27/04/2012 Look East - East

In Look East tonight: disgraced MP Margaret Moran will not face a

criminal trial over claims she fiddled her Parliamentary expenses.

Doctors say she is too ill. Hello from Susie and me. Also tonight:

Here comes the sun: The Stevenage company sending a spacecraft on a

solar voyage of discovery. They've been the Duke and Duchess

of Cambridge for a year, but they haven't been to Cambridge. So why

not? And it was 70 years ago tonight

when the German bombers unleashed Hello. Margaret Moran, the former

MP for Luton South, will not face trial over allegations she fiddled

her expenses. At a court hearing today, medical experts said she was

a broken woman, and not well enough to stand trial. The expenses

scandal blew up nearly three years ago. Since then, four MPs and two

Peers have been given a prison sentence. Margaret Moran found

herself under the spotlight and accused of fiddling her expenses to

renovate a family home well away from her constituency in Luton. But

today, a judge decided she was too ill to stand trial. Our home

affairs correspondent Sally Chidzoy was in court.

Margaret Moran is deeply depressed, her mental illness severe. She

suffers anxiety and a sense of shame and abandonment by the Labour

Party. Her condition was graphically issued -- illustrated.

The judge heard and read evidence from three psychiatrists for both

the prosecution and defence. He concluded that the allegations and

the stress made it impossible for her to take part in court

proceedings. The judge was told that Margaret Moran had become a

broken woman. A forensic psychiatrist said she may be

suicidal and did previously attempted to harm herself. Where

once she looked like an exuberant Empey, now she was punched and

crash. She was suffering from a depressive illness directly linked

to the case. Asked to if it was possible she exaggerated symptoms

to avoid trial, he said it was possible but unlikely.

For a court was told there was a history of mental illness in her

family, and she had a genetic vulnerability, and her depression

had endured for two years. Mr Justice Saunders was told by the

psychiatrist that Margaret Moran has said she wanted to plead guilty

and be punished, but in his view and that the psychiatrist, it was

simply an attempt to get the matter over with. And to assuage guilt she

was dealing with from other troubling matters in her past. She

was claimed to have you Dover �22,000 to clear dry rot from her

home in Southampton, and took have regularly flipped homes. She is the

last to a number of MPs charged over expenses. Elliot Morley, Jim

Devine, Lord Hanningfield and others were all jailed. Her case

A satellite company based in Stevenage has won a contract to

send a space probe into orbit around the sun. The Solar Orbiter

will get closer to the sun than any space craft before. It will have to

withstand temperatures of 500 degrees Celsius.

It will boldly go where no spacecraft has gone before. The

sole auditor will give us the closest ever view of the sun,

helping scientists to observe its surface -- the Solar orbiter. The

it is a �245 million project for the European Space Agency. It will

safeguard the jobs of 1,200 staff. It is the largest signs contract

ever awarded to the United Kingdom. This is a fantastic success for us.

We have a mission orbiting Mars and one orbiting Venus. We are

currently putting together a mission to land on Mars. This is

the next big challenge. The orbiter will need to withstand temperatures

of around 500 Celsius as it travels to within 26 million miles of the

sun, closer than the planet Mercury. The sensing instruments will peek

through slots with shutters that can be closed to protect them from

the heat. There is lots of work going on at the moment on science

missions such as going to Mercury or searching out a gravitational

waves between the Earth and the sun. Lots of missions. The sole up

orbiter will be launched on a Nasa rocket from Cape Canaveral in 2013.

-- 2017. Earlier I spoke to Dr Ralph Cordey,

head of science at Astrium UK. I started by asking how difficult the

Orbiter will be to build, given the heat that it will have to withstand.

You are right, the heat is the big problem. We will fit of the

spacecraft with a special heat shield to protect it. When it is at

its closest, the fund will get to 500 degrees Celsius, but it will be

allowed the rest of the satellite to be at room temperature. What

will it be able to find out when it does get into position. It is going

to be doing work to understand the connection between events on the

San's surface and the material that spurts out across the solar system.

That is important, because some of those events, ejections from the

sun, can disrupt power and communications on earth. It is

something that we call space weather, and this mission will

understand the causes of it. Lift- off is in 2017. Obviously it will

take a while to get there. How long will that be? It is about three-

and-a-half-year us from launch, passing the planet Venus and then

back around the Earth and back around Venus again. It is a

complicated path that will eventually allow it to get closer

to the sun than the planet Mercury. And it is no Subo -- noticeable

that the space industry is doing well despite the recession. I think

it is because most of what we do is very practical. It is about serving

everybody, whether it is to do with the telecommunications, predicting

the weather, monitoring the climate. Even something like this is

providing industry with additional skills and challenges. It is

helping us innovate in the commercial world that we working.

Dr Corgi, thank you. There's a lot more to come, including the night

70 years ago when bombs rained down on Norwich. Hundreds of people were

killed. We look ahead to the weekend sport.

And we ask when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going to

come to Cambridge. I'm here with the weekend weather,

and the April soaking continues. People going from Essex to London

for a job interview are being offered a free train ticket by the

operator c2c. The company, which runs the service from Shoeburyness

and London, says it makes sense to The early morning commute from

Southend, and Philip Dickinson faces his daily journey into the

capital. But he is not complaining about being part of the rat-race.

He used the Job Start scheme to win a place in it. It would have been a

real struggle to be where I am. It would have taken a lot of difficult

conversations with the bank or my employer. It wouldn't have been a

guarantee that I would be able to afford to come. The scheme has been

going for several years, but has been relaunched at a time when

people are finding the job hunt particularly hard. At �15,000 per

month, it is not cheap to run. Successful applicants get six free

return tickets for interviews. Of the get the job, a two-month season

ticket free as well. That is worth �600 from shivery. It does two

things Oras. It builds up a client base and helps us to get more

involved in our local community. If we want to do even more than we are

doing at the moment. On Monday, they do it all again. 90,000

journeys are made every day. The company hopes more job-hunters will

join the commuters on the platforms and continue to do so for years to

come. The owners of the Pleasure Beach in

Great Yarmouth have won the race to operate one of the region's biggest

casinos. The company, owned by Albert Jones, beat off competition

from a rival bid. The decision was taken today by Yarmouth's licensing

committee. It's one of just two large-scale venues in the East

allowed under new gaming laws. The other is being developed in Milton

Keynes. There'll be more on this story in our late bulletin at 10.30.

A former policeman from Lowestoft has been found not guilty of

misconduct in public office and supplying cannabis. Christopher

Clark, in the black jacket, was cleared by a jury at Norwich Crown

Court. The former constable admitted three charges of

possession of ammunition and was ordered to pay just over �2,000 in

The Deputy Prime Minister admits the local elections next week will

be tough for his party. Last year the Liberal Democrats lost nearly

100 seats in this region, and are bracing themselves for more bad

news. But there is one council in the East where they could do well.

Our political reporter Ben Bland reports from Colchester where the

Colchester Castle, an enduring reminder of how this town was a

stronghold for the Romans and then the Normans for hundreds of years.

And so too it proved to be for the Liberal Democrats in last year's

local council elections. This is one of the few places in England

where they held on to all their seats and even increased their

share of the mode. Colchester is home to 180,000 people, many of the

military families and students at the University of Essex. Many

people here are commuters. The cost of living and the state of public

transport are big issues. For the last two years, we have had a zero

rising council tax, and everybody has found it difficult out there. I

hope we continue that. Another major issue is congestion, and we

are tackling that. I have worked really hard in the last four years

to work with Essex County Council to get a park and ride to reduce

congestion in of Colchester. Lib Dems have been the dominant

power here since 2008. They say they help residents through the

tough times, but the Conservatives, the main challengers here, accused

the administration of incompetence. The key issues of farce are

insuring our town centre is clean, but we cut the cost of politics, we

increase our recycling rates, in the moment we are one of the lowest

regions. We want to roll-out food waste trials to the whole of the

borough. And there are plans to change the way traffic flows in the

high street that will cause absolute chaos. With seven

councillors, Labour holds the balance of power here. They are

concentrating heavily on the impact of coalition cuts, but say there

are important local issues which need addressing, too. It is traffic

and transport, and congestion in Colchester is a nightmare. We have

an agenda that wants to have a major transport summit, get all the

best brains together and sort out a problem once and for all. Tackling

anti-social behaviour. With a cut to the police, we are seeing an

increase in anti-social behaviour. Naturally, the Lib Dems are in

trouble in the polls, but in Colchester, they have always had a

habit of bucking the trend. Might they even gain some seat and

tighten their grip,, like the Romans, will they discover that

even this stronghold cannot last for ever?

There are a total of five parties fielding candidates in Colchester,

and two more independents. You can find a full list on the council

website. Plenty of sports action this

weekend. Here's Phil. Well, the Canaries celebrate their 200th

Premier League game this weekend with the visit of Liverpool to

Carrow Road. There's been some fantastic memories over the years,

and some great moments from this campaign, too. A win over Liverpool

tomorrow would be the icing on the cake. It is easy to look at Norwich

City as one of the Premiership's new boys. Two seasons in the early

Nineties and a season in 2004, and they return at the start of this

campaign. There have been some This season has brought a few

memories, too. Liverpool were left stunned when Norwich crept into the

We have to be right up for it again. It is another game, and it is again

that we can go into with no pressure. We are safe in the lead

in have next season to look forward to now. It is not every day the you

can go into a Premier League game and just enjoy it for what it is.

But as far as the manager is concerned, taking three points from

Tottenham was his season's highlight. It was a deserved win, I

thought. We played really well up there, and for a team that just two

years ago was in League One, to compete with that has been

incredible. Three points against Liverpool in front of home fans,

and the manager's highlight of the season might just change.

Ipswich Town fans make their final journey of the season tomorrow when

they play already relegated Doncaster. They'll also find out if

midfielder Grant Leadbitter is staying with the club after long

and drawn-out contract negotiations. I will be honest with you, if using

the team on Saturday, it means he has agreed to stay. If not, it

means he has decided to move on. I will know tomorrow. We would love

him to stay, but he doesn't, we wish him well.

While Colchester have nothing much to play for against Tranmere in

League One, Southend have already clinched their play-off spot in

League Two. They could even sneak into the top three. But that's

pretty unlikely. It's Oxford away for the Shrimpers tomorrow, and

they'll be hoping a certain Tunisian brings his shooting boots.

The season hasn't gone completely to plan for Paul Sturrock. The team

looked good for automatic promotion, but it is not as simple as that.

Dropped points and off the field and tickets left and destined for

the play-offs, but on the plus A hat-trick playing as a midfielder,

he is back in love with Southend after a mid-season slump. I tried

to play for everything on the pitch. I forget about my yellow card, and

sometimes receive another one. After the red cards and a few four

wins out, there were some who thought he should go. But it is

looking like the best decision was made to keep him. A lot of things

happen in football clubs. There was a spell where that decisions had to

be made. We had to grab the ball by the horns and make a conscious

decision to bring him back in again. It was very close, but to be fair,

he has come back and responded the proper way.

In snooker, Colchester's Ali Carter remains in the finals of the World

Championships in Sheffield. The world number 17, who reached the

final in 2008, comfortably saw off Mark Davis by 10 frames to two

yesterday to set up a difficult second-round match with last year's

runner-up Judd Trump. And after more than their fair share of

weather at Wensum Valley Golf Course in Norfolk, Dan Seymour was

the eventual winner of the first Let's turn the clock back now to

April 27th 1942, when the country was at war. In Norwich, people read

all about the blitz in London, but nothing had happened locally on

that scale - until now. That night 70 years ago, everything changed.

At 11.30 the Luftwaffe were over Norwich, and as the city slept, the

bombs rained down. More than 200 people were killed, and 30,000 more

were made homeless. And what happened that night is still fresh

in the minds of those who were there, as Mike Liggins has been

You have got what is now Debenhams on this side of the road. These

were known as independent shops back in 1942. The raids on Norwich

City Centre work in retaliation for a raid on the German city of Lubeck.

The German High Command was so angry, it targeted historic English

cities found in the by Decca travel guide. It is hard for us to imagine,

but the only thing I can compare it with it is if you are living

through some of the scenes in Syria now, and you wake up and the

morning and find it York Road is completely flattened, your school

has been destroyed, your factory has been damaged beyond repair

perhaps. Some of the numbers are startling. 225 people were killed.

Around 700 people were injured. And 1,500 homes were destroyed or

Able 27th 1942. You were playing with your cousins? Yes, they were

visiting us at our house. Ralph was just six at the time, but he

remembers the April raids. On the 27th, he had been playing with his

cousins. But by the next day, his aunt Hilda and her three children

had been killed. They were in a shelter at the back of their

housing Roseberry Road. Only his uncle, Alfred, survived. And your

uncle was an air raid warden? That's right. He was on duty at the

end of the road, and he knew that there had been a bombing raid, and

he came back and discovered what had happened. Even after all these

years, 70 years, it is something you find difficult to talk about?

do, yes. Painful, yes. Even today, the raids on Norwich remain a

source of fascination. Graphic designer Nick Stone has produced

scores of photomontages of the places where the bombs fell. My mum

was a midwife, it was in the Blitz in London. Like a lot of kids, I

was interested in this. My dad was in the RAF. But once you get over

the whole great escape war films thing, you get more interested in

the social history. Today, there is a cemetery dedicated to those who

died in the rates. The Lockwood family are there, Hilda and the

Baby Margaret, Beryl who was nine his jacket was seven. Tomorrow,

there is service in the cemetery to remember those who died, and to

remember the little known story of This time last year we were all

getting ready for the Royal Wedding between William and Kate. And to

add to the excitement, we heard the Royal couple were to become the

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It's been a bit of a whirlwind year for

the Royal newlyweds, with a schedule that has taken them around

the world. But so far, they haven't visited Cambridge itself. So, when

can we expect to see them? Mike In Cambridge today, that couldn't

be her, could it? No. Hain? Maybe not. Her? Es? No. Ah, I have found

them. Of course they weren't here today, but a year after the Duke

and Duchess of Cambridge were married, shouldn't they have

officially paid a visit by now? They should have been here. We

would love to see them. I think you run the in Cambridge would love to

see them. Hopefully they will come very soon. Why do you think they

haven't? I am sure they have been rushed off their feet. We were so

excited about them being that you can dirges of Cambridge, so it

would be nice to see them here. think it is high time that they

came and saw what Cambridge has to offer. A year ago, the world

watched them wed. Since, as City has waited, wondering when.

Everyone is always anxious for announcement, so we hope they plan

something soon. So where have they been? For a

honeymoon in the Seychelles. July, Canada. California in the same

month, and in February Prince William was deployed to the

Falklands. In March, reunited, skiing in Switzerland. There are

plans to visit Malaysia, Singapore and the Solomon Islands. The

Duchess has been to Ipswich, and also a private visit here, a

children's hospice just outside Cambridge. They are not ignoring

our part of the world, but when they go to Cambridge, I think it

will be an important day. I think they will realise the significance

of it. We would want to make the most of it. The planning, I would

suggest, is fairly far advanced. The Queen came to Cambridge just

before the wedding. Buckingham Palace said that their first

official visit here is being looked The weather was very different year

ago, wasn't it? They were much more lucky. Let's find out what the

Good evening. The unsettled weather continues, with some further April

showers today. There have been some brighter spots and the last hour,

but there are still some shower clouds out there. Looking back over

our radar image of the recent rainfall, you can see some pretty

heavy showers still around. The further east you are, it looks as

though it will be mostly dry, but in the West, do watch out for one

or two showers this evening. Overnight, they will tend to fade,

and much of the night should be dry. Temperatures will drop to about

five Celsius at the lowest. The wind will ease, more of a light

north-easterly by the end of the night. Tomorrow, it is all eyes to

the south. We have an area of low pressure moving up from the south,

and that will bring us some wet and windy weather. We might just get

away with a dry start for some on Saturday, but very soon it will

turn wet and windy courtesy of this area of low pressure. The further

north and west you are, you might get away with a dry or bright start

to Saturday, but it will quickly cloud over and turn fairly wet.

That heavy and persistent rain will continue overnight Saturday and

into Sunday. As I say, the further north you are, perhaps a little bit

of early brightness, but turning increasingly cloudy, and that rain

will move in. As it moves northwards, it will turn more

persistent. Under the cloudy skies, temperatures no higher than 11 of

12 Celsius. The wind speed will increase throughout tomorrow,

turning windier into the afternoon. And the rain will become more

persistent and heavy later on in the day and overnight. So Saturday

night looks fairly wet for everyone. That sets the scene for a fairly

wet start to Sunday. Sunday looks fairly cloudy, and through the day,

turning more Sharif. Potentially warmer from Monday, the risk of one

or two showers perhaps, and hopefully drive for Tuesday to