29/07/2014 BBC Points West

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.

A local builder fighting for his sight.

He's seriously injured after being hit in the face with a bottle

Up to her waist in mud ` a heavily pregnant woman is rescued

The fire brigade that's in the red ` Wiltshire may have to merge to

He's such a lovely person, he would never let anyone do that. It is a

terrible injury. And calling International Rescue `

how Bristol welcomed men from Good evening `

A fight on a nightclub dance floor has left a 23 year old Bristol

builder and local footballer, facing Sean Finnegan was smashed

in the face by a bottle as he attempted to help

his friend caught up in the brawl. Today Sean spoke of his ordeal to

our Home Affairs Correspondent, Steve Brodie. This report shows

the full extent of Sean's injuries. Sean Finnegan after being viciously

hit from behind with a bottle. It's extremely unlikely he will ever

see out of his left eye again. Today he was wheeled

from his hospital bed in Bristol's Eye Hospital to speak about trying

to stop a fight inside a nightclub. I went over to try and calm the

situation down, I felt something on the back of my head and thought I

had been punched. I cannot remember much after that. I remember the

table and chairs by the front door and blood everywhere.

The injuries to his eye have left the

Hanham Athletic footballer coming to terms that he will lose his sight.

It depends on how bad the injury is and now I healed. This is terrible,

how do you feel about it? Not too bad, it could be worse. Stuff like

this happens. It is modern day life. The unprovoked assault took place

inside the Antix nightclub on Park Street in the early hours

of Sunday morning. Sean's friends he is always the

first to think well of people and his actions here in attempting to

stop a fight were typical of him. Absolutely abhorrent. It is terrible

and we are trying to find someone to come forward so they can be charged.

You cannot get away with this stuff these days, it is terrible.

Both the police and Sean's friends are appealing anyone who saw

A 24 year old man was arrested in connection with the attack

Meanwhile Sean faces a long road to recovery.

Police in Somerset are reporting a rise in the use of the Class B

Last year they seized two and half kilos in the South and East of the

The drug is normally used as an anaesthetic for animals and can have

Our Health Correspondent, Matthew Hill reports.

Ketamine , the horse tranquiliser, is cheap and easy

Because it can be in liquid form and when we do a warrant, we cannot

potentially sees 150 bottles of liquid. Unlike powders which we

might find in bulk form or traces that we can trace back to a certain

place in the House, it is often hard place in the House, it is often hard

But it's much harder for the police, like Richard Barnett to detect.

The latest figures show that for this part

of Somerset police seized around two and a half kilograms of ketamine.

Now, that's almost three times the amount of the previous year `

The side`effects of Cattlemen include incontinence, pain in the

bladder, blood in your you're in, and in serious cases, bladders have

to be removed. What surprises me is that they are often normal people

with jobs and families who are presenting themselves with chronic

bladder problems. Often they find the only way to cope is too can you

taking it. Ultimately, they feel it is the health issue that may deter

them more. Well, joining us in now is

Natalie Giles from Swanswell which Thank you for coming in to chat to

us. It will seem remarkable that this is something that would knock a

horse out. Why do they take it? In small amounts, it is a nice drug for

people to take. It will give them a loose `` hallucinations. They also

like it because it is a good dance drug and it is cheap. There are

multiple reasons. Do you think people know enough about the

dangers? People are increasingly using it. Yes. The reason it is

increasing is because we do not know how many users there are in south

Somerset. We have only just started to collate figures in the custody

suite. Already, there are users coming through and ex`users with

medical issues. There needs to be GP services to ask more questions about

ketamine because it is often forgotten about. People will talk

about heroin and cocaine or cannabis or ecstasy but they won't talk about

ketamine, and that needs to be done. There are devastating side`effects,

but there are psychological side`effects as well, aren't there?

If you have a bladder problem and then have to do have a colostomy bag

fitted, that will have a huge impact on your life. If people do not have

that back fitted, the people I have seen will have to use the toilet

every 20 minutes, repeatedly through the night. It will have a big

psychological effect. How do you think this message about the big

downsides can really be given to people? There needs to be a big link

up. There have been little studies but no big studies where everybody

gets together with drug and alcohol services and with people like Paul

Foster and his team at the hospital. Everybody needs to look at this

together. We have seen people dying as a result of it. Natalie, thank

you for coming to talk to us. There was another dramatic rescue

from the mudflats on the North Somerset coast yesterday ` this time

involving a heavily pregnant woman. The hovercraft was called out

in Weston`super`Mare to help two people `

but on arrival discovered that eight were in difficulties, including the

woman who is eight months pregnant. This is

the fastest way across Weston Bay. Avon Fire Rescue's hovercraft

dances millimetres above Uniquely suited to these

treacherous sands. Where anything touching the surface

will quickly start to sink. It is right by the coastline where

you have two metres of mud. That is not easy to get in and out of and

when you are tired, people get weighed down by their clothes and

get wedged in. Yesterday

the team rescued eight people. One

a woman who was heavily pregnant. This is the only way to make

the rescues. The sinking sand out

of bounds to boats and heavy cars. This hovercraft can launch in a

couple of minutes, normally with a crew of three people. They need to

where these because the amount of sand makes it impossible to see.

Frequently it is those on holiday who fall foul of the sand.

Determined to take a paddle in the far off sea.

And there is little sympathy from locals.

I think it is down to common sense. If people are silly, they deserve

what happens to them. On Monday, I saw a couple of kids going right out

and they got right to hear. But even those used to these

beaches can get stuck sometimes. The dry sand too much

for many cars we saw today. Luckily there are plenty of amateur

rescue teams ready to lend a hand. There's lots more to come

on the programme including: hopping on the trail

of a mystery marsupial. Millions of pounds of savings need

to be made at Wiltshire Fire Service That's the warning delivered to

councillors at a meeting today, where a proposed merger with Dorset

was again being discussed. The idea is currently out

to public consultation. A decision will be made

in the Autumn. Here's our Wiltshire reporter

Will Glennon. Wiltshire firefighters still working

to put out the fire in Swindon, over a week after it started. Will the

service look the same in future? Today the councillors met to be

reminded of the stark financial picture. In two years' time, we

cease to have any reserves to cover the current deficits and we will go

into the red and that is not a viable position for any public

service, let alone one as important as a Fire and Rescue Service.

Wiltshire and Dorset have made significant cuts but more are

needed. There are three options for the future. The first two involve

Wiltshire and Dorset involving independent but sharing back office

functions like Administration and HR. The other option is for the two

Fire Services to merge to make one big fire authority, potentially with

the biggest savings. At the very most, with the back office, they can

save 800,000. We are looking for a 3.9 million shortfall, there is no

other way you can do it. You can do it with a merger and getting rid of

a whole group of senior staff, but you keep your firefighters and you

keep your fire stations. One of the MPs in Wiltshire incest that of the

two services must remain separate. `` insists. When they merge with

Gloucestershire and Haven and the whole of the South we have landed up

with something that is not bear any relation to Wiltshire. The public of

Wiltshire and Dorset are being consulted right now on what they

want for the future. We will find out in October if the merger will go

ahead. Another day and another gold for the West at the Commonwealth

Games. Today we have a gold in the shooting. He was the latest from

Glasgow. Swindon swimmer Jazz Carlin was

in tears as she collected her medal And today we have a gold

in the shooting. Ali Durden is here with all

the latest from Glasgow. The latest success has come in the

full`bore rifle individual event where David Luckman from Clifton in

Bristol has won gold this afternoon. It's his second of the games

after winning I am hearing news of another gold

medal, this one has been one by the artistic gymnasts in the team

event. They have just finished in first place, news just in,

congratulations. Well, last night belonged to Swindon

swimmer Jaz Carlin. The 23 year old missed the

London Olympics and couldn?t hold back the tears as

she collected her gold last night. The realisation was almost

too much for Jazz Carlin. The Swindon swimmer,

who represents Wales, dominated the 800 metres freestyle final ` setting

a new games record to win her gold. After missing

the Olympics with glandular fever, One to share with

the family young and old who had My family have travelled and the

support is overwhelming. It is nice for them to be here and celebrate

with me. I have put everything into my training so I am so happy to come

away with a gold. Obviously, it is all about the race tonight.

Bristol weightlifter Bradley Burrowes was another with a lot of

family support including his Dad, a former Commonwealth gold medallist.

But three failures in the clean and jerk at 155kg ended his competition.

There is only so much the body can take and I think I pushed it to the

extreme limit. I am more than capable of doing it on the right day

but unfortunately today was not it. I am glad he fulfilled his dream in

competing in a major Games. I knew that is what he wanted to be honest.

Tonight Brad will be supporting his training partner Sonny Webster as he

Also tonight ` Bitton's Siobhan`Marie O'Connor

could equal a Commonwealth Games medal`haul record if she's on the

She's already got five medals but is after a sixth in the 4

On the track it's Lawrence Clarke's big night ` a bronze medallist four

years ago ` he goes for gold in the 110 metres hurdles.

Let's take a look at his heat this morning, qualifying comfortably

And Lawrence's University of Bath team`mate Eilidh Child was ominously

good form today ` winning her heat in the 400 metres

You can never have too many gods, keep them coming!

If you're heading off to the beach this summer ` there's a new way of

finding out how clean the sea`water is going to be, once you get there.

The campaign group, Surfers Against Sewage, hope that a

new App will help you decide where to swim, surf ` or even paddle.

These children in the rock pools at Clevedon this afternoon more

interested in what was in their nets ` than what was in the sea itself `

At the moment, all of the beaches in our area do

meet the minimum standard for clean bathing water ` and most

Sometimes, pollutants ` including sewage ` do end up in the

sea ` and that's where it's hoped this new app will be able to help.

It's the idea of the campaign group surfers against sewage.

Until now, you were able to find out about water quality

on a few different websites ` but this one not only fits in your

pocket ` it also updates you of any changes whilst you're on the go.

There are lots of overflows around the UK so make sure you use a beach

that is covered by an app. You can be warned of where the overflows are

and how frequently it happens. But would people here

at Clevedon be interested? It tells you about lots of different

aspects of it. Not just whether it is clean but also the facilities and

the beach type. We both have iPhones and use them all the time. There are

a lot of apps that are useful. It is easy to access and better than

trying to find a book and searching for it. With the rest of the summer

looking promising, more and more us make out on this app.

Thousands of athletes from across the world are in Glasgow for the

Commonwealth Games ` but a hundred years ago people made their way to

In 1914 people from across the British Empire were called to

As part of our coverage of the centenary of the First World

War, Julia Causton has been finding out how important the Empire was to

Across the city on war memorials and on gravestones, names of

soldiers whose final resting place is far from their chosen home.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children emigrated here. When war

was declared, many of those who had emigrated and listed with the

Canadian and Australian forces in particular, but also the New

Zealanders and South Africans. They came back to defend King, country

and Empire. In the hills, thousands of Australian soldiers were treated

in a makeshift hospital which has been demolished.

The reason it was used to treat Australians was that the owner of

the property had made his fortune as a wool baron and when he retired, he

came back to Bristol and bought a splendid House here. When the war

broke out, he had the House converted in less than three weeks

into a war hospital. He wanted to treat Australian soldiers and there

were stories about him going down to Temple needs and touting for

business. `` Temple Meads. For those not lucky enough to make

it through the war, their names forever engraved

on the many memorials. I would suggest there is about 14

like this. It is poignant with regards to the commemoration of the

First World War which is starting this year, that memorials like this

are investigated. It is not just the names on the memorial but the

stories behind the names on that memorial. Though fascinating

stories. `` there are fascinating stories.

And in the city cemeteries, yet more evidence of the role of Commonwealth

178 casualties are buried here and of those, there are six Canadians

and one Australian. This is the gravestone of Charles needs. There

is nothing on there to indicate that he was Canadian, but he was. He was

killed in a flying accident, and many members of the R FC were killed

in combat. And,

for many soldiers from the Empire, the first glimpse of the city was

a sign the nightmare was over. I thought I knew each regiment,

Battalion, Brigade, until I got to Bristol by Red Cross train.

More than 100,000 soldiers came to Bristol during World War One.

On stretchers in hospital trains, they sought solace in the city.

For others, the long journey back to their adopted nation,

To mark the declaration of World War One, a hundred years ago,

people are being asked to switch their lights off to show respect.

It's part of a campaign by the Royal British Legion,

to honour the memory of the millions who died in the conflict.

It all happens next Monday night for an hour from 10 o? clock

And if you are planning to switch lights out to mark your respect

Please let us know either by email or via our Facebook page.

Now, before we go to the weather we've been on the trail

She or he ` has been spotted at various locations in

Fiona Lamdin has trying to track it down with the help of ` yes,

Bouncing through the outback, this wallaby is lost and on the loose.

But this isn't Australia this is Wiltshire.

And with mile upon mile of roaming countryside we need pet

rescuer Dave to help track this Wiltshire wallaby.

How often do they go missing? It is the first one in three years. We

have just heard the latest sighting is a few miles away, shall we go

there? And in this small village everyone's

talking about their latest fugitive. Have you seen this Wallaby? I have

seen one like it. I have not, but I had a sighting from a customer who

had seen it in Manor Lane. What did they say? They thought it was a

kangaroo. Have you seen this Wallaby? Yes. You

have? Yes. Yesterday morning, I was driving down the road and it was

here. It followed in front of me and then shot up into the air.

But by the time Diana rang the police ` the wallaby was long gone.

Just a few miles away we went to see Russ ` somewhat of a Wallaby

He will not be happy, he will be desperate to find his mates. They

have no awareness of cars or traffic, and when they are not with

their mates, they get frantic. No`one actually knows who owns

the missing creature or of its exact whereabouts, as it

faces another night on the hop. So, are you missing a Wallaby? It is

not mine because mine is at home! As long as you have checked! He is

watching this on the sofa! Your biggest fan? My only fan! How is the

weather looking? Not too bad. Alex told me she could smell rain coming

a few minutes ago which put me in a panic! Let's hope it is not coming

because it looks like dry conditions prevailing through this evening. We

will see change coming our way by Friday onwards. Tomorrow, dry and

fairly warm. The key difference is more cloud generally across the West

Country. As things stand, we have a weak front trundling towards the

South East. There has been more cloud in many districts. There will

be a fair amount of sunny weather tomorrow but that will be in

competition with a fair amount of cloud. A benign pattern as well, and

we are not expecting any rain tonight. Things will continue into

tonight. Clear spells may mean some showery mist around. Temperatures on

par with last night at 14 or 15 Celsius being typical. Tomorrow,

some of you will be greeted by a good deal of blue sky, but as the

day wears on, the cloud cover Bills in the gaps. A light or moderate

breeze and we are not expecting any rain or showers through the course

of tomorrow. A fine day. Temperatures will be slightly down

on today. We saw 25 Celsius today but it is more likely to be 22

tomorrow. The UV will be high tomorrow with the sun out. Friday

into Saturday, low pressure is dominating both the shape of it is

still to be determined. You get the broad pattern there. The jet stream

which has been up to the north of the UK, allowing the fair and hot,

humid conditions, is going to nosedive and followed these isobars.

The result of that, as we go through Friday and Saturday, is the chance

of showers and some will be heavy, but there will be prolonged dry

spell. Thank you, Ian, I am your biggest fan. That is about it for us

now. I you back to your Wallaby? Yes! The team is back here at 10pm

and we are back tomorrow. Bye`bye. I leave the ashram, travel halfway

across the world to find my father, Oh, well. As Vashrati says,

gotta keep smiling! We don't tend to use the bathroom

together here. All right, well,

I'll catch you later. This ashram of yours,

it might be a cult. I take it back,

he's definitely Cuckoo's son.