29/10/2013 Look East - West

That's all from us. Now the news where you

The evening. In the programme tonight: After the storm, more

misery for commuters and continuing power cuts for some. That and the

rest of today's's top stories now. Good evening. First tonight,

pharmacies lit by gas lamps, shopkeepers struggling to save

frozen food, rail passengers seriously delayed. They're just some

of the thousands of people who've been facing continuing disruption

today, 24 hours after the storm struck. Tonight, power companies say

around 40,000 homes in the East are still not reconnected and there are

still some problems on the trains. 24`hour it after the great storm of

2013, the centre of Sawbridgeworth is still in the dark. A few hours

grace last night gave this or pharmacist chance to catch up, and

then the lights went out again. We are managing, just about with

emergency prescriptions, but obviously, they have no computers,

we have no computers. We're doing the best we can with torches and

lanterns and things like that, because we have too. People need

medication. Further down the street, many shops haven't opened today

This man was up at 3am, throwing out ?1000 worth of stock from his

freezer. It is a lot of stuff that has gone in the bin. A lot. Only the

stuff on the sale or return, I have left for the companies. The rest of

the stuff, I had no option to Bennett, because we can't sell it.

All the traders I have spoken to have been helping each other out and

making the best of a bad situation. The one thing they all said is there

has been a significant lack of information. It has been very

difficult. I thought we might even have a leaflet through the door but

we had nothing. I was told we would wait 45 minutes to have anyone talk

to us on the phone. They could have acted a lot more efficiently than

they have done. As power companies worked to fit a lines, chop trees

were removed, and it was another tiresome morning on the trains. Half

term treats and business meetings were hanging in the balance. The

notice board says the trains are going to arrive in five minutes and

then it says cancelled. Who knows what the real story is. Today, I

thought it would be OK, so I surprised there is cancellations. It

would have been great if they got their act together. Network Rail

says it has not been easy. Trees left on stable fell overnight

causing more problems. We have stated objective that we wanted to

restore the network this morning. We didn't achieve that, and I am

partially disappointed that we didn't. I hope people will forgive

us on the basis of their sheer scale of damage. This afternoon, the light

came on, but it will take many local businesses here longer to recoup

their lost earnings. It's the job of UK Power Networks to

run and maintain the power lines in this region. Late this afternoon, I

spoke to Matt Rudling and asked why, when the storm was forecast, people

simply couldn't get through to their helpline. We had, yesterday, two

months worth of calls in one single day. Two months worth of calls. We

had three times on normal staffing levels, which we were prepared for,

and we have been preparing over the weekend. We were as ready as we

could be, but the scale of the event and ferocity of the winds meant that

regrettably, some customers could not get through. I'm sorry about

that, but we have done everything we could do. What we have done today is

called back as many customers as we can, 10,000 calls today, to

customers who bought affected by the storm. We'll continue to do that

through the night and tomorrow, till this event is over and your

customers are resumed. Why is it taking so long to get people back on

to their supply? Over 90% of customers were restored in the first

24 hours. That is a good result By close of play tomorrow, we hope that

will be 98%. That is very good restoration performance. 500

thousand people have had their power is restored. I apologise to those

who haven't, but we're doing everything we can. We have six times

the normal resources in place, and these resources are one people,

resources we have in from the other network operators. What are you

doing to protect customers against this in the future? We invest ? 60

million per year and reinforcing our net work. We are investing heavily

in that. Whether we should put the cables underground, that is a

discussion we often have. It costs a lot more to put them underground,

and we as customers would have to be about cost. These events are very

rare, and well we do have a number of customers without supply, the

vast majority have been restored, so I think we have the balance right.

A Jury has heard today that one or both parents of a baby boy inflicted

terrible injuries upon him and left him for dead. Jamie Kightley from

Northampton was less than eight weeks old when he died. His mother

Jacqueline Parker and father Adam Kightley are on trial for his

murder. Our reporter Mike Cartwright was in court. Some harrowing

evidence heard today, Mike? Yes the prosecution opened its case today,

warning the jury of distressing subject matter. Jamie Kightley, only

seven weeks old, lost his life. The court was told he died from severe

brain injuries ` that there were more than 40 fractures to the bones

in his body ` his ribs and his legs ` and extensive bruising across his

body. Trauma, the jury was told inflicted in two assaults. One

around two weeks before died, the other, just hours before. Jamie

Kightley's mother arriving in court in the hood here ` Jacqueline

Parker, aged 21 ` is on trial for his murder, along with her partner

and Jamie's father, Adam Kightley ` both also on trial for causing or

allowing the death of the child The prosecution say that one or both of

them assaulted Jamie at the family's flat in London Road, Northampton

sometime between Friday the 16th Match 2012 and the following

Saturday, causing his death. Effectively, both parents are

blaming each other ` both giving police different versions of what

happened. The court was told Adam Kightley said both parents washed

and fed Jamie in the early hours of Friday morning and put him to bed.

He then says he found the baby not breathing the next morning.

Jacqueline Parkers says she felt sick on Friday night, went to bed,

and was woken by Adam the next morning screaming, "Babe, it's the

boy, he's not breathing." Adam Kightley told officers that he did

feel a little high, as he'd smoked some weed. He didn't feel drunk but

the couple had drunk four cans of Stella between them. Both say they

don't know how the injuries were caused, both deny murder. The trial

will last four weeks. Two members of staff have been

sacked after having sexual contact with a female detainee at the

Yarlswood Immigration Centre. A surprise inspection at the

privately`run Bedfordshire site also raised concerns about how potential

human trafficking victims were treated, and about the detention of

pregnant women. A report says there have been improvements in other

areas but more needs to be done Elderly care home residents were

left lying for hours on painful bed sores at a nursing home in

Northampton, a disciplinary hearing has been told today. Five nurses

were called to answer allegations of neglect. The tribunal heard five

residents died within two weeks of each other in 2009 at Parkside

Nursing Home. Louise Hubball reports.

Nurses, Mary Bisieri Ombui, Anastacia Maduli and Girlie Franklin

came to central London for a disciplinary hearing. The deputy

manager at the time also attended. Another manager failed to appear.

The allegations have been brought by the nursing and midwifery Council,

who are based on the building behind me. This afternoon, the word red to

three members of an independent panel, who preside over the hearing.

The tribunal heard disturbing evidence. The allegations relate to

ten residents of the Parkside Nursing Home in Northampton, who

were in the nurses care in April 2009. It is claimed on resident s

sewers were so bad, he omitted a smell akin to rotting flesh. They

also showed signs of severe and prolonged malnourishment. The

investigations into Parkside nursing home were prompted after

allegations. The home has since closed. The nurses have admitted the

charges against them on the basis that they worked nights shifts and

were told they weren't allowed to deliver certain elements of care.

Deputy manager Maria McKenzie and another nursemaid deny any

wrongdoing. The care nurse did not answer the charges, and the court

heard she is in retirement in Trinidad.

In Formula One, Ross Brawn will leave his position as Mercedes

principal at the end of the season. The team, based in Brackley near

Milton Keynes, have failed to reach an agreement with him on a role in

which he'd have been happy to stay. Brawn masterminded Michael

Schumacher's seven world titles at Benetton and Ferrari and also headed

Jenson Button's title`winning season.

Wolfswinkel has a toe injury and Alex Tettey could also miss out.

Kick`off is at 7.45pm and there's coverage on BBC Radio Norfolk.

Still to come: We are live by candlelight in a village in Essex

where they are still without power. And the campaign to recognise our

Christmas Island veterans. Today Norfolk County Council's

cabinet formally approved the plans to build a waste incinerator in

King's Lynn. It is the latest stage in a long and controversial saga

which may not yet be at an end. The original decision to build a

waste incinerator was made in 2006. Two years later the site at

Saddlebow on the outskirts of King's Lynn was purchased. The protests

started soon after, and in a referendum 65,000 people voted

against. The council decided the poll was meaningless and pressed

ahead. The Government ordered a public inquiry and we're still

waiting for the result of that. But two weeks ago the Government

withdrew financial support. Then yesterday the full council voted to

go ahead and build the incinerator after a warning that to pull out

would leave them open to a claim for compensation. And it's not over yet.

Our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair reports.

They are not out of the woods yet, today it is expected that the

Cabinet will formally approve the incinerator and for the developer is

another milestone has been cleared. You'll mark ``. There has been

debate on all sides. It represents good value for money. We will

continue to work with the people of Norfolk and deliver a great

infrastructure project. But there is still one big hurdle. Eric Pickles

has the final say and he is being heavily lobbied to reject the

scheme. But if incinerator is rejected the council will still face

a compensation bill of around ?25,000.

Mr Timmins told the meeting that the council would not be able to use its

reserves, and despite what local MPs have suggested, he thought it would

be unlikely that they would be allowed to borrow the money. He said

that the councils may want to start asking officers to hold back on

spending in case Eric Pickles rejects the plans. Councillors left

the meeting in a sombre Mead. To find 24 million in the final phases

of this financial year would have catastrophic consequences. Why on

earth did this administration and previous administrations nor there

was a risk of planning failure, it was on the risk register. Why did

they not start putting money aside earlier. If Eric Pickles approves

the scheme it will not be a problem and building work will start your

next summer. If it doesn't, this will become a very real debate in a

few months's time. George Nobbs is a leader of Norfolk

county council. This is a real mess, isn't it? It is not a mess, it is a

situation we have inherited, it is not perfect. But just one thing, we

did not decide today to go into a contract, what we decided today was

not to cancel the contract. Saw you have no plans to build it? That is

not what I'm saying. The contract was signed many years ago, `` the

contract was discussed many years ago, signed 18 months ago. We had to

decide whether to withdraw from the contract and pay penalties. We have

?180 million worth of cuts to make. We are now ?169 million worth of ``

worse off because of the withdrawal of PFI credits. We have

extraordinary challenges to face. We could not pay another ?30 million.

Can I ask you about that point that someone mentioned in the film, why

did you not think about those savings when you were elected on me

the fifth? We took office on me the 24th. We were told then that we had

?140 million worth of cuts that we had to make because of the cut in

government grants. Within one month, because of changes in government

grants, we were told we had to make another ?45 million on top of that.

We were not planning at any time to say that we would increase that by

cancelling the contract. I'm in crested. `` interested. You said it

was not a mess, it sends like it is to me. You'll mark I will tell you

why it is a mess, it is because the government granted this... It is a

council thing. Norfolk county council have got themselves into

this problem. The government have the rate withdraw that. You are

wrong. One of my predecessors, when they signed the contract they were

promised ?169 million of government grant. If you have a public enquiry

the government can withdraw that. Government inquiry has nothing to do

with the PFI contract. The government decided earlier this year

that they would look at all of the outstanding PFI grants to see if

they wanted to continue in order to save government spending. When they

decided to weeks ago, at the behest of some of our MPs, to... Who you

are not very happy with X . I have to ask you one last question. Have

you heard from Eric Pickles, is there a nod and a wink that you will

get the money? No, I have not. But we will be in touch with Mr pickles.

Veterans of nuclear tests carried out in the 1950s have taken their

fight for compensation to Westminster today. More than 1,000

men say they and their families have suffered ill health since the

Christmas Island tests. The Essex MP John Baron held a Commons debate

this afternoon. We'll be hearing from him in a moment, but first this

from Simon Newton. A few mistakes were made because

they had no idea what would happen, no thought seemed to have gone into

it. Now aged 74, David was a teenage airman posted to Christmas Island.

Within a few weeks of coming home my gums started to bleed and within six

months, I was actually losing teeth. Like thousands of other veterans,

David believes that exposure to the nuclear blast left him with a

lifetime of health problems, including a seizure, an aneurysm and

spinal problems. We all sat with her back to it, that is probably one of

the reasons why. He later developed bowel and stomach cancer. The MoD

has long denied any link, but today John Baron led a Westminster debate

calling for their sacrifice to the recognised. The signs were unknown,

the risk was unquantifiable, but the cost to the veterans and their

descendants was very severe indeed. We just want the recognition and

perhaps a handshake to say that we are sorry that we did this to you.

Only a few thousand atomic veterans still survive. Some believe it is

now time to give up, but David is determined they should not be

forgotten. For him and many others it remains a battle worth fighting.

This afternoon I spoke to the MP John Baron and began by asking

whether it was recognition or compensation that was really

important to the veterans and their families. First of all, official

recognition from the Prime Minister, preferably oral but in rating if

necessary, making clearer debt of gratitude to these veterans. But the

establishment of a ?25 million benevolent fund that would be

distributed on the basis of need, not entitlement, to help veterans

and their descendants when it came to care. There is also a health

needs analysis, helping veterans through the NHS, which has been

successful. This is a campaign that has been going on for many years

now, are you still optimistic about getting this benevolent fund and the

current economic situation? Yes, I am. The reason being that this is a

just cause and it is wrong that needs to be righted. The government

has a track record of doing just that, I can think of thalidomide

that ends. `` victims. The nuclear test falls into this camp. We should

never forget that there is a legacy that we would these veterans. A debt

of gratitude that we have not yet fully acknowledged. We need to put

that right, for the sake of not just the veterans, but also their

descendants. But are you running out of time on this? We have been

fighting a Parliamentary campaign for a few years now. We rankle most

at the bottom of what we call the international table of decency when

comparing how other countries treat their test veterans `` we rank

almost at the bottom. Canada, the Isle of Man. Or you had to prove is

that you were at the test and you are ill and you will get a payment,

you do not have to prove a causal link. In this country very elderly

veterans have to go through a very torturous war pension scheme which

often feels. That is clearly wrong, we are at the bottom of the

International table of decency and the time has come to put that right.

Back now to our top story, and the tens of thousands of homes still

without power after yesterday's storm. Homes and businesses are

affected. Neil Bradford is at a pub in the

village of Stebbing in Essex. Good evening. I suppose we could say

we are in deepest, darkest Essex. Perfect for stargazing, not the best

for finding your way around. We very nearly did not find this pub, but I

am glad that we did. Although it has been without heating and electricity

since yesterday it does of course have a warm welcome. At has become a

focal point for the community. Let us talk to some residents about how

they have been coping. How have you been coping without power? It's

getting to be a bit of a drag now, to be honest with you. The biggest

problem at home as the freezer, the food is going off. You cant watch

television, can do anything. I have been over at `` you cannot do

anything. I have been over at the golf course. I have not tried to get

out, but plenty of people have and they have come in here. We just sit

and wait. Conflicting messages from companies. The reserve roaring log

fire here. Let's talk to the landlord of the white cart. It has

brought the community together, but it must be difficult trading like

this? It is difficult, with the glass washer and cooking especially.

And food. You normally do food, but you have not been able to? The odd

sandwich, that is it. As of tomorrow everything goes out. How much longer

do you think you can cope? Who knows. The bear is hanging in there,

but it is warming up, which is not good. `` the lager. At least it has

brought the community together. UK Power Networks has been on the

village checking on the vulnerable and that is what they are asking you

to do. If you are in power affected village, check on your neighbours.

Time for the weather. Stebbing make be without power, but

look at the dramatic sunset they have had this evening. We have

spared the pictures up so that you can see the sun sinking behind the

trees. It will be a fine start to the day tomorrow, but not before

temperatures have dropped quite sharply. We have a ridge of high

pressure is starting to move them from the south`west. That will mean

light winds and clear skies. For some of us a touch of ground frost.

It will stay dry overnight tonight and for much of the night those

quiet skies stay clear. We are dropping down into single figures

quite widely across the region. Certainly we could get close to two

or three Celsius in more oral spots. A bit of a crisp spot `` in more

rural spots. Virtually unbroken sunshine through the morning, a bit

of a chilly start but those temperatures could claim perhaps a

little higher than they could today. A bit of a brisk south`westerly

breeze, that will tend to freshen during the day and you will start to

see Clay developing into the western half of the region. That rain

arriving for most of us overnight into the early hours of Thursday

morning. It may just take its time to clear. Developing low could be

interesting for the weekend. Promising some and windy weather,

but the track of it still not quite established yet. It does look as if

it will turn am settled. Some rain to clear for the eastern half on

Thursday. The risk of one or two showers for the afternoon. Into

Friday, we may get away with a dry but cloudy start with some rain

pushing on and the next system for Friday, it is looking like it could

be quite wet and windy to start the weekend. Tonight is the night that

we have the risk of ground frost. Certainly some chilly weather still

on the way. Thank you very much indeed.

Stay warm, we'll see you tomorrow night.

Goodbye.