24/06/2014 Look East - East

Inevitable, I suppose. That's all from the News at Six. Goodbye from

me. On BBC We are here exactly a week

after the murder of a student which A local road is sealed off, after

police search teams find a knife. Hundreds of police officers

from across the South East `re And, we broadcast

the first interview given by this student who was the first pdrson

on the scene where Nahid Almanea She was in the middle of thd path

way. Again, there was no sign of real struggle, her bag was still

wrapped around her arm as if it had come off her shoulder.

Jobs bombshell at Norfolk Police, as the Chief Constable slashes

And, action is promised on mobile phone black spots,

after the Prime Minister is kept hanging on the line in East Anglia.

Exactly a week ago today, a 31`year`old student called

Nahid Almanea was stabbed to death as she walked to her lecturds here

Look East is here tonight to bring you the latest on the huge police

investigation, and to gauge the impact on the local comlunity.

I'm standing in Scarfe Way, a residential area on the e`stern

outskirts of Colchester, just a few minutes? walk from the university.

During tonight's programme we will bring you the story here, plus the

But let's start with day eight of the investigation,

Today, the police flooeded the Greensford estate with officers

Checkpoints were set up, as a force helicopter circled overhead.

Had anyone seen anything th`t could help catch Nahid's killer?

I am very sad for her and her family,

because this is just unbelievable that some people can do it,

Elsewhere, an officer boarddd buses, handing out leaflets, written both

in English and Arabic, appealing for witnesses to come forward.

John Johnston was a friend of James Attfield who was stabbed to

death in Lower Castle Park in Colchester three months `go.

Both men had head injuries and met at the charity, Headway.

I'm not as bad as James, but I am still classed as an invalid.

That makes me wary because I can't walk properly.

When I come for the papers in the morning, I used to walk,

That's what makes me suspicious of everybody, watching everxone

The intensive search for the murder weapon continues.

Concentrating on three fishhng lakes next to the trail.

But the police are absolutely determined not to miss that

crucial bit of evidence that could help them catch this killer.

At lunchtime, a flurry of police activity.

A knife was found in Hawthorne Avenue.

It has been sent for forensic analysis.

Today, police said witnesses had come forward with what could be

a significant sighting on Friday the 13th of June.

on Friday the 13th of June, witnesses have described a man in

Colchester, who was following two females who left one of the houses.

Witnesses say they think one female could have been Nahid.

The man is described as in his 30s, five feet ten inches, dark hair

wearing casual clothing and dark jeans.

And having a local Colchestdr accent.

I would make an appeal, if you know who that man is,

He may have information to help us find the killer.

A week on, there is a sense of urgency to this murder inquiry.

And a sense of nervousness, of deep disquiet in this community.

A community that hopes a breakthrough will come soon.

So, what we do know is that the alarm was raised near hdre

Nahid's body was discovered by a fellow student called Roberto Sanha.

He has spoken about the incident for the first time to Look Dast

Everthing was fine, like a normal day.

As soon as I got onto there, I see a woman on the floor

She was bleeding, she was dying, as I called the police.

Describe the scene, were there people around?

There were people who were walking past.

They noticed the body, obviously, but did not stay to help.

They walked past, and didn't want to get involved

That is quite shocking that people would not stop to help.

She had been lying there for a while.

Someone must've seen, been there, even at the point of it happening,

To the woman lying there.

It makes me feel this is a community where people are

Is it really a community whdre you don't help each other at a time of

need? What was going through your head when you saw her?

You were walking back with your headphones on.

At that time, before I even arrived, I wasn't expecting to see anything

After this murder, a lot of people have realisdd they

There has been a lot of talk, blaming it on the people dohng it.

Now people are realising there is a real danger about the place.

The MP for Colchester is, of course, Sir Bob Russell.

This must be shocking view to have this in your constituency. Two

brutal murders a few weeks apart, brutal murders a few weeks apart, if

you are miles apart. The police are doing all they can, proceedhng on

the basis of these are two murders, possibly two separate murders,

conceivably one murderer. Therefore, the perpetrator or

perpetrators do not necessarily live in proximity to wear these murders

took place. I can only echo requests from the police, do not walk alone

in isolated areas. Please, just think, does anybody they

the description? Is there somebody they know who has odd sleephng

habits? One murderer was at breakfast time, the other was in the

breakfast time, the other w`s in the early hours of the morning. We must

rally around together, to try to how the police. The police are doing all

they can. They have brought in hundreds of officers from

neighbouring forces to assist. There is a public meeting tomorrow.

What are you hoping that will achieve?

I think that the public are now being urged by the police to help

them. People have come forw`rd describing the prospect of seeing a

gentleman a few days before, that is the sort of information the police

want. I would urge the County Council to turn the street lights

on. These murders, had the street lights have been turned on, would

they have been a factor? nervousness in Colchester and that

is one way of giving reassurance, said people have peace of mhnd.

said people have peace of mind. Thanks you very much.

Thanks, Susie. The Chief Constable of Norfolk has announced th`t 3 0

posts will go, under a plan to deliver savings of more than ?20

Simon Bailey says the plans represent the most

significant review of policing in the county in a generation.

We'll be hearing from the Chief Constable shortly.

But, first, the details and the reaction to the cuts

By any standards, the cuts outlined in the Norfolk plan are substantial.

But its stated aim is to shheld the front line, maintain an

effective round`the`clock elergency service, prevent and tackle crime,

There are currently more th`n 1 500 police officers in the Norfolk

As of now, there are 260 police community support officers.

There is already a recruitment freeze and numbers will go down

From the present total of just over 1,100 civilian staff,

No surprises at force headquarters in Wyndham.

Staff have been fully briefdd about the extent of the cuts,

Unison, which represents the civili`n,

`` civilian staff, says its members have been living on the edge, from

announcement to the other, through a series of efficiency savings which

In a statement, its branch secretary says the rocks and hard places we

have travelled over in the past seemed to be colfortable

As chairman of the Norfolk Police Federation, Paul

Ridgeway represents 1,500 officers up to the rank of chief inspector.

day. Taking ?20 million out of an organisation which looks after the

I am bewildered as to how the Government can see that is right.

The Chief Constable will prdsent his latest plans to the Police And

Earlier, I spoke to the Chief Constable about the cuts he is

having to make. He said the people of Norfolk will not notice `ny

difference to front`line policing. The reduction of 120 posts will be

over four years, 25% from supervisory positions which means

our communities, people in our local neighbourhoods, will see no

reduction whatsoever in thehr neighbourhood.

Patrol officers, beat managers, the officers based within schools.

You joined as a police constable. I imagine you thought you would never

be faced with having to make such drastic cuts,

heartbreaking for a person in your position.

It is difficult, I do think any police constable joins to oversee a

downsizing of the organisathon. That downsizing of the organisation. That

being said, it is my job, it is my responsibility.

How has the news been received by your teams across Norfolk Police?

Colleagues are worried. Staff are worried about job security. My

police officer colleagues understand the challenges I face. I have gone

to great trouble to explain to the organisation in the past few weeks

the challenges I face, the plans I have and I am putting in pl`ce. I

think the organisation, generally, understands it, and understand I

will want to do everything H can to keep redundancies to an absolute

minimum. I am generally hophng minimum. I am generally hoping that

the reduction of PCSO 's will be through recruitment, natural

wastage, people retiring. What commitment can you make to the

people of Norfolk that they won t see a difference in the levdl of

policing I am making that commitment now

there will be no reduction this year at all. A reduction of seven in the

whole of the County of 600 officers, in 2015. The difference generally is

in 2015. The difference gendrally is going to be a tiny fraction and

people will not notice the difference.

The Government has promised to tackle the region's

One idea is to persuade the phone companies to shard

their masts, so that users can switch if they lose their shgnal.

The idea apparently has the backing of the Prime Minister

who was exasperated by the poor mobile coverage during

Flood warden Marie Strong is well prepared for a crisis,

but at the height of Decembdr's storms, Marie and her team

at Wells`next`the`Sea completely lost their mobile phone signals

At a vital time when we needed to communicate with

police about the floodwaters, the signal had gone down.

I can't describe the diabolhcal situation we are facing.

Soon after the tidal surge, the Prime Minister saw for him

self how broken communications and mobile phone black spots

Struggling to get a signal himself, David Cameron promised he would look

When you go on holiday and you haven't got the right

They say you can get great coverage but when you try to use it, you

The Government has announced mobile phone operators are

Instead of competing with each other, operators are being

encouraged to share masts, to allow national roaming to be introduced.

When you travel abroad, your phone searches for a new provider.

National roaming would work in the same way.

In a black spot, you would find a new provider and use your phone.

The lack of mobile phone masts in rural and coastal areas has cost

If a certain hotel or pub rhngs up for an order, and we can't get hold

When they deliver their orddrs, they have to come back to the shop,

As well as national roaming, the Government says ?150 million

will be spent on building mobile phone masts in remote areas.

The Look East late news is at the later time of 11.40pm tonight.

Let's re`join Susie now, who is in Colchester.

The news here today is that hundreds of police officers from

across the South East have continued their investigation into thd murder

The police presence is very heavy here.

The Saudi national set off from her home last Tuesday lorning

Today, our reporter Kevin Burch re`traced

Police say Nahid normally took the same route

from her home here in Woodrow Way to the university everyday.

A week ago today, he had to go in for an earlx lecture

so, on this occasion, she made the journey on her own.

Her usual route would have taken her past Paul Laurence's front door.

He says the mood on the estate has changed.

That police presence was visible as we walked into

Wendy Howard says everyone is on edge.

Just the other day, that fear was real.

There was a man on the other side of the road and I was too scared to

turn my back on him and get my shopping out of the boot.

Everyone is watching developments, no one more so than Julie Adams

She knew Jim Attfield who was stabbed in March.

His was 4am, the other was early in the morning, broad daylight.

Ray McGibbon runs this hairdressing business on the estate.

Thought to be the second biggest estate in Europe.

It is always busy with students who rent.

It is a cut through to the university.

People living on the back of the estate.

Here, detectives have discovered one of their most important pieces

of evidence captured on CCTV, it appears to be the Nahid passing by.

It has taken us four minutes to walk from the home to

the shops where police belidve she was caught on the cameras.

From here, she would have carried on walking down Hawthorne Avenue

The estate is vast, crisscrossed by paths, alleyways and short cuts.

All round, appeals for witnesses who possibly

A suspected sighting at the shops at 10:20am.

It has taken us no more than three minutes to walk down here,

we are approaching the trail where Nahid's body was found.

Assuming all these estimated timings are correct, she got to here.

A call to the Ambulance Service was made at 10:39am.

The focus today is very much on the investigation into the murder.

investigation into the murddr. There was another brutal killing three

months ago just two miles away. victim was James Attfield. Today I

went back to the spot when he died, with his mother.

We come down here because hhs We come down here because hhs body

wasn't released. I've wanted to lay some flowers for him. I havd nowhere

else to take them. I know it took a while he dhdn't

I know it took a while he didn't die straight away. So, to know he was in

such a lovely place, he could hear the birds, he loved it here. He

would come here quite a lot. It has been three months since James

died. How are you feeling investigation and we don't seem to

know much more everything they can, using all the

resources every faith that they are being very

thorough. I know they are This latest murder, has it made more

`` It has. They know how I feel. To

think someone else is going What effect has this had on people

in this part brutal murders in a place which

isn't used to this kind of crime? understandably so. I have two girls.

The youngest one is 18. She goes to Colchester quite a lot. Now we take

her. She stays where it is busy, with a group of people. It is the

same for everyone, people h`ve to be aware what is going on stock look

out for each other. You havd only got James's body back

How difficult was that not to be able to say goodbye?

It has been very hard. The whole situation is so out of the norm

Sadly, you lose loved ones, and you grieve.

have started grieving properly yet because

doing other things, helping the police, talking to yourselvds. I

haven't had a lot of time to think. As a mum, I want to help hil. The

situation is out of my hands. I have to do what I can.

The grief will come. I know you are planning his funeral now. He loved

his music. I assume there whll be quite a bit of that?

There will be. Jim loved life. He had such a wicked sense of humour.

We have planned his funeral to what he would have liked. It is a

celebration of his what we are aiming for.

Thank Let's bring in the

Reverend Martin Peirce. Martin is not only a local vicar

in this area, he also runs Colchester is used to this type of

crime which is why there is so much shock here.

Especially coming so soon after the other terrible murder of Jales

Attwell. It has left people feeling very shocked and

personal safety. You have been talking to people on

the estate, what messages are you getting? People are very concerned.

They are very concerned. Part of my role in the community is to try

police presence has been immensely helpful. We are just trying to say

to people, don't put yourself at risk, don't go into secluded

on your own. And encouraging people,

information, even the smallest thing, to come forward and share

that with the police officers. We can put the incident rool

up now. Police are saying the answer lies in the community. Absolutely,

yes. Any piece of information, no matter how small, is potenthally

helpful. Thank you very much. There was a band of rain whhch are

still around. We have a cold front heading slowly south. A band of

showers along it. And a marked difference in temperature. A

difference in temperature. @ cooler field to things, right now, only 13

degrees in Norwich. Looking back, these showers have been heading

south east, some heavy and thundery. They are starting to clear away. For

much of the evening, largelx much of the evening, largely dry.

Some clear spells around ovdrnight. Some clear spells around overnight.

We can't walk out the odd extra shower but for many it will be dry.

A lot of moisture around which means mist patches. Under clear skies it

could get chilly. Many placds staying around 10 degrees.

Elsewhere, down to eight. Tomorrow is not a bad day. It will stay dry

throughout the day with sunny spells. Feeling a little cooler and

fresh air compared to today. Increasing amounts of cloud Semitism

most of the sunshine tomorrow morning. It will quickly turn

cloudy. Most places should stay dry. And a shift in temperatures, around

17 degrees. It does look as though it is staying largely dry into the

afternoon. Some bright spells around. The end of the week, some

unsettled weather on the wax some uncertainty in the fordcast.

There will be some rain but the timing of it is a little open to

question at this point. Another day for Thursday. Warmer as well

with sunny spells. Rain arriving on Friday. It will clear away but

will be some showers around. It is looking like sunshine and showers

for the weekend. I'll be back later during the late bulletin at 11: 0

pm.. A book of condolence h`s been set up. Here are some of thd

messages. Farewell, I hope your soul will rest in a world better than the

one offered to you. As an Essex University graduate, I

am shocked by this cowardly act and the loss of somebody living such a

productive life. I hope her soul rest in perfect peace, this reminds

us all although we may come from different places, speak in different

tongues, our hearts beat as one. And, deepest condolences to the

family. A great shock that something so terrible could happen in an

environment renowned for learning and understanding.

Two murders, two family is devastated. Police say the community

holds the key for finding those responsible and

happening again. If you can help, please do.

Catch the late-afternoon games on the go.