:00:00. > :00:07.so it's goodbye from me, and on BBC One we
:00:08. > :00:10.Welcome to BBC Points West with Sabet Choudhury and Amanda Parr
:00:11. > :00:13.Jailed for neglect ` the Gloucestershire couple who raised
:00:14. > :00:22.Their father admits they let the children down.
:00:23. > :00:30.It is a range of feelings. On my behalf, my wife's behold and social
:00:31. > :00:33.services let us down in a bhg way. investigation has now begun
:00:34. > :00:40.into what went wrong. Three years in jail for the woman
:00:41. > :01:05.who took money to be a surrogate A seemingly innocent glass of wine
:01:06. > :01:11.at lunch time, and I would be on my knees at a drug dealer's hotse.
:01:12. > :01:14.They left five of their children living in squalor, infested with
:01:15. > :01:18.Now a Gloucestershire coupld have been sentenced to prison for what's
:01:19. > :01:22.been described as the "appalling neglect" of their children.
:01:23. > :01:25.A judge at Gloucester crown court said the children suffered terribly,
:01:26. > :01:34.and although they had not bden deliberately cruel,
:01:35. > :01:40.their parents had been "stupid, stubborn and incompetent?.
:01:41. > :01:43.Inside the house where fivd childre lived a life of squalor and suffered
:01:44. > :01:45.Dirt`ridden carpets, soiled mattresses,
:01:46. > :01:48.rubbish and clothes everywhdre The bedrooms smelt of urine
:01:49. > :01:54.and animal faeces ` one of them even had ivy growing through the window.
:01:55. > :01:57.The children suffered from a poor diet and terrible hygiene.
:01:58. > :01:59.Those at school were ostrachsed ` one smelt so bad,
:02:00. > :02:05.The children were often infdsted with head lice, which their mother
:02:06. > :02:13.The law prevents us from iddntifying them to protect the children.
:02:14. > :02:20.But I spoke to their father before he was sent to prison.
:02:21. > :02:30.We did let our children down. We did not stop loving than that wd did let
:02:31. > :02:35.them down. In a way of development and growing up.
:02:36. > :02:41.How did you let your childrdn get into this state? What let up to it?
:02:42. > :02:47.They were left in a bad way. It is a range of failings on my
:02:48. > :02:52.behalf, my wife's behalf and social services let us down in a bhg way. A
:02:53. > :02:53.lot of agencies let us down. Social care and health teams tried,
:02:54. > :02:56.unsuccessfully it turns out, to help The parents often refused that help,
:02:57. > :03:00.but could more have been done As a result,
:03:01. > :03:04.the chair of the Gloucestershire Children Safeguarding Board said
:03:05. > :03:06.in a statement today that "The neglect these children suffered
:03:07. > :03:07.was unacceptable. The Board had already been focusing
:03:08. > :03:10.on neglect as an issue and so we decided that a
:03:11. > :03:13.Serious Case Review would hdlp us understand what happened
:03:14. > :03:15.in this particular case and what we The investigation started
:03:16. > :03:20.after the couple's two year old daughter was admitted to hospital
:03:21. > :03:23.with severe nappy rash ` thd pain The detective in charge of
:03:24. > :03:39.the case told me it's been the most Neglect is around failing to meet
:03:40. > :03:42.the basic needs of the child so that they can develop and meet those
:03:43. > :03:48.milestones that normal children do. And these children will not reaching
:03:49. > :03:54.those normal milestones that most children do meet, such as bding able
:03:55. > :04:00.to walk or use the toilets. The judge said that the pardnts were
:04:01. > :04:03.inadequate, stupid, stubborn and inadequate but that they were not
:04:04. > :04:07.wicked. They did not deliberately inflict pain on their children and
:04:08. > :04:12.they tried that limited best to bring up their children correctly.
:04:13. > :04:14.David Niven is the former chairman of the British
:04:15. > :04:16.Association of Social Workers and a child protection expert.
:04:17. > :04:24.He provides training on child protection.
:04:25. > :04:34.Does it surprise you to see cases like this in 2014?
:04:35. > :04:39.No, it does sadden me. Thesd are cases that I find the most
:04:40. > :04:46.difficult, when there is neglect by omission. Parents do not know how to
:04:47. > :04:51.be parents here. Where love is not enough, the parents cared for the
:04:52. > :04:57.children, but they did not know how to. They possibly had the court is
:04:58. > :05:01.in understanding or they were incompetent.
:05:02. > :05:06.Social services did try to step in, albeit unsuccessfully. Do you think
:05:07. > :05:09.that their hands are tied. Hs there too much red tape?
:05:10. > :05:14.What surprises me is that I would imagine that social services would
:05:15. > :05:20.help this couple, telling pdople what to do, making sure that the
:05:21. > :05:26.children had the right tests and the right clothes, didn't turn tp hungry
:05:27. > :05:32.at school. But what surprisdd me here was, often if it fails, then
:05:33. > :05:37.you go to the family Court `nd apply for care proceedings. This hs quite
:05:38. > :05:44.usual. But this was the crilinal court, so it must be somethhng more.
:05:45. > :05:48.There is a serious case revhew going on. These children were seen in
:05:49. > :05:53.public, should the public h`ve raised the alarm?
:05:54. > :05:56.I would encourage the public, if they do see children regularly in a
:05:57. > :06:03.state of need and neglect to report the matter, talk about it. Just like
:06:04. > :06:08.anything else, if you saw a child being beaten, you would. If you saw
:06:09. > :06:13.a child being kidnapped, yot would report it. You should report
:06:14. > :06:17.neglect. There are high numbers of child of
:06:18. > :06:22.that the moment with the crhsis in the economy. Will we see thdse
:06:23. > :06:26.numbers rise? I expect so. The social services are becoming
:06:27. > :06:27.more efficient, but they ard under great pressure with the amotnt of
:06:28. > :06:30.people coming forward. Police are this evening appdaling
:06:31. > :06:33.for couple who feel they max have been scammed by a woman clahming to
:06:34. > :06:36.be a surrogate mum to get in touch. A judge today sent Louise Pollard,
:06:37. > :06:38.from Bristol, to jail for pretending to bd
:06:39. > :06:41.pregnant and cheating two ddsperate But police say they think there
:06:42. > :06:48.may be other victims out thdre. 28`year`old Louise Pollard had said
:06:49. > :06:51.she wanted to become the most prolific surrogate mums in the
:06:52. > :06:56.country. Today, she certainly became Today, she certainly became one
:06:57. > :07:10.of the most notorious. The court heard that she had said
:07:11. > :07:19.that she had previously been a sub gut, but this was different. At the
:07:20. > :07:30.begin `` a summer but mother, but this was different. The court heard
:07:31. > :07:35.that she had artificially inseminated herself and had on two
:07:36. > :07:40.occasions pretended to be pregnant, even faking taking a pregnancy test.
:07:41. > :07:44.On each occasion, she said that she had miscarried, after taking money
:07:45. > :07:50.from the couple. On another occasion, another couple pahd her to
:07:51. > :07:58.carry a child for them, and she pretended to fall pregnant, forging
:07:59. > :08:03.a doctor's letter. But she said that she had miscarried, after t`king
:08:04. > :08:07.?5,000 of their money. The court heard how the whole
:08:08. > :08:10.episode had been very traum`tic for the couples involved. One woman said
:08:11. > :08:14.that she had been left feelhng that she would never be able to trust
:08:15. > :08:18.anyone again. Another victil said that he and his wife's world had
:08:19. > :08:26.come crashing down when thex learnt of what had happened.
:08:27. > :08:32.Louise, who had previously hit the headlines when she had agredd to be
:08:33. > :08:42.a surrogate mother for the bin lard and family, `` Osama Bin Laden's
:08:43. > :08:46.family, was in court. We are concerned. We think that
:08:47. > :08:49.there may be more people affected. If anyone has been affected by her
:08:50. > :08:55.activities, then please contact the police.
:08:56. > :09:00.Sentencing her to three years and four months in jail, the judge said
:09:01. > :09:06.that this was not just a case of financial loss, but a case of too
:09:07. > :09:10.desperate couples being takdn in by you and your lies. They havd lost
:09:11. > :09:12.money, but they have lost a lot more than that and have ended up
:09:13. > :09:14.heartbroken. Earlier I spoke to Natalie Gamble,
:09:15. > :09:17.who is a fertility lawyer. She represented one of the couples
:09:18. > :09:32.defrauded by Pollard and I `sked Yes, and this has been such an
:09:33. > :09:38.incredibly difficult story. This happens very round it. We h`ve dealt
:09:39. > :09:46.with hundreds of cases, and the majority of very caring and genuine
:09:47. > :09:53.women. `` this happens very rarely. If a couple are considering having
:09:54. > :10:00.helped to start a family, are there protection to stop them frol being
:10:01. > :10:07.defrauded in this way? The problem is that there are some
:10:08. > :10:12.agencies that are accredited, but many of the matches takes place on
:10:13. > :10:19.the Internet. There is not the same monitoring as there are with other
:10:20. > :10:25.processes. It is quite an informal environment. We are campaigning to
:10:26. > :10:29.have a better framework put in place that would help create some
:10:30. > :10:34.safeguards for parents and for the women who carried the babies.
:10:35. > :10:40.If people are worried about the arrangement is that they have in
:10:41. > :10:43.place, when should the alarl bells ring?
:10:44. > :10:48.It is important to do your homework and make sure that you have talked
:10:49. > :10:53.about all the major issues. Things about your views about what might
:10:54. > :10:57.happen with the pregnancy. How much contact and support you would expect
:10:58. > :11:02.to have with each other. Getting to know each other and the widdr family
:11:03. > :11:05.around is important. There hs no substitute for doing that vdry
:11:06. > :11:10.thoroughly. Some people do that with an agency, but for others it is very
:11:11. > :11:15.important that they do as mtch time as possible getting to know the
:11:16. > :11:23.woman and the other when around How are the couples now? It is back
:11:24. > :11:27.to the drawing board for parents who have already had a difficult time
:11:28. > :11:32.with not being able to have a family more conventionally. They h`ve had
:11:33. > :11:35.this disappointment on top of it. They have to try and find somebody
:11:36. > :11:39.to help them, so it is very difficult.
:11:40. > :11:43.A very warm welcome to BBC Points West at the start of the wedk. We've
:11:44. > :11:46.still got plenty more to cole, including Jemma enjoying an evening
:11:47. > :12:02.That is right. We are going to have a lovely week of weather here in the
:12:03. > :12:04.West and every night this wdek I will be doing the weather forecast
:12:05. > :12:07.from locations that you havd suggested. Join me later to see
:12:08. > :12:15.where I am at night. `` tonhght An inquest has heard how a
:12:16. > :12:18.Somerset Army officer was found with a bullet wound in his head,
:12:19. > :12:21.in a shower block in a Brithsh Captain James Townley had only
:12:22. > :12:23.arrived A five day hearing in Wells will try
:12:24. > :12:42.to establish exactly how he died. James Townley was just a dax away
:12:43. > :12:51.from his 30th birthday. In 2012 he was working in Helmand provhnce at a
:12:52. > :12:56.base which he had arrived at a week earlier. This inquest heard that at
:12:57. > :13:01.6:30am on the 21st of Septelber James Townley left his tent and
:13:02. > :13:06.walked to the toilet block on the base. He was carrying his phstol.
:13:07. > :13:10.Less than two minutes later, his colleagues found him in one of the
:13:11. > :13:14.locked cubicles. He had a gtnshot wound to his head and he didd
:13:15. > :13:22.shortly afterwards. Both of the captain's parents were
:13:23. > :13:27.at the inquest. They heard from some of the soldiers who found hhm in the
:13:28. > :13:33.tower block `` shower block and from those who knew him in the d`ys
:13:34. > :13:36.before his death. They said that he was behaving perfectly norm`lly
:13:37. > :13:41.before his death, but one s`id that he put a lot of pressure on himself
:13:42. > :13:46.to do his job properly. Another captain, one of the first to arrive
:13:47. > :13:51.on the scene, said that at the time he believe the wound to be
:13:52. > :13:57.self`inflicted. The pistol was on the floor in the cubicle whdre James
:13:58. > :14:00.Townley died. Another captahn was asked if it was normal for someone
:14:01. > :14:05.to take a loaded gun to the shower block. He said absolutely, ht is
:14:06. > :14:10.normal practice to be armed at all times.
:14:11. > :14:15.This inquest will be hearing from 22 witnesses. The coroner said that he
:14:16. > :14:19.will be examining the circulstances around the death in great ddtail.
:14:20. > :14:23.But he said it was not his responsibility to apportion blame.
:14:24. > :14:30.This, he said, was a fact`fhnding exercise.
:14:31. > :14:33.A Somerset MP is under investigation by the Parlialentary
:14:34. > :14:36.The Standards Commissioner will consider whether the Wells LP Tessa
:14:37. > :14:38.Munt should have declared a poll carried out in her constitudncy on
:14:39. > :14:42.The survey was paid for by Lord Oakeshott and asked people
:14:43. > :14:45.if they'd change their vote if the Lib Dems changed their leader.
:14:46. > :14:47.Tessa Munt said she welcomed the inquiry
:14:48. > :14:55.People in the West who have just been diagnosed with cancer `re
:14:56. > :14:59.having to wait months beford they receive the benefits they ddserve.
:15:00. > :15:02.A backlog has built up due to more rigorous medical tests brought in
:15:03. > :15:14.Throat cancer has left Stephen Luther unable to spdak.
:15:15. > :15:17.So he can't express how he feels about having to wait 14 months
:15:18. > :15:22.I'm sure Stephen won't mind me saying,
:15:23. > :15:40.He's feeling like he's been forgotten about, really.
:15:41. > :15:42.At Bristol Citizens Advice, they say they're seeing manx more
:15:43. > :15:45.Today, the charity Macmillan Cancer Support cl`imed one
:15:46. > :15:57.in three cancer patients face waits of over six months for their money.
:15:58. > :16:03.People who are not applying under special walls, things have got
:16:04. > :16:10.worse. People awaiting a very long time. `` special rules. I rdcently
:16:11. > :16:14.had a client who applied last August and has only just got his money
:16:15. > :16:17.Another applied in October `nd is still waiting to hear. It is
:16:18. > :16:18.terrible. The benefits backlog is
:16:19. > :16:21.for a new version of the It's now called Personal
:16:22. > :16:25.Independence Payment or PIP. Now claimants face more
:16:26. > :16:30.rigorous medical tests. They're run by private provhders
:16:31. > :16:33.like ATOS and have not been well But the Government insists they
:16:34. > :16:39.are necessary to control a ballooning welfare bill and accepts
:16:40. > :16:58.more tests have jammed the system. You are put on DLA for life. Only 7%
:16:59. > :17:04.of people who were put on its got a face to face examination. At the
:17:05. > :17:06.moment it is 97%, so you can see why there are delays.
:17:07. > :17:09.Those who are terminally ill are now being seen more quickly.
:17:10. > :17:11.But for people like Stephen who don't fall into that category,
:17:12. > :17:16.they are left to count the costs of being stuck in the systel.
:17:17. > :17:18.As they crossed the finish line yesterday, ht was
:17:19. > :17:37.Charity cyclists had their bikes stolen, but people stepped hn.
:17:38. > :17:39.Their bikes were stolen, but campers offered their own bikes to get them
:17:40. > :17:43.on the road again. The Help for Heroes team had spent
:17:44. > :17:45.many months training But it was almost over before it
:17:46. > :18:08.began as their bikes were stolen It was devastating. Having trained
:18:09. > :18:10.so hard for so long, working to do the event and then taken aw`y from
:18:11. > :18:11.you. 12 bikes were taken
:18:12. > :18:22.while the team were asleep. They were camping here with their
:18:23. > :18:27.bikes before the race. But when they got up in the morning, the gate was
:18:28. > :18:30.open and there bikes were gone. Other people stepped in, like this
:18:31. > :18:36.business that meant them to bikes, including this one.
:18:37. > :18:41.Initially, I looked through my stock and my rental bikes and we decided
:18:42. > :18:45.to rent them as many as thex wanted. The only needed two from ourselves.
:18:46. > :18:49.They did take bikes from other competitors who were not ushng them
:18:50. > :18:50.and spectators who had the bikes with them. So they were sorted and
:18:51. > :18:51.were happy. Some of those taking part
:18:52. > :18:54.in the race are still recovdring This type of event is key to
:18:55. > :19:08.their rehabilitation. It is a huge event in motion a and
:19:09. > :19:13.physically and you build yotrself up to it. So when you are here waiting
:19:14. > :19:17.to challenge yourself, posshbly for the first time since being hnjured,
:19:18. > :19:19.when you wake up and realisd that your bike has been stolen, ht is an
:19:20. > :19:20.enormous blow. People living near the race area
:19:21. > :19:23.say theft is on the up, espdcially performance bicycles, just the
:19:24. > :19:26.type you might use in a tri`thlon. They were one of the biggest
:19:27. > :19:43.bands of the 1980s, selling But Duran Duran's fame and fortune
:19:44. > :19:48.took its toll on a founder lember Their success led to
:19:49. > :19:51.the bass guitarist's well`documented Now John Taylor, who lives
:19:52. > :19:56.in Wiltshire, has teamed up with a West Country charity to help people
:19:57. > :19:59.with addictions and their f`milies. Andy Warhol was a fan,
:20:00. > :20:12.as was Princess Diana. And John Taylor was the man
:20:13. > :20:17.behind Duran Duran. He started it in Birmingham
:20:18. > :20:19.in the late ?70s. Music got me by my throat
:20:20. > :20:26.in my teenage years. I went to college with the
:20:27. > :20:37.intention of starting a band, which is where Duran Duran got st`rted.
:20:38. > :20:39.But by the mid`?80s, this b`nd was one of the most successful
:20:40. > :20:45.in the world, with a string of hits across Europe, and @merica.
:20:46. > :20:48.And a string of girls in thdir wake. What were the most extreme
:20:49. > :20:50.things that fans did? One person said that
:20:51. > :20:55.when I had played, I had had a cold, and they had grabbed the tissues
:20:56. > :21:05.so that they could catch my cold. The biggest band
:21:06. > :21:07.in the world lived the dreal. Life was just one long partx of sex,
:21:08. > :21:15.drugs and alcohol. Every town would be an excuse
:21:16. > :21:20.for a blow out, leaving and arriving at a ndw town.
:21:21. > :21:26.I could never stop after ond drink. Some of
:21:27. > :21:30.my friends could drink casu`lly one thing always led to another for me.
:21:31. > :21:35.So a seemingly innocent glass of wine at lunch time,
:21:36. > :21:39.and I would be at a drug dealer's house by midnight.
:21:40. > :21:44.It was horrible. The turnaround came ten years later
:21:45. > :21:47.in the mid ?90s, when John checked in for rehab.
:21:48. > :21:50.Every since, he's been helping others get clean.
:21:51. > :21:54.I have a daughter and a stepdaughter who both had problems.
:21:55. > :21:56.What are you going to do? Lock your kids up?
:21:57. > :21:58.But at least they know that there are solutions.
:21:59. > :22:05.This is what this organisathon, DHI, is all about.
:22:06. > :22:08.Duran Duran are still together. They are in the middle
:22:09. > :22:10.of making their new album. But John admits addiction is still
:22:11. > :22:16.a daily battle. Sometimes I get out of work and I
:22:17. > :22:18.could really use a drink. What are you going to do?
:22:19. > :22:24.I go to the record store. Sometimes you have got to
:22:25. > :22:25.give yourself a little treat. But it's finding treats that
:22:26. > :22:46.aren't going to kill you. His songs are still popular,
:22:47. > :22:53.everybody in the gallery ard singing them.
:22:54. > :22:56.He's believed to be the first ever robot guard brought
:22:57. > :23:00.He patrols the corridors of G4S in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire,
:23:01. > :23:02.as part of a multi`million pound pl`n to see
:23:03. > :23:06.But the company says Bob will ndver take
:23:07. > :23:19.He's not about replacing our security officers. Our security
:23:20. > :23:24.officers are able to make vdry quick decisions about changes in the
:23:25. > :23:32.environment. Bob is a comp dntry activity that can help us overnight,
:23:33. > :23:34.but also pick up on the low`level activities that guards do not need
:23:35. > :23:37.to work on. Prince George has made his first
:23:38. > :23:40.public appearance in our region He was at the Cirencester P`rk Polo
:23:41. > :23:44.Club at the weekend, just two months He was walking with his mother,
:23:45. > :23:48.the Duchess of Cambridge. His father Prince William and Prince
:23:49. > :23:51.Harry were also there, on opposing Well, it was a lovely weekend
:23:52. > :23:58.of weather here in the West and we hope it's going to bd settled
:23:59. > :24:02.for the rest of the week! It's going to be so nice,
:24:03. > :24:05.we thought we'd ask you to suggest some of the best places in the West
:24:06. > :24:09.for Jemma to do her forecast from. You've been sending
:24:10. > :24:26.in your ideas to our Facebook page That is right. We did give ht away
:24:27. > :24:33.earlier, but I am out every night this week. You have been sending in
:24:34. > :24:39.your suggestions to our Facdbook page about places that I cotld
:24:40. > :24:47.present the weather from. Tonight, I am lucky to be at Clevedon Pier and
:24:48. > :24:55.that has been suggested by ` North Somerset residents. He has childhood
:24:56. > :25:03.memories of this PR and `` of this area. It is a wonderful strtcture
:25:04. > :25:08.and we are in for a wonderftl week of weather. So if we look at the
:25:09. > :25:13.forecast, we can see that wd have quite a lot of Cloud today. It is
:25:14. > :25:19.beginning to break up a little bit tonight. There are some holds in
:25:20. > :25:24.that cloud, but it was cloudy earlier than we hoped for. The
:25:25. > :25:29.headline is that the cloud will break and there will be good sunny
:25:30. > :25:35.spells. Pleasantly warm as well Just the odd shower. High
:25:36. > :25:41.temperatures for the next fdw days, the only real concern some showers
:25:42. > :25:46.tomorrow evening. But they won't amount to a great deal. Tod`y, the
:25:47. > :25:52.temperatures struggled becatse of the cloud, they peaked at 18
:25:53. > :25:57.Celsius, which was lower th`n some places in the country. The
:25:58. > :26:03.countryside temperatures were a little colder. Overnight, the cloud
:26:04. > :26:09.should give this good insul`tion. So it will give us some good overnight
:26:10. > :26:13.temperatures, 11 to 13 Celshus. It does mean that it is a mild start
:26:14. > :26:19.into tomorrow morning, but ht also means that it will be a gre`t start
:26:20. > :26:23.for a time. I would say there with that, because as we moved through
:26:24. > :26:28.the morning and into the afternoon, the sun will put some holes in the
:26:29. > :26:35.cloud, wearing blue skies and sunshine through. The temperatures
:26:36. > :26:40.will respond well. Anything from 21 to 22 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow
:26:41. > :26:46.evening and night time, we will see some more holes in the cloud. Maybe
:26:47. > :26:51.the temperatures just a little cooler tomorrow night. And the
:26:52. > :26:54.likelihood of just a few showers from the North, maybe clipphng the
:26:55. > :27:01.northern parts of Gloucestershire and moving southwards. Dying away by
:27:02. > :27:08.Wednesday morning. It may bd damp underfoot. Wednesday, it will be a
:27:09. > :27:14.dry and settled affair some cloud but decent spells of sunshine. It is
:27:15. > :27:18.a very settled story becausd of that pressure. Enjoy the sunshind.
:27:19. > :27:24.Possibly the odd thundery shower, but it is a good week ahead.
:27:25. > :27:32.We will say goodbye here. You are back for the Ten O'Clock News?
:27:33. > :27:37.Yes, and we will be looking at the Winter Flood report. Farmers will
:27:38. > :27:41.find out whether their land will be protected and Somerset residents
:27:42. > :27:46.will be wondering if their views will be listened to.
:27:47. > :27:47.We will be talking to an action group and speaking to government
:27:48. > :28:26.representatives. We are about to find out whether
:28:27. > :28:32.they can cook. You're going to love it.
:28:33. > :28:36.Smashed it. Yum-yum-yum.