02/04/2012 BBC Points West

Good evening and welcome to BBC Points West. Our headlines this

evening: Missing presumed drowned - a woman from Bristol falls from a

cross channel ferry. Back to court - a judge decides

that Bristol City's stadium plans do need to be looked at again.

It is no April Fool - the weather jokes around with us again as

freezing temperatures are forecast around the West.

And... Could a shoeless man from Good evening. Boat passengers have

described how they joined in a search for a woman from Bristol who

fell overboard from a cross-Channel ferry. Sarah Fenton was reported

missing by her husband. The air and sea search went on for five hours

before being called off last night. 39-year-old Sarah Fenton from

Fishponds in Bristol was on her way back from a day trip to Guernsey on

board Condor Ferries when the journey went horribly wrong. The

ferry was about halfway back to Poole when her husband told a

member of the crook he could not find her. The captain's Mayday call

triggered a huge air and sea search. Three lifeboats, two helicopters

and a plane scoured the seas. Even the passengers on board were

drafted in. As the ferry turned around and retrace its root, the

captain asked everyone to look through the windows or go up on

deck. There must have been five or six calls from the captain and then

they said they would turn around, slow down and look for her. Once

everyone understood what was going on, it was really quiet. It was

quite weird. It was not very nice. The search was called off at about

10 o'clock last night. The ferry docking in Poole, several hours

later than planned, its arrival greeted by the police. The vessel

is covered by a rigorous requirements to passenger safety.

That is something Condor Ferries takes very seriously, as you would

expect. If a police investigation has now been launched in Guernsey.

The Town Green verses Bristol City Stadium Row will be the subject of

a judicial review. Opponents of the stadium plan said today's decision

vindicates their decision. The club's owner has called it anti

business. Opponents of the scheme applied for the review after the

council said the site should be split, with a stadium on half the

site and the rest made a Town Green. David Passmore is at Ashton Gate

for us now. What will happen next? At some point over the summer, the

judge will rule on the legality of Bristol City Council's decision.

Were they right to split the site with the stadium built on the north,

allowing the southern part of the site to become a Town Green? Pick

up's owner and landowner Stephen Lansdown said the decision was

anti-business. He urged the council to pull out of the judicial review

urgently and look at the whole matter from the start. I am looking

forward to going back and fighting back case from the very start again

to release those acres for the use that we would like to put it to. I

AM taking advice but I need to take to basically release my land so I

can make applications to develop on it as necessary. I have got

development for the top half. I am not sure I want to develop the

bottom half but I want to be a good call that land mine and apply

accordingly. If if Mr Lansdown was successful with that strategy, it

could lead the whole site being developed with -- leading the

campaign is with no Town Green at all. I put that point to their

spokesman. It has been a long fight up until now. Recommenced this

fight in 2008. It is now 2012. We believed we were right at the start

and we still believe we are right. We are going to carry this fight on

for as long as our legal team tell us we have a case and we can win it.

The council expressed their disappointment saying once again

the tax payer was caught in the middle of this long-running row.

And these are not times -- good times for Bristol City on the pitch

at the moment? Certainly not. They have now slipped into the

relegation zone at the bottom of the championship. On Saturday, they

drew 1-1 with Derby but it was not enough to prevent them from court -

- falling to 22nd place with six games to go. I cannot see how all

we are getting out of it to be honest but we have all got hope.

takes a couple of wins and a good run and we should be able to win.

No chance at all. We will be lucky if we do not finish bottom. They

just need a bit of luck, I think. It is only a game at the end of the

day. I will be here next season whether we're up, down or anywhere

else. Ever optimistic. The outlook is not looking good. As the stadium

saga continues, the possibility of League One football here at Ashton

Gate is a very real possibility. Thank you.

Pupils in Gloucester sitting exams in May could face having to get to

school at 6 o'clock in the morning because of the Olympic torch relay.

Head teachers have warned that some road closures mean the schools will

be closed off. For pupils outside the city it will mean a very early

alarm call and plenty of hanging around before they turn over their

papers. As many parents will know, getting

teenagers up for school in the morning is difficult at the best of

times. Having an exam may be some added motivation but getting to

school for 6am might be pushing it. Joe Collonna is sitting GCSEs on

24th May. If the road closures go ahead he will face an alarm call at

four am to get to school on time even though his first exam is not

until 9:30am. It is a bit of a joke. We will have to sit around for

three or four hours waiting for the exam. They should postpone it, if

anything, not have a sitting around. LOCOG's aim is for the Olympic

torch to pass within 10 miles of 95 % of the population.

Gloucestershire council is welcoming it with open arms but

says any worries about getting into school early are premature. For we

know the route now. A complete details of the road closures will

come from the police over the next couple of weeks so we will learn

more as time goes on. We will help every head teacher make the

appropriate decisions. This school in Gloucester will leave it up to

the head teacher to sort out the logistics. It seems the disruption

to the schools will extend outside the city. I spoke to one head

teacher in Stroud today and he said his school gates will have to be

sealed off for the torch relay at the same time that his pupils will

want to leave. It seems the Olympic dream for some is turning into an

organisational nightmare for others. After last week's gorgeous weather,

you might have been tempted to pack away your winter clothes and dig

out your flip-flops and suncream. But you should hold fire on that.

Temperatures are plummeting and the warm weather is over for the time

being, at least. Four lots of plants and animals, the extreme

highs and lows are often a matter of life and death. What is going

on? Here is Elizabeth Austin to explain.

It is probably worth saying that the average March temperature is

only 10 degrees Celsius. But this year, it has been much hotter. Here

at Filton airfield we recorded one of the top temperatures, 21 degrees

Celsius, that is 70 in Fahrenheit. That is not uncommon in the west.

Our weather watchers have been in touch and they said we had the

third warmest March in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire for 40 years.

Plenty of people took advantage. Over at Weston-super-Mare, you

would have thought it was July. Ice-cream, sand castles and the

Pier saw unprecedented numbers of visitors. 10,000 in one day last

week. But this week, temperatures are back to normal and then they

will be dipping a little bit more. Near Swindon, Ron Hoskins has been

keeping a rather worried Dyer on his bees. He has 80 hives of honey

bees sensitive to changes in the weather -- has been keeping a

worried eye. They cannot fly out, they cannot collect nectar and they

cannot feed babies so they will be starving. They cannot feed the

Queen so she stops laying eggs and you have a drop in population that

may be for all week, a fortnight or three weeks but that is a whole

generation of worker bees who will not be doing pollination in the

future. A whole generation of bees gone, just because of a very warm

March. Temperatures are one thing but the other issue is rain, or the

lack of it. It has been a very dry year so far and that can cause many

more problems. Let's get some more details on that.

Jemma is upon the roof testing the temperatures for us now. We saw

some lovely sunny scenes there with Elizabeth and it has not been a bad

start to the week. There are changes on the way. I will bring

you more in the forecast later on. Before that, a lorry driver from

Yeovil has admitted crashing a petrol tanker into the front of his

family's bungalow in Dorset. Hugh Billington drove the tanker into

the house in Wood that he and his wife Christine owned in January.

Mrs Billington had to escape through a window after fire broke

out. The 58-year-old will be sentenced at the end of the month.

Police have charged five people following the eviction of squatters

from a Bristol mansion at the weekend. 40 people were removed

from the premises. The charges relate to public order offences and

assaulting or obstructing police officers.

By the end of the year, individual police forces across the West will

have new bosses. And for the first time, they will have been chosen by

the public. But what powers will Police Crime Commissioners have and

what will it mean to us and the police themselves?

Police commissioner has already exist here in the United States.

They are usually appointed by the mayor who is elected by the

community on a political ticket. The Mayor dictates the policy on

climb - a crime and law and order. By comparison, Britain's police

forces have always been independent from the political system and they

have fiercely guarded that independence. At the moment, forces

are overseen by police authorities to set the budget after listening

to the Chief Constable. The powers of Police Crime Commissioners will

be extensive, including the power to appoint chief constables.

this is not a law-enforcement officer. It is an oversight role.

The constabulary and chief constable will still have

operational powers for carrying out policing but the police and crime

commissioner will set the budget, set priorities, set the police and

crime plan and oversee things. is difficult to find anyone in the

current set-up who support the government's plans. There are fears

that only candidates backed by the major party machines stand any

chance of becoming elected and once elected, commissioners could play

politics with the police. We want to make sure that the decisions

they make are not party political, but are informed by needs in our

local areas and by the information and expertise that lots of

community and voluntary groups have working round difficult crime and

safety issues. A week after the historic election on November 15th,

American-style commissioners will Have you ever felt daunted by your

child's homework? Well one Mum in Wiltshire who found herself in that

position decided to do something about it. She's spent the last two

years brushing up on her basic numeracy and literacy skills and

she's even been nominated for a national award. Matthew Pick

reports. Getting back into the work place

has not been straightforward for Marie Palmer. Having taken time out

to raise a family she lacked confidence and self-esteem. So she

embarked on a two year programme to improve her literacy and numeracy

skills and it's made a big difference. I had trouble with

punctuation, spelling. And doing the course has given me the

confidence. She didn't go to college to learn, instead she

joined a local scheme run by Wiltshire Council. They have

children and want to support the children up so they come back to

family learning and learn alongside their family or children or in the

adult sessions. Marie now works part-time in the kitchen at a

children's centre in Chippenham. And the scheme has also helped her

to help her children with their homework. With me gaining

confidence it is rushing off on the children have now they are more

confident. Marie's story reflects an issue that affects many people.

If you go to the BBC's secrets and words website you'll find details

of how you can improve your skills. There's a link there too to five

powerful dramas on the subject via the iPlayer. Back in Chippenham

Marie's progress has now seen her nominated for a national adult

learner award - she'll know if she's been successful in around a

month's time. Now today, as you may have seen and

heard across the BBC, marks the 30th anniversary of the invasion of

the Falkland Islands. The conflict that followed claimed over 900

lives and services have been held here in the UK and in Argentina to

remember the dead on both sides. Many of us will remember where we

were and what we were doing when we heard the news - but for our next

guest the memory is a little more vivid. Neil Hewitt from Cheltenham

was born in the Falklands and was just 12 years old on that day, 30

years ago. What do you remember? remember coming home from school

and going to my friends place and we got the announcement on the

radio that said the governor would do a... Tell us what was going on.

We were given the news we would be invaded the next day and my

thoughts were good, I don't have to do my homework! But then I realised

the enormity of the situation. had no real concept of what was to

come but will mother did because she evacuated. Yes, that was later

on. We were invaded on 2nd April. She sent us away on 3rd April to

the town. She felt it was safer and Goose Green did not have any

Argentinian invaders. She evacuated due to Goose Green!

And it became a famous battle. there was a month when nothing much

happened but on 1st May the harriers warmed the airstrip and

all hell was let loose. And you in the worst place! It felt like it.

One of the worst places in the capital. There were planes on fire.

Argentinian soldiers running around. They locked us up because they

considered we had called the Harriers in. What an horrific time,

at the tender age to take this in. An interesting analogy, the time

was like flying the plane. We were locked up and most of it was boring.

We had little food for the first couple of days but there was

nothing much happening. It got worse really and on the 29th the

battle for two Parekh came in and we were there. Most of the time was

boredom with the odd air attack and naval bombardments. It was

terrifying at times. I must ask, 30 years on, it is in the headlines

again. I am quite worried because some of my family are there and it

feels very tense. It causes me some concerns. Although the snow

military junta, it feels like that attitude. -- there is no military

junta. It's interesting to hear your account, however young you

work, thank you for coming in. A Gloucestershire war memorial

which was smashed to pieces by vandals last year, has been rebuilt.

The monument at Prestbury was so badly damaged it couldn't be

repaired. Now, after months of painstaking work, the replacement

is almost finished. Luke Hanrahan Imagine doing this every day. It's

a job for a perfectionist. I am doing the last finishing touches on

the detail. Just making everything nice and shop. A group of

Gloucestershire stone masons have been chipping away for months,

trying to get it right. Creating something they never thought they'd

have to. It does add to the pressure. It is a public peace

which everyone will see. To get it right, there was a lot of pressure.

We are proud to do something like this.

The war memorial was knocked over and smashed into pieces - some of

which were simply dumped by the roadside. Many of the villagers of

Prestbury have relatives who's names are engraved here. I was so

upset because I was in tears when I saw what these people had done to

the war memorial. The whole village felt like that. It was horrendous.

The names are still present in the village, quite unusual names. One

could see they do belong in this place and it's important for people

to see they are still there. new sculpture will be unveiled on

April the 14th - it's 91 years to the day since the original was put

in place. Football fans - have you ever

wondered what sort of value for money your team provides? Well

tonight's Late Kick Off programme has been doing some research in the

West. If you're a season ticket holder at Swindon, it's good news.

Every home goal you've seen there this season has cost the equivalent

of six pounds 40 pence. But for fans at Ashton Gate, it's been more

expensive. Bristol City's 20 goals at home averaging out at nearly

twenty pounds each. The research also looked at the cost of every

home win. Swindon's sixteen victories at the County Ground come

out at just over sixteen pounds each. But Bristol City's five wins

are a costly seventy eight pounds each. More on Late Kick Off tonight

at five past eleven. Time for a little musical interlude

now on this evening's programme, and a Cheltenham man must still be

on cloud nine after wowing the judges on the BBC's latest Saturday

night hit programme, The Voice. Yes, Vince Freeman was told he was

awesome after he performed in front of four of the most successful

figures in the music industry, including the legend Tom Jones.

Well, I'm pleased to say Vince is with us tonight, we'll be talking

to him in just a moment but first Great to have you with us. Tell us

what it is like to be there. It is pretty tough, to be honest.

Absolutely nerve-racking. The thing I love best is performing live so

when I was on stage it felt more like home. Did you get the chance

to see it before Saturday? Well, I got 20 seconds. What was it like?

Others more nervous watching the show back with family and friends

than going on stage. -- I was more nervous. Is there anything about

the live performance, anything at all that you would change? Let's

have a look! You have got no shoes on! No, I haven't. Why? I don't

like shoes. I have webbed toes! are really awesome. Thank you very

much. So, you have some explaining to do. I thought I would bring you

some gifts so you can support me. I had some... Feat they are my feet

blown up. Not to scale! They are made to look like a cartoon.

have admitted to have webbed feet! You got some good feedback.

Absolutely amazing. You spent your entire life doing music as a career

waiting for opportunities like this. To be standing in front of Jessie

James and Tom Jones feels like a dream. To have those comments from

those judges was amazing. Have you ever entered a competition before

question mark no, never on any kind of shows. I did a show in Las Vegas

for Pepsi. What prompted you to have a go? I go to for in call from

a guy who works in London quite closely with record labels. The

voice has been quite open about the fact they are looking for real

talent, people but are already doing music as a career as well as

the general public. So can I go to call from some guy in London who

said we like -- would like you to audition. I do not pass up

opportunities as they come along and I thought great, I would try it

out. And there's the reason why. You got through. We are out of time

now but we can watch it next, the battle. We have a few more rounds.

And good luck! Thank you. Time for the weather now. How is it looking?

the weather now. How is it looking? Everyone is talking about a cold

spell. Yes, change is on the way. It

hasn't been a bad start the week, dry and bright. If we go back to

March last week one of the warmest on record. The lack of rain is

still a problem. The main headline is yes, turning colder. Midweek,

some biting winds on the way. We have no pressure and a cold front

beginning to sink down over ask tomorrow. Also, showers pushing in

from the south-west, they will mix with cold air so maybe bits and

pieces of sleet and snow. It is not unusual to snow in April. By

Wednesday and Thursday, the wind's direction changes and we get biting

northerly winds. Today hasn't been to bat. Plenty of warm spring

sunshine, temperatures above the seasonal average. 14 Celsius. That

is the best of it. This week, it will not happen. It is a settled

picture, variable bouts of cloud. Some decent breaks in the cloud

allowing stars from time to time. It is quite chilly night with the

beginning of the cold front pushing in. Urban temperatures around six,

rural spots, cold and Russia. Tomorrow morning, a cold start. The

right for a time. The cloud and showers pile in from the south-west.

The share was mixed with cold air and on high ground typically the

Mendips and the Cotswolds, sent sleet and snow. There is not enough

precipitation to give a huge amount and anything that settles will

settle on warm ground from the sunshine last week. A dusting him

in there. We are looking at 10 and 11. More cloud and feeling cold air.

Tomorrow night, further wintry showers on the way, a cold night to

write taking us into a chilly Wednesday morning. The wind is

biting and the Northern he's been eight Celsius at best. Warming up

again in time for the bank holiday but still for farmers and gardeners