11/02/2013 BBC Points West

Good evening and welcome to BBC Points West.

Our headlines tonight: Why did the prosecution take so long? It's

revealed this North Somerset teacher, jailed for abuse, was

The new drop-in centre helping the teens who give up so much to look

after ill relatives. If no one's doing it, who will? If

no one else is doing it, no one else will. Also tonight, find out

what makes Yeovil Town a better team than Manchester United.

And the online gallery putting a part of our heritage back on public

A BBC investigation has found that a North Somerset teacher, jailed

last month for child abuse, was first accused of being a paedophile

more than seven years ago. Keith Ruby was described by police

as "manipulative". He was sentenced in January to ten years in prison

for 16 counts of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.

It's emerged that a former colleague first raised allegations

of abuse in 2005 but charges could not be brought at the time. Alice

Teacher Keith through be abused his teenage victim for months. When

sentencing him, the judge at Taunton Crown Court said the

offences were an abuse of trust at the highest level. Now the BBC's

inside-out programme has discovered that allegations about Keith Ruby

were Firth -- first race to his employers seven years earlier.

Police say the former teacher could not be charged in 2006 because the

victim felt unable to disclose Unfortunately, at that time, the

victim, in this case, was not in a position in his life where he could

fully disclose what had happened to him. Because of the evidence

available at the time, it was insufficient for him to be charged

and prosecuted with any offences. The alarm was raised by a former

colleague at the school. By then it Ruby had already left the school.

When no charges were brought against him, I can believe it. I

thought everything I had done was for nothing and I had so much

sympathy for the pupils, and I felt no one was the leading me. It felt

unreal. Andrew also went to make some unfounded claims against the

school and was sacked for gross misconduct. A later employment try

the or said he made the allegations public out of spite -- tribunal.

Despite his later behaviour, we have also discovered that North

Somerset council had concerns about the way Sidcot School, a private

Quaker institution, dealt with the allegations. The school said it was

safe guarding procedures at the time that were completely compliant.

You can see the full investigation on tonight's Inside Out West on

BBC1 at 7.30pm. A former vicar from North Somerset

is facing jail after admitting spying on and filming intimate

pictures of three children and a woman. Richard Lee, who was based

at churches in Locking and Hutton, pleaded guilty to 26 charges. He'll

be sentenced next month at Bristol Crown Court.

The Lord Chief Justice is to decide if the sentencing of some members

of a Gloucestershire family found guilty of forced labour was too

lenient. The Connors family from Cheltenham were jailed last year

for beating their victims and making them to work for as little

as �10 a day. Detectives complained that the sentencing of William,

John, James and Miles Connors was unduly lenient. The appeal will be

brought by the Attorney General at the High Court on Thursday.

School children across the west are on their half-term break this week.

But for thousands of young people, their holiday will be spent looking

after members of their own family. Charities say the number of young

carers is increasing at a time when there are widespread cuts to social

care funding. Today a new support group was launched in North

Somerset to try to help out. Rachael Canter has been to a youth

centre in Portishead to find out Billy, like many 13-year-olds,

likes playing pool with his mates. But unlike many 13-year-olds he has

to fit his social life around a job. Billy looks after his mum. She has

arthritis and a muscle wasting condition which makes it hard for

her to get around. Going up to the shops to get things we need is a

lot harder for her so I'll go up and do stuff like that. And a lot

of the hoovering and housework. don't have a child expecting them

to look after you but I like to think maybe now, especially with

the help of young carers that it's making him a better person for when

he's older. Billy may not be like most 13- year-olds, but his

situation is far from unique. In North Somerset, there are more than

1,000 young people caring for over 30 hours a week for their parents

or siblings. There are activities here for young carers of all ages.

It's a chance to make friends and a break from their responsibilities.

Young carers are susceptible to bullying, just because they are

different. They may not be able to take their friends home after

school and have those friendships that build up after school because

someone in the family is disabled or misusing drugs or alcohol.

Before I came to young carers I felt very alone and I had to do it

all by myself and it made me very upset. But when I started coming it

made me feel a lot better because there were a lot of people there

that were in the same situation so it took a lot of stress off and

made me feel great. This Youth Centre is holding groups for young

carers every other Monday evening. And it hopes more youngsters like

Billy will come here for support. And if you'd like to find out more

about the support group for young carers there's more information on

their website - www.crossroadscare/ns.org.uk.

Well, while charities and families do a lot, much more care is

provided by our local councils, especially for the elderly and

disabled. Today the government announced it's to change the rules

about how that care is funded. Joining us is our political editor

Paul Barltrop. What is the government proposing? At the moment

there is no cap on what people may have to contribute to their care,

but from the -- 2017 there will be an upper limit of �75,000 and you

will only have to contribute to that if you have assets of more

than �123,000. Although if you own a house, you almost certainly

included in that category. Much care is delivered by the local

councils. How has that been affected by the cuts made? There

are a lot of elderly people in the West Country, proportionally more

than anywhere else in the country. For the council's it is a real

challenge. You have normal people living to a ripe age. It is a

ticking demographic Kuyt -- timebomb. They have struggled to

cut the adult care budget. They are simply just putting in more money.

Any reaction and politically from here in the West to the

announcement? I spoke to Barbara Jack from Bristol City Council, and

she said the cap has been set so high that most people will not

benefit. Some criticism men. The big concern is that it comes in in

2017 and it will cost councils more, and the government is raising money

through inheritance tax changes and the council be concerned to make

sure the money is passed on to them. It's Sarah Jane and Sabet here,

with all your regional news and sport and weather. Do stay with us

as there's plenty still to come, including: A major revamp for

Clevedon Pier as it receives �500,000 in extra funding. And

we're live with Lee Mears as he announces his shock retirement from

The Cheltenham grandmother, who's been sentenced to death in Bali for

drug trafficking, has provided fresh information to the Indonesian

courts as part of her appeal. Lawyers acting for Lindsay

Sandiford are trying to save her life by getting her sentence

reduced. They've emphasised how sorry she is and how she co-

operated with police. The appeal could take several months.

Bristol Children's Hospital could lose out as one of the country's

centres for infant heart surgery, if legal action launched today is

successful. A report last summer concluded the number of hospitals

doing children's heart operations should be reduced from ten to seven

with Bristol chosen as one of the sites that should expand. But

campaigners in other parts of the country are worried they will

suffer and today took their case to the High Court where it is expected

to be heard for two days. Clevedon Pier has received �500,000

in extra funding towards a new visitor centre. It was built in the

19th century as a ferry port for rail passengers and then rebuilt in

the 1980s after parts of it collapsed. Now the hope is the new

money will add to what Sir John Betjeman described as the most

beautiful pier in England. Laura Promulgating the Victorians taking

in some sea air, just exactly what the peer was designed for --

promenading. Under hundred and 50 years later, a lot has changed, but

it is still pulling in the crowds. But things do alter, and plans are

afoot for a brand new visitor centre to keep the crowds happy.

But it won't come cheap. They need to �0.2 million to build it.

They've already got �750,000 and were awarded a further half million

from a fund that support seaside communities. It's important to get

this done for Cleveland. -- Clevedon. It will be good for

businesses along the seafront, because the more people that visit

here, the more people will use the whole of the facilities. The peer

at Clevedon is pretty special. It was opened in 1869, and it is today

the only Grade 1 listed one in the whole country. It has had a tricky

time of it though. Back in 1970 it collapsed, and there was talk of

demolishing it altogether. The local people reacted furiously and

a trust was formed to protect and restore it. For many, it always be

a treasured place. We used to live in Clevedon, so it is a tradition.

There are not many Pearce left in the country, and that is one of the

famous ones. I'm going there to go fishing off it. I like that you can

get ice-creams. The trust still needs more money to complete the

project, but they are confident they will get it and a hoping to

start work in the autumn, injecting a bit of the 21st century into this

You could have been the other face there? Too ugly for that, I'm

afraid. This week marks the anniversary of one of the most

controversial allied operations of the second world war, the bombing

of Dresden. More than 20,000 people were killed. The man behind that

operation was the head of Bomber Command, Cheltenham's Arthur Harris.

Now an unseen interview with the man famously known as "Bomber

Harris" has been released by the Ministry of Defence and Steve

Knibbs has had a look. We will never descend to the German and

Japanese levels, but if people want to play rough, we can play rough as

well. Cinema newsreels fired steely words, forged in the heat of war,

to weld a nation together. And now another film has emerged which

offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the British war effort.

For 35 years, the film reel lay hidden in the archives of the RAF.

Retired Air Vice Marshall Tony Mason tracked it down. And there on

the screen in 1977 sits a young, newly promoted Group Captain Tony

Mason. Opposite him, the most senior RAF Officer you could

imagine. Arthur Bomber Harris. Jeremy Paxman it was not. As you

will see from the interview I was deferential. I hope I wasn't overly

sycophantic but I was very, very nervous. When you took over were

you given a specific directives? yes. I lived under a shower of

directives. From the day I took over to the last day of the war.

But the directives when I took over was the one I was not too

specifically aimed at anything except when I was told to, and just

blast the German cities as a whole. One question had to be asked, and

Harris did not duck the subject has what people regard still as a city

too far. 25,000 people died in Dresden, and critics say Harris hit

civilians harder than the Hitler war machine. But he disagreed.

kept well over one million fit people out of the army because of

the bombing. Many of the anti- aircraft defences, making the

ammunition, and doing urgent repairs, especially tradesmen.

you had your time over again, would you do anything differently? If I

had the same time over again, I would do the same thing. But I

would always hope not to have the same time over again. I thought

that response was astonishing. I have to say, I didn't expect him to

say he'd do anything differently, because he is not that kind of man.

The film is an opportunity to hear from a figure of much controversy

about why he did what he did, but also how he felt at having to make

A playground in the Cotswolds is to be repainted after residents

complained it was too bright. The playground in Kingshill never

opened after some neighbours said the colour and scale of the

equipment didn't suit the area. Now the developers have agreed to

repaint it. A road in Bath will be closed for

six weeks from today, to help toads reach their breeding ground.

Charlcombe Lane will be shut during the breeding season of the common

toad, because so many of them try to cross it. Volunteers will be out

escorting them safely across the lane. The group organising it all

say 21,000 toads have crossed the road during the last 11 years.

The Bath and England star Lee Mears shocked the sports world today by

announcing his retirement from rugby with immediate effect. The

hooker was advised to quit after a heart abnormality was detected on a

cardiac screening. Lee spent 16 years at The Rec, making 268

appearances, and has been capped 42 times for his country. He was also

included in the Lions squad for the tour of South Africa in 2009. Well,

I'm pleased to say Lee joins me now from his home in Bath. Great to see

you smiling, but you must have been very scared when you heard the news

about your heart. Yes, it took a bit of time to sink in. It is a bit

of a shock. The minute you sort of hit 30 you know that rugby is going

to end at some point, but you never know when. I suppose, in some ways,

it was good because of short and sharp, but in other ways I did have

to think about it. But you know what I'm like. I'm always smiling

and positive, and I started thinking about the memories I've

got. We will talk about them in a second. But does this affect any

other part of your life? Are you OK otherwise? I should be fine. A bit

of a de training and everything will go back to normal. They say

that at the elite level, the amount you put your heart through, day-in,

day-out, it could have serious and -- implications. It is time to stop

with immediate effect. Let's just say that the BBC's Justin Webb

tweeting that you were a proper English sporting hero, choosing the

same day as the Pope, further evidence of big style. You have had

an incredible career. What other biggest memory she will take away

to tell your grandchildren? -- the biggest memories you will take

away? My first ever game for Bath, against Saracens. Then my first cap

for England against Tonga, and then the Lions was the pinnacle. They

are the ones that stand fresh in your mind. But overall, winning the

European Challenge Cup with Steve Borthwick, playing with the legends

like Evans, Humphreys, Jeremy Guscott, all of those boys. The

reason I took up rugby was for travelling and making friends, and

I think I've done a pretty good job of that over the years. Hopefully

the memories will stay with me. What is next for you, Lee? I'm not

really sure. I always think I would like to give something back in

rugby. I've had lots of guys help me through my career, so the

natural progression would be a bit of coaching, but I have a business

interest, and hopefully as rugby has given me loads and loads, I

want to try and work on a few of those things and see where light

takes me. But if I can be half as successful as I was in rugby, I

will have a good few years ahead. Thank you very much. All of us will

join you insane, whatever you do, good luck. -- join you in saying.

Here's a quiz question. Who are the only football team in the top four

divisions with a 100% league record in 2013? No, not Manchester United,

in fact, it is Yeovil Town. They've managed six wins in a row

stretching back into last year, and tomorrow's home game against

Preston gives them a chance to break into the play-off places.

Here's Alistair Durden. And they are full of confidence and

unstoppable at the moment. Yeovil Town have not lost a league game

since Boxing Day, making them the team of 2013 so far. Their record

is better than their divisional rivals Walsall, who have won six,

but also lost one. And even tops Manchester United in 2013 who have

won five games but drawn one. Yeovil are on top as the only team

in all the divisions to have a 100% league record. It is always down to

hard work, and it's getting a group of lads who are up for it. They are

showing the desire, and so are the supporters. Everyone is showing the

belief as well. Hold on a minute, we are quite close to where we

wanted the. One of the main reasons for the success is this man,

striker Paddy Madden who rarely misses on the training ground, but

more importantly a matching -- match-day. His goal at Coventry on

Saturday was already his 8th of the calendar year. It has been a very

happy new year for the Irishman. still Misha as -- I still miss as

well. Your only seeing the good ones. I just keep getting in the

right position, and the goals are going in. The Borges seems to going.

Yeovil have not won seven league games since being crowned the

champions of League Two back into 1005, a campaign also masterminded

by Gary Johnson. We have shown the lads the video of the type of club

they have came to. It is not just a quiet club in the country, it's a

club that is competing in the first division. We are within touching

distance of something you are really wanting, say you have to

keep reminding people it's not far away. They are just five points

from the top of the table. By tomorrow night the gap could be

even smaller. But nobody's getting too carried away with a third of

They are an important part of our heritage, but more than three

quarters of the paintings in our national collection are not

actually on public display. Many are in storage, others are on

display - but not in places that the public can go. The Public

Catalogue Foundation has been working with the BBC to collate and

catalogue more than 210,000 paintings that aren't normally on

show and to put them into an online gallery. Some of the works are very

familiar. Others less so. And some tell a story all of their own.

Here's Jules Hyam. There are around 100 million in Australia, 30

million in New Zealand but they all came from elsewhere. And if you

were to explore the family tree of an average Australian baa-baa, the

chances are that you'd end up not just with an ancestor from the UK,

but with one particular ancestor, this one, a chunky old beast of a

Romeo Ram known as Two Pounder. He was a very famous Ram, part of

the new Leicester beat -- breed that Robert Bakewell created. He

was one of the first people to in breed sheep to make the treaty was

looking for in terms of quality of meat and walk absolutely

outstanding, and he produced him as a prime example of the new

Leicester sheep. Two Pounder wasn't just a prime example, he was THE

prime example, immortalised in his portrait kept here at the Royal

Agricultural College. And in the 18th century, his celebrity status

meant he got to spend an awful lot of time with an awful lot of lady

sheep. He was leased out for one season, a third of the season for

the 400 guineas. There are a number of paintings are cattle up there.

This is a prize-winning bull, exhibited four times and it one-

third the sovereigns in 1839. But if you really want to seek a very,

very impressive piece of livestock, how about that for a prize-winning

ox? Now, I know it doesn't really look anything like an ox. This is

not photo-realism. The paintings have a style that is distinctive,

and was very much deliberate. could ask the artist to enhance the

0.24 almost important, so you could ask for a big, meaty body -- the

point that she thought were most important. It was painted by Digby

Curtis in 1790 as an advertisement before the days of IT and Twitter.

It's not just rams and bulls in the online collection. There's more

than 210,000 paintings are there for you to view at

And beautiful. They should have a painting of us. Now just before we

go to the weather, some of us woke up to more snow today, these were

the scenes at Hack Pen Hill on the Ridgeway near Swindon earlier.

Obviously winter hasn't finished with us just yet, or with the

wildlife outside battling the elements. So will we see any more

of the white stuff? Here's Ian with I can beat those pictures. This one

was taken not too far from Little Rissington where they had seven

centimetres, but we saw nearly double that in High Wycombe. As we

run through into tomorrow, we are likely to see a little more of a

wintery mix in the morning for some of you. Inconsequential amount, and

broadly a dry day. Thank you to the Val Ponting for the lovely photo of

Stroud. This is how the week will shape up. As Forest tomorrow is

concerned, a slack flow, and a weak feature in the morning giving a few

flurries of light snow. Broadly speaking, it will be dry. Going

towards Wednesday, the next Atlantic front comes in, delivering

snow from the Midlands or North. Maybe some transient snow over the

Cotswolds. Gradually the rain will clear on Thursday, and it is drier

behind that in the afternoon. That is how things should remain an

temperatures should come up, as they will through the course of

Friday which looks like a dry day and knocking on the door is another

week system, but by the end of Friday it will go into Saturday so

that temperature trend is gradually back to about average for the time

of year. Not so for tonight, fairly chilly, and light snow flurries

across some areas. Some sleet for some of you but a good deal of dry

and cloudy weather continuing. The winds not much of an issue. Towards

tomorrow morning, just running into some western areas, a week front,

and temperatures will drop down to close to freezing, maybe just below

in one or two spots. Tomorrow we would struggle to squeeze a

centimetre out of the area in the West, a 20% chance of a centimetre

of snow, if that. The rest of the day is dry, but very little hint of

a break in the cloud, so it will remain Dahl, the winds will not be

a feature, 10 miles an hour at most. We will notice temperatures similar

to today or a little more up, three or four Celsius will be typical for

the vast majority. A recap of how the week is looking. Rain, sleet

and snow on Wednesday afternoon. It changes to rain. A dry a picture

after, and the temperatures That is where we leave you for the