09/01/2017 Points West

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.

Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and Sabet Choudhury.

A multi-million pound Government contract promises

money for maintenance, but it's not exactly

And this almost feels like it's second-best.

Having a maintenance contract is fine, but it's not what Yeovil

What Yeovil has done for 100 years is been an aircraft manufacturer.

Trains on a mainline out of Gloucester are stopped

after a boulder hit the track, following a landslide.

How this nine-year-old is changing the life

We hear from striker Ellis Harrison on his four strike weekend.

The government has announced details of a contract -

worth more than ?250 million - for Leonardo

The deal will see the company, previously known as Agusta Westland,

providing service and training support for the UK military's

But while the government says it will safeguard up to 500 jobs,

a union says it's old news and in any case does little

to safeguard the long term future of the Yeovil site.

Our Somerset Correspondent, Clinton Rogers reports.

The Minister in charge of buying things for the Armed Forces came

to Yeovil keen to trumpet today's announcement as great news

for the local economy, in particular the workforce here.

It's a deal that will secure the cutting edge aircraft

for the Royal Navy and the army, and I know it will support hundreds

of skilled jobs right across the south-west.

It's all about these helicopters, the Wildcat.

62 of which were made in Yeovil, for service

Now, the contract is valued at ?271 million, and it's

essentially for the maintenance of the helicopters for

But actually, what was announced today was just the latest stage

of a 30 year contract that was signed back in 2012.

Critics argue that it's really recycling old news,

and that in any case, what this place really needs

And yet, last year the Ministry of Defence decided not to let even

Leonardo build the new Apache attack helicopter, preferring

And this almost feels like it's second-best.

All the aircraft in this production shed are here

The company says it is talking to countries around the world.

Not firm orders yet, but like any business such as ours,

we know where the customer is, and we know what their

And we're working very hard to land those orders this year.

There remains a question mark over the equipment used to make

the airframes for the Wildcat, and its suggestions that could be

Even though the equipment is actually owned by

The minister says no decision has not been made yet.

Well, fears about the future of the plant were aired

Paddy Ashdown, the former MP for Yeovil, told the House of Lords

of his concerns that jobs might go overseas.

Afterwards he went into our Westminster studios to tell me more.

We are polite folk in Yeovil, we love it when a minister comes

But I'm honestly not terribly certain why she did.

I mean, these aren't new orders she was announcing.

They are old orders secured by David Laws

What she could be doing is insisting that the kit

that the Ministry of Defence owns, that is not allowed to go

to Poland with the jobs, unless there is a proper study that

takes into account all the factors about whether

My view is that if such a study were to take place,

Yeovil would be shown to be just as competitive as Poland,

and I can't understand why from the last six weeks pressing

the minister, she refuses to do this.

Do you think by the kit going off to Poland, that spells the end

Of course it doesn't, but it means that 200 jobs

which could be sustained in Yeovil, if Yeovil is indeed competitive

and I think if you looked at the facts in detail,

you'll see that they were, those 200 jobs would stay in Yeovil,

stay on the Yeovil site and add to the viability of the Yeovil

site in what are very difficult economic times.

The government promises that it will do everything it can in this

post Brexit era to keep jobs in Britain.

Why will they not, then, do a proper study to ensure

that the jobs can be kept on the Yeovil site and don't

necessarily have to be shipped off to Poland?

Surely having a maintenance contract is not a bad deal after all, is it?

Having a maintenance contract is fine, but it's not what Yeovil's

What Yeovil's done for 100 years is an aircraft manufacturer.

By the way, some of the most world leading aircraft for the service

That's not just assembly and not maintenance,

it's the design, the technology, the engineering, all of those

high-class design teams which Yeovil is now a centre of the aerospace

industry will be damaged if Yeovil's allowed to dribble away

and to become just a maintenance and assembly area.

I'm determined that won't happen, and I'm sure that the people

of Yeovil will believe that if the government isn't prepared

to go the last mile to ensure the jobs which could be kept

in Yeovil are kept in Yeovil, many people will regard that

as a frankly, an insult to the technicians and skilled

engineers who for 100 years in Yeovil have provided world

beating aircraft for the armed services.

You know, they deserve better than that.

A body found in the search for a missing Bristol paramedic has

been confirmed as that of missing jogger David Skeen.

The 51-year-old was last seen on Tuesday after going for a run.

He'd recently moved to Wales from the West.

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a crash

Lukasz Jarosz, 34, from Wilton, near Salisbury, was arrested

A 13-year-old front seat passenger suffered a leg injury and remains

It is understood that Mr Jarosz found his wife

Three people have been taken to hospital after a lorry shed part

of its load of stones on to a car during a crash in Gloucestershire.

The lorry was carrying a load of Cotswold stone

when it was involved in an an accident on

A 56-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries

and two other people have minor injuries.

A large boulder which fell forty feet down a cliff onto a railway

line in Gloucestershire is continuing to cause

Engineers have spent the day breaking it up into smaller pieces -

but Network Rail say the line may not reopen before the morning.

A boulder, six feet by four, which came tumbling down a steep

It was fortunate train on the other line spotted it first

Engineers have been on the track all day, breaking

It had clearly broken through metal netting and cables,

drilled into the tight cutting to minimise the impact

We have had some minor falls from time to time,

which is why the netting is there, to help the cutting

Well, it's not designed, built to cope with anything

of the size that we saw falling onto the track today.

Trains from Gloucester to Swindon have been able to pass

through here at five miles per hour, but commuters wanting to get

from Swindon to Gloucester have had to use a bus service.

That may continue while Network Rail's investigations

We need to check that all the signalling equipment

and the track itself is safe to run trains over.

It's pretty robust, but it had a serious knock today.

We're also taking some investigations into what is still up

there on the cutting wall, to see if there's

likely to come down, and what we need to about that.

The tight, rocky ravines here are a known problem

It's close to this tunnel, which has undergone major

repairs in recent years because of instability

It could be that CCTV, or remote movement sensors could be

installed here in future, which would raise the alarm

You're watching Monday's Points West with Seb and Alex.

Coming up a little later in the programme...

We meet Bristol Rovers' cereal goal-scorer.

Although it is fairly mild for the last couple of days, colder

conditions developing by Thursday. The rest of your forecast for the

end of the programme. We'll be asking him that vital

questions. Sir Ranulph Fiennes is this evening

battling the elements - about to start climbing the highest

mountain in South America. The 72-year-old adventurer

from Somerset, who has already climbed four of the world's toughest

mountains, is tonight somewhere I think I said at right! At least

that's the right amount we think! -- the right mountain.

It's part of an ongoing world-record attempt to scale the highest

peak on each continent - all to raise money for charity.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes doing what he does best, and showing no

This evening, he's somewhere on the side of the highest

mountain in South America, about to start climbing.

We've got to acclimatise, like you do on Everest.

And so we're acclimatising for a day.

The last sort of camp before the summit day

is at about 20,000 feet, or 19,000 feet.

The summit day will be the worst of all, and it includes a one mile

highly exposed traverse, right across near the top,

with a 2000 foot drop immediately below.

So far, his exploits have cost him dear.

Two heart attacks, a double heart bypass, a cancer operation and half

of each of the fingers and thumb on his left hand.

But as we know, Sir Ranulph is no quitter.

He's trying to become the first person in the world to scale

the highest peak on every one of the world's continents.

He's already ticked off the ice caps and all of these -

if he manages the Argentinian mountain - he'll

Over the last 30 years, Sir Ranulph has raised a staggering

This time he's fundraising for Marie Curie, a cause close

to his heart after he lost his first wife to cancer.

It's fantastic what Sir Ranulph Fiennes is doing for Marie Curie.

It's an epic challenge, and appreciate the fact that he

And it will not only raise funds for the charity,

Sir Ranulph knows that it's going to be tough,

but he's hoping that with a bit of luck, he'll manage it.

We will keep tabs on him as best we can. I hope he does, good luck to

him. He is an unstoppable machine. The opening of Bristol's flagship

Metrobus scheme may only be nine months away but the City Council has

admitted there's still no-one The ?200 million project

promises to ease the gridlock in the city

but the roadworks have been Our reporter, Robin Markwell

is on Winterstoke Road where some So Robin - with no bus operator,

how concerned should we be? This is a huge year for Bristol's

transport scene. The biggest, they reckon, since the M32 was opened in

the 1970s. With this opening in the autumn of this year, there is still

no bus operator chosen to run it. Equally, no fair schedule setup, so

donor how much the tickets will be. -- fair schedule -- fare. This is

linking, will take bus passengers to Temple Meads. They reckon it will

have -- half journey times. I have been finding out more.

For commuters in Bristol, it's become the new dawn chorus.

Roadworks upon roadworks, up on roadworks.

A city dug up and relaid for the Metrobus scheme.

For Paul Turner, his drive in to work has become

If you look to your left, there is a vast Hull in the road.

A journey that would usually take eight minutes through Bradley Stoke

It's been 18 months of absolute Purgatory.

We had a situation where the delays in the morning and the evening,

coming into work and going home, have been astronomical.

The roads are moving again in Bradley Stoke now,

and things will improve further with this new link road close by.

We very much want to apologise for particularly the fact that it

But what we're delivering the end of the day is

They've asked us for improved public transport.

When it opened in the autumn, that public transport scheme

will look a little like this similar project in Cambridge.

Guided buses running on dedicated lanes, reliable

The scale of the work is best seen from the air,

one route heads West- East from Ashton Vale

to Temple Meads, the other skirts up to Cribbs Causeway

and Emerson's Green, spanning this bridge over the M32.

But while the infrastructure is now falling into place,

with nine months to go, there's still no word

I can't give you a date, because I'm dependent

on the negotiations, the conversations that we having

with operators, which as I say, are commercially confidential

So will all this be the answer to the city's crippling congestion?

We will start to find out later this month,

when the south Bristol link road opens to traffic.

Then, motorists will get an idea if it's all been worth the wait.

We find out next Monday that the South Bristol Link Road will open.

Once that is open, another major piece of road work begins in South

Bristol. We do have an end in sight, it is this autumn, but still plenty

of disruption for Bristol's motorists before we get there.

Absolutely. Thank you very much. An independent report has

declared Bristol's year as European Green Capital

'an undoubted success'. Hundreds of events took place

in 2015, which saw a rise in the number of visitors

to the city. But, following criticism

from Liberal Democrats, Today it concluded the year had been

well-run, with a positive legacy. We'll have plenty more on that in

the 10pm news. A nine year old boy from Swindon has

sent his special motorised wheelchair to a girl in Bosnia

who has the same condition as him. Oscar Moulding has muscular

dystrophy, and when he got a new wheelchair he wanted

to give his old one to his friend Here's our Wiltshire

reporter Will Glennon. Thanks to his state of the art

motorised wheelchair Oscar Moulding can do most of the things that

make him fit in. Whether it's at home or at school,

since he was four years old. I can play with my brother. Get my

toys. Do all the things that I want. I can race around in my chair a lot.

If he wants to sit at the table, it doesn't matter how high the table is

coming he can reach. He needed those facilities to get the most out of

life. The old wheelchair was great,

but when he grew out of it and got another one,

he wanted his old one His family are friends

with a family there, They raised the funds

to ship it over. Now little Sophija says it's

going to change her life. I can open the door. I can reach

things. She can reach things by herself, and maybe people, healthy

people, think that they took that things for granted. But trust me,

she opened the door for the first time in her life, and she's almost

nine. He's delighted he's

been able to help. I just think of her like Oscar,

raising around with her friends, going from class to class at school,

taking herself to dinner and into the playground. Just joining in with

life, how everybody else does. Do you think it will make a really big

difference? Yes, it will change her life completely.

They raised enough money to pay for any future maintenance,

so the chair should be good for many years to come.

A simple act of kindness that's brought joy to two young lives.

Oscar, you are very thoughtful. A little star. Staying with stars...

There's no doubt who produced the stand out sporting

Bristol Rovers striker Ellis Harrison scored four

goals in his side's big win against Northampton.

Ali Durden is here - have they got another big

It was incredible, and so quick. They have another star on their

hands. He's the first Rovers player

to score four in a game He went on to play in the Premier

League and for his country. He is undoubtedly a talent. Would

you like to know more about him? Yes.

He's still only 22, but has been with the club since he was 15

and already played 143 games for them.

A career highlight, scoring at Wembley as Rovers were promoted

But this was his best performance - including a first-half hat-trick

which we timed at six minutes and 41 seconds.

But he saved the very best until last - have a look at this.

So what the secret to his four-goal display?

I had my Weetabix this morning, probably!

It's just, the lads obviously done well, and they give me the delivery

and the service that I needed today, yeah.

There's still a lot more to come, that's just one game,

We can all have a good game, I just need to be consistent.

Now it's time for me to start scoring.

What do you reflect on most when you look back on today?

It was a bit special, because my mum came today,

So for my mum to be there, that's amazing.

Well done Ellis and Mr Torii. -- and mum.

This was Rovers biggest win in the football league for nearly

five years and it's moved them to within a point of the playoff

After winning back to back promotions, dare supporters begin

The best game they played all season. It was coming anyway, we had

loads of chances over the season but not putting them away. We put more

chances away today. One of the best matches. Really good. They are going

the right way, and who knows? Should make the play-offs.

Rovers next opponents are Fleetwood who held Bristol City

New signing Milan Djuric couldn't take that chance.

The sides will replay next week and both will be in this

evening's fourth round draw which is on BBC Two

Bristol Rugby have signed a former All-Black scrum-half.

Alby Mathewson has joined them until the end of the season.

He played four times for New Zealand back into 2010,

Meanwhile, Gloucester recorded their biggest Premiership

win in two years at the weekend, putting 55 points on Worcester,

scoring seven tries, including a couple by Matt Scott.

News of a fresh start for double Olympic medallist James Guy who's

moved to the University of Bath after almost a decade

James will join a squad which includes fellow

Olympians Siobhan-Marie O'Connor and Jazz Carlin.

His coach, Jol Finck, is also moving to Bath to take up

That literally is a talent pool, isn't it? Just bath. Thank you very

much. A tap dancing team from Swindon

are celebrating after being the driving force behind the UK's

victory in the World Championships. They supplied the coach,

and most of the tappers, for the winning routine

in the group dance. And two young stars also stormed

to victory in the duo category. As Lee Madan reports, it's not

the first time they've won. Five, six, seven, eight world

champions from Swindon, People sometimes think that you're

not telling the truth, but you are. Among the winners, Kai

and Marcus, who also defended their junior

duo title, too. But being a world champion

for the second time has its issues. When I got back the first time,

there were a bit, "Oh, well done!" And we had like the sort

of party and everything. But the second time it was a bit,

"Oh, well done again, So, no party and straight

back to practising. Discipline is crucial to get

to the top in the top world, My parents used to get annoyed

because I used to be quite And so they put me in a dance class

to get me out of all of that, And it went to Germany,

where the championships were held and where these tapas

held their nerve. It's quite surreal,

especially the first time. The first day you go in there,

there are people from 20 countries, a thousand dances may be there,

and you just kind of like, We've had quite an eventful

journey this year. We've had injuries,

we've had dislocations, we've had sickness bugs whilst

we were there. The team were certainly tested,

but look at these trophies. Proof that hard work

and determination can pay off. Keeping Swindon as the town

at the very top for topping. It is all the talk of the UK. This

storm coming our way. All these papers talking about snow. Four

inches of snow, it's all coming. We have got to ask, is it going

Some parts of the country will be, in fact the Met office put warnings

out -- be snowy. Including out towards Exmoor and the south-west,

parts of Wales as well. We are not expecting snow, it shouldn't be too

much of an issue in the inland parts of southern England including a good

part of our region. That's not to say there won't be a number of you

tweeting, e-mailing saying you are seeing snow showers. But that is

distinct from it being a warning event like we have seen in previous

winters, most notably 2010 and 2011. The forecast for tomorrow, we are

going to be in a somewhat milder phase of whether as we run through

the next couple of days at least. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy, some

brightness about, particularly in the first part of the morning. It

will be a breezy day as well. Through the afternoon, it will be a

weakening, a weak front moving in from west to east, will introduce

patchy outbreaks of mostly light rain. A wider look at how things are

shaping up. We had a front across us earlier today, that is towards the

East now. A few showers aside, dry for the majority during the course

of tonight. Tomorrow, a second front running in from midday and into the

afternoon. The developers we will then watch for will be noticeable

into the latter stages of Wednesday. First, particularly on Thursday in

the shape of cold air. Most of us free of showers, there will be a few

around feeding them through Gloucestershire, parts of Somerset,

for example. Towards daybreak tomorrow, temperatures fall of us

should be at rage of generally three to five Celsius. Some brightness

around during the course of the morning, always in competition with

a fair amount of cloud. Some patchy rain towards the west Somerset

during the morning, most areas dry until we get through until lunchtime

onwards, the front of pushes its way through from west to east.

Temperatures tomorrow getting up to as high as about nine Celsius. No

time to cover Thursday, we'll do that tomorrow. We'll keep a close

our eyes we get nearer. I'm guessing snow! Until next time, the 10pm.

Goodbye.