08/11/2013 Look East - West

A Northampton soldier blinded in one eye in Afghanistan pleads guilty to

causing the death of his baby daughter. Poppy sales up, but

membership of the British Legion is crashing. What happens when the old

guard are gone? Most of our members are pension age. About the 70s by

the 80s. All eyes on the FA Cup as aid of our non`league sides battle

it out in the first round. I will have news of a chilly weekend

weather forecast. Good evening. He was a soldier who lost an eye in

Afghanistan who survived an attack only by playing dead, but today

Lance Corporal Liam Culverhouse admitted causing the death of his

own daughter. Khloe Adams died last year after being assaulted and

suffering a severe drama. Her father has been warned he faces a

significant jail sentence. Mark Francois left `` Liam Culverhouse

left court today on bail after pleading guilty to causing the death

of his child. His daughter was treated by doctors but never covered

gas recovered. She died as a result of severe trauma, caused by an

assault that happened in May, 2 11 when she was only seven weeks old.

She was taken to Northampton General Hospital and treated by doctors for

a year and a half. In November, last year, she died at children's Hospice

aged 19 months. The injury to the former Lance Corporal's I was one of

16 soldiers ambushed at a checkpoint in Helmand province. Six of his

comrades were injured and five were killed. He said he had to pretend to

be dead to stay alive. A gunman was standing over him while he lay

injured on the ground. He was medically discharged from the Army

in April. He was told by the judge he is facing a substantial jail

sentence. We will learn more about the circumstances around Khloe

Adams's death next year. Until then her father is under curfew and

cannot spend time with children unaccompanied. A mother has told how

she fell asleep while her partner was feeding their seven`week`old son

and when she woke up the baby was dead. In a statement read to

Nottingham Crown Court Jackqueline Parker told police that if she did

not do it, it must have been her partner Adam Kightley, but she did

not blame him. Baby Jamie died in hospital last year after having

suffered 40 injuries. The couple both deny his murder. Police have

dropped their investigation into alleged physical and sexual abuse at

an orphanage in Bedfordshire. The former residents of Saint Francis

boys' home in Shefford have been told there is no one alive left to

prosecute. The abuse happened in the 50s and 60s. It is more than 40

years since these men were children at the Catholic run Saint Francis

boys' home. They say there are painful memories of physical abuse,

but now they have learnt a police investigation into the allegations

will be closed. Former residents have been told, a decision was made

that as those suspects traced have died, the investigation cannot be

taken any further as there are no living people to prosecute. The case

will now be closed and only reopened if living suspects are traced. The

home has now closed. A group of former residents went back at the

weekend before they knew the investigation was closing. Tony

Walsh claims he was sexually and physically abused by one of the

priests. He hit me so hard the back of my head hit a door frame and

split open. He punched me in the stomach and I fell to the floor and

he kicked me whilst I was on the floor. He says his abuser was Father

John Ryan he was arrested but never charged ten years ago. He has since

died. The suspects had included four nuns who have also died and two

other suspects who cannot be located. Former residents say they

are saddened and disgusted by the decision to close the investigation

and they are now taking a civil case against the Catholic Church. A

spokesman for the Northamptonshire diocese says it's deeply regrets any

hurt caused but stressed the claims are not proven. Earlier I spoke to a

former resident, David Cox, who was at the home from the age of 9`1 . It

is over a period of time, it is the sheer physical force and violence

that was meted out in the form of punishment. I was caned up to the

point of bleeding. I was punched at various times and lifted off my feet

by a father, a priest in charge of us at the time. How do you feel

about the fact the police have now decided to close their

investigation? I am disappointed, I am very disappointed. This is the

fourth enquiries since 1995 that the piece have conducted. Once I

realised it was impossible to prosecute the dead people, it always

seems as if they have got away with it. We do not know for sure that all

the suspects are dead now because we believe the police investigation has

not been as far as it should have been. There are names that have been

given to the police and statements on various boys naming names of

staff members who we believe I still alive and the police have never

traced them and have never confirmed whether they are dead or alive. The

Catholic Church says all the allegations are unproven, although

they say they are sorry for any distress or harm that has been

caused. What would you like to hear them say to you tonight? I think a

very important step for the Catholic Church would be for the Bishop of

Northampton, whose jurisdiction this came under, to meet a delegation of

the old boys. At this moment in time we have just had the one statement

from the church saying we are sorry about any that may have happened,

but it is not proven, so that is it. It has been damning in its silence.

What had been the effects of what you went through on the rest of your

life from being at the home? One of the things is trusting people. As a

child you trust the adults around you. Once that trust has been

breached it becomes even difficult even in later life to trust people

to that extent. I think also as well with some of the older people, or

some of the other boys I have met at reunions, some have been affected

psychologically in really bad ways. Everybody handles it differently.

That is for sure. Either you come out of it very strong or a very

weak. David Cox. The Independent police complaints commission have

announced they are conducting a criminal investigation into the

death of a man in police custody in Luton. 39`year`old Leon Briggs was

held at Luton police station on Monday when he became ill. He was

taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Family and friends

have been protesting outside the police station this afternoon.

Remembrance Sunday and the Poppy appeal, the biggest event of the

year of the Royal British Legion. But in some parts of this region the

organisation is in decline. Ranchers have closed and membership is down.

I am at the Suffolk Regiment Museum in Bury Saint Edmunds in all that

remains of the old barracks. They were amalgamated with the Royal

Anglian Regiment in 1964, but it is a great place to reflect on past

sacrifices. Let's look at the Royal British Legion. As Kettering

prepares to remember it's fallen there are also cause not to forget

the British Legion. Andy Smith is the chairman. At 58 he is the

youngest member of his branch. In fact, there are just four of them.

Most of them are pension age, late 70s or early 80s. We want to get

somebody younger to organise things and get more actively involved. With

so few members, the Royal British Legion struggled to find a

standard`bearer for services. With the British Legion short of numbers

and everything else, Andy has contacted me to help him out. In

neighbouring Corby things are different. Here they have close to

50 members, the youngest is just 19. It is important the younger

generation are involved with poppies due to the fact that my family

members, my dad, my uncle and my partner have all been in the Army

and the forces. My grandad is a veteran and fit and healthy at the

age of 92. The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921. Branches and

clubs were set up across the country. In recent years many have

vanished and recruiting members has become a challenge. In Corby the

annual Poppy shop has become a focal point. In that respect we are

fortunate because we moved into the ex`servicemen 's club. But the more

we get out there, the more we can bring people in. In Kettering the

local army cadets have stepped in to help with Sandy's remembrance

service. It is hoped they can breathe new life into this

historical Association. There are lots of ceremonies taking place

across the region on Sunday, including a service of remembrance

at the conversation `` conservation Hall at the Imperial War Museum and

in Peterborough as well at the war memorial. Then the Mayor will lead a

procession to Peterborough Cathedral.

There is criticism tonight of Vodafone for failing to provide 3G

coverage to customers in sparsely populated areas like the fans. The

regulatory body off, has ordered the company to upgrade services or face

a penalty. North Norfolk and areas like the fans of Cambridgeshire are

pretty badly served by mobile coverage and people rely on mobile

telephones for all sorts of matters, such as business or just socially.

Why should they suffer? The NHS in Corby is asking people to go to a

indeed genuinely in only life`threatening cases. It wants

people to use an urgent care centre which has been given

years. The figures reflect the impact of the Government's attempt

to slim down the armed forces. Colchester still remains the largest

military base in the region. Still to come: A clear out of the

loft in Suffolk which uncovered precious wartime memories.

News is coming in tonight of a climb`down by one of our new police

commissioners over his expenses. BBC Online News revealed this morning

that the Norfolk Commissioner Stephen Bett had been claiming

expenses for his journey to work. That drew a response from the

Justice Minister, who said he wanted the matter settled quickly. Mr Bett

said his expenses were above board, but admitted some people might think

it was wrong. Today's revelations come a year after the commissioners

were elected to run our police forces. Our political correspondent,

Andrew Sinclair, reports. Stephen bet is the region's only independent

Police and Crime Commissioner, something he has always been very

proud of. He cares about the reputation of the force. This is why

he has moved so fast to end this controversy. An investigation for

the Sunday Politics programme reveals he claimed more than ?3000

in the last nine months for mileage between his home and his

headquarters. No other Police Commissioner in the region claims

for such mileage. He says he regards his main base at his home so he is

therefore doing nothing wrong. I am very happy that what I do is my job

wherever that is in the county. Critics have questioned whether this

is OK. They pointed out that the Inland Revenue does not recognise,

to work mileage. If they are not tax allowable I cannot see why they

should be reimbursed by the Police Commissioner either. The justice

minister said this controversy must be resolved quickly so as not to

damage public confidence. At the same time, Mr Bennett says he will

be paying back the money and no longer claiming mileage. All of this

comes on the anniversary of PCC 's. Many people are still unsure about

this role and the controversy on expenses will do nothing to improve

confidence in the public. He said that I am very aware that

headline such as these could easily tarnish the reputation of police in

Norfolk and that is the last thing I would want. So, he is not happy

about having to pay back this money. But he is putting the job first

because it is a job he really likes and he thinks that he is making a

difference and wants this to go away quickly.

The subject of police commissioners is one of the topics being covered

on this weekend's edition of Sunday Politics. It's on Sunday, on BBC One

at the later time of 12:25. In the sport a lot of small teams are

hoping for a bit of luck. It is a nail`biting time for Kenny

's fans. He's the man under the microscope.

Chris Hughton's future is in sharp focus, with Norwich in the Premier

League relegation zone. He made the point at yesterday's press

conference that they've had a tricky run of games, making the rest of

November crucial. This is what's in store: West Ham tomorrow, followed

by Newcastle away, then Crystal Palace at home. But the manager's

keeping calm. I speak with the Chief Executive and

the Board on a regular basis and they're very supportive because

we're all pushing in the right direction and what we musn't do is

set the alarm bells ringing. The value of winning a couple of games

can see a League position change quite dramatically and when that

happens it's a completely different picture. So we're very much looking

at the positives here. Fair point. Victory at Carrow Road

could see Norwich move as high as 15th, above tomorrow's opponents,

West Ham, and Fulham and Stoke. Norwich are far from cut adrift. The

players say they're right behind the manager.

Every game we go out and want to do well and pick up wins. It's been

unfortunate with the result last week and there's been a bit of

backlash on the manager and on the players, but at the end of the day

we are the players that go over the white line and it's down to us to

put in a performance and do right by him.

The region's non league clubs have the chance to make the headlines

this weekend in the first round of the FA Cup. Eight sides are still in

it. Northamptonshire's Daventry Town are one of the lowest ranked teams

left. They're at Chesterfield ` playing a league side for the first

time. MUSIC PLAYS

This is a timely reminder that football is not just about

millionaires in the Premier League. All of these plays have done a day

's shift before coming here tonight. Daventry are a club on a roll. The

going into uncharted territory in the FA Cup. It is the first time we

have been with properly opposition. It is a first since 1886. Daventry

are indebted to local businessmen who saved the club after a fire.

Underdogs always do it in the FA Cup! Nothing can faze them. This is

the skipper, who leaves tarmac by Dave. We have made money for the

club so if we can win this week could earn some serious money. The

chairman has invested a lot of money in the club. I don't think we will

get to Wembley but I am looking forward to it. They are ready to

stand up and be counted. It is not a time for the week. It is a time for

strong characters because this will be tough. Anything can happen. The

players have a lot of confidence. A cheque for ?18,000 is at stake for

the winner. It is a chance to play a giant which makes this so special.

The rest of our league sides are in Cup action except Ipswich Town,

who've today signed former Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt until

January. The move sees him re`united with his former Wolves boss Mick

McCarthy. Hunt is available for tomorrow's trip to Blackpool in the

Championship. Now a third of the England squad

facing Argentina in the rugby tomorrow are from this region, the

majority from Northampton Saints. Ben Foden's called up on the wing,

Lee Dickson at scrum`half plus hooker Dylan Hartley. Lawes and Wood

keep their places with fit`again Alex Corbisiero on the bench.

Cambridge's Alex Goode and Tom Youngs from Norfolk make it eight

players in all. They are a very good team, a very

passionate and strong team. Yet seen in the Rugby Championship they have

pushed through all those teams very close. So you can't look past any of

these games, we know it's going to be a real tough game. That's it.

Full previews to all this weekend's games on the BBC Sport website and

much more too. When Steve Skinner from Suffolk had

a sort out in his loft recently, he came across an old suitcase which

belonged to his late father. When he opened it up, he was astonished to

find it contained a treasure trove of old letters and poems. It also

included his father's war`time diary. In a carefully written hand,

he detailed the futility of the war and his hope that his own son would

never have to fight. On the weekend when Britain pauses to remember,

Kevin Burch reports on one man's innermost thoughts when the country

was at war. One day he just walked into the

house and said I have joined up. That was 1944. And of course, war

broke out. He decided to do his bit. Steve Skinner remembers sales that

his father told about North Africa in 1844 will stop but it was only

when the suitcase was found that all those stories became very real.

Moments of humour like the time his patrol sought cover overnight in a

bar in. `` in a barn. 30 million Germans couldn't find him but one

spider gave him a hard time in the garden! He jotted down his thoughts

in this book. They are brilliant and beautiful, especially those

dedicated to his wife. On that glorious Armistice Day we will be

together and enjoy yourselves. It makes me sad, happy and proud. How

deadly the sound of a reeking done. And B Spitfire two.

I wonder if the millions of people who have died, do their families

have memories like I do here? These are priceless. Let's get the weather

now. Good evening. You may well get

caught in the rain if you are heading out tonight. For the eastern

parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex there is no rain to come this

evening. It will look dry after midnight. Temperatures will drop

fairly low. It will be quite a chilly night. We might see some

grass frost. It should be bright and dried to start with two morrow. Some

heavy pulses of rain will move into the afternoon. It will be cold

tomorrow. A light to moderate south`westerly wind. It is looking

dry overnight. A cold night for tomorrow night with widespread frost

for the region. It will be a glorious autumn start to Remembrance

Sunday. Beyond that, we will see more rain overnight, Sunday into

Monday. A wet start to next week. Julie for the weekend but dry and

sunny for Sunday. Temperatures may start to bounce back. The night

might not be quite so chilly on Monday. More information on our

website. I am going to Shanghai on Monday for

a special programme. For now, have a good weekend. Goodbye.