17/12/2013 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with David Garmston and Alex Lovell.

Our main story tonight: A Somerset charity is under investigation.

Afghan Heroes has its accounts frozen by the Charity Commission `

but the trustees promise the money is safe.

Also making the headlines tonight: Is it safe to use a DIY

breathalysizer? We try out the detectors that can tell if you are

still over the limit the morning after the party.

What a turn up ` Coldplay perform at a local pub. But they're only the

supporting act! There is more meaning and mutual understanding in

exchanging nods with a gorilla than any other animal I know.

And he's the king of wildlife film making ` Bristol honours Sir David

Attenborough with the Freedom of the City. Good evening. A charity which

supports soldiers who've fought in Afghanistan is being investigated

for alleged serious misconduct. Afghan Heroes was set up by a mother

from Somerset who'd lost her son in the conflict.

The Charity Commission say they ve put restrictions on its bank

accounts whilst they take a look at the books. This afternoon, local MP

and patron of the charity, Liam Fox announced he's standing down from

the role. Our Somerset Correspondent Clinton Rogers has the story.

One mother's grief was behind Afghan Heroes. Denise Harris set it up

after her son Corporal Lee Scott was killed in 2009. But tonight the high

profile charity which has supported troops on the front line and those

left traumatised by war is at the centre of an investigation leaving

many in Somerset feeling stunned. I have always felt that they are

charity trying to do the best they can. This has come as an enormous

shock, and it will be an enormous shock to a lot of people in the

area. It's both the management and financial dealings of Afghan Heroes

that are under scrutiny. In a statement this afternoon, the

Charity Commission said it was looking into what it called the

significant risk to and potential loss of the charity's funds

unauthorised trustee benefits. The commission have told us that they do

not carry out an investigation like this unless they have serious

concerns. Among them, what happened to the ?500,000 raised by the

charity in the last financial year? The Commission say only about

?15,000 is recorded as being spent on charitable work. But Afghan

Heroes say that ignores the fact that big sums of money were spent

setting up retreats for homeless soldiers like this one in the

village of Ashcott. One of the charity's founders told me this

afternoon they may have been chaotic with book`keeping but there was no

dishonesty. If there is anything wrong, it is probably the way that

we have documented and articulated things. As far as we are concerned,

all the money is going to the right place. These former soldiers have

had a roof put over there head by Afghan Heroes. Unsurprisingly they

were quick to jump to its defence. This is one of the only charity is

that I have been two who have actually done anything. They work so

hard, they do, they worked flat out. Seven days a week. Others have taken

a different view. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox resigned as

patron, citing a breakdown in trust. They had not he said told him

anything about the investigation ` an investigation which won't report

its findings for at least three months.

A busy commuter route in the centre of Bristol is closed after night

after a swing bridge became stuck open. The bridge over the Cumberland

basin jammed at the start of the rush hour. It is not known how long

it will take to fix it. It is causing huge delays travelling both

in and out of the city centre. We're told it is chaotic. Seven men

who risked their lives to steal copper wiring from an electricity

pylon in Gloucestershire have been jailed for a total of 14 years

today. The gang, who are from South Wales,

stole ?150,000 worth of cabling from a site at Frampton on Severn. Our

Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs, has the story.

Back in 2010 there were a number of copper cable thefts around Frampton

on Severn. We filmed at this site in October after thieves had climbed 80

feet to steal the copper earthing wire. But a month earlier at this

substation site at Netherhills close by, 7000 metres of wire weighing 45

tonnes, had been taken and sold on. These are the men responsible for

that theft ` all of them from South Wales. Five of them pleaded guilty.

Brothers Vijay and Umar Chohan, seen here at their trial last month, were

found guilty by a jury. When police arrested the gang they found heavy

cutting tools and climbing equipment. The judge told them that

the thefts were obviously preplanned and professional, but that it needed

considerable audacity bordering on foolhardiness. They had access to

someone who had a lot of knowledge. And even with that knowledge,

climbing up pylons 30 metres high and cutting the cables, if they cut

the cables in the wrong way there's a chance that the pylon could fall

down. This was the gang's electrical diagram of the site, scrawled on the

back of an envelope. The copper they stole cost the power company

?150,000 ` nationally it costs the industry many millions. But that

figure is now coming down. The scrap dealers and merchants now are much

more regulated. It is much more difficult for criminals to sell on

after the sort of crime, and agencies are working better to

target this type of criminality The gang were jailed for between 21 and

30 months each ` and will also face a proceeds of crime hearing in the

new year to try and recover the costs of a perilous theft that could

have cost lives. As Christmas approaches, police in

the West are stepping up their drink drive campaigns. While the majority

of drivers know not to drink and drive on a night out, many can still

fail a breath test the next morning. One way of knowing if you are safe

to drive is to buy a commercial breathalyser. But do they work? Our

Home Affairs Correspondent Steve Brodie has been finding out.

So do these commercial breathalysers actually work? I haven't had a drink

so I am going to blow into this one and see what it tells us. There we

are, there is the result which says Lowell, which means there is

absolutely no alcohol in my system. I am now going to drink this point.

25 minutes after finishing a pint, I blew into the breathalyser again.

Not point to `` 0.2. Alcohol is in my system after one what `` one pint

of lager. My reading was not `` 0.2%. It is below the legal drink

drive limit but they are still recommending that I should not

drive. Gloucestershire police flag down an early morning driver for

speeding. But had he been drinking the night before? He's asked to take

a breathalyser test. He has passed it. Did he mind being asked? I had

no problem this morning because I hadn't been drinking. In principle,

no problem at all. Nearly 20% of drink`driving prosecutions follow

morning after accidents.The human body metabolises alcohol at an

average of one unit every hour. And there's a lack of awareness of how

long it takes for alcohol to clear the system`and everyone is

different. One unit per hour leaving the bloodstream is the average. It

is difficult to calculate when you are OK the following morning. They

give the person in ability at told to tell of the alcohol has cleared.

The manufacturers certainly don t encourage the use of their products

on a night out and for motorists to see if they are up to the limit But

they claim they're accurate and can be very useful for the" morning

after" While the message from the police is quite clear`if you drink

then don't drive`they do accept that commercial breathalysers could give

a rough guide to motorists who are contemplating driving after a night

before. If you test yourself 20 minutes later, you could have a low

reading. Test yourself an hour later you could be sky`high. As soon as

they buy the breathalyser, people are aware. While the message from

the police is quite clear, if you drink then don't drive, they do

accept that commercial breathalysers could give a rough guide to

motorists who are contemplating driving at the night before. I think

I would agree that this would perhaps be the most responsible use

of these devices because it does show the fact that you are trying.

But if you know you're going to be going out and having quite a lot to

drink, and the next morning you would delay your journey until later

on in the day, or take the day off, or don't drink so much the night

before. We asked drinkers in a Bristol bar if they would trust the

commercially available breathalysers. If they are

accurate, and if they are reasonable price, it is something to think

about obviously. A very good thing, not only over Christmas, 24/7. In

Gloucestershire alone twenty drivers were caught last week when they

eventually get their licences back and paid off their fines they will

face a crippling rise in car insurance.

This is David and Alex with your local BBC news. And if you haven't

sent your Christmas cards yet, the last day second class post is

tomorrow. Thanks for yours, yours is in the post. And it could be a very

wet and windy run`up to the big day. Ian is here shortly to tell us all.

Plus, wildlife film`makers on the man who continues to inspire them.

He has been responsible for making Bristol the centre of the world for

wildlife. We have loads of independent production companies.

This is the centre of wildlife film`making, and it is because of

Sir David. The Supreme Court has been hearing

arguments against changing the law on assisted suicide ` as it

considers a case being brought by the family of the late Tony

Nicklinson from Wiltshire. His wife Jane is continuing her husband's

fight for the right to die at a time of his choosing. Sarah`Jane Bungay

was in court for us ` and a little earlier, she explained the point of

law which was being debated. Lawyers for the family are arguing that the

current ban on assisted suicide is incompatible with an article in

shrine and in the human rights act. That article being a respect of

family and private life. That is the core argument is there a barrister

has been put into these nine supreme judges. If they do agree, which is

what we will here early next year, there could be a change in the law.

Jane has been told by many groups that that would open up a whole raft

of vulnerable people to being exploited. But this was her

reaction. It would be very tightly regulated. Each case would have to

go through the courts, preapproved, the person would have to be so

severely disabled that they could not do it themselves. And they would

definitely have to be of sound mind. The barrister for the Ministry of

Justice has asked for this to be dismissed, hasn't he?

That's right, he took to his feet and spoke of the need for

consideration of public safety, the value which the public attaches to

human rights. No matter how difficult the facts and how sincere

in their aspirations, we submit the correct conclusion to these

proceedings would be for the appeal is to be dismissed. And there are a

number of groups supporting that argument, aren't there, but the law

as sound as it stands? Yes. One of those is Care Not Killing. The whole

language of the right to die is a misnomer. What is being argued for

is the right to be killed by a doctor which is a very different

thing. Attempting suicide itself was decriminalised, but assisting

remains a serious criminal offence. We value human life very highly The

court will hear representatives from Care Not Killing and the British

humanist society which supports Jane's case. Thank you very much.

A new report focusing on thousands of families living in and around

Bristol has found that an increasing number of teenagers are worried

about their weight. The study, carried out by researchers in

London, is part of the Children of the 90s study.

We shared the results with other teenagers in Bristol who were

surprised to discover that the findings were based on what their

parents rather than they themselves thought. Laura Jones reports.

For years, there has been lots of talk about whether gossip magazines

and glossy adverts are putting too much pressure on young people,

pressure to look and dress a certain way and essentially to be something

they are not. Today's report has unsurprisingly found that young

people are worrying more than ever before about their weight. Today's

report shows that more teenagers than ever are now worrying about

their weight. The results show that two in three girls are afraid of

gaining weight. One in three is upset about her weight. And one in

four sometimes skipped meals. The findings were no surprise to

students here at John Cabot Academy in Bristol. I am quite surprised

that it is only two thirds of girls who are worried about their weight.

I think everyone, all of my friends are worried to some extent about

their weight. But they were surprised to hear that the findings

were based on what the teenagers' parents thought ` rather than the

teenagers themselves. I'm sure that lots of people really wouldn't talk

to their parents about that. So I think it is not very useful to ask

parents about something that doesn't really concern them. This afternoon

the report's author defended her work. She said talking to parents

was also imported. It is very important we are where both as

health care professionals and parents, that we are aware of these

behaviours and the fact that these behaviours are commonly learned

lessons. That is the first step is `` step towards treating eating

disorders. A lot is being done now in schools to support young

people's confidence. We model something very different, many mums

out there are on diets and eating particular special meals, and giving

messages about diet and weight that isn't very helpful maybe. When it

comes to how our children feel about themselves, it seems we all need to

start leading by example. The City of Bristol has bestowed its

highest honour on Sir David Attenborough, the television

presenter who has become the face of some of the finest natural history

films ever made. The ceremony was held at City Hall

and is official recognition of Sir David's work at the BBC in Bristol

which goes back 60 years. He's the face of the Natural History Unit

which is known as the world's leading centre for wildlife

programming and is at the heart of a thriving film`making industry in the

city. We'll be talking to Sir David in

just a moment ` but first we asked some other wildlife presenters to

tell us what makes him so special. There are very few things left in

the UK that we can honestly say we do better than anywhere in the

world. Natural history television is one of them, and the reason for that

is David Attenborough. He is a complete one`off. He is the reason I

bought a DVD player, the reason I got interested in wildlife. The blue

whale sequins, what sequence. That is the zenith of wildlife

presenting. If you think about all the things he has seen an course of

his career `` in the course of his career. Iconic programmes. I have

all the box sets at home. He brought to life what was happening in the

world. We watched Tomorrow's World and David Attenborough. He has been

my inspiration. There is more meaning and mutual understanding in

an exchange of grunts with a gorilla than any other animal I know. We are

so similar. It doesn't matter how many times you see that, it is still

incredible. Answer David is still making

programmes at the age of 87. My favourite moment? Meeting him this

morning. I began by asking him what being awarded the Freedom Of The

City meant. It means that the city of Bristol values and understands

and appreciates natural history I am the figure head in this

particular instance, because I happen to appear on the screen. But

I am not the boss of it. There is no parallel anywhere else in

broadcasting for that unit. It should be a matter of great pride to

the BBC, indeed to Britain. Looking back at the archive, in black and

white, running around and all that, now year the elder statesman. `` now

you are at the elder statesman. But each series that comes on, closer

views, better shots, more technology. Where does it go from

here? Good question. I am working in 3`D at the moment. I am very lucky.

My broadcasting career, the very first cameras, bits of glass and

ten. The objects which produced the first television pictures on a

public service in the world. That was great. High`definition and

colour followed, and now the 3D It intrigues me to be able to work Do

you live close to nature yourself? Do you recycle, are you green? Not

as much as I did. I do not go running any more. I don't climb

trees any more. I am as much an urban man. I like that. I actually

like libraries, museums, art galleries, music, many of the

things. But I'll is like deserts and coral reefs and jungles `` its also

like. What programme makes you the most proud? Probably a series which

I produced with a unit called Life On Earth. It was the most ambitious

thing we had done until that time. In many ways it remains that way. It

did not cut corners, I remember trying to sell it to an American

network, and I was getting all enthusiastic. We are going to tell

you the whole story. He said, what are you starting with? I said, were

starting with the very origin of life. He said, you mean we've got an

hour on green slime? But happily, the BBC did. When the phone rings

and a producer is on saying I have another project, do you still feel

excited? Do you still want to do it? Yes. The question is, how on

earth am I going to manage to do it? Again, you know a lot about this

world. Do you hope, do you think that when we have left this life

there might be another world somewhere that we can explore? I can

find no evidence of it. I can't see any evidence that you could

demonstrate that that is the case. It may well be so, but I can see how

you would logically conclude from looking at the evidence that it was

so. If it is so, fine. I shall see. Not, I hope, for a very long time.

We hope you will be spending a lot of time in Bristol. Thank you very

much. Thank you. We're going to put it on our

Facebook page, that was lovely. Stadium`filling supergroup Coldplay

put on a gig in a village pub in Somerset last night. It's the one

where Kylie Minogue played a few years ago, so perhaps it's not such

a surprise. But all this musical highlife is

annoying some locals ` who've told us they had to put up with

helicopters, bouncers, and no invite. Scott Ellis reports from a

divided Compton Martin. They've sold 60 million albums and

fill arenas and stadia worldwide. Last night they were on the playlist

at a pub in Compton Martin. And if that wasn't come`down enough,

Coldplay were merely the support act to cockney veterans Chas Dave How

did Coldplay feel about supporting Chas and Dave? I think it was a bit

of use before beauty, wasn't it I imagine it made them quite nervous.

Did Chas and Dave enjoy it? They had a wicked time. The pub has pedigree

when it comes to star turns. Kylie Minogue did a turn in 2010. And the

corridor to the loos glitters with famous friends. That's because the

owner of the pub is also chairman of record label Parlophone. But while

these locals were invited, some villagers were grumbling today they

were left out in the cold. They were brilliant, absolutely brilliant

Kept away from the big gig at their local by security staff, but the pub

owners say it was a private party. Never mind, you can always see

Coldplay at the Hannah Smith Apollo on Thursday `` Hannah Smith. And

catch Chas and Dave in Wolverhampton on Friday.

About ?85 difference in tickets Let's catch up with the weather

forecast. Going to be wet and windy, isn't it?

Yes, tomorrow will set the tone for the weather. It will be a question

of just how windy it gets. We will be getting a combination of those

two. Tomorrow, through the course of the morning, we see outbreaks of

rain. Late afternoon, more particularly the evening, will be

the wettest and windiest phase of the day. Fairly quiet in tonight.

The first of those into the morning, then hot on its heel comes the more

active feature, the isobars giving it a squeeze. Those of you in Dorset

will be sent the strongest of the winds. A few showery outbreaks of

rain around at the moment. As the night goes on it dries out. The

first half of the night is where the body starts to pick up. It will be

less so into daybreak tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, a hint of

brightness towards the east. Temperatures tonight will have

dropped at their lowest to two or three Celsius. Tomorrow likely to

start on a dry note, but showery outbreaks of rain started feeding.

It will linger on in the lunchtime as it drags its weight eastwards.

The winds pick up, watch for the yellow warnings. Gusts of 60 mph.

Then that rain band heads out towards the East. Some of you will

have seen up to an inch of rain It will be windy, it will be standing

water, that sort of set up. Temperatures tomorrow, for what it's

worth, on the mild side, nine or 10 Celsius. As we look beyond that it

will be a showery day in the West on Thursday. A better day for all of us

on Friday but downhill on Saturday and continues right the way through

towards the Christmas week. Do you want to see inside our Advent

calendar? Let's open the door. Today's picture is from Peter

Llewellyn showing the street decorations in Painswick in

Gloucestershire. Thank you very much indeed. Very festive. And quickly,

there are still very big traffic problems. Apparently the council are

saying the bridge could be stuck until tomorrow's rush, tomorrow

morning. Check with BBC Radio Bristol if you need to.