:00:00. > :00:09.In Look East tonight: The mother of a young boy who was killed
:00:10. > :00:12.by a driver using a mobile phone says new penalties
:00:13. > :00:16.Councils struggle to offer all pupils their first choice
:00:17. > :00:18.of secondary school with a backdrop of rising pupil numbers
:00:19. > :00:26.And the Hatters have failed to secure a Wembley final,
:00:27. > :00:28.after losing against Oxford in the semi-finals of
:00:29. > :00:43.First tonight, the crackdown on drivers using mobile phones that
:00:44. > :00:50.From today, penalties and fines for offenders have doubled.
:00:51. > :00:52.But the change in the law is still not enough according
:00:53. > :00:55.to relatives of those killed by motorists who were
:00:56. > :01:03.Nicknamed Smiler, seven-year-old Seth Dixon was a happy boy,
:01:04. > :01:07.he loved singing and dancing and his mum Alice.
:01:08. > :01:12.In December 2014 she asked him to post a letter across the road.
:01:13. > :01:17.He was hit by a car and died two weeks later.
:01:18. > :01:22.You just can't believe it's happening.
:01:23. > :01:31.You just want to scoop him up and shake him and say
:01:32. > :01:40.The driver of the car that hit Seth was talking hands-free
:01:41. > :01:44.Since then, Alice has campaigned for a total ban
:01:45. > :01:48.Today saw the launch of tougher new laws,
:01:49. > :01:52.six points instead of three and a ?200 fine.
:01:53. > :01:57.New drivers caught within two years of passing their test
:01:58. > :01:59.would have their licence revoked, but Alice says that's not enough
:02:00. > :02:09.The message most people are taking from this is, if I am distracted
:02:10. > :02:13.and have an accident, I will get fined.
:02:14. > :02:18.A lot of people are saying to me, that means that if I am not a person
:02:19. > :02:22.who gets distracted by making a phone call, I will not have
:02:23. > :02:28.Adam Pearson from Milton Keynes was seriously injured when a lorry
:02:29. > :02:32.smashed into the back of his stationary car at 50 mph,
:02:33. > :02:35.a mother and three children in another car where all killed.
:02:36. > :02:43.Dash cam footage showed the lorry driver changing music on his phone
:02:44. > :02:45.for at least eight seconds before the crash.
:02:46. > :02:47.There is very strong evidence to suggest the destruction caused
:02:48. > :02:50.by a phone is at least equal to or more than the impairment
:02:51. > :03:01.I see no reason why the punishment should not be on par as well.
:03:02. > :03:04.This new HGV cabin will give officers a better vantage point
:03:05. > :03:08.in catching offenders at the wheel of larger vehicles.
:03:09. > :03:10.They say mobile phone use is the modern problem
:03:11. > :03:15.Back in the 70s, people were not wearing seat belts,
:03:16. > :03:18.so we made it unsociable for people not to wear them.
:03:19. > :03:22.Then we moved on to drink-driving, now we are in the era of social
:03:23. > :03:28.People are using their mobile phones more.
:03:29. > :03:37.Seth's mum Alice says she will continue her campaign.
:03:38. > :03:39.Earlier I spoke to Mark Turner, the Chief Executive
:03:40. > :03:43.It's a charity based in Bedford which supports
:03:44. > :03:48.I asked him how much of a deterrent these new penalties
:03:49. > :03:53.I don't think it will stop people completely.
:03:54. > :03:55.Unfortunately what we have is a culture that people
:03:56. > :03:58.think it is OK to be on the phone while driving.
:03:59. > :04:03.The answer to this ultimately will be a holistic approach, that's
:04:04. > :04:09.It's about awareness and culture, people thinking they should not be
:04:10. > :04:11.on their phones when they're doing something as complex as driving
:04:12. > :04:16.and recognising the true danger that it causes.
:04:17. > :04:19.How do you make something like using your phone behind
:04:20. > :04:25.It is socially unacceptable, entirely inappropriate
:04:26. > :04:30.I think what happens around education and awareness
:04:31. > :04:33.and enforcement is that the message does get through.
:04:34. > :04:36.It does not get there overnight, you only have to look
:04:37. > :04:39.at other changes that have occurred around legislation.
:04:40. > :04:42.Think of drink-driving compared to a few years' ago
:04:43. > :04:47.The actual legislation, increased deterrence and penalties
:04:48. > :04:50.will get through to people, and hopefully that will start
:04:51. > :04:53.This is all about catching people using their phones
:04:54. > :04:56.How confident are you that the police have
:04:57. > :05:02.I do not think the legislation change is all about catching people,
:05:03. > :05:06.You would have to ask the police about that.
:05:07. > :05:09.They have lots of priorities, they do a very difficult job
:05:10. > :05:23.That's the enforcement part, this is also about education.
:05:24. > :05:28.It is also about promoting the issues of dangers of mobile phone,
:05:29. > :05:29.and that will ultimately leak through to the public who should
:05:30. > :05:32.take that message on board. Parents across the region have
:05:33. > :05:34.been finding out today whether or not their child has
:05:35. > :05:37.got their preferred secondary school Rising populations and in places
:05:38. > :05:43.a shortage of school place means some councils are struggling
:05:44. > :05:46.to offer children their If you're a parent of a Year Six
:05:47. > :05:54.child, the chances are today has I know I'm not getting my results
:05:55. > :06:01.for another couple of hours, My daughter who started at secondary
:06:02. > :06:07.school last year went We applied for four schools
:06:08. > :06:15.and we were given an unranked school, which means a school
:06:16. > :06:20.that we hadn't chosen. It was upsetting,
:06:21. > :06:23.and quite daunting. The demand for school places
:06:24. > :06:26.has never been higher. This is Wootton Park free school,
:06:27. > :06:32.it opened in September last year in an attempt to reduce
:06:33. > :06:36.the scramble for places. We've had a huge amount of interest,
:06:37. > :06:38.we are oversubscribed now There is a demand from the people
:06:39. > :06:47.to have a local school that is We will grow year-on-year
:06:48. > :06:52.until we are 1260 in total, making sure we offer that quality
:06:53. > :06:55.education that young people As the county council knows,
:06:56. > :07:02.it needs many more schools They weren't able to speak to us
:07:03. > :07:08.today, but in the past they have told us that the County's booming
:07:09. > :07:11.population is creating unprecedented By 2020, Northamptonshire will need
:07:12. > :07:19.an extra 25 primary schools Such is the pressure to find
:07:20. > :07:26.out if school choices have been successful,
:07:27. > :07:28.the county council's website Thousands of parents logged on,
:07:29. > :07:50.prompting this apology: But that still leaves
:07:51. > :07:54.Northamptonshire lagging behind. Perhaps this year's school report
:07:55. > :07:57.for the county and several other of our councils could well be
:07:58. > :08:06."improving, but could do better". In the last hour Luton Town
:08:07. > :08:08.have lost their match against Oxford United,
:08:09. > :08:12.missing out at a final a Wembley. The Hatters lost 3-2 in the semi
:08:13. > :08:17.finals of the Checkatrade Trophy. Our Sports Reporter James Burridge
:08:18. > :08:19.has been watching the match at Kennilworth Road tonight
:08:20. > :08:23.and sent this report. An entertaining and enthralling
:08:24. > :08:26.match here at Kenilworth Road, Luton in the end just didn't quite
:08:27. > :08:30.have enough over Oxford, But being down two
:08:31. > :08:37.seemed to inspire them. Within two minutes,
:08:38. > :08:40.Isaac Vassell smashed the ball Suddenly the crowd here began
:08:41. > :08:45.to believe, and they believed even more when Danny Hylton popped up
:08:46. > :08:50.against his former club, 2-2. Kenilworth Road really did feel
:08:51. > :08:52.they were on their way The cruelty of that was
:08:53. > :08:55.that Marvin Johnson, who had scored earlier,
:08:56. > :09:00.had an absolute ripper outside By far and away the best
:09:01. > :09:05.shot of the game. In the end, that goal
:09:06. > :09:08.was decisive and definitive. Consider how much they've been
:09:09. > :09:15.through, they've been fined ?15,000 They miss out on Wembley
:09:16. > :09:20.but they can take a lot of credit And you can hear reaction to that
:09:21. > :09:27.loss on the Breakfast Show on BBC Three Counties Radio tomorrow
:09:28. > :09:30.morning from 6am. And of course, full analysis
:09:31. > :09:35.on the BBC News website. A team which helps to test
:09:36. > :09:39.the hearing of babies who are just a few hours old has been named
:09:40. > :09:42.as best in the region and second Staff at Peterborough City Hospital
:09:43. > :09:46.have made it their mission to diagnose as many newborns
:09:47. > :09:48.as possible and minimise Mums say it makes a real difference
:09:49. > :09:55.by offering reassurance and enabling children who need them to get
:09:56. > :09:59.hearing aids as early as possible. That's how the region
:10:00. > :10:01.is looking tonight. Some outbreaks of rain
:10:02. > :10:06.to start the night, some of that on the heavy side,
:10:07. > :10:09.but eventually many southern parts will become largely dry with some
:10:10. > :10:11.clear spells developing. Further north, it will
:10:12. > :10:13.probably hold onto the wet The winds are going to pick up
:10:14. > :10:17.as the night goes on, we are looking at a fresh to strong
:10:18. > :10:20.west and south by Those winds should gradually ease
:10:21. > :10:24.through the day as this pulls away to the continent,
:10:25. > :10:26.but it does look like a very But eventually the rain
:10:27. > :10:32.and showers should clear, and we should see some long sunny
:10:33. > :10:35.spells developing everywhere. Temperatures tomorrow
:10:36. > :10:36.at best around 9 degrees, by the afternoon and those winds
:10:37. > :10:40.should be down to a moderate We finished the day largely fine
:10:41. > :10:46.and dry, with a lot of clear sky. In a moment, John will have the
:10:47. > :10:49.National forecast, but I will leave On Friday, more rain
:10:50. > :10:54.pushing up from the south, Rain giving way to showers, some of
:10:55. > :10:59.those on the heavy side on Saturday. Showers or longer spells
:11:00. > :11:08.of rain on Sunday. outlook. A whole load of 11 is. What
:11:09. > :11:13.does that mean? Maybe John Hammond will tell you.
:11:14. > :11:19.We're in for a bumpy ride. The weather chopping and changing
:11:20. > :11:23.keeping us on our toes. Rain never too far away from our crystal ball.
:11:24. > :11:26.There has been rain around today across southern areas. This band of
:11:27. > :11:28.wet weather pushing through Wales and the Midlands. A little bit of
:11:29. > :11:29.the white stuff