22/12/2016 Channel Islands News

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me,

Welcome to BBC Channel Islands on Thursday December 22nd.

Caught by American intelligence. The prison worker from Jersey jailed for

sending indecent images of children. Growing generosity -

how a few presents turned into a huge pile and are now

on their way to local children. The legacy of Alan Whicker,

and how it s helping It has been a privilege to be able

to support this hospital in Alan's name. Because sight meant everything

to him. An IT officer at Jersey's prison has

been jailed for 18 months for distributing indecent

images of children. 28-year-old Simon Edward Gascoyne

was caught after Homeland Security Simon Gascoyne on his way to HMP

La Moye after being jailed Gascoyne, who worked at the prison,

had been sharing indecent images Jersey Police found post-it notes

with evidence of online user names Today, the court heard Gascoyne had

used a mobile phone app to share at least 12 images

with seven different groups. Some of the images were in

the most severe category. He was caught after US

authorities sent Jersey Police a disk of evidence showing

his online activity. And a later investigation showed

he'd accessed pornography - albeit legal - while at his desk

at La Moye. The court heard Gascoyne claimed

he didn't know why he'd done it, he didn't find images

of children sexually appealing, and that he was only

interested in trading images. He described his own behaviour

as disturbing, and said sharing Solicitor General Mark Temple -

acting for the prosecution - said the former IT worker recognised

he'd ruined his life. His defence advocate,

Pierre Landick, said Gascoyne knew his behaviour had

been repugnant and abhorrent and asked for a sentence

of community service. The court heard he was fearful

of prison having worked there. But the judge, William Bailhache,

said the community would expect a jail term, although he recognised

the defendant needed help. Gascoyne is now back at La Moye

but on the other side of the bars. Well, the BBC asked the prison

for an interview but instead "There was no evidence of illegal

activity performed on States We have robust content filtering

in place for all users of States systems, which prohibits access

to pornography and other unsuitable Hundreds of people trying to leave

and arrive in the islands by ferry in time for Christmas have had

to rearrange their journeys. The Condor Liberation service

between the Channel Islands and England has been cancelled

tomorrow because of bad weather. The company says it's been making

sure everyone can still get to where We all have seen, just by looking at

the national news and weather forecast, this big weather front

coming through. I think we all understand that. One thing for sure

is that neither the masters of our ships or the operations team, if the

weather is such that it is not safe on appropriate to sail, we will

cancel the ceiling. We do not wish to do that and we don't want to do

it and we know about the disruption it causes. But, frankly, it is the

best thing to do. The BBC has agreed to take over

the cost of providing free TV licences for eligible islanders over

the age of 75 in Jersey. The BBC will pick up the bill

from 2018, saving the public purse more than a quarter of a million

pounds by 2020. The new licence deal

between the corporation and the island's government also

included a commitment from the BBC to continue to provide Jersey

with radio and television services. A reward's being offered

for information that helps catch and convict the person responsible

for a "serious assault" A 33-year-old man walking home

after a night out is believed to have had his head stamped

on in Guelles Road last Friday, So far, nobody has been arrested

and Crimestoppers is now offering a reward of up to ?1,000

for information which The team's been been chosen

to organise the 2021 When Jersey hosted

last year, thousands In five years, it'll be Guernsey's

time to shine as hosts. Julia Bowditch, who was a venue

manager at the London Olympics, has been named as the Games Director

to work with the chairperson and Specsavers co-founder

Dame Mary Perkins. The committee of nine will start

early in the new year, when the event logo will

also be revealed. Christmas is a time for giving,

and while many islanders will spend the Sunday opening presents

and tucking into a turkey dinner, there are of course some

who are less fortunate. Three years ago, a Jersey woman

started the online group A Gift For Christmas,

appealing for donations Charlie McArdle has

been finding out more. It started as a simple idea,

helping somebody less Three years on and it's snowballed

with the help of social media. Once I set up the page, within one

hour, there was 100 plus likes. That is amazing. I started to get

messages and loss of support. People suggested they would help us, which

was fantastic. Since then, it has absolutely grown to what it is

today, which is huge. Food, toys, toiletries and treats

donated by islanders They go to three Jersey charities,

including The Grace Trust, We assist them by providing food

parcels for them. They appeared with a truck to pick up the food and I

had to send them away to get a bigger lorry. I think they were

amazed by how much we had collected. This Christmas, the team

of volunteers have already wrapped For us, it is about being able to

just have the satisfaction that they are getting something on Christmas

Day. A lot of us take for granted being able to what down the stairs

on Christmas Day and have a pile of presents under the Christmas tree.

We're not all that fortunate. And the project has become

so popular, they hope to spread even He once said he counted himself one

of the luckiest men in the world. Now, his legacy is helping

some of the unluckiest. A foundation set up in memory

of the journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker, who lived in Jersey,

has been tackling child His widow's been to Uttar Pradesh

to see the difference it's making, Alan Whicker was best known

for travelling the globe reporting But his partner of more than 40

years says it was what he saw when the cameras stopped that made

the biggest impression. The thing about India is that a

graduate by the throat and choo-choo into consciousness. You cannot abhor

what you see. Everything is exaggerated and extreme -- cannot

ignore. The colours, noises, wealth and poverty. Very difficult for

Alan. Because under that clipped moustache, there was quite a soft

heart. He did not like the idea of climbing over huddled bodies to

drink champagne on a moonlit terrace with a film star. It made him feel

quite ill. Going to school and learning

is a way out of poverty for children here, but sometimes something

incredibly simple gets in the way. Children with bad eyesight aren't

able to follow lessons at school, and they can't afford to get glasses

or the help they need. That's where the

Vision Van comes in. Paid for by the Whicker's World

Foundation, it's a mobile one stop shop to help children

with sight problems. They've been doing the first-ever

eye tests at schools in the region. It is amazing to see all the

schoolchildren. Over 600 children here and at least 90 have been on

the Vision van. Many have had treatments allowing them to get

glasses, which is amazing. If you can identified things early, they

have a much better chance of getting out of politics. -- poverty.

The foundation's also paid for a children's ward in one

of the few eye hospitals in Uttar Predesh.

So the Channel Islander famous for seeing the world has been

helping some of the world's poorest children see it too.

I am so glad that Alan has enabled us to do something, even however

small, to make a difference. So, darling, if you're listening, I am

not using all those girls. Thank you.

Let's take a look at tomorrow's forecast now with David Braine.

Good evening. I think Christmas this year is likely to be quite a mild

one. It will also be quite windy. The winds increase steadily through

the day tomorrow. It will be a bright start. Rain later,

particularly after dark. It also becomes increasingly windy west,

four a short while, gale force winds. The reason is the area of low

pressure. It is a long way away from us at the moment. This lump of cloud

on the other side of the Atlantic will stop at it is moving fast. The

centre of the low-pressure passes between Scotland and the Faroe s.

Along the leading edge of the weather front, the isobars are

squeezed up together and that is a strong gust of wind. It could well

be for a couple of hours we have blustery winds. By Christmas Eve,

and area of high pressure across Spain and Portugal down here.

Westerly winds for us. Even know whether France approach from the

West during Christmas Day, I do not think we will have many problems

associated with that. Christmas Day itself could be rather grey with

spots of rain here and there. But it is mild. Overnight, a few showers.

Not many. Enough clear spells in between showers to low temperatures

to get well into double figures. Predominantly dry. With clear skies,

temperatures dipping to six or seven. It is quite chilly to start

tomorrow. The breeze will continue to increase through the morning

tomorrow, which is bright and largely dry. By the middle of you --

afternoon, there is more cloud. By the end of the women," is a bricks

of rain and gusty winds are associated with that as well. 11

Celsius will be the maximum temperature tomorrow. If you are

travelling, particularly by ferry, you need to check the details.

Strong winds will whip up pretty big waves on the English Channel. For

all of us are across the islands, we could have shot gusts of wind up to

45-50 mph. Here are the times of high water... Some quite big waves,

for many of our beaches, dangerous conditions once winds get going. The

best of the surf through the morning. Here are the winds on the

coasts. Quite weather for Spain and Portugal

here after wet weather in last year weeks. It is dry. Quite cool across

central France and eventually the rain will turn up here. Christmas

Eve is blustery with some showers. Christmas Day is mild and breezy.

Have a good night. You're up-to-date with the latest

news for the Channel Islands. I'll be back with your

news at 10.30pm. The Boconnoc Estate,

which owns the land, says the overgrown beech hedging

along the Glynn valley had to be chopped down because branches

were dropping onto the road. The richly verdant Glynn Valley

near Bodmin stimulates the senses of any motorist

travelling along the A38. That was until, during overnight

closures of the arterial route, saw a swathe of beech trees of

more than a mile long cut Obviously, to have done them as it

should have been done, cutting out the larger ones

and allowing smaller ones to grow so that over the years

they are coppiced, The estate who owns this land

says they cut the trees because of squirrel damage

and the danger of branches falling Wildlife experts say squirrel

populations are so vast here that the amount of damage

to trees with them ripping off the bark to get to the sap

below is a real problem. Nationally, squirrel damage

to forests is costing more This, on top of larch disease,

ash dieback and sudden oak death, causes poses a real threat

to our green and pleasant land. The Forestry Commission

says it supports what it describes as a coordinated,

targeted and locally delivered control of what is

increasingly seen as a pest. Baking has become a favourite past

time for many after the huge success But in one village in Dorset

volunteers have decided to combine learning how to make bread

with helping others. The project based in Sutton Poyntz

near Weymouth gives people a chance to practise their kneading

and cooking, and the end products are handed over to charities

who are supporting the homeless Our Dorset reporter

Simon Clemison has been meet Right, ladies and gentlemen, today

is our last meeting before Christmas, and we're going make a

centrepiece is mystery lunch. -- Christmas tree.

It must be particularly lonely at Christmas, being on the street and

on your own. It must be great to feel people care about you.

Are you making bread? You concentrate on meeting the

dough. The smack needing the dough. We have at least one day where we

bake in our kitchens and take them down somewhere where homeless people

need food. You have busily been baking bread on

a larger scale, but is it the simplicity of baking for someone

else that draws so many people in? Yes, these bakers love to make bread

in their own homes. They want it to be a special craft that they have

learned, and they are passing it on to someone who really needs it.

This is just a white loaf, it has been put into a Platt.

Hopefully today it will go off to one of the charities, and one hopes

that they will get to eat it. Right, marvellous!

It shows people that they are being thought of. To those who do not

always appreciate and respect the nature of some of the people that

use our service. We have got to say thank you to the

bakers at some point. Snow White,

seven Devon cream tea eating dwarves Plymouth's Theatre Royal's pantomime

is well underway and believe you me, It's a family tradition for many

at Christmas so Victoria took to the stage to speak to two

of the stars who are thrilled Well, being a Christmas baby,

I went to pantomime every year I absolutely loved it,

but shows certainly have changed if you're going to meet any dragon,

this is the one to meet. What do you think of

the show so far, Dillon? Let's go and meet some

of the characters in this pantomime. Lesley Joseph, Duncan James,

thank you for doing this for us. If you look at the set,

which is absolutely glorious, but as an audience you see wonderful

dancing, you see real comedy, you see magic happening,

you get dragons going out of the audience, and as an artist

you can pull the audience and, you can let them laugh,

you can make them cry. And it is a wonderful

theatrical experience, It must have had to change over

the last so many years, though, because it has to become more

relevant for people. There is so much on television,

so much to do these days. But ours is quite

traditional, isn't it? But what is really lovely also

is some of the first time kids have actually had an opportunity to come

out of the house and actually We are consumed their television

programmes, in front of the television, it's very

difficult, especially, to drag kids So for a lot of them,

this is their first And you know an awful

lot about Devon. I grew up and did all my schooling

down here, so I'm a local boy, I got all my school friends coming

to see me during this run. Quite nice to be here?

It is nice to be here, I'm spending Christmas where I used to live, and

we are staying on the beautiful Plymouth Hoe. It is so stunning and

beautiful here. We went out last night. We went to the Dolphin.

Love all that. It was great to be among all the

locals and felt really special. I have to ask you both, tricky

question, being in Devon, jam or cream?

Absolutely, cream and then jam. I'm the other way round. Jam first

and then the cream. The Spotlight viewers will go mad.

I'm not sure now. I'm nervous unless I said the wrong thing.

Thank you so much for talking to us, we really appreciated.

Fancy starting the cream tea debate all over again!

Now for the latest in our series of visits on the steam train.

Now it's time to take your seat on the Spotlight Express once more

as we visit another of the region's festive steam trains.

We're back in Cornwall tonight on the Bodmin

The branch line was built in the late 1800s and runs close

to the Lanhydrock Estate which is celebrating

All aboard the Spotlight estate! -- express!

We have been running this now for about 30 years, so in fact, you have

got generations coming along, because I used to bring my children,

and last Sunday my children brought their children.

The rail line skirts the Lanhydrock estate, whose Victorian owners

benefited when it was built. When it was determined that Boston Parkway

was going to be the station, it effectively cut the town of --

Bodmin. And it wasn't until the branch line was established between

Ottoman Parkway and Baldwin town, -- Bodmin Parkway and Bodmin town. He

was financially compensated because he lost money, but he also had the

extension to his private drive taken up to Bodmin Parkway, which was paid

for by the great Western Railway. Inside the house, all the trappings

of a well-to-do Victorian Christmas. Christmas was huge, and there are

records of the family coming down from London or from Cambridgeshire

to come down to have a proper Cornish Christmas.

Back on the steam train, and these children have an appointment with

the man in red and white. A robot and low in the dark

dinosaurs. Presents delivered and children

happy, this one is redundant branch line now fully connected to

Christmas. -- once redundant. Well, Christmas is drawing ever

closer, tonight is mine and Justin's last Spotlight together before

the big day, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to

catch up on all our seasonal fun. Knit and Pearl the Robins are here,

as is Leigh the Christmas tree. There have been many fun festive

moments over the last few weeks, including one which nearly

caught us out! Now, you may think you know all

there is to know about famous reindeer at Christmas, the red nose,

the sleigh guiding, but you have not met Bertie from Somerset.

With a tide of his ears he delivers a thank you gift, in the shape of a

box of mince pies. There they go again! Bertie the blue nosed

reindeer, he will be in Taunton on Friday for an event celebrating the

work of local charities. Thank you! Anything else?

We laughed at that, didn't we? He has been working hard for an aged

charity in Somerset, and he has been travelling on the M5ever since the

last week. And here he is! In the studio.

I didn't know... ! A bit of a surprise.

You go to his back end, because I have got a Christmas present for

you. Do you ready? Are you ready? There is your Christmas present from

me, just in. Merry Christmas. I genuinely did not know that was

coming! We have been keeping it a secret

from you all day. We thought we would cheer you up this Christmas

will stop what do you think? What wisdom -- what present have you got?

A chocolate log! Lord Dear. Bertie the blue nosed reindeer in

the studio. And thank you and much to everyone

who sent business cards and Christmas gifts -- Christmas cards.

Thank you very much for remembering. Lots of people have written from all

over the UK, expat who tune in to Spotlight from all over the country

and Europe. Let's see what the weather is great belike for the few

days. Looks like we're grey to have a mild

and grey Christmas, because there is all cloud screaming in the Atlantic.

Low-pressure arriving tomorrow, Christmas 2016 likely to be windy

and mild. We do have a warning from the Met Office about the strength of

wind for tomorrow. Before we get to Chris was, we could have costs of up

to 50-60 mph. That area of low pressure has been given a name, it

has been cold Barbara. It travels up towards Scotland and arrives through

the day tomorrow. The strongest winds will be in the northern half

of the country, but once this weather have -- front arrives, it

brings heavy rain and lively gusts of wind. That moves through, and by

the time we get to Christmas Eve, a blustery west, south West wind,

relatively mild, briefly some sunshine, generally cloudy. Chris

was day itself, no chance of anything wintry -- Christmas. We

will have an unusually mild crisp as day. -- Christmas Day.

We will see some of the strongest gusts of wind, but they will ease

and become more westerly is that weather front goes through. The

cloud and showers we have seen today will probably continue this evening

and overnight tonight, but in between the showers we have had an

awful lot of fine weather, which is nice, and some sunshine. Our

cameraman enjoying lovely sunshine at this estuary. It has been quite a

pleasant day, a good day to be out and about enjoying the fine weather.

And the sunshine. It will be different tomorrow because of the

strength of wind and the rain coming in. No chance of seeing those

temperatures that could give us any frost, although temperatures tonight

will fall, a lot of the showers will fade away, we will get clear skies

later on tonight, so a touch of frost briefly by tomorrow morning.

Temperatures starting the day between 2-4 . Briefly some sunshine

in the morning, but quite quickly the clouds streaming in and the

weather front arriving. Gusts could be 30, 40, even 60 mph in that rain

band. It clears from the West later in the day, with a top temperature

of 12-13 . There is the forecast for the Isles of Scilly. Windy with rain

for daytime, then turning much drier as that weather front goes through.

The times of high water... Big waves for surfers, and perhaps

the cleanest surf will be along the north coast, because once the wind

gets going, that is likely to be very messy indeed.

The coastal waters forecast reflecting the strength of wind.

Christmas eve is going to be blustery, rather cloudy, with a few

showers, and Christmas Day, mild and breezy. Have a good evening.

Thank you stop I usually know everything in the running order, but

not this evening! Can't believe I managed to keep it a

secret Alde! That all from us today. Have a wonderful Christmas, look

forward to seeing you in the New Year. Happy Christmas, good night.