18/11/2013 BBC Points West

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

Accused of causing the pile`up on the M5 which killed seven people.

The organiser of a fireworks display goes on trial charged with failing

to ensure the safety of others. Making some tough decisions.

Bristol's mayor outlines how he ll balance the books.

You sometimes have to be bold and I am never shy of doing what I believe

is right and taking big steps if I think they will make a better city.

Killed on his way home. The 19`year`old victim of a hit and

run. And as the temperatures dip ` we find out if our councils will be

able to keep roads clear this winter.

Good evening. A man's gone on trial today accused of causing one of the

worst motorway crashes in Britain. Seven people died in the accident on

the M5 near Taunton. Geoffrey Counsell, who organised a nearby

fireworks display, is charged with failing to ensure the safety of

others. He says he's not guilty It's been an emotional day for many

of the victims' families. In court they heard the prosecution argue

that smoke from the fireworks caused an impenetrable fog which gripped a

small section of the motorway. Our Somerset Correspondent Clinton

Rogers has been in court and joins us from outside there now. A tough

day for all the relatives, Clinton. Absolutely and made more poignant

when you consider the case was opened close to the second

anniversary of the terrible crash. At Bristol Crown Court, the

prosecution have been outlining the case against Geoffrey Counsell. He

failed to ensure the safety of members of the public when he

organised the firework display on the fateful night. The prosecution

claim what he did caused the crash that caused the deaths. Arriving for

day one of his trial ` the man accused of causing one of Britain's

worst motorway crashes. It was two years ago this month that 34

vehicles ` lorries, vans and cars ` careered into one another on the M5

just outside Taunton. Seven people died, 51 others were hurt ` some

have life changing injuries. The question is a fireworks display

being staged at Taunton Rugby Club right next to the motorway caused

the crash. In opening, Peter Blair QC said the

prosecution would prove the smoke from the fireworks display mixed

with mist on the night, a damp night created an impenetrable smog which

drifted across the motorway making it impossible for drivers to see.

One driver spoke of it being like having paint thrown over your

windscreen. The drivers had no chance. The collisions were

inevitable. The jury was shown various videos from the display

pictures which the prosecution says show just how much smoke was created

by the display. Families of those who died in this crash were in court

today to see the case get underway some were reduced to tears. Over the

next six weeks many witnesses will be called including experts on

weather conditions prosecution insist that on the night of November

fourth there was no ordinary fog and that the total lack of visibility

was man`made. Two years on, he is facing one

charge and the health and safety at work act, a charge which he denies.

Six weeks trial, tomorrow the prosecution will continue to open

their case and the defence will get a chance to open their case. On

Wednesday the jury will be taken to the scene of the crash and to

Taunton rugby club where the fireworks display was held.

Bristol's elected mayor is warning the three years of cuts he's

announcing will be bold and tough. George Ferguson says he wants to act

fast. One thousand jobs will go ` most within six months. More details

will be announced this evening, after a major speech he's making at

the University of Bristol right now. Let's join Political Editor Paul

Barltrop who's there. Good evening and welcome to the historic Wills

Building where history is being made. It got off to a lively start

as the thousand strong audience arrived, they met outside with

protesters. George Ferguson was not deterred, he got inside and is made

his way into the hall where he is making his State of the city speech.

There's an audience of 1000 to listen to what he hopes will be an

annual event. It is one year since he was elected to be the cities

mayor but George Ferguson is not wanting to look back. This is about

looking forward and warning of tough times ahead. He's just marked a year

in the job but George Ferguson isn't celebrating. Today he briefed the

media on the biggest ever cuts made by the council. Bristol like all

local authorities has seen its government funding fall and fall.

With that continuing the mayor is proposing three years of changes `

which won't be easy: we are behind the curve. We should have made these

cuts earlier. It is at salute you shocking there is so much slack in

the system but I am absolutely determined we minimise the amounts

of cuts to services themselves and you will see that I will be taking

as much out of efficiencies as I can to minimise those real cuts but the

real cuts will have impact. It's also following the example of

neighbours like Wiltshire, which has drastically cut the number of

offices staff work out of ` the authority has just five main

buildings. Bristol could close 7. There will be some pain but actually

the pain is better confronted in one go, what we are looking to do now is

get to a stage where we confront the pain and then be able to do some

certainty to employees who have been incredibly loyal and very very

tolerant of a difficult process The details will be announced later this

evening; his political rivals are poised to attack. The mayor said he

would get a better deal for Bristol but he hasn't been able to do much

better than other authorities. So people will really start to feel, it

is unsettling for council officers who are under threat of losing jobs.

We need to be clear that the services for the most vulnerable

people are the ones that are protected. The mayor can make most

decisions on his own but not this one. Councillors will have the final

say on this most controversial budget. Everything will happen quite

fast. Most of those jobs are Jude to go by next April but before that the

people of Bristol get to have their say. Councils do this all of the

time and by and large the public are indifferent but when details emerge

this evening the controversy is certain and debate is inevitable and

there could be compromises down`the`line. The mayor is still

speaking, I will be back later in the programme with an update on what

he has been saying. And tonight you can watch a special programme about

George Ferguson's first year in office. "The Mayor with the Red

Trousers' is on BBC One, tonight at 7.30pm. And here's a flavour of

what's in store. I think boycott Tesco had a senior meeting at it

came in smiling and left not smiling. I challenged him on so many

different things. This is one of my favour local bands. They sometimes

play at the Tobacco factory and they are really spirited. I better get on

with some work. I listen to reason. I do not listen to ranting. Listen,

no no no! I am not against cars I am for people. You insult and

patronise people. I want to listen to the quiet voices. Your red

trousers are beyond a joke. You re degrading Bristol.

50 shades of red. I was at a dinner last night, my dinner jacket

trousers, I have my own tartan. Ferguson read. I was provided from

where `` prevented from wearing red trousers so I got these so they

couldn't deny me. I have claret for funerals. You can see Access all

areas, the mayor with a red trousers tonight at 7:30pm. It's Monday,

temperatures are beginning to dip and you're watching BBC Points West

` your regional news programme with Alex and Sabet. Stay with us as

there's much more still to bring you tonight including we go behind the

scenes in Bath at Friday's Children in Need to show you how it all

happened. Lots of headlines like this, will it be cold and wintry?

Join me to find out. First ` police have named a 19`year`old who was

killed by a hit and run driver in Bath. Jake Gilmour was cycling home

on Saturday night when he was struck by a vehicle from behind. Scott

Ellis reports. Jake Gilmour ` left fatally wounded by a driver who

didn't stop. He died of head injuries at the Royal United

Hospital. His family who are from Somerset were at his bedside. Jake

Gilmour was on his way home to Oldfield Park on Saturday night when

he was hit from behind on Midland Bridge. Detectives want anyone who

might know the person at the wheel to get in touch. Anyone who lives

with someone, a friend or neighbour who has acted differently since

Saturday evening, they probably got home at 10pm, presumably shaken up

by this incident. Anybody who is acting differently and any front end

damage to their family vehicle, their friends, neighbours, come

forward because we really need to be able to look at the damage and speak

to them about where they were. Among the tributes left at the roadside

are those from colleagues at the city centre pub where he'd been

working for the past three months. Staff say they are shocked and

deeply saddened. Police say the vehicle damage will be obvious and

they're asking mechanics to be on the lookout. If anyone asks for

repairs, contact the police. Afterwards at 9:35pm, Jake Gilmour

was found by a passer`by who contacted the emergency services.

Police say the drive of the vehicle will search his or her conscious and

contact them. `` conscience. There was a boost for west country

aircraft manufacturers today, when Airbus announced some huge sales in

the Middle East. At the Dubai Air Show in the Gulf the company signed

deals to deliver more than 130 aircraft, worth over 30 billion

pounds. Emirates Airlines has ordered 50 of the so`called Super

Jumbo ` the A380 which is the largest passenger jet in the world.

And the very newest plane, the A350, is selling well too, more than 0

have been bought by one airline Etihad, for around 300 million

pounds a plane. The deals secure work at the Airbus centre in Filton

near Bristol, where the company employs 4,000 people. This morning,

you could see people had a spring in their step. It is only really on

days like this when the customer put their money down and buys it that

you know you have got it right. We know the aeroplane have hit their

performance targets in terms of fuel burning and noise and whatever but

it is a paying customer that really is the important thing and it gives

a huge boost to the people to know the hard work is really coming to

good benefit. Earlier in the programme, we heard about cuts being

made by Bristol City council ` well elsewhere in the West, they're

making savings in other ways. In South Gloucestershire, a scheme to

turn off street lights, between midnight and five o'clock in the

morning, is facing mounting opposition. The council says it s to

save money and reduce carbon emissions ` but, as Laura Jones

reports, plenty of people living in affected areas aren't very pleased

about being left in the dark. They are taking away the Victorian

frippery but are they gone forever? In the 1960s, it was about

electricity replacing gas lamps 50 years on and the controversy today

is about street lights being turned off completely for part of the

night. Over the last few years, increasing parts have fallen dark as

councils try to save money. You cannot see a hand in front of your

face. Ian lives in Everson Green, the lights go out late at night and

are back on at 5am. He has started a petition which has a thousand

signatures to keep the lights on in South Gloucestershire. Quite late

last night, I put the dustbin is out to the top of the drive and it was

my own fault, it was midnight and it was pitch black. I am in favour of

making costs and saving on the carbon footprint, my suggestion and

many others are why not leave on every other street light or leave on

one in three, that would make the same savings and at least people

would have some lights to see in all areas so that's the way to go.

Another petition is gathering pace in Filton, if either reached 25 0

signatures it will be debated by the council. If we don't make this

?300,000 saving on street lighting, we will have to make its rows and

another service will go. The petition does not say they would

rather close libraries. Local councils are looking at other

options if residents pay. Whatever the outcome, universal street

lighting at all times of the night even in towns and cities look like

they are a thing of the past. Temperatures will be dipping below

freezing tonight in parts of the region and the gritting teams will

be on the roads once again. Highways teams have been stockpiling salt

across the west and some say they now have more in storage than ever

before. So how well prepared are they for the winter? Here's our

Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs.

This was January and no one's saying things are going to get this bad in

the near future but the motto is be prepared. At one of Gloucestershire

highways salt domes, with sub`zero and icy conditions on the cards

tonight, the gritting trucks are getting ready to go out on a run.

And it costs over ten thousand pounds each time ` so keeping the

roads open and within budget is a finely tuned operation. Every day,

we get a detailed forecast, we have free zones across Gloucestershire

and we have centres on the road so we put the information together use

our own knowledge and experience to determine when and where we should

put the salt and how much to put down. Right across the region salt

is being stockpiled. Here in Gloucestershire a record 12, 60

tonnes are piled up ready to go Wiltshire has 14000 tonnes with 1600

salt bins already filled up. There is 7000 tonnes across Somerset and

1500 tonnes in Bristol People like local timber merchant Peter Brown `

in his second year in charge of the local snow plough ` he's one of many

who got the call because he has the right kit. There are places where

the gritting lorries cannot get to and when the narrows Ash Road

narrows, local volunteers help out. People like Peter, his second year

in charge of the snowplough, one of many who got the call because he has

the right kit. We have a four`wheel drive tractor and the council

provide the plough and we are local, 24`hour Zidane. There's a

definite chill in the air ` and the potential for a dusting snow over

higher ground tonight. Nothing to worry about just yet. The real test

will come when temperatures start to really plummet.

The two tractors which launch the Minehead lifeboat had to be pulled

out of the mud this morning after becoming stranded over the weekend.

They got stuck during training yesterday when the carriages were

caught on clay near to the water's edge. They were left underwater when

the tide came in ` and couldn't be rescued until this morning.

Staying in Somerset for the moment and it's not every day you get to

host an international team, but this evening Yeovil Town have a fixture

against Latvia. Yeovil's manager Gary Johnson used to manage the

Baltic country and has kept links with them ever since. Alistair

Durden reports from Huish Park. So, what can I tell you about the

Latvian national team? 117 in the world rankings. They are managed by

the former Southampton striker. There he is. And their record

appearance holder plate from Bristol Rovers.

COMMENTATOR: Very busy, going outside! A

fantastic goal. And, they speak Latvian. How will they cope with

that? Any idea what that means? A game of two halves. We would never

have guessed that. That was pretty good! Nice! Quite

good. The game has come about because Gary Johnson, two years in

charge of Latvia. He took over here then. They wanted me to teach the

boys English for when we did get seven Latvians here and they had a

good start and all speaking broken Cockney English! And so it gave them

an opportunity when they came here that they could speak the language

and understand. I don't know, mate. Thick as a

parrot! I should have realised. I am not sick as a parrot tonight. So,

club against country tonight. An international side should be

favourites but as they say in Latvia... Or something like that!

It's a funny old game. We put trust in your pronunciation. Right,

whether time now. You have been looking at the headlines, the

newspapers have been going crazy. There is a wizard grain of truth,

and arctic blast to hit the UK. Parts of the UK but further north.

Northern parts of Scotland will bear the brunt. Here, it will get colder,

and that begins tonight. Today, not too bad, a little cloud providing

insulation, it has looked overcast, misty and murky with moisture giving

patchy light rain and drizzle and this frontal system came in early

pushing its way south eastwards With the installation, temperatures

respond quite well, not feeling too bad. The change is over the next

couple of days, cold wind sweeping down from the north starting tonight

and the wind does not let up. It will pack a punch. Things feel

different. A cold week ahead, a widespread risk of ice and frost and

brisk northerly winds, dominating the features. This evening and

tonight, a clear story, showers around, light and few and far

between, cloud breaking up well The chance of something wintry as

showers mix with cold air. Temperatures dropping swiftly, these

are urban values. Rural spots will be cold and fresher. Ice and frost

is a distinct possibility. Tomorrow, the skies are made clear, blue sky,

on higher levels of Forest of Dean and the Mendips may have a dusting

of something wintry. The most diverse, dry and bright and sunny.

`` for most of us. Plenty of sunshine to enjoy. Tomorrow night,

colder still. Subzero, a widespread frost, icy patches taking us into

Wednesday and low pressure pushing down from the north, tightening the

isobars, very cold wind and rain. It is all on its way. Thank you. Back

to our top story. The Bristol mayor is making a major speech tonight. He

is outlining cuts to make savings. He's been speaking now for about 45

minutes. Our political editor, Paul Barltrop is there. Paul, what are

the main points he's made so far? This is going to attract headlines

and criticism. Council tax will go up in Bristol, to % next year, to %

after and 2% year after. That is as high as he can push it without

holding a referendum. That is certain to attract controversy.

There has been a small protest this evening, one protester was forcibly

injected and there will be plenty of protest to come. He mentioned the

discretionary grants, discretionary funding, things will be cut. We have

not got the specifics, back comes in an hour from the council but if you

think what other councils, toiling `` closing toilets, libraries and

leisure centres, those are the things we expect Bristol to start

cutting. I will have full details on the cuts at 10pm. Finally tonight

we're just going to take a few minutes to look back on Friday

which, of course was Children in Need and thank you again if you

donated money. Tonight I can tell you the West alone raised ?1.2

million. David and I and the team were live

at the Roman Baths bringing you updates from the Westcountry. It was

a wonderful night, with school choirs from Bath and Wiltshire

performing to the nation. Here's an idea of what went on behind the

scenes to make it all happen. 'We wanna do

a science fiction series.' CS Lewis meets HG Wells meets

Father Christmas, that's the Doctor.