08/03/2017 Channel Islands News

Put the brakes on. A senior politician calls for delays in

implementing Guernsey's new population law.

Dog owners told they won't go unpunished

Imagining the worst - the emergency services

One of Guernsey's top politicians is calling for a delay

to the island's controversial new population management law.

It's due to come into force on 3rd April.

But, after concern from the business community, Deputy Peter Ferbrache

says waiting may be necessary until Guernsey knows where it stands

It's taken six years to decide how to manage Guernsey's population.

A new law's due to come into force on 3rd April.

But not everyone's convinced it's the right thing to be doing.

The Chamber of Commerce and Confederation of

Guernsey Industry are urging politicians to delay

its introduction, until Guernsey is more certain of its place

And, one of the island's top politicians has said

I see that as a possibility. I'm not saying it is absolutely my view, but

it is more likely than not. I would like to discuss it with my

colleagues. We have then got to decide if we are going to, either

some of us or as a committee, they do the site on March 29 -- say to

the states, whether we want to say and we delay it, or can you amend

it, or whatever. But the politician responsible

for driving through the new law says So many people have planned for

April three, thousands have planned for that date, and a small minority

who are quite vocal at the moment, are quite detrimental against those

who have engaged. But as I said before, there will always be people

that you can't please all of the time, that is the way it goes,

really. So I hope it will go through, but we will have to wait

and see at the end of the month. The States is due to meet at the end

of the month to sign off the law. But, with so much concern

from the business community, it'll be a nervous wait for those

behind the new regime. They will face prosecution -

the words of a Jersey politician who has promised to ensure

the new dog law will be enforced. It comes after hundreds of people

shared an image of a recent dog Jersey's dog law was updated last

year, so it's now an illegal offence if a dog causes serious injury,

but does it go far enough? It's an image that caused shock

and outrage among dog owners in Jersey when it was posted

on social media. It's claimed these injuries

were sustained during an unprovoked attack by another dog

on an island beach. And it's not the only dog attack

posted online recently. This boxer needed seven visits

to the vet, costing up to ?1,000, when it was set

upon outside its house. The owners say they are still

in a legal battle to claim the costs Until recently, an offence was only

committed under Jersey's Dog Law if a dog worries livestock

on agricultural land. Now owners can face an unlimited

fine and/or imprisonment of up to ten years if their dog has caused

death or serious injury. The Minister says he

will ensure the new law It's not fair on the animals,

and it's not fair on the owner of the animals, and it's not

fair on society. I want it understood by people that

aren't so responsible that if they are not acting in a manner

to protect their own dogs and other dogs, if they have a dog

that can be dangerous, But experts say dog aggression can

be caused by various emotions, and this law

won't address underlying issues. We need to learn how to reduce

future incidents and we can't do that just by slapping fines

and putting dogs on muzzles and short leads - it

doesn't tell you anything, you're not learning

anything from it. So we need to learn more about these

incidents so we can educate owners and teach them what to look out for,

and what we can do in But, while moves have been made

to try to protect dogs from other dogs when they are out and about,

it's the responsibility of the owner to understand

why their dog may attack, and to spot the signs

before it happens. Carbon monoxide tests

are being introduced to help pregnant women

in Jersey stop smoking. Latest figures show one in six

mums-to-be in Jersey smoke. Carbon monoxide, produced by tobacco

can reduce the amount of oxygen the baby gets,

affecting its development. Midwives will offer the test

to all pregnant women We know that babies born to women

who are smokers can be underweight, or not so vigorous for coping with

Labour, and so it is important that we help women in as nonjudgemental a

way to give up smoking in pregnancy, and indeed their partners as well

because passive smoking can also influence them.

Jersey's new police headquarters opened for business today.

After two and a half years of construction,

reception officially opened at 8am this morning.

The Green Street police station cost ?21 million,

?14million of which came from money which had been taken from criminals.

Guernsey police are warning islanders to be vigilant

after reports of heating oil being stolen from homes.

Officers suspect individuals have been going into gardens

in the Castel area and taking oil from tanks.

They're urging people to be on the lookout for suspicious

behaviour and report it to the police or Crimestoppers.

The organisers of the Channel Island's biggest emergency exercise,

which took place in St Helier today, say it was a success.

All of Jersey's emergency services were involved with 80 volunteers

playing passengers on board a ferry that had collided

It's all hands on deck as Jersey's emergency services deal

with the biggest incident they've ever faced.

First, the island's fire-fighters must contain a blaze that's broken

out on board a ferry, before local paramedics

can help the passengers who are seriously injured.

But these casualties are actors and this is just an exercise,

all designed to help the blue light teams prepare if the

Hopefully we never get an incident of the scale we have tested today,

but by doing this test we can have confidence in the individual plans

and that the individual agencies can all work together. It is a five-day

exercise testing a range of emergency skills, and yesterday

group work practising being load the macro lowered onto a boat.

I'm currently in the Survivor's Centre set up

You can see behind me a queue of passengers who all need to be

Officers were in charge of taking down all their information

before deciding if anyone needed further assistance.

Like 73-year-old Susan who'd suffered a blow to the head.

They're brilliant, they always are, they're so caring and they really

make you feel, although you know there's nothing wrong with you,

You have to think, right, I've got a bad head so I've got

to make sure everyone knows I've got a bad head.

Those in charge of the exercise say it all went to plan,

and they're confident that if a major catastrophe ever does

happen, the people we rely on the most will be ready for it.

Jessica Banham, BBC Channel Islands News, Jersey.

Les Quennevais was full of splash and cheer this morning as the annual

Pupils from Haute Vallee were first to dive in and with the largest

number of teams registered to date, it could be a record breaker.

First the hooter, and then they're away.

The 46th Lions Club Swimarathon has 465 teams registered,

and if they all turn up, this could make for a record year.

About 25 more than we have ever had, so we're thrilled and it hopefully

will mean that we will help us to raise more funds for the five

charities that we are supporting specifically and this is really

Swimmers will be making the splash for charity

for the next four days and, due to the inclusivity of the event,

everyone can participate, including the man signalling the opening.

I had a break for about ten or fifteen years, but I've swum many

times and it's always very invigorating, it really gets people

And it could be these young people who benefit from this year's event.

We're supporting five charities which look after young people

literally from birth to young adulthood right across that spectrum

and we believe this is one of the reasons why we've had many

more teams supporting us because this is a theme that

So, on Sunday night when the event finishes, they'll be hoping

David brain has the forecast. Good evening. There is a good chance

the fog will linger. The breeze has helped to keep some of the low cloud

away, but it has now eased off and overnight we will have more local

out, missed and whistles. Dash-macro drizzle. The fog is again going to

be a problem. Still mild first thing, still the risk of drizzle and

the pattern doesn't change a great deal. This probe of cloud needs to

be to the south of us for us to see an improvement. That ripple in the

cloud moves along the English Channel, and it does not play us so

we stay in the same type of mild, moist air. On Friday, a chance of a

view holds developing in the cloud as slightly drier air comes out of

the Nick Compton. By Saturday and Sunday, we are back to North or

north-westerly winds, so much fresher air, and better visibility.

The visibility issues may with us the again -- may be with us again

tomorrow. It will be a mild night with amateurs no lower than 10

Celsius. Dash-macro temperatures. Tomorrow, more low cloud, drizzle in

the wind, and not as windy as it has been. More of that low cloud sitting

close to the sea, close to the ground, so murky conditions with 12

degrees the maximum. Friday is similar, perhaps a bit

brighter as the winds become south-easterly.

Showers and cooler for the weekend. Thank you. That is it for us. Now,

the rest of Spotlight. Police searching for a 26-year-old

missing woman in North Devon have confirmed she's a junior

doctor from Bristol. Lauren Phillips' car was last seen

in Woolacombe almost two weeks ago. Dozens of women from the southwest

born in the 1950's, have been protesting in London today angry

about changes to their pensions. They say they've had up to six years

added to their retirement age Devon Councillors are threatening

to refer plans to close 71 Community Hospital beds

to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. They want health commissioners

to assure them it's good for the local health service

and the consultation Investigators believe plastic

packaging accidentally left on a sauna heater caused a major

fire in Exeter. The Riverside Leisure Centre

was severely damaged in the blaze A University for Somerset has taken

a major step forward today. Bridgwater and Taunton College

is launching what it's calling From fine art

and design to nursing, it'll offer degree level courses

in a range of subjects. Our Somerset reporter Clinton Rogers

has been to meet some of the students already working

towards their degree. The educational landscape

in Somerset is being redrawn. Their own promotional

video is nothing if not dramatic. But what exactly is

going to change here? Sculpting, fine art, textile design,

all these students are already studying for a degree, though right

now this isn't a university. The courses are

accredited elsewhere, In future, their degree certificates

could be branded Somerset University I think it does because I

think then we can go on and we have that

status a bit more. The University Centre Somerset,

the college insist this is For one thing, they plan

thing to launch new degree courses from nucluear

science to nursing. We won't be offering traditional

history degrees, and geography degree than things like

that, this is very much about a shop focus on industry and

the type of people that industry needs today,

so it won't be an the additional

University format. There are many hoops to jump

through yet, but it is now a declared aim, part of

a campaign to persuade more higher The use of music to help people

with dementia is not a new concept, but changing the lyrics of well know

tunes to help them is. Including subtle verbal hints

within music tracks, memorable to the listener,

helps remind people living The idea was devised by a Torbay

organisation and is now Johnny Rutherford has been to see

the system being installed in a house in Threemilestone

near Truro. A lot of people like Frank Sinatra

or celibacy and what we have done we found the person who is living with

dementia, we asked the family lots of things to like and we chose for

three or four of them and during the break and the vocals we have

actually added our own message. So you could be relaxed just listening

to some music and get a gentle reminder. Have you had something to

eat? Heard that? Think I'll have something to eat. This is a new idea

trials in Cornwall. The audio is set up each day and runs for 24 hours

only coming on for an hour or two at meal ordering times. It has shown

some positive results, from a man living with dementia. Since this has

been trials, we have noticed that he is eating the food that we leave for

him. Beside his meals, we don't need to be there saying you've got to

read this and drink that he is doing out automatically. And this is

really early dales, at the moment, so we're quite pleased at the

success already. So far the experiment has shown that the music

machine needs to be hidden. If they've got some ornaments on the

mantelpiece, that would frustrate them if you are to move the ornament

so if they see this piece of equipment that hasn't been there

before, for them, they would wonder what it is, why it is there and I

don't think they probably would accept it in their house as well. As

well as a voice speaking advice between lyrics, Michael he has

rewritten some famous songs, unchanged lyrics to form reminders.

For example coming to come fly with me and getting tired and weary eyes

can off the fire, that's all that's required, and its most part of

something where I'm helping people that are sick filled out of

themselves, not just singing at people of parties. The developers

hope to rule out the system throughout south-west.

And staying with music, later this month, Dartington hall in Devon is

to host a concert to fund raise for Sands School in Devon, run by the

students and staff to make the students -- decisions together. The

student council sought out day-to-day issues, and there is no

headmasters. The alternative education supporter, David Salone

macro is supporting. He is one of the founding members of dire

Straits. You have now been so low for three decades. I left in fairly

early days, around the three albums and I was done. I am going on tour.

I 40th anniversary tour, quite frighteningly. We have just finished

one June and will dovetail into another one. The cusp of the last

concert of the previous two, then the first concert will be the next

one. Why are you keen to do this? My daughter was at the Sands School and

my wife teaches there, so... It wasn't too hard for them to persuade

me. Do you many concerts like this? I don't do lots of benefits, I think

the other one was years ago in the Roundhouse in London. A rare

opportunity for people in the south-west. That's kind of you to

say so. I am a big fan of progressive education, and I read at

a very early age as a result of impressionable teenage age you were

reading philanthropists and such, there was a bit in this book when

they were talking about a mother coming in, the care other side of a

S Neill, and the mother comes in and the child dances around all over the

furniture and she says look out free my daughter is to a S Neill, and he

says to add your child isn't free, your is ruined. It isn't really as

free-form as it looks from the outside. Your songs are described as

songs of substance and do did write a song of the great nowhere, and

arrives in saying that construct but mother memory loss. I did indeed.

When I phoned up and said mum I'm currently see you, oh, David, why

didn't you phone, she says. Why do you think of the idea we have just

seen there, using to adapt lyrics and help people? I will be needing

it pretty soon myself. I work lyric sheets for my work on stage and even

for this little two-minute song that we're going to do I am nervously

thinking I have no way to remember this because that is so used to

having the lyric sheets to help me, even though we did hundreds of

concerts a year. It shows the power of music, doesn't it? It is

wonderful stuff. I never tire of it, it excites me all the time. And you

will perform for us in a moment. What will we hear customer a song

for true north, if I can remember. We will look forward to it. In a

moment. Thank you very much for coming in and

well done on the concert on the 19th.

Now, time for the weather. David, what is it

looking like? It looks like we will continue to have some problems with

mist and low cloud. That continues overnight tonight, drizzle which

will eventually clear southwards giving a hint of some slightly

brighter conditions. Less breezy tomorrow, but still feeling quite

wild. The biggest point tonight is going to be the mist and fog, quite

extensive and a problem along the coast or over high ground if

travelling. Poor visibility overnight, easy local radio of

course has updates if it causes problems. It's weather Brand is

going to lie draped across Cornwall for much of the Daisy Murray, with

little movement on it, and meaning Cornwall will suffer again with the

weather we have seen today, drizzle, low-power, fog. Friday, that weather

front will have moved a long way north but we are still in the type

of air. Mile, humid, and the continued risk of low cloud and

mist. I'd no definite change to the pattern until the weekend, a cold

front sweeping through from Saturday introducing fresh air, but

availability, and by the time we to Sunday we have quite a rush of

showers developing around the Midlands, and some sunshine. The

week and not too bad, but somewhat fresher, somewhat cooler. We have

the mild air overnight in a south-west winds continued to drop

through the nights to come, meaning with the air much stiller, the

ability of the club to be a bit lower as it sinks means poor

visibility for all of us and as you can see there is a great cover of

cloud over the most of the south west at the moment, producing a ski

spots of light rain and drizzle. Through the evening and night there

is not a great deal of change in that, winds falling light, and

variable by the morning meaning there is a lot of low cloud around,

greeting us early in the day, but mild overnight, temperatures below

are done for most of us 10 degrees. 15 in Fahrenheit. -- 50. By what had

been good in the day a few weeks ago, so it is mild, some mist, but a

clearance from the north, so during the course of the date gradually

this guys will brighten, across the north of Devon, northern parts of

Somerset and especially part of Dorset where here we should start to

see some breaks in the cloud and sunshine coming through. Contrary do

that, though, the layer of cloud across the good part of Cornwall

continues with the mist and fog, and spits of drizzle, for all of us

being a mild day, 11 or 12 typically for most of us and if the sunshine

is out, temperatures up to 13 or 14 degrees. For the Isles of Scilly

Dumais here, cloud or mystique for most of the day, lighter winds and

we have seen today, and generally feeling pretty mild. Onto the times

of high water and there we are for the ports and harbours. Far

south-west, say Mary's 204 and 1438. Plymouth, 257, and 1536. For

surfers, still quite messy. Big waves to start with but quite

quickly those ways quietened down because there are lighter winds

tomorrow, a variable three or four, eventually becoming south of

south-westerly three Dutch War, occasionally drizzle, moderate that

poor visibility through the English Channel, but better visibility along

the north coast across the weather front stalling across Cornwall.

Friday a similar day, temperatures 13-14 degrees, briefly some

brightness, maybe some sunshine, and temperatures as night still quite

high, but by Saturday into Sunday, slightly fresher air, cold at night

and the risk of a view showers around, some showers on Sunday

turning out to be quite heavy. Have a good evening. The Justin, back to

you. As promised we leave you tonight

with Dire Straits founding member You are my true north, my dreams, my

truest, true north, the one that I love best. I will remember this, our

perfect knife of perfect place. Yes and your soft caress, I will

remember this. I will remember all of this, how we burned, how we

kissed, after all this loneliness, I will remember this. I'm the one that

blessed. I'm the one that blessed. You are my true north my true east

and my true west. Honey, you're my true north, the one that I love

best. I will remember this, my love beyond the leaf of death, the

passion and the truth at last. I'm the one that blessed. I'm the one

that's blessed. You are my true novel, my true east, my true west.

Oh, honey, you're my true north, the one that I love best. The one that I

love best. The one that I love best.