07/12/2011 Look East - East

Welcome to Look East. In the programme tonight:

Freed from prison, but not free to come home. A Look East exclusive

with two men accused of a bar room stabbing in Spain.

So we've been put on the spot for attempted murder when we had

nothing to do with it and the police needed to be looking for the

people who actually did. Hello from Jonathan and me. Also

tonight: The great housing crisis - tonight

we look at soaring rents. Some great pictures of our Frozen

Planet - we speak to an Antarctic meteorologist live.

And a des res for rabbits. But how First tonight, two men accused of

attempted murder in a Spanish resort have spoken of their relief

at being released from jail. Kyle Thain and James Harris are now

out on bail, but they're far from out of the woods. The bail

conditions mean they must stay in Spain pending a possible trial.

Their first TV interview in a moment, but first a reminder. On

July 1st, the pair flew out for a long weekend in the Costa Blanca

resort of Pilar de la Horadada. In the early hours of July 5th, two

men were stabbed in a bar just up the coast in Cabo Roig. Later that

same day, they were arrested as they were due to fly home from

Alicante airport. On July 8th, the pair were committed to jail and

they remained in prison until they were freed two weeks ago. Our

reporter Gareth George has been to meet them.

Spain, but loved by British tourist, but James Harris and Kyle Thain are

desperate to leave it. This is not paradise for ours. We are looking

forward to going back to Southend and the rest of our lives. We can't

go home, we are stuck in Spain. They came here in July for a long

weekend and had a night out on the strip here. The same night, there

was a stabbing here at a bar on the same strip. Witnesses said it was

two men from London, one tall, one short. The next day, the two

friends were arrested. Kyle Thain and James Harris say it is a case

of mistaken identity. They were arrested because they happened to

be two Englishmen who were also out on the strip that night. One was

tall and one was a short. They say they were in a completely different

Bale and photos they took that night prove it. We have been put on

the spot for attempted murder when we had nothing to do with it. The

police need to look for those who did. You can't help getting angry

about the fact that five months of your life has been taken away,

especially when we have proof that we didn't do it. The owner of the

bar was advised not to speak on camera, but he issued a statement

saying: Through our barristers, we are able to confirm that the

evidence and witness statements were considered by it a judge

sufficient to halt the accused in prison. One of the meant he was

stabbed at night still need surgery. They were both held in jail without

charge. Walking into prison was the most brightening expense of my life.

People were shouting at you, trying to intimidate you. Keeping your

spirits up was harder. The post really did help. They got thousands

of letters from supporters back home. I hope you keep your chins up,

you may soon be home. You are both innocent, I'm sure of that. They

are relieved they have been released from prison, but life on

bail is a monotonous one. Every day is the same, wake up in the morning

and trying keep active, keep up the bit of Spanish we have learnt and

keep our heads down until they say we can go. They are given the

seriousness of the allegations they face, that could be some time yet.

Sharon Harris is the mother of Kyle Thain. She is at her house in

Southend now. I know this is costing a lot of money, and you

have gone as far as selling your home to fund their legal costs.

we have sold the house now. We have to move in January, but we were

putting a lot of money on cards for flights over there. Obviously, we

need to get rid of those debts. We don't know what future cost there

will be with the lawyer, but we need to be ready for it. Clearly it

is a different justice system in Spain, but the judge obviously felt

there was enough evidence to hold them. Are you confident that when

the trial does eventually happen, they will be clear that? They will

be cleared. There are things that we know that we cannot talk about

here am afraid because it is evidence. We would love to be able

to, but the way the ID parade was held was wrong and this will be

questioned. I can say that James was put in a parade of short people,

he was tall and was told to squat down. In England, we don't have

parades where people are told to squat down to be the same size as

the others. A similar thing happened to Kyle. We questioned

this strongly. When the guys get their day in court, we have a lot

of evidence. We want to show that it may take four years to come to

court so what will they do? Will they be kept in Spain for four

years? We thought they would be in prison for that time, but

thankfully they are not. Kyle has a job, for example. What happens

next? The loyal will put in for them to be bailed to England. Bail

is a funny word because they have not been charged, but nevertheless

they may be able to sign on at the Spanish embassy and at least this

way they could get on with their work. Kyle has a mortgage and a

flat and he has been taken away from that. The cost of crewing. We

don't want him to lose his property because it is hard enough to get on

the property ladder. We need him home. He has worked since he was 16.

Thank you for talking to us. The latest on this region's growing

housing crisis now. Yesterday we heard how rising prices mean a

generation of young people have little hope of buying their own

homes. Today bad news for renters too: prices for them are expected

to go up by more than 20% over the next five years. And in Cambridge,

things are particularly bad. This is your typical open-plan

kitchen, a lounge and diner. A two- bedroom flat in a new development

near Cambridge's train station. It has central heating, fitted

wardrobes and a dishwasher, available to rent for �1,400 a

month. Rents have increased gradually but steadily over the

last 10 years. I think they will continue to do so. There has been

an average trend of about 5% each year. I don't think that there will

be an oversupply because there is still a massive demand for housing.

This is a lovely flat there is no doubt about it. It is an average

two-bedroom flat, but if you want to live here you will need to earn

more than the average salary. Estate agents' calculate that if

you want to rent here, you will have to learn -- earned at least

�42,000 a year. As most people don't, that is

putting increasing pressure on social housing. Last year more than

7,500 households in Cambridge work on a waiting list for social

housing. Less than 1,000 lettings to place so that waiting list is

likely to grow. There are a lot of people who need a place to live and

we have an under supply of homes here. We have only been building a

third of what we need over the last years. We really need to respond to

the under supply because it is passing -- putting pressure on

private renting. Many flats like this one go to cash rich buy-to-let

investors. With the cost of renting likely to go up in the east, those

likely to get a deposit together to buy will find it increasingly

difficult. Later in the programme the last of

our unsung heroes. And Mike Liggins is with some very

lucky rabbits. The rabbits are hiding, but as you

can see, they have got CCTV, lights, luxury staircases, are they the

most pampered pets in Britain? That is after more news from your part

Crimestoppers in Essex says the public has been responding to

appeals for information after lumps of concrete were dropped from

bridges over the A12. A mother and daughter escaped unhurt in the

first incident at Ingatestone last Thursday evening. Half an hour

later a woman passenger was seriously injured beneath a second

bridge near Chelmsford. The police investigation and extra

day and night patrols are focused on a stretch of the A12. It was

luck that Lisa and her mother were on injured after this granite rock

was dropped on to their car. This man is the use do analysing

unstable minds. He believes those responsible could be in their teens,

male or female and are unlikely to be mentally ill. I think this is

what people can do when they have no amount -- no mental illness what

saliva. -- whatsoever. They may have difficulties with empathy and

taking a risk, they may be an to social and taking risks, but that

is not what influences their behaviour. It is our perception

that causes horror. We can't believe someone is doing that but

in a person's eyes, everything is OK. They might be more crime in a

particular area of a particular type. But hopefully, these people

can get caught because people notice more. The woman injured from

the attack is said to be in a stable condition in hospital. This

was the concrete that smashed through the car. Crimestoppers says

a member of the public has come forward wanting to add to the

�3,000 reward that has already been put forward for more information.

New footage has been released of a teenager from Suffolk who's been

missing for more than five years. Luke Durbin disappeared near the

bus station in Ipswich in May 2006. Suffolk Police say these CCTV

pictures show the 19 year-old in Cardinal Park in Ipswich speaking

to a taxi driver. More than half a ton of cannabis

has been seized during a series of raids across Essex, Norfolk and

Suffolk. �30,000 in cash was also seized from the 15 properties

searched. Two people are still being questioned.

Landlord Michael Tucker, who murdered his partner Becky Thorpe

at the pub they ran near Hunstanton, has had his sentence cut by four

years. But he'll still have to serve at least 22 years for killing

her and hiding her body in a freezer.

A row of five historic houses in the heart of Harwich has been

destroyed in a fire. The blaze started just before lunch in West

Street before spreading rapidly to neighbouring buildings.

They stood for centuries and they were destroyed in minutes. Fanned

by strong winds, the fire made strong work here, devouring five

homes, several of dating from the 1700s. This man was looking on, his

home is gone. There is nothing there to salvage. So much water has

gone in that snow. The roads collapsed. The choice of gone. The

water damage will be horrendous, it really will be. The work on these

buildings is terrible. They will not be replaced. They are lovely

buildings, people have been putting a lot of effort into them and it is

a nightmare. Up to 50 firefighters were called out. The houses were

empty, but 24 people had to be led to safety. They are very old

properties. They have, and roofs in particular. It is tragic that five

properties have been damaged, but it could have been a lot worse. Our

crews have done sterling work to contain the fire. It is unclear how

this fire started. For those who live here, it has been a

devastating day. Ipswich Town star Michael Chopra

has been banned from driving for speeding. He was caught doing 106

miles an hour on the A12 near Colchester where the limit is 70.

He's been banned for 56 days and fined �1,000. Chelmsford

Magistrates heard he'd been caught speeding three times since his last

ban two years ago. A new website has been set up to

help people look after the graves of loved ones far from home. The

system works by matching people prepared to look after a local

grave with others elsewhere in the country. It's called 'Tendagrave'

and it was set up after the death of a woman from Bury St Edmunds.

This woman visits the churchyard every couple of months, not to

visit a loved one, but to 10th in a grave, the grave of someone she has

never met. Especially at this time of year coming up to Christmas, you

don't want to forget your loved ones who you have lost. To think of

them at this time of year and be able to put some flowers or 0.8

Beef on a grave and make it better in that sense. -- but flowers on

the grave. The number of unintended Graves is increasing with more and

more people living away so the number --... The idea came about

shortly after this woman died. She is buried in Suffolk with her

husband, but her granddaughter and other family are scattered across

the UK. For me particularly, to know that my grandparents grave is

being looked after and cared for means a great deal. I may feel them

around me all the time, but to know that everyone can see that and that

these people were laughed and we still love them is important for us

stop around 30 people have already registered on the website.

those willing to give their time, it is a simple act that can mean so

You're watching Look East from the BBC. Coming up: life on a frozen

We're building up to the BBC East Sports Awards tomorrow night and

all this week we have been meeting our unsung heroes. Tonight, it's

the turn of an athletics coach in Milton Keynes. Rick Townsend has

worked with some of the biggest names to come out of the town,

including Greg Rutherford and Craig He has probably done as a thousand

times, but you would never know. This man has been a leading

sessions like this one in Milton Keynes for over 25 year. I get as

much out of organising, coaching and helping people as I did playing

the sport myself. I have often said without the help us, you won't have

the sport. You need the officials, the referees, so I say to people in

sport, once you have finished taking part, please put something

back into your sport. A coach, an official and an organiser, Rick has

done it all. Many of these future stars have parents who he has

coached a. They have achieved well and we see that every week. You get

the same children turning up and they are so enthusiastic. Is he a

one-off? He is definitely unique. If we could bottle him and sell him,

we would make millions! Rick's unique selling point is his ability

to engage with just about everyone. He recently won an award for his

contribution to disability applet six. Much better, did you see that?

Since I have been here, I have enjoyed all of his sessions. He is

really good at teaching, and he is very sociable with children. It is

extra satisfying when one of your former pupils LANs on their feet.

It is very nice to have gone into a middle school 10 or 12 years ago

and now you see that athlete at the World Championships. Fingers

crossed, at the Olympics as well. Break is giving something back. The

children in Milton Keynes to do not know how lucky day off. -- Rick.

And the winner will be announced tomorrow night in Bedford at the

BBC East Sports Awards. It might have felt like a cold

winter's day today, but spare a thought for a group of scientists

from Cambridge. It's summer where they are right now and it's still

minus 10 degrees. They're in Antarctica and they're

featuring in tonight's episode of Frozen Planet. But what is it

really like to work there? Janine Andy Smith works for the British

Antarctic Survey. An explosive way to explore what is under the eyes

of four star Andy Smith is one of the researchers who has travelled

to the Antarctic. Nothing prepares you for what it is really like. I

had no idea just how big it was. You could see a tiny shudder of the

plane. The plane would fly low and suddenly there are big chunks of

ice, the size of I scrapers, they were huge! The team is studying a

glacier bigger than the size of England. Working in these

conditions is tough and despite the stunning surroundings, being so far

from home has its disadvantages. have been here for over one year

and I really miss my friends and family, especially during the

winter when we are isolated. Finest fresh fruit and salad for a start

back home, these trips are meticulously planned.

This is the clothing store where everyone from Cambridge gets kitted

out before they go out to Antarctica. They get everything

from the thermal underwear to windproof layers, and then there is

this: The autumn it. It protects people in temperatures of up to -50

degrees. The scale of the operation is

staggering. It takes more than one month to travel there by ship and

every move is a depended on the weather. Even for the researchers,

the Frozen Planet has brought a new appreciation of this unique place.

I wonder at the environment that we are working in. We work in stations

that are almost like home, and then suddenly on television, you have

the starkness and the wonder of Antarctica and it is really quite

amazing. Stunning.

We heard briefly from Tamsin Gray in that piece. And she can join us

now from live from the British Antarctic Survey. I know it is the

afternoon there, can you painter as a picture of what you can see?

Hello. I am at a research station on the peninsula. Outside my window,

it is summer here, it is a nice day and the sun is shining. The

glaciers are tumbling down in the distance. We heard in the piece

that there are things you miss about home, but how difficult is it

to beat stuck with the same small group of people for such a long

time? It has its challenges, but mostly it is a real pleasure to

beat here and form a close relationship with them! It is like

living with an extended family for all stop how long have you been

there and when are you due to return? I have been here for over

one year. I have another three months to go before I come back

home to see my family. We have been watching Frozen Planet on TV here.

It is amazing. It gives us an idea of what it is like, but I guess for

you, nothing beats being there, the expense of a lifetime? Yes and.

Sometimes I wish I could bring it family here so they could see it

for themselves because it is harder for people to understand. But we

have been watching Frozen Planet here and being stunned by the

visual images and then looking out of the window and saying, it is

happening right here, we are part of a! Thank you for coming on the

programme. It was great to talk to you.

Now, everyone knows that in Britain, we love our pets. But Jason

Batterby from Norfolk has gone that extra mile for his two rabbits:

Jason has just finished building a luxury hutch. As Mike Liggins

reports, the hutch has some of the latest mod-cons.

Meet this four-month old continental giant, and her friend,

enjoying what can only be described as Bunny bliss. This is a heart

with more than a touch of class. It has a beautiful red cedar roof,

stainless steel guttering and CCTV so that the owner and Hutch builder

Jason can check on his pampered pets. The old touch was

deteriorating a little bit too. With winter coming up I thought, I

will give myself a project to do with the permission from the wife,

of course! She said OK so it started from there. Jason and his

wife also owned two chinchillas unto iguanas who enjoy the sounds

of the jungle via their own iPod. - - two iguanas. There are also

flights in the heart, pictures on the wall and a cup of if the

rabbits are cold. It doesn't have a Jacuzzi or any audio-visual system.

How much? Jason reckons with his time and materials, he could make

you one for about �10,000. We have two rabbits at home so if

my wife is watching, we haven't got �10,000. Even if we did, we are not

spending it on a rabbit hutch! I am with you dare! They looked

like happy rabbits though. It is certainly cold weather wise.

We have had gusts of up to 50 miles an hour because we are wedged

between an area of low pressure and high pressure. The strong winds

have comment and the source of that has been green land. The wind

tonight will be brisk, but it will generally even at. We will start

with clear spells and then it will turn increasing -- increasingly

cloudy. We will get fairly chilly temperatures. The winds will ease

by the end of the night. Tomorrow's weather is all about this area,

deep area of low pressure to the north-west of Scotland. It will

cause problems up there, but for us in the east, it basically means we

will have a windy day. Some strong gusty winds and potentially rain at

times. Tomorrow morning, the first lot of rain will be light and

patchy as so a cloudy start for many of us. Like patchy rain to

move through as well. You might be surprised by the temperatures

because they will much up into double figures. A lot of locations

will see 10 or 11 degrees, maybe even 12. The wind speed will be

increasing and it is fresh. It will get increasingly strong through the

afternoon. It is the next lot of rain where we will see some strong

gusts, potentially up to 50 or 60 miles an hour. Some of rain could

be heavy, but it should move through fairly quickly. Into the

outlook, this is how it looks. It is going to get fairly cold at

night over the next few days. Potentially, a milder temperatures

into tomorrow, but once we get into night-time, the temperatures will

dip dramatically. A touch of frost. Very cold on Friday, but a bit of

sunshine. But then we will be into cold nights where the temperatures

will dip below freezing. Potentially a sharp frost that we

have not seen yet. It stays fine but cold for Saturday. Sunday could

potentially see cloud and outbreaks of rain towards the end of the day.