23/11/2017 Look East

That's all from the BBC News at Six.

Hello and welcome to Look East.

In the programme tonight -

Tears and Cheers.

DIY SOS and teams of volunteers

transform the life of a man left

disabled after an attack.

The fact that sees essentially got a

life sentence himself, and so his

wife who has become a wife and carer

rather than the daughter that her

father wishes she had.

Hospital appointment letters

appealing for donations -

An MP says it's a form of begging

and it's unacceptable.

I'm

I at the fayre Bury St Edmunds as

security is stepped up.

And a dramatic 24 hours as Look East

witnesses more than 200 migrants

including a newborn baby rescued

in the Mediterranean.

Hello.

The lives of a disabled man

and his family have been transformed

thanks to a team of volunteers

in Suffolk and a BBC TV programme.

Simon Dobbin was left brain damaged

after being attacked by a gang

of hooligans after a football

match in Southend.

For more than two years his wife has

been his fulltime carer

but their home in Mildenhall

hasn't been able to

accommodate his complex needs.

This morning though, that changed.

Day ten of the big build and some

last-minute touches.

More than 100 volunteers

have gutted then

transformed the small terraced house

in Mildenhall for Simon Dobbin.

The Cambridge United fan was left

with severe brain injuries

after being attacked by football

hooligans in Southend in 2015.

After leaving hospital,

his bed has been in the dining room,

a wet room part of the makeover.

We can't show you the end

result, that must wait

until the programme shown next year.

But presenter Nick Knowles led

the way, as Simon's wife

Nicole and daughter Emily,

eyes firmly shut, had

their first glimpse.

This family's plight has been

very widely publicised

by yourself and other media.

So I think that the whole of Suffolk

has taken it to the heart

and we have had enormous goodwill,

not least in things like scotch eggs

and cakes and things and people

cooking and baking for us.

So it's very lovely that 100-110

volunteers per day has

been well looked after.

Here come the heroes that have

made it all happened.

Firms have donated materials,

builders, plumbers,

electricians and others,

giving the labour free.

I do it all again in a heartbeat.

The feel on the build

was absolutely fantastic.

I'm privileged to be a part of it.

The amount of people

you get here is unreal.

What's going on in the world today,

you still get all those

good-hearted people, it's great.

Great bunch of lads.

Good camaraderie, and banter

like you never know anywhere else.

So I'm going to miss them.

Clive Morris, who worked

alongside Simon in the RAF

regiment, part of a team

from Hollington and Marham.

I think it's one of those things

you couldn't have missed,

knowing Simon before.

A lot of the younger

lads don't know him

a connection, with the regiment.

So yeah, we just needed

to come up and do it.

115 people per day has turned up

here to get the house

back for Simon and

make the house work.

It's pretty amazing

because they haven't turned up

with hammers just to smash

a house about.

They turned up here for a reason.

They came here with a heart,

they built this house with love.

After their first viewing

of the new look home,

Nicole and Emily emerged

to wild applause.

The designer of the new abode?

Laurence Llewellyn

Bowen, looking on.

Everything is perfect,

nothing is going to be changed.

Good old Laurence?

Good old Lawrence.

You know, he's done a cracker

of a job in there, he's really

made us feel very proud.

They've listen to our likes

and dislikes and they've made a home

they've listened to what we wanted

and they've put it into place.

Simon is in Addenbrooke's Hospital,

recovering from a chest infection.

But DIY SOS and hundreds of good

people have ensured his home

is somewhere he can

live with dignity.

The family are staying

in another house while

the transformation is underway.

Simon's wife Nicole is there now.

You are quite emotional as he came

out, what was the reveal like?

It was amazing. We didn't know what

to expect, it's at a small house

that going in there and looking

around, they've made it look so

large and Simon's bedroom is just

like a posh hotel room with ensuite.

It meets his needs, everything is

there that we need. He will be able

to come into the lounge area. He'll

be able to see the whole downstairs

of the house but he wasn't able to

do before. The garden is easy for

him to access and it's just

stunning.

How much and Pat did you

have to what they did because you

said they listen to your likes and

dislikes?

Not a great deal, we were

telling them what kind of colours we

like and I might. That was basically

it. Laurence Llewellyn Bowen, I

spoke to him last week and he was

taking the Mickey, saying the whole

house was blue because blue is not

my favourite colour. Actually what

they've done is so stylish.

Simon

obviously is in hospital at the

moment, how is he?

He's doing well.

He's getting ready for discharge.

His been -- unable to the control

his own secretions. The thing going

into his lungs and be kept out of

hospital for three long but

unfortunately, because of the brain

damage, he had to have a tracheotomy

fitted. But I will go in and then he

will be home.

I know he understand

exactly what's going on, what will

his reaction be when he sees the

transformation?

I think the plan is

to have a few people there when he

does come home. He missed the big

reveal today and the amount of

people there was amazing. I think

salmon will get quite tearful, he

will love being centre of attention

that he will also, it not a clinical

room he's going into he will be

overwhelmed but more relaxed in that

room.

What difference will it make

to all of your lives?

It's going to

make our lives so much easier. We

have the equipment in there that we

didn't have before. We have an

overhead ceiling hoist. Simon has

his wet room. The things we were

doing before, having to get a bowl

of water, we won't have to do this

any more and it will make life a

much easier. To have Simon sitting

at the lounge with us. The lounge,

dining and kitchen is always a plant

in a matter where we are in the

living area, Simon Bull be with us.

When are you moving in yourself?

I'm

going back tomorrow morning.

Fantastic. We wish you all the best

for your move back in. So happy for

you all, thank you, Nicole.

Thank

you very much.

The Norfolk and Norwich University

Hospital has been criticised

for including an appeal

for charitable donations

on its appointment letters.

The N and N is the only

hospital in Norfolk,

Suffolk and Essex to appeal

for money in this way.

Patients are being asked

to donate to 'provide

the highest quality service'.

This is Belinda with an appointment

letter from the Norfolk

and Norwich University Hospital.

When she received it recently,

Belinda was surprised to see

a paragraph asking her to make

a donation to the

hospital's charity.

The appeal says, with

restrictions on public funding,

voluntary donations can make

a difference in supporting...

I appreciate the NHS is short

of funds and I know that they do get

a lot of money from fundraising,

often when people have

had the treatment.

But I think to actually get a letter

saying that they are short of money

and for high-quality treatment,

could you consider making a donation

when you haven't even been

to the hospital yet, I think is just

totally inappropriate.

The hospital has a JustGiving page

and people have long donated

money to its charity.

Last year, the charity raised over

£1 million but the appeal for funds

on every outpatient letter

is raising eyebrows.

I think many people be asking

themselves this question.

Today, we are putting

at the bottom of patient letters,

a begging bowl, in effect,

asking for charitable

funds for basic hospital

equipment and services.

Today, it is an ask but tomorrow,

I think some people may

think it can be a demand.

It is a slippery slope

that we are heading towards.

So I think a lot of people will be

worried about this.

What to the public

think of this idea?

We did an unscientific straw poll

in Norwich city centre.

I don't think that should be

on an official letter.

Why?

The health service is funded

through taxation.

We shouldn't have to rely

on donations for our health service.

Is it a sign of desperation?

It's

desperate times.

The government isn't

going to provide that money then

I suppose there's got to get

it from somewhere.

The hospital has turned

down our request for an interview

but in a statement, a spokesperson

told us, "Donations

to the charity make a difference

and we are incredibly grateful

for the support we receive."

Administrators who are running one

of the region's biggest furniture

firms say they're hopeful

of finding a buyer.

Multiyork collapsed last night,

putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The group's 50 stores are remaining

open for the time being.

Multiyork headquarters

today, the Thetford-based

company continues to trade

but with a workforce

fearing the worst.

About 300 people work here,

most assembling furniture.

But for how much longer?

The administrators attributed

company's collapse to weak

consumer confidence,

and a fall in the value

of the pound.

That has pushed up the cost of

Multiyork's imported raw materials.

The company has 50 stores nationwide

including this one in Norwich.

It has proved difficult to pass

on price rises with so much

competition on the high Street.

What do shoppers make

of Multiyork's demise?

Seems quite sad, over the years

that's been a big company.

I believe it was opened one day

and I was at Thetford

with the factory and such but it

seems quite sad, yeah.

That's just another thing

of the high street going.

Disappointing really,

because look at the places

that are closing down.

But some furniture firms

are working flat out.

Warings, near Attleborough,

supplies large chains such

as Costa and Center Parcs.

So it's not exposed

to the high street.

We are always looking

for upholsterers so the office

stuff, there's plenty

of opportunity here, and we are

continually recruiting,

we could probably add another 20

plus people to the workforce

straightaway and maybe a bit more.

Back in Thetford, Multiyork is one

of the mainstays of the economy.

The town depends on manufacturing

and last year, another big employer,

Baxter Healthcare, was saved

from closure by a £2 million

grant from a public body.

Just lately, there has been a spate

of worrying announcements

about major employers in Norfolk.

The Coleman's and Britvic factories

in Norwich face possible closure.

The construction industry

training board may move away

from its base in West Norfolk.

Now Multiyork could close unless

the administrators can save it.

Richard is here.

So what are the chances

of a deal to save jobs?

The administrators say they are

really hopeful of finding a buyer

given the reputation for quality

that Multiyork has. They also

believe that the highly skilled

workforce at the factory which is

right beside the M11 in Thetford is

also an asset that will attract

buyers. They cannot do it until

Christmas at the earlier.

What about

people that have ordered furniture?

They have an looking at orders

placed up until yesterday. They say

they will all be honoured and

customers will be contacted with

further updates. Customers going

into the shops from now on can

basically buy furniture off the

shelf. Furniture that is in the

shop. But they can't it apparently,

is ordered furniture to be made to

order. And also no finance options

are available, now.

Richard, thank

you very much.

A grandfather- accused

of killing his stepson

almost fifty years ago

has admitted shaking

the toddler on the night he died.

David Dearlove -

who's 71 - and from Great Yarmouth -

told the court it was

'playfully' done.

He's accused of murdering 19 month

old Paul Booth when he lived

in the North East in 1968.

He denies murder and says

Paul fell out of bed.

A driver arrested in connection

with a fatal crash in Suffolk has

been released pending

further enquiries.

A 23 year old man died

in Addenbrooke's after the car

he was travelling in hit a wall

in Long Melford early

yesterday morning.

A man from Ipswich was arrested

on suspicion of drug driving and

causing death by dangerous driving.

Still to come on the programme

tonight - Alex will be

here with news of a chilly weekend.

And we are live at the Bury

Christmas Fayre where armed police

are on patrol after a year

overshadowed by terrorist

attacks at public events.

This week we've been telling

the story of Paul Chamberlain.

He's from Norfolk

but spends his time

in charge of a boat called

Mission Lifeline helping

migrants who are in danger

off the coast of Libya.

He and his team have had

a dramatic 24 hours.

Yesterday we showed you how

they rescued 43 men, women

and children from a leaky boat.

Now they've picked up

a total of 262 people,

including a baby born at sea.

Our cameraman Shaun Whitmore

and reporter Debbie Tubby

are travelling with the rescue crew.

33 degrees, 25, 012082,

that's what we've got isn't it?

Another group of migrants,

this time identified from the air,

spotted on a flimsy boat.

On the so-called deadliest

migration route in the world.

The good weather and calm seas has

encouraged them to risk their lives

before the winter storms set in.

Take our time, no rush.

Let's make sure we count people on.

Let's make sure we count people on.

Paul briefs his crew

on the latest situation.

It's a simple humanitarian act

and now to die at sea, really.

For me, it's as simple as that.

This is the second

rescue in as many days.

This time, we think there

are about 80 people on board,

we're not sure at this

stage if it is wooden

boat or an inflatable.

There are in fact 95 on board.

They've been unable to move

from here for nine hours.

Tensions are running high.

Many of these are

from Ghana and Libya.

Fleeing persecution and civil war,

looking for a better life.

My baby, my mama.

Silent, the baby is crying.

They can only be rescued

if the Italian maritime rescue

coordination centre gives

permission to do so.

We've just been informed by MRCC

in Rome there was another boat that

and we are making speed,

to save time when we get

there, we've kept our

rescue boat in the water.

This time, they are from Gambia,

Nigeria and Morocco.

They welcome the helping hand

and the friendly faces.

For one man, it is just too much.

He falls unconscious.

Sean, my cameraman,

puts his camera down,

he helps to bring him round.

Good work, Sean, good work.

Many have travelled hundreds

of miles to be here.

They suffer from a lot of pain

so the man usually suffers

from malnutrition so they all have

abdominal pain and because they

haven't eaten for a long time,

they haven't had a shower for a long

time, so they have infections.

I'm from Gambia.

And you've been travelling

for three years?

Yeah.

I want to work in this place.

And the suffering in my

country is too much.

Are you hoping for a better life?

Yeah.

I need to have a better life.

There are many children on board.

This baby boy, literally

born overnight on one

of the inflatable boats.

Oblivious to the world

he would have had at home

or the one that he now faces.

The boats are destroyed,

slashed or set on fire to stop

the people smugglers

from everusing them again.

The ship is almost at

full capacity, the crew

working night and day.

262 migrants safe, for now,

believing Europe opened

them a better life.

We hope to have more

from Debbie tomorrow.

Armed Police are on patrol

at the Christmas Fayre in

Bury St Edmunds for the first time.

Organisers say it's not in response

to a specific threat

but it follows a year

overshadowed by terrorist

attacks at public events.

Bury Fayre attracts more

than 100,000 people

and was named the best

in the country in an

online poll last year.

Alex Dunlop is there now.

In the last 14 years, this Christmas

Fayre has grown from 30 stalls to

more than 300, it really is that

popular. But with that comes huge

crowd as you can see. In a very

densely packed area, which does make

it a potential target and so the

decision to step up security in a

very physical way.

The front line against terrorism

in the heart of Suffolk.

A ring of steel and

concrete installed around

the centre of Bury St Edmunds

to stop anyone using a vehicle as a

weapon.

Great shame.

Particularly in a lovely

market town that we live.

To see these precautions

that the authorities had to take.

Just before 2pm, a final

security briefing.

And then the barriers

are closed around Angel Hill.

As one of the country's biggest

Christmas Fayres gets underway.

For the next three days,

colour and carnival take over

the town, attracting more

than 100,000 visitors.

And for the first time, this.

Suffolk Police patrol openly

with guns and sidearm.

Out of sight, undercover officers

mingle with the crowd.

Among the 300 market stalls, Dennis

and Theresa from Hertfordshire.

We do over 100 shows a year up

and down the country.

Definitely this year,

there has been a higher

presence of security

since all the terror alerts, really.

Armed police?

Definitely, armed police.

Behind-the-scenes, Martin heads up

the team that monitors everything.

We've got the hostile vehicle

mitigation that's going on in three

locations to protect the higher

crowd density areas.

How's the operation shaping up?

It's early yet, we've built

everything, everything

is up and running.

Everything is operational.

Last year, a lorry smashed into a

crowded market place in Berlin

killing 12 and injuring 50 more. The

threat is even closer to haul

killing a good home,

-- from this pop concert, it is

becoming more normal.

We are taking

even more trouble than normal to

make sure people feel so to enjoy

the Christmas Fayre.

As the

traditional lantern parade gets

away, visitors except heightened

security is set to stay.

We saw

police as he went out, but it makes

you feel more secure.

We know it's

our safety so it's good.

Its

hometown, still got to come out, you

can't let anybody get away with what

they are getting away with.

A few

minutes ago, I had a chat with the

local police chief inspector who

assured me that Bury St Edmunds is

not a specific

target for terrorists but with the

international thread at severe, the

second-highest level, they say they

cannot afford to take chances.

Certainly the message tonight is

that Bury St Edmunds is a safe town

in a safe county and as you can see,

anyone and everyone is welcome to

visit this really spectacular

Christmas Fayre. Alex, thank you.

When Jared Carpenter joined

City College Norwich five years ago

he was so anxious he couldn't go

into classrooms or walk

around on his own.

The college helped him

through Phoenix Purple,

its specialist centre

for people with autism.

And he flourished.

He's currently doing his Masters

in Mathematics at the University

of East Anglia and has been chosen

as a finalist in the National

Student of the Year Awards.

This afternoon Jared

came into the studio

with one of his teachers,

Gemma Burton.

I asked him how he felt

about getting this recognition.

Gobsmacked.

Totally, utterly gobsmacked.

I was speechless when I first heard.

Let's see your certificate,

hold that up to the camera so we can

see.

You've achieved so much

at City College.

What difference has it made,

how they helped you?

It's changed my life, really.

Not just academic of

course, emotionally.

Before I attended there, I couldn't

really do anything on my own.

I was stuck at home a lot

of the time, I didn't interact

with many people so when I first

arrived at the college,

I was only in one day a week and had

to be constantly supervised.

By members of staff.

I was too frightened even walk

to the classroom down the hall.

I can now navigate a whole

university by myself.

Fantastic.

And Gemma, you are part

of the course that help

these young people.

What do you do to make

that difference, that

you have made to Jared?

It's very much about giving young

people a fresh start for education.

A lot of the students who come to us

have had a very negative

experiences at school,

they've struggled to

communicate, deal with the social

interaction and some of them

have been quite bullied.

So when they come to us,

it's very much about creating

an environment which is nurturing,

so we do things like developing

independence skills,

we do things link to understanding

autism, actually where

you are coming from, and celebrating

it and being comfortable

with that fact.

When you see a success

story like Jared, how

does that make you feel?

It's highly rewarding.

We have lots of students who come

through our particular course.

It's really great to see how far

someone can travel from day one,

when we were escorting students

to get lunch and even

entering the building,

right through to several years down

the line, going on to university

and studies and things

they want to do in the future.

And Jared, you found that you have

a particular ability for maths?

Was that something that you knew

before you went to City College?

No, really.

I found that and developed it.

As Gemma said, the timetable was

based on what you want so I wanted

to do a couple of GCSEs,

so English and Maths,

but while doing it I found

I loved it.

Thanks to my teachers I was able

to get onto a full-time A-level

programme and I could not have done

that straight from my

last specialist school.

And now you're doing

a Masters in maths at

the University of East Anglia.

I might quite like it though.

You must be very good at it as well!

I love spending time with academics

and you get to have these wonderful

conversations about maths,

and uncapped level, you must say.

I want to see which area of maths

really takes my fancy so it could be

scientific, I've always been

interested in whether,

that kind of thing.

I've also always been

interested in financial stuff.

So maths could take

you anywhere, really.

I'll go anywhere they will take me.

Well, huge congratulations,

what a fantastic award to get.

And thank you both so much

for coming on the programme.

Thank you for having us.

Thank you.

Jared needs to come in and talk to

you.

Jared needs to come in and talk to

you. We are now starting to swap

mild and windy weather for colder

conditions and it will continue into

the weekend. But at the pressure

pattern, you can see we've got this

weather front of the scene. That

will bring some outbreaks of rain

tonight. We are starting to bring a

cold northerly wind in and you can

see from the chart, all this cold

air mass waiting to push down from

the north, that mild air squeezed

out the way. By the tomorrow, it

will be blue by the cold air

establishing itself across the

country. -- this part of the

country. Fantastic photographs today

because there was lots of fine

weather and windy. A good photograph

with the leaf on the lens. The blogs

are go and sunshine, clear sky to

start this evening but as we go

through the evening and night, more

cloud from the south and the weather

front will bring some outbreaks of

rain. Not for everyone, some parts

will stay dry, parts of North

Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and

parts of Suffolk and Essex will see

some of this rain. It will clear

quite swiftly. It will be quite a

chilly night though so colder than

last night, three or four Celsius

potentially, coldest temperatures

across the region tonight. Into

tomorrow, we have largely high

pressure dominating, that

north-westerly wind establishing

itself in a cold fail to things,

reasonably light winds that they

will freshen by the weekend. Long

spells of sunshine but there could

be some showers. These are more

likely to affect southern parts of

the region that they could be a

little bit further north sake you

might get a shower but also sunshine

around. It will fill quite chilly,

6-8dC are expected high. On the

afternoon, they will fade away so it

looks like it will stay dry to end

the day then a sharp frost follows.

Tomorrow night, many parts of the

region below freezing. A sharp frost

for Saturday morning. The pressure

pattern is bringing high-pressure

income and low pressure in the North

grating is squeezed on the ice

above, the north-westerly wind will

make things really feel quite cold.

During the weekend. There will be

some swells of sunshine for our part

of the country, a chilly wind and

some frosty nights back. The outlook

is looking a little bit like this.

5-7dC are expected high over the

weekend, factor in that

north-westerly wind, feeling colder

and it looks like it might start to

get a little milder

and it looks like it might start to

get a little milder to start next

week again. I love that picture of

the falling leaves, it was

beautiful. That's all from us. Have

a good evening, goodbye.