25/02/2014 Look East - East

That's all from us. A first look at the papers on the news channel. Now

we Good evening. I'm Jenny Kirk.

First, the man who dived into a lake to look for a missing teenager, but

ended up drowning. At an inquest today, Ryan Pettengell's girlfriend

revealed that she had urged him not to go into the water at Bawsey Pits

near King's Lynn, but he did, not knowing that the boy's body had

already been found. The jury returned a verdict of accidental

death. Ryan Pettengell's mother, sister and

brother`in`law arriving at today's inquest. He'd drowned. On the same

day, at the same pitts as the teenager he was looking for, not

knowing when he jumped in the water, the 16`year`old's body had already

been found. PC Ryan Williams told the inquest he was there when Ryan

Pettengell drowned. He couldn't help because he wasn't a competent

swimmer. Before he died, he'd asked Mr Pettengell if he'd seen a

16`year`old. His girlfriend Lauren Cole said she could see something on

the island she'd just swam to. Despite breaking his wrist weeks

before, he said he'd swim over. She told him, don't bother because you

won't make it. He got halfway across when he asked for a stick. She said

she did, but it wouldn't float. She went back to Ireland to get a no

mistake, and when she turned around all she could see was at the bubbles

on the surface. Shortly after the double drownings, these photos were

released to show the dangers under the surface. This is diver Alan

Nichols moments after finding the 16`year`old's body. Ryan

Pettengell's best friend was there when he drowned. He said he was a

good swimmer, but thought at the time he was joking around.

Unfortunately he wasn't. As soon as he did not come up I realised he

wasn't there, and it was something serious. Before the family left the

inquest, Ryan Pettengell's mother told the coroner they should also

point out the dangers under the surface. She said it would give

those who want to swim something else to think about.

A reward of ?2,000 is being offered by Crimestoppers for help in

catching the people who robbed an 89`year`old woman at her bungalow in

Lakenheath last week. Connie Hallford was hit and knocked to the

floor, when three masked men burst into her home.

An MP from Suffolk has been telling the Commons today that National

Insurance should be re`named and ultimately abolished, because it's

not an insurance, it's a tax. Ben Gummer, the MP for Ipswich, thinks

it should be called the Earnings Tax.

First introduced 100 years ago, National Insurance was expanded by

the Labour Government of the 1940s. But Ipswich MP Ben Gummer believes

it's now outdated and misunderstood. The stamp, he says, is no longer an

insurance but a tax in all but name, and should now be merged with income

tax. What I propose is a twofold reform. There is a simple name

change, which would cost nothing, and secondly the merger of the

National Insurance fund into general government funds. In the Commons

today, Mr Gummer introduced a Bill, which would see National Insurance

renamed Earnings Tax. A move he says toward transparency. If they were

merged in the future, there should be special rates for pensioners. We

are not proposing person up taxes or cutting them, but merely changing

the name and making things simple for people. National Insurance is

paid by all workers from 16 to retirement. You pay 12% on earnings

between ?149 and ?797 a week. Above that you pay an extra 2%. Mr Gummer

says merging the taxes would bring clarity and cost savings. But

critics say it's a staging post towards dismantling the welfare

state. If there's no National Insurance, then how long before

there's no State Pension? Let us be straight. National Insurance is a

tax. Mr Gummer previously campaigned successfully for itemised tax

statements. They start this year. And with the Treasury apparently in

favour of this latest idea, the days of National Insurance could well be

numbered. Well, earlier I spoke to Dia

Charavarty from the Taxpayers Alliance, which supports the plan,

and asked whether this was a nail in the coffin for the welfare state.

National Insurance is an income tax. It should be called as such.

Because it is called National Insurance a lot of people believe

that it goes to a separate part, which then pays for the welfare

system. That has not been the case for a very long time, yet the name

has remained. This is changing the name and being honest about it. It

is for people to know how much they are paying into the government's

pocket. Will pensioners had to pay more? Pensioners are worried they

will be taxed. If it is lumped together they will pay more. It

changes nothing with pensioners. And they're not paying National

Insurance tax, they wouldn't be paying Earnings Tax. It is simply

calling National Insurance Earnings Tax. Why change the name at all? Do

you think when people pay someone they should know what they are

paying it to? It makes a system more transparent. People know they are

income tax. It is simply a tax on what they are earning, and that is

what it should be called. What difference will this make to

people's lives? People will know how much money they are paying in tax.

Don't see what is with that. `` I don't.

A couple of football results to tell you about tonight for two of our

Essex teams. In League One, Colchester lost 1`0 at home to

Sheffield. And in League Two, Southend lost 2`1 to

bottom`of`the`table Northampton. All this week on Look East we're

looking at how people here were affected by World War One. And

tomorrow we're focussing on Lowestoft, which was shelled by

German boats. You can see all our stories online at: bbc.co.uk/ww1,

and your BBC local radio station has more stories at 8.15am every

morning. That's all from me for tonight. Let's get the weather with

Alex. The rest of the night looks dry but chilly. Temperatures could

drop low enough for ground frosts in places. We are expecting lows for

Celsius and a light wind. It is a chilly start tomorrow, but plenty of

sunshine through the morning. There will be a bit patchy cloud in the

afternoon and it might bring an isolated shower. Temperatures climb

into double figures, perhaps 10 Celsius. There will be allowed south

westerly winds, but it will freshen in the afternoon and evening. That

is a sign of the next weather front which will bring in on Thursday. I

will leave you with our outlook. Thursday is looking a little showery

and a little cooler as well. be rain, clearing into sunshine and

showers, Buster once. Then it is more difficult. Susan Powell is here

to explain more international focus. Take a glimpse out of the window and

the chances they will be starry skies