21/12/2011 BBC Points West


21/12/2011

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Good evening and welcome to BBC Points West. Our headlines tonight:

:00:09.:00:13.

Killed for a mobile phone. Two thieves are found guilty of the

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murder of a young father who tried A bleak Christmas for construction

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workers as a building firm collapses.

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Where does 007 sit? An exclusive look round the government's spy

:00:29.:00:32.

centre in Cheltenham. And lit up for the longest night. A

:00:32.:00:42.
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white horse in Wiltshire shines Good evening. Two robbers are

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facing a life sentence for murdering a young father for his

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mobile phone. They took his iPhone and stabbed Keith Soons in the head

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when he tried to get it back. Both men are well known to the

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police in Cheltenham after years of criminality. The officer who called

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and said this was the most callous crime he had seen in 25 years.

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We have been following the case and talking to the victims -- victim's

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devastated family. When he passed away part of us died forever. We

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cannot come to terms with his death and why he was taken from us as

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such a young age with his life ahead of him. Keith Soons' sister

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talking outside court today. He was on a night out in Cheltenham with

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his friends on 4th February earlier this year. The following morning he

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was found lying unconscious in this road. He died in hospital with his

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partner and his daughter by his bedside. That day was horrible, the

:01:49.:01:59.
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worst day of my life. And Tooley was there. -- Tilly. If I knew it

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was happening I wouldn't have taken her. The ventilator would move, he

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would make her laugh, and she had only just begun to laugh then, as

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well. She was looking at him, and she didn't know what to do. She

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didn't know what was going on. He would move and she would think he

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was working up and then he wouldn't. She didn't know what was going on.

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Then she started crying and realised he wasn't waking up. They

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said they were turning the machine off because there was nothing they

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could do for him. After his death Gloucestershire

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police launched a manhunt which eventually led to the rest of

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Michael Sexton and Richard Smith, two well-known local criminals.

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CCTV footage showed the pair heading towards wet Keith Soons was

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attacked. In one image police have identified what they say is a

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screwdriver which was taken from a previous robbery earlier in the

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night. Both admitted to being at the scene of the attack. Sexton

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pleaded guilty to robbery but both denied murder. Each blamed the

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other for delivering the fatal blow which eventually killed him. The

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jury were told Michael Sexton and Richard Smith had been on a night

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out in Cheltenham and it was around 3am they were on their way home

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along this road. They spotted Keith Soons sitting on the steps of that

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flat waiting for his friend to come home. It is their they decided to

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rob him. They took his mobile phone, wallet and ring. As Sexton Anne

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Smith headed in that direction Keith Soons decided to give chase.

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-- Sexton and Smith. They turned into here with Keith Soons

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continuing to follow them, saying he wanted his mobile phone back

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because it has pictures of his child and wife. This is where this

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tragic journey ends, because Keith Soons was struck here in the head

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with a screwdriver. Today the jury found both Sexton and Smith guilty

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of murder. Those would say they had a certain

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reputation in Cheltenham. They have grown up as petty criminals. They

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have lived on a diet of the thievery and violence. 25 years in

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the police, the one thing that has struck me was the obvious lack of

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humanity that existed in this crime. I have seen violence, but I have

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never really seen anyone just leave someone in the street the way they

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did. Keith Soons' family say although they are pleased with the

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verdict his murder has changed their lives forever. Can I just add,

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if there is somebody out there that you miss and love so much, please

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tell them. We don't have that opportunity to tell Keith, and

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believe me, that is what really hurts of the most. Thank you.

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His family left court tonight knowing his murderers both face

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life imprisonment when they are sentenced tomorrow.

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And some very moving scenes outside the court. The family had to sit

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some suits -- 63 some gruesome evidence.

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At times I could see them covering their ears, as T the evidence when

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he was found lying unconscious. And also when they talked about how

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that screwdriver was forced into his head. There was testimony from

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Michael Sexton, one of the men convicted, when he talked about

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what they did, after the attack, and he talks about Richard Smith

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had said to him and have always wanted to know what it was like to

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kill someone. Pretty gruesome stuff. They have been convicted of murder,

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a mandatory life sentence but did judges making more Commons tomorrow.

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He will taking everything about the attack and will set the minimum 10

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they have to serve before they are considered for parole.

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Hundred of construction workers in the West received bad news this

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morning when it was announced the company they work for has called in

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the administrators. Blackhorse Construction has been around for a

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quarter-century. It has sites across the region.

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This is the headquarters in Wiltshire, and in these modest

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buildings this morning 100 staff were given their redundancy notices,

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what a way to end the year. There are more crossed the West Country.

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For the depot in Wellington, they ran the operation from here, and 50

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Somerset staff will also given redundancy letters. In all, 180

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people were laid off today. The last 40 will remain here in

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Wiltshire to help the administrators. Unsurprisingly,

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none of them much wanted to talk to reporters.

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And this was their business, ground works, because, the first job on a

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building site and making green fields ready for new homes --

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diggers. This is my third recession, the hardest and deepest. Even

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experienced builders will tell you this industry is going through a

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difficult time. Very sad they have gone under. The whole construction

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industry is a very competitive market and very tough. Costs of

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building materials have risen quickly, some doubling in the year.

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The prices builders can charge have dropped, if anything, and there is

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just less work around. The main thing is the volumes have gone. The

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major projects have now disappeared, which has condensed the whole

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market which means all the big companies are coming down to the

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smaller markets, which makes it very competitive. It is not

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universal, this little trading estate is just down the road. This

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company fitter you shops and hotels. -- fit out new shops. We are doing

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a lot of office refurbishment and things where people are not moving.

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Doing quite well on that. builder told me today his industry

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has been in recession for three-and a-half years, and as time was on

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more and more companies across the West Country will face the sort of

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difficulties Blackhorse has. Gloomy prospect, let's hope things

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get better in the new year. Christmas week, and you're watching

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BBC Points West. Still to come: how gene therapy

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could help protect the heart of diabetes sufferers.

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And lighting up a white horse for the longest night of the year.

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Do stay with us. A cafe set up and run by homeless

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people in Taunton has been forced to close. It was opened in June

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last year by the Taunton Association for the Homeless. The

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aim was to raise money for the charity, but also provide valuable

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work experience and life skills for the homeless. Today the charity

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closed its doors saying it could no longer sustain the losses.

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35 bus routes could go in Somerset. The county council has announced

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what cuts it is planning for the next financial year. It is on top

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of �2 million of savings it has already paid to services which

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could make a profit -- already made. Police are calling on members of

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the public to be on the lookout for Cable thieves posing as rail

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workers. A series of thefts primarily targeting signalling

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cable have occurred on rail lines in areas like Stow-on-the-Wold in

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Gloucestershire. They have left cabling in a dangerous condition

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which could cause injury to others. An organisation that helps people

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from difficult backgrounds to find employment is opening new premises

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in Bristol. Positive Causes was set up in 2009 and employees sell a

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monthly magazine in towns and cities and door-to-door. The

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profits go towards community project for the young and

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vulnerable. -- project.

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They are working hard, and soon this will be a new internet cafe

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and drop-in centre for Positive Causes. It is a non-profit

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organisation set up by a former prison and drug addict who found

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even when he had changed, his past stopped him getting work.

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It has given me a purpose and structure. I spent most of my life

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in and out of prison and addicted to drugs. I sorted myself out. I am

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helping the community by the people I employ, it is also helping me as

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well. They make and sell a monthly magazine and what started with four

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staff grew to 45. This is the latest edition of the Positive

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Causes magazine. You may have seen it on the streets, you may even

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have bought it. Sometimes the seller will directly need the

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support, other times the money raised will go to different

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projects to help people struggling with their lives. Initially

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designed to help those battling drug abuse or criminal records it

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has also offered a chance for young people out of work to get a start.

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I just wanted a job, to be honest. Then I started getting more

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involved, and I am feeling good about myself so I carried on doing

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it. He gives youngsters employment, help for CVs, you have always got a

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friendly face to speak to. A good working atmosphere. It has made me

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get up every day with a smile on my face knowing I am giving something

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back to the community, doing something local, and I know people

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around me benefit. The new premises in Bristol's old market a due to

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open in the new year marking the next step for Positive Causes.

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It is hoped the new study being carried out at the University of

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Bristol could help prevent heart disease in people with diabetes.

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The research which uses the gene therapy has been shown to work on

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mice, but as our health correspondent reports, more needs

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to be done before it can be Robin Smith is only too aware that

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he is at a much greater risk of a heart attack. He was diagnosed with

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pate two by BT's six years ago. Cycling on average at 100 miles a

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week means this 77-year-old is hoping to live many more areas.

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It is most important that I exercise as much as I can to

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prevent these problems. Their research into heart problems is

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very important. Diabetic patients do not produce

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enough of a compound called nerve growth factor. This prevents heart

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-- heart failure. The scientist is thus published a paper which

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demonstrates that by injecting the compound into diabetic mice, their

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heart function can be improved. Maybe we can be funded now and can

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measure for diabetic function by using a special graph for the mouse.

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Mace protected by this compounds show better function. Two years ago,

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Hatim showed that nerve growth factor could help treat heart

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attack patients. This study shows that the dangerous consequences of

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diabetes could also be reduced. Scientists have shown that by

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injecting tiny amounts of the chemical into diabetic mice they

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have been able to reduce the heart complications expected. They say

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that the next stage is to experiment with this on pegs.

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-- pigs. Now, for 60 years it was at the

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forefront of the Government's intelligence mission, but at the

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end of this week, the last workers will leave GCHQ's Oakley site in

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Cheltenham to move into the main headquarters. TV Cameras have never

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been allowed inside. Until now. Our reporter Steve Knibbs has been

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given exclusive access to one of the government's most secret sites.

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GCHQ Oakley, with its iconic buildings high above Cheltenham,

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watching over the town as it has listened in on the world. My guide

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today is GCHQ's historian, Tony. We're only allowed to use first

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names. What sort of work was done here? Mainly classified work. This

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was the headquarters site. Much of the operational work a was done on

:15:35.:15:44.

this site. Today the buildings are being decommssioned. Offices that

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once thrived, now quiet, but it gives us a chance to see what was

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once hidden from the outside world. This is what you would expect to

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see - a place for Secure documents? This is the director revolt and

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this is where all the documents would have been kept securely,

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inside the vault. Inside the vault, cabinets protected by a combination

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locks. Delve a little deeper and you get a glimpse of the might of

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the intelligence gathering here. Through now derelict corridors Tony

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showed me into one of the massive computer halls. This is no one

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large empty space but during the period it was used, the computers

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were used for processing power with different machines. It was never

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the same configuration for very long. How many halls like this

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:16:47.:16:48.

would there have been? Several. What's? Several. We were shown

:16:48.:16:58.
:16:58.:17:06.

these massive killing units which kept the area cool. -- cooling. And

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next door these giant generators - they'd kick in if there was a power

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cut - and by necessity, they're pretty powerful.

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It is all very quiet now and if only these Walls Could Talk. The

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work done here until only a few weeks ago was classified

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insensitive, and the opportunity to bring a camera into film -

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impossible. There's a desire for GCHQ to be more open, where it can,

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and with this site destined to become housing, this was a chance

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to share the history of a site that not only changed the town, but

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helped shape the world. And Steve will be back at GCHQ

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tomorrow uncovering more of the history of the site and talking to

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people that have worked there for most of their lives, so do join us

:17:52.:18:02.
:18:02.:18:07.

for that. Did you know that today has been an important time in the

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calendar since the neolithic age. People in Wiltshire have been

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marking the shorter stay by creating a rather special light

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show of on a special hillside. This is through Wiltshire village

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of honey street. On that hill is the particular white horse that

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will be the focus today of a very ancient tradition. The celebration

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of winter solstice, the shortest day. Something celebrated for as

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long as humankind has known what they that is. Plenty of people have

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welcomed back the Sun today along with the prospect of even longer

:18:47.:18:52.

days. To celebrate the solstice since they will you need special

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equipment. These candles that are kept in jars. You can be posh and

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go for the winter lantern. You still have to get it up over that

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hill. This is an amazing view up here - completely stunning.

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Apparently it is over there. We eventually found the right hell.

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There was a big clue, and then the hard work started. It was suggested

:19:25.:19:30.

to us that we could revive an ancient tradition of lighting the

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white horses. As of 1957, some of them were still at. This year it is

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easy but last year there was a lot of snow and it was difficult. It is

:19:42.:19:47.

important to gather together and it is fun. This is the shortest day of

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the year. This is where the custom of Christmas come from - lighting

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up the house and lighting up the inside and outside. There are

:19:59.:20:03.

plenty of people getting excited about how it works including this

:20:03.:20:07.

chap and a lot of youngsters. What is more exciting - the winter

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solstice or Christmas? I don't know. Christmas. I don't know. They are

:20:15.:20:22.

both quite exciting. Then you start getting a longer days again.

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really want to see it when it is darker because it will probably

:20:26.:20:33.

look more exciting than it does now. It is a few minutes before 4pm just

:20:33.:20:38.

now and just before the sun sets. Not dark but already plenty of

:20:38.:20:43.

people lighting candles and you can see the effect. Just a few more

:20:43.:20:46.

candles left to put down and we will leave them to put the

:20:46.:20:53.

finishing touches to it. We're back down in the village now. The time

:20:53.:20:59.

is just after 4:30pm and make his pollen. You can still see the

:20:59.:21:05.

magical bowling winter solstice horse through the fog. Days are

:21:05.:21:15.
:21:15.:21:17.

getting longer and that means someone is nearly here. -- summer.

:21:17.:21:22.

A correction to her story about the Welsh a film who will put into

:21:22.:21:29.

administration. The company it is called Black Horse contractors, not

:21:29.:21:32.

black course construction, who are still trading.

:21:32.:21:35.

Now, if you're organised you may have selected your Christmas

:21:35.:21:43.

wrapping paper already and wrapped up all the presents. Not quite. If

:21:43.:21:46.

you haven't, then here's a thought. A group of children from Hatherop

:21:46.:21:50.

Primary School near Fairford has come up with a novel way to raise

:21:50.:21:55.

money for their sports field. Simon Lewis went to find out more.

:21:56.:22:01.

Christmas, and the frantic search for presents maybe soon upon us.

:22:01.:22:05.

Don't worry, once you have got those presents and you want to put

:22:05.:22:15.
:22:15.:22:15.

them in something different. This uniquely designed festive wrapping

:22:15.:22:20.

paper features 83 individual snowmen, sketched by each of the

:22:20.:22:29.

school's pupils. I wanted a pudgy snowman because I think the other

:22:29.:22:34.

cases. I wanted it to be again also added eyelashes. I added some

:22:34.:22:43.

shadow to mind to make it look a bit darker. I thought that men

:22:43.:22:50.

usually wear ties for Christmas dinner so I added that I to it.

:22:50.:22:54.

eco-friendly wrapping paper is to be sold to raise funds for the

:22:54.:22:58.

school's play area. Already, and number of local businesses have

:22:58.:23:04.

agreed to sell it. Somebody came up with the idea of wrapping a person

:23:04.:23:09.

in the paper for a promotional photograph. The idea to cough. She

:23:09.:23:13.

has been team Ascot. Do you think we will send you off to Father

:23:14.:23:22.

Christmas? No. I think there will be some very careful wrapping of

:23:22.:23:27.

Christmas to make sure their little snowman is not a rat. Some of the

:23:27.:23:31.

children will probably retain it and keep it for years to come.

:23:31.:23:35.

you are looking to wrap your present this year, made a spare a

:23:35.:23:44.

thought for all those 83 snowmen. I know a lot of people who pulled

:23:44.:23:52.

it up carefully and keep it for next year. == fold. And finally

:23:52.:23:55.

before we leave you, we want to wish someone a speedy recovery. You

:23:55.:23:58.

may remember Keeleigh Redfern, from Somerset, who was very poorly with

:23:58.:24:04.

failing kidneys and liver. Well, the good news is that she has had a

:24:04.:24:08.

double transplant and is now recovering in hospital. Her mum

:24:08.:24:11.

says she is doing well. And we hope to catch up with Keeleigh once

:24:11.:24:21.
:24:21.:24:22.

she's back at home. Happy Christmas, Keeleigh!

:24:22.:24:32.
:24:32.:24:35.

What a contrast already compared to last week. Noticeably mild today,

:24:35.:24:40.

as it will be through the course of tomorrow. Temperatures in the mould

:24:40.:24:49.

double figures. At the eye and benign story to come. Other than a

:24:49.:24:54.

cold front coming on Friday, it is pretty benign with some high

:24:54.:25:00.

pressure in the south of us. It continues to be mild and for the

:25:00.:25:08.

time being, it will persist. A when the story into Christmas Day but

:25:08.:25:13.

effectively it should be dry. We can see the cold front coming

:25:13.:25:20.

through with a good indication that it will remain mild all the way

:25:20.:25:26.

through Christmas. Long-range prospects remain to be a broadly

:25:26.:25:30.

similar story into the first week of January, with not a hint of any

:25:30.:25:40.
:25:40.:25:40.

Severe weather. Through tonight, the high pressure to the south of

:25:40.:25:47.

us. Comparatively mild over the Atlantic ocean with the variable

:25:47.:25:50.

amounts of cloud around until we see this cold front arriving which

:25:50.:25:55.

will be a feature in to Friday. No set really a very wet weather

:25:56.:26:01.

between now and then. Some bricks in the cloud. We continue with that

:26:02.:26:07.

mixture through this evening and tonight with the winds moderate.

:26:07.:26:17.
:26:17.:26:20.

Little chance of any brain. -- rain. Temperatures will only drop by

:26:20.:26:26.

around two or three Celsius. No threat of any frost. Tomorrow will

:26:26.:26:33.

see a good amount of cloud around. At Friday for us all up and down to

:26:33.:26:43.

that early afternoon, there will be some brighter spells. Decent stuff

:26:43.:26:46.

through the course of the afternoon and that is how it will remain into

:26:46.:26:50.

the evening with the winds coming in from that direction with the

:26:50.:26:57.

temperatures reflecting it, at around 12 Celsius. Friday, that

:26:57.:27:01.

cold front will reach us which will give us some fairly heavy rain

:27:01.:27:10.

crossing Eastwards. It should be out of the way by late afternoon in

:27:10.:27:19.

the east of Wiltshire. After today, a milder regime far up the

:27:19.:27:28.

a milder regime far up the Good news for those travelling to

:27:28.:27:34.

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