09/01/2014 Look East - East

All In Look East tonight: the bodies of all four aircrew are removed from

the crash site two days after their helicopter came down in marshland in

North Norfolk. The wing when I say we're thinking of you, praying for

you, and we are here for you. Hello from Amelia and me. Those closest to

the aircrew have been remembering those they've lost. Always reminded

me of a young Tom Cruise. Not only did he fly, he loved being in rescue

pilot. In other news, a million pounds of

traffic fines are cancelled in Essex after a public outcry.

And we're back in the gym with Louis Smith as he returns to competitive

gymnastics. Hello. First tonight, tributes have

been paid from across the world to the four crew members from RAF

Lakenheath who were killed when their helicopter came down on the

North Norfolk coast. They were from the 48th Fighter Wing ` their motto,

"These things we do so that others may live."

The crew were on a routine low`flying training mission on

Tuesday evening when their helicopter came down. Today we

learnt Captain Christopher Stover and Captain Sean Ruane were piloting

the Pave Hawk helicopter. Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews and the only

woman on board, Staff Sergeant Afton Ponce, were the aviators. Captain

Christopher Stover was 28 and married. He was serving a three`year

deployment in England. Captain Sean Ruane leaves behind a wife and a

1`year`old son. He was due to return to America this year. Technical

Sergeant Dale Mathews was due to retire from the military this April.

He leaves a wife and two teenage children. And Staff Sergeant Afton

Ponce came from a military family. All four victims were removed from

the crash site today and tributes flooded in from their families

across America. We'll bring you more on that in a moment, but first Simon

Newton is at RAF Lakenheath tonight. Throughout the day, we're seeing

more flowers brought here to Lakenheath by local people touched

by the events of the past few days. We have heard from the base

commander, describing this crew as for great airman and saying at the

base is really pulling together. All the while, the job of recovering

their bodies and ascertaining what went wrong continues. Escorted by

police, the bodies of two aircrew from the downed helicopter were this

afternoon driven from the marshland where they died. At RAF Lakenheath,

from where they had taken off on Tuesday's fatal training mission,

the flowers continue to arrive. The sentiment, one of sympathy and

support. This morning, the crew's commanding officer described them as

highly qualified and capable NN. He had this to say to their families.

As a husband and family myself, I cannot imagine how heartbroken you

must feel to be missing a piece of your family. I speak for the entire

wing. I say that we are thinking of you, we are praying for you, and we

are here for you. The four who died were members of the 36th rescue

Squadron. Captain Christopher Stover came from Washington state. He and

his English wife had been married for just a year. His co`pilot was

Captain Sean Ruane, aged 31, from Pennsylvania. He had completed three

tours of Iraq and that Aniston. Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews was

36, and had been in the air force since he was 18. Also killed was

Staff Sergeant Afton Ponce eh, who was in her late 20s and from Idaho.

For the 6000 personnel at Lakenheath, these are difficult

days. This woman's husband isn't their work is a mechanic here and

work in helicopters. Yesterday, she set up an online fund in memory of

the aircrew. She had aimed for $1000 for each of the families, but by

this lunchtime, people had donated four times that amount. When we send

our troops are to come back, we prepare for the worst but at the

best. However, this is a completely different situation. It was just a

normal day at work on a training exercise, and now all of a sudden,

they did not come home. It is very heartbreaking to hear that these

spouses and these families are going to have to go through this after

something so mundane, so normal. After grounding its aircraft for a

day as a mark of respect, the skies above Lakenheath today brought to

the sound of F`15s once more. A base in mourning for four of its own. We

understand the four Pave Hawk helicopters based here at Lakenheath

had been stood down temporarily to give the crews that fly them time to

grieve, but also time to make sure they are ready to resume playing.

The board of enquiry is being set up, with RAF and U.S. Air Force

officers, plus civilian experts as well. It could be many months,

perhaps even a year, the furthest I never made public, and we know what

caused this crash. Thank you very much.

Television stations across America have been reporting the tragedy.

John Cranston reports now on the tributes being paid by people who

knew and loved those who lost their lives.

The 31`year`old, Sean Ruane, was a Captain in the airport. He graduated

high school... In Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh news station reports on

the death of Captain Sean Ruane with the affectionate memories of his

family. Here was reminded me of a young Tom Cruise. His smile that

lights up a room. And not only, he left in rescue pilot. It was

important that he was there to get people out of situations. He enjoyed

his life in England with the military, and everything he did. It

just showed every time he would call us or we would see him on the

computer, on Skype, and he just expressed such pride. A local native

was killed along with three other USAF airmen with their work in a

crash in England. Shocked in the midwest that the loss of Dale

Mathews from Indiana. He said in the airport the Technical Sergeant a

half his life. My mother called me crying and said that there had been

a helicopter crash in England, and that they'll had been killed. She

can still remember when her cousin first joined the air force, when he

was just 18. Is there were his uncle was killed in Vietnam, so the family

has always had a military background. Vancouver native is one

of four airmen killed in a helicopter crash in England. On the

West Coast, tributes also for Christopher Stover, came from

Washington State. His former teacher proudly carries a boy with his

picture. She tells me how Chris when so many awards that year, had strong

academics, run them and ran cross`country. He was a student that

stood out. It wouldn't matter if I was trying to scold him, he would do

some thing silly and make me laugh. Every time he was home, he would

take time out of his day by and take me for copy. This station also

reported that Christopher Stover's former school would hold a special

event in his memory this weekend. The coastal village of Cley next the

Sea has been the focus of a painstaking investigation for the

second day in a row. Debbie Tubby is in neighbouring Salthouse now.

As you can see, the police are still here, the road is still closed, and

the coordinator is still in place. But more importantly today, the four

dead crewmen have been removed from the marshes on what has been a very

difficult day for all of those involved. As dawn broke, it revealed

a tent erected in the crash site. More equipment and the American air

force investigation team arrived. Staff in forensic suits and

structures are brought in. The weather deteriorates, slowing the

process. The first body is finally recovered, and minutes later, so is

the second. All efforts made to recover them in a respectful and

dignified manner. It has been a real sadness for lovers that we haven't

been able to recover the bodies sooner. We are working as hard as we

can to achieve that objective. It is a priority. This investigation is a

very difficult one, on difficult terrain, and there are a number of

things that need to be achieved. Principally, the recovery of the

bodies, but also the essential evidence needs to be secured from

the scene. Just after lunchtime a day and a half after the crash, a

private and... Gutted by police took the bodies to the Norfolk and

Norwich Hospital. Candles were lit and prayers were said in the local

church, in memories of those that died. We lit for candles, one each

for the aircrew, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this

moment in time, as they make their way home. The church of Saint

Nicholas overlooks the marshes where the three men and one woman lost

their lives. Already, there are plans for a permanent memorial. I

know that if it was my son who died in America, I would love to know

that there was a memorial to him. A remembrance, and that other people

would pass by and remember him. I think we would. We will keep them in

our thoughts and prayers. The second Pave Hawk helicopter will be removed

until all the evidence has been gathered. There are concerns the

downforce from the rotors could destroy the answers to why the other

one crashed. That investigation with the weather and rough terrain here

may mean that the marshes are closed several weeks. As for the road

behind me, that is expected be open again on Monday. The air force staff

can go home tonight knowing they have completed a very difficult to

ask, but hopefully knowing also that they have brought some comfort to

the families. Thank you, Debbie. Essex County Council is waiving ?1

million worth of traffic fines. In just two months, 30,000 penalty

notices have been given to drivers caught using bus lanes in Colchester

town centre. But after a public outcry, the council's apologised and

cancelled the fines. Frank Moore got not one, not to, but

three traffic fines, all three arriving in the post on the same

morning. I opened one, but that, thought, oh, Christ! Then the second

one, and then a third. So I had to pay each one separately by phone,

put the phone down, when the phone again, pay the next one. Three

times, I had to do that. When you take a ?100 there were ?110 pension

per week, and you get ?330 parking tickets, that is almost all the

money. Mr Moore had not realised bus lanes have been reintroducing

Colchester town centre, and he wasn't the only one. The sheer

number of motorists that have been caught out is staggering. In just

two months, the council has issued 30,000 of these Penalty Charge

Notices, at ?30 a time. If they collected all the fines, it would

total nearly ?1 million. There was a public outcry. Drivers said the

signs were not clear enough, and petitions were started. Social media

campaigns were launched. BP Miller to the fact that has caused us to

look at this matter are fresh, and I do apologise on behalf of the

council for the degree of confusion that this might have caused, but I

think the decision is right to treat all motorists the same way and

refund the whole lot. Backing Colchester, traffic confusion, it

seems, still reigns. They change it all the time. Messing around,

changing lanes all the time is only confusing people, and that is why

they're getting caught. Leave things alone. If it isn't broke, that, it

doesn't need fixing. But be warned, the fine and misty ends on Sunday.

`` amnesty. A man from Cambridge is lucky to be

alive after falling 250 metres from a cliff edge in the Scottish

mountains. Ollie Martin is 25 and was walking in the Cairngorms when

he slipped on Sunday. Still to come, lots of sport. We are talking balls

with the youngest ever winner of the Ladies World Matchplay title. And we

are back in the gym with Louis Smith as he returns to competitive

gymnastics. Last month, a man from Norfolk took

on quite a challenge. Duncan Slater started walking across Antarctica to

the South Pole. He made it, and what would have been an incredible

achievement for any of us was even more impressive, because Duncan lost

both his legs while serving in Afghanistan. He is the first double

leg amputee to walk to the South Pole. In a moment we'll chat to him,

but first, Jenny Kirk reminds us of his epic adventure.

Duncan Slater started some serious training months ago. He was

preparing his body for freezing temperatures, gale force winds, and

the challenge of a lifetime. For years ago, the servicemen from this

survived this. A roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The Norfolk `based

charity Working With The Wounded came up with the South Pole

challenge, and their patron Prince Harry joined the British team. Three

teams, from the US, Britain and the Commonwealth, or containing some

disabled servicemen and women, were to race to the South Pole, and in

Antarctica, the teams were making last minute preparations. I've got a

spare pin. To spare pins. Spirits were high. Leaving on a jet plane,

don't know when we'll be back again... But the weather

deteriorated, and after a few days then it became a true challenge. But

after a few days... Duncan Slater, the first`ever

amputee to get to the South Pole. All in all, the mission is a

success. And it has paid off. So far, the mission has raised

?107,000, and that is expected to rise.

Duncan is here now. Fantastic photograph there at the end, with

you and your daughter Lily. Obviously glad to be back, but

congratulations will stop the achievement. Thank you very much. It

was once`in`a`lifetime. It was very special. And very hard work, I would

think. Jedinak yes, but we had a training package to get us down

there. It was hard work, but it was good. Hacked tough is it, how

painful? Everyday, we started off with heavy packs, with all our kit

and equipment, about nine kilos. The good incentive was, every day, they

got a bit lighter! The incentive to eat more, and they all got a bit

lighter. There were problems along the way. It was initially a

competition, but during it, that was cancelled because some people were

struggling? Yes, initially it was pitched as a race which everyone

trained for. But it was evident that at the altitude we were at, it took

its toll on people's injuries. Because of that, people were having

quite a bad time, and the last thing the charity wanted to do was for

people to be Casualty evacuated out of the place in a bad state, so they

said look, we will stop this now. To be honest, I think that was

definitely the right decision. Tell me about the moment that you

actually reached the South Pole. It was something else. I was very

privileged that day that I got to lead. I had to lead another crew

member, who was blind, to the poll. The last day was beautiful, blue

skies, flat as a pancake. You could see the South Pole ten kilometres

away, and every step, you could see the South Pole ten kilometres away,

and every step, union were getting a bit closer. When we got there as a

group great to be there. You have spent a lot of time working towards

this. I know all of you have been warned that might feel a bit flat

now you have achieved it, and you have come home and you are looking

to the future. You are still in the position you are with your legs.

Yes, that is right. We spent a long time preparing for it, and before

you knew it, it was over, so the incentive is to give yourself

something in the future to work towards, don't just sort of focus in

on that. So now, we are all going our separate ways a little to life

beyond the South Pole. One, tell us some of the challenges you have

climbed up. I'm doing the London Marathon this year, so that will be

a good training exercise for me to get back into running. Hopefully,

next year, and will do a bit of a race across the desert. Just a race

across the desert! I have had enough of the cold now. Quickly, is Prince

Harry as fun as he looks? Yet, an absolute legend. He was brilliant,

absolutely fantastic. Congratulations. Great to have you

back in the studio. Thanks for coming in. Thank you very much.

When gymnast Louis Smith announced he was to take a break from the

sport after the London Olympics, few expected him to return. But this

week, the triple Olympic medallist said he was hoping to compete at the

Commonwealth Games this summer. And the hard work started today at his

gym in Huntingdon, under the watchful eye of his mentor and the

club's head coach Paul Hall. Our Sports Editor Jonathan Park reports.

It takes an incredible effort to win a major medal. But Louis Smith is

about to go through it all over again. Today, the first green this a

journey he hopes will end with gold in Glasgow. The news has only been

here for a couple of days, that I want to get into it again, and I

have had so many people mentioned the world gold medal already. So

many times. It brings me straight back to the days of 2012, and the

build`up. A gold medal would be nice, but let's not get ahead of

ourselves. It is definitely one step at a time. Since Lewis jumped off

and was in London, he has one Strictly Come Dancing and become the

head of the celebrity circuit, but missed the routine the gym has

offered. I have done it since I was four years old, and although I have

had some time off, I am kind of missing a little bit of structure

and routine in my life. Sometimes, when I have a day off, I don't get

out of bed till one o'clock. And so, on to the apparatus that Louis made

famous in his country. Looks good. Yes, first session back, I am very

pleased with him. How hard will be to get back on the team? Very

tricky. We are under no illusions that it will be very difficult. He

has a lot of work to do, fitness training, and we will see. The

comeback starts in March, the English Championships leading to a

competition he last appeared in the 16`year`old, the Commonwealth Games.

You compete, you get the medal. Is that it, or is there a possibility

he would continue to relocate macro I haven't really planned anything

after 2012. I let things open. At the moment, I'm not planning

anything after the Commonwealth Games. We said, he knows what is

going to happen after that? It might be it. I can say that it might be

it, but if I get the bug back, who knows? Louis's images as Britain's

finest gymnast in a century inspired a new wave of world`class talent.

They were maybe his rivals for a spot in England's team this summer.

So beautiful to watch, isn't it? Even in training, incredible

strength. Now to the game of bowls. Twelve

months ago, Rebecca Field from Norwich became the youngest ever

winner of the Ladies World Matchplay title. This year, there are women

taking part aged 16 to 70. Tom Williams has been to meet Rebecca at

Potters resort in Norfolk. How was your bowling? OK! Show me

what you've got. Simon Kroon oh, no! I take a bit of warming up on the

old tenpin bowling usually. You not a world champion tenpin dollar, so

we will forgive you. But she is world champion on the electric blue

carpet. Aged 23, she won the indoor women's singles title three months

ago in her first appearance in the final. Has it been fun Colin

yourself world champion for 12 months? Yes, I must admit. It is

strange to be able to call myself that really. The big thing is, I

know I can cope with that sort of situation. It was an incredibly

tense final. It could have gone either way. I kept my nerve and I

was able to win the match. You were quite emotional after last year's

win. Ya, it meant a lot. I have been playing since I was eight, that is

16 years of hard work. It was nice to be able to thank some other

people as well for doing what they have done to get me here. I did not

get here myself. She has held her skills at the North at Bowling club

and Norwich, sacrificing evenings and weekends, practising five times

a week, while juggling a full`time job. I am lucky to have some very

supportive employers that let me have the time to come along to these

sorts of things, but it can be difficult, and often, people have to

stop because they can't keep up with commitments. Laying at high level,

you need a lot of time off, so my annual leave is always used up to

play bowls. That has strike written all over it! So what are the last

year than like? Crazy, really. It has been a good one, for sure. I set

it off with the world title, and then we went on in the national

mixed pairs, which was great, followed by the British Isles. It

couldn't have been better really pulled up she is hoping lightning

will strike twice her title defence this year. Looking good.

The BBC Stargazing live programme pulled off a UK first last night by

creating a human constellation in Norwich. The stunt was part of a

Stargazing road show in the city, as around 200 people stood with lit

torches to form a human map off the night sky.

A human consolation has been done before in Poland, but not on this

scale. Before nightfall, they closed the road and space expert Victoria

London plotted the night sky to scale on the pavement outside City

Hall. Where to put 200 of the brightest stars? 250, Green. As

darkness fell, local people were invited to be on their marks and

ready to light up the night sky. Blue! Blue on, blew off, and I will

give special instructions. In cooperation with the City Council,

street lamps were switched off as demonstrators introduced the human

consolation. The first time it has ever happened in the UK tonight.

Could all of our volunteers please turn on their stars? And as a little

twist, some had coloured torches to pick out family favourites like the

plough in red, and Torres in the yellow. Just to say thank you, would

you volunteers like to give as a shout and wave your lights? It was a

cloudy, rainy night in Norwich, but the stars came out anyway.

How clever! That looks like it took a lot of organising. And now, the

weather. Yes, it has been dominated by cloud

and rain in the last few weeks, but for now, it is changing slightly,

and for tonight, it has been a while since we talked of cost, but

tonight, although will be patchy, there is a possibility of frost.

Also ice patches from residual rain earlier, but a cold night with clear

skies, and winds falling. These are the sorts of values we can expect in

towns and cities, between two and four Celsius. We start tomorrow

quite cold, but it should be a bright day across much of the

eastern half of the country. We have is whether front pushing in from the

west, and that will turn our skies cloudy. It does not have a great

deal of Rayleigh, but it may bring a few spots of rain by evening time.

Certainly expect a bright start. Sonny through the morning, but

increasing cloud pushes in from the west later on. Certainly it will be

a little chilly through the morning, but it won't feel quite as cold

tomorrow as it did today, because we will have lighter winds through much

of tomorrow. A light south`westerly. Temperatures climbing to seven or

eight degrees. As the weather front starts to push through, a few spots

of rain, but not really a great amount of rainfall. Much of this

looks as if it will march through the evening and head out to the

North Sea by the early hours of morning. Looking ahead, this is our

pressure pattern for the weekend. Cold, with high pressure across

Scandinavia and the UK, allowing cold air to moving eastwards. You

can see this whether front moving through on Sunday. The behaviour of

this front will really shake the weather that we get here next week.

If the high`pressure holds firm, it will remain quite cold, but the

current thinking is that this front. To push eastwards, and bring a band

of rain with it, and it should really march out into the North Sea,

so that will mean some overnight rain. Day. But still a few days out,

so there could be some changes to that forecast. We could be in very

cold spell next week. This is how the outlook looks at the moment. For

the weekend, quite chilly, but fine weather for Saturday, and it should

stay bright through much of the day, with long spells of sunshine. A much

colder night Saturday night, widespread, sharp frost expected.

Some bright weather around on Sunday. There may be some mist and

fog patches as well that could linger through part of

Cambridgeshire and Norfolk the Sunday morning. But as it gradually

eases away, a fine and dry day expected, if rather cold. Then the

front pushes through Sunday night, bringing some rain, and hopefully

not too cold week. not

Thank you very much indeed, Alex. Some sunshine at the weekend! That

is all from us. Have a very good evening. Thank you for watching. See

you tomorrow. TOM: # And if there's

anybody left in here # That doesn't want

to be out there... #