12/01/2012 BBC Points West

Good evening and welcome to BBC Points West. Our main stories

tonight: The young soldier run over on

Christmas Day - a campaign questions the decision to turn off

street lights overnight. The mystery of a headless body.

It's discovered in the grounds of a mental hospital - none of the

patients is missing. After a deer is savaged in

Gloucestershire, scientists investigate if a big cat like this

is on the loose. It could be a form of Panther. That

would appear to be the most likely. A black leopard type of animal.

And bowled out of Bristol - the planning decision which could

signal the end of international Good evening. The funeral's taken

place this afternoon of a young soldier from North Somerset killed

on Christmas Day. 19-year-old trooper Edward Heal was walking

home from the pub when he was hit by a car in Clevedon.

The street lights on the road where he was walking had been switched

off the month before. Now his family and friends are campaigning

to get them turned back on. Alice Bouverie reports.

Hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral of Edward Heal. A young

man who'd just turned 19. A trooper preparing for his first tour of

Afghanistan. He'd been out to the pub on Christmas Eve, then was hit

by a car while walking home along Kenn Road in Clevedon in the early

hours. The street lights weren't on. They'd been switched off at

midnight. His best friend Tom says it would have made a big difference

to have had them on. I have come back with my mates, we have come

back from the pub at 12 o'clock at night and it is literally pitch

black. The lights here were turned off in November. Ed's tragic death

came just a month later. It's had such an impact on the local

community, next week a petition's being handed in to North Somerset

Council to get them switched back on. As you can see, the traffic is

very busy. I was very concerned. I don't know enough about the

accident to say polite spin-off caused it but I think it did not

help. -- the street lights being off. But elsewhere in the West, the

change to street lights is being welcomed. In Gloucestershire, 87

rural parishes and market towns have been changed to part night-

lighting. Street lights in other villages have been dimmed at night.

It's saving energy and the council money. North Somerset says by

turning off the street lights between midnight and 5am, it'll

save �230,000 over the next two years. South Gloucestershire's

figure is �55,000 a year. Swindon is also switching off some streets

lights, saving �20,000, while Wiltshire is hoping to save �9,000

a year. North Somerset says it won't make any further comment

about its policy on street lights until the police investigation into

the accident is complete. But it says any decision to switch off

lights is carefully considered. Ed Heal's funeral may just cause them

to reconsider. A disturbing find inside the

grounds of a mental hospital in Bristol. A body's been discovered

at the Callington Road Hospital which specialises in treating

people with addiction problems and has a secure unit for patients

suffering from severe psychiatric illness.

The body was found without a head and, at the moment, nobody knows

who it is. The hospital, though, has confirmed that none of its

patients are missing from the wards. Here's Will Glennon.

Police were called to Callington Road Hospital in the Brislington

area of Bristol just before lunchtime yesterday. A worker found

the body in a secluded part of the hospital grounds. It was said to be

badly decomposed and the head had become detached from the body. Avon

and Somerset Police have begun an investigation to try and establish

the exact circumstances surrounding this death. The body is thought to

have been here for some time, perhaps as long as six months. The

death, though, is not being treated as suspicious. Callington Road

Hopsital is run by the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust. It

treats inpatients who suffer from a range of mental health conditions.

It has secure care units for men detained because of their problems.

It also has a specialist unit for drug detoxes. The mental health

trust has said today it's co- operating fully with the police

investigation but that none of its in-patients here at the hospital

are missing. So work will now go on to establish whether the dead man

did have any connection to the hospital. People I've spoken to

here today have called what's happened bizarre and unusual. This

is the second time in recent weeks that a body has been found in a

decomposed state. A man discovered near a golf course in Bath over

Christmas has still not yet been identified. A postmortem

examination will take place on the body found yesterday and police may

have to use dental records and even DNA tests on the bones to try and

work out who it might be. For years there have been reports

of sightings of big cats across the West. Now the debate has begun

again in Gloucestershire. DNA tests are being carried out on a deer

found savaged near Woodchester Park in Stroud. Scientists are trying to

confirm if it was attacked by an unusually large predator, with some

locals convinced it's the work of a big cat. Steve Knibbs has been

investigating and joins us now. Steve, this is being taken very

seriously. Absolutely. This pub overlooks the

area near the park with his big cat is apparently living. People are

very convinced, they are taking this very seriously. They have been

sightings in the past. The difference this time is that the

evidence is mounting up in favour because of the way the deer was

killed and, as you mentioned, scientists are hoping to extract

DNA from the carcass. That would be conclusive. Let's take a look at

the evidence. We were taken to the site of the

deer kill by the National Trust, who own the land. Although it's

open to the public, they want us to keep the exact location a secret,

but it's near Woodchester Park. And this is where we find our first

clue. The deer carcass was found here with serious injuries - more

than could have been inflicted by a fox. It is a perfect hideaway Floyd

a cat. Rick Minter is an expert on big cats and says the way the deer

was killed is indicative of maybe a puma or panther. The canines have

gone through to get to the windpipe and it has been asphyxiated. It is

a fresh carcass. A dog walker found it warm so we know it is

uncontaminated. Our next clue comes from what locals found near to

where the deer was killed. These plaster casts were taken of

footprints in the woods. The width and shape of the print and the fact

that dogs, which are not able to retract their claws, would leave a

clear Clow print in front of these pads. But it could be DNA analysis

being done in this lab in Coventry that could prove conclusive.

Experts at the University of Warwick took samples from the deer

carcass to see if the kill really was the work of a big cat, and what

species. If there are traces of a big cat, we stand a reasonable

chance of finding it. By next week, we should have a sequences. Once we

have those, we will know what species it is. If there is a big

cat living here, you can see why it has decided to make it its home.

But it is also used by ramblers and dog-walkers. So is it a threat?

don't really see it would be a significant risk. We are not aware

of any big cat attacks in the country to date and I don't think

it would be a major factor. evidence is mounting up in favour

of a big cat, but there's maybe also a big historical clue. The

Orpheus Pavement, the largest Roman mosaic in Britain, is buried nearby

and this exact replica shows something very interesting. Maybe

the felines have been prowling the valleys of Gloucestershire for

longer than we think. They have been plenty of people who

have seen this be capped. You have seen this cat about half a dozen

times. In the last two and a half years, yes. It is big and black and

it had a big long tail. I would estimate it is about the size of a

German shepherd but longer. The tale was about 2.5 ft long. There

was no way it was a dog or a domestic cat. The first time I saw

it, I had never heard of big cats in Britain, but the second night I

saw it I got the binoculars and I was convinced. I have seen it again

the following summer. This time, if we get this DNA evidence, this will

not only proved that you are right, but it will tell the doubters that

it is true. What is that going to mean for the area? Her I think it

is great. A lot of people have seen the cat or they know someone who

has seen the cat. I have spoken to a number of local experts and I

think it is great. But I know you are slightly worried. I am worried

that once there is concrete evidence, people might panic. But

it is not like that, they have been around for years and nobody has

been heard. They are pretty safe. They are just part of the British

countryside now, I believe. report will be released next week

and, by the end of the month, we will hopefully have conclusive

proof either way whether there is a big cat roaming in this area.

You're watching BBC Points West. Still to come: We meet the gymnasts

from Bath hoping to make British Olympic history.

And from warm to cold - we find out how the weather is sending flowers

Five men have been arrested in connection with fraud after

substantial amounts of money left accounts held at the Bristol

stockbroker Rowan Dartington. The firm has its headquarters in the

city centre. The men have all been bailed pending further enquiries.

No charges have been made. Avon and Somerset Police say the firm is

being treated as the victim in the investigation.

Almost two hundred jobs are set to go in Bridgwater after a drinks

company and a plastics manufacturer announced cuts. Gerber Juice, which

employs 700 people at its factory and head office, confirmed a 168

jobs are to go. The company says it hopes to avoid compulsory

redundancies. Nearly 30 jobs are going elsewhere in Bridgwater. The

announcements came on the day the Government's Business Secretary

visited the West. The economy has difficulties, nobody has attempted

to disguise that. We have the long- term consequences of the collapse

of the financial system and the recession that followed it. The

government has now got to sort out the mess in the finances we

inherited. All of that is difficult and makes recovery difficult to

achieve. Vince Cable was opening a new building at the city of Bath

College which it is hoped will boost employment in the area.

It's almost certainly the end of international cricket in Bristol.

It could even see Gloucestershire County Cricket Club leaving Bristol

and moving to the city of Gloucester. But whatever the future,

the club received a serious setback last night when plans for a housing

development at the ground were rejected by city councillors. The

scheme would have funded the redevelopment of the stadium. David

Gloucestershire have long hosted cricket here generating income for

the club and the City. To continue to do that, they need to regenerate

the ground. The plan they came up with was to put accommodation from

the end of the Orange building around the Jessop Stand up to the

scoreboard. Last night councillors rejected that plan. I think it was

a very disappointing decision and there are repercussions for the

club. In the cold light of day when emotions are less high, we have to

work out what to do next. Those who opposed the apartment

building say they are not against the redevelopment of the ground,

but the seven story building would be two tall and too ugly. We would

like to see something that is not as high as the development on the

table last night and a more attractive design that would fit in

better with the local area. It's worked in Taunton. Somerset

County Cricket Club and a retirement homes company built

apartments which helped fund ground improvements.

They are now applying to the England and Wales Cricket board for

a licence to host international games. Somerset Chairman Andy Nash

has annoyed some by tweeting, "A bad day for Glos CCC. We wish them

well, but are we ready to host one day internationals? You bet we

are!" Today he said he was not crowing and didn't intend to upset

- it's just some good natured banter between rivals.

Gloucestershire have played at the County Ground since the days of WG

Grace. Now one option is to sell their 10 acre site and move to the

City of Gloucester Waggonworks site where they last held the Gloucester

festival in 1992. Other alternatives include an

appeal against last night's planning decision or to submit an

alternative application. The club had hoped to start

building work early this year allowing international cricket to

return in 2013. But now, even if they do eventually get planning

permission, the delay means that it's very unlikely that

international cricket will return to Bristol. David Passmore BBC

Points West at the County Ground in Bristol.

And we stay with cricket because late this afternoon Somerset

announced that the former West Indies Captain, Chris Gayle, will

play for them in the Twenty20 competition this summer. Gayle is

one of the most explosive batsmen in the world and replaces another

West Indies batsman, Kieron Pollard, who is unable to return to Taunton

this summer. Gayle was captain of the West Indies between 2007 and

2010. They've survived front line fire in

Afghanistan and suicide bombers in Iraq, but the challenge facing a

group of injured servicemen in the middle of the Atlantic is testing

them in a completely different way. The Row2Recovery team is rowing

3,000 miles to raise money for wounded soldiers. But now another

race is on to get drinking water to them, before their diminishing

supplies run out. Imogen Sellers reports.

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. How frustratingly

true this old saying has become for the six man Row2Recovery team.

The injured servicemen, including two from the west, were prepared

for most things, but when the machine they used to de-salinate

sea water broke, and then so did their hand pump, they were left

with a desperate situation. What water they had left has had to

be rationed. But they now only have enough for the next few hours. They

have now set down anchor in the hope the supply vessel will reach

them sooner. By the miracles of mobile phone technology, I was able

to talk to the team as they wait off the coast of Barbados. I

started by speaking to Lieutenant Will Dixon, who lost his leg during

an explosion in 2009. It is beginning to take its toll. We have

taken a lot of medical advice and we aren't technically under the

limit of what we should be drinking. It is only for a short time, so

they should not be long term damage. We are certainly more fatigued and

we cannot grow. How much weight have the last? A significant amount.

We are all different sizes and builds. Myself and Rory probably

had the most weight to lose and we have done. I have dropped at least

2 1/2 stone. The team are currently in 4th place,

but a delivery of water means they face disqualification. But for the

boys, it's not about winning, it's about raising money and inspiring

others. We have been in worse situations. There are guys on here

that have been in life changing situations in severe circumstances

so we have perspective on life. The old army humour has helped to keep

us going. The team hope water will reach them

by tomorrow. They have to - their supplies will run out entirely by

Saturday. A team of gymnasts from the West

are heading to a London 2012 test event this weekend hoping to make

British Olympic history. GB's Rhythmic Gymnastics squad are based

at the University of Bath. They are entirely self-funded and are aiming

to qualify for the Olympics in the group competition. If they succeed

they'll be the first British team ever to have competed in that event.

Here's Zoe Gough. It's the most visually stunning

discipline in the Olympics. One of the first to sell-out in London.

Yet Britain has little history in the sport. These girl, four from

the West and the others from across the country and abroad, have come

to Bath to try to change that. Georgina Cassar moved from

Gibraltar to join the team, training full-time since last

summer. I did feel homesick for the first few months, but when be

training stepped up and we moved in together, we were all in the same

boat. The country's lack of success means money is tight. Funding is as

much a dream as the Olympics so cash from parents keeps them going.

Lynne Hutchinson from Bath was on the team that won England's first

ever medal in the sport - bronze at the Commonwealth games. It is

really expensive for all of our parents, but they are trying to

support us so that we can get some recognition. FII and feeling tired

or am not motivated, that picks me up. I do it for the people

supporting us. Most of us train from a young age just to do our

gymnastics so it would mean the world to us.

Medals are the goal for many hopefuls. For these girls it's the

chance to prove their worth to their own country that keeps them

trying, and that keeps the bank of mum and dad giving. Zoe Gough, BBC

Points West, University of Bath. Last year snow and ice were

familiar features of the winter, but this year, well it's positively

unseasonal right now. It's not just confused us though,

but also mother nature. Many flowers seem to think spring has

already sprung and some animals who should be hibernating are already

out and about. We'll have more on the confused

animal kingdom in a minute, but first Lizzie Way has been spotting

snowdrops in Somerset. Signalling the spring. East

Lambrook Manor Gardens is well known for its crop of rare and

varied snowdrops. But this year they have made an earlier than

scheduled appearance. Mark Stainer has been head gardener here for

more than 20 years and has never seen such early flowering. Things

are already coming into bud. They are beginning to look as they would

towards the end of March, early April. I was in the Guardian

yesterday and it really felt like a spring morning with the birds

singing and the sun shining and everything coming into bird. It was

an amazing feeling. Unlike Wajid expect on a normal January day.

The problem is many gardens like this one are not open to the public

until February at the earliest so its hoped they will stay in flower.

It's not just the professionals experiencing early blooms though,

its happening in everyone's gardens. Flowers are starting to bird, roses

are still continuing, any of the shrubs that I have are shooting. My

olive tree last year lost all its leaves and it has not dropped them

this year. I have early daffodils and lots of snowdrops. I still have

things from the summer. In full flower. It is quite amazing what is

still out. The wintery weather is set to return this weekend. It is

true that flowers can understand, then the message to them is to stay

where you are. Don't peaked too early.

No, don't peak too early. Thank you for the Mel C have sent us about

plant showing early, but it is not just flowers that are confused,

frogs, hedgehogs and bats And the cold weather has meant that

there've been fewer swans, geese and ducks, which have so far

remained further north due to the warmer weather. But the late cold

snap, expected from tonight, is likely to encourage those birds to

complete the last leg of their migration to the UK. David Paynter

is the reserve manager at the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands

Trust. The poor birds seem very confused. It is more OF the winter

that has not happened, at the moment. We have lots of birds that

stayed further north and east. It is not just here in Britain, but

right across western Europe. It has not push the birds three to worse

in the same number as happened last year. What are you expecting now as

it gets cold there? I am pretty sure we will see an influx of swans.

Certainly things like white-fronted geese. Just about all of the ducks.

It is probably worth mentioning the huge numbers of other birds that

are still here. Birds that might normally move further south for

winter. We have huge flocks of flap wing. It has been great bird-

watching because of it. Thank you very much for joining us.

Now, how cold is cold? Cold enough to bring a shock to the

Cold enough to bring a shock to the system for various flowers and

birds. Certainly the next few days will be settled and Chile. They

will be far as well as frost. The FA tomorrow could be an issue for

routes across the district. The frost will be a feature over the

next few mornings to the middle part of next week. With that in

mind, it tomorrow morning it is worth tuning into your local radio

to keep an ear on how things are developing on the roads. It will be

somewhat patchy in nature. High pressure dominating the area now.

As it does so, the fog problems will move their way further

eastward with time. For the rest of tonight, the skies have been

clearing. We had a cold front down to the south. The wind fearing to

an more than the direction and as the blue suggests, it turns colder.

The Somerset Levels area will be a particular fog problem. Some of

that will be slow to clear. Temperatures going down to one and

two degrees. Minus two and minus three out in some parts of the

countryside. Fosse not everywhere, but widespread. The fault will be

slow to Clear And for some of you it may not clear. It may then

brighten up to a reasonable day for some of you with cloud coming back

in in the afternoon. Temperatures will be some margin down on the

values we are used to. 5, 6, 7 Celsius. I mention that things

don't change over the weekend other than the high pressure continuing

its journey eastwards into the Continent. Behind that we will look

out to the Atlantic for things to change. It will really be a case of

change around Tuesday or Wednesday. Between now and then it is dry,

settled and cold. settled and cold.

Thank you very much, Ian. Before we leave you, we are getting e-mails