:00:09. > :01:06.With the general election 273 days away it seems ministers would rather
:01:07. > :01:12.Two ministers have been in the region today to promote
:01:13. > :01:15.economic regeneration and wd have had a stream of policy annotncements
:01:16. > :01:22.But the big talking point today is the news that Boris Johnson,
:01:23. > :01:24.the Mayor of London, is looking for a Parliamentary seat.
:01:25. > :01:28.That will have caused a flurry of excitement in Suffolk and
:01:29. > :01:33.Cambridgeshire where safe sdats are looking for a suitable candhdate.
:01:34. > :01:35.In a moment, our political correspondent Andrew Sinclahr.
:01:36. > :01:48.That's after this from our chief reporter Kim Riley.
:01:49. > :02:08.This sub left tenant and celebrity diver is also a rising star of the
:02:09. > :02:19.Conservative Party. This return to. All credit to them. It is Atgust
:02:20. > :02:28.which is traditionally a holiday month. How's the election already
:02:29. > :02:38.began? I hear to listen to what people say. A course or comlunities
:02:39. > :02:49.fund grant has delivered tr`ining for unemployed people. Some of the
:02:50. > :02:57.companies are bringing skills in from Europe rather than looking to
:02:58. > :03:05.the local environment. Therd is a massive opportunity here. The Labour
:03:06. > :03:18.Party has published a map. The party pledged to increase the nathonal
:03:19. > :03:27.minimum wage. The Army has taken the biggest hit in the United Khngdom.
:03:28. > :03:43.`` great Yarmouth has taken the biggest hit. It is not fair at the
:03:44. > :03:45.moment. And these politicians say they were
:03:46. > :03:56.fact`finding, not campaigning. Let's go to our political
:03:57. > :04:10.correspondent Andrew Sinclahr. It has a majority of just over
:04:11. > :04:12.12,000. And the chairman of the party said they would not slam the
:04:13. > :04:20.door in the face of Boris Johnson. I think Boris is an eclectic
:04:21. > :04:24.character that does a good job in promoting London. I am told he would
:04:25. > :04:27.make a good MP by others. I don t know him personally. It's dhfficult
:04:28. > :04:30.to tell, isn't it? What would he be
:04:31. > :04:32.like for Bury? An interesting
:04:33. > :04:35.character. I suspect he would put us on the map.
:04:36. > :04:41.I would like him as an MP. What he says he does.
:04:42. > :04:44.He is a troublemaker I think. He saxs such
:04:45. > :04:45.outlandish things, I do not know that I would want him.
:04:46. > :04:47.I do not really think he would fit in. Put it
:04:48. > :05:09.that way. Well he really go for Bury?
:05:10. > :05:19.I do not think so. The mere of London has a colourful past. `` in
:05:20. > :05:26.the air of London. I think the party is looking for a non`controversial
:05:27. > :05:31.candidate. The party is seehng the expect him to go for a London seat.
:05:32. > :05:37.On top of this we have had other political announcements.
:05:38. > :05:42.Norfolk and Suffolk councils are going to be allowed to use surplus
:05:43. > :05:48.Government land for the bendfit of the local economy. There was a visit
:05:49. > :05:54.from the local minister. Thd Government is trying to givd the
:05:55. > :05:58.impression in August that it is a lot going on. Why is that h`ppening?
:05:59. > :06:04.Because the election campaign is underway.
:06:05. > :06:08.The police commissioner for Suffolk appeared to be at odds with his own
:06:09. > :06:10.force today when he announcdd new measurers to tackle domestic abuse.
:06:11. > :06:12.Tim Passmore said he was putting more resources
:06:13. > :06:15.into tackling the offence because thousands of cases were only
:06:16. > :06:27.We will be hearing from Mr Passmore after this from Alex Dunlop.
:06:28. > :06:45.With David Ruffley being forced to retire the issue has re`entdred the
:06:46. > :06:56.spotlight. Figures show that 17 0 incidents were dealt with bx a
:06:57. > :07:01.caution. It is not always rhght that those cases end up being prosecuted.
:07:02. > :07:07.We are a victim lead. If thd victim does not wish to pursue the matter
:07:08. > :07:13.further we need to listen to that. Suffolk will get an extra ?244, 00
:07:14. > :07:17.to help victims of crime. Those who have suffered domestic abusd will be
:07:18. > :07:21.a priority. Earlier this afternoon I spoke to
:07:22. > :07:32.Tim Passmore and started by asking We are encouraging all victhms to
:07:33. > :07:40.report it to the police. Th`t is critical. We have put extra
:07:41. > :07:51.resources into get extra officers trained for dealing with dolestic
:07:52. > :08:00.abuse. We are looking at how we build trust and confidence. We need
:08:01. > :08:07.people to report these incidents. Are you seeing the police h`ve not
:08:08. > :08:14.been doing their job properly? Certainly not. But this is `bout
:08:15. > :08:20.reallocation of resources. We can put more resources into dealing with
:08:21. > :08:28.this issue. We will get on top of this problem. The police sax that
:08:29. > :08:33.the large number of people where no further action is taken is because
:08:34. > :08:40.the victims do not want to take any further action. That may well be the
:08:41. > :08:45.case. But there are also people who do not report this serious crime.
:08:46. > :08:54.Getting people to report it in the first place is important. Then I can
:08:55. > :09:02.help allocate the resources. We have got to do more to look after the
:09:03. > :09:15.victims. It can be an intoldrable situation.
:09:16. > :09:18.Two men have been charged after a car crash which wrecked
:09:19. > :09:22.The crash left the lich gatd at Ashill church near Watton in pieces.
:09:23. > :09:24.The wooden structure had bedn dedicated to servicemen
:09:25. > :09:26.from the village who were khlled in World War One.
:09:27. > :09:29.Two men in their 20s have been charged with
:09:30. > :09:36.They'll appear in court later this month.
:09:37. > :09:40.A new generation of GM crops is ready for harvest in the region
:09:41. > :09:44.The trials are aimed at boosting levels of omega three in thd diet.
:09:45. > :09:46.The eastern region is the main centre for GM rese`rch
:09:47. > :09:51.but the plans have not been welcomed by everyone.
:09:52. > :10:10.It may not look like much, but this is a world first. This drop can
:10:11. > :10:20.produce health boosting oil. This can help to address the global
:10:21. > :10:30.shortage of fish stocks. Fish oil is produced I did tiny fish algae that
:10:31. > :10:34.fish eat. Every year 1 millhon tonnes of fish oil are taken out of
:10:35. > :10:43.the oceans of the world. 80$ of that is then used to make fish fded for
:10:44. > :10:52.farmed fish. Four years GM crops have polarised
:10:53. > :11:02.opinion. Two years ago therd were more protests. But this timd there
:11:03. > :11:14.are no protests. But opponents say opposition is still strong. This is
:11:15. > :11:21.not an efficient way to feed people. Putting Government money into
:11:22. > :11:27.growing a crop to prop up an unsustainable fish industry is
:11:28. > :11:34.crazy. With GM crops grown widely elsewhere in the world is ptblic
:11:35. > :11:45.opinion changing? Here they sensed change is afoot. I would be
:11:46. > :11:48.delighted if it was. Any particular example of the benefits of the
:11:49. > :11:54.technology might be the one that tips the balance.
:11:55. > :12:02.This crop will be harvested soon. More trials will follow. But it
:12:03. > :12:18.could be years, if ever, before this harvest makes it onto our platess.
:12:19. > :12:22.And still to come ` the offhcial advice when a beggar asks you for
:12:23. > :12:24.money. And the wartime plan to movd the
:12:25. > :12:31.people of Essex into Oxfordshire. Very often on this programmd we
:12:32. > :12:34.tell you about the Eastern region We are the fastest growing region
:12:35. > :12:38.in the UK, we're great at tourism, But today we found out we are
:12:39. > :12:42.bottom of the table for driving It's based on data collected
:12:43. > :12:47.from their new smartphone app. The app records speed,
:12:48. > :12:49.acceleration and braking. The data shows that drivers
:12:50. > :12:52.in our region come bottom of the UK Mike Liggins has tonight's
:12:53. > :13:10.special report. One of the region's busiest
:13:11. > :13:17.junctions. What is it like to drive here? Indicating at roundabouts is
:13:18. > :13:25.always a good one. How many people are doing it here? There ard none.
:13:26. > :13:30.Yes. Mostly, no. Now a survey has been published
:13:31. > :13:35.showing that drivers in this region come bottom of the UK leagud table.
:13:36. > :13:43.Drivers in Greater London are top. East Anglia has come out at the
:13:44. > :13:50.bottom. Greater London has slower moving traffic. There is more
:13:51. > :13:58.cornering involved in East @nglia. They have used data giving
:13:59. > :14:04.information on speed and drhving style. I really really that bad
:14:05. > :14:20.This man has been a bastion over for 15 years. `` a bus driver. H have
:14:21. > :14:24.seen people not using their mirrors. What about the drivers not stopping
:14:25. > :14:38.at several crossings? It happens all the time.
:14:39. > :14:46.This man has his own websitd with video taken by a Kamala mounted on
:14:47. > :14:53.has dashboard. `` video takdn by a Kamala.
:14:54. > :15:06.He says drivers do not pay dnough attention. Text in crane drhving is
:15:07. > :15:14.ridiculous. `` using your mobile phone to text whilst driving is
:15:15. > :15:16.ridiculous. Once you have passed you test your
:15:17. > :15:32.driving skill is never testdd again. If you see somebody begging
:15:33. > :15:35.on the street what should you do? Stop and give them money
:15:36. > :15:37.or just walk past? In Suffolk
:15:38. > :15:38.the message couldn't be cle`rer Today a campaign was launchdd
:15:39. > :15:41.in Ipswich called The authorities say that anx money
:15:42. > :15:53.given to beggars is likely to be spent on hard drugs
:15:54. > :16:08.and super`strength alcohol. This man is a former drug addict. He
:16:09. > :16:17.has no doubt where money given to beggars will end up. If it hs
:16:18. > :16:24.alcohol they can go straight to the shop. Then they are back on the
:16:25. > :16:29.streets begging. Doing the same thing, over and over. In anx town
:16:30. > :16:34.and city you will see beggars. Increasingly councils and the police
:16:35. > :16:37.want to get rid of them. Today they were handing out leaflets and
:16:38. > :16:44.talking to people in the centre of a switch. Last Christmas they had 25
:16:45. > :16:52.persistent beggars. Now it has been cut in half. We have ten who
:16:53. > :17:02.continue to beg. We are movhng into enforcement. We encourage pdople to
:17:03. > :17:12.take up their out that our pastors will give them. `` to take `t the
:17:13. > :17:22.help that our partners will give them. Today's message is do not give
:17:23. > :17:31.money to the beggars, give ht to local charities instead. It does not
:17:32. > :17:36.encourage people to visit Ipswich if BBC beggars in the ruled. The police
:17:37. > :17:46.have bought 33 charges sincd February. `` it does not encourage
:17:47. > :17:53.people to visit Ipswich if they see beggars in the street.
:17:54. > :17:57.On Monday, we had the lights out ceremonies
:17:58. > :18:00.around the region to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war.
:18:01. > :18:02.Tonight, we continue the theme with a look at thd impact
:18:03. > :18:06.Of course the war was being fought mahnly
:18:07. > :18:15.in mainland Europe, but manx people here were worried about a possible
:18:16. > :18:18.In Essex they even drew up an evacuation plan.
:18:19. > :18:30.This island hadn't been inv`ded for the best part of 800 ye`rs
:18:31. > :18:33.but for the first time ever we'd been attacked from the air ` the
:18:34. > :18:36.spectre of the Zeppelin. And been bombarded by the German Navy `
:18:37. > :18:40.With that in mind the fear of invasion wasn't entirely irrational.
:18:41. > :18:43.During the First World War there was a real fear that the Germans might
:18:44. > :18:47.actually invade, so in Essex they drew up an evacuation plan, a plan
:18:48. > :18:52.get 1.4 million people out of the county. When the church bells rang
:18:53. > :18:53.it was time to go `
:18:54. > :19:01.The evidence of the evacuathon plan can be found in the Essex
:19:02. > :19:08.Records Office where I met this historian who has been rese`rching
:19:09. > :19:11.I think a number of things strike me here.
:19:12. > :19:13.One of the key directives was to destroy alcohol.
:19:14. > :19:20.There was a concern that if the German invading army got drunk
:19:21. > :19:32.The Germans had already cut through Belgium and Northeast Francd.
:19:33. > :19:34.It was plausible back then that we might be next.
:19:35. > :19:40.The German army then moved towards Calais.
:19:41. > :19:46.Essex, almost being the front of the British home front, ht was
:19:47. > :19:50.geographically the closest to the Western Front, began to panhc, began
:19:51. > :19:53.to think, if the Germans can get to Calais, they can get across the
:19:54. > :19:56.Channel and they can land and invade on the British East Coast.
:19:57. > :20:01.So it was a time of very heightened fear and anxiety.
:20:02. > :20:04.I am not even sure paranoia is the right word, because there was
:20:05. > :20:07.a genuine belief that the Gdrmans could land and invade and it was
:20:08. > :20:12.The plan also involved destroying all livestock and firearms `nd
:20:13. > :20:19.There was a route map that people should take and arrows were painted
:20:20. > :20:21.on walls, trees and lamp posts to guide the way
:20:22. > :20:26.One of the few remaining reminders of that
:20:27. > :20:29.is in this village where ond of the arrows is marked with a plaque.
:20:30. > :20:32.Here it is, the plaque that was erected at some point
:20:33. > :20:45.It reads, "These arrows werd painted to direct non`combatants inland
:20:46. > :20:48."cross country, in the event of a successful landing by
:20:49. > :20:53.I didn't expect to find it in any decent condition.
:20:54. > :20:59.So I literally had to dig in and find it. I was delighted.
:21:00. > :21:02.It was a Eureka moment to fhnd something with such a history
:21:03. > :21:06.1.5 million people from the East were told to make
:21:07. > :21:09.Quite what the good people of Oxfordshire made
:21:10. > :21:16.There are no equivalent records ` or maybe they just didn't tdll
:21:17. > :21:27.And tomorrow we turn to sport during the First World War.
:21:28. > :21:30.We will be reporting on how the sport
:21:31. > :21:32.of kings controversially survived the odds as horse racing continued
:21:33. > :21:41.Now the must watch programmd on TV tonight is the new series
:21:42. > :21:45.It's tonight at 8pm on BBC One with a collection
:21:46. > :21:55.But they were on show today at Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire
:21:56. > :21:57.where there was an attempt at a very unusual world record.
:21:58. > :22:19.What Wonderland is this? A fight rabbit. Jam tarts. It is a world
:22:20. > :22:29.record attempt. The most part eaten in one day. 2300 is the target.
:22:30. > :22:36.What have you got to do? Get to in at once and munch it. What hs the
:22:37. > :22:52.perfect way to eat jam tarts shove them in your mouth. And all of this
:22:53. > :23:08.for free. And these play sets and swings were
:23:09. > :23:23.built here. This was central to children's play. He wanted three
:23:24. > :23:30.play for children back in the 1 20s. `` he wanted free play for children
:23:31. > :24:18.back in the 1920s. He was ahead of his time.
:24:19. > :24:42.fine day today. There has bden warm sunshine. There have been showers.
:24:43. > :25:03.Tonight will be largely dry. Slightly cooler tonight. I really
:25:04. > :25:18.fine morning. Cooler and frdsher during the day. More clouds starting
:25:19. > :25:25.to develop for the afternoon. Many of us will see a dry day throughout.
:25:26. > :25:46.Unsettled weather on the wax for Friday. Fairly lively weathdr coming
:25:47. > :26:07.our way. This could cause lhvely weather later in the day on Sunday.
:26:08. > :26:17.Stay tuned to the forecast. Friday will be a reasonable start with some
:26:18. > :26:37.sunshine. Saturday looks like the better of the two days. Sunday could
:26:38. > :26:43.be unsettled. That is all for now. Goodbyd.