22/04/2014 Look East - East

Moyes has been sacked after a season of blue results. He spent just ten

months in Welcome to the east. Tourisl bosses

are calling it the best Easter in years. With numbers going through

the roof, what does it mean for the summer season? As long as the

weather stays on our side, ht will be a great year. Why did thd

16`year`old hang herself at a children's home?

Her inquest begins. The first women's tour of Britain.

We speak to the stars. Britain has talent. The trahner

Clive Brittain toxin that the favourite for the 1000 Guindas. ``

talks about. Hello. First tonight a feel good

factor at last for the tourhsm industry in this region. A late

Easter and good weather combined to bring out the crowds in force. Some

attractions reported a doubling of visitor numbers year on year. In a

moment we'll hear from one of the region's tourism bosses, but first

this report from our Chief Reporter Kim Riley.

There were 10,000 bikes on show yesterday at Southend Shakedown s

charity event boosting the numbers flocking to the seafront in

Southend. Traders sent out `n SOS to the local factory when they ran out

of ice cream. Up the coast hn Norfolk at Cromer, four months after

the pier was damaged by the storm surge, people were enjoying the

sunshine. Seafront traders were smiling. It is a good start. We

often find Easter is cold when it is at the end of March so people don't

come, but this year we have seen the opposite. People have come down and

we appreciate the trade. It is exactly what we needed. It wasn t

just the seaside resorts th`t were celebrating. A large number of

attractions have noted imprdssive figures. The group which runs Banham

Zoo said it had 7,500 visitors, more than double of last year. Whth

Africa Alive near Lowestoft and the Dinosaur Adventure Park, thd group

saw numbers top 20,000. Audley End House and Gardens said it h`d been

fantastically busy with over 7, 00 visitors. We are deep in thd marshes

in Norfolk right now and thhs is the world of BeWILDerwood, this

adventure park has been another top performer. We are up 82% on last

year. The last two years bedn very tough for those of us in Norfolk

because the weather has been really tough. The recession has bedn tough.

People are feeling a bit more confident with the pound in their

pocket and they see better times ahead. That counts for a lot. Heavy

traffic on the Broads yesterday Early reports from the day boat

owners association are positive The Colne Valley Railway in Essdx also

pulled in the crowds, adding to a picture of one of the region's vital

industries, tourism, finallx getting up steam.

Martin Dupee runs Banham Zoo, Africa Alive and the Dinosaur Park. He s

also the chairman of the Norfolk Tourist Attractions Association

Earlier this afternoon I asked him how this Easter had compared to

others in recent years. If we compare with last year, the weather

last year wasn't good at all which means it is easy to be up on that.

But comparing to 2011, becatse that is a similar time of Easter, we re

still doing very well compared to that and other attractions H've been

speaking to report similar growth. How much is it down to the weather

and how much to the feel`good factor? It is a little bit of both.

Predominantly the weather. That makes a massive difference. We can

feel good but if it is pourhng we will stay indoors. Money is all tied

up with how the economy is doing. Do you think people are feeling more

confident about spending money? I think generally there is th`t. There

are some areas where people are still feeling the pinch and that

will continue. But it is making sure they value the time they have got

and they get out when they can. A few years ago we talked abott the

staycation, whether that is still around I'm not sure. But thhs

weekend all the caravan parks I have spoken to have been busy so people

are coming out and spending time in the county. Do you think it is a lot

of visitors to the region or people locally getting out and spending

more money? It is a bit of both Not to make a simple answer, thhs is the

first time that holiday`makdrs do come to the coast, the caravan parks

are now open. People are out and about but it is also the tile when

the majority do not go on holiday until summer. Some will takd a short

break and the county is ide`l for this. How much is this a good omen

for the summer? It is a fantastic omen. It is a long hard winter for

Norfolk attractions. When wd've got a late Easter it makes it h`rder.

Now that it is here, and it has been a good Easter for us, we ard set up

for a good summer. As long `s the weather stays on our side, H think

it will be a great year. Th`nk you very much. You are more than

welcome. An inquest has been told th`t over a

two month period the police had been called ten times to deal with a

teenager who eventually hanged herself in a children's homd. The

body of Becky Watkins was found at the Evergreen Home in Brandon in

June 2009. The court also hdard concerns about whether staff at the

home had kept each other informed. Ian Barmer is in Bury St Edlunds

now. Becky Watkins was found hanged from a wardrobe for in her room at

his children's home. She was 16 and from Braintree in Essex. Shd had a

short but troubled life. We had evidence of family problems, health

problems and mental health problems. She was on the child protection

register and had been put in foster care. 2008 she took a paracdtamol

overdose. 2009 she was secthoned under the mental health act. In

April 2009, she was sent to the Evergreen home. The inquest heard

when she was there she was diagnosed with depression, post`traum`tic

stress disorder. And suicid`l disorders. She told a friend she was

going to kill herself and s`id she was exhausted at having to put on a

brave face all the time. In the two months she was at the home, Suffolk

police were there ten times to deal with incidents involving her. Are

they saying her death could have been prevented? We heard evhdence

from a senior care assistant who said Becky had told a colle`gue a

few days before that she was going to kill herself. Two days bdfore she

did it. The care assistant said she did not know about this and if she

had, she would've told the night shift and the girl would not have

been left alone. She was chdcked every ten or 15 minutes so that is

no suggestion the staff werd not doing their job. This inquest summed

up the plight of Becky Watkhns. An inquest told the court she was a

girl who did not see herself with a future. Thank you very much.

The owners of a series of l`kes near King's Lynn where two peopld died

last year have received mord than 400 suggestions on what thex should

do with the site. Swimming remains banned at Bawsey Pits but it's

proved impossible to keep pdople out. Dawn Gerber has this rdport.

For years this was an industrial site used for extracting sand and

gravel. Since then it has bden in unofficial leisure park and the ban

on swimming is ignored. Last summer this man try to find a teen`ger who

had gone missing in the watdr. Both drowned. Now there are moves to

prevent further tragedies. New safety signs and a great reference

have been devised. Since thd incident last summer we havd large

pictures of the leaks. This allows us to conduct a thorough se`rch

across each leak to make sure we do not miss anywhere. The owners of the

water State safety is and always has been a number one priority. The

companies say they want to hmprove the site and are seeking thd views

of local people on what thex want. Since the 1st of April they have had

over 400 responses. Suggesthons include developing it as I water

centre, an eco`lodge and having a cafe on site. The coroner who

conducted the inquest is also compiling a report on action needed

to improve the site. Local people have until the end of the month to

have their say. A brother and sister who helped

rescue the sole survivor of a merchant ship torpedoed off the

Cornish coast during the Second World War have been traced to

Norfolk `70 years on. The SS Gairsoppa sunk off Ireland with ?150

million worth of silver on board. Denis Driver and Betty Broughton had

been evacuated to the Lizard peninsula where the survivor was

washed up. Betty and her brother had lhved in

Norfolk for two decades. Thd thought the only ones still to be alive from

the rescue and the enemies by recent attention. It is embarrassing

really. Evacuated like thousands of others children, Betty was 04 and

her brother just 12. She had been with friends walking on the clifftop

watching a small boat being bashed against the rocks when they raised

the alarm. At first there wdre several men in the boat but after a

while, two or three of them drowned. We ran down to the boat and shouted

at the man. I put my pixie food around his feet because he was so

cold. The man was second officer Richard Ayers, the sole survivor. It

had been torpedoed 13 days darlier. After `` out of 35 crewmen who made

it to the lifeboats, he was the on the one to shore. Dennis believes

his sister helped him save his life. It was seeing their sake th`t made

this officer decide the safdst place for him should have been to remain

in the boat otherwise he might try to get to shore. Months latdr they

met the officer who wanted to thank them. I came across an article on

the internets which had been written by the sole survivor. I realised it

was the same story my father had written. The man who wrote the

article, I managed to trace him I did not realise he had been trying

to trace my auntie for years. The cargo has since been recovered.

Later this year the rescuers will be presented with a coin made from the

silver recovered. Still to come. Why are Newm`rket

filly is favourite for the Guineas. And Luton Town celebrate a return to

the football league with ch`mpagne and the champions later in the

programme. There's exactly a month to go before

the European elections and the campaign has started to hot up. The

Prime Minister has spent thd day on tour while UKIP has ruffled feathers

with its posters on immigration Today one of the smaller parties

launched its campaign in thd region. The Green Party came very close to

winning a seat here last tile round. So they are hoping for a

breakthrough this time. This from our political correspondent Andrew

Sinclair. The venue was a church in the centre

of Cambridge, the turnout is not brilliant but the greens ard going

into this campaign feeling very confident. Last time their top

candidate came within 1% of winning a seat. This time his party leader

thinks he can do it. The grden message is proving popular with

young people and supporters of other parties, she says. There is a lot of

disillusionment with the Lib Dems over the issue of tuition fdes and

nuclear arms. Lots of labour people believe the final straw was Rachel

Reeves seeing baby be toughdr on benefits and Tories. There `re also

issues like green belt and financial regulation for the Tories. Not

surprisingly, the party is talking a lot about green transport and energy

but it will also focus on the growth of foodbanks in the region. It will

publish figures showing how many people rely on them. The Grdens may

be a small party in this cotntry but in the European party `` European

Parliament the our big playdrs. Keith Taylor has been a Gredn MEP

for the Southeast. The Greens in the European Parliament at the fourth

largest political group. We sit on every committee. We cannot win every

argument but we are certainly pushing the European Union hn a

bullying direction. Over thd last decade they have built up a notable

presence in the East, espechally Norwich. Since the last European

elections, they gained their first MP at Westminster and have

counsellors on to Essex county council for the first time. They

have also started to lose some of their seats in Norfolk, leading

critics to wonder if support is starting to Weaver. So to whn a seat

this time round with silencd critics and be good for party morald.

It was a day of joy and despair for two of our football teams ydsterday.

Stevenage were relegated from League One after a fairy tale rise from the

non league. But Luton Town `re looking forward to life back in the

football league. Ten thousand fans were at Kenilworth Road yesterday

for the game and a celebrathon. It is a prize which has eluded Luton

year after year, one of football's toughest trophies to win. This time

the result didn't matter. Already conference champions, but in fandom

president could bask in the glory. This will do. Greatest day of the

year. Michael Owen and his fellow directors, players, managers and

fans all rallied to recover Luton Town of `` Luton Town's lost

status. The secret of success was called and lots of them. `` Nick

Owen. In years to come, whatever the club may go, I may not be hdre but

to look back and think I was part of getting this club back on the map

and back up the leagues, th`t will make me feel very proud and

hopefully my grandchildren very proud. This was in contrast to the

struggle of Stevenage. Relegation from the one was confirmed following

a 3`1 defeat at Bristol citx. There was an air of resignation around the

club. Everybody for a now h`s been preparing for the job ahead.

Clearing the decks, getting together and building what is on herd to make

sure we get this club back to winning ways. Four years ago but I

beat Luton to the conferencd title now they will lock horns next

season. This club can definhtely move forward, especially with the

foundations and has now. Big Afro has brought a family feel to the

whole football grounds now. `` began after. With its fan base, wd can go

further I think. `` with thhs gaffer. Few will want to face a

revived Luton Town next season. So one promotion and one relegation

confirmed but for lots of f`ns the waiting goes on. A quick rotnd up

now with Shaun Peel. Ipswich's play`off hopes suffered a

setback over the Easter weekend The lead twice thanks to goals but the

visitors deserved their rew`rd. This deflected free kick secured ago ``

secured a draw. Two penalties took his tallx to 29

for the season. Colchester `re walking a tightrope, just one point

from Easter. This goalless draw at Crewe. One manager says one win from

two will keep them up. `` their manager. So friends had just about

secured their play`off placd at the top. Courtesy of one nil win at

Accrington Stanley. If you're a cycling fan, 2004 looks

good. The Tour de France passes through Cambridgeshire and Dssex in

July and before that there's something else to look forw`rd to.

The first ever Woman's Tour of Britain is now just two weeks away.

The best female riders in the world and five days of racing. And the

organisers hope it will help put women's facing on an equal footing

with the men. Cyclists freewheeling into berries

and Edmonds after testing a section of the women's course. In the pack,

Emma Trott, sister of Laura Trott. What do you think of the cotrse

where is my it is up and down and rolling. People think it is flat

here but it is not. How important is the women's tour for the sport?

Mathers is the only word yot can use for that. It is the first ever

women's tour of Britain. Thdy will be reading for the same prize money

as men. It will be massive for women, not just for those r`cing but

at grassroots level. The disparity between women and men in sport is

shocking. Less than half of 1% of sports sponsorship goes to women and

we want to change that in the UK. We have taken everything which happens

in the men's tour and copying it for the women's tour. Writers lhke Tanya

say it is about time. Tanya is a landscape article `` landsc`pe

architect but says she is ddtermined to become a professional wrhter She

says the level of competition is incredibly high. You just h`ve to go

out there and watch the professionals when this tour comes

through. Watch what the womdn put themselves through to see that we

have as good as the men. Thd first stage in May the 7th ends in

Northampton. Stage two ends in Bedford. Stage three ends in

Clacton. Stage four ends in Welwyn Garden City. The two ends in Bury St

Edmunds. Move over Sir Bradley, it is time women's cycling got the

intention `` got the attenthon it deserves. Some nice pictures of

those mountains in Suffolk. Newmarket is getting ready for one

of the most important weekends in the racing calendar the 1,000 and

2,000 Guineas. Trainers comd from all over the world to pit their

rising stars against one another. But the favourite is a local filly `

trained by one of the most experienced men in the business

Emerging from her stables in Newmarket this morning, could this

be a superstar horse in the making? Rizeena is her name and she is

favourite to take the 1000 Guineas classic a week on Sunday. That could

bring a lot of pressure, but her trainer has ways of dealing with

those worries. That doesn't make any difference. I don't shoot it with

the horse so she doesn't worry. If you think it is sugar cubes which

get them on side, things have moved on. I checked them at 830 in the

evening. If they do not appdar, I go in the box to see why. I dish out

about a hundred parliaments every month. Some cheeky ones get more

than one. `` polo mints. Rizeena is being weighed every day to see she

is at her perfect weight. Attention to detail is everything. Rizeena is

on the left, who sits on thd right? Her companion. You think having a

companion or boyfriend has `nything to do with how they perform? It

does. It makes her more rel`xed This horse is a great walker. Her

action is a lot down to him because she wants to walk with him. She

extends her length of leg. 30 years ago Pebbles was the one to watch and

did not disappoint, taking begin his title. He also had a winner in 993.

The best of you will be on show next weekend to deny a British wdnt. For

the man who still thinks of himself as an apprentice, there is `lways

next year. `` to deny Clive Brittain a win.

What a lovely man. The weather now! Good evening. It might have been

cooler today and there have been some showers but the prospects are

quite reasonable. There will be sunshine and some showers. Ht is

unlikely we will see any frost. There are still a few showers across

the western half of the reghon. They are starting to fade away. Ht is

looking largely dry with cldar spells and some mist patches

possible. Not a cold night. A light southerly winds. Into tomorrow, we

have a week what their front which will move into the West Country

slowly. `` week weather front. It will make slow progress tow`rds the

east. Cloudy for the afternoon. We should get off to a bright start,

especially across the eastern half. We will eventually get rain but for

most of us not till after nhghtfall. A bright picture for the morning

with patchy cloud. Norfolk will do better for sunshine during the day.

The cloud bubbling up could produce an isolated showers here and there.

Warm temperatures across thd western half. Peeling comfortable in the

sunshine. `` feeling comfortable. The winds will keep temperatures

down on the coast. It was the end of the day, we see increasing cloud.

After dark, this rain will lake its way east towards across the region.

Perhaps just the odd heavy burst. This weather front should bd quickly

out of the way on Thursday lorning. It might mean the eastern h`lf will

remain damp first thing. Right across the West. The next fdw days,

there might be an isolated shower tomorrow. Eastern counties remain

cloudy with early rain. Rishng up from the West. Temperatures reached

18 degrees. On Friday it looks largely dry with sunshine around. A

warm day with highs of 17 ddgrees. We have the risk of an isol`ted

shower towards the afternoon and cooler towards the app `` towards

the weekend. These overnight temperatures are not very low,

around seven Celsius. We should all be frost free this week.

Thank you very much. Best temperatures are midwedk!

That's all from others. Good evening. Goodbye.

Some people don't think real change in Europe is possible.

Some people don't think real change is necessary.

Some people don't think it's worth fighting for.

But we want to make Europe work for Britain,

and give you the final say with an in-out referendum in 201 .