:00:00. > :00:09.rise. That is all
:00:10. > :00:23.Welcome to BBC Points West. Our main story tonight: evacuate.
:00:24. > :00:26.People in three Somerset villages are told to leave their homes as the
:00:27. > :00:32.floodwaters rise. 150 properties are under threat from the weather. We
:00:33. > :00:36.had notification from the Environment Agency that we are
:00:37. > :00:39.preparing to evacuate. Whether they do it the whole village at a time,
:00:40. > :00:42.we don't know. We'll bring you the latest picture
:00:43. > :00:53.after strong winds and heavy rain batter the West again.
:00:54. > :00:56.The other stories making the headlines tonight: Accused of
:00:57. > :01:00.accepting his partner's speeding points ` a Bristol policeman appears
:01:01. > :01:02.in court. The multi`million pound level
:01:03. > :01:09.crossing replacement to keep schoolchildren safe.
:01:10. > :01:17.And soaring above the Sochi snow ` the West Country athlete going for
:01:18. > :01:21.Winter Olympic gold. Good evening. People in Somerset are
:01:22. > :01:25.being warned to leave their homes this evening as flood waters rise.
:01:26. > :01:31.The emergency services want those affected to act now. Villages are
:01:32. > :01:35.being evacuated. Travel though Somerset and the South West has been
:01:36. > :01:39.severely disrupted. The weather warnings suggest there's more to
:01:40. > :01:43.come. So where are the homes at risk? More than 150 properties are
:01:44. > :01:48.in the affected areas. Fordgate and Moorland are subject to warnings of
:01:49. > :01:53.floods. People there are being told to get out now. Also the area along
:01:54. > :01:56.the A361 from East Lyng to Burrowbridge. The police can't even
:01:57. > :02:00.get to the tiny hamlet of Saltmoor because it is cut off. They have
:02:01. > :02:03.been using loud speakers from a helicopter to alert some
:02:04. > :02:07.householders. A rest centre has been set up in North Petherton for
:02:08. > :02:11.families with nowhere to go. If you're one of the people affected,
:02:12. > :02:15.but don't know what to do, you should ring the police on the number
:02:16. > :02:18.101. Our reporter Madeleine Ware has been following this developing story
:02:19. > :02:30.today. She joins us from Northmoor Farm in Somerset.
:02:31. > :02:34.I am actually buy the North Moor pumping station where the huge
:02:35. > :02:38.operation to pump water of the Levels continues tonight. But all
:02:39. > :02:43.this may not be enough to save nearby villages. We have spent much
:02:44. > :02:47.of the in the village of Moorland. But this afternoon, the media were
:02:48. > :02:53.told by police, like local residents, to leave. A chaotic day
:02:54. > :02:59.for those residents as the fear of having to leave their homes became a
:03:00. > :03:05.grim reality. We can't save both sofas... A last attempt to save what
:03:06. > :03:12.they can before leaving. With the help of neighbours, Sue is shifting
:03:13. > :03:16.valuables of the floor of her retirement home in Fordgate. She
:03:17. > :03:21.also has a small holding here. Animals have been moved to higher
:03:22. > :03:25.ground. The sheep have gone up to a farm and the dogs are going to go up
:03:26. > :03:31.into kennels. The cats will come with me to my daughter's in Somerton
:03:32. > :03:39.because I need to leave. How hard has this been for you? Dreadful
:03:40. > :03:44.Really dreadful. It is like Chinese torture, because it gets closer and
:03:45. > :03:49.closer. Sue made the decision to go but at that point, she was one of
:03:50. > :03:53.the few. Most people determined to stay. In nearby Moorland, filling
:03:54. > :04:00.sandbags by the dozen. We have been told we may have to evacuate. It has
:04:01. > :04:04.come up to the garden but it is not in the house at the moment so we
:04:05. > :04:11.will try to batten down the hatches and see how things go. Police have
:04:12. > :04:17.been going door`to`door advising people to leave. But this afternoon
:04:18. > :04:25.came a more automatic warning. `` more dramatic warning. There will be
:04:26. > :04:29.a high tide after 10pm and that combined with the high volume of
:04:30. > :04:35.water coming down the river from the heavy rain that we have experienced,
:04:36. > :04:42.there will be overflowing of the river near to Burrowbridge. As the
:04:43. > :04:49.afternoon moved on, more residents decided to go. There is no choice
:04:50. > :04:52.now. The flooding is coming over the retaining wall. Once that comes
:04:53. > :04:59.over, there is no way of controlling the flooding. They are worried it
:05:00. > :05:04.will go through here quite steeply. But for all those joining the queue
:05:05. > :05:08.to leave the village, there were those preparing to stay, stay
:05:09. > :05:13.upstairs and sit it out rather than leave their homes to the mercy of
:05:14. > :05:18.the water. The day is turning into a chaotic
:05:19. > :05:24.night. There are queues of traffic coming in and out of Moorland. So
:05:25. > :05:27.people perhaps leaving their homes. The rest centre has been set up in
:05:28. > :05:35.North Petherton Bowling club for those that need it. For now, from
:05:36. > :05:38.the Somerset levels, goodbye. Off the Levels, the county town of
:05:39. > :05:41.Taunton wasn't immune, with roads and trains disrupted and concerns
:05:42. > :05:44.that the swollen River Tone might burst its banks. Emergency services
:05:45. > :05:52.are advising people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Here's
:05:53. > :05:59.Sally Challoner. Bishop Sutton blocked by deep
:06:00. > :06:02.water. There are people getting stuck in it this morning...
:06:03. > :06:06.It was chaos on the roads around the county town of Taunton today ` as
:06:07. > :06:10.fallen trees and flooded roads made every route tortuous. Many of the
:06:11. > :06:14.communities along those routes, some backing onto the swollen River Tone,
:06:15. > :06:22.were cut off. And working together to help themselves. We do have a
:06:23. > :06:27.Flood committee. They are keeping an eye on people and on things. There
:06:28. > :06:32.is only so much we can do but you will see around you there are
:06:33. > :06:37.sandbags available. We have supplied bin is full sandbags in various
:06:38. > :06:40.places around the village. To help ourselves. Pumps are battling to get
:06:41. > :06:44.the roads open but this crew had moved 15 tankfuls of water by
:06:45. > :06:48.lunchtime and the level is still rising. Now toilets are blocked by
:06:49. > :06:54.overflowing storm drains ` the water has nowhere left to go. Police and
:06:55. > :07:01.fire are warning people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
:07:02. > :07:04.But more than a month in, and despite all the warnings, people are
:07:05. > :07:08.still trying to get through these roads. Trains are also disrupted,
:07:09. > :07:19.with buses replacing some services to and from Taunton. The advice is
:07:20. > :07:25.to check before travelling. The line at Castle Cary is closed so we
:07:26. > :07:30.cannot run services to London. We are running everything via Bristol.
:07:31. > :07:34.That line is open and hopefully it will remain so. With the weather
:07:35. > :07:38.that is forecast, be on the watch. And with some of the county's roads
:07:39. > :07:43.now passable by just a few ` the advice is to stay away.
:07:44. > :07:46.The floods are again dominating the political agenda. Today, the
:07:47. > :07:51.Government announced an extra ? 0 million to help with repair work in
:07:52. > :07:55.Somerset. But Labour has accused the Coalition of being slow to act.
:07:56. > :08:05.Here's how David Cameron responded at Prime Minister's Questions.
:08:06. > :08:10.Whatever is required, whether it is dredging work on the rivers, whether
:08:11. > :08:14.it is support for our emergency services, whether it is fresh money
:08:15. > :08:18.for flooding defences, whether it is action across the board, this family
:08:19. > :08:24.`` this government will help those families and get this issue sorted.
:08:25. > :08:29.Let's cross to Westminster now. Do we know what the ?10 million for
:08:30. > :08:33.Somerset will be for? This money is coming from the Department for the
:08:34. > :08:39.environment. It is twofold. First there is money for the English ``
:08:40. > :08:44.the initial clear up operation and then there will be a six`week action
:08:45. > :08:50.plan to look at more long`term plans of how to better protect the
:08:51. > :08:53.Somerset levels. It was another meeting of the government's
:08:54. > :08:59.emergency committee this afternoon, what was resolved? It was dominated
:09:00. > :09:04.by talk of what may happen in the coming hours and days with those
:09:05. > :09:08.extra flood warnings and severe weather warnings. Somerset itself
:09:09. > :09:12.was certainly mentioned. But here in Parliament early on, there had been
:09:13. > :09:21.criticism from the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, of the government's
:09:22. > :09:24.response. He said it had been too slow to respond. Some are reading
:09:25. > :09:33.into the fact that David Cameron is chairing the meeting today, not the
:09:34. > :09:35.Environment Secretary. The government is coming in for
:09:36. > :09:41.criticism, what about the Environment Agency? David Cameron
:09:42. > :09:45.was in the Commons earlier on. He came in on the issue as to whether
:09:46. > :09:49.the Environment Agency should have been more dredging of rivers. He
:09:50. > :09:53.said that he believes that in the future that they still happen more.
:09:54. > :09:57.He said there should also be no choice in terms of prison ``
:09:58. > :10:04.protecting build`up areas versus countryside areas. That refers
:10:05. > :10:08.directly to something that the chairman of the Environment Agency
:10:09. > :10:13.has suggested that his environ `` that his organisation was having to
:10:14. > :10:16.do. It was a criticism of the agency, but Downing Street
:10:17. > :10:20.emphasised the importance of the work is doing. I don't think that
:10:21. > :10:24.Downing Street wants to give it too much of a kicking at this stage But
:10:25. > :10:28.it was made clear that once the initial problems were sorted out,
:10:29. > :10:31.there will be questions for the Environment Agency about what it is
:10:32. > :10:35.doing to protect areas from flooding.
:10:36. > :10:39.Just when you thought it couldn t get any worse, it has! Ian, what is
:10:40. > :10:53.next here for us in the West? The Met office and the warning will
:10:54. > :10:58.last for three days. From tomorrow to Saturday. Trouble on all of those
:10:59. > :11:02.days. The detail later on in the programme.
:11:03. > :11:08.A Bristol policeman has appeared in court today after trying to take
:11:09. > :11:11.points on his licence to save his girlfriend from a driving ban. But
:11:12. > :11:14.the plan fell apart when it was discovered that PC Alex Owen was
:11:15. > :11:17.taking part in an anti`terrorist operation at the time of the alleged
:11:18. > :11:23.offence. Our correspondent Steve Brodie was in court.
:11:24. > :11:26.PC Alex Owen did his best to avoid being filmed when he arrived at
:11:27. > :11:30.court. The prosecution claim that the officer and his partner Nina
:11:31. > :11:36.East had filled in forms stating he was driving when in fact it was her
:11:37. > :11:39.behind the wheel. Crime recorder Nina East was working here at
:11:40. > :11:44.Southmead Police station in June 2008 when her Peugeot was captured
:11:45. > :11:48.by a speed camera. She already had nine points on her licence for
:11:49. > :11:51.previous speeding convictions. But when she got another prosecution
:11:52. > :11:56.notice she returned the form claiming that PC Owen had in fact
:11:57. > :12:01.been driving. He was sent on a speed awareness course and paid a fine.
:12:02. > :12:05.But an investigation revealed that at the time of the offence PC Owen
:12:06. > :12:10.was in fact taking part in an anti`terrorist operation at Trinity
:12:11. > :12:13.Road police station. Prosecuting Ian Dixie told the jury that a log book
:12:14. > :12:19.in the station's custody suite proved he had not left Trinity Road.
:12:20. > :12:22.When he was interviewed for a second time the pc admitted he'd lost his
:12:23. > :12:32.notebook but accepted he'd made a mistake about driving the car but
:12:33. > :12:36.denied there had been a cover up. When asked in court if PC Owen had
:12:37. > :12:39.taken the points to prevent her receiving a driving ban she said
:12:40. > :12:42."No, that's not true." Under crossexamination in the witness box
:12:43. > :12:45.the police staff worker said she didn't realise she would be banned
:12:46. > :12:51.from driving if she received three another points. "Really," commented
:12:52. > :12:58.Mr Ian Dixie. Nina East and PC Owen both deny allegations of perverting
:12:59. > :13:01.the course of justice. The government has given the
:13:02. > :13:05.go`ahead for council tax increases across the West. All of our police
:13:06. > :13:09.forces, as well as several councils, are planning to put up the amount
:13:10. > :13:13.they charge residents. Their funding has been cut repeatedly in recent
:13:14. > :13:21.years. Our political editor Paul Barltrop is here.
:13:22. > :13:27.Is it not up to local authorities to decide how much tax they charge It
:13:28. > :13:32.is the tax raised `` that is raised locally, but the government sets
:13:33. > :13:37.some pretty tough restrictions. They announced there would be a 2% rule.
:13:38. > :13:47.If you go beyond that, you have got to hold a referendum. This is not a
:13:48. > :13:54.cab. I have no power `` this is not a limit. I have no power to stop any
:13:55. > :14:02.council going for 6% or 7%. But they have to ask the public. If they have
:14:03. > :14:08.a good case, they should do that. Nobody will risk that, well they? It
:14:09. > :14:13.is like turkeys voting for Christmas! 2% is what people will
:14:14. > :14:19.stick with. All the south`west forces will stick to that. They say
:14:20. > :14:25.they have consulted with the public and there is considerable support.
:14:26. > :14:29.Having announced that you have police and crime Commissioners, 75%
:14:30. > :14:40.of the 5000 who contacted me said that they would be prepared to spend
:14:41. > :14:44.a 2% to 10% increase in council tax. We need this money. I'm finding that
:14:45. > :14:49.many agree with me, that they want to protect the local policing
:14:50. > :14:54.delivered locally. And they are prepared to pay that very small
:14:55. > :15:06.amount per year. What about our local councils? Been made George
:15:07. > :15:10.Ferguson wants a 2% increase. West Somerset and others are looking to
:15:11. > :15:17.put their council tax up. But town and parish councils, they are not
:15:18. > :15:20.bound by these rules. We could see some quite big in Crete is coming
:15:21. > :15:27.through on their slice of the council tax. `` quite big increases.
:15:28. > :15:30.After four near misses in five years, two level crossings used by
:15:31. > :15:33.hundreds of school children every day have been closed in Stroud.
:15:34. > :15:36.They've been replaced by a new footbridge as part of a ?130 million
:15:37. > :15:40.investment by Network Rail to improve safety across the country.
:15:41. > :15:47.Zoe Gough's report begins with some dramatic pictures.
:15:48. > :15:52.It's scenes like these which demonstrate the danger of level
:15:53. > :16:05.crossings. And which have led to more than 700 being closed. In
:16:06. > :16:12.Stroud two have been shut and replaced with a ?2.4 million bridge.
:16:13. > :16:20.Helping 1,500 children get safely to school. Every time someone crosses,
:16:21. > :16:27.there is a risk. ?2 million is a lot of money, but it is for the safety
:16:28. > :16:31.of the children. It is part of a ?130 million investment nationwide.
:16:32. > :16:36.The old crossings were in Network Rail's most urgent top foreclosing.
:16:37. > :16:40.Trains can reach speeds of 90mph here and there are blind bends in
:16:41. > :16:44.both directions. There have been four near misses in five years. And
:16:45. > :16:51.the risk of more is about to increase. At the moment, we run
:16:52. > :16:55.about two trains an hour. But as we read double this line and make this
:16:56. > :17:00.railway much improved, we will increase the number of trains to
:17:01. > :17:05.eight an hour. That increases the risk for children and the public
:17:06. > :17:08.crossing here. It really was lifting it to an unacceptable level. The new
:17:09. > :17:15.bridge has attracted opposition from those living alongside the line
:17:16. > :17:18.Terrible. It seems over the top for the location. This was a nice,
:17:19. > :17:27.semirural setting and now we are completely... According to a local
:17:28. > :17:33.estate agent, we have both lost ?20,000 on the value of our homes.
:17:34. > :17:36.But with ten more deaths on level crossings last year. Network Rail
:17:37. > :17:45.says they've had to strike a balance between safety and the neighbours.
:17:46. > :17:48.The opening ceremony for the winter Olympics is just two days away, but
:17:49. > :17:51.the competition begins tomorrow for Bristol snowboarder Jenny Jones
:17:52. > :17:55.Alistair Durden is here to tell us more.
:17:56. > :17:58.Before the Olympic flame has been lit and the teams introduced, Jenny
:17:59. > :18:02.Jones will be involved in qualifying for her event, which is the slope
:18:03. > :18:05.style snowboard. This is it ` competitors are marked for their
:18:06. > :18:10.artistic performances over a series of jumps and rails. She's been
:18:11. > :18:14.competing and winning at the very highest level for more than a decade
:18:15. > :18:17.but this is the first time her sport has been included at the Olympic
:18:18. > :18:32.Games. Damian Derrick put Jenny under the spotlight ahead of her
:18:33. > :18:43.biggest challenge yet. Jenny Jones. World`class
:18:44. > :18:47.snowboarder. I just love it. I love the feeling of jumping, the airtime
:18:48. > :18:51.that you get. Just the freedom to do what you want a little bit. That is
:18:52. > :18:57.what snowboarding is, expressing yourself in different ways. Whether
:18:58. > :19:03.it is that trick on the jump, if anyone gets it right, I think this
:19:04. > :19:10.is to the jumping stage. You will be so happy with yourself if you manage
:19:11. > :19:20.it. And Jenny has managed it many times. She has won three gold medals
:19:21. > :19:23.at the X games. The ultimate championship for extreme sports
:19:24. > :19:27.This is the first time in her event has been included at the Winter
:19:28. > :19:33.Olympics. When they announced that slope style would come into the
:19:34. > :19:40.Winter Olympics, I was amazed! I was excited that I had a new challenge.
:19:41. > :19:45.I feel like I'm going to represent my country, that is an amazing
:19:46. > :19:52.feeling. For people who don't know what snowboarding slope style is,
:19:53. > :19:57.explained. Snowboarder slope style is when you come down a course. It
:19:58. > :20:04.is not a race, it is not timed. It is about what kind of tricks you do
:20:05. > :20:08.on jumps and rails. There will be two all three of each. It is how
:20:09. > :20:18.well do execute them. `` two or three of each. You are still at the
:20:19. > :20:24.top of your sport. How have you manage that? It is looking after
:20:25. > :20:27.yourself, being disciplined with rehabilitation when you injure
:20:28. > :20:35.yourself and look after your body because that is your tool in helping
:20:36. > :20:43.you enjoy the sport. And never let it get too stale or boring. Just
:20:44. > :20:46.having a love for learning tricks. If you keep learning tricks, you
:20:47. > :20:57.will stay at the top in the competitive side of things. How did
:20:58. > :21:01.you get into snowboarding? My parents took my brother and me to
:21:02. > :21:06.the local dry slope in Churchill and we just had a go. A free half`hour
:21:07. > :21:10.lesson. We did not learn much but we thought it was really cool. I
:21:11. > :21:16.decided to take it a bit further and I convinced Filton College to
:21:17. > :21:20.arrange a week snowboarding trip for me and my friends and we had a
:21:21. > :21:25.blast. Snowboarding in the Italian Alps. What would it mean to you if
:21:26. > :21:30.you came back with an Olympic medal to add to your other medals? At this
:21:31. > :21:36.stage, I'm not even thinking about it. All I am thinking about is
:21:37. > :21:42.getting there, which I have finally done, and enjoying myself when I get
:21:43. > :21:44.there and the first stage, which is qualification. That is the first
:21:45. > :21:48.step for me, qualified for the semifinals.
:21:49. > :21:51.Football, and Bristol Academy's new head coach has taken his first
:21:52. > :21:54.training session. Dave Edmondson, on the left of the picture here, has
:21:55. > :21:58.been working in New Zealand and Australia. He succeeds Mark Sampson
:21:59. > :22:02.who left the club to take the England manager's job in December
:22:03. > :22:09.last year. Bristol Academy finished last season as runners`up in the
:22:10. > :22:15.Women's Super League. I would like to think I have a good eye for a
:22:16. > :22:21.player and certainly I have a track record of producing and developing
:22:22. > :22:25.players. To create successful teams. But also to regret their
:22:26. > :22:30.careers and there are a number of international players that I coach
:22:31. > :22:33.now, that is constantly growing I hope that is a major strength.
:22:34. > :22:36.Bristol City missed the chance to pull away from the League 1
:22:37. > :22:39.relegation zone. They're above it on goal difference after losing to
:22:40. > :22:45.Coventry at Ashton Gate last night. They were 2`0 down before half`time.
:22:46. > :22:49.City got one back with nine minutes to go. Wes Burns' header took a
:22:50. > :22:51.deflection off Marlon Pack. But City couldn't muster an equaliser.
:22:52. > :22:55.And tonight, it's Cup action for Swindon who can take a step closer
:22:56. > :22:58.to Wembley. They play Peterborough in the first leg of the Southern
:22:59. > :23:05.Area Final in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Kick`off is at 7:15pm.
:23:06. > :23:11.News on that tomorrow, as well as a look at why we're so successful at
:23:12. > :23:15.skeleton bob. `` news on that in our late bulletin tonight.
:23:16. > :23:18.Gloucestershire school pupils were among those trying to break a world
:23:19. > :23:23.record for the most children singing, and signing, at the same
:23:24. > :23:27.time. The event's been organised by a national charity for deaf people
:23:28. > :23:30.to raise awareness. And these are the youngsters at Grangefield
:23:31. > :23:36.Primary in Bishops Cleeve taking part. They're waiting to find out if
:23:37. > :23:45.they've done enough to make it into the record books.
:23:46. > :23:47.Let's hope that they have. Now the weather forecast. That has been
:23:48. > :24:00.dominating things today. Tomorrow will start decent, but from
:24:01. > :24:08.late morning, heavy rain will be spreading north. Every possibility
:24:09. > :24:10.of disruption. The Met office has issued an amber warning across the
:24:11. > :24:19.district which stretches right across through Thursday afternoon
:24:20. > :24:25.into Friday and Saturday. Decidedly unhelpful, the developments today.
:24:26. > :24:30.The wind and showers will ease off tonight but in the south, you will
:24:31. > :24:35.see the next batch of rain running up in the afternoon and evening
:24:36. > :24:40.particularly. That low pressure will rotate towards the north`east on
:24:41. > :24:45.Friday. Still heavy showers following on behind. For the time
:24:46. > :24:51.being, we lose the showers we have and we lose the strong winds.
:24:52. > :24:56.Remaining a windy night, but not exceptional. Towards daybreak
:24:57. > :25:03.tomorrow, there will be a good deal of dry weather. So the rush hour
:25:04. > :25:08.tomorrow looks unaffected. Some decent spells of brightness around.
:25:09. > :25:16.But then the first rain comes into Dorset and Somerset and it inches
:25:17. > :25:22.its way ever northwards. Heavy burst of rain. It will turn more showery
:25:23. > :25:25.in the evening period that there is still a threat of significant
:25:26. > :25:32.disruption across the Somerset levels and other river catchments.
:25:33. > :25:37.Temperatures are academic. If we look beyond that, the next cause for
:25:38. > :25:42.concern after a window of decent weather will be late Friday, as
:25:43. > :25:48.another Atlantic system rattles in through the night and into Saturday.
:25:49. > :25:52.This has all the hallmarks of the effect of the storm last night we
:25:53. > :25:57.should affect `` we should expect similar impacts.
:25:58. > :26:00.It's a grim picture this evening. If you're one of the people affected by
:26:01. > :26:04.the severe weather and flooding but don't know what to do, ring the
:26:05. > :26:05.police on the Police information number 101.
:26:06. > :26:07.the severe weather and flooding but don't know what to do, ring And BBC
:26:08. > :26:15.Somerset will bring you updates as they get them. If you have been
:26:16. > :26:19.affected, I hope you are OK. Thank you for watching. Goodbye.