:00:00. > :00:00.The Chief Constable of Bedfordshire defends his force
:00:00. > :00:12.after it's rated the worst in the country.
:00:13. > :00:27.the people who killed a 60-year-old woman in Milton Keynes.
:00:28. > :00:29.First tonight, a damning verdict on Bedfordshire Police and why it
:00:30. > :00:35.The Inspectorate of Constabularies today released the results
:00:36. > :00:37.of their inspections of all our forces.
:00:38. > :00:39.Cambridgeshire and Thames Valley, which covers Milton Keynes,
:00:40. > :00:44.Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire were told they require improvement.
:00:45. > :00:47.But Bedfordshire Police was the only force in in the country to be
:00:48. > :00:49.classed as inadequate - with particular criticism
:00:50. > :00:54.for its work on preventing crime and supporting victims.
:00:55. > :00:56.In a moment, we'll hear from the Chief Constable,
:00:57. > :01:03.but first this report from Tom Barton.
:01:04. > :01:05.Bedfordshire Police officers search for evidence after the arrest of a
:01:06. > :01:12.As well as a small amount of cannabis, they found
:01:13. > :01:14.several thousand pounds in cash and a number of SIM
:01:15. > :01:20.This one here, that was found down the side of the bed.
:01:21. > :01:25.But while this arrest has been successful, the
:01:26. > :01:29.force has today been found to be failing by the policing watchdog.
:01:30. > :01:31.It is a deeply disappointing result for the force.
:01:32. > :01:37.The force, I think, will say they don't recognise some
:01:38. > :01:39.of the things that I've identified within my
:01:40. > :01:42.findings, but I think it is important that the public in
:01:43. > :01:43.Bedfordshire know that actually, the level
:01:44. > :01:45.of policing service they are
:01:46. > :01:48.receiving at the moment is simply not good enough.
:01:49. > :02:04.Overall, the verdict was that the force was
:02:05. > :02:11.43 inspection reports have been published to daily into
:02:12. > :02:14.every police force in England and Wales.
:02:15. > :02:17.Only one, though, Bedfordshire, has been found to be
:02:18. > :02:20.The force, though, said it has been unfairly judged.
:02:21. > :02:23.In Luton, Bedfordshire's gangs and guns
:02:24. > :02:25.unit goes to drugs seized during a recent arrest.
:02:26. > :02:27.Alongside ?15,000 worth of heroin and cannabis, they
:02:28. > :02:39.But this team, dealing with some of the
:02:40. > :02:41.highest level series crime in the country,
:02:42. > :02:47.A victim, says Bedfordshire, of the fact that this force only
:02:48. > :02:54.receive the same sort of funding as low crime, rural areas.
:02:55. > :02:56.If you've got a force that's trying to combat the
:02:57. > :02:59.level of criminality, we need the resources to do so,
:03:00. > :03:01.otherwise we will never eradicate it and prevente it long-term.
:03:02. > :03:03.That, for you, is the biggest challenge?
:03:04. > :03:06.I would like to be ahead of the game,
:03:07. > :03:08.rather than trying to enforce and just be dealing
:03:09. > :03:13.I think more resources would enable us to do that and concentrate
:03:14. > :03:15.As the suspected drug dealer arrested this
:03:16. > :03:18.morning is taken into custody, the force that's investigating him
:03:19. > :03:36.faces some serious questions about its own performance.
:03:37. > :03:37.Earlier, I spoke with the Chief Constable
:03:38. > :03:39.of Bedfordshire Police, John Boucher, who says the verdict
:03:40. > :03:47.Clearly, I'm very, very disappointed with the grading.
:03:48. > :03:50.Bedfordshire Police is rebuilding, modernising and working
:03:51. > :03:52.tirelessly to protect vulnerable people and connect
:03:53. > :03:54.with our communities, and very little of the
:03:55. > :03:57.really good work that has been done has been commented on in
:03:58. > :04:12.But they are also saying there is no consistent community
:04:13. > :04:15.presence and that you are failing to stop crime at source.
:04:16. > :04:17.According to HMIC, you are failing in
:04:18. > :04:19.your basic task of protecting the public, aren't you?
:04:20. > :04:26.They say we need to do more about domestic abuse,
:04:27. > :04:28.they were concerned about vulnerability, so we put more
:04:29. > :04:30.resources into vulnerability - and crime's changing,
:04:31. > :04:32.so domestic abuse, we've set up a new unit,
:04:33. > :04:41.We are protecting more people and dealing
:04:42. > :04:45.with domestic abuse in a far better way.
:04:46. > :04:47.You know better than anyone that this is fundamentally a
:04:48. > :04:57.Aren't you, therefore, losing the funding argument?
:04:58. > :05:00.No, I don't think we are losing the funding argument.
:05:01. > :05:02.At the moment, the funding formula is being looked at.
:05:03. > :05:04.I genuinely believe the police minister is listening.
:05:05. > :05:08.We need, just to bring us somewhere towards parity, only
:05:09. > :05:09.towards parity, another 300 police officers.
:05:10. > :05:11.That's 30% more in our workforce, which is about
:05:12. > :05:15.That sounds like a terribly large amount of money but, in policing
:05:16. > :05:17.terms, it really isn't, and that would provide us
:05:18. > :05:19.with an ability to protect the communities in
:05:20. > :05:22.Bedfordshire and provide local policing in a way that has to be
:05:23. > :05:26.This isn't a force that has resourses that you can just move
:05:27. > :05:28.resources around without having an impact elsewhere.
:05:29. > :05:51.What is your message to people right now
:05:52. > :06:00.watching this, living in Bedfordshire, who think they've got
:06:01. > :06:02.in Bedfordshire, we have to be smarter than other people
:06:03. > :06:04.and the officers and staff of this force do an
:06:05. > :06:08.incredibly difficult job brilliantly.
:06:09. > :06:11.There are fears many schools in our region would be worse off
:06:12. > :06:13.if the government's new funding formula goes through.
:06:14. > :06:14.The proposed changes, due to be implemented
:06:15. > :06:16.from next September, are proving controversial.
:06:17. > :06:18.They are meant to even out the distribution of money
:06:19. > :06:20.across primary and secondary provision, but critics says some
:06:21. > :06:23.of the most deprived areas in our region will lose out ...
:06:24. > :06:38.Schools will be giving a lump sum, taking into account levels of social
:06:39. > :06:41.mobility as well as other factors. Nationwide, 11,000 schools will
:06:42. > :06:46.benefit and 9000 Wilmot. Then look at two examples in our region. The
:06:47. > :06:51.date when it is Northamptonshire with an additional ?7 million in the
:06:52. > :06:56.coffers. Over two thirds of school set to gain but the biggest loser in
:06:57. > :07:00.one of the poorest areas is Luton, ?500 less than pupil with all bar to
:07:01. > :07:08.primary schools facing cuts. If the idea was to give funding to
:07:09. > :07:16.all areas where there is a great need, greater deprivation and the
:07:17. > :07:19.area that can do more in terms of improving attendance and skills of
:07:20. > :07:26.the future generation, one would think that any governments would put
:07:27. > :07:31.that as a priority. That is not the case in terms of Luton. Head
:07:32. > :07:35.teachers say they are worried. We spoke to the principle of Passmore
:07:36. > :07:40.School in Harlow, facing a three quarters of ?1 million cart. The
:07:41. > :07:45.governing body said he could lose 20 teachers. I have let them know that,
:07:46. > :07:49.for that particular year, I will draw the line up on how they can
:07:50. > :07:52.save that money but I will not implement it, so there will be a
:07:53. > :07:57.difficult choice at some point for me and for them. I will either have
:07:58. > :08:00.to leave because they live me to do something I'm not going to do or
:08:01. > :08:05.they will have to get rid of me because I will do it. The Department
:08:06. > :08:08.for Education said the current system is unfair, opaque and
:08:09. > :08:13.outdated. They want to end this historic political glossary. --
:08:14. > :08:14.lottery. Help me find my mother's killers:
:08:15. > :08:17.That's the plea from a Milton keynes man after his mother was killed
:08:18. > :08:20.by a gang in Milton Keynes. In January, six men broke
:08:21. > :08:23.into the home of Hang Yin Leung, pinning her down and
:08:24. > :08:25.stealing her belongings. The 65-year-old died
:08:26. > :08:27.of her injuries ten days later. Her death is now being
:08:28. > :08:29.treated as murder. To me, what has been
:08:30. > :08:31.taken cannot be replaced. So, please, if you
:08:32. > :08:34.have any information on the events that took place
:08:35. > :08:37.on the 31st of January, please contact Crimestoppers
:08:38. > :08:38.at Thames Valley Police. Today, Keith Leung paid
:08:39. > :08:49.tribute to his mother and spoke of the lifelong
:08:50. > :08:52.friend he had lost. I just remember her as someone
:08:53. > :08:55.who is bubbly, energetic, as the way that she would want
:08:56. > :08:57.to be remembered. Mrs Leung's house
:08:58. > :09:04.in Milton Keynes was picked out by a gang of six men,
:09:05. > :09:08.who returned on the 31st of January. It was on this night
:09:09. > :09:10.that they forced their way inside,
:09:11. > :09:12.pinning her to the floor. Police today were keen to stress
:09:13. > :09:17.this is no longer a burglary, but a murder investigation
:09:18. > :09:19.and they are appealing for the public's help to
:09:20. > :09:24.find those responsible. We ask anyone who has
:09:25. > :09:26.travelled between Milton Keynes and Ellsbury
:09:27. > :09:28.on that evening, Tuesday the 31st of January,
:09:29. > :09:29.between 6:30pm and 9:30pm, if they've
:09:30. > :09:32.noticed a car driving erratically, dangerously, possibly up to six
:09:33. > :09:34.persons in their vehicle, The thieves that targeted
:09:35. > :09:48.Mrs Leung's house took a number of possessions,
:09:49. > :09:50.including a gold oyster Rolex and her long service police medal
:09:51. > :09:53.from Hong Kong. Police want to hear from anyone
:09:54. > :09:55.who may have information about these items and wish to assure the public
:09:56. > :09:59.that there is a team of 30 officers who are dedicated to
:10:00. > :10:21.catching those responsible. Good evening. Some wet weather
:10:22. > :10:25.briefing in over 99 but it is dry at the moment. A wet forecast for
:10:26. > :10:29.tomorrow and into the weekend. For tonight, clear skies out there. That
:10:30. > :10:35.means a chilly temperature for the first part of the night.
:10:36. > :10:39.Temperatures down to 2-3dC. More cloud rating in from the south with
:10:40. > :10:42.some rain. We start the day tomorrow with quite a lot of wet weather,
:10:43. > :10:47.pushing northwards and being quite windy from the cell, quite a brisk
:10:48. > :10:51.breeze expected but that bring clear northwards, so there might be
:10:52. > :10:56.something a little drier and perhaps a little brighter. Temperatures on
:10:57. > :10:57.the mild side, 10 Celsius, under the ground with the rain, not feeling
:10:58. > :11:02.too pleasant. The national weather weekend, we have more rain in the
:11:03. > :11:03.forecast. Rain at