22/10/2013 Look East - East

pretty soggy. Thank you. That is all from the BBC. We

Hello and welcome to Look East. In the programme tonight: A plea of

guilty ` the former boxing champion Herbie Hide admits conspiracy to

supply cocaine, after a newspaper sting operation.

"I cried and cried" ` the reaction of a suspended paramedic after a car

crash where a young woman died because she didn't get enough help.

Paying for repairs to your local church ` the medieval law that's

shocked home owners. I think that is cheeky. It is a form

of blackmail, saying that they want money. That is what made us angry.

And war veterans in Milton Keynes make a stand against the town's new

memorial, saying it is not fit for the military.

Hello. The former world heavyweight boxing champion Herbie Hide has

pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine. He was secretly

filmed by a national newspaper apparently arranging a drugs deal.

Herbie Hide had denied conspiracy to supply cocaine and was about to go

on trial at Norwich Crown Court. But today, after the jury had been sworn

in, he changed the plea. The case was brought after he was filmed by

the Sun newspaper in a hotel Norwich. He later told Look East he

was vulnerable and accused reporters of putting words into his mouth.

Simon Newton was in court. It was a classic tabloid sting. A

fake businessman, a Norwich hotel room and a boxer offering to throw

fights for money. But Herbie Hide's generosity did not

end there. He later rang a drug dealer to arrange a drug delivery of

cocaine. But his customers were reporters.

The article appeared in the Sun newspaper in February. Hyde was

arrested and charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine. He denied it and

appeared on the programme to plead his innocence.

I am not as smart as you are. I am a boxer. I can hardly read and write.

So to con me is very easily `` easy.

The 42`year`old claimed he had been tricked into carrying out crime by

an ex`newspaper journalist. But, in the end, he decided that this was a

fight that he could not win, and this afternoon, and the advice of

his lawyers come he changed his plea to guilty.

Nicknamed the Dancing Destroyer, he was crowned champion twice, winning

the title three years in the 1990s. But life after boxing has been far

less successful. Several brushes with the law, and last year a

25`year`old man was stabbed to death at a party at his home.

Today, he was granted bail on condition that he observes a

night`time curfew and surrendered his passport. I asked him why he had

admitted the charge. Do you feel that you had been

trapped? Yes, obviously. And that potential sentence, that must be a

concern? As for the journalist, we believe

this was him leaving the building, before being moved away in a blacked

out vehicle. Tonight, the Sun newspaper defended the story, saying

it was public journalism. Herbie Hide could face up to two years in

prison. He and a co`accused will be sentenced on November the 29th.

The West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham has asked the Chancellor to

intervene in the row over the planned waste incinerator for King's

Lynn. It follows the Government's decision to withdraw funding for the

project, which has left the council facing a bill of millions of pounds.

Andrew Sinclair is here. We are getting an idea of how big

the bill will be? Yes, we are still waiting for an

analysis of how much the council will have to pay in compensation.

But, in the last few minutes, the head of Finance has written to the

councillors saying they will be looking at it one of cost of ?25.9

million if they decide to pull out next week. He says there is no

provision in the budget for this. It is greater than the council reserves

and he warns that if the council's expenditure succeeds it is

resources, there is the chance of bankruptcy. If the council decides

to do away with the scheme, there may have to be emergency cuts. Henry

Bellingham, a big opponent of the expenditure, has written as saying

that if the council does have to pay compensation, please can they be

translated into a long`term loan. That is, of course, only if the

council votes to pull out, and there are many councillors who want to see

the incinerator going ahead. I think that, after this report, they may be

joined by others. People who live near the beach at

Shoeburyness in Essex say they don't want a huge earth barrier to protect

them from the sea because it's too big. It's part of a major upgrade to

defences around Southend, but it comes on the day that Hemsby in

Norfolk is installing it's own DIY defences, which local people have

had to pay for themselves. How to protect the region's cosine

is one of the biggest challenges faced in the east. This is

Shoeburyness and there are plans to improve the sea defences here,

because there is the worried that this stretch of the sea wall is not

high enough. There is a focus here because of the floods of 1953. Essex

was badly hit. So the council is considering building a huge earth

barrier. Two metres high, 800 metres long, it would go behind these beach

huts, but the residents association is against it. Our primary concern

is that it is not required in the first place. The defences have been

effective since 1953, when even there the sea wall was OK. They feel

that it will disrupt the area and will make it less attractive.

In addition to that, the construction effort will cause

enormous destruction to the area as well.

Meanwhile, in Hemsby, where the beach rent chalets are being

abandoned, locals have raised ?18,000 for temporary defences, to

turn concrete blocks. Today, a digger lifted the blocks into

place. The work he was welcomed. If we don't protect it, it will go.

This is the only system that we have to stop the sea coming into the

village. If we lose this, we will lose our beach. The beach is a free

resource for too many people to lose. It is a source of revenue for

thousands of people in the area. Back in Shoeburyness, the council

says that it is proposal to build this earth work was supported by the

local Environment Agency. It says it could protect 500 homes.

Norwich City Football Club has threatened to ban fans for life if

found guilty of racism. The move comes after more comments were

posted online about manager Chris Hughton. It happened after the

defeat at Arsenal at the weekend. Norfolk Police say it's the second

time it's happened this month. Police in Chelmsford have made an

arrest following the discovery of a man's body in public toilets. They

were called to the scene at Market Road late yesterday afternoon. The

dead man is believed to be in his 20s. A 28`year`old man is being

questioned on suspicion of drugs`related offences.

Talks to avert a strike by baggage handlers at Stansted Airport have

been given more time. The GMB union says it's now hopeful industrial

action can be avoided as it prepares to meet the employer Swissport later

this week. A paramedic from Norfolk has told a

tribunal how she cried after the death of a veterinary nurse in a car

crash because she felt the Ambulance Service hadn't done enough to help

her. Fiona Turner's conduct and competence is being called into

question following the death of Catherine Barton near Thetford two

years ago. Debbie Tubby reports. The owner Turner told the tribunal

she was dealing with a major incident with no resources. I was

left out there alone. I had never been the first paramedic to arrive

at a scene of such severity. It comes after Catherine Barton, a

veterinary nurse, came trapped in her car. She had been driving from

that that with her best friend in a passenger seat, when a car, avoiding

a dear, it then. It was an hour before she was removed from the car,

and she died at the scene. The owner Turner's councillor asked how she

felt when she arrived at the scene. She said that it was a mess. The

counsellor asked, when was the request for four ambulances made.

She said, barely after arriving, near the beginning. The court heard

that the second abdomens arrived a long time after the first.

`` a second ambulance. The court heard that the owner did

not make a quick decision and that people were getting flustered.

She was asked if she had left a patient for ten minutes. She said

that she had to assess three patients, with them being time

critical. The court heard that an assessment

may not have taken place. She said that she disagreed and a

recollection `` her revelation was cleared.

She said it would be absurd to walk away. I could not leave a patient

not breathing. The owner Turner broke down several

times during the hearing. She said that the requirements outstripped

the resources. `` Fiona Turner. She said that she cried because she felt

that the Ambulance Service had not done enough. The court will make a

decision later this week. Still to come, the Olympic champion

helping young people to get into training or a job.

And the British Legion boycott a brand`new warmer more real. `` wall

memorial. Hundreds of people who live near a

parish church in Norfolk have just received a nasty shock in the post

because of law .dating back to the Middle Ages.

Nearly 900 homes in Gorleston received letters from the Land

Registry warning that they could be liable for paying for repairs at St

Andrew's Church. The law is called the Chancel Repair Liability. It

applies everywhere and it goes back to the days people had to pay tithes

to their local church. Our Chief Reporter Kim Riley is at St Andrew's

now. Yes, I am in the chancel in front of

the main altar. I have to say, looking around me, it looks as if it

is in good repair. This is an archaic law, most of people had not

heard of it before. Before it was changed, historic interest had to be

locked with the Land Registry. Now more local people know about it,

they are not happy. This couple and their wedding day at

St Andrews Church. They have owned their present home for more than 50

years. Furious at the letter from the Land Registry hearing that they

could be liable for repairs at the church.

I was shocked, then I was angry. I thought the church was putting the

wind up people. I think it is cheeky.

It is a form of blackmail, saying they want money off you. That is

what made us angry. They're near neighbour was also

shocked to receive a letter. I felt as if it was someone taking

money from my wallet, someone you thought you could trust, the church,

and you can't even trust them. The reverend and other members of

the parochial council have been taken aback by the anger generated

and the resentment at a charge of ?50 visitor the Kurds relieving

loners of `` relieving owners of liability.

I feel that we should have brought a sack of rain. When this started 50

years ago, people were poor like today, they had to bring that.

It is affecting people in a big way. Our message to local people is that

nothing has changed, other than something that has existed on their

properties for many years has now been made public. There has never

been a way of getting out of Chancel Repair Liability than a certificate

of exception. However, we are now coming across cases when people

cannot afford that ?50 charge and we are considering how we could deal

with that address, wearing our `` hats as a charity as well as a

church. The church has apologised for

distress, and further that they could not reply to complaints more

quickly. They are receiving legal advice.

The church is set to reopen. The money has been raised by the

congregation. The council has not caught on the Chancel Repair

Liability before and says it has no plans to do so now.

And if you have a story to tell about the chancel tax we'd love to

hear from you. You can get in touch by phone, by email, by going to our

Facebook page, or on Twitter. Here's a question ` does the word

NEET mean much to you? It applies to 16 to 18`year`olds and it stands for

"Not in education, employment, or training". Across the East, there

are almost enough NEETS to fill Wembley Stadium ` 81,000, at the

last count. But in Bedfordshire there's a project to help them,

headed by a famous Olympian and using sport as its inspiration. Dame

Kelly Holmes is inspiring people. Not every young person's life can be

smooth, they can struggle if there is no one to look up to. But with

sport, these young people's lives are being improved.

We have been with them for seven weeks. They get more confidence. We

are trying to encourage them not to be afraid to get out of their

comfort zone. We have tried football, basketball, badminton. A

lot of the time, the sport is new to the young people, but they are open

to trying new things. Nearly one in five of young people

are not involved in education, training or work. This scheme aims

to help young people, saying that success in sport can help success in

life. Five weeks ago, this young man was

out of work, but today he got a call from a shop.

It is improving my confidence. It comes with the teamwork. If you work

in a team, nobody blames each other.

Projects like this one won't solve a national problem, but Dame Kelly

Holmes wanted to make a difference. She was inspired by her PET chill.

Young `` PE teacher. How difficult is it to get the

opportunities? It is tough, isn't it?

It is difficult. No work is bad work. Even if it is part`time.

This is the only project of its type in our region. 70% of young people

taking part are now doing something positive with their lives. Tonight,

it is their graduation, so every to celebrate.

Dame Kelly Holmes is in Luton this evening and we spoke to her, asking

how the people she helps our chosen. All the young people are potentially

not in education, employment or training. The needs of these young

people are quite clear, they need some guidance and direction in their

own life and basically we ensure that ordinary young people who are

selected are making that first commitment. That is a big one.

This is not about creating great athletes of the future. But sport is

still plays an important role? Yes, that is right. We try and

enable and empower young people. We have different stages of the Get On

Track programme. The young people and maybe in a situation where their

background has not been great, that experience in life has not been

great so far. So to trust people can be difficult for them.

Do people like you spend a lot of time getting involved in this? Or do

you just appear once at the beginning and help someone else

takes it and further. Do you have a greater commitment than that?

I started this trust five years ago because I wanted to help others like

sports people had helped me. Realising the benefits that

sportspeople have to become mentors. You were the King `` talking about

raw mad `` role models. Who was your role model?

Mine was my teacher. My teacher told me I could be good at something. At

that time, that was important to me, because I was not academic. If it

had not been for sport, I do not think I would be who I am today.

Is there one person that you have seen who has come to you who has

become something that you never thought they could achieve?

There are so many young people that we've helped with that

transformation. There is a young girl here in Luton who dream of

being a skiing instructor and she was written off and told her `` told

that she would never push that dream. She was working at a call

centre and was unhappy and lost her self esteem. Through the programme,

we managed to get her on a ski instructor score `` course. It was

more than getting her on the course, it was about rebuilding who

she wanted to be and all the people who knocked her down.

It is great work. Thank you. In the run`up to Remembrance Day, a

row has broken out in Milton Keynes which could sour the commemorations

on November 11th. Some British Legion members are so

unhappy with the new MK Rose memorial, which opens in a few

weeks, that they're planning to boycott it. It will contain 100

pillars commemorating things as varied as World Maths Day and

International Joke Day. But the Legion says it's not a proper war

memorial. For commemoration and

contemplation, at the MK rose memorial there will always be

something to think about. The merging out of the memorial will be

106 pillars, each representing a different day or organisation. I

have a list of them here, and they include things like skipping day,

even tea bag day. Somewhere there, between all those, is a pillar

representing armistice day. This has upset some war veterans.

This man is on parade every day, but will not come here.

I do not feel I can act in true and as a standard`bearer if I do not see

the cross. For me, the cross is a sign of remembrance for the dead of

all wars. Here, a more traditional war

memorial is being built. You cannot compare. I have never

seen anything like it. Right next to Armistice Day is National Joke

Week. That's not right. Some people say that this is not

right. It detracts from the enormity of the situation.

I think there should be another area for the heroes of the country.

But those behind the MK Rose say that veterans are missing the point.

What we have created, for a modern city, is a new way of people being

able to mark the remembrance, for what is essentially a very important

day. But for some ex`servicemen and

ex`servicewomen, this will never be a fitting memorial to those who

served. In the run`up to Remembrance Day, a

row has broken out in Milton Keynes which could sour the commemorations

on November 11th. Some British Legion members are so unhappy with

the new MK Rose memorial, which opens in a few weeks, that they're

planning to boycott it. A primary school near Chelmsford has

appealed for help in solving a rather embarrassing mystery. It all

came to light ` or rather failed to come to light ` during celebrations

to mark the school's Golden Jubilee. It is something to celebrate, the

50th anniversary of Writtle Junior School. People gathered to discuss

the school. In 1988, the school put together a time Capshaw, to be an

earnest in October 2013. `` time capsule.

We put lots of different things in it. We put in stamps in it.

We watched it being varied. There was a paving slab to say where it

was buried. The paving slab was there, but the

time capsule was not. We looked under the paving stone,

but it was not there. We went round the garden with metal

detectors. We could not find any evidence of it. We had to stop after

digging three holes, because we were worried about the garden.

It was time to appeal for help. If anybody knows where the time

capsule is, please let us know. We will not dig up any more of the

school until we know where it is. In the meantime, they are burying

another time capsule to be dug up in 2038, presuming that they can find

it. Oh dear. We will look at the

weather. There has been a lot of rain today.

Some of the showers were on the heavy side. Some of those have

cleared away, but overnight they will be developed. In the early

morning, it the showers could turn quite heavy. Some drier interludes

now, but on the whole, the showers redeveloping into the evening and

the night. That it will be a mild night. The showers will go through

to the early hours of the morning. Tebbutt is around 14 Celsius at

their lowest. `` temperatures. For some of us, the showers should get

away quite quickly. Then it will improve tomorrow. Quite blustery

first thing, but the sunshine should come out throughout the region.

Temperatures around 16 or 17 degrees. Our wind speed is coming

from the South West. It will ease through the afternoon and overnight.

Overnight, with clear skies and writer wins, `` lighter winds. It

will be chilly tomorrow night. This is our pressure pattern for

Thursday. You can see the pressure moving in from the Atlantic. There

will be some low pressure giving us a wet and windy conditions by

Friday. Make the most of the afternoon. On Thursday, it should be

a decent day. Wet and windy weather appears overnight on Thursday into

Friday. It will be quite blustery. At the moment, it looks like the

weekend will have a dry start. It will be cold tomorrow night, after

that it will be warmer. We will see you tomorrow. Goodbye.