:00:00. > :00:00.That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and Sabet Choudhury.
:00:00. > :00:12.Months of agony after being severely burnt by acid.
:00:13. > :00:14.The family of a 29-year-old man talk exclusively about his pain
:00:15. > :00:39.and suffering for 15 months after an alleged attack in Bristol.
:00:40. > :00:42.Accusations of intimidation and neglect - the residents
:00:43. > :00:48.in Bristol unhappy with the company managing their homes.
:00:49. > :00:50.Calls for a change in the drugs policy -
:00:51. > :00:52.could Bristol see a new clinic where addicts can inject
:00:53. > :01:06.It will certainly rain tomorrow but the big question is will it snow? If
:01:07. > :01:10.so, how much and where will it be? The forecast will come up later.
:01:11. > :01:15.The family of a man who died after being maimed by acid have
:01:16. > :01:17.spoken about the terrible pain he endured for 15 months.
:01:18. > :01:20.More than three quarters of Mark Van Dongen's body was burnt
:01:21. > :01:26.His father, who's Dutch, drove to see his 29-year-old son every
:01:27. > :01:29.weekend while he was in Southmead hospital, before taking him
:01:30. > :01:38.A woman's now awaiting trial charged in connection with the incident.
:01:39. > :01:40.Our home affairs Correspondent, Charlotte Callen, has this exclusive
:01:41. > :01:59.Barje wants us to remember his little brother Mark like this -
:02:00. > :02:06.But his body had been ravaged by burns, disfigured beyond belief -
:02:07. > :02:37.When you talked to you, how did he say he felt?
:02:38. > :02:40.Mark was Dutch, but had lived in Bristol for six years,
:02:41. > :02:44.studying at the university and then working.
:02:45. > :02:48.It took the police nine days to tell his family he was in hospital.
:02:49. > :03:04.The police say it was hard to trace his next of kin.
:03:05. > :03:15.His father, Kees, speaks just a little English.
:03:16. > :03:18.Mark's father drove from Belgium every weekend to be at his bedside.
:03:19. > :03:20.He couldn't have a room in the hospital,
:03:21. > :03:37.and with little money, he slept in this van.
:03:38. > :03:41.In the end it was this Belgian businessman, Patric Derdeale,
:03:42. > :03:43.who helped them, raising money to help pay for fuel
:03:44. > :04:12.and for a private ambulance to take Mark home to his father.
:04:13. > :04:17.Dutch expats in the UK have set up a JustGiving page to raise
:04:18. > :04:21.money for the months of travel his family endured,
:04:22. > :04:27.but they say the scars they have been left with will never heal.
:04:28. > :04:29.And Charlotte Callen is with me now.
:04:30. > :04:32.You've been following this very shocking and upsetting case.
:04:33. > :04:38.It's obviously been extremely upsetting for this family.
:04:39. > :04:44.The family are in pieces and Kees, Mark's father found it difficult
:04:45. > :04:48.because he does not speak good English. When he was trying to talk
:04:49. > :04:51.to doctors and police over those months, unless there was a
:04:52. > :04:56.translator present he found it confusing. He was more comfortable
:04:57. > :04:59.with a translator there. For the first few months well marked was in
:05:00. > :05:04.intensive care he was allowed to stay at the hospital, but when moved
:05:05. > :05:08.to the burns unit because of risk of infection and not having rooms, he
:05:09. > :05:10.could not stay there any more. The father was dealing with driving a
:05:11. > :05:15.long way from Belgium in between working there and finding he did not
:05:16. > :05:18.have enough money to pay for a hotel. Both the police and hospital
:05:19. > :05:21.say they tried to do everything they could for them and say they
:05:22. > :05:22.contacted charities and also the Dutch Consulate.
:05:23. > :05:28.What's happening in the ongoing police investigation?
:05:29. > :05:34.A 46-year-old woman, Berlinah Wallace, was charged with offences
:05:35. > :05:39.around throwing a corrosive liquid which he denies. The case was due to
:05:40. > :05:42.go to the Crown Court in Bristol on Monday but after Mark died, it was
:05:43. > :05:43.postponed and it will go to court in April.
:05:44. > :05:47.A man in his 20s has died after being hit and dragged along
:05:48. > :05:51.Avon Somerset Police were called to the junction of Creswicke Road
:05:52. > :05:53.and Airport Road in Knowle West at around 9pm last night
:05:54. > :05:55.after reports a man had been run over.
:05:56. > :05:58.Police say a full investigation has been launched and a man
:05:59. > :06:04.A group of residents in Bristol have accused a property management
:06:05. > :06:06.company of neglect and attempts to intimidate them.
:06:07. > :06:11.They say they have been living with damp, rats,
:06:12. > :06:14.dangerous electrics and no heating in some properties owned
:06:15. > :06:19.As Pete Simpson reports, the local authority is now
:06:20. > :06:22.reviewing its agreement with the management company.
:06:23. > :06:25.There's BLEEP no lighting in some of them!
:06:26. > :06:31.A fiery council meeting in Bristol last month -
:06:32. > :06:37.property guardians taking their grievances to City Hall.
:06:38. > :06:41.There is a massive housing crisis in the city!
:06:42. > :06:44.They were evicted by security, but I went to see them
:06:45. > :06:54.Nic is a property guardian, one of hundreds in Bristol.
:06:55. > :07:02.He pays below market rate to live in buildings like this,
:07:03. > :07:05.a former care home owned by Bristol City Council, and managed
:07:06. > :07:10.Everyone should benefit but the deal's gone sour.
:07:11. > :07:18.Police treat the people a bit better.
:07:19. > :07:21.Give them the basic - some heating and hot water
:07:22. > :07:26.Nic and other guardians are angry about what they say
:07:27. > :07:28.are a poor living conditions, and a lack of maintenance.
:07:29. > :07:31.And they say they have been made to feel intimidated
:07:32. > :07:35.There is no higher or outside regulation.
:07:36. > :07:37.To be fair, we only have permission to be here...
:07:38. > :07:39.Animals, animal husbandry, I'm pretty sure there are more rules
:07:40. > :07:43.and laws and regulations to govern how they live and how they are
:07:44. > :07:56.They put us in touch with a guardian from a different property
:07:57. > :07:59.with a different story - more representative, they say,
:08:00. > :08:04.of the majority who want cheap, short-term accommodation.
:08:05. > :08:17.It's a secured building and I feel very, very, very safe.
:08:18. > :08:19.Minimum standards should always be kept, and at Camelot we completely
:08:20. > :08:22.thrive for that to happen, and we make sure that happens
:08:23. > :08:26.It's like everywhere, sometimes things slip or we are not
:08:27. > :08:29.told until the next time we visit, but the fact of the matter
:08:30. > :08:34.You know, we have a visit here to the property we are at today,
:08:35. > :08:35.and it is absolutely in good condition.
:08:36. > :08:42.Labour in Bristol are desperate to solve the city's housing crisis,
:08:43. > :08:45.but admit in this case things have gone wrong.
:08:46. > :08:48.I would be very concerned if we were to try to use this
:08:49. > :08:55.process again, which involved people living in those sorts of properties
:08:56. > :08:59.without the proper conditions, because creating tenancies
:09:00. > :09:03.in properties which, at some point, we will no longer use,
:09:04. > :09:12.But Nic is a guardian, not a tenant, and doesn't have the same rights.
:09:13. > :09:14.We are squatters with permission, almost.
:09:15. > :09:17.With other guardians, he is challenging this in court,
:09:18. > :09:22.in what could be a test case for the sector.
:09:23. > :09:28.You're watching your regional news programme, BBC Points West,
:09:29. > :09:31.on this increasingly cold Wednesday night.
:09:32. > :09:35.And stay with us, as there's plenty still bring to you tonight.
:09:36. > :09:39.Including: We find about the unit in Gloucester on stand-by to command
:09:40. > :09:43.Nato troops if they're needed in a global emergency.
:09:44. > :09:47.And after the glitz of Strictly, could swing be the way to shift
:09:48. > :09:59.A man has gone on trial in Taunton for sex offences alleged to have
:10:00. > :10:03.been committed when he was just ten years old.
:10:04. > :10:06.It's claimed that 31-year-old Andrew Margetts was actually abusing
:10:07. > :10:10.children younger than himself when he was just eight.
:10:11. > :10:13.He denies a total of 23 charges including rape,
:10:14. > :10:19.sexual activity with a child and false imprisonment.
:10:20. > :10:22.The family of a Taunton bar manager are calling for a fresh
:10:23. > :10:27.Josh Clayton was found dead on the Isles of Scilly in 2015.
:10:28. > :10:30.The inquest into his death has now been suspended,
:10:31. > :10:33.because a witness has claimed he'd seen him involved in an argument
:10:34. > :10:42.There's calls for Bristol to provide a safe drugs clinic
:10:43. > :10:46.where addicts can inject themselves under supervision.
:10:47. > :10:48.Late last year, Glasgow approved its first
:10:49. > :10:53.Now, Transform - an organisation calling for a change
:10:54. > :10:56.in drugs policies - wants to see a centre in the west
:10:57. > :11:02.This old petrol station just opposite Temple Meads has
:11:03. > :11:08.Covered in undergrowth and with some form of shelter,
:11:09. > :11:11.people have been coming here and injecting drugs.
:11:12. > :11:14.In the space of just two hours, those clearing up this site
:11:15. > :11:20.found over 100 needles, filling these sharps bins.
:11:21. > :11:23.So is it now time to have a safe place for users to go,
:11:24. > :11:28.In Glasgow, they are looking at introducing one of these,
:11:29. > :11:32.partly because they get a lot of HIV infections from sharing needles,
:11:33. > :11:38.and you save about ?400,000 for every one of those you avoid,
:11:39. > :11:41.but also because of these places allow the drug users to come
:11:42. > :11:46.into contact with health workers and support, and then they can move
:11:47. > :11:49.them on and move them off drugs, and offer them lives away from petty
:11:50. > :11:52.crime and so on, to the benefit of society as a whole.
:11:53. > :11:59.There are more drug-related deaths here than anywhere else in Europe.
:12:00. > :12:01.Safe Injection Facilities could be an answer -
:12:02. > :12:06.hygenic spaces where people who are on drugs can at least
:12:07. > :12:11.Maggie Telfer has worked with addicts for over 30 years
:12:12. > :12:14.and believes there has been an increase in people
:12:15. > :12:21.But over the last 18 months, couple of years, and certainly
:12:22. > :12:24.from our perspective is linked to a larger number of people
:12:25. > :12:25.who are street homeless are living in accommodation
:12:26. > :12:31.where they are injecting and they do not have
:12:32. > :12:34.any other choice but to do it in a public place.
:12:35. > :12:37.I think the real issues are how we would pay for them.
:12:38. > :12:40.Since funding the drug and alcohol services was given
:12:41. > :12:47.to local authorities, so to Bristol, from the central
:12:48. > :12:50.Government a few years ago, we are now looking at 20% less
:12:51. > :12:53.of that funding over the next five years.
:12:54. > :12:56.Many cities around the world have found the money for them and have
:12:57. > :13:00.seen less drug use in public places, fewer discarded needles.
:13:01. > :13:03.The question is, as funding is cut, who here would pay?
:13:04. > :13:10.Liz Beacon, BBC Points West, Bristol.
:13:11. > :13:12.As we've heard, back in October, Glasgow was given approval
:13:13. > :13:17.to open the UK's first ever Supervised Injection Facility.
:13:18. > :13:20.David Liddell is from the Scottish Drugs Forum and joins us now.
:13:21. > :13:36.Do supervised injection facilities really help?
:13:37. > :13:43.Absolutely, there is a huge body of evidence particularly across Europe
:13:44. > :13:50.within the region of 90 centres in operation, for now a body of
:13:51. > :13:53.evidence of 30 years. They definitely work, yes. The most
:13:54. > :14:00.important aspect, certainly in the Glasgow context is, and it sounds
:14:01. > :14:02.like the Bristol situation may be similar, is that it provides an
:14:03. > :14:09.important first step and way of reaching out to what we have, a
:14:10. > :14:15.group of 500 very vulnerable, mostly older, injecting drug users, so it
:14:16. > :14:20.provides, as you said in your clip, a place where people can inject any
:14:21. > :14:25.safe environment. Basically all it is doing, in a way, is moving the
:14:26. > :14:28.injecting that is currently happening in very unsafe
:14:29. > :14:30.environments into a safe environment, and certainly there is
:14:31. > :14:38.strong evidence that it can make an impact on things like, you know,
:14:39. > :14:42.blood-borne viruses, like HIV infection in particular, but also on
:14:43. > :14:45.overdoses as well. And then we can move people on so that they get
:14:46. > :14:53.further support and help, whether that is with treatment services
:14:54. > :14:58.etc... And the other aspect is that certainly the driver in many places,
:14:59. > :15:02.for example in Frankfurt, the driver there was the European Central Bank
:15:03. > :15:07.when it was created, that was very concerned about public nuisance and
:15:08. > :15:10.public injecting. They actually financially supported the
:15:11. > :15:14.development of injecting facilities in Frankfurt.
:15:15. > :15:18.That is interesting. Now, with regards to you talking about the
:15:19. > :15:23.finance there, it seems a thing to pick up on. Our contributor from the
:15:24. > :15:27.Bristol drugs Project said, how will it be paid for? We all know that the
:15:28. > :15:33.NHS is up against it. What is happening in Glasgow?
:15:34. > :15:38.Certainly the key driver for the initiative is in the region of 75
:15:39. > :15:43.drug injectors who have become infected with the HIV virus, and
:15:44. > :15:47.that is sadly reminiscent of the situation we found ourselves in in
:15:48. > :15:54.Scotland in the 1980s, where we had a major outbreak of HIV infection.
:15:55. > :15:59.That is a particular concern in Glasgow,, to get a grip of that
:16:00. > :16:04.outbreak of infection, and as your earlier speaker alluded to, the
:16:05. > :16:10.potential cost of treating just one individual could be as high as
:16:11. > :16:13.?400,000. So anyway it should be a no-brainer that this is actually
:16:14. > :16:18.something that is worth investing in, and has a huge benefit in a
:16:19. > :16:25.number of areas, but you are right that it is very hard with the state
:16:26. > :16:31.of the public finances, to argue for this, particularly for a group who
:16:32. > :16:34.are not generally well thought of by the wider public. And therefore not
:16:35. > :16:40.considered very deserving of help, which we would argue should not be
:16:41. > :16:43.the case. Individuals such as the people we are talking about have a
:16:44. > :16:49.whole range of problems, and the presenting problem is one of drug
:16:50. > :16:52.use, but if we can engage more effectively we can deal with the
:16:53. > :16:56.range of problems they face. And taking it out of society as
:16:57. > :16:59.well. Thank you for joining us. There is a discussion on this on our
:17:00. > :17:00.Facebook page if you have opinions on this.
:17:01. > :17:03.The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, or ARRC, is based at Imjin Barracks
:17:04. > :17:05.in Innsworth in Gloucester, and is at the heart
:17:06. > :17:07.of the Nato Alliance and defence of the UK.
:17:08. > :17:10.It's the largest headquarters on land which Nato can put
:17:11. > :17:16.Although over half of the people working for ARRC are from the UK,
:17:17. > :17:21.20 Nato and non-Nato countries have staff at Imjin too, from Albania
:17:22. > :17:27.And today their role became even more significant as they took
:17:28. > :17:30.on responsibility to command Nato troops should they be
:17:31. > :17:35.Here's our Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs.
:17:36. > :17:38.Symbolising the transfer of responsibility...
:17:39. > :17:40.It was a simple ceremony, but of major significance
:17:41. > :17:43.for the soldiers here in Gloucestershire.
:17:44. > :17:45.The Nato Response Force pennant flag was handed
:17:46. > :17:49.from Spain to the commander of Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
:17:50. > :17:51.Should Nato now deploy anywhere in the world,
:17:52. > :17:56.the ARRC will command and control the operations on the ground.
:17:57. > :17:59.There was general acknowledgement today of the fact that we still live
:18:00. > :18:02.in uncertain times, under fast and ever-changing global threat.
:18:03. > :18:05.The focus for the ARRC in 2017 will be tackling that threat
:18:06. > :18:12.I think it is well publicised that Russia and Nato have different views
:18:13. > :18:14.on things at the moment, so there is clearly
:18:15. > :18:17.an element of a threat there, and so we will continue to act
:18:18. > :18:25.But there are wider threats now, in terms of humanitarian
:18:26. > :18:28.crisis and the unknown, and that's the beauty of having
:18:29. > :18:31.a response force is that you can sit here and be prepared to command
:18:32. > :18:36.Those threats are varied - there is huge experience within
:18:37. > :18:39.the ARRC of counter-insurgency operations in Iraq, Afghanistan
:18:40. > :18:43.Cyber-attacks are also a growing threat, but at the extreme,
:18:44. > :18:47.there's war, and in the current climate it's an area the ARRC says
:18:48. > :18:51.Like everything, you need to practice these things,
:18:52. > :18:55.so what we are doing this year and we have done a little bit last
:18:56. > :18:59.So when we do our training, we don't practice counterinsurgency,
:19:00. > :19:05.The ARRC is made up of 21 different nations - many from the EU -
:19:06. > :19:11.but its role in the UK within Nato unaffected by Brexit.
:19:12. > :19:13.We are decidedly not stepping back from our responsibilities
:19:14. > :19:21.to European security, and the occasion today demonstrates
:19:22. > :19:23.that we are taking the lead in the very high-readiness
:19:24. > :19:27.For now, the ARRC's control room at Innsworth is quiet,
:19:28. > :19:31.but on stand-by, and preparation and training continues to evolve
:19:32. > :19:45.Steve Knibbs, BBC Points West, Imjin Barracks.
:19:46. > :19:50.Gloucester Rugby have boosted their squad for the next season with the
:19:51. > :20:01.signing of Leicester Tigers fly-half Owen Williams. He has scored many
:20:02. > :20:05.points over many appearances. But they're also set to strengthen its
:20:06. > :20:07.season with Sam Underhill in back row.
:20:08. > :20:09.We're almost two weeks into 2017 and we're also a fortnight
:20:10. > :20:14.into celebrating sixty years of Points West.
:20:15. > :20:17.It's fascinating looking through our archives,
:20:18. > :20:20.and every so often we're coming across a real gem,
:20:21. > :20:24.This is from January 1968, when the pressing question
:20:25. > :20:27.on everyone's lips was, maxi or mini?
:20:28. > :20:29.Which of the two skirts do you prefer?
:20:30. > :20:32.Well, in this weather, I think I prefer that one, the long.
:20:33. > :20:39.I suppose this one being in fashion, we should all like the maxi skirt.
:20:40. > :20:41.What sort of male reaction do you think you will get?
:20:42. > :20:44.I think they will like it in the end.
:20:45. > :20:46.I think they will probably take time to come over but...
:20:47. > :20:49.And will you buy one, even if they don't like it?
:20:50. > :20:55.In our office, they don't like the maxi skirt.
:20:56. > :21:01.Short. Why?
:21:02. > :21:08.It is very nice to see somebody else wearing them.
:21:09. > :21:15.No, they still say you should wear the miniskirt.
:21:16. > :21:16.Well, what's wrong with the maxi skirt?
:21:17. > :21:21.Well, it looks so Russian and drab and everything.
:21:22. > :21:23.Well, how do you expect people to keep warm in winter?
:21:24. > :21:33.I'm not particularly worried about that.
:21:34. > :21:38.They were wearing leather trousers. How very cool.
:21:39. > :21:40.A dance group in Gloucester is encouraging people
:21:41. > :21:43.Gloster Swing Dance held its first class last night,
:21:44. > :21:47.It's run by the two dance champions, one of whom is recovering
:21:48. > :21:50.So is swing the new way to shift the pounds?
:21:51. > :21:53.Dancing the Charleston from the film Bugsy Malone,
:21:54. > :21:57.Have you ever wondered whether a winter of dancing
:21:58. > :22:03.on the telly makes more of us have a go?
:22:04. > :22:05.Well, this is what happened in Gloucester last night,
:22:06. > :22:13.140 people turned up, and for those beginners who might
:22:14. > :22:19.The one thing you need to remember about swing dancing,
:22:20. > :22:27.And I'm sure many did go wrong, but gradually,
:22:28. > :22:33.the room moved as one, probably ahead of time too.
:22:34. > :22:37.Our expectations are really low, I reckon.
:22:38. > :22:39.I think they are really low, because...
:22:40. > :22:45.They can take you as long as you want to dance.
:22:46. > :22:47.You can be fat, thin, old, young, black, white,
:22:48. > :22:50.enabled or disabled, you are welcome and swing dancing.
:22:51. > :22:55.I have never done anything like this before and it is really good.
:22:56. > :22:57.You feel that you are actually learning something
:22:58. > :23:02.Will you do it in the living room when you get home?
:23:03. > :23:05.It is just so friendly, getting together and dancing.
:23:06. > :23:13.Now, I danced with Claudia Fragapane last month, but it seems whatever
:23:14. > :23:18.I managed to pick up from Bristol's pocket rocket disappeared
:23:19. > :23:27.At least my partner is still smiling, or laughing...
:23:28. > :23:30.Back to the professionals, and a special moment.
:23:31. > :23:34.Five weeks ago, Gary Boon had a heart attack.
:23:35. > :23:43.If I wasn't fit and if I didn't do this, I may not be here now.
:23:44. > :23:50.And it looks like it could change many more - apart from mine.
:23:51. > :23:58.Andy Howard, BBC Points West in Gloucester.
:23:59. > :24:05.Gary, well done. That is incredible. The big question
:24:06. > :24:07.is about the weather, and whether we will have snow or heavy rain. It is
:24:08. > :24:16.not a simple question, is it? No, it is not. I suspect the net
:24:17. > :24:21.result is going to be a combination of both by this time tomorrow, Alex.
:24:22. > :24:26.Let me take you through the forecast. The rain looks I get them
:24:27. > :24:30.now, based on our current forecast model. For some argue, heavy
:24:31. > :24:35.rainfall. The tricky element, given it will be a noticeably cold day, is
:24:36. > :24:40.how much of it will change to snow. More particularly as we had through
:24:41. > :24:44.late afternoon tomorrow. The Met Office has issued a warning tomorrow
:24:45. > :24:50.for the threat of snow, and it is a low risk in the broader sense of the
:24:51. > :24:56.word, but if we start to point out areas of greater risk, at the
:24:57. > :24:58.Exmoor, and anywhere east of the Mvia, particularly from
:24:59. > :25:05.mid-afternoon through to about the early part of the evening. -- the
:25:06. > :25:09.M5. A north-westerly flow, bringing Caldaire down across us do towards
:25:10. > :25:14.tomorrow. Watch out towards the West and watch this taking shape on this
:25:15. > :25:17.wave towards the east through the afternoon. You will see the back
:25:18. > :25:22.edge of interacting with other colder air giving a threat of snow.
:25:23. > :25:25.The south-east of England tomorrow, including London, could be a horror
:25:26. > :25:30.show on the roads are the worst happens. I say if the worst were to
:25:31. > :25:33.happen, if we keep a close eye on developments. A straightforward
:25:34. > :25:39.story through the evening tonight, barring the odd shower looking dry
:25:40. > :25:42.and breezy Wendy. Into two tomorrow morning, the first signs of rain is
:25:43. > :25:46.going in. Temperatures tonight at a range of two to five Celsius.
:25:47. > :25:50.Tomorrow, I will run the sequence. Do not take it literally but it
:25:51. > :25:56.gives an idea of the indications we think are going to build the
:25:57. > :25:59.forecast for tomorrow. Notice the bread of heavy rain, difficult
:26:00. > :26:03.enough on the road by lunchtime early afternoon, and then watch that
:26:04. > :26:07.colder air bringing snow eastwards towards the afternoon and evening.
:26:08. > :26:10.Snow showers following behind. A cold day tomorrow and we will keep
:26:11. > :26:14.you up-to-date through the BBC forecast tomorrow morning.
:26:15. > :26:16.We well and also our bulletins and radio and social media as well. We
:26:17. > :26:18.will see you