29/04/2014 BBC Points West

at night. There is frost on the way. Thank you very much. Goodbye from

me. And Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex

Lovell and David Garmston. Our main story tonight: The rescue at Wells

Cathedral. A tourist is winched to safety after falling 30 feet down a

bell tower. We will be asking where today's accident leaves the future

of Cathedral tours. Emergency services were here quickly, but it

was a long rescued. She was suspended above the ground for more

than three hours. Our other headlines tonight:

Cleared. The police officer who fired a taser at a suspect hn a cell

is found not guilty of assatlt. Bottoms up. Can Nigel Faragd lead

UKIP to top place? He is holding a rally in Bath tonight.

And Prince Harry is in Wiltshire on a recruiting drive to find `thletes

for the UK's first games for wounded soldiers.

Good Evening. A woman is recovering in hospital this evening, after

being rescued by helicopter from the top of Wells Cathedral. The

68`year`old was on a walking tour of the building's tower and turrets,

when, it is thought, she fell into a gap and became stuck. Fire rescue

crews from across the area were scrambled and at one point ` doctor

abseiled 30 feet to reach and treat the injured woman, before she was

winched to safety. Our reporter Andrew Plant is live in Wells for us

this evening. Andrew, what lore can you tell us?

It sounds like it was nasty. Anyone can go on these tours. Therd is more

than one that you can do. This was the two of the upper part of the

cathedral. Up until now, thdse tours had been completely safe. Btt today

a woman with a party on a tour cell. ``fell She became trapped

between two turrets. She was there for more than three hours. The

emergency services acted very quickly and when we arrived we could

see climbing teams. There w`s also a helicopter above the cathedral. They

winched The lady into the helicopter. It was a huge

operation. Use the skills of everyone involved. ``used. She was

conscious. She had suffered some injuries so she did have sole

discomfort. The Ambulance Sdrvice worked well with the doctors to

stabilise the lady. She was talking and responding well.

We have a doctor with us now. Can you give us an idea of what happened

today. I think you described it well. The lady was on one of our

tours when she fell. Have you got any update on her condition? No

although I understand she h`s broken some bones. I presume you are

investigating, because until now you have done many tours. Absolttely. We

are doing some self`examination to find out what happened. I should add

to that that all the two hotrs have been suspended here until they find

out what has happened. `` all of the tours.

We hope that the lady involved gets well soon.

A Wiltshire Police officer, who fired a 50,000 volt taser into the

chest of a naked suspect inside a cell, has been found not guhlty of

assault and misconduct. PC Lee Birch has denied that he acted angrily

following the violent behavhour of his prisoner. Our home affahrs

correspondent, Steve Brodie, looks at how the officer found hilself on

trial. PC Lee Birch left cotrt after the jury recorded its not gtilty

verdict in just sixty minutds. They reached their decision after

watching CCTV of the officer firing the electronic stun gun into the

chest of Daniel Dove. The jtry watched the CCTV, which has not been

released, which showed Danidl Dove being told to strip. When hd reached

his boxer shorts he took thdm off and threw them at PC Birch. The

police officer then produced the taser stun gun, which he had been

hiding behind his back, and shot Mr Dove in the chest. Daniel Dove then

collapsed naked onto the floor of the cell after being hit by 50, 00

volts. Prosecution and defence lawyers said they had no objection

to the CCTV being released to the media and the trial judge commented

that he had no power, or wish, to prevent its broadcast. But `t the

last minute, Wiltshire's Chhef Constable, Pat Ginty, appealed to

stop its release. It is verx disappointing that the Crown

Prosecution Service decided to withdraw the prosecution ag`inst Mr

Dove on the basis that PC Bhrch s integrity was questioned. For PC

Birch, the not guilty verdict follows an extraordinary ch`nge of

mind by the Crown Prosecution Service. In December 2012, Daniel

Dove is arrested by PC Lee Birch and charged with assault and behng drunk

and disorderly. By March 2003, Mr Dove is due to stand trial ` but

then he issues a private prosecution against PC Birch for assault. In

July, the CPS drop the case against Daniel Dove, claiming PC Birch's

credibility as a witness has been called into question followhng the

launch of the private prosecution. The CPS takes over the priv`te

prosecution and PC Birch is charged. When Daniel Dove was brought back

here to Melksham Police Station he was taken into the custody suite

where he was booked in, while handcuffed, before being tr`nsferred

to the cell where he was tasered. It feels like touching an electric

fence, but stronger. It grabs hold of you. Wiltshire Police have now

revised their policy on the use of tasers. We accept the

recommendations of the revidw and have made changes to how we select

officers for taser training. For PC Birch, the not guilty verdict means

he can now return to work, but he still has to await the outcome of an

investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Steve

Brodie, BBC Points West, Brhstol Crown Court.

Police have charged two mord people in connection with the death of a

Bristol teenager. Nineteen`xear`old Nicholas Robinson died after being

stabbed in the communal stahrway of a block of flats in Stokes Croft

last month. Fabian Irving, from Bristol, has been charged whth

murder and is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court tomorrow.

Frederica Critchlow, from London, has been charged with assisting an

offender and has been bailed to reappear at Bristol Magistr`tes next

month. An eighteen`year`old Bristol man has previously been charged with

murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm.

Around fifty homes were evacuated in Weston`Super`Mare today aftdr a fire

at a car workshop in the middle of the town. A 100`metre cordon was set

up around Beaufort Road aftdr fears the building contained acetxlene

cylinders and liquid petroldum gas. One man was taken to hospit`l and

two others were treated at the scene. The cause of the fird is

unknown. The Swindon Town footballer Nile

Ranger has appeared before magistrates charged with crhminal

damage. He is accused of catsing ?2000 worth of damage to thd front

entrance of his apartment block in Swindon. Our reporter, Ali Vowles,

was in court. The Swindon Striker has been held in

custody since his arrest yesterday and this morning he appeared before

magistrates. Wearing a grey tracksuit, Nile Ranger gave his

name, age, and address, before pleading not guilty to the charge of

criminal damage. Before setting bail conditions, the court heard he has

to attend three different court appearances in Liverpool, Gwent and

Newcastle for various chargds of drink`driving and criminal damage.

The Swindon Town star left court with bail conditions stating that he

appears at Swindon's Gable Cross Police Station every Tuesdax and

Friday until his trial back here in the Magistrates' Court on the 1 th

of July. The former premiership player moved into a penthouse flat

in this apartment block in the centre of Swindon. Police initially

said they wanted to talk to Mr Ranger about criminal damagd and

assault, but in a statement today the force said that it had received

no formal complaint about the assault and no further action would

be taken. The six feett, two inch striker moved to the town after

signing up with Swindon last year. He has not played for the club since

the middle of February due to a hamstring injury. Nile Rangdr did

not say much to the press today but when I asked him if he would be

attending Swindon Town's disciplinary hearing on Thursday he

said that he knew nothing about it, as he had been in a police cell and

his phone battery was dead. The club says it has provided Nile whth

reasonable notice of this disciplinary meeting to allow him

the opportunity to state his case. Ali Vowles, BBC Points West,

Swindon. The leader of the UK Independence

Party, Nigel Farage, is in Bath tonight. His party is predicted by

many to come first in next lonth's European elections and todax he

launched the party's South West campaign. Tonight he is hosting a

rally, which over 1,000 people are attending. Let us join our political

editor, Paul Barltrop, who hs in Bath for us now. Welcome to the

forum where the stage is set and final preparations are taking place

for tonight. When UKIP that this venue they thought it would be big

enough, but they have now h`d to open upstairs as well because they

are expecting more people. Membership has reached 36,000,

largely due to Nigel Farage. He loves to be different. Not for

Nigel Farage the typical electioneering. Instead, he was soon

in a Bath pub. His love of pints and fags goes down well with sole

voters. So does his hostility to the EU, even though the decision to

withdraw would be made in Westminster, not Brussels. Ht is a

chance for people to express an opinion. I do not meet many people,

in Bath or elsewhere, who are happy being part of a political union with

Europe, which costs us a grdat deal of money and means that we have lost

control of our borders. But this election will make no difference to

that. Yes it will. The stronger that UKIP get, the more that we `re

shifting the centre of gravhty of the British political debatd. While

he was sipping beers, these election officials were holding a rehearsal.

The big regional constituency makes it complex. They are anticipating a

higher turnout this time. I think turnout will be around 52%. There is

far more interest now. Therd is more awareness. More media articles.

Loads of people have applied for postal votes. People are registering

to vote in these elections, the deadline being the 7th of M`y. On

the ballot paper, it will not just be UKIP advocating withdraw`l. So

too are several smaller parties We are very Eurosceptic. One of the

distinguishing features of our party is that we, in common with the SNP,

would like separation. We would like the Union to be dissolved. We are

campaigning for that. If we got a referendum on that, and we got a yes

vote for that, that would khll two birds with one stone. The

combination of the EU treathes and the Human Rights Convention make it

almost impossible for someone who lands to this country to be expelled

and that is what we have sedn for the last 50 years. The Asyltm

Convention is a particular bugbear of ours, but in combination with

human rights convention it lakes it very difficult. Back in Bath,

another pint in another pub. Nigel Farage shrugs off warnings `bout his

lifestyle. He says that he hs in rude health. Nigel Farage whll be at

his best tonight. However, today one person was forced out of UKHP for

making racist comments. Back to the studio.

Coming up a bit later on Pohnts West: Performing for the Prhnce The

wounded servicemen and women hoping Harry will select them for the

Invictus Games. And serving up a treat on the

streets of Bristol. We look ahead to a fortnight of foodie fun.

Spending on flood defence work across the South West has f`llen by

about 30% over the past four years. The figures have been obtained by

the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act. The Environment

Agency, who are responsible for flood defences, has told thd BBC

that its budget has been cut in line with reductions in all publhc

spending. Clinton Rogers reports. Do they try to justify thosd

figures? Show these figures to people living in Moorland, on the

Somerset Levels, and the re`ction is predictably angry. Obviouslx, if you

do not maintain something it will go wrong. It is as simple as that. We

need more money. That is thd be`all and end`all. Long after the waters

have gone, the damage is sthll obvious here. They will fordver

argue about what caused this. Was it simply sustained atrocious weather

or a lack of investment in flood relief work? Today's figures will

doubtless be seized on by those who believe the latter. They show that

in the Environment Agency Wdssex region, which includes Bristol,

Somerset and Dorset, spending on flood defences over the last four

years dropped from more than ?2 million to a little over ?20 million

` a reduction of 27%. But not everyone points the finger of blame

at the Environment Agency. Julian Taylor is a district councillor and

a flood victim. He says successive governments have cut funding to the

Agency and that has led to projects locally having to be shelved.

?300,000 taken out of a schdme to raise the river bank. Nearlx ?1 8

million taken out of another scheme. There are major cuts. In a

statement, the Environment @gency told us its budgets had been cut in

line with reductions in public spending. The government's climate

change minister, visiting Whnchester today, admitted that had happened `

but they had no choice. Of course there has been a squeeze on public

sector spending. We had to ` we cannot spend money that we do not

have. The Prime Minister, on successive visits to Somersdt, said

money would be no object to prevent flooding like this happening again.

Here they hope he keeps to those words. Clinton Rogers, BBC Points

West, Somerset Levels. Prince Harry has been in Wiltshire

today looking for team membdrs to compete in the Invictus Gamds. The

games will feature members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded

and will be held at the Quedn Elizabeth Olympic Park in London

this summer. Fiona Lamdin rdports. Reunited with his fellow service

men. Prince Harry knows everyone here has a story to tell. J`mie Hull

jumped from a burning plane, others here were caught in sniper `ttacks

in Iraq, or lost limbs to bombs in Afghanistan. A gym full of hnspiring

stories, united by their drdam to compete in the Invictus Gamds ` the

UK's first for wounded soldhers So far, over 200 have applied to take

part in the games next Septdmber. Today, Prince Harry is here is here

to kick off the selection process. And training hard next door. Despite

the circular ball, this is wheelchair rugby ` just one of the

eight sports at this summer's games. They have all come from a physical

background. It is about what they can do, rather than what thdy can't

do. And this road cycling tdam are certainly testament to that. Despite

losing a lung after an explosion in Afghanistan, Steve McCulley is about

to set off on a 20`mile cycle. I spent three weeks any, and nearly

three years in rehabilitation. But now I am able to exercise again I

used to compete in cycling, so it is exciting to possibly be abld to

compete again. I was shot while serving in Iraq. We all strhve to be

the best, we all want to be the best. This is another way of showing

that we can put in the work and see what we will get out of bed. These

games will give soldiers from 1 countries who fought togethdr a

chance to compete together. Fiona Lamdin, BBC Points West, Tiddworth

in Wiltshire. The battle ovdr ownership of Swindon was in court

today. It has centred on who owns the club and who can make ddcisions

about Swindon's future. Nothing was resolved today.

Bristol Rugby have announced some new signings today. Amongst them is

Scottish international Ross Rennie, who made his move from Edinburgh a

permanent one. Also arriving at the club will be Mosley backrow Olly

Robinson, who is the son of Bristol's director of rugby, Andy

Robinson. If you have ever wondered how the

food you eat gets to your plate or want to learn a little more about

cooking, then the Bristol Food Connections Festival could just feed

your imagination. Over the next two weeks, events will be taking part

across the city. There is a whole BBC learning area by the harbour

side ` with top celebrity chefs and lots of ideas for getting pdople and

food together. There will bd pop`up restaurants, food trails, thps on

growing your own and you can even try your hand at foraging for food

at one of our city farms. The idea of the festival is to inspire us all

to think about what we eat `nd where it comes from. One man who has

literally gone the extra mile to illustrate that journey is @lex

Poulter, a specialist baker from Bristol. He joins us now. Alex, tell

us about the journey you've just been on. I cycle from land 's end

back to my bakery in Bristol collecting all the ingredients I

needed. So this is to demonstrate ingredients? The point is that we

have great producers making food in the south`west. So I thought I could

make a loaf of bread where H could tell a story about all the

ingredients in it. It took xou about six days didn't it? Yes. It was

about meeting the people at every stop and talking to people `bout his

day `` how they produced thd ingredients I was looking for. We

will be selling this bread `nd using all these ingredients. You can buy

it and taste that. I hope it will taste good. It smells good. You are

also part of the food trail? Yes. We are all producing something that is

special. If you enjoy food, it is the place to go. David and H are

hosting the BBC Stars Kitchdn. It is allocated tickets, but if you have

not got one, a lot of it is first come, first served. You havd just

come for the bread, haven't you Yes. Thank you for coming to speak

to us. Now it is time to get the wdather

from Ian on the roof. A fine evening, but if you showers

are around. It is good deal of dry weather out tomorrow, and some

sunshine as well. We will sde some rain later in the course of tomorrow

evening. Tonight, there will be some fog and tomorrow that may t`ke a

while to clear. There will be some warm weather too. The rest of this

evening, we just have to waht until the shower is clear and then it will

be a dry night. Some fog in the morning. The temperatures in the

morning will be 5`6dC. The cloud will clear throughout the d`y and

then sunshine will break through. In the afternoon, it will be l`rgely

dry with only occasional showers. For many people, the rain whll not

arrive until the late evening. Temperatures, 15`16 Celsius. It

looks good for the bank holhday weekend.

Just before we go, time to tell you about an exciting opportunity to

work here at the BBC. The BBC Local Apprenticeship scheme is looking for

people to work in our local radio stations. BBC Radio Bristol is

hosting an event this Fridax where you will be able to find out how to

apply. All the details are on our Facebook page. Come and join us will

stop That is all from us for now. Goodbye.