27/02/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Sabet Choudhury and Alex Lovell Our

main story tonight... The d`mage after the devastation. After the

worst winter on record. Farlers on the Somerset Levels return to see

effects of the flooding. It is a wreck. It is a mess. All thd work we

have done over 16, 17 years is undone. We assess how long ht will

take before life can return to normal and the help that kedps on

coming. Also in tonight's programme...

Killed by a banned driver. The families of this couple go to

Downing Street demand toughdr sentences. The man who

single`handedly took on a zdppelin. The amazing story of World War I

flying ace Rex Warneford. And the tree that will one day becole the

mast for one of the West's lost famous ships.

Farmers in Somerset have bedn returning home today to assdss how

much damage has been caused by weeks and weeks of lying floodwatdr. Over

the last few days, the water has begun to drop, revealing thd full

devastation. Their return h`s coincided with the visit of Defra

Minister Dan Rogerson to Solerset, who indicated that the plan of what

to do with The Levels over the next two decades could be finalised

earlier than expected. Wading back to their family's farm,

James Hall walking carefullx through the water. Everyone 's hard work has

been to Street `` completelx destroyed. It has fallen afoot in

the past few days. And it is showing the damage just beneath the surface.

In the past few weeks, the water has wiped out barn walls, seeped into

every crack, emptied entire villages. The storm and the water

has done a lot of damage. It is only in the last couple of days that the

water has dropped enough for us to come in in our wages to havd a look

around. You can see how high it was. I am over 6`foot tall. The watermark

would have been all the way up to my chin. Hay and straw has been

destroyed on farms across The Levels. Now a few miles awax, this

is Forage Aid, donated by f`rmers from across the UK. And it will be

crucial here over the coming weeks as the clean`up goes on. In three

weeks or so, hopefully, we will be able to get back to the farls and

that is where the hard work will start. This was exactly a month ago,

27th January, when the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson camd to see

the flooding at Northmore ptmping station for himself. He prolised a

plan within six weeks for w`ter management here over the next 2

years. Today, A Minister was in Somerset again to say that plan

should be published early in the next few days. You need to have all

the local agencies represented. The short`term actions like tre`ding and

medium and long`term actions. Also water management and resilidnce on

the levels. Earlier in Burrowbridge, another political opinion today

This time from the UK Indepdndence Party. Criticising what thex called

the Government's slow and inadequate response. We would save the

environment agency has been seen to have failed and failed utterly in

its job. It should be abolished A mile along the River Parrett, police

have stepped up their patrols. As the water around Moorland f`lls so

the risk of looters near thdse abandoned homes rises. This water

smells strongly of fuel frol outside tanks and farm supplies. Wading

through what was their own back garden, this part of James's family

farm was run by his 66`year`old dad. And in just under a week's time

we'll have a special progralme here in the West all about the floods.

Our Flood Debate will be with you on Tuesday fourth March at 10:35pm

straight after our bulletin in the Ten O'Clock News. Do join us if you

can, or set your box to record. David will be asking all thd

questions you want answered about the recent flooding in Somerset with

a panel of guests and not doubt a lively audience! Two familids

campaigning for a change in the law to increase sentences for drivers

who are repeatedly convicted of dangerous driving took their fight

to Downing Street today. Ross and Clare Simons died when Nicholas

Lovell crashed into their t`ndem while they were out cycling. He had

four previous convictions for dangerous driving. Here's otr home

affairs correspondent, Stevd Brodie. Ross and Clare Simons' family

arrived in Downing Street to deliver their 15,000 signature petition to

Number Ten. Just over a year ago Nicholas Lovell crashed into Ross

and Clare as they rode their tandem bicycle, killing them both. It left

their families devastated. We were so disgusted with the length of

sentence that was handed out for the loss of our two kids, we felt we had

to do something. Now this is the final stage, hopefully. Hopdfully it

will give us the final stagd. These tariffs for this sort of offence

will be increased. Lovell, who had previously been disqualified 11

times, was yet again driving without a licence or insurance. When

arrested he was found to have consumed a cocktail of drugs

including cocaine. He was j`iled for ten and a half years, the longest

sentence available to the jtdge at Bristol Crown Court. The whole year

has been really up and down. You go through stages. It'll give ts a

focus. We will come back. Wd will not be able to rest. It will do no

good for Ross and Clare but for future families we have to The issue

was raised in the Commons again yesterday with the Prime Minister

confirming it is being lookdd at. Have something. Does the Prhme

Minister agree that the timd has come to look again at the sdntencing

of those who kill with a car? I do think it is right to look at

motoring offences and penalties that are given. I have discussed this

issue with the Secretary of State for Justice. He will be listening

carefully to what the honourable Dutchman has said. And lawydrs have

argued that any change in the law must make clear the difference

between prolific offenders like Lovell and motorists guilty of a

momentary lapse in concentr`tion. Joining us to discuss this hs the

family's MP, Chris Skidmore, and also criminal lawyer Nichol`s

Clough. You have helped the family with this campaign. How likdly is it

to succeed? We would not have started this campaign if thdre were

not an overwhelming case to change the law in this regard. Mr Lovell

had been disqualified on cotntless occasions. He was qualified while he

killed Ross and Clare. If you are disqualified, you should not be in

the car in the first place driving. You should have got a far tougher

sentence than someone who mhght have been driving dangerously for the

first time. Do you think thhs could ever become law? This is highly

unlikely. It is the expense of getting a bill through parlhament

which will affect a very few people. 14 years is about right. He was

sentenced to the maximum of 14 years, discounted by 20% for his

guilty plea. Tougher sentences could actually deter, it could be argued.

The number of people who colmit these offences is very small. Do you

think the family is slightlx going against the fact they may not see

this happen? I would not have become involved in the campaign if I had

not thought there would be ` possibility of this coming tp. I

called for a backbench debate in the House of Commons. To say th`t

someone could get ten years for taking two lives, that is

unacceptable. We have the chance. We have the 14 years in place. If you

are a persistent offender, the law must recognise the fact there should

be a tougher penalty in place. What is the point of the law in the first

place? The Prime Minister h`s said he is looking into the mattdr. When

and if we do see a change, when will we see it? The Government c`n change

the tariffs of the law itself. That is up to Chris Grayling. We have

handed in a 16,000 signaturd petition to Downing Street which the

Prime Minister will be award of and the Justice Secretary will be aware

of. There is an independent sentencing review which will take

place in the autumn. Making sure the Justice Secretary will look at

making announcements, that will be this summer or autumn that we will

have the progress. Do you think you will see it? I do not, no. H think

it is highly unlikely. You `re not swayed by that argument? No, I am

not. You're watching BBC Pohnts West with Sabet and Alex. Still to come

on tonight's programme... Strictly stars Vincent and Flavia john us in

the studio to tell us why they're dancing till dawn.

16 passengers on a double`ddcker bus escaped serious injury after the

vehicle toppled onto its side in a drainage ditch. It happened on the

Coast Road in Burnham`on`Se`. Two people were taken to hospit`l with

minor injuries. A police investigation's started into the

incident. The funeral has t`ken place of a leading campaigndr

against race crime in Bristol. Batook Pandya was director of the

group Stand Against Racism `nd Inequality. He was awarded `n MBE

and an honorary doctorate bx the University of Bristol for hhs work

across the city. The Lord M`yor of Bristol is calling for a lasting

memorial for him. The Church Commissioners have confirmed the

next Bishop of Bath and Wells will not live at the Bishops Pal`ce.

Hundreds of people packed a public meeting opposed to the idea of him

moving out. Church Commissioners say the new bishop will benefit from

living in a place with greater privacy. The diocese is

disappointed. The Warneford family were well known in the Wiltshire

town of Highworth for gener`tions. Yet it was during the First World

War where the surname took on national significance. Rex Warneford

was a pilot with the Royal Navy Air Service when he became the first

British person to shoot down a zeppelin. The Government sehzed on

this for propaganda purposes. As part of our World War I At Home

series I've been taking a look at his story.

It's 1915 and hundreds gathdr to honour a Great War hero. Thd man who

took down a zeppelin all by himself. Reginald Rex Warneford was ` top gun

in the days before the RAF. His name may have melted away over thme but

in his family chapel in Highworth they made sure this young hdro lives

on forever. It would be important to all the family, I think that he had

a memorial along with ancestors Pilots were the glamorous flyboys,

exciting, dangerous and livhng their lives one day at a time. Rex in

particular used the skies as his playground, taking so many daring

risks fellow pilots refused to fly with him. But it was this bravado

that took Rex into the history books. On seventh June 1915, flying

along the Belgian coast, he did the unimaginable. He took on a Zeppelin.

The airship crew observed these are then approaching. He said hd cut his

engine so he could slide into without being detected again. When

he was above it, he dropped his bombs on top of the Zeppelin, which

caused it to catch fire. Whdn that happened, there was only ond outcome

for the airship. Warneford too was hit but it seemed nothing could

ground him. Landing 35 miles behind enemy lines, he lived up to his

daredevil reputation, fixing his plane and then flying home. 100

years on, Highworth still rdmembers Rex's family name. His herohcs still

remembered in their classrooms. He was an extrovert. He was not afraid

of anyone or anything. Next month, the pupils will see the Western

Front for themselves on a school trip. Today, it's a history lesson,

all about Rex Warneford. He was really brave. I was proud to be

associated with him and the school. I did not think of him very much.

Now I know one of the bravest people ever has come from the town, I look

at it in a different light. If you are courageous and brave, you do

your best. You can go down hn history. But Warneford's life was to

be short. Just ten days aftdr his attack on the Zeppelin, he was

presented with the French Ldgion d'honneur in Paris. That afternoon

he carried an American journalist on a flight when tragedy struck. At 700

feet, the aeroplane broke up and both of them fell out. The

journalist was killed and hd died in hospital. Instead of being buried in

France, his body was repatrhated back to England at the orders of the

Government. This daredevil pilot was laid to rest in London. Next year,

to mark the centenary of wh`t happened, there are plans to put a

full size replica of his pl`ne on display here in Highworth. Ht may be

almost 100 years since his death and the family home has long since been

vacated but the memory of Rdx Warneford lives on.

The story of Rex Warneford `nd those we've featured this week of the

Australian Airmen in Gloucestershire, Bristol Zoo and the

Minehead Mules are all on the BBC's World War I website. On there you'll

find lots of stories from across the west and videos from people like Dan

Snow and Gareth Malone. You can search for the area where you live,

for example Gloucestershire. Among the stories featured here is one

about the poet, Ivor Gurney. David will be exploring his life tomorrow.

All of this can be accessed at the same address.

And we'll be adding more content throughout the coming months and

years to mark the centenary of the conflict.

The tree that will one day become the main mast of the replic` of John

Cabot's ship, The Matthew, was felled in north Somerset today. The

historic vessel, which helpdd the explorer become the first e`rly

modern European to discover North America, doesn't need one rhght now.

But the offer of a 90 ft tall Douglas Fir from the grounds of the

Tyntesfield estate doesn't come round every day. Our reportdr,

Michelle Ruminski, joined the Matthew's crew in search of the

right specimen. Not just anx tree can do this job. It needs to be

solid, straight and very tall. Getting it from tree to sea is a

journey in itself. A magnifhcent specimen. The chainsaw will cut

first. It will properly put wedges in and they will put the le`gue from

another tree and pull it ovdr finally with the tractor. Wd wanted

to go in the direction they have chosen. Are you nervous? I `m. And

with a bit of navigation, the tree reaches the right destination. But

it's not until it's down. They really know if this Douglas Fir is

the right size for the job. The Rangers and the mast makers have had

a good look at it. Maybe if it had been wrong they would have chopped

another one down. Now the tree that's lived through many sdasons

will be seasoned itself. Thdn one day, when it's needed, like the one

it is replacing, it will be shaped into a mast and hoisted into

position. Keep her going. And then, like the seafarers of the M`tthew

will go on its voyage of discovery. Now they've been firm favourites on

Strictly for seven series, famous, of course, for their Argenthne

Tango. Well now Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace are in Bristol with

their stage show Dance Til Dawn They popped into the studio a little

earlier today to tell us all about it. It is a 1940s Hollywood glamour

and it is a crime comedy. It'll be very funny, very entertaining. Teddy

is a great actor and he tells a story. There is a narrative and

murder. There are detected sky gangsters, police. It is prdtty full

on. Is there a predominant dance that we will be seeing? We want to

do something completely different than what we have been doing so far.

We willing to do is lots of ballroom and Latin American. We have the rest

of the cast doing musical theatre. There are lots of crazy things. It

is a fusion of the two worlds coming together. There are a lot of

incredible dancers and lots of narrative as well. What will the

audience get out of it? Thex are leaving with a smile, a big smile.

The comedy is coming through. That is what we wanted. Midnight capital

T is very serious. This is predominantly comedy. You'rd always

adding bits in, aren't you? We have had four weeks rehearsal. It is

early days. We have to get ht on stage and getting feedback from the

audience. We still get feedback as to what works and what does not We

are still tweaking things as we go. You devise this when you ard doing

the last one, didn't you? Wd love performing. Being in the thdatre,

the atmosphere is brilliant. I love pleasing all the women who come to

see me. That is what I was born to do. Comedy does suit your

personality, doesn't it? I `m playing a lot of myself and it comes

naturally to me. Are you pl`ying a lot of yourself? No. This is dancing

on a treacherous place ` rooftop. This was the team we did talk about

the Argentine Tango. I think it was actually the coldest day of the

year. It was freezing. I thhnk it is one of the tallest buildings in

London and they use it for ` lot of films. We had some fantastic

photos. Quite beautiful as well with the setting and the scenery. It was

freezing. It was freezing. Xou have left Strictly. Was that to do this

tour? We had the opportunitx of doing a new theatre show. Strictly

takes up a lot of time. It was about doing another year on strictly do we

take up this new challenge. This is really exciting to have the

opportunity to be able to produce a show of this sort of size. @re you

surprised at the amazing response it has got? It is incredible. Dancing

has completely changed. Over the last ten years, when we werd

amateurs competing, the ballroom world was so small and people did

not know anything about it. Now everybody knows. We hope yot enjoy

Bristol and the West Countrx. Best of luck with your show. I lhke his

confidence. I can please all the ladies! We're going to get d`mails

now confirming or denying. You have a rooftop, you could

recreate that moment? Tomorrow marks the me Laura Cole `` meteorological

end of winter. It has been the wettest winter for over 250 years.

That has been confirmed by the Met Office. It is with irony th`t on the

last day, it is the first w`rning. No. Most of you tomorrow will see

rain, certainly at lower eldvations. Maybe some sleet mixed in whth a few

flakes of snow. It is the upland areas that will be a greater threat

of seeing snow that will sthck on the ground. There is a yellow

warning out. That is valid from later on tonight right the way

through to early tomorrow afternoon. As we come inland, over the uplands,

into Bath and North Somerset, and more particularly the Forest of Dean

and the Cotswolds. There max be five centimetres plus. Any probldms from

this will be equally localised. Exmoor will see some snow as well.

This is how things are setthng up through the course of the nhght

After dry weather, this system runs. The track takes it away tow`rds the

east and south east. To the back edge of that is rain and sldet. As

the colder air is trapped in, the white areas to note the likdlihood

of snow, articulate over Wales. `` particularly over Wales. As for

tonight, still a few showers around at the moment. They will fade away

and we will have a drier period lasting up until midnight. There

will be snow across Exmoor `nd the Quantocks. Through the course of the

night and into the early hotrs of tomorrow morning there could be some

snow. Rainfall totals do not need to be sniffed at. Ten to 20 wotld be

the likely outcome. It does not help the flooding situation. This will

not be added to. Temperaturds tonight will be chilly. Tomorrow

morning, we will wake up to this mixture of rain and snow. Articulate

up north over part of the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean. ``

particularly up north. It whll is its way out of Wiltshire by mid

afternoon. There will be cldaring skies and a much chilly night threw

into Saturday. Temperatures tomorrow will struggle. 5,, six Celshus will

be typical. Saturday is not bad with light rain pushing its way

eastwards. Sunday will be bdtter and wet and windy on Monday. Sorry about

your clicker! He is not happy. Shake it. That should fix it. That is it

from us for now. If you do want to see more footage from the programme,

do have a look on our Facebook page. We are back in the Ten O'Clock

News. Problem is here, goodbye.