23/11/2017 Points West

That's all from the BBC News at Six.

Welcome to BBC Points West

with Alex Lovell and David Garmston.

Our main story tonight -

the 96-year-old

attacked on his own doorstep.

Jim Booth was the victim

of a distraction burglar

who used a hammer

when he was challenged.

And he was bleeding

all over his face.

We brought him in and

sat him in the chair.

Sat him in here, he'd been

knocked on the head

with a hammer.

It's emerged that Mr Booth

is a war hero

who's danced

with the Duchess of Cornwall.

We'll have the latest

in the police hunt.

Our other headlines tonight -

a row over nuclear waste.

Plans to store double the amount

at Hinkley within concrete blocks.

A watchful Christmas -

how seasonal markets are being

guarded to prevent terror attacks.

And happy birthday to PC Jayden -

the police give a little boy

waiting for a heart

transplant a special present.

Good evening.

A 96-year-old former naval

officer has been attacked

with what's thought to be a claw

hammer by a burglar

at his home in Taunton.

Tonight, he's in hospital

with serious injuries.

Our reporter Lee Madan

is in Taunton now.

And when Tom opened the door,

Jim said, "I've been attacked".

And that was where it

started, wasn't it, Tom?

And he was bleeding

all over his face.

We brought him in and

sat him in the chair.

Sat him in here, he'd been

knocked on the head

with a hammer.

And he came in here for us to phone

for the ambulance and the police.

Police say a man knocked at Jim's

door yesterday afternoon,

between 4:00 and 5:00.

He asked if he wanted any

work done to the house.

When Mr Booth refused,

the man attacked him with what is

thought to have been a claw hammer.

I saw Jim's son this morning,

because he came here last night to

go to the hospital with him,

and he said he has got a fractured

skull, and he was with the doctor

for a fair while.

And he had a problem

with his hand,

a big bash on his hand.

Mr Booth is one of the last

surviving heroes of World War II,

serving as a Lieutenant Commander

in the Navy,

and played a crucial

role in the D-Day landings.

His latest battle has

seen him take on the man

police are still trying to find.

One male, around 30

to 35 years of age,

clean-shaven, dark-ish hair,

described athletic, stocky build.

No real accent was noted,

no height was given.

He was wearing jeans

and dark clothing.

Mr Booth has been well

known to the BBC.

He featured on Points West

two years ago, when he

danced with the Duchess of Cornwall,

saying he was delighted to have

stolen a dance with her.

Tonight, forensic teams

are still working at

Mr Booth's house, looking

for clues about his attacker.

Police have put an extra patrols all

day today and are keen to reassure

the public that incidents like this

are very rare. Police want to hear

from anyone who witnessed anything

yesterday are have been contacted by

somebody knocking at their door

asking if they wanted work done.

People are advised call 101 or

Crimestoppers..

The jury in the trial of an army

sergeant from Wiltshire,

accused of attempting

to kill his wife, has been dismissed

after failing to reach verdicts.

Victoria Cilliers survived a 4,000

foot fall when her main

and reserve parachutes failed

in a jump at the

Army Parachute Association

at Netheravon.

Emile Cilliers has always denied two

charges of attempted murder

and a third of damaging

a gas fitting.

The Crown Prosecution Service has

said it will seek a retrial.

Plans by the energy company EDF

to change the way it handles

high level radioactive waste

at Hinkley Point in Somerset

is causing anger locally.

The company wants to double the size

of a proposed waste store

on the Hinkley C site,

and make other changes, too.

Clinton Rogers has been

assessing local reaction.

It's the idea that it is our

grandchildren's grandchildren

that will pick up the pieces.

They said it will be months

with X-amount of nuclear waste

that will never go away.

And it's the high-grade waste.

Among those who live

in the shadow of Hinkley Point

there is a mixture of fear and fury.

My concerns are about the long-term

effects of having a lump of concrete

on the edge of an area of

outstanding natural beauty that is

going to be there essentially

forever because they haven't

sorted out what they're

going to do

with the very nasty stuff inside it.

EDF has always said that all high

level radioactive waste

produced by Hinkley C,

including spent fuel rods,

will need to be stored on site.

Right now, there is nowhere

else for it to go.

But now EDF has applied to double

the size of its waste store,

and they also want to change

the method for handling

high-level radioactive waste,

choosing now a system where

it is encased in concrete blocks.

In a statement, EDF has told us

that it is a safe and robust system

used across Europe and the USA.

But opponents say switching

from a method where the high-level

waste is held in water to what's

known as a dry system has dangers.

The problem with dry

storage is that it relies

on the integrity of a concrete

block, that a concrete block

containing waste material

will last forever.

The leader of West Somerset Council

says he's more concerned

by the plans to increase the size

of the storage building.

It will be the last

building left on site.

When the decommissioning takes

place, which is going to be a long

time from now, the reactors will go,

but that building will be left there

when the rest of the site

has been flattened.

EDF says there is no plan

to increase the amount of waste

stored here, merely

to change the system.

Well, it's the Environment

Department which will make

the final decision,

but that won't be

for some while yet.

You're watching Thursday's Points

West here on BBC One.

Still to come tonight -

they were meant to ease

pressure on the NHS,

but have online GP consultations

been a success?

And the little boy waiting

for a heart transplant who's been

given a very special birthday

treat by the police.

Five people have been

arrested in an armed

police operation in Swindon.

It happened in Devizes

Road in Old Town.

Five people were arrested

and are currently in custody

at Gablecross Station.

Wiltshire Police say

they are still investigating.

Extra security measures

are in place for this year's

Bath Christmas Market,

which has started today.

Large concrete bollards have been

positioned around the main

pedestrian areas for public safety.

It's in line with other cities

who've stepped up their security,

as the UK terror threat

remains at severe.

Imogen Sellers is in Bath now.

Imogen.

Having said all that, it couldn't

feel more festive for the opening

night of the Bath Christmas murky.

Now in its 17th year, it is a good

and ever, but without -- market.

But without wanting to be

bah humbug about it,

events like this present

major security challenges.

And this year, more than ever,

safety is a top priority.

A sign of the times we're living in.

Concrete bollards forming a barrier

around the Bath Christmas Market.

After the attack on a festive market

in Germany last year,

security has

become even more crucial.

Police stress there

is no specific threat,

but organisers are not

cutting corners.

Hundreds of CCTV

cameras are in place.

The advice to visitors -

be vigilant, but have fun.

There is no known risk, so it is not

done for any other reason.

We want people to come

to Bath and feel safe,

and we know that we have done

everything we can to protect people

so they can relax and have a nice

time while they're here.

With over 200 stalls,

it would be hard not to

eat, drink, and be merry,

and, of course, shop!

This year, the market has extended

out to three more streets,

in the hope of creating a bit more

space for the thousands of shoppers

that come every day.

And this year, 80% of

the stallholders are from

Bath and the South West.

The last Christmas

market was one of the

best markets from

that point of view.

When I was thinking about trading

here, I came and had a look

last year, and there

were lots of local artisans.

So not stuff that's

imported from overseas.

Previous years, local

shopkeepers have

complained that the market has

affected their trade.

The Bath Chamber of

Commerce disagrees.

It says the whole city

benefits to the tune of

nearly £20 million.

Even yesterday evening,

before the market

officially opened, it was busy.

We had a bustling

town centre, so I see

all these extra people

coming into our city,

wanting to spend money in Bath.

And if the thought of

trying to park in Bath

fills you with dread,

Great Western have laid on

an extra 24 trains into

the city for this weekend.

I'm joined now by

the Chief Executive

of Visit Bath, David James.

David, it feels so Christmassy,

but you've had to take security

extremely seriously this year.

It is always a top priority and we

have had to take extra measures this

year because of the situation. But

our number one priority is safety,

we hope everyone will have a great

experience here.

You've extended the market, too?

We have 60 extra stalls, spread out

around the city, so you will see a

difference this year. We are very

excited about this change. The grand

opening was about five minutes ago,

so it is now officially opened.

Great atmosphere for a magical

Christmas.

Well, the market is now officially

open,

and this year it goes

on until December 10th.

I'm off to do a bit of shopping.

The University of Bristol has

revealed plans for its new

£300 million campus.

It says they wants to transform

the seven-acre site by Temple Meads

to create education and research

facilities and accommodation

for 1,500 students.

It will also be a car-free zone,

with the aim of being

carbon neutral by 2030.

The Vice Chancellor

of Bath University has narrowly won

a motion of no confidence.

Dame Glynis Breakwell faced

criticism over her salary

of £468,000.

350 staff called her

for resignation, but in

a meeting of the university senate,

she beat a vote of

no confidence by 19 votes to 16,

with 2 abstentions.

Now to something that affects

practically all of us -

getting to see your GP.

There's a national shortage of them,

and the average waiting time to

get an appointment is now 13 days.

Online and video consultations

were introduced to try to help,

but they haven't been "the silver

bullet" they were hoped to be,

according to a new report

from Bristol University.

Sally Challoner reports.

They're on the front line when it

comes to keeping us all healthy.

But getting to see your

doctor can take days.

There's a shortage of GPs,

1,000 lost in the last

two years alone.

The government is trying

to recruit, including from abroad,

but something else needs to be done,

like video consulting.

Obviously things like acute chest

pain and life-threatening

illnesses of that sort, bleeding

or the spirit through stress,

they need urgent 999 calls,

but for things

that are not pressing and urgent,

it is a very good addition to the

normal way of seeing your GP.

This surgery in South

Gloucestershire was one

of 36 trialling an e-consultation

system in the west.

They've since changed the system,

and the way they use it,

and take-up is now better.

But does it save time?

It probably adds time. By the GP's

availability, it means that people

will probably consult for a less

urgent things. We have become a

source of advice that could be found

on the web.

The doctors' union, the BMA,

agrees it's just another

route to overworked GPs,

and a face to face consultation

will pick up signals and clues that

could be missed online.

But what do patients think?

I think it is fine but I personally

prefer seeing my doctor in person.

I

went to my GP today, you have to

ring on the morning at a specific

time and that was not an appointment

when you want it. You can tell

people waste time, going there,

sorting out the appointment, so I

think it is a good idea.

We bank online, shop online,

book our holidays online,

so it's a natural progression.

But, according to this report,

we shouldn't ditch

the good doctor just yet.

Well, Dr Jeremy Horwood

from the University of Bristol

was involved in that study.

Earlier, I asked him

what their research revealed.

We evaluate an online consultation

system where patients can write a

four month and send it to their GPs.

We felt that usage was quite low

during the file. But these things

take time, it took us a while to get

used to online banking and shopping.

40% of those were also a

face-to-face consultation, so it is

maybe people getting the workload

for GPs.

So are you say no to that

system and other online

consultations?

No, I think are some

things when you have a simple

request, to struggle with quite

good, but other times, GPs need to

see you, so it is not replacing the

face-to-face.

In this country, we

have also vital bits for diseases

like cancer, because people do not

go to the GPs hourly enough. We do

not want to discourage the

face-to-face.

This could be

something that increases patient

access. But it should not replace

the face-to-face. The problem is

that while it improves patient

access, it could be duplicating the

workload of GPs and putting more

pressure on GPs that are very scarce

at the moment anyway.

Is there a

danger that with increasing

pressure, that everybody might be

fobbed off with an online

consultation with the really need to

be in that surgery?

Yes, lots of

surgeries are basically doing

telephone consultation first, they

are trying to think of different

ways for people who do not have to

go to a GP. Some things can be done

over the phone or online, but some

things need to be face-to-face.

But

with limited resources, should we

just be aiming for face-to-face

consultations and funding the GP

service as against would still be?

That would be great, but there was

nothing in the Budget about extra

funding for private care.

Interesting to talk to, thank you.

A new way to help people

with hearing problems to communicate

with staff when they have to go

to hospital in Gloucestershire

has been devised.

It's been developed

with the county's Deaf Association,

and is proving so popular, it's

being rolled out across the country.

Andy Howard has been

to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

to see how it works.

Hospitals.

They can be dramatic,

emotional,

and even confusing

places for anyone.

But what's it like

if you can't hear?

You might not even know your

name has been called.

And when you see a doctor,

it can get worse,

like when Kim had

a problem with her neck.

INTERPRETER:

And they put a brace

on, which was really tight,

and I tried to explain that

I couldn't breathe.

It was actually quite

frightening, had to

take my hearing aids and my glasses

off, and I was getting quite

anxious.

This went on for a considerable

time, and I was quite

tearful, because there

wasn't any communication.

I was told a story of a deaf patient

who died in a UK hospital,

because they couldn't communicate.

And that's where this card comes in.

It has all the information

the hospital needs,

and means an interpreter can

be called to help.

It provides credible evidence of the

need for communication support. We

put this information on Facebook

locally, and within 24 hours, we had

had 10,000 responses.

The idea came

from the NHS in Gloucestershire,

and the whiteboard of Carol McIndoe.

It's now hoped the card will be

adopted across the country.

Absolutely blown away

by the reaction.

There were responses

from all over the UK,

saying, "we want these cards here".

Because our deaf community

experiences exactly the same

problems as yours worth. -- were.

It's the little card

which is already

making a huge difference,

and it started in Gloucestershire.

Sounds like a good idea.

The Gloucestershire paralympic world

champion, Andy Lewis,

was honoured with a doctorate

by the

University of

Gloucestershire today.

Andy, who's from Lydney,

became the first ever paralympic

triathlete to win gold

at Rio last year.

He received an MBE earlier

this year, and today

was awarded a doctorate

of philosophy for his achievements.

Since winning gold, he's now given

up his job at Airbus

to concentrate on being

a full-time athlete,

with a focus on defending his title

at the Tokyo games in 2020.

Going back all those years, when I

first touched base with the

University of Gloucestershire to

help me on my sporting journey, to

be brought back your years later for

a doctorate is just fantastic.

Everyone who has just done their

degrees and doctorates now, all the

effort they put into it, I know what

that takes in any sense, because I

have had to do the same thing to get

to Rio, but the way that they have

done it is fantastic and to be

invited here is an honour.

Also honoured today

was Dame Janet Trotter,

the Lord Lieutenant

of Gloucestershire, who became

the University's first

vice-chancellor when it was founded

in 2001.

The BBC has a new home in Somerset.

Staff at BBC Somerset moved

into offices on the edge

of Taunton this afternoon.

As the station approaches its 30th

birthday, the move marks

a significant commitment by the BBC

to the future of

broadcasting in the county.

Charlie Taylor had the honour

of being the first voice heard

from the new studios.

With the BBC Somerset News at two

o'clock, I'm Charlie Taylor.

And if you want to tune in,

remember the frequency is 95.5 FM.

Very smart building. They will be

pleased with that.

Now, what a day it's been for one

little boy from Somerset.

His name is Jayden,

and he's five today.

Jayden's been very poorly,

and desperately needs

a heart transplant.

His family are determined to make

every day count for him.

And today, a team from

Avon And Somerset Police

stepped in to help them take that

to a whole new level.

Here's Amanda Parr.

Birthday presents everywhere,

but they're quickly forgotten

when Jayden hears a siren.

He knew they were coming.

He's been counting down

the sleeps all week.

And, sure enough, first

thing this morning,

and with maximum drama,

two officers arrived

in Midsomer Norton to pick

up their latest recruit.

Pretty soon, they were off

to catch a criminal.

It's not real life,

but it feels like it.

Everyone here is off shift,

and happily giving their own time

to make one little

boy's wish come true.

Absolutely amazing. I don't think

they realise. I thought my family

was at breaking point, and I wasn't

looking forward to what tomorrow

brings at all. But he has made us

smile this week, there are days we

don't smile.

He will fight this, he

is a fighter. He will get the call,

he will get his new ticker as he

calls it, but that is what keeps us

going as a family.

His grandmother

told me that he had this dream of

being a police officer, and it

resonated with me, because I had a

similar dream when I was a young

boy. And that is all I wanted to do,

and I been doing it for nearly

years. And I am lucky enough that I

was able to fulfil and live my

dream, and I thought, let's make

that happen for this boy, even if it

is just for one day.

Policeman to a

five-year-old boy is driving fast,

dogs, horses, so it is all the

excitement of what you see on the

TV.

He must have done well -

PC Jayden was promoted at lunchtime.

Quite a step up to Chief Constable,

and the hat may need

a slight adjustment.

But he takes it all in his stride.

He and his family are good at that.

They will cherish today's

memories forever.

Avon And Somerset Police, that was

phenomenal. The boys and girls in

blue have done us all proud. We hope

Jayden gets home soon and kicks down

the door at home. The fair that he

has, it has these hot. -- bear.

Time now to take a look

at the weather forecast.

Ian's up on the roof.

The wind has died down for tonight.

Those of you to the south of

Bristol, parts of North Somerset, we

have had some showery rain which has

affected those areas for quite some

time. The rainfall radar sequence

shows that that remains in place,

but down towards the south-west, we

have the frontal zone developing,

delivering some rain which will rush

along southern coastal counties

during the course of tonight. And

for our region, it is uncertain. For

Dorset and parts of culture, we will

catch some of that. -- Wiltshire.

You can see the area of rain

departing out in to south-eastern

parts of England overnight. Barring

a few showers in the morning for

some of you, a brighter prospect,

but the door is getting opened now

too much colder air coming in from

the north. There is the scene in the

early hours of Saturday morning,

setting us up for a colder weekend.

For the time being, temperatures

around seven or eight Celsius across

the region. Showers will continue

for a while across the northern

areas. And by tomorrow morning, a

few showers out towards the west.

Many areas starting dry tomorrow.

Risk of frost will be higher for the

north, parts of Gloucestershire, but

elsewhere still a chilly night. And

then tomorrow, some of the early

showers tend to fade away. For many

of you, some dry and bright weather

as the day moves by. The winds are

lighter than we have been seeing

over the last couple of days. By the

time we are into the evening,

showers will return to some areas

from the north-east. Temperatures

tomorrow, as you can see, a chilly

day, but at least the winds will be

light enough not to add any

significant wind-chill. Different

story at the weekend, breezy days.

In many respects, Saturday will be

glorious in terms of the amount of

sunshine. Risk of showers out

towards the west of Somerset, and

possibly a bit of snow as well.

Might even turn wintry at lower

levels. But the general theme,

barring Monday which is milder,

colder weather through the rest of

this month into early December.

I judge the weather based on what he

is wearing. Today the brown polo

neck came out.

That's all from us for now.

We'll be back with the late bulletin

after the 10:00 news.

Have a good evening.

Bye-bye.