28/11/2011 Look East - East

Hello and welcome the programme. Tonight, a Look East exclusive...

The disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield in his first

television interview since he was jailed for fiddling his expenses.

He tells us about the day he was sentenced, but has little

contrition. I really did not think I had done anything wrong.

Also tonight, facing the cuts - opening hours at Essex police

stations are drastically reduced. And hold onto your hats, because I

have quite a blustery five-day forecast.

First tonight, "I did not think I had done anything wrong". Those the

words of the disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield in his first

television interview since his release from prison. In July, the

former leader of Essex County Council was sentenced to nine

months for fiddling his House of Lords expenses. He was actually

released in September. In all of a moment, we will hear the interview

he did earlier today about whether he has any regrets. But first, Kim

Riley has the story of Lord Hanningfield's rise and fall. He

was all plain that Paul White. Heap for 40 years he was a big noise

that Essex County Council. He was made a lord in 1998, taking his

title from his home village. He was flying high in the world of

Conservative politics, the minister in the making. But it was his role

at Westminster that was his undoing. In February last year, it was

revealed that he was facing charges. It is alleged that he submitted

claims he was not entitled, including numerous claims for

overnight expenses. At a preliminary hearing, he pleaded not

guilty to six charges. At his trial, the prosecution claimed he had

charge more than �13,000 for overnight stays in London when he

had actually returned home. After an eight-day trial, the jury find

him guilty of all charges. I denied it all and I will be speaking to my

legal team. As at his trial, he had told about the important role his

dog played in his life. After serving just one quarter of his

sentence, the two they're reunited. The police are now looking at his

county council expense claims. People who know him talk about his

modest, albeit quite chaotic, lifestyle. The one word he has not

said his story. Earlier today, Stewart went to

Essex to meet Lord Hanningfield for his first television interview

since his release. Firstly, up he asked whether Lord Hanningfield now

accepts he did wrong. I have been convicted of fiddling expenses. I

do not think it was doing wrong at the time. I do accept now that I

should have thought more about it. I should have not filled and the

forms as I did. So a people will say that is an extraordinary

statement. You fill doubt expenses forms and then came almost any

chauffeur-driven car. I did not claim expenses for those particular

trips. They were just genuine mistakes. Do you want to apologise

for what you have done? I am sorry about it if I have upset people.

But you sorry about been caught or sorry that you did it? You are

somebody who was running Essex county council and were in the

House of Lords, but could not work out your own expenses? I regret I

did not put more time into my personal time looking at the

expenses. I did not make any sort of profit out of it. The expenses

were used as staff salaries. some people in Essex may say you

were picking their pockets by doing this. I did not use the Essex

county council car to go to London. I used the train. The only time I

use that was when I was and council duty. I went to London a lot more

by train than ever by car. The four I came to see you, I asked some

people who know you to save what words would BSkyB. Some said what a

critic, others said arrogant and rude. Would you agree with that?

do not agree with rude. I am very determined. I am proud of my record.

A lot of people in local government do not achieve anything. To tell me

about the day that you first went into prison and the door closed

behind you. The very worst thing was when the judge sentenced me. I

did not think it was going to go to prison. After all, I am in my

Seventies and there was no one else of my age who was being charged.

But when the judge said, taking down, that was the very worst thing.

It was an unknown experience as to what would happen. You are taken

down into a prison cell and then you of handcuffs Bouton you. It was

a totally unknown experience. I did not know what to expect. I think

they went into shock, in a way. you think, as you sat on the bench

in court, how on earth did they get here? As I say, I was in a bit of a

state of shock and did not really think anything for a few days.

Going back to you earlier question, I did not really accept that I had

done anything really very wrong and I'm really could not think of why

this it happen to me. What about your colleagues in the House of

Lords? Are you disappointed that none of them came to court and gave

character references? Well, perhaps they were wanting to keep all and

were not wanting to be asked about their own expenses. But I have the

had a tremendous welcome in the House of Lords. I have had

tremendous help and support to people in the House of Lords. Well

why did none of them do it publicly? Well, they did it in

private, so that is good enough for me. I still get the impression that

you are not particularly understanding of why the public are

so angry about when people fiddle their expenses. Laws are people

industry are very angry about it. You where cleaning money you were

not entitled to. I did not know that at the time. Perhaps I should

have known it, and they think it could have been clear by the

officials in the House of Lords. I could have been told more soul.

that no you passing on responsibility to someone else?

they have to go through all the forms and submit them. You have had

great standing in local society and now, when people mention your name,

it will be as the disgraced Lord Hanningfield. Do you think that is

how do you will be remembered? I can recover from this. There are

a lot of other people who have been through this, the likes of Jeffrey

Archer. We knew got this afternoon and close the door, and you look

back on this time of power and influence, and your reputation has

gone, what will you think about the future? I actually do not think my

reputation has gone. Two years out of 50 years in public life will be

seen as bad. Do you not think that is what people will remember?

they do not think so. People are entitled to one mistake in life.

You are entitled to one mistake, but perhaps she should not keep

making it. Are you in denial? made one mistake and it is not the

end of the world. I have been punished for it. Thank you.

Later in the programme, will the government's Autumn Statement mean

more money for the East? And Julie is here with the weather. Do you

remember what the weather was doing a year ago? I will have a little

reminder for you. 21 police stations across Essex

closed to the public today. Opening hours at others have been cut. The

force says it will help make much- needed savings, but the mayor of

West Mersea near Colchester has criticised the decision. The front

desk is closed and this is how the public will now have to contact

officers. It does not seem right. You need a presence in the town. It

is getting less and less. All in all, 21 front desks have closed at

police stations. Two of them used to be open round-the-clock. The

changes have not been received well. At high tide, Mercy can be cut off.

They are worried that police will then take longer to get there.

Everyone is very distraught about it all, because apart from the

Assistant Police officers, we have no presence here at all.

assistant police constable says front desks are so rarely used,

that it makes more sense to close them. What they want to reassure

the public of Essex is that because we are adjusting our front counter

opening hours, it does not mean we're withdrawing from the streets

of ethics. The force needs to save �41 million and this closing of the

front counters will only save a couple of million pounds.

Two of the region's hospitals have scored well in a league table for

mortality rates. The Dr Foster Report, which came out today, has

looked at expected deaths rates in each NHS Trust. Alex Dunlop is at

the West Suffolk General in Bury St Edmunds.

The Hospital Guide from research body Dr Foster Intelligence

compared expected mortality rates across all our NHS Trusts and the

West Suffolk General and Adam Brooks in Cambrige come out pretty

well. Hospitals were measured in four

areas - deaths that occurred in hospital, those dying within a

month of leaving hospital, patients who died from complications after

surgery and deaths where patients would normally survive. Good

morning. Will you this morning? Patients may sleep a little easier

knowing they have fared well in today's report. It is so much

better now. Very well looked after. I was very pleased to see on the

news this morning that they have been given the this credit.

national mortality rate is lower here. I am a big believer of

putting data into the public domain. The it also helps the clinical

teams have the information available. It is an even better

picture at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. At hospitals the size

of this, things do go wrong from time to time. Or stuff know that

high standards are expected of them. Two others fared well, but Basildon

hospital had a slightly higher than expected mortality rate. They said

their death rates are lower than average.

It is hoped today's report will be used to improve hospital standards.

One final heartening fact is that far fewer people are dying than a

decade ago, helped by better Several places were flooded by last

night's high tide. They included the Brancaster Staithe sailing club

and the Wells Quay car park in Norfolk. Some said they didn't

receive any official warning. North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb has called

for the area's flood sirens to be brought back. The University of

East Anglia has decided to close its School of Music. Students

mounted a silent protest outside this morning's meeting of the

University's council. Present students will be allowed to finish

their courses. But no new students will be accepted. Opponents of the

closure are now considering how best to continue their campaign.

We've got almost 10,000 signatures on our online and paper petitions.

The silent protest has power because it signifiers be lost and

the university will suffer if they close down the School of Music.

2012 Olympics came one step closer today for one Suffolk town when

dignitaries from the African country there will be hosting

during the Games to visit. Pupils in Bury St Edmunds welcomed their

Rwandan visitors with song and dance. A VIP welcome for these

African guests. Their schools are to be twinned with once here.

brings London 2012 closer to home and makes it more real for us. I

think it is a really helpful learning opportunity for youngsters

to find out about other parts of the world. From D time we have

passed, a very difficult time of genocide, in a very small time we

have achieved many things. -- from the time. We can learn how people

from different countries can achieve things in a very short time.

African dance in the playground. Pupils here are already getting

excited about the Rwandan a Olympic squad setting up camp in the town.

We had a Rwandan week where we did lots of craft and things to do with

Rwanda. I'd think it is a great weight to improve cultural

understanding. Before I had not even heard of it. Rwandan athletes

have competed in seven games but never won a medal. They are hoping

they could be spurred on to Olympic You're watching Look East from the

BBC. Coming up, how did your side get on this weekend? Tomorrow's an

important day in the political calendar. At lunchtime the

Chancellor will deliver his Autumn Statement, a kind of mini-budget,

what he says about taxes and extra spending will affect just about

every household in the region. From what's already been leaked it seems

that the will be some help for small businesses and improvements

to one of our most notorious roads. Here's our political correspondent,

Andrew Sinclair. And that road is the A14, 125 miles long, the main

link from the east coast ports to the Midlands. Now last week we

revealed that the Chancellor will announce tomorrow that the stretch

around Cambridge will be improved, perhaps with the creation of a toll

road. Now it's emerged that he will also announce plans to ease

congestion further up the road at Kettering. Another development

that's been long awaited. It is one of the busiest roads in the region,

used by 100,000 vehicles every day. Quite often it comes to a halt.

you listen to the radio and if ever there is a traffic bulletin this

road features. Unfortunately if there is a minor accident on the

road the whole lot is stuck. This stretch between junction seven and

nine at Kettering is often a bottleneck. Local people have been

fighting for years to get it widened. Now, it seems, that is

going to happen. The at will make Kettering much more attractive for

people who want to come and invest in us, to build their factories

here and distribution centres. It will help to open up parts of

Kettering we want to turn into business parks. We no improvements

will also be announced for the Cambridge a stretch a blow it is

not clear what at the moment. For the Chancellor he has very little

money to play with. What little he has he wants to use to kick-start

the economy. More roads is one way. Making it easier for small

businesses to borrow is another. this region we have more small and

medium-sized businesses than anywhere else in Britain. We have

vibrant small businesses in been times, we need them to be vibrant

again. If you were looking for one single thing, there is no magic

bullet with the European situation the way it is but help with fuel

prices is something people will be hoping the Government can It sounds

like a giveaway Budget tomorrow! How's the Chancellor going to fund

it all? That is what Labour are asking tonight. When will these

projects start and how will be be paid for. Ministers insist they

want this to start soon, some of it might be funded with public-sector

funding, there might also be some clever accounting with bringing

forward projects which had been booked in somewhere down the line.

It all has got to be paid for somehow. Well, it was another busy

weekend of sport across the region, so how did your team do? Let's take

a look with round-ups for the east and west of the region. What a

weekend. Plenty of drama and excitement. Another win for Norwich

in the Premier League. Let's get to the action. Russell Martin who was

blamed for Arsenal's winner a way to go pop up with the opener. QPR

off the post. I think he meant it! Luke Young slotted home the rebound.

A double substitution meant within minutes there was a winner. Pool

and picked out the perfect pass. From a couple of yards it was not

going to mess. -- miss. I want to score and I want to gain points for

this football club. I did that today and if it means me coming on

every week and scoring, I will take that. Five straight defeats, just

one point clear of the Championship relegation zone and it started so

well against Reading. The free-kick and the header need it 1-0. Ipswich

were back in front when they shot looped over the keeper. Ipswich

have conceded more goals than any other team in the division. Another

goal came in the 91st minute. The winner from Reading in the 93rd. 3-

2. They all away to turn things around is to win matches, even if

we get a scruffy when, at the moment we are not able to do that.

Colchester lost again, one goal for Carlisle. For Southend a Mini blip

on an otherwise fabulous run, unbeaten in 16 now. They look like

taking all three points against Bristol Rovers when Neil Harris

scored. Then it was 1-1. We have had more disappointing performances

at home this season. That said, the way the game unfolded, we could

have quite easily lost. Again, saying that, we had an awful lot of

clear cut chances in the second half with which we could have won

the game quite comfortably. And in Formula One Mark Webber won 4 Red

Bull. Team Lotus in their final race before being renamed for next

season finished the constructors Championship in 10th. That the

Now the weather. It is not as cold as it was this time last year. Do

you remember seems like this? In some parts we had around four

inches of snow, that's 10 centimetres. Some of us did not

actually see the snow disappear until 20th December! But no

tobogganing tomorrow morning, if anything it is going to become

milder overnight with a lot of cloud. This cloud will cover as and

perhaps produce and a little bit of light rain and drizzle in the wind.

Overall, a dry night. As I speak temperatures are dropping to around

six Celsius. Through the night temperatures will rise so by 5 in

the morning we are looking at values of around eight Celsius. We

will also see the south-westerly winds picking up overnight. That

will become a blustery south- westerly, a moderate to West's --

westerly at times. Tomorrow will see a dry start for most of us.

There may be a little rain or drizzle. There could be some

brightness or sunshine in the extreme east. Cloud will increase

through the morning and by 2 o'clock the yen will start.

Temperatures will rise to around 12 Celsius. Those blustery winds will

continue from the south or south- west, strongest around the northern

and Suffolk coast. The afternoon will be wet wet the rain becoming

more showery as it moves across as. On Wednesday the winds will ease

down slightly and it is looking largely fine and dry but by

Thursday the cloud will increase again with outbreaks of showery

rain. On Friday be winds me he's but they will turn more north-

westerly introducing some colder air. Apart from an isolated shower

Friday should be largely dry. Saturday will probably have some