19/12/2011 BBC Points West

Of good evening Tilstock welcome to points west. On the move at Honda.

A new car and 500 more jobs as the company says things are getting

better. And a jail for the illegal clampers who caused misery. The

community clubs together to give hundreds of the three Christmas

dinners. And I have been popping down Chinese to make sure I can

deliver presents. -- Chenies. -- chimneys.

Christmas came early in Swindon to date at Honda. There was a bed

announcement - a 500 new jobs. The chief executive said that Honda

Europe had turned the corner after supply problems earlier this year.

Amidst all the razzmatazz of the seeing the first cars of a new

generation of models a collective sigh of relief that 500 new staff

will be recruited. Absolutely fabulous news for

Swindon and all other suppliers. There have been difficult times and

people have been despondent but they will take today as a real

positive. 3,000 staff currently work on the

site and have had a tricky couple of the heels. The plant had to

close for months and 2009. Voluntary redundancy was offered to

over 1,000 staff. And then the Japanese is tsunami stopped vital

supplies getting through to the Swindon plant. In April a two-day

week was put in place. We have come out stronger and more

unified and are now looking to move forward.

Can the economic climate to sustain extra production?

It will be tough and it will not get easier across Europe. Most of

our exports go to Europe. But there are signs that even if the industry

stays flat, this is a good product. It is also good news for many other

businesses in the surrounding area. There is a knock-on effect. So it

is fabulous news for Swindon and it will give confidence to the town.

So hopes for the future rest on production of these cars. 180,000

will be produced in this plant at next year. Just for once, reasons

to be cheerful in the economic gloom.

Young people and Weston Super Mare marched on the town hall today

demanding a change to planned council cuts. The local council

says it will cut two-thirds of the budget for youth clubs. It claims

many are unused. But that was not the view of those on the street

today. Without our youth club there is

nowhere to go when nobody to talk On a rainy night like this you do

not want to be walking about with nothing to do.

We are here to show to the council was what the youth service means to

It will have an impact on people. They are becoming upset. It will

place the council under more pressure.

Soon, that pressure was being applied.

You are so worried about the older generation that you are not

thinking about the future. The council says that they would

like to keep services as they are. -- cannot afford to keep services

as they are. That view was not welcomed.

Without them, I do not know what people will do.

They do not have all the facts but we still must make sure that they

get what they need. For these youngsters, braving the

rain and taking to the streets, was the only way of getting involved.

The Government launched a Positive Youth strategy today. But other

places are also slashing budgets. I spoke to a spokesperson from the

charity, United Kingdom youth, and asked if that made sense.

There are cuts all across the country. We think the Government is

correct to push for a Positive Youth agenda but they must take

more into consideration during these times.

But at the same time as you talk about involving youths in decision-

making, their services are being cut.

Absolutely. We think it is important that money spent and

youth services but if it must be limited then we must place young

people at the heart of how it is used.

You have done some research and young people are not happy.

They find this a depressing time to be young. Not much hope for the

future, not many jobs, no prospect of long-term security.

Many people watching will say that they have entertainment on a scale

that previous generations would not recognise.

It is not just about entertainment, but the possibility of looking into

their future and seeing prospects. Three men from Somerset who ran an

illegal clamping business have been sentenced to a total of 10 years in

jail. Drivers who had their cars pounded by a -- impounded were told

that they must pay up to �500 each to get them back. Carlton Williams,

police stack, and Michael Rattle. They intimidated and exploited

motorists across the West Country. They were part of the clamping

company who went beyond the boundaries of the acceptable and

even though it legal. The prosecution today accused them of

blackmail. Day and night they would lay in wait specialising in

targeting all there will motorists. Often mothers with children. --

vulnerable motorists. Their fees were eye watering. Up to �500,

always in cash. This army major was a victim. She was visiting a

relative when her car was clamped and lifted.

She reflected on being told that she would only get her car by could

she paid �500 in cash. I explained I was just back from a

tour of duty and all my military equipment was in the car. They

laughed and said, yeah, really! We get told the stories all the time.

They were jailed today after the judge said that the exploited

considerable sums with their bullying and aggressive behaviour.

The boss of the company also admitted benefit fraud of up to

�42,000. He was jailed for 5 1/2 years. His partner, a three-year

term. And the employee, 18 months. I have known them for a number of

years and was shocked at the way they have treated people. They have

bully people into handing over lots of money for their own property.

Tonight the men began jail terms There are just six nights until

Christmas. Most of the children have finished school and you have

got the team here to keep you company throughout the week. Coming

up: some of the world's rarest of birds, newly arrived at Slimbridge.

And they certainly know it is Christmas - how the staff at

Patchway Community College marked Six men accused of killing a

Cheltenham man in India five years ago have been acquitted. Stephen

Bennett was travelling to mum by when he was killed. The family have

always claimed that the investigation was flawed from the

beginning. When Stephen Bennett lost his life in this remote Indian

village -- why he lost his life has been a mystery. But his family knew

that he was worried about a criminal gang who had been

threatening him. He left a chilling message on their answerphone days

The police case was that Stephen had tried to attacked a woman.

Other villagers then killed him and hung him from a tree. But during

the trial of five men charged the key witness statement was thrown

out of course because it did not match forensic evidence. Stephen's

parents also sent an affidavit to the judge claiming that the killing

was more sinister. Since the very beginning it has

been smoke screens, nonsense, changing of evidence, changing of

witnesses, even people not bothering to turn up.

The family want in the possmac Central Bureau of Investigation to

The appeal will at long delays to the family's search for the truth,

Of 48-year-old Michael Westbrook was a man did in custody this

warning. If he is accused of stabbing a woman at the weekend.

She is in hospital with serious injuries and he will appear in the

crown court in the New Year. The lorry driver killed in the

crash on the M5 in Gloucestershire has been named. Peter Marlow, who

was 55 and from Clutton near Bristol, was driving this Royal

Mail lorry. It was in collision with two other lorries and two cars.

The motorway was closed at junction 11 for Cheltenham for 11 hours.

Gloucestershire police said a sudden change in the weather was a

factor in the crash. The special programme about Stokes

Croft in Bristol is on tonight. Earlier this year, there was

serious disorder in the area sparked by the local opposition to

the opening of a Tesco store. This weekend, volunteers wanting to

retain the character of the area opened arrivals people's

supermarket. It is a bit of a food desert here. We will be bringing in

fresh fruit and veg from local community farms and growing produce

round the outskirts of Bristol and making it as cheap as possible. It

will be not for profit. To see more, that programme starts

at 7:30pm here on BBC One. Charities that provide vital food

supplies for people in the West say more and more people are calling on

them for help. As Christmas approaches, one food bank in

Trowbridge has found that as demand is increasing, perhaps surprisingly,

given the current economic situation, so is supply.

Julia Causton has been along to find out more. We were delivering

parcels last year and one came to the door and she was quite

overwhelmed by the parcel that she got. Her little boy came along and

he then said that we're going to look like everyone else at

Christmas. Here in Trowbridge, they're

stuffing sacks for a very different kind of Santa. This Christmas, many

families are finding it hard to buy presents, but some are struggling

to buy Christmas lunch. We make up a food bag that contains

enough food for Christmas Day, so you have crackers, sweets,

cranberry sauce, stuffing, serviettes, everything. Everything

is in the bag. Those behind the foodbank say she's

seen a noticeable increase in the number of people living on the

breadline While foodbanks are not new, the

500 people, belief we have provided for more than 4,500 people. It is

the 25% increase to what we had last year coming up for Christmas.

Traditional food Bank elections in our supermarkets are not new. The

national Tressell Trust Foodbank Network, which started in Wiltshire,

says at the start of this year it was opening one new bank a week.

While many more are asking for help, many more are also prepared to give

You realise there are some not so fortunate people as us. It would

enable them to enjoy Christmas Day. We thought that foodbank was very

worthy of our support. It helps our local people in our local

communities. If we all have lovely things at Christmas. They hardly

have anything. I think it is really good that we're given to people who

do not have thought we'd do. So while the economic forecast is

gloomy, the foodbank here is, for now, managing to stay in the black

and give at least a little bit of Christmas cheer.

Is it turkey or goose for you this year?

Everything in lashings! A captive breeding programme has

started in Gloucestershire to try to save some of the world's rarest

birds. There are fewer than 200 spoon-billed sandpipers left in the

wild. Now 13 of them are being given a

new home at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge.

Victoria Gill reports. This is a site that very few people

have witnessed. And spoon-billed sandpipers in the wild. It is

rapidly ran gnashing. -- vanishing. These birds are run the very brink

of extinction. This team are here to help. Here in Gloucestershire,

conservationists have spent six months carefully preparing this

purpose-built to Avery for a captive breeding programme that

they hope will save the species. There are 13 birds here and they

represent 5% of the entire world population of spoon-billed

sandpipers. They have been on a very long journey to get here. It

began on the remote tundra of Far East Russia. The birds nesting

grounds. In this forbidding expands, the team managed to collect 20 tiny

eggs. They hatched on board a ship and 13 of the birds are now it

finally safely in their new UK home. The birds that we have here could

be the saviours of the species. There are a lot of things to sort

out and nature and we do not think we have the time to do that. This

is an insurance against extinction. It will buy us time to sort out

those problems. Now that they are in their new Avery, the hope is

that these few birds will be the start of a breeding programme which

will prevent this unusual little bird from being lost forever.

Former Gloucester and England rugby legend Phil Vickery has taken his

first steps into coaching. He is, of course, also the winner of

Celebrity MasterChef and he's joined Cinderford rugby club as a

consultant, teaming up with his former Gloucester colleague Andy

Deacon. His first chance to pass on the knowledge gained in a long

career came on Saturday as his new club secured a convincing win.

73 England caps, 145 appearances for Gloucester and Celebrity

MasterChef, now coach. Cinderford is where Phil Vickery has chosen to

try his hand at another career. It is exciting. I was quite nervous

this morning coming into a club, not knowing too many of the players.

He is here to help the team but clearly he has a commercial value.

Fingers crossed he has the benefit for both. He has the experience he

can pass on. I hope he will inspire the lads to get some results.

Cinderford play in the National League One - two leagues below the

Premiership. Vickery is joining up with old friend and former

Gloucester colleague, Andy Deacon. He has done it all and he is an

iconic figure. He gives a lift to the club.

The game went well with a convincing win.

It just made sense. I want to be involved in the game. I want to get

back in touch with that. I have been out of it for 12 months. I

have other commitments and it just seemed a very natural progression

for me. I am wanted here and I want to be here. I hope I can help the

team. So will he be popping into the

kitchen and passing on a bit of advice there?

They are more than well-equipped! I will take a very much a back seat!

The move to coaching isn't easy, but both Cinderford and Phil

Vickery are hoping this experience is a recipe for success for club

and coach. It is perhaps the greatest delivery

operation in history - Santa's one night whizz around the world. We

may never know exactly how he manages it, but we do know his

favourite way of actually delivering presents.

It is, of course, access via chimney. With a quick stop off for

mince pies. But for one young boy from the Cotswolds, the chimney

delivery was a little bit of a worry. Here's Jules Hyam.

Six days to go! Across the land, children aged six to 60 can and

sometimes do get rather over excited. But one young man, Leo,

aged six, was getting very concerned that Santa wouldn't fit

down his chimney. So with Leo's letter asking him for

help, Mr Paxton the housebuilder got in touch with Alan the

Architect and he contacted the North Pole. Leo spotted that Santa

is not exactly... Let's just say that 12 million mince pies in one

evening does take its toll. With his plea for help, this is what

happened. The House builder got in touch with the architect --

architect, B Godden touch with the North Pole.

What came back was the work of genius maths elves.

So with the secretes of the chimney risk factor formula, Mr Paxton the

Housebuilder set about building Leo a chimney. Will this actually work?

They're going to put it to the test, using a crane and Santa.

And there he is, demonstrating rather elegantly for young Leo that

a nice wide and open chimney will indeed accommodate Santa, with

plenty of spare room for presents. Yep, I know it's pretty funny, but

Santa's a funny kind of a guy! give him a big hug! So, the perfect

to me for Santa. Even if he does have a chimney, he can still

deliver presents, as long as you have been good. If there isn't a

tinny, we can miniaturise. It takes a little time, but it is well worth

it. But I also carry a magic key to be able to get into most of the

homes. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is

how he does it, though I'm sure he's got a few other secret

techniques up his rather large sleeves.

That was adorable! Now, when the pupils at Patchway

Community College near Bristol broke up for the Christmas holidays,

their teachers had a very special treat planned for them.

And they couldn't resist sharing it with us. Take a look at this.

It is a Christmas number one I think!

Do you reckon? I wish my teachers had done that if let us take a look

at the weather. Ian's got the sniffles. I'm sure he said Man Flu.

sniffles. I'm sure he said Man Flu. So here's Shefali Oza with this

evening's forecast. The key features of the week will

be a milder feel to things and some periods of rain. We saw the first

band of rain go through today, which give us some heavier

outbreaks. We have a series of fronts stacking up on the Atlantic.

The winds are going to temporarily deviate to north-westerly tonight,

but the main thrust of the wins will be from the south-west. That

is why we're getting a rise in temperatures. Around coastal areas

of the next 18 hours, the Windsor quite strong. West to North-West

and moderate to rough seas will be the result. For the rest of us, it

is dry. It will be quite mild compared to recent nights. Lows of

five Celsius. Tomorrow morning, the cloud breaks up nicely towards the

East. Gradually, the cloud starts to climb in from the West ahead of

the next system that will come in tomorrow evening. It should stay

dry during daylight hours and when it turns dark, but temperatures

from 69 Celsius. It is another mild says. That cloud and that rain

starts to move even further eastwards to Marmite. You can see

from the darker colours that they will be quite heavy. That clears

off to the North East towards the end of the night, leaving all parts

dried by then. Again, it is mild. The Rangers clears the north-

eastern corner on Wednesday morning, a leading light cloud and mist and

hill fog. Other than that, some outbreaks of rain on Thursday and