:00:00. > :00:00.goodbye from me. On BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams
:00:07. > :00:10.24 hours after the Norfolk Helicopter crash, the local
:00:11. > :00:21.Lakenheath community mourns the loss of four of its airmen. A lot of
:00:22. > :00:26.people from this area work on the US airbase so we are very much a family
:00:27. > :00:32.and at times like this, it is a time to reflect on just how serious the
:00:33. > :00:38.job is that they do fast. `` they do for us. Hello and welcome to Look
:00:39. > :00:41.East. A swimming pool's saved. So what next for the council facing
:00:42. > :00:45.millions of pounds of cuts? Gazing at the stars ` hundreds expected as
:00:46. > :00:49.the BBC's road show aims to create a human constellation. And the flood
:00:50. > :00:51.alerts are still out ` but are we heading for a period of calmer
:00:52. > :01:11.weather? Good evening. First tonight, 24
:01:12. > :01:15.hours after that helicopter crash on the East coast, a military community
:01:16. > :01:18.here is mourning the loss of four of its airmen. The crew was from RAF
:01:19. > :01:22.Lakenheath. An American airbase just to the east of Ely. They were taking
:01:23. > :01:25.part in a training mission with a second Pave Hawk aircraft when
:01:26. > :01:28.tragedy struck and they crashed onto marshland. This is how the events
:01:29. > :01:31.unfolded. The alarm was raised at seven o'clock last night. Lifeboats,
:01:32. > :01:37.Police, RAF and American Air Force staff were all scrambled to the
:01:38. > :01:40.scene. A 400 metre cordon was set up to protect people from munition
:01:41. > :01:46.which had been scattered amongst the wreckage. Shortly before 10pm,
:01:47. > :01:49.police confirmed all four crew on board had died. Today,
:01:50. > :01:53.investigations began into what caused the crash but the bodies of
:01:54. > :01:57.the crew remain in the wreckage Our chief reporter Kim Riley has spent
:01:58. > :02:07.the day at RAF Lakenheath. A few moments ago he sent us this. This
:02:08. > :02:12.base and nearby RAF Mildenhall had close relations with the communities
:02:13. > :02:17.around them. RAF is home to the liberty ring of the US air force as
:02:18. > :02:26.it is known and tonight the base is mourning the loss of four of its
:02:27. > :02:30.own. Early morning. Military personnel and civilian staff arrived
:02:31. > :02:35.at the base's main gate. All day, there has been a sombre atmosphere
:02:36. > :02:41.after the shocking overnight news. The 45 doing now flying F`15
:02:42. > :02:46.fighters has played key roles in many military operations including
:02:47. > :02:50.in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pave Hawk helicopters had been a
:02:51. > :02:55.vital support to the F`15 helicopters and their crew. The
:02:56. > :02:58.craft is highly versatile, often used in combat search and rescue
:02:59. > :03:02.missions. It has taken part in humanitarian operations from the
:03:03. > :03:08.soon army in Sri Lanka to hurricane to Katrina in New Orleans. It has a
:03:09. > :03:12.four`man crew and can carry up to 12 passengers or troops. It is a
:03:13. > :03:17.variant of the Sikorsky Black Hawk which has a good safety record. The
:03:18. > :03:21.helicopter crews undergo rigorous training involving low`level flying
:03:22. > :03:24.and high`speed manoeuvres in the pitch dark. Tonight, the commander
:03:25. > :03:41.of the wing issued a statement. They are fielding a great sense of
:03:42. > :03:46.support from across the air force and from our new cake neighbours as
:03:47. > :03:50.we go through this difficult period. `` our UK neighbours.
:03:51. > :03:56.Tonight the search is under way to discover why the Pave Hawk aircraft
:03:57. > :04:00.crashed. It could be some time before investigators reach a
:04:01. > :04:05.definitive answer. I can tell you that Colonel Robinson who I quoted
:04:06. > :04:09.in the report will be here tomorrow answering questions directly from
:04:10. > :04:15.the media. We might also learn the names of the airmen who died in the
:04:16. > :04:19.crash. But that will not happen until 24 hours after next of kin had
:04:20. > :04:24.been informed. They did not want families around the world to learn
:04:25. > :04:30.first through the media and not directly from the media. `` the
:04:31. > :04:33.military. Some flagstick night flying at half`mast, and some
:04:34. > :04:36.flowers have been laid in tribute to those who died. `` some flags have
:04:37. > :04:47.been flying tonight. In the House of Commons today, the
:04:48. > :04:50.Prime Minister paid tribute to the American aircrew, while local MPs
:04:51. > :04:52.praised their bravery. Our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair has
:04:53. > :04:56.the reaction now from Westminster. With many parts of the country still
:04:57. > :05:01.flooded and the death of a Labour MP, the Commons was in subdued mood.
:05:02. > :05:06.Last night's crash received the briefest of mentions. Mr Speaker,
:05:07. > :05:10.our thoughts should go to the victims of the US helicopter crash
:05:11. > :05:15.in Norfolk about which details are still emerging. Away from the
:05:16. > :05:19.chamber, MPs acknowledge that this is a real tragedy, the largest loss
:05:20. > :05:23.of American military life in the country for a long time, and the
:05:24. > :05:29.U.S. Air Force has been an integral part of the region for more than 70
:05:30. > :05:32.years. The community in Lakenheath will be mourning the loss. This
:05:33. > :05:38.crash goes to show just how brave the airmen are, both in action but
:05:39. > :05:44.also in training to ensure that they are always ready to defend our
:05:45. > :05:49.freedom. There has also been an acceptance that this crash will lead
:05:50. > :05:53.to questions about how the military trains. Low`level flying and
:05:54. > :05:58.night`time flying is commonplace in this region. The MoD keeps it away
:05:59. > :06:00.from built`up areas and they have not been many complaints, but MPs
:06:01. > :06:06.will be looking for more reassurance. When something like
:06:07. > :06:12.this happens has to be an thorough examination of what happened. People
:06:13. > :06:19.are proud of the tradition of both the RAF and the US not in this
:06:20. > :06:21.region. `` the US military. But communities must feel that proper
:06:22. > :06:28.steps are taken to ensure that the risks to communities are minimised.
:06:29. > :06:34.That is a debate for another time. Today, like everyone else, MPs have
:06:35. > :06:46.been shot and saddened by what has happened on the Norfolk coast. ``
:06:47. > :06:50.shocked and saddened. The family of a Luton man who died in police
:06:51. > :06:53.custody have been told they can now make arrangements for his funeral.
:06:54. > :06:57.Leon Briggs died back in November after being detained at Luton police
:06:58. > :06:59.station. This morning an inquest was opened and adjourned. They have laid
:07:00. > :07:02.flowers and mounted vigils and now two months after his death, the
:07:03. > :07:07.family of Leon Briggs can at last plan for his funeral. Today, a
:07:08. > :07:12.coroner formally released as body but was unable to confirm the cause
:07:13. > :07:14.of death. The 39 old father of two was arrested in Luton in November.
:07:15. > :07:19.He was detained under the Mental Health Act and died in hospital
:07:20. > :07:24.after collapsing at Luton police station. In the days that followed
:07:25. > :07:29.it emerged that five police officers and two civilian staff were under
:07:30. > :07:34.investigation. They have now been questioned under criminal caution
:07:35. > :07:43.for a number of offences, including Grossman Legends, unlawful
:07:44. > :07:47.manslaughter, `` gross negligence, and health and safety breaches. They
:07:48. > :07:48.have been suspended whilst the independent police complaints
:07:49. > :07:54.commission continues its investigation. His death caused
:07:55. > :07:59.tension in the community. Doesn t attended a public meeting where
:08:00. > :08:03.questions were asked about how bad police deals with the black
:08:04. > :08:08.community. The IPCC has called for patience while it completes its
:08:09. > :08:14.inquiries. The coroner has adjourned the inquest into the death of Leon
:08:15. > :08:17.Briggs until a case review in March. His family and friends say that they
:08:18. > :08:24.will continue to mount vigils outside the police station. Two
:08:25. > :08:27.recruitment companies employing migrant workers in Cambridgeshire
:08:28. > :08:31.have been stripped of their GLA licences. In October, 300 officers
:08:32. > :08:34.from the police and the Gangmasters' Licencing Authority targeted
:08:35. > :08:37.addresses in March and Wisbech as part of Operation Endeavour. Since
:08:38. > :08:40.then, Slender Contracting ` run by Martyn and Mark Slender ` has lost
:08:41. > :08:43.its licence for breaching GLA standards, including falsifying
:08:44. > :08:53.payslips to underpay employees. MAS Recruitment has also had its licence
:08:54. > :08:57.revoked. Next tonight, they are some of the essential services that we
:08:58. > :08:59.use every day. Things like care for the elderly, rubbish collection and
:09:00. > :09:02.libraries. But Central Bedfordshire Council needs to cut ?43 million
:09:03. > :09:09.from its budget over the next few years ` and is asking people living
:09:10. > :09:14.there for their ideas. For some a new year brings new resolutions For
:09:15. > :09:17.councils it means a new round of cuts and savings. Less money from
:09:18. > :09:24.the Government and greater demand on services. But simple Beds Council
:09:25. > :09:29.has invested recently ?100,000 on a leisure centre. Membership is up and
:09:30. > :09:34.it is no longer loss`making but in the next four years, the council
:09:35. > :09:39.must cut spending on local services by 25%, ?43 million, so will that
:09:40. > :09:45.put a stop to investment and upgrades like this? We have got to
:09:46. > :09:50.do more of this. It is about investing, to save. If we can
:09:51. > :09:54.refurbish a leisure centre or an office so that we can have fewer of
:09:55. > :09:58.those zoos, so that over the long term they can cost less, that saves
:09:59. > :10:05.money, and that is what we are all about, fundamentally reshaping the
:10:06. > :10:08.way that we deliver services. The council says that council tax will
:10:09. > :10:12.not go up this year, but with cuts to be made, I asked residents how
:10:13. > :10:23.they think it should be done. Where would you make savings? Planning.
:10:24. > :10:28.They are always a pain. I have just had a baby. I would not want
:10:29. > :10:33.children services to be cut. We all sit in our armchairs at home, don't
:10:34. > :10:44.we? Social housing, you would cut back on? I would, yes. Where should
:10:45. > :10:50.they make the biggest savings? Libraries. If they limited the hours
:10:51. > :10:55.that they operate. This opinion poll was unscientific but it shows you
:10:56. > :11:02.how tough these decisions are, and the pattern I am seeing emerging is
:11:03. > :11:06.that most people would not want to see adult social care children's
:11:07. > :11:09.care cut, and those are the areas in which the council spends the most
:11:10. > :11:18.money. You can have your say as the plans go out to consultation between
:11:19. > :11:21.now and the end of the month. He's been missing for more than a week
:11:22. > :11:24.and police in Bedfordshire say they're becoming increasingly
:11:25. > :11:27.concerned for Neil Devlin's safety. Mr Devlin is from Leighton Buzzard.
:11:28. > :11:36.He was last seen on New Year's Day drinking with friends. Posters in
:11:37. > :11:39.local shops appealing for information. Neil Devlin was
:11:40. > :11:45.reported missing after failing to turn up for his job at the local
:11:46. > :11:49.supermarket. He has learning difficulties. His friends are
:11:50. > :11:53.worried. I have known him for four years, and this is not his
:11:54. > :11:58.behaviour. For him to disappear and not contact anyone and not go to
:11:59. > :12:01.work, it is not him at all. It is close to this part of town that he
:12:02. > :12:07.was last seen. Detectives using CCTV have used together his last
:12:08. > :12:10.movements. On the evening of January one he met friends for a drink in
:12:11. > :12:14.this pub and this thought to have left shortly after half past ten.
:12:15. > :12:18.The misleader he was spotted at a filling station a short walk away.
:12:19. > :12:27.Then he went to visit friends at fork news. He left at 11:30pm. That
:12:28. > :12:33.was the last anyone saw him. ` `Falcon Mews. What we are doing is
:12:34. > :12:36.tracing back the steps that we believe that Neil Devlin had taken
:12:37. > :12:41.that evening, back from the town to his home address and yes, I would
:12:42. > :12:47.like someone to come forward and provide information. His journey
:12:48. > :12:51.home would have taken him past this river. Police have been searching
:12:52. > :12:56.the river bank. There could be further searches by boat. His
:12:57. > :13:03.friends, whilst trying to remain optimistic, fear the worst. He is a
:13:04. > :13:06.lovely person. It is very sad. I find it hard braking. I am losing
:13:07. > :13:13.sleep over it, waking up thinking that there has been bad news. I just
:13:14. > :13:22.want him to come home. It is sad. Searches for the missing man will
:13:23. > :13:25.resume tomorrow. The Prime Minister has welcomed the posthumous royal
:13:26. > :13:28.pardon given to the Bletchley Park code breaker Alan Turing. He killed
:13:29. > :13:30.himself in 1954 shortly after being convicted for being homosexual.
:13:31. > :13:39.Lyn O'Reilly's family are now taking legal action against the health
:13:40. > :13:43.trust. Still to come, we are looking at the
:13:44. > :13:48.stars. A lot of lights have been switched
:13:49. > :13:53.off so that people can look at the sky. It is Stargazing Live,
:13:54. > :14:04.astronomy really is the new rock and roll, and there is this stage to
:14:05. > :14:08.prove it. If you've just joined us, our main
:14:09. > :14:20.story tonight is the death of four Amercian air crew in a helicopter
:14:21. > :14:23.crash in Norfolk. The crash happened 24 hours ago. The bodies of the
:14:24. > :14:26.victims haven't been recovered yet. The aircraft was based at RAF
:14:27. > :14:30.Lakenheath and was on a training exercise when it crashed. Roger
:14:31. > :14:36.Smith is from Lowestoft and is an expert in military aircraft. It has
:14:37. > :14:41.been a very safe aircraft flying at low level at night is a potentially
:14:42. > :14:47.risky business, but they have not had many accidents.
:14:48. > :14:55.It is a Pave Hawk, rather than a Black Hawk? Yes, a Black Hawk is a
:14:56. > :15:03.troop carrying helicopter. The Pave Hawk is full of electronics and
:15:04. > :15:09.avionics which helps it see in the dark. It can follow radar and
:15:10. > :15:13.infrared, to see in the dark. The pilots and the crew can wear night
:15:14. > :15:18.vision goggles, which helps them to see in the dark.
:15:19. > :15:24.We heard that this was carrying ammunition, which is part of the
:15:25. > :15:31.problem in the flare`up? `` clear up.
:15:32. > :15:37.Yes, they do not want people to pick them up. They should not do much
:15:38. > :15:42.damage other than being picked up. A lot of people have suggested that
:15:43. > :15:45.it could have been a bird strike? Yes, we will see what happens when
:15:46. > :15:53.the board of inquiry gives its report. Helicopters do not fly as
:15:54. > :15:59.fast as low flying jets, and will be less damaged by a bird strike. I
:16:00. > :16:07.think that if a helicopter hit a bird, there would not be a lot of
:16:08. > :16:12.damage. If the helicopter was in a hover and a bird hit a tail rotor,
:16:13. > :16:22.that has crashed a British Telecom to in the past. `` British
:16:23. > :16:25.helicopter. There's been an Amercian air force
:16:26. > :16:29.presence in Suffolk since the war. And over the generations a close
:16:30. > :16:31.bond has developed between the large bases and their Suffolk neighbours.
:16:32. > :16:35.Today, Look East Suffolk reporter Kevin Burch examined the impact of
:16:36. > :16:40.the helicopter tragedy on the local community.
:16:41. > :16:46.The world's biggest bombers visit England's...
:16:47. > :16:58.The American presence at RAF Lakenheath has been difficult to
:16:59. > :17:03.ignore. And RAF meet your... RAF Lakenheath is now the largest
:17:04. > :17:08.American base in the country, home to 6000 personnel from America.
:17:09. > :17:14.There are thousands more at a base next door. We went behind the scenes
:17:15. > :17:18.on thanks `` Thanksgiving day, and found out why it was called mini
:17:19. > :17:27.America. We have 100 pounds of meat, many
:17:28. > :17:34.turkeys and hams. But from the celebration, the mood
:17:35. > :17:43.today was commiseration. Here is the counsellor for the village.
:17:44. > :17:47.It is very sad. Many people in the area work for the American bases.
:17:48. > :17:54.We're like a family. This is a time to reflect on how serious the job
:17:55. > :17:58.is. The village here worked on the base
:17:59. > :18:02.for many years. He says that there is a sense of shock, but the crash
:18:03. > :18:11.needs to be seen in context, given the scale of the base. They have
:18:12. > :18:17.many flights in the day and night, and have not lost any of four. They
:18:18. > :18:23.have done very well. This man teaches music, many of his
:18:24. > :18:27.students from the base. He says that the American troops always play
:18:28. > :18:32.their part, at family days and to look after the nature reserves.
:18:33. > :18:41.Recently, many of the troops did litter picking and tidying up at the
:18:42. > :18:47.base `` nature reserve. So it is much appreciated.
:18:48. > :18:51.You have the fighter base and the bombers, but they are also in our
:18:52. > :18:55.communities and are a big part of the community.
:18:56. > :19:02.The council are planning to send the American base flowers and a letter
:19:03. > :19:12.of condolence. Side`by`side for years, now closer than ever.
:19:13. > :19:14.Large crowds are gathering in Norwich this evening for an event
:19:15. > :19:17.linked to the BBC's stargazing programme. The main activities are
:19:18. > :19:23.taking place just outside the Forum. Our own star David Whiteley is there
:19:24. > :19:27.now. When I was at school, I was in the
:19:28. > :19:31.astronomy club. And if you were in the astronomy club you were a geek.
:19:32. > :19:35.But now being a geek is super cool. Astronomy has become very rock and
:19:36. > :19:38.roll and this year's Stargazing Live is bigger than ever. Of course, live
:19:39. > :19:43.shows on BBC Two and massive live events like this one here in
:19:44. > :19:46.Norwich. There is a choir singing on the
:19:47. > :19:53.stage, and they have also turned off a lot of the light pollution in
:19:54. > :19:57.local businesses, so we can see the stars. Hopefully it won't rain
:19:58. > :20:00.anymore. In a minute, I'll be chatting to the stage presenter of
:20:01. > :20:06.the this show. But first, here's Shaun Peel.
:20:07. > :20:13.It is a far cry from the sky at night. This is stargazing in the
:20:14. > :20:17.21st century. It is rock and roll, and there is a three hour road show
:20:18. > :20:23.of choirs, bands and stand`up comedy.
:20:24. > :20:29.Everyone on the stage are scientists, but also performance. It
:20:30. > :20:35.is about making people enthusiasm, children and adults, so that they go
:20:36. > :20:39.out and look at the sky and see the big universe.
:20:40. > :20:45.Stargazing Live has blown the cobwebs of thousands of telescopes
:20:46. > :20:53.and introduce the universe to a new generation of stop last night's show
:20:54. > :21:00.was at Jodrell bank, and there was also a report from way born on the
:21:01. > :21:06.coast. `` Weyburn. This is what Mars looks like.
:21:07. > :21:12.There will also be a human constellation. The space experts are
:21:13. > :21:16.marking out the pavement in the shape of the night sky. It will be a
:21:17. > :21:20.UK first. They are mapping out the night sky
:21:21. > :21:24.as it would be over this spot at 30 PM. They will get 200 people to
:21:25. > :21:31.stand on the markers, give them the torch, cut the lights, everyone puts
:21:32. > :21:35.their hands in the air. That will be filmed from up above, and there you
:21:36. > :21:40.have it, the Eastern lights. This is what you would see. We will
:21:41. > :21:43.make the constellations in different colours, so you can see what is up
:21:44. > :21:48.there. Last night, the programme had the
:21:49. > :21:56.Northern lights, tonight 200 people will create our own version, the
:21:57. > :22:01.Norwich lights. That constellation will light up the
:22:02. > :22:05.night sky at 7:30pm. I am joined by one of the size presenters who has
:22:06. > :22:11.just got off stage after an energetic performance. `` science
:22:12. > :22:15.performance. This is about getting science to a
:22:16. > :22:22.larger audience, many people think it is is about men in white coats in
:22:23. > :22:26.a laboratory, but science is done in Hawaii, in incredible places. So it
:22:27. > :22:32.is making people know that science is done by a whole range of people.
:22:33. > :22:39.Astronomy, science, it can be quite glamorous? I would not say that it
:22:40. > :22:44.is always glamorous, because it is at night and it is cold, but it is
:22:45. > :22:48.not just done by the stereotypical people. It can be done by anyone. A
:22:49. > :22:52.lot of people think that science is difficult, but sometimes it is just
:22:53. > :22:57.how it is explained that makes it difficult. So what my stage show, I
:22:58. > :23:03.like to make it into the basic parts. I'm hoping that even
:23:04. > :23:08.eight`year`olds will know about some of the scientific facts, by doing a
:23:09. > :23:14.big explosion. Yes, I am sure that many of the parents will want to
:23:15. > :23:24.have washing`up liquid bottles across the room! I am so glad that
:23:25. > :23:34.worked, but I was so happy when it's moved 11 metres. I will be here very
:23:35. > :23:39.late, there is a lot of work to do. The Stargazing Live event carries on
:23:40. > :23:46.until 9pm. It will be on BBC Two until nine o'clock. I wish astronomy
:23:47. > :23:50.was this exciting when I was a child. It was really boring.
:23:51. > :24:06.What is the weather like tonight? I'm afraid it is not very good
:24:07. > :24:12.tonight. There is rain moving further north. It will be making its
:24:13. > :24:16.way from the South West. It will not be raining all evening and all
:24:17. > :24:25.night, it will be quite shallow reef stop `` patchy rain. But there will
:24:26. > :24:29.also be rain into the early hours of tomorrow morning. The wind will pick
:24:30. > :24:34.up. There will be a lot of cloud around and that breeze, so it will
:24:35. > :24:41.not get very cold. Temperatures around six or seven Celsius by the
:24:42. > :24:44.end of the night and a moderate to fresh south`westerly breeze.
:24:45. > :24:48.Tomorrow, it will be quite cloudy and there could be some rain
:24:49. > :24:53.around, but it will become brighter and stop it will be an improving
:24:54. > :25:01.picture. It might be damp at first. Temperatures will be warmer than
:25:02. > :25:06.they were today, it could be 10 Celsius, but you have to factor in
:25:07. > :25:12.the breeze. And the breeze will get fresher throughout the day. So
:25:13. > :25:18.feeling more cold. And in the afternoon, cooler air, and
:25:19. > :25:23.temperatures dropping. And temperatures will drop tomorrow as
:25:24. > :25:28.well. There could be some ground frost across the region.
:25:29. > :25:32.On Friday, there will be high pressure, so that promises some
:25:33. > :25:36.better weather. This weather front of moving across the country top
:25:37. > :25:43.there will not be a lot of rain by the time we get to us. The bulk of
:25:44. > :25:48.Friday does looked right. By the end of the day, there could be some
:25:49. > :25:53.patchy rain. The outlook is looking quite
:25:54. > :25:57.settled. There will be dry and bright weather on Friday, feeling
:25:58. > :26:05.cooler. Cloud increasing overnight. Not quite as cold on Friday night.
:26:06. > :26:10.But this cold air will continue to move downwards. So the weekend is
:26:11. > :26:14.looking dry and bright, the numbers will go down. So highs of six
:26:15. > :26:23.Celsius, despite a lot of rain. So the overnight lows will be colder,
:26:24. > :26:28.and still some rain by Sunday night. A reminder of our main story. Crash
:26:29. > :26:33.investigators are expected to spend the next few days trying to find out
:26:34. > :26:39.how a US Air Force helicopter crashed in Norfolk, claiming the
:26:40. > :26:42.lives of its four crew. The Pave Hawk helicopter had been on a
:26:43. > :26:52.training exercise when it happened. Our reporter is at the site. What is
:26:53. > :26:56.the move like? It is a very sombre mood. People
:26:57. > :27:01.understand that there are still bodies here. At some people are
:27:02. > :27:06.saying that the night exercises should not happen in this area is
:27:07. > :27:13.top the helicopters are sometimes only three metres above a bird
:27:14. > :27:17.reserve. The investigation will not have an early outcome. It will be
:27:18. > :27:24.carried out by the American military. We may not have a result
:27:25. > :27:32.for up to a year. But our thoughts are with the families and loved ones
:27:33. > :27:38.at RAF Lakenheath stop that is all from us for now.
:27:39. > :27:39.There will be more in the later bulletins and tomorrow morning on
:27:40. > :27:45.the radio. Good night.