:00:08. > :00:10.Welcome to BBC Points West with Alex Lovell and Sabet Choudhury.
:00:11. > :00:12.Shock for the Liberal Democrats in Yeovil.
:00:13. > :00:15.Their candidate stands down with just a few weeks to go.
:00:16. > :00:17.The South Somerset constituency was Liberal Democrat yellow for more
:00:18. > :00:20.than 30 years until the last general election when the Conservatives won.
:00:21. > :00:23.Now Theresa May has called a snap election and the Liberal Democrats
:00:24. > :00:41.The new service being offered to those at risk of being stalked.
:00:42. > :00:45.The secret tunnels under the Wiltshire countryside
:00:46. > :00:48.and the vital role they played in World War I.
:00:49. > :00:50.And the Robins are relegated from League One.
:00:51. > :01:05.Swindon lick their wounds after a season to forget.
:01:06. > :01:09.The woman hoping to be Yeovil's next Member of Parliament has
:01:10. > :01:11.shocked her party by announcing she's pulling out of
:01:12. > :01:14.Daisy Benson was picked by the Liberal Democrats to stand
:01:15. > :01:16.in the constituency, which they dramatically lost
:01:17. > :01:21.Here's our Somerset correspondent, Clinton Rogers.
:01:22. > :01:23.The South Somerset constituency - Liberal Democrat yellow
:01:24. > :01:30.The heart of Paddy Ashdown territory.
:01:31. > :01:34.That was until the last general election, when,
:01:35. > :01:37.for as far as the eye can see, the political landscape turned blue.
:01:38. > :01:41.Nationally, the bookies may have the Conservatives
:01:42. > :01:48.But around here, both parties still view this as a winnable seat.
:01:49. > :01:52.And both parties point to the history books.
:01:53. > :01:55.After the First World War, Yeovil returned Conservative MPs
:01:56. > :02:03.for 65 years, the last 32 of those exclusively by John Peyton.
:02:04. > :02:06.That was until former Royal Marine Paddy Ashdown
:02:07. > :02:09.painted the town yellow, as first a Liberal then
:02:10. > :02:15.His successor David Laws lost the seat in 2015,
:02:16. > :02:23.handing Yeovil back to the Tories after a 32-year break.
:02:24. > :02:26.The yellow team have been buoyant in Yeovil since the snap
:02:27. > :02:30.election was called, an opportunity, they say.
:02:31. > :02:35.And they had big hopes for their young candidate, Daisy Benson.
:02:36. > :02:38.Until today, that is, when she suddenly announced she'd
:02:39. > :02:41.pulled out of the race, for personal reasons.
:02:42. > :02:44.So in Lib Dem HQ she's now a discarded poster in the corner
:02:45. > :02:51.While upstairs, volunteer supporters continue to stuff canvassing
:02:52. > :02:59.I think life never is a straight road and things appear and you deal
:03:00. > :03:06.As if the town doesn't have enough to think about,
:03:07. > :03:09.the football team battling to stay in League two, the biggest employer
:03:10. > :03:19.So on the streets what's the big issue?
:03:20. > :03:22.Well, you stopping me and stopping me going into Marks Spencer's.
:03:23. > :03:29.What matters to me is that we can run our own country.
:03:30. > :03:33.Does that mean that the Liberal Democrats, pro-European,
:03:34. > :03:37.Wherever you look, the Tories are just wrecking everything
:03:38. > :03:40.so there is another way, there's a choice, so it's
:03:41. > :03:46.He may know what party he's voting for about the big question is whose
:03:47. > :03:54.Our political editor Paul Barltrop is here to help us
:03:55. > :03:57.Yeovil is a really important seat, isn't it?
:03:58. > :04:05.So this must be causing some concern for the Liberal Democrats.
:04:06. > :04:12.It certainly is. The whole south-west is so vital to the party
:04:13. > :04:17.and if you look at Somerset, until the last election the help all but
:04:18. > :04:22.one seat. They lost to the Conservatives although by not very
:04:23. > :04:29.much, a majority of just over 5000. It is a top target for the Lib Dems.
:04:30. > :04:32.Today's news for the sitting MP Marcus Fish should put a smile on
:04:33. > :04:33.his face as he tries to hold onto his job.
:04:34. > :04:36.We've actually got a huge list of achievements.
:04:37. > :04:38.I was probably more in doing mode and getting things
:04:39. > :04:41.set up for the future, thinking had a few more years
:04:42. > :04:44.to communicate that, but I've got to do it in seven weeks
:04:45. > :04:47.so that's where we are and I'm looking forward to cracking on.
:04:48. > :04:57.We heard one voter in the piece talking about Brexit. How much will
:04:58. > :05:03.it influence the vote? The difficulty is that Yeovil
:05:04. > :05:08.actually voted Leave. Lib Dems hope it will go down better in other
:05:09. > :05:13.areas of the region where there are still people who want Britain to
:05:14. > :05:19.remain in the EU, for instance Bath which is a key marginal. Michael
:05:20. > :05:22.Fallon visited the Bristol and Bath science Park and was stocking up the
:05:23. > :05:23.need for a bigger Conservative majority.
:05:24. > :05:25.Voting Lib Dem will simply weaken Theresa May's hand
:05:26. > :05:29.If people don't like Brexit, they may want to do exactly that.
:05:30. > :05:31.Well, we decided on Brexit last year with one of
:05:32. > :05:51.Get on with it! And they have to because time is ticking by. There
:05:52. > :05:54.must be a rush to find the candidates for all parties.
:05:55. > :05:59.Yes, and the Lib Dems have a number of other seats where they had
:06:00. > :06:06.selected people and some of the candidates are saying they cannot do
:06:07. > :06:11.it. Labour are also doing their selections. Coming back to Yeovil,
:06:12. > :06:15.speculation as to whether this prime target for the Lib Dems could
:06:16. > :06:21.actually see a big name being parachuted in. Speculation as to who
:06:22. > :06:25.that might be. Graham Watson, former MEP, will not go for it because he
:06:26. > :06:31.is recuperating from a serious illness. We asked the chairman of
:06:32. > :06:33.the local party, Lord Paddy Ashdown, if he could give us any clues.
:06:34. > :06:36.You are a very good journalist and you are now trading in areas
:06:37. > :06:39.I am the chairman of my constituency.
:06:40. > :06:42.I have to be impartial in the process and I'm certainly not
:06:43. > :06:45.giving an indication of what kind of person might be elected.
:06:46. > :06:47.That is not up to me, that is up to our members.
:06:48. > :06:55.Of course they have to get their skates on. All those members and
:06:56. > :06:59.party officials, and a couple of key dates to mention. May 11, all
:07:00. > :07:06.nominations must be in for candidates. And you have to register
:07:07. > :07:11.by the 22nd of May. Postal votes, the deadline is one days later. And
:07:12. > :07:16.there are local elections in nine days.
:07:17. > :07:21.So many dates! So much to think about.
:07:22. > :07:24.A perpetual state of election. You're watching Points West
:07:25. > :07:26.with Alex and Seb at Still to come on this
:07:27. > :07:30.evening's programme... Join me in the World War I tunnels
:07:31. > :07:33.and trenches found under Salisbury Plain and find out why
:07:34. > :07:36.they were so vital in training our And a little bit of kindness
:07:37. > :07:50.in Keynsham, the town People at risk of being
:07:51. > :08:01.stalked will get more help in Gloucestershire from today,
:08:02. > :08:04.thanks to the Hollie Gazzard Trust. Hollie was murdered by her former
:08:05. > :08:09.boyfriend in the hairdressing But now money raised in her memory
:08:10. > :08:14.will be used to fund a new case worker who,
:08:15. > :08:16.alongside the police and others, will help identify
:08:17. > :08:20.those most vulnerable. Here's our Gloucestershire
:08:21. > :08:24.reporter, Steve Knibbs. In February 2014, Hollie Gazzard
:08:25. > :08:26.complained to police that her former boyfriend,
:08:27. > :08:28.Asher Maslin, was harrassing Now the trust set up in her name,
:08:29. > :08:39.headed by her dad Nick, wants to stop that happening
:08:40. > :08:42.to others and is paying for a case worker to help high-risk
:08:43. > :08:45.victims of stalking. Early intervention,
:08:46. > :08:48.looking at behaviours, not just actions but intentions,
:08:49. > :08:52.even the small elements of stalking can lead further down the line
:08:53. > :08:58.to rape and homicide, so we must take it seriously,
:08:59. > :09:00.get professionals keyed up as to what to do,
:09:01. > :09:03.get the police keyed up, get them, in terms of the stalking clinic,
:09:04. > :09:07.ready to deal with high-risk stalkers and then provide that
:09:08. > :09:10.support to victims so they do not go Awareness of the new support
:09:11. > :09:14.available is key to this project and will involve the likes
:09:15. > :09:16.of the police, clinicians and probation, who will
:09:17. > :09:18.all identify and work Ellie Aston is a Gloucestershire GP
:09:19. > :09:24.who was stalked for nine years. Nobody should have to go
:09:25. > :09:29.through nine years of living in fear and really not knowing where to go,
:09:30. > :09:32.who to go to, how to manage the situation, and this
:09:33. > :09:35.is gone to put experts here in Gloucestershire
:09:36. > :09:38.who are going to be able to help Today's launch comes
:09:39. > :09:45.on the day that the University of Gloucestershire published
:09:46. > :09:46.research showing that 94% of homicides had
:09:47. > :09:48.elements of stalking, such as obsession, control
:09:49. > :09:50.and surveillance, and often That is the biggest number of cases
:09:51. > :09:58.and I have worked on cases where there have been cameras
:09:59. > :10:00.in the home that the person didn't know about, there
:10:01. > :10:02.has been GPS tracking, tracking on the car,
:10:03. > :10:07.bugging devices. Those are all really serious
:10:08. > :10:09.stalking behaviours and those Stalking is a growing problem,
:10:10. > :10:17.with easy access to online data This new support clinic wants
:10:18. > :10:22.to make sure that anyone who feels threatened now has the confidence
:10:23. > :10:25.to ask for help in the knowledge The MP for Cheltenham, Alex Chalk,
:10:26. > :10:33.successfully fought for tougher sentencing for stalkers and he joins
:10:34. > :10:45.us from Westminster. Do you think enough people are
:10:46. > :10:52.coming forward and reporting stalking? I do not and that is part
:10:53. > :10:55.of the problem. We are starting to understand that at the beginning of
:10:56. > :11:01.some of these horrible offences, violence or even murder, stalking is
:11:02. > :11:05.taking place but sometimes people do not recognise it. This is an
:11:06. > :11:11.exciting development which will hopefully stop some of this serious
:11:12. > :11:15.offending. Is there enough help? It is a growing and changing landscape.
:11:16. > :11:22.As recently as 2012 there was no offence of stalking. We now realise
:11:23. > :11:26.this is a really serious matter. I think the police have been fantastic
:11:27. > :11:32.at changing their attitudes towards this and recognising how serious it
:11:33. > :11:38.is, and there is now greater sentencing power. This comes on the
:11:39. > :11:41.day that the University of Gloucestershire published research
:11:42. > :11:47.that 94% of homicides had elements of stalking. If someone is being
:11:48. > :11:52.stalked what are they meant to do with that information? It will worry
:11:53. > :11:57.them more. That is staggering. We found similar evidence not as stark
:11:58. > :12:02.when we were doing research in Parliament. People who are being
:12:03. > :12:08.stalked need to take it seriously, don't panic but take it seriously.
:12:09. > :12:12.If they need to get support and intervention, even if it is fairly
:12:13. > :12:18.small-scale, they have reassurance. They cannot have the case like my
:12:19. > :12:22.constituent who went seven or nine years without it being solved. This
:12:23. > :12:28.gives hope that these problems can be addressed early on. There is an
:12:29. > :12:33.element of reaching out to grassroots, people identifying
:12:34. > :12:41.stalking, and the perpetrators. The last point is important. The
:12:42. > :12:46.overwhelming priority is the victims but we also have to rehabilitate
:12:47. > :12:51.stalkers. These people often have borderline mental health problems
:12:52. > :12:54.and we want them to have the intervention that they need so they
:12:55. > :12:55.can be brought back into society. Victims, yes, but perpetrators as
:12:56. > :12:57.well. Police have issued CCTV images
:12:58. > :12:59.of a missing Bristol woman who hasn't been seen
:13:00. > :13:01.for nearly two weeks. 27-year-old Anna Lewis,
:13:02. > :13:03.who's from Fishponds, was last seen leaving
:13:04. > :13:05.Southmead Hospital just after midday Anna is a trainee nurse studying
:13:06. > :13:09.at the University of the West of England and was working
:13:10. > :13:26.at the hospital on placement. A strike by taxi drivers
:13:27. > :13:28.at Temple Meads railway station this morning added to rush hour
:13:29. > :13:30.congestion throughout They circled the station
:13:31. > :13:33.in their blue hackney cars The taxi drivers were
:13:34. > :13:36.protesting about changes How much do you think a first class
:13:37. > :13:42.train ticket from Taunton Nope, according to two
:13:43. > :13:49.websites, the hour-long The price was spotted earlier today,
:13:50. > :13:57.and has been put down It's a nice trip, but I'm not
:13:58. > :14:12.sure it's that nice. A huge network of World War I
:14:13. > :14:14.trenches and tunnels has been discovered at Larkhill on Salisbury
:14:15. > :14:19.Plain. They were built to train soldiers
:14:20. > :14:22.for battle but have lain They were only unearthed
:14:23. > :14:25.after the Army started Here's our Wiltshire
:14:26. > :14:40.Reporter Will Glennon. Hidden under the chalk of Salisbury
:14:41. > :14:46.Plain, trenches and tunnels from the First World War. Designed to be as
:14:47. > :14:51.real as possible, they were used for training soldiers for fighting in
:14:52. > :14:55.France and Belgium. You think an enemy are tunnelling towards you.
:14:56. > :14:59.You have picked them up, listening on stethoscopes, and right at the
:15:00. > :15:03.back it looks like a rabbit burrow but that is where they have used a
:15:04. > :15:13.device to put a charge towards the enemy tunnel and you wait until you
:15:14. > :15:16.think you're next to or just behind them coming towards you and you blow
:15:17. > :15:20.their charge and you either kill them or bury them alive. They were
:15:21. > :15:25.found when the army began work to build more than 400 homes here for
:15:26. > :15:30.today's soldiers. Archaeologists have been amazed at the detailed
:15:31. > :15:35.system. It is a timeline to the front line, and trench warfare. We
:15:36. > :15:39.had no idea at the extent of the training grounds are peer of the
:15:40. > :15:43.World War I period. There were hints there would be some year but we had
:15:44. > :15:47.no idea it would be so large and so intact. It is an incredible sight
:15:48. > :15:53.and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and all of our archaeologists have
:15:54. > :15:57.been profoundly affected. Many tunnels have graffiti on the walls
:15:58. > :16:02.with names and dates so the exact history can be traced. There are
:16:03. > :16:06.thousands of soldiers here from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
:16:07. > :16:14.Many died in training before even seeing action. Archaeologists have
:16:15. > :16:17.learnt what they can from these incredible trenches and tunnels
:16:18. > :16:22.because soon they will be gone. The Army has to build over 400 homes
:16:23. > :16:27.here and will cover these up, consigning them back to history.
:16:28. > :16:29.Swindon Town's Chairman has estimated that relegation will cost
:16:30. > :16:38.But what will the drop to League two mean for the fans,
:16:39. > :16:41.Our sports editor Alistair Durden is here.
:16:42. > :16:51.Chairman Lee Power says he will be staying, but the future of head
:16:52. > :16:54.coach Luke Williams is less clear cut, as well as director of football
:16:55. > :17:03.There's likely to be a big turnover in players again too.
:17:04. > :17:06.But there was little doubt on Saturday what supporters thought.
:17:07. > :17:13.Many are angry at how the club has been run this season.
:17:14. > :17:16.Fingers pointed firmly at the boardroom.
:17:17. > :17:18.With relegation confirmed, some angry supporters gathered
:17:19. > :17:32.outside the County Ground to make their feelings clear.
:17:33. > :17:39.He has wrecked this club. I am gutted. The chairman appointed the
:17:40. > :17:44.manager on the cheap, no preseason recruitment for two years. We get
:17:45. > :17:47.what we deserve. I can see us going down with the sky in charge.
:17:48. > :17:49.Lee Power took over the club in 2013.
:17:50. > :17:52.The blueprint - clear the club's debt and bring in promising young
:17:53. > :17:56.It almost won them promotion two years ago, before defeat at Wembley.
:17:57. > :17:59.But this year, a young squad has been beaten 23 times.
:18:00. > :18:02.The arrival of director of football Tim Sherwood in November was hailed
:18:03. > :18:04.as one of Swindon's best ever signings, but it hasn't worked.
:18:05. > :18:06.And the chairman has promised a full review.
:18:07. > :18:22.There needs to be a complete clean out, no two ways about it. Review
:18:23. > :18:26.everything top to bottom at the club and one thing is for sure, the hard
:18:27. > :18:27.work starts again and I will not rest until the club is back in
:18:28. > :18:29.League 1. The Swindon Supporters Trust believe
:18:30. > :18:40.there could be worse to come, The attendances have been going
:18:41. > :18:44.down, nearly 20% over the last couple of seasons, and you have seen
:18:45. > :18:48.more and more lack of engagement with the fans. What you have to do
:18:49. > :18:53.is come together and take action. There is no point sitting there and
:18:54. > :18:56.taking it from the sidelines. We would like to have a majority owned
:18:57. > :19:00.by the fans' football club. The future of head coach
:19:01. > :19:04.Luke Williams and many of his Gloucester Rugby fans have been
:19:05. > :19:09.snapping up tickets for next month's They went on sale to priority
:19:10. > :19:12.groups at midday today. Gloucester beat the French
:19:13. > :19:14.league leaders La Rochelle on Saturday to reach the final,
:19:15. > :19:17.with Billy Burns scoring They'll now face Stade Francais
:19:18. > :19:30.in Edinburgh on the 12th of May. Getting to play at Murrayfield,
:19:31. > :19:31.fantastic stadium. I'm sure Stade will give us
:19:32. > :19:34.a fantastic game and then hopefully previous form goes with us and we'll
:19:35. > :19:37.win it again, yeah. We've got a good chance and,
:19:38. > :19:40.credit to the lads, they cut the mustard and earned their wages
:19:41. > :19:42.on Saturday night, I've not stopped smiling
:19:43. > :19:46.since we got back to Southampton last night from La Rochelle
:19:47. > :19:49.and I just hope we can do it and win Bath were close to making it
:19:50. > :19:55.a West Country final. They led Stade Francais
:19:56. > :19:57.with ten minutes to go, George Ford missed this penalty
:19:58. > :20:04.with the final kick of the match, which would have taken the tie
:20:05. > :20:10.into extra time. Despite finishing top of the league,
:20:11. > :20:16.they lost yesterday's Premiership final to Aylesford 17-8
:20:17. > :20:19.despite this second-half try. So it was runners-up medals
:20:20. > :20:23.for the Bristol players after a fantastic season that's seen
:20:24. > :20:36.them win 13 out of their 16 matches. I think we have to be massively
:20:37. > :20:42.proud of what we have achieved. It has been a hell of a season and to
:20:43. > :20:45.be able to win 13 out of 16 games, that is not too bad and I don't
:20:46. > :20:49.think any other team has done that so I am really proud of all of the
:20:50. > :20:51.girls. It has been a really emotional season, it has been great.
:20:52. > :20:55.In cricket, Somerset have lost again in the County Championship.
:20:56. > :20:57.Gloucestershire's match in Division Two against Durham
:20:58. > :20:59.was drawn, after the first three innings in the game all
:21:00. > :21:11.What's the kindest thing you've done today?
:21:12. > :21:16.I made you a hot lemon drink for your properly throughout.
:21:17. > :21:19.Well, if you live in Keynsham, you might have a long list.
:21:20. > :21:21.That's because today was Kindness Day in the town
:21:22. > :21:23.and organisers hope it might lead to something more.
:21:24. > :21:37.Monday morning and children here at St Kenya Primary
:21:38. > :21:46.They sing it every morning in assembly but today their song
:21:47. > :21:48.about the importance of being kind is especially significant.
:21:49. > :21:51.That's because this is officially a town-wide day of kindness
:21:52. > :21:58.here in Keynsham and most pupils think it's a great idea.
:21:59. > :22:06.I think it is important because if you are kind then it makes people
:22:07. > :22:11.feel happy and joyful and if you are not kind it can make people a bit
:22:12. > :22:17.sad if they have had a bad day. I help my friends feel better if they
:22:18. > :22:20.feel sad buying making them laugh but it can be tricky. I think
:22:21. > :22:21.kindness is the best way. Across town, bathed in yellow,
:22:22. > :22:23.the main event was showcasing Not just to one another,
:22:24. > :22:40.but to ourselves, our environment There is a lot of kindness but we
:22:41. > :22:43.live in a world full of doom and gloom, all the news is gloomy and
:22:44. > :22:48.there are things that are quite depressing, so this is a way of
:22:49. > :22:51.trying to counterbalance it with something more positive that is a
:22:52. > :22:52.bit more up beat and that can help people to connect with each other.
:22:53. > :22:54.Many more events are planned over the next few months,
:22:55. > :22:56.some with a serious message, to help those suffering
:22:57. > :23:10.Others simply to put a smile on someone's face.
:23:11. > :23:13.Just before we go to the weather, a man from Wiltshire could be
:23:14. > :23:15.heading for the record books after having his 53rd
:23:16. > :23:21.Ricky Viner, from Warminster, loves the cartoon character
:23:22. > :23:26.so much he's had him inked all over his body.
:23:27. > :23:29.He could soon hold the record for the highest number of tattoos
:23:30. > :23:34.of the same character, once it's all been verified.
:23:35. > :23:43.Who knew? There are some achievements that
:23:44. > :23:46.leave you speechless and this is one of them. Over to you for the
:23:47. > :24:00.weather, Ian. It will be a quite marked change in
:24:01. > :24:07.the weather conditions. For a few days, a chillier and colder regime
:24:08. > :24:11.of weather. At times there will be showers around. Many gardeners have
:24:12. > :24:16.been crying out for some substantial amounts of rain. Given the potluck
:24:17. > :24:22.nature of sharia outbreaks of rain, I cannot promise that, but the key
:24:23. > :24:26.message for those of you in the gardening community is the risk of
:24:27. > :24:30.frost. That will get underway tonight so we sacked tomorrow on a
:24:31. > :24:35.cold note. The first part of the Felix generally and bright. Through
:24:36. > :24:39.the afternoon some areas will remain that way and others will see fairly
:24:40. > :24:43.heavy showers. The reason for the change is a northerly cold front
:24:44. > :24:52.running through us at the moment and starting to bring in colder air. Not
:24:53. > :24:55.unusual for this time of year, we saw something similar last year at
:24:56. > :25:01.this time, but given the mild conditions we have experienced, you
:25:02. > :25:06.will notice this key change. We have some showers at the moment across
:25:07. > :25:12.northern and eastern districts which will move south. The sky will tend
:25:13. > :25:20.to become clear through tonight and call their will -- cold air will
:25:21. > :25:25.come in from the north. Some areas will get down to freezing, possibly
:25:26. > :25:31.even a degree or two below. There is a risk of frost for some of you
:25:32. > :25:37.tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning, apart from one or two showers, it
:25:38. > :25:41.looks mostly dry. We should hang onto those conditions and other
:25:42. > :25:46.afternoon and then we have the risk of some showers. There will be a
:25:47. > :25:55.component to those likely to bring some hail and some lightning in some
:25:56. > :25:58.spots. But it will be potluck. You will see these great cumulonimbus
:25:59. > :26:05.clouds in some places but could stay dry. Temperatures on the getting up
:26:06. > :26:11.to 10-11. Wednesday is broadly similar. Temperatures will go the
:26:12. > :26:12.other way towards the end of the week and next week looks warmer as
:26:13. > :26:13.well. At least Richard Viner and cover his
:26:14. > :26:53.tattoos until next week. There are times in the life
:26:54. > :26:55.of a nation when the choices we make define
:26:56. > :27:00.the character of our country, times when people stand up
:27:01. > :27:10.and demand real, significant change. we have the chance to shape
:27:11. > :27:15.a brighter future for Britain