:00:00. > :00:10.Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and Sabet Choudhury.
:00:11. > :00:12.Our main story tonight: The contest for control.
:00:13. > :00:15.Political parties in the region set themselves for a seven-week
:00:16. > :00:18.We'll assess the day's events and look at the other
:00:19. > :00:32.Also in the programme: The dog attack that's left a pregnant
:00:33. > :00:37.woman and her husband needing hospital treatment.
:00:38. > :00:43.The brakes go on at BMW at Swindon as workers stage a 24-hour strike.
:00:44. > :00:45.And after a transplant funded by public donations,
:00:46. > :00:55.this teenager makes his way back to school.
:00:56. > :00:59.The rush is on across the West to prepare for a general
:01:00. > :01:03.Political parties and election officers are having to move fast
:01:04. > :01:10.after MPs confirmed today we will go to the polls on 8th June.
:01:11. > :01:12.A third of the region's parliamentary seats changed hands
:01:13. > :01:15.at the last election and there's sure to be plenty of close
:01:16. > :01:19.Let's join our political editor, Paul Barltrop, who's
:01:20. > :01:38.This is Chipping Sodbury. In the weeks to come, there will be a lot
:01:39. > :01:44.of electioneering come. The Conservatives took the seat of the
:01:45. > :01:49.Liberal Democrats last time, Thornbury and Yate. The second most
:01:50. > :01:59.marginal Stroud in Gloucestershire. The Tories there been chased by
:02:00. > :02:06.labour. Bath, the Liberal Democrats are the main challenges the. And
:02:07. > :02:11.then Bristol East, the Conservatives might just fancy their chances.
:02:12. > :02:12.Plenty of work to do for the parties, activists and candidates of
:02:13. > :02:14.the next seven weeks. At the Liberal Democrat
:02:15. > :02:17.office in Chippenham, Campaigning already
:02:18. > :02:30.underway for May's local We were already prepared for the
:02:31. > :02:33.game, you warm up for the match, and we have been ready since the
:02:34. > :02:35.referendum. We are moving fast. Last year's Brexit vote was very
:02:36. > :02:48.significant for both I joined a few days after the EU
:02:49. > :02:52.referendum result. I have been a conservative voter before them that.
:02:53. > :02:59.I have been a member of the party for 20 years. But this feels quite
:03:00. > :03:01.different, a lot more bus and people coming forward. It is good.
:03:02. > :03:03.Warming up for a summer election are Somerset's Conservatives.
:03:04. > :03:05.They were already busy campaigning to keep control
:03:06. > :03:15.A little bit shocked yesterday. I have been campaigning for the county
:03:16. > :03:17.for a number of months now. We thought the time had gone for the
:03:18. > :03:18.general election. In both contests, they face strong
:03:19. > :03:27.challenges from the Lib Dems. We have had the county council
:03:28. > :03:31.campaign up and going and we will use the same people, resources and
:03:32. > :03:33.system. We are in a good place to launch a national campaign.
:03:34. > :03:34.Others are still selecting candidates.
:03:35. > :03:37.In Stroud, former Labour MP David Drew is considering standing
:03:38. > :03:51.It is a surprise. I am not sure if it is good for Labour, but it is not
:03:52. > :03:54.good for the country because I am worried we seem to be going on a
:03:55. > :03:56.populist bandwagon and I do not think that is good for our
:03:57. > :03:57.democracy. He knows party leader Jeremy Corbyn,
:03:58. > :04:00.who last year came campaigning in Gloucestershire, isn't doing well
:04:01. > :04:10.in the polls. It would be nice if we had lots of
:04:11. > :04:15.people out, sticking up bunting and the rest of it, but it is not quite
:04:16. > :04:17.like that election, it is taken up is on the hop, maybe the
:04:18. > :04:21.Conservatives knew it was coming. Campaigning for local elections has
:04:22. > :04:36.been underway for months. Spare a thought for the election
:04:37. > :04:38.officials. They have got a real job on their hands.
:04:39. > :04:41.With just seven weeks to go, electoral officers have told us it's
:04:42. > :04:44.going to be difficult to secure some of the usual polling stations
:04:45. > :04:51.But, of course, before the general election,
:04:52. > :04:57.there's a very important contest to be decided here in the West.
:04:58. > :05:04.There is a risk the all this excitement risks washing away the
:05:05. > :05:11.local elections taking place on the 4th of May that they are really
:05:12. > :05:16.important. The best part of 1 million people voting for a new
:05:17. > :05:21.position. Voters are beginning to wake up to this now and receiving a
:05:22. > :05:25.booklet this week in the post Bristol, Bath and Gloucestershire.
:05:26. > :05:31.They have also had the polling cards. We will hold a debate tonight
:05:32. > :05:35.in the science park with all the candidates. They are reversing some
:05:36. > :05:40.of the technicals at the moment. This is the first time all six have
:05:41. > :05:43.come together but this debate will be aired tomorrow, so if you are
:05:44. > :05:48.interested in this election, that is the one to watch after the late news
:05:49. > :05:53.tomorrow night on BBC One when all the arguments will be thrashed out
:05:54. > :05:59.over this new job with big powers. We have met the candidates already
:06:00. > :06:03.on our vintage bus, and the like, it is the turn of our last two, an
:06:04. > :06:08.independent candidate and a Liberal Democrats.
:06:09. > :06:10.Four candidates down, just two to go.
:06:11. > :06:15.Their last leg of the tour took us to beautiful Bath.
:06:16. > :06:19.I think it looked better painted orange.
:06:20. > :06:21.Stephen Williams was the MP for Bristol West but lost
:06:22. > :06:24.He was also a minister in the coalition.
:06:25. > :06:27.We've got a great story to tell about both our cities
:06:28. > :06:31.All it's lacked over the years is one person to sell it
:06:32. > :06:34.to the world and to a better deal out of government as well.
:06:35. > :06:40.Because I've got in-depth experience, and this is going to be
:06:41. > :06:44.It's going to be bringing people together in the community
:06:45. > :06:47.here in the West of England but it's also going to be up
:06:48. > :06:49.in London frequently, meeting with the Prime Minister
:06:50. > :06:51.and other key ministers, asking for what we need in Bristol
:06:52. > :06:54.and Bath in terms of public transport investment and a better
:06:55. > :06:57.What are you proposing when it comes to old railway stations?
:06:58. > :07:00.I'm proposing, as a start, just to reopen four,
:07:01. > :07:03.but I've met with Network Rail and they say that that is feasible
:07:04. > :07:07.But, of course, what we need to do in the long run is complete
:07:08. > :07:09.electrification so we can do so much more.
:07:10. > :07:11.Will you take our quickfire Metro Mayor mini quiz?
:07:12. > :07:15.The Metro Mayor will be able to call in planning decisions,
:07:16. > :07:17.perhaps like the one to extent Cribbs Causeway.
:07:18. > :07:20.Can you name the two anchor stores, at either end of them now,
:07:21. > :07:27.The Metro Mayor will have responsibility for trains perhaps
:07:28. > :07:30.Bristol Temple Meads, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road,
:07:31. > :07:36.Who's the current manager of Bristol Rovers football club?
:07:37. > :07:46.Our last stop was Bath's big neighbour and, in true Bristol
:07:47. > :07:50.fashion, we were held up in traffic at the Brislington lights.
:07:51. > :07:52.Appropriately enough, that was just what our final
:07:53. > :07:57.candidate, John Savage, wanted to talk about.
:07:58. > :08:00.There's lots to do and this is a starter, but we need to get
:08:01. > :08:03.the three local authorities to get some idea of working together,
:08:04. > :08:06.I've been trying for years, and to find something they can agree
:08:07. > :08:11.It will probably start with transport.
:08:12. > :08:16.You are talking about bringing back the tram at the time we're getting
:08:17. > :08:21.I think the Metrobus is a great thing, it's been well done,
:08:22. > :08:23.but it's very late, it's 20 years behind.
:08:24. > :08:26.If we look to the future, thinking about what the place
:08:27. > :08:30.will be like in 2050, then trams are an important part
:08:31. > :08:32.of that, they have a longevity and an efficiency that
:08:33. > :08:36.Will you take our West Mare quickfire quiz?
:08:37. > :08:41.Our region has a proud heritage of manufacturing.
:08:42. > :08:44.Can you name the Bath firm that makes the cranes
:08:45. > :08:54.What was the number of the bus powered by human waste that plied
:08:55. > :09:01.What was the name of the Channel 4 teen drama that was filmed almost
:09:02. > :09:22.Oh, dear. Not Holby... Skins? And on that disappointing note, our grand
:09:23. > :09:27.tour came to an end. The driver was already on overtime and I was out of
:09:28. > :09:41.questions. Now it is up to voters to decide whether they want to get an
:09:42. > :09:42.board the West's big election. I think Robin has got a format that
:09:43. > :09:45.the new programme. And our Metro Mayor debate will be
:09:46. > :09:48.on BBC One tomorrow at 10:45pm just Don't miss that or anything else
:09:49. > :09:55.we have still to bring you on tonight's programme,
:09:56. > :10:10.including a report from I will report on how Lamport is
:10:11. > :10:15.hoping the grant will develop the River parrot and revive its
:10:16. > :10:25.fortunes. And the present which took four days to wrap.
:10:26. > :10:27.A heavily pregnant woman and her husband needed hospital
:10:28. > :10:30.treatment after being attacked by two dogs in Wiltshire.
:10:31. > :10:32.Emma Vickery began having contractions after two mastiff-type
:10:33. > :10:34.dogs left her with multiple bite wounds at around 7pm yesterday.
:10:35. > :10:55.We were hoping the dogs would sniff about and go away, but the nightmare
:10:56. > :10:59.happened, and they started attacking us. The up your teeth marks.
:11:00. > :11:01.It is a popular spot for dog walkers.
:11:02. > :11:02.Yesterday evening, Sam and his wife, Emily,
:11:03. > :11:04.were walking their chihauhaus when two mastiff-type
:11:05. > :11:17.What happened next left them both needing hospital treatment.
:11:18. > :11:24.They wanted those to ours out of our hands. They were constantly biting
:11:25. > :11:32.us. We were screaming for help. We feared for our lives. It was a
:11:33. > :11:37.horrible ordeal. They were charging at my stomach. At one point, I was
:11:38. > :11:38.on the ground. I did not see how it was going to end.
:11:39. > :11:40.Emily, 37 weeks pregnant, began having contractions,
:11:41. > :11:52.This is where they came for the walk. It is one of the most
:11:53. > :11:57.picturesque spots in the home of Wiltshire. The car park hundred
:11:58. > :12:02.metres in that direction when the attack happened. From talking to
:12:03. > :12:07.other Doug walkers, they may not have been the first. Something very
:12:08. > :12:17.similar happened here just a day or two before. Our Doug was attacked on
:12:18. > :12:22.Sunday. Walking around, two dogs came and attacked him. She put him
:12:23. > :12:26.on a lead, made straight for her car and was gone.
:12:27. > :12:28.Police are now looking for the owner,
:12:29. > :12:31.described as a woman in her 60s who left the scene in a Mini.
:12:32. > :12:34.Emily and Sam have been left shaken by the attack.
:12:35. > :12:35.Their chihauhaus needed emergency treatment
:12:36. > :12:42.They don't yet know if they've suffered any permanent injuries.
:12:43. > :12:44.Staff at BMW in Swindon went on strike today
:12:45. > :12:50.It's the first in a series of eight 24-hour stoppages by members
:12:51. > :12:52.of Unite Union designed, they say, to encourage BMW bosses
:12:53. > :12:59.Andy Howard has been on the picket line today.
:13:00. > :13:06.Many of them have been here since 5am. That's when the walk-out
:13:07. > :13:10.finishes tomorrow. Not just in Swindon bidden four other plants
:13:11. > :13:15.across the country. They are waving their flags, honking their horns
:13:16. > :13:20.about pensions. The message to BMW is clear, to remove their final
:13:21. > :13:23.salary pension, a scheme many have been paying into for the entire
:13:24. > :13:25.working life and replacing it with something else is not the raw water
:13:26. > :13:27.were looking for at the end of it. This factory in Swindon didn't make
:13:28. > :13:30.anything today because most of the staff walked out
:13:31. > :13:32.for the first time Let's say his annual wage is ?30,000
:13:33. > :13:44.- he would have been expecting But that pension plan has
:13:45. > :13:51.suddenly been scrapped. Now, he says, he'd get more
:13:52. > :13:55.like ?14,000 a year or even less If Trevor lives to 80,
:13:56. > :14:13.he could be about ?120,000 worse I feel very disappointed. I feel
:14:14. > :14:18.like the company has let me down. I have worked there for 36 years and
:14:19. > :14:19.now they are trying to rob me of my retirement.
:14:20. > :14:23.Today, the picket line was full of similar stories.
:14:24. > :14:33.I stand to lose in excess of ?120,000 for my pension pot. I want
:14:34. > :14:35.to retire with dignity and respect, and BMW should honour that.
:14:36. > :14:40.Even the union's assistant General Secretary visited to add his voice.
:14:41. > :14:47.We cannot accept that. Our people are being treated differently in the
:14:48. > :14:51.UK than elsewhere. The company needs to sit down with us negotiate a
:14:52. > :14:52.proper deal that will satisfy everybody, and unfortunately we are
:14:53. > :14:57.a long way from that the moment. BMW'S statement said this type
:14:58. > :15:00.of pension is "unsustainable and unaffordable in the long-term"
:15:01. > :15:02.and they are changing it now to "protect existing and future
:15:03. > :15:04.pensions and ensure long-term competitiveness
:15:05. > :15:06.of the UK operation." Whether you think they're
:15:07. > :15:08.masterpieces or not, there was no progress
:15:09. > :15:17.on the production line here today. One of England's smallest towns,
:15:18. > :15:21.Langport in Somerset, is bidding for hundreds of thousands
:15:22. > :15:24.of pounds to help it become more It's applied for a grant
:15:25. > :15:29.which could see floating pontoons As part of our 60th birthday
:15:30. > :15:32.celebrations, we've asked famous And tonight, it's the
:15:33. > :15:40.turn of Dragons' Den She's been finding out
:15:41. > :15:56.what prompted Langport's bid. It was a major incident. The wettest
:15:57. > :16:01.winter on record triggered an event on a scale no one could have
:16:02. > :16:06.predicted. In 2014, large parts of the Somerset Levels spent much of
:16:07. > :16:11.the winter under water. Villagers were isolated, homes evacuated and
:16:12. > :16:14.the farming community in disarray. John Humphrys lives locally and took
:16:15. > :16:23.on the challenge of cycling through the floodwaters. John, got to ask
:16:24. > :16:27.you, why did you do it? I have a lot of spare time on my hands at the
:16:28. > :16:32.moment and I had to be done. What do you think the floods did to the
:16:33. > :16:39.community spirit? I think it brought people together in some ways.
:16:40. > :16:45.Devastating for a lot of people. It made people look at other people's
:16:46. > :16:50.problems and a lot of help within the community and outside as well.
:16:51. > :16:55.Talking to people here, I get a real sense that the floods actually
:16:56. > :16:59.revive the spirit of community, but the area has moved on and they now
:17:00. > :17:04.face new challenges and are working together to overcome them. In the
:17:05. > :17:07.face of cuts in public funding, the town council like many across the
:17:08. > :17:16.West is stepping into balance the books. Langport is known for having
:17:17. > :17:20.99% independent shops, mostly small businesses. We are trying to make it
:17:21. > :17:27.desperate nations are more people come and spend money, helping
:17:28. > :17:31.businesses to thrive. -- destinations so the town is turning
:17:32. > :17:37.to the River parrot and ironically, as Brexit looms, the Europe to bring
:17:38. > :17:42.revenue into the town. Today, this is a lovely tranquil scene, but in
:17:43. > :17:46.the 1860s, this was a bitterly fought with goods being carried the
:17:47. > :17:51.Bridgwater to Bristol from timber, coal, sort and bricks, but is going
:17:52. > :17:55.up and down the river, but with the arrival of the railways, the traffic
:17:56. > :18:00.on the waterways got less and less. But today, there are plans to
:18:01. > :18:05.regenerate. The four Article 50 was triggered last month, a local group
:18:06. > :18:10.bid for ?100,000 of European money to develop the water from here so
:18:11. > :18:15.day-trippers can explore the River so anglers and local people can use
:18:16. > :18:19.this fantastic stretch of water. One of the people involved is Mark
:18:20. > :18:25.Fuller, and he has invited me and local business people onto his boat.
:18:26. > :18:30.Lovely to meet you, Mark. It is a beautiful day on the river. If you
:18:31. > :18:37.are successful in your bid for the EU money, what would you do with it?
:18:38. > :18:42.The money's main gain is to allow people to access the river, and if
:18:43. > :18:47.you look to the side here, you will see the disabled fishing base. We
:18:48. > :18:52.hope to replace these with pontoons to allow safe access to the river.
:18:53. > :18:57.You got tourists visiting the area. What would all of this mean? It is
:18:58. > :19:02.another feather in the cap on another reason for us to get people
:19:03. > :19:06.to visit Langport. There is the opportunity to reimagine it is a
:19:07. > :19:13.place for visitors to come and enjoy, as a tourist attraction in
:19:14. > :19:16.itself. Patricia Marx run the Somerset business agency offering
:19:17. > :19:20.support and advice to local firms. She says the town can learn a lot
:19:21. > :19:26.from other Somerset towns and villages. It is making the best of
:19:27. > :19:30.its assets, and Langport has got the river, it has got the beautiful
:19:31. > :19:37.Somerset Levels, and taking examples like broom, which has got the
:19:38. > :19:43.market, a music venue, Bruton, the up-and-coming one. It has got lots
:19:44. > :19:49.to do yet, and I am delighted that some of the stuff is coming forward.
:19:50. > :19:55.I was born in Taunton in this county and really care about how it
:19:56. > :19:57.develops. Langport has a real opportunity to shape its future.
:19:58. > :19:59.What happens next here really matters.
:20:00. > :20:01.And if you want to know how Deborah Meaden found
:20:02. > :20:04.being a celebrity Points West reporter, then go on to our Facebook
:20:05. > :20:12.The Somerset teenager whose potentially life-saving bone marrow
:20:13. > :20:15.transplant had to be funded by public donations has
:20:16. > :20:18.14-year-old Daryl Allinson from Frome had his first
:20:19. > :20:20.transplant in 2015 but, when his rare cancer
:20:21. > :20:22.returned a year later, the NHS turned down funding
:20:23. > :20:35.Our Somerset correspondent, Clinton Rogers, who has covered this
:20:36. > :20:38.story from the beginning, has the latest.
:20:39. > :20:43.This isn't just any old return to school.
:20:44. > :20:46.I am a little bit nervous, but mostly excited.
:20:47. > :20:50.Small wonder - the last time Daryl was in a classroom was a year ago.
:20:51. > :20:53.What he has been through, just to know that he is going back
:20:54. > :20:55.to school again and being a 14-year-old and back
:20:56. > :20:58.with his mates, I am just so proud of that boy.
:20:59. > :21:01.It's been a roller-coaster couple of years for a teenager and a family
:21:02. > :21:10.who refused to give up and defied the odds.
:21:11. > :21:12.When the NHS refused to fund a second
:21:13. > :21:14.bone marrow transplant, they said, these are difficult
:21:15. > :21:16.decisions based largely on evidence of which treatments are effective.
:21:17. > :21:20.Which left the family to launch a public appeal -
:21:21. > :21:25.an appeal which raised more than ?80,000 for a second operation.
:21:26. > :21:32.Now Daryl has recovered sufficiently to go back
:21:33. > :21:43.Back among friends, just trying now to lead a normal life.
:21:44. > :21:49.Not that it's that normal for a new student to be greeted
:21:50. > :21:53.by a college principal on his first day at a new school.
:21:54. > :22:00.I feel like I have got more energy, but still not enough to do full days
:22:01. > :22:07.Yes, towards the NHS, and I always will.
:22:08. > :22:09.I always will feel angry towards them.
:22:10. > :22:14.To say no to my child or to any child.
:22:15. > :22:16.Here, they're keen to ease Daryl back into full-time
:22:17. > :22:23.And what better way to start than with maths?
:22:24. > :22:39.I know going back to school 's hard work, but well done.
:22:40. > :22:45.Now, you'll never guess what I've bought you!
:22:46. > :22:51.It's just what you've always wanted - Concorde.
:22:52. > :22:56.It had taken four people four days to wrap her up
:22:57. > :23:03.to protect her from building work at her new home at Filton.
:23:04. > :23:06.And today, the wraps were off and next is six weeks of maintenance
:23:07. > :23:13.work and hopefully a grand opening this August.
:23:14. > :23:40.I have already been to at least one barbecue. Tomorrow will be a starts
:23:41. > :23:45.the with bright weather but the trend will be the cloud to increase
:23:46. > :23:48.through the course of the morning. A few spots of light drizzly rain
:23:49. > :23:56.embedded in that, not much of that though. Through the course of the
:23:57. > :24:00.afternoon, a lot of cloud around but brighter spells possible. We have
:24:01. > :24:05.high pressure across the top of the British Isles. That means any fronts
:24:06. > :24:09.tend to be weak affairs. That will be the case tomorrow morning with a
:24:10. > :24:17.warm front coming in, introducing cloud. The sign for light drizzly
:24:18. > :24:21.rain. But of little consequence for those of you wanting reign of any
:24:22. > :24:29.note. None of that around at the moment. A dry story done it. The
:24:30. > :24:32.cloud has been increasing so the amounts of cloud will dictate where
:24:33. > :24:41.we sit temperature wise. We could get as low as four Celsius. More
:24:42. > :24:45.broadly, 5-7 C by first light. Some early sunshine around John the first
:24:46. > :24:50.part of the morning. That will get squeezed up on the north is that
:24:51. > :24:55.cloud increases. A little bit of light patchy drizzly rain. A number
:24:56. > :25:00.of you will not see any of that at all. Through the afternoon, a fair
:25:01. > :25:06.amount of cloud that they hope brighter spells. Temperatures
:25:07. > :25:11.tomorrow 13 Celsius. They will climb up on Friday, drop on Saturday,
:25:12. > :25:41.largely dry taking us to the end of the week.
:25:42. > :25:46.the most that have ever voted for anything in this country,