:00:00. > :00:10.In Look East tonight: The floods arrive, and there's more rain to
:00:11. > :00:17.come. Disruption for homes and for
:00:18. > :00:20.travellers. It has never come into the house
:00:21. > :00:26.before, this is the worst it has ever been, I have never seen
:00:27. > :00:29.anything like it. Hundreds of jobs at risk, as a salad
:00:30. > :00:31.production company proposes closing its Corby site.
:00:32. > :00:34.Out of the Olympics, injury heartbreak for top sprinter Craig
:00:35. > :00:37.Pickering, as he's forced to miss the Sochi Winter Games.
:00:38. > :00:38.And, is this the footprint of the earliest known human in northern
:00:39. > :00:55.Europe? First tonight: The bad weather that
:00:56. > :00:58.hit the region overnight. Homes were inundated, roads flooded,
:00:59. > :01:04.and rail services affected by the downpours. And the forecasters are
:01:05. > :01:08.warning there's more rain to come. Tonight, there are 18 flood warnings
:01:09. > :01:13.in force across the region. Emergency services have dealt with
:01:14. > :01:18.hundreds of calls. Last night, there was up to 30 millimetres of rain,
:01:19. > :01:22.falling on already sodden ground. In a moment, we'll talk to the
:01:23. > :01:28.Environment Agency. But, first, Ben Bland joins us from Alconbury in
:01:29. > :01:32.Cambridgeshire. In all the years that Chris has
:01:33. > :01:37.lived in Park Ridge, he had never seen anything like this. This is
:01:38. > :01:42.what we woke up to find at 5:30am today. Water literally flowing
:01:43. > :01:48.through the front door. His wife discovered they had been flooded.
:01:49. > :01:55.When I got downstairs, we saw 1 inches of water. It was coming
:01:56. > :02:00.through the age of the front door. When I explored the house further,
:02:01. > :02:04.in the kitchen, it was coming through the kitchen door as well.
:02:05. > :02:10.Water coming up to the door level but it has never come into the house
:02:11. > :02:16.before this. It is the worst it has ever been. Here is why, the overflow
:02:17. > :02:20.channel meant to take water away and protect homes became blocked. One
:02:21. > :02:28.neighbour, worried about the levels, checked on it at 3am. There was a
:02:29. > :02:33.massive bang, a came out, the whole wall had collapsed. It blocked the
:02:34. > :02:39.moat which, in turn, sent all of the water in front of these five houses,
:02:40. > :02:45.flooding them inside, causing a lot of damage. The emergency services
:02:46. > :02:51.are pumping water out of the house of this morning, as the Environment
:02:52. > :02:54.Agency assesses damage. A lot of those properties were exacerbated by
:02:55. > :03:00.a wall which collapsed into the channel.
:03:01. > :03:04.Presently, with the weather dry now, the rivers are subsiding. We are
:03:05. > :03:12.doing our best to make sure we can help the clean`up operation. In
:03:13. > :03:17.Corby, made road junctions would have been easier to navigate by
:03:18. > :03:22.boat. The Sun, and an expected day off. In Cambridgeshire, anyone
:03:23. > :03:27.hoping for a round of golf might have had trouble finding the green.
:03:28. > :03:32.Across the region, water got high enough to cause problems on major
:03:33. > :03:40.roads. A flooded underpass closed this. Disruption captured by a
:03:41. > :03:45.viewer. Near saffron Walden, a lucky escape for an 84`year`old man who
:03:46. > :03:50.try to drive along a flooded road. Other drivers were only too glad to
:03:51. > :03:55.be pulled over by police. Here, shops were mopping out, wondering if
:03:56. > :04:00.they will be doing this all over again. The bad news is more heavy
:04:01. > :04:05.rain is on the way, tonight, and heavy showers over the weekend. By
:04:06. > :04:11.the end of Sunday, there is the potential for another inch of rain.
:04:12. > :04:17.In addition to that, strong winds tonight. Picking up again from
:04:18. > :04:24.Saturday afternoon, up to 60 miles an hour. Here in Cambridgeshire
:04:25. > :04:29.police were making sure other drivers did not end up needing boats
:04:30. > :04:33.to complete their journey. And here, the river burst its banks, putting
:04:34. > :04:36.the river in the Riverside play area.
:04:37. > :04:39.Earlier, I spoke to Norman Robinson from the Environment Agency, and
:04:40. > :04:47.asked him how serious last night's flooding has been.
:04:48. > :04:51.We have had intense rainfall overnight, we received 28
:04:52. > :04:56.millimetres of rainfall across most of the counties in the east, half
:04:57. > :05:01.the rainfall we would expect for February. That is a big event for
:05:02. > :05:08.us. Flooding is limited from rivers but because of the intense rainfall,
:05:09. > :05:14.we have seen flooding from surface rainfall. In isolated areas,
:05:15. > :05:18.flooding on roads and roundhouses. You say limited, but we have seen
:05:19. > :05:25.houses flooded. I couldn't get my children to school. It is pretty
:05:26. > :05:32.bad. There will be considerable localised disruption. The water
:05:33. > :05:36.pulls up. That is clearing. A little rain is forecast this evening but we
:05:37. > :05:42.don't think that will cause an issue. Surface water problems are
:05:43. > :05:45.relatively localised. We are not suffering as badly as the West
:05:46. > :05:53.Country. What pressure are you wondered improve the situation? To
:05:54. > :05:59.our thoughts go to those in the south`west being battered by storms.
:06:00. > :06:05.Here we are seeing the tail end of low pressure. Only the very tail end
:06:06. > :06:11.of it. Everything is OK with the river systems. Flood warnings will
:06:12. > :06:20.stay in place until levels go down. We would ask people to be aware of
:06:21. > :06:24.surface water issues. Please be aware. Don't go near floodwater We
:06:25. > :06:31.are expecting more rain tomorrow, should we be more worried? We are
:06:32. > :06:39.expecting rain this evening with heavy gales. A lot less than a
:06:40. > :06:43.couple of days past. We should be aware that catchments are now
:06:44. > :06:50.saturated. You will see a lot of water around. People should be
:06:51. > :06:54.worried but they should be aware. We will keep everyone up`to`date with
:06:55. > :06:59.flood alerts. Stay tuned to the media.
:07:00. > :07:02.Norman Robinson of the Environment Agency.
:07:03. > :07:05.Don't forget, you can also keep up to date with the weather, flooding
:07:06. > :07:07.and its effect on travel with your BBC local radio station. That's
:07:08. > :07:08.Radio Cambridgeshire, Radio Northampton and Three Counties
:07:09. > :07:22.Radio, throughout the weekend. 900 jobs are under threat at a food
:07:23. > :07:25.processing factory in Corby. Solway Foods has announced proposals to
:07:26. > :07:31.close its Corby facility. It's now entered into a 45`day consultation
:07:32. > :07:40.period on the plant's future. Stuart Ratcliffe sent this report.
:07:41. > :07:46.This is one of Corby's largest employers, currently owned by a food
:07:47. > :07:51.group which manufactures products such as biscuits and pizzas. The
:07:52. > :07:56.announcement today has come out of the blue. Today, I spoke to the
:07:57. > :08:00.local MP Andy Sawford who said he hoped there could be a way forward.
:08:01. > :08:05.They have offered to open their books up to me to talk about the
:08:06. > :08:10.challenges they face. I have offered to give whatever help I can. I have
:08:11. > :08:14.encouraged them to think about relocating within Corby, if the
:08:15. > :08:21.issue is the age of the plant they use. 900 very important jobs in
:08:22. > :08:26.Corby, they have had a very loyal workforce. I hope they will think
:08:27. > :08:30.very seriously about staying here in this town. Nobody from Solway Foods
:08:31. > :08:35.wanted to talk today but they did give us a statement in which they
:08:36. > :08:39.said this is a very old factory They said it needs ongoing,
:08:40. > :08:44.substantial, additional funding just to keep pace with the demands of a
:08:45. > :08:49.modern food factory. It isn't viable in the longer term. This is a huge
:08:50. > :08:58.blow to Corby. In the last few years, the town has lost hundreds of
:08:59. > :09:04.jobs. The closure of this place could mean a further 900 job losses
:09:05. > :09:09.with perhaps more jobs being lost in the wider supply chain. The company
:09:10. > :09:20.has told me it has started a 45 day consultation period with the unions.
:09:21. > :09:25.A man wanted in connection with the murder of Thomas Ward in Stevenage
:09:26. > :09:32.last year has been arrested in Denmark. The case featured on
:09:33. > :09:38.Crimewatch. Vomited `` Homerton College has won
:09:39. > :09:43.approval for a ?60 million development. It is on land behind
:09:44. > :09:48.the college beside the railway line and will incorporate residential
:09:49. > :09:51.units and business facilities. The college says income from the
:09:52. > :09:57.development will be used to provide bursaries and scholarships.
:09:58. > :10:00.A leading energy provider is reducing the amount it charges
:10:01. > :10:09.customers who do not pay by direct debit. It is cutting its charge from
:10:10. > :10:13.?96, down to ?24 a year, following a campaign by the MP for Harlow who
:10:14. > :10:17.told parliament many energy companies are ripping off customers.
:10:18. > :10:22.A shop worker has been talking today about an attack which left her in
:10:23. > :10:25.with severe cuts and bruising. It happened at the One Stop shop in
:10:26. > :10:28.Kempston in Bedfordshire last Friday. We should warn you that
:10:29. > :10:30.Sophie Sularia's report contains disturbing images, because Ann
:10:31. > :10:36.Shiels needed hospital treatment after the assault.
:10:37. > :10:44.It is a week since the attack but the bruisers are still clearly
:10:45. > :10:49.visible. The shop assistant has been left traumatised after being kicked
:10:50. > :10:53.and punched here at the one Stop shop. The man caught her unawares
:10:54. > :10:58.while she was in the stock room He came in through the back door,
:10:59. > :11:05.pushed his way in, grabbed me by my throat. He took my keys. Dragged me
:11:06. > :11:11.in and kicked me in the face. I want him caught. If he can do this for no
:11:12. > :11:15.reason, he can do it again. Detectives say it was a vicious
:11:16. > :11:19.assault. They are appealing for witnesses. This is the first instant
:11:20. > :11:24.I have seen of a robbery at this in Bedford where so much violence has
:11:25. > :11:28.been used. An extremely busy morning, 8am, there should be a
:11:29. > :11:37.number of witnesses who saw the man run from the back of the shop into
:11:38. > :11:41.Kempston. Did they see him run away? Detectives are looking at CCTV
:11:42. > :11:42.pictures taken inside the store Two people have been arrested and
:11:43. > :11:48.released on police bail. Police are hunting for thieves who
:11:49. > :11:51.stole ?500,000 of equipment from a warehouse in Cambridgeshire. The
:11:52. > :11:54.tools, used for mapping and surveying, were taken from a
:11:55. > :11:57.business in Huntingdon over the weekend. The equipment is packaged
:11:58. > :11:59.in bright yellow boxes, and detectives want to hear from anyone
:12:00. > :12:05.who's been offered it for sale. The former badminton world champion
:12:06. > :12:10.Gail Emms has made a successful comeback today, six years after she
:12:11. > :12:14.officially retired. She won her mixed doubles match today in three
:12:15. > :12:17.sets, and is through to the next round of the National Badminton
:12:18. > :12:24.Championships. She won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in
:12:25. > :12:28.2004. Gail Emms is also playing in the women's only doubles. She says
:12:29. > :12:33.it's mainly for fun, and she isn't planning a proper comeback. Later,
:12:34. > :12:35.we have the weather, with refurbished in Denmark before being
:12:36. > :12:46.sold for reuse, probably in Poland. refurbished in Denmark before being
:12:47. > :12:50.A starting gun of sorts was fired for the European elections in May
:12:51. > :12:53.today. Representatives of the five main parties faced an audience of
:12:54. > :13:00.students from schools across Norfolk. It's part of an attempt by
:13:01. > :13:04.the European Union to get us interested in the poll, which takes
:13:05. > :13:07.place on May 22nd. And in this region they've got their work cut
:13:08. > :13:17.out.. As our political correspondent Andrew Sinclair reports.
:13:18. > :13:22.The press release said it was an attempt to create a bit of a buzz
:13:23. > :13:32.around the European elections. In a television studio, the five main
:13:33. > :13:38.parties rehearse their arguments. You can't coming to sign on. You
:13:39. > :13:46.won't go on top of the housing list. We don't want Britain marginalised.
:13:47. > :13:50.For more than an hour a day and said questions on the Euro crisis,
:13:51. > :13:58.fracking and European scepticism. The audience aborted was worthwhile.
:13:59. > :14:06.It is good to hear their opinions. There are some fantastic debate and
:14:07. > :14:12.ideas. Did you learn anything? Massively. A series of lectures at
:14:13. > :14:14.the University of East Anglia. It was organised by the EU eight and
:14:15. > :14:16.ideas. Did you learn anything? Massively. A series of lectures at
:14:17. > :14:28.the University of East Anglia. It was organised by the EU ate went
:14:29. > :14:33.absent issues like bent bananas and cucumber 's head the news. Good or
:14:34. > :14:39.bad, I feel it is absolutely crucial for people to know about what goes
:14:40. > :14:43.on, and then make up their mind and use their democratic worth. Europe
:14:44. > :14:52.plays an important part in our lives. And yes, the turnout at
:14:53. > :14:58.European elections is notoriously low, and those who do vote, vote not
:14:59. > :15:02.an European issues, but to pass judgment on who ever is running the
:15:03. > :15:07.government. Coming up interest is hard in this part of the country.
:15:08. > :15:16.Five of our seven MPs can be called Euro sceptic, whilst UKIP Paul's
:15:17. > :15:22.hires in Eads than anywhere else `` Paul is higher in East. There were
:15:23. > :15:26.problems linking to Brussels, and as it overran, some of the audience
:15:27. > :15:34.left. The politicians felt it was worth while. Expect a lot more of
:15:35. > :15:39.this in the months to come. Petros Fassoulas is ahead of the European
:15:40. > :15:48.movement in the UK. I put a term that many people think currency are
:15:49. > :15:52.making things worse, not better. I think the immigration question is
:15:53. > :16:02.one we need to discuss a bit more. The benefits for the economy as a
:16:03. > :16:06.whole are enormous. Billions of pounds come here. They contribute to
:16:07. > :16:12.the well`being of the whole of the nation. Lotsa people would say they
:16:13. > :16:17.put pressure on services, take jobs that people could do. As an outside
:16:18. > :16:20.observer, the problem is not much the issue of immigration, it is how
:16:21. > :16:27.much we invest in schools and hospitals. That is very interesting
:16:28. > :16:33.that you put it that way. There are a lot of people in this country who
:16:34. > :16:41.just don't see that as reality. I think it is interesting that it is
:16:42. > :16:45.something I have experienced. People appreciate having hard`working
:16:46. > :16:53.polish people working in the fields. They see the effect they
:16:54. > :17:03.have in a local community. There are cases where we have to look at them.
:17:04. > :17:09.We have to invest properly to make sure if there are problems, they are
:17:10. > :17:20.resolved. How can you be impartial in the pro`European? Unfortunately,
:17:21. > :17:24.my belief is that the pro`European argument is not listen to another.
:17:25. > :17:31.We are trying to do as much as we can to have our point of view heard.
:17:32. > :17:36.That is not impartial. If you put a pro`European movement forward, it
:17:37. > :17:42.can't be. We are engaging with everyone. We welcome positions from
:17:43. > :17:45.all political parties, especially those who engage constructively.
:17:46. > :17:49.What we don't like, and I think the debate has suffered as a result, is
:17:50. > :17:55.the tendency for some people to ignore the facts and focus on the
:17:56. > :18:00.mythology around what it is to be a member of the European union. Why do
:18:01. > :18:06.so many people think we should get out of it? They have not had the
:18:07. > :18:14.opportunity to consider its. You believe it? I don't say you don't
:18:15. > :18:17.know what you are talking about. When was last time you had the
:18:18. > :18:23.opportunity to discuss openly the cost of living in the union? Rarely
:18:24. > :18:28.we talk about the benefit of being in the union. I think it is
:18:29. > :18:38.important that we take a step back and consider those matters. Thank
:18:39. > :18:41.you very much. The overnight rain has already
:18:42. > :18:44.affected some of our football matches. Stevenage's game against
:18:45. > :18:47.Wolves has been called off. And there will be a pitch inspection at
:18:48. > :18:50.Colchester tomorrow morning. Of the games still on, Norwich against
:18:51. > :18:54.Manchester City is top of the bill. When Norwich went to the Etihad in
:18:55. > :18:59.November they lost 7`0, their worst defeat in the league in 75 years.
:19:00. > :19:07.This report from Tom Williams. It is 2`0. That is exquisite. An
:19:08. > :19:13.absolute belter. That is seven. Do you still have nightmares about what
:19:14. > :19:16.happened at City? No. Especially as I have seen the amount of goals they
:19:17. > :19:23.have scored against, perhaps bigger teams than us. You have to put that
:19:24. > :19:28.behind you. It was arguably worst performance of the season. But as
:19:29. > :19:31.Chelsea proved, the free scoring, multi`million pound juggernaut is
:19:32. > :19:35.fallible. Saying that, they spent 250 million to do it. Norwich's
:19:36. > :19:40.problem, Manchester City can't afford successive defeats in their
:19:41. > :19:45.title chase. Most fans would agree Norwich's form at Carrow Road will
:19:46. > :19:48.hold the key to survival. After Manchester City this weekend, the
:19:49. > :19:51.next home game is against Tottenham. Then of course that dreaded run`in.
:19:52. > :19:59.Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, before Arsenal here on the
:20:00. > :20:03.final day. It means results between now and then will be crucial.
:20:04. > :20:07.Norwich have only won once in nine. Last week's loss at Cardiff a costly
:20:08. > :20:12.one, leaving them two points clear of the drop zone. Where do you see
:20:13. > :20:21.the points comming from to guarantee safety? In every game. In every game
:20:22. > :20:25.we play. There is not a game we go into that we think, we will write
:20:26. > :20:28.this one off, because that is defeatist. The facts don't lie. We
:20:29. > :20:36.are only three point away from tenth place, but we know how tight it is
:20:37. > :20:42.below us. Here to help, a new signing. Joseph Yobo, who could make
:20:43. > :20:46.his debut. I like challenges. Extra motivation. I want to go to the
:20:47. > :20:49.World Cup. I want to perform at the highest level. Pushing myself, and
:20:50. > :20:53.also understand the situation Norwich are in. It is strong
:20:54. > :20:56.motivation for me. He is staying positive, keeping calm, but it would
:20:57. > :21:00.take some transformation to reverse this scoreline.
:21:01. > :21:03.The opening ceremony of the winter Olympics has been taking place this
:21:04. > :21:08.afternoon but one athlete who isn't involved is Craig Pickering from
:21:09. > :21:11.Milton Keynes. He was set to become only the eighth British athlete to
:21:12. > :21:15.compete at both a winter and summer Olympics. Sadly a back injury on the
:21:16. > :21:28.eve of the games in Sochi means he's already back home.
:21:29. > :21:33.I had surgery on it in 2012. It has gone into the spinal nerve canal.
:21:34. > :21:40.Know I've athlete wants to get bad news. It is a hammer blow before the
:21:41. > :21:49.eve of an Olympic Games. I spend a lot of effort getting to this level.
:21:50. > :21:54.To get so close and then having to pull out is very tough. Pickering
:21:55. > :22:01.could barely watch as is team`mate stumble down the course. They needed
:22:02. > :22:04.a good result to qualify for Sochi. Pickering was set to become a
:22:05. > :22:09.British athlete to compete at both summer and winter games. Sadly,
:22:10. > :22:13.another slipped disc in his back as ruined his chances. The doctors said
:22:14. > :22:18.we could tribute up as much as possible. You will be able to go out
:22:19. > :22:23.there. You will perform very well. You would do yourself damage. It is
:22:24. > :22:28.a cruel blow for the sprinter who tried his hand at Bobsleigh. This
:22:29. > :22:32.injury put 's long`term future as a sportsman in serious doubt. Is this
:22:33. > :22:38.the end of your professional sporting career? Potentially. It is
:22:39. > :22:43.a bad injury. I had a bad injury two years ago. To have a second disco in
:22:44. > :22:50.such a short space of time is not a good sign that Iraq desk. The bigot
:22:51. > :22:56.pick a double bed now? TLC. Making sure we are here for him. We were
:22:57. > :23:01.hoping it would not be serious, but it sounds like it is more serious
:23:02. > :23:06.than we thought. He's a computing added in the game is the pinnacle of
:23:07. > :23:11.his life. It is your journey he will not take again. He was still watches
:23:12. > :23:15.team`mate, and rolling them on to success.
:23:16. > :23:18.Almost a million years ago, five people, possibly a family, took a
:23:19. > :23:21.walk along what is now the Norfolk coast at Happisburgh. Behind them
:23:22. > :23:24.they left perfect footprints, which have only just been discovered.
:23:25. > :23:29.Scientists say they're among oldest in the world. They had only days to
:23:30. > :23:33.record their find before the evidence was washed away by the sea.
:23:34. > :23:43.Alex Dunlop has been following in their footsteps.
:23:44. > :23:51.May be my first footprint will be preserved. It was at this very spot
:23:52. > :23:55.that five early humans literally made an impression. Several
:23:56. > :24:00.impressions. When Nasher's storms washed with a bit sad, scientist had
:24:01. > :24:07.a few days to record and photograph the footprints before the sea washed
:24:08. > :24:18.away them. You can see it is covered in hollows. They have been washed
:24:19. > :24:25.out by the sea. It is very fragile. This could be the earliest footprint
:24:26. > :24:30.anywhere in Europe and Asia. Potentially it is important.
:24:31. > :24:35.Analysis shows footprints are small, probably children's. It might been a
:24:36. > :24:39.family going for a walk. This one would have been an adult male. He
:24:40. > :24:44.was about five foot nine and may have looked like this. Not a pretty
:24:45. > :24:52.sight, but clever enough to make tools and hunt animals. At the time,
:24:53. > :24:58.this area was an inland estuary. East angler was stalling by land to
:24:59. > :25:03.continental Europe. There could be a whole treasure chests on the
:25:04. > :25:08.speech. This project has been going for years. We're been hoping to
:25:09. > :25:16.discover a school. It is yet to happen. I am sure it. Is no and
:25:17. > :25:22.Mecca for you? We are the only county to have evidence of four
:25:23. > :25:28.species of human. This coastline is a prehistoric treasure trove,
:25:29. > :25:37.yielding of mammoths and ancient tools. Some survived 800,000 years,
:25:38. > :25:48.others just a few seconds. He won't be the years from now. We have a
:25:49. > :25:55.yellow warning for more rain tonight. He is that next lot of
:25:56. > :25:57.rain. Some showers at header that main band, is that main band, so
:25:58. > :26:03.that'll rattle through the next few hours. Some of them may be the heavy
:26:04. > :26:08.side. This main band the rain comes in, produce five millimetres. It
:26:09. > :26:13.will be accompanied by strong southerly winds, which could reach
:26:14. > :26:16.gale force around the coast. The rain rattles through quickly, so
:26:17. > :26:22.during the early hours we will see drier conditions. The winds easing
:26:23. > :26:26.down just a touch. Temperatures no lower than seven or eight degrees.
:26:27. > :26:35.Tomorrow morning, Italy lighter winds. Plus three started today with
:26:36. > :26:40.a few showers. The showers will be on the heavy side. The winds will
:26:41. > :26:49.pick up in the afternoon. A strong south westerly winds. Gusts of 50
:26:50. > :26:53.the city mph, but on the coast we may have stronger gust still. Good
:26:54. > :26:57.afternoon we will see more showers piling in, some of them given a
:26:58. > :27:01.longer spell rain. The showers continue through Saturday night into
:27:02. > :27:07.the early hours of Sunday. That sets the scene for Sunday itself. Further
:27:08. > :27:11.showers, heavy at times. Strong south westerly winds, but hopefully
:27:12. > :27:15.for the day on Sunday we should start to see those winds easing
:27:16. > :27:17.down, and hopefully we saw to see those winds easing down, and
:27:18. > :27:27.hopefully we stop the CQ showers. From now until Sunday, the potential
:27:28. > :27:32.for 20 millimetres of rain. Monday, a few showers. More wet and windy
:27:33. > :27:39.weather arriving Tuesday. We could see some frosting eyes on Sunday
:27:40. > :28:25.night as well as Monday. Have a great weekend.
:28:26. > :28:37.It's your job to keep law and order, isn't it?
:28:38. > :28:40.It must be exciting being a policewoman. It has its moments.