13/05/2014 BBC Points West

Good evening. The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset has been suspended

from duty after allegations made by a number of female police officers

and staff. Nick Gargan was sent home from work this afternoon by Sue

Mountstevens, the woman who appointed him a year ago. She said

he was devastated. Here is our home affairs correspondent, Stevd Brodie.

Nick Gargan has been in the spotlight since his appointlent But

today he found himself at the centre of serious allegations about his

behaviour towards female police officers and police staff. He was

suspended by the woman who `ppointed him, Crime Commissioner Sue

Mountstevens. I was told about them by whistle`blowers last week and I

spoke to the IPCC on Friday. On Monday they came back and s`id they

were going to start an investigation today, which has happened. Both the

Chief Constable and the crile commissioner have prided thdmselves

on their policy of transpardncy and openness. And now that very policy

is being put to the test. The commissioner says she hopes the

investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission will

not be delayed. These are allegations that the IPCC whll be

investigating and I have asked them to do it as quickly as posshble

while ensuring that it is robust and fair to the Chief Constable and to

the organisation. How did the Chief Constable react? Obviously he is

devastated by the news and we are waiting now to be contacted by the

IPCC. I'm very upset about ht, as is the organisation. But I want to make

it very clear that these ard only allegations at this point. The act

of suspension is an act of neutrality and it is not making any

judgement. I have been very clear about that to the Chief Constable

and I am very clear about that to the organisation. Nick Garg`n was

appointed as the new Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset at the start of

2013, taking up the post in March. One of his first campaigns hn office

was to write to local counchls offering help to turn the area's

speed cameras back on. A calpaign that proved more popular with some

authorities than others. In June 2013, Mr Gargan let slip about the

possible start date of the West Somerset badger cull ` a st`rt date

which was still supposed to be a closely guarded secret. And by the

autumn, he told the BBC how his officers had failed murder victim

Bijan Ebrahami ` the man who was beaten and set on fire following

rumours he was a paedophile. The Chief Constable will remain

suspended on full pay until the completion of the investigation now

being carried out by the IPCC. Steve Brodie, BBC Points West at Police

HQ, Portishead. A kitchen fitter and carpenter from

Midsomer Norton told "extrele" lies to customers and caused thel stress

and "trauma" after taking tdns of thousands of pounds for work he knew

he could not deliver. Christopher Hope`Shannon will not be sentenced

until six months' time. It hs because a judge wants to give him

time to try and give somethhng back to his victims.

One hundred jobs are at risk in Somerset after a printing fhrm went

into administration. Butler Tanner and Dennis in Frome prints `nd binds

colour books and magazines. Managers say it is too soon to know how many

jobs will go. Some may transfer to a sister company which makes laps The

company was rescued from lipuidation once before in 2008.

Some of the first patients have begun moving into the new stper

hospital at Southmead in Brhstol. Today it was the turn of hip and

knee patients. The site has cost ?430 million to build and whll offer

more than 800 beds. One of Britain's best`known

politicians hit the campaign trail in Gloucestershire today ` with

entertaining results. London mayor Boris Johnson had a close encounter

with a sheep and got in a mtddle over the Conservatives he h`d come

to meet. His supporters lovdd it, but opponents dismissed his

performance. Our political dditor, Paul Barltrop, reports.

Good afternoon. Morning, morning, morning. Boris Johnson was not too

sure what time it was as he reached Cheltenham. The first hand he shook:

Conservative parliamentary candidate's, Alex Chalke. Whth so

many to meet, it is easy to get muddled. I am just here to support

Alex Clarke and...oh sorry. Let s get names right! He was on surer

ground posing with council candidates and putting the boot into

the Lib Dems who run the cotncil. We have got a spineless Liberal

Democrat administration herd at the moment, is that right? I have

absolutely no inhibitions about bashing the Lib Dems ` what is the

point of them? All they do hs hold up Conservatives when we want to get

on and do our serious projects. . They enable you to govern the

country? Well, they do becatse they are supporting us. And off he went

to get better acquainted with the Tory candidates. Cheltenham Borough

Council elections really ard a two`horse race. Labour have not got

single seat here and UKIP are yet to make a significant impact. @part

from a few independent councillors, the contest here is a coalition

dogfight. The local Lib Dem office is busy running their campahgn.

Keeping control of the council this year will help Martin Horwood keep

his parliamentary seat next year. I think we work hard. We actu`lly

believe in local politics. Ht is part of our view of democracy that

local politics really matter. And I think it does pay off, actu`lly We

do not regard local politics just as a stepping stone to something else,

as Boris perhaps does, we actually commit to it. Cheltenham's politics

can be very local. The People Against Bureaucracy have had council

seats for decades. It is not really daunting, the fact we are a small

party does not appear to have impeded our progress at all. Back

with the Boris bandwagon and in Stonehouse he tried his hand at

sheep shearing. Whether tod`y boosted his party's chances in the

West is not certain. But it has certainly increased interest in the

election. Boris's verdict? Sheer madness! Paul Barltrop, BBC Points

West, Gloucestershire. That is it from us tonight. I will

leave you now with Alexis Green who has the latest forecast.

Hello, good evening. It will stay settled through the next few days

thanks to building high pressure. Overnight tonight, there is a risk

under the clear skies of thd touch of frost ` but it will be short

lived. A few showers as well, clearing away toward the sotth`east.

With the clear skies and light winds, temperatures will drop to

around 7`8 Celsius in our towns and cities. Perhaps down to 3`4 degrees

out in the countryside. So ` chilly, but bright and sunny, start to the

day tomorrow. Some hazy sunshine in the afternoon and temperatures will

rise very nicely, certainly higher than today, reaching 16`17 Celsius `

possibly 18 Celsius in some sheltered spots. It will st`y

settled over the next few d`ys thanks to high pressure building in.

Heading towards the weekend, temperatures could reach 20`21

Celsius. So pleasant and sunny conditions, thanks to high pressure.

Coming up next is the national weather forecast.

tomorrow evening, but a sunny outlook, although it might start to

breakdown in some places at the weekend. Today the weather was the

sort of weather where it couldn t really make its mind up.

It changed from hour to hour, there were storm clouds and thunder and

lightning as well. As far as tomorrow goes, it will be sunny and

warm so you can leave your lawn bowlers at home although after today

I wouldn't be surprised if you take it just in case. You can see some of

the big shower clouds moving across the country, this is another loop

here, the radar scans the horizon and tells us where it has been

raiding. You can see them over Northern Ireland, over eastern