist. OK, if you don't know what Atlanta's is

about, what to this. Ariadnd looked so beautiful in this dress. Such a

shame. The scouts found somd tracks leading West. I want them c`ptured

before sundown. What is it like playing somebody evil? Brilliant.

Evil parts are always the bdst. The best lines, costumes, storylines.

It's coming back, whole used areas I'm filming a mouthful to bd

finished filming in October and it goes out of the end of October so

you have 13 new episodes coling out. Is she as evil in the new sdries?

She is way worse. I can't w`it to see it. Good luck on Sunday. Raising

a lot of money. Southampton Common, so go down there. Do me a f`vour, do

the evil Queen luck to camera too. Oh, I think she will have a nice

face on Sunday. I will, ten o'clock, be there. Gardening is a labour of

love for many people but how about 30 years on a single plant? That is

how long it has taken Victoria from Hampshire to develop a new species

of sunflower. At 17 feet, it is thought to be one of the tallest so

it has been given the monikdr jarrah. Simple really. We sdnt Steve

Humphrey to meet her. I think I can just about to get to the top of the

sunflower here. They are thd sunshine loving giants are being

scarred. Adding a splash of vibrant yellow. There are many types of

sunflower. But these plants stand literally head and shoulders above a

lot of the opposition. They are a new species of sunflower.

Painstakingly created by Victoria Wakefield in her garden in

Hampshire. Every year, for 30 years, she has selected seeds from

the tallest sunflower in her garden and then replanted them. I love them

dearly and I find they causd a great deliver news and to ourselvds and

the general public. Are thex the biggest species of sunflower

variance? I believe them to be so, yes. When it came to choosing a name

for the new species, Victorha Starr came to choosing a name for the new

species, Victoria star Ken `ccount. I have chosen giraffe. Therd is one

way to measure the success of a sunflower. It is 12 foot six. The

tallest was 14 foot. The sedds will soon be available. There have been

produced at a special seed production farm in Africa. Hf you

are interested in seeing Victoria's garden, it's open on September 1 as

part of the National open G`rdens scheme. I love them. They look

gorgeous. This was photographed by Mike Leigh.

A few sunny spells today by a little more cloud than originally thought

and that turned the sunshind hazy in places. A lot of low cloud,

extensive low cloud, more than last night. Also some valley fog in

places. Will fall to 17 Celsius with the light wind, it could be a great

start tomorrow. One or two showers dotted about. Dry weather as well

predominantly across the region with sunny spells. Sunny spells lore

likely in the afternoon so ` slow, improving picture through the day,

21`22. More cloud than yestdrday and today. Tomorrow night, a quhet night

and the odd shower is a possibility. Once again, very like tonight, mist

and fog is a possibility. Low cloud and valley fog as well. Temperatures

falling to 14`15. I dry start to the weekend and thanks to high pressure,

it should stay dry through the day. The risk of the odd shower from this

weather front moving southw`rds Behind it, the air will be ` lot

cooler towards Sunday so Saturday will be the warm of the two days. At

the weekend, some sunshine. Also mainly dry with the odd shower on

Saturday. Turning slightly cooler as we had through the day on Stnday. A

cooler fresher air. Here is your outlook. Tomorrow, a grey note.

Gradually the cloud will thhn and break to allow for some bright and

sunny spells but I can't promise wall`to`wall sunshine. Saturday 20

Celsius. And improving picttre. Sunday is the best day in tdrms of

sunny spells and a high of 09 Celsius and we held on to the

settled conditions as we he`d into Monday. Alexis, thank you. Tomorrow,

we are setting the weather to music. You are going to be singing. It s

not me, Sarah. No, I don't think the forecasters are bursting into song

but it's an interesting piece. Bye bye.