:00:14. > :00:17.Welcome to South East Today. I'm Rob Smith. And I'm Natalie Graham.
:00:17. > :00:20.Tonight's top stories: Shot dead during a training
:00:20. > :00:23.exercise - the Ministry of Defence is investigating the death of a
:00:23. > :00:25.young soldier on a firing range. Peter Whittlesea is in Lydd with
:00:25. > :00:28.the details. The criminal gang that supplied
:00:28. > :00:30.tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs from a travellers site.
:00:30. > :00:32.Also in tonight's programme: Patient anger in Sussex over plans
:00:32. > :00:37.to downgrade the emergency heart attack service at Eastbourne
:00:37. > :00:41.Hospital. Bearing fruit, how the hot dry
:00:41. > :00:44.spring set up a perfect season for growing apricots in Kent.
:00:44. > :00:54.A pitch perfect meeting - the couple who fell in love watching
:00:54. > :00:59.
:00:59. > :01:02.Brighton and are celebrating their Good evening.
:01:02. > :01:07.A soldier has died after being shot during a training exercise at a
:01:07. > :01:10.firing range in Kent. Dean Griffiths was serving with the
:01:10. > :01:13.Royal Welsh. A major investigation by the
:01:13. > :01:15.Ministry of Defence, Kent Police and the Health and Safety Executive
:01:15. > :01:21.has been launched after the incident at the ranges in Lydd
:01:21. > :01:28.yesterday afternoon. Our reporter, Peter Whittlesea, is there now.
:01:28. > :01:35.What do we know about how he died? Well, it is unclear how the 21-
:01:35. > :01:40.year-old fusilier from Shropshire died. It took the MoD nearly 24
:01:40. > :01:43.hours to confirm his death. Residents said they saw an air
:01:43. > :01:47.ambulance overhead and ambulances entering the camp. They believe he
:01:47. > :01:55.was pronounced dead at the scene. A civil police investigation is
:01:55. > :02:00.underway into the death of Fusilier Dean Griffiths. He died in what is
:02:00. > :02:08.thought to be a tragic accident. There are about 300,000 training
:02:08. > :02:12.hours carried out every year at the Lydd and Hyde Firing Ranges. They
:02:12. > :02:16.have a good safety record, but any accident is regrettable and there
:02:16. > :02:23.should be a proper investigation in why this happened.
:02:23. > :02:26.Lydd is one of the busiest MoD ranges used by all regiments. For
:02:26. > :02:30.residents nearby, the camp is part of the community.
:02:30. > :02:35.We are close to the range. We love the guys. We see them coming out
:02:35. > :02:39.and we are proud of them. A lot of them are very young and to
:02:39. > :02:42.hear something like that happened, it is awful.
:02:42. > :02:47.We just saw the air ambulance and the ambulance going over there
:02:47. > :02:53.yesterday afternoon. In 2006 a soldier from the
:02:53. > :02:57.Grenadier Guards died at Lydd from a gunshot to the head. Military
:02:57. > :03:01.experts say it is impossible to eliminate all risks in live firing
:03:01. > :03:06.exercises. This particular incident took place
:03:06. > :03:11.during a live field firing exercise. That means using live ammunition
:03:11. > :03:16.where individuals are moving in fire and manoeuvre operations and
:03:16. > :03:20.therefore, it does entail a higher degree of risk. These individuals
:03:20. > :03:25.are training for operations, live combat operations, and therefore
:03:25. > :03:28.there has to be a degree of realism which means a degree of danger,
:03:28. > :03:31.unfortunately. Tonight police said they were
:03:31. > :03:41.working with the Army and the Health and Safety Executive
:03:41. > :03:42.
:03:42. > :03:46.Well, in the last half an hour, his brother paid tribute to him, saying
:03:46. > :03:50.Dean was fun, loving and caring and was is excited about becoming a
:03:50. > :03:59.father. The MoD said they regret to confirm his death and their
:03:59. > :04:02.thoughts go out to his family They supplied illegal drugs worth
:04:02. > :04:07.tens of thousands of pounds from a travellers' site in West Malling.
:04:07. > :04:10.Today a highly organised network of dealers have been convicted. During
:04:10. > :04:15.the trial, the jury had to be given lessons in gypsy dialect called
:04:15. > :04:22.Rokker which was used by two of the gang. Simon Jones reports.
:04:22. > :04:30.Infiltrated by undercover officers. This travellers site was home to
:04:30. > :04:34.Joseph King, the man said to control control it. In the woods
:04:34. > :04:40.next door drugs and guns. There was a conversation between
:04:40. > :04:43.two of the defendants that was using a dialect called Rokker. It
:04:43. > :04:46.was felt the conversation was important to our prosecution case
:04:46. > :04:52.and we had to get somebody in to interpret that for us.
:04:52. > :04:55.REPORTER: The jury were given basic lessons in Gypsy language? That's
:04:55. > :05:05.right, yes. How unusual is that? It is the
:05:05. > :05:16.
:05:16. > :05:22.The Romany language comes from India. It is every language in
:05:22. > :05:27.between British and India. It is a language which is spoken by over 12
:05:27. > :05:31.million people in the world. All the Gypsies of the world speak some
:05:31. > :05:35.form of Romany. One of the guns found was loaded.
:05:35. > :05:39.Thousands of pounds in cash were discovered in the loft of a stable.
:05:39. > :05:44.The travellers site where Joseph King lives is at bottom of the lane.
:05:44. > :05:48.When we arrived, we were told by the people to leave and threatened
:05:48. > :05:55.if we didn't. Joseph King will be sentenced
:05:55. > :06:05.tomorrow along with his brother Samuel and two others for drugs
:06:05. > :06:08.Coming up: The brother of a murdered Kent
:06:08. > :06:18.woman completes his walk 150 mile walk to highlight the plight of
:06:18. > :06:21.
:06:21. > :06:26.Health campaigners in Sussex are reacting angrily to news that a
:06:26. > :06:31.silt for heart attack patients have to be downgraded.
:06:31. > :06:41.NHS Sussex says 24-hour cardiology services could be provide in
:06:41. > :06:41.
:06:41. > :06:46.They moved to Eastbourne to be nearer to the district General
:06:46. > :06:50.Hospital. John is awaiting open- heart surgery so heavily relies on
:06:50. > :06:57.the 24-hour emergency service provided for heart attack patients.
:06:57. > :07:02.It is convenience, you know, it saves that aggravation of travel.
:07:02. > :07:07.But it is that point that there is so many heart problems that
:07:07. > :07:11.Eastbourne is ideal. The idea Eastbourne DGH is
:07:11. > :07:18.downgrading the unit to a day only service, patients like John could
:07:18. > :07:26.be facing a 45 minute European European journey to Hastings and
:07:26. > :07:34.Brighton Minutes saves lives.
:07:34. > :07:42.The nearest service will be in Brighton. Both options leave
:07:42. > :07:46.patients with a 20 mile journey. You can't choose when you have a
:07:46. > :07:51.heart attack. If you have a heart attack in the night, yes, the roads
:07:51. > :07:55.may not be so busy, but you want to have treatment as soon as possible.
:07:55. > :07:58.I mean, all medical evidence says the the sooner, you get treatment,
:07:58. > :08:05.the better the recovery. It is not the first time services
:08:05. > :08:09.have been scrutinised. In 2006 East Sussex NHS Trust began a review of
:08:09. > :08:13.maternity services with the option to close the Eastbourne unit. Two
:08:13. > :08:17.years on, the idea was scrapped, but this year, they are under the
:08:17. > :08:20.spotlight again because they can't find enough doctors to staff both
:08:20. > :08:24.units. Some experts feel the changes in the cardiology unit is
:08:25. > :08:29.not a bad thing. When I grew up a heart attack was
:08:29. > :08:34.fatal and it was a death sentence. Now many more people survive
:08:34. > :08:37.because of acute surgery and that can only be done in a number of
:08:37. > :08:41.specialist centres and if everybody tries to do it, they don't doo it
:08:41. > :08:44.very well. -- do it very well.
:08:44. > :08:51.The NHS Trust insist they are following best practise guidelines
:08:51. > :08:56.and they say they are working with cardiology services and the service
:08:56. > :09:06.to make sure every patient gets the best treatment and the best
:09:06. > :09:07.
:09:07. > :09:10.Louise, we heard the campaigners say they are going to fight
:09:10. > :09:17.services. Stephen Lloyd the local MP said that he will fight to
:09:17. > :09:21.retain these services in Eastbourne. He has written to the Director of
:09:21. > :09:28.NHS Sussex today asking why he he wasn't informed. Three years ago,
:09:28. > :09:36.there was a battle over maternity services and in the end, the then
:09:36. > :09:40.Health Secretary Alan Mill buren did -- Alan mill buren did overturn
:09:40. > :09:46.the decision. Stephen Lloyd says he will fight the proposals hard. This
:09:46. > :09:52.comes against the backdrop of a report out today from a leading
:09:52. > :09:58.health adviser which says the days of the district hospital have to be
:09:58. > :10:02.numbered and calling for larger specialised hospitals.
:10:02. > :10:12.Thank you very much indeed. You can read more about this story
:10:12. > :10:12.
:10:13. > :10:22.on Louise's blog. A woman has become the third person
:10:23. > :10:45.
:10:45. > :10:55.to be charged over the fatal fire in Chatham at the weekend.
:10:55. > :11:05.
:11:05. > :11:08.A local group, the Dover People's Port is opposing privatisation.
:11:08. > :11:11.Motorists in Kent were stuck in traffic delays this morning after a
:11:11. > :11:13.44 tonne lorry shed its load of syrup all over the A20 near
:11:13. > :11:16.Sellindge, closing the Ashfound- bound carriageway. The Highways
:11:16. > :11:18.Agency has put in temporary lights at the scene while the mess is
:11:18. > :11:21.being cleaned up. The former wife of the serial
:11:21. > :11:28.killer, Peter Tobin described him as evil and describes that she is
:11:28. > :11:32.sickened that he was ever in her life. In a new book she reveals
:11:32. > :11:35.their relationship became one of abuse and control, but nothing
:11:35. > :11:44.prepared her for the revelation that her former husband had raped
:11:44. > :11:48.Here, he looks on at his newborn son, Daniel. In this picture, Kathy
:11:48. > :11:52.and Peter Tobin on their wedding day. Key moments of their life,
:11:52. > :11:55.meant to bring about the happiest of memories. They met when Kathy
:11:55. > :11:59.was just 16. Within three or four weeks I moved
:11:59. > :12:04.in with him. I felt it was the right thing. I felt convinced that
:12:04. > :12:11.he was a safe and comfortable person to be with. He had tales of
:12:11. > :12:16.fighting for this country. He had shrapnel injuries to his wrist and
:12:16. > :12:20.he worked on the oil rigs and these were wonderfully exotic tales from
:12:20. > :12:25.Brighton. It was mesmerising. Quickly the relationship turned
:12:25. > :12:30.abusive. Kathy described herself as battered and bruised and announced
:12:30. > :12:35.she wanted a divorce. We were upstairs in the house when I said
:12:35. > :12:39.this. He picked my son up and held him above the staircase and
:12:39. > :12:44.threaten to throw him down the stairs and he said, "If you try and
:12:44. > :12:47.leave, I'll kill you and I'll kill your son as well.". In the time
:12:47. > :12:57.that followed, Tobin started bringing women home and raping them.
:12:57. > :13:02.Just two years after she married him, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah
:13:02. > :13:06.McNicol went missing. He was given two life sentences for their
:13:06. > :13:10.murders. Last summer, police began searching
:13:10. > :13:14.properties in Brighton for other potential victims. This is where
:13:14. > :13:17.Tobin lived in the late 80s, but nothing was found.
:13:17. > :13:24.REPORTER: You were married to a murderer. That must be haunting for
:13:24. > :13:32.you? It's disgusting. Its sick. I feel awful that the man ever
:13:32. > :13:35.touched my body. It really sickens me. I know it is true what he has
:13:35. > :13:40.done because he is in prison for it. I have gone through the court cases,
:13:40. > :13:44.I find it now even indescribable to think I shared any part of my life
:13:44. > :13:49.with him. During their years together, Tobin
:13:49. > :13:52.threatened to stab Kathy and she says he hent her like a prisoner in
:13:52. > :13:56.her own home and the escape from the relationship only marked the
:13:56. > :14:06.beginning of a series of hellish revelations. She says, she wants
:14:06. > :14:21.
:14:21. > :14:24.her book to draw at least a faint The brother The brother of a woman
:14:24. > :14:27.from Kent who was killed by her husband has completed a 150 mile
:14:27. > :14:30.walk to highlight the plight of families of murder victims. Malcolm
:14:30. > :14:32.Webster was jailed in July for killing Claire Morris in
:14:32. > :14:35.Aberdeenshire in 1994. Her brother Peter, started walking from her
:14:35. > :14:38.graveside in Scotland two weeks ago and today he met the Scottish
:14:38. > :14:40.Justice Minister. Rebecca Barry reports. The final steps of a very
:14:40. > :14:42.long journey. Peter Morris walked 150 miles to the Scottish
:14:42. > :14:44.Parliament from his sister's grave. It is an unmarked grave now, the
:14:45. > :14:48.family of Claire Morris campaigned to have the headstone dedicated to
:14:48. > :14:53.a dear wife, removed. It had been place thrd place there by the
:14:53. > :14:57.husband who killed her. During the course of the last two-
:14:57. > :15:00.and-a-half weeks, we have been successful in raising awareness of
:15:00. > :15:06.what victims of crime have to go through.
:15:06. > :15:14.On her wedding day, little did Claire know that the man she was
:15:14. > :15:18.marrying planning to murder her. In 1999 he tried to kill his second
:15:18. > :15:22.wife in a similar accident. Detectives re-investigated Claire's
:15:22. > :15:25.death and in May Webster was convicted of her murder, the motive
:15:25. > :15:28.had been money. The ordeal of Claire's murder
:15:28. > :15:32.spurred her family to campaign for the rights of victims and their
:15:32. > :15:37.families, but this latest challenge has not been easy. Peter injured
:15:37. > :15:42.his foot and was was hospitalised for four days.
:15:42. > :15:46.One man can only do so much and I will never regret what I have done
:15:46. > :15:49.because I have made an attempt, regardless of whatever comes of
:15:49. > :15:53.these discussions, I will feel that I made an attempt to make things
:15:53. > :15:56.better for people who are victims of crime and that is what it is
:15:56. > :15:58.about. Today, they handed in a petition to
:15:58. > :16:04.the Scottish Parliament with over 6,000 signatures.
:16:04. > :16:08.It is a cause that deserves to be supported and I have been happy to
:16:08. > :16:10.support Peter through his efforts to walk from Aberdeenshire to
:16:10. > :16:13.Edinburgh. Money raised from the walk will
:16:13. > :16:23.help other families through their journeys as they mourn their loved
:16:23. > :16:27.ones. A soldier has died after being shot
:16:27. > :16:29.during a training exercise at a firing range in Lydd. Fusilier Dean
:16:29. > :16:39.Griffiths was serving with One Battalion of the Royal Welsh.
:16:39. > :16:41.
:16:41. > :16:45.An investigation has been launched. Also in tonight's programme:
:16:45. > :16:47.From the pack to the peloton - why some of the biggest names in
:16:47. > :16:50.british rugby have been cycling round brands hatch and 50 years
:16:50. > :16:52.after their first date watching brighton - the golden couple
:16:52. > :17:02.celebrating their perfect match. This golden couple are celebrating
:17:02. > :17:03.
:17:03. > :17:06.It's very difficult to grow apricots here, they're usually
:17:06. > :17:09.imported from Mediterranean countries. But a trial at a farm in
:17:09. > :17:13.Upchurch is bearing fruit - in the form of Kentish apricots. The fruit
:17:13. > :17:16.originated in Asia. It's a member of the plum family and in mainland
:17:16. > :17:19.Europe they usually ripen in July and August, but this crop from the
:17:19. > :17:28.Garden of England has been cultivated to ripen later. Yvette
:17:28. > :17:33.Austin has the latest in our food Ripened by the sun, it is a fruit
:17:33. > :17:38.that enjoys warmth, but apricots, are no longer confined to sunnier
:17:38. > :17:41.climes. These are on a farm in north Kent and the crop is as good
:17:41. > :17:44.as could be expected when back in the spring it was touch and go.
:17:44. > :17:48.It is a very risky crop. Here we are at the beginning of April and
:17:48. > :17:55.we have three or four weeks of the frost season to go, but you can see
:17:55. > :17:57.the little apricots on the trees. Hopefully they will survive until
:17:57. > :18:02.October when we come to pick the last ones.
:18:02. > :18:05.Two weeks early as as every this year, picking is well and truly
:18:05. > :18:14.underway. Seven varieties are being trialled, the aim not to compete
:18:14. > :18:19.with France and Spain, but to extend the season, ours ripen later.
:18:19. > :18:27.It has been a fantastic summer. We are producing something that isn't
:18:27. > :18:32.grown in the country already and reducing food miles. These are the
:18:32. > :18:40.apricots that we are picking now and they will nb the shops shortly.
:18:40. > :18:46.Another fruit which may grow here is the key the kiwi, vines are
:18:46. > :18:51.becoming established in a trial plot near Canterbury. The first
:18:51. > :18:56.fruit expected in a few years. Another example of something
:18:56. > :19:03.unusual growing here snnchts it is a combination of things. Import
:19:04. > :19:10.replacement. Ten years ago, they said we couldn't grow Braeburn.
:19:10. > :19:13.Kiwis are grown in Italy and Greece and Asia. We thought they can grow
:19:14. > :19:18.apples there, so we must be able to grow kiwis.
:19:18. > :19:22.If you think about climate change and the likely impacts of that in
:19:22. > :19:27.Southern Europe and the countries from which we source our food, they
:19:27. > :19:31.are likely to suffer from a lot worse droughts than we get in the
:19:31. > :19:35.south-east so they won't be able to produce and supply the UK with the
:19:35. > :19:39.food that they currently do. These unusual fruits are not just
:19:39. > :19:43.being grown for the fun of the challenge. It is possible, concern
:19:43. > :19:53.over the security of our food supply will prompt an increasingly
:19:53. > :19:58.
:19:58. > :20:07.Some of the biggest names in British rugby have been at Brands
:20:07. > :20:09.Hatch to compete in an endurance cycling event for charity today.
:20:09. > :20:12.Former internationals Rory Underwood and Victor Ubogu have
:20:12. > :20:22.joined hundreds of cyclists in an eight hour Le Mans style race
:20:22. > :20:29.around the Grand Prix circuit. Neil Brands Hatch has hosted a variety
:20:29. > :20:39.of events over the years, but today it was the team endurance cycling
:20:39. > :20:40.
:20:40. > :20:42.race. Victor Ubogu is the race organiser
:20:42. > :20:48.and he was delighted by the response.
:20:48. > :20:54.It is brilliant. There was great banner amongst the boys and the
:20:54. > :20:57.teams taking part. Some people are raising money for their chosen
:20:57. > :21:01.charities and at the same time challenging themselves as well.
:21:01. > :21:06.Some of the competitors might have been passed their sporting best and
:21:06. > :21:10.the aim is to raise money for charity, but for the likes of Rory
:21:10. > :21:14.Underwood, the old competitive fire burns strong.
:21:14. > :21:21.Once you get out there, you try your best. When you are fighting
:21:21. > :21:28.the track, it is hilly around here. I knew it was going to be hilly and
:21:29. > :21:35.I did tell Victor, why didn't you have it at Silverstone, it is flat!
:21:35. > :21:39.Among the most impressive was former international skier Graham
:21:39. > :21:44.Bell. It is similar to ski racing. It is
:21:44. > :21:51.picking lines and carrying your speed down a hill.
:21:51. > :21:59.Exhilarating? The top speed I recorded on a bike is around 100
:21:59. > :22:09.kilometres an hour which is 60mph. That's frightening. I know.
:22:09. > :22:10.
:22:11. > :22:13.Some of the par Paralympic cyclists Kent's cricketers look likely to
:22:13. > :22:16.lose the first ever day-night county championship match to be
:22:16. > :22:19.played in this country. The match attracted plenty of interest as it
:22:19. > :22:23.featured a pink cricket ball which is supposed to be easier to see
:22:23. > :22:33.under floodlights - but a number of the Kent players said they've found
:22:33. > :22:35.
:22:35. > :22:43.A couple from Sussex who met at a Brighton and Hove Albion game, they
:22:43. > :22:47.had their first date two years later watching the Seagulls. Brenda
:22:47. > :22:57.and Les Shepherd have been celebrating their anniversary with
:22:57. > :23:03.a visit to the stadium. It is not the most romantic setting,
:23:03. > :23:09.is it? That's right. Today it is a retail park. This was the site of
:23:10. > :23:15.the old Goldstone ground where the couple met. After that Les used to
:23:15. > :23:24.save a seat for Brenda every week. The last match here, was the last
:23:24. > :23:28.game they saw. They were thrilled to get the chance to visit the home.
:23:28. > :23:34.A couple of supporters who met at the club's former home. For years
:23:34. > :23:43.they stood together on the terraces until the grown was sold off. Even
:23:43. > :23:48.their first date was at a match. I had to ask her mum and dad and
:23:48. > :23:57.they gave their approval that I could take her and this is what we
:23:57. > :24:03.did. The Cup final was a family affair.
:24:03. > :24:07.Brenda travelled to Wembley. Their daughter knew the perfect place to
:24:07. > :24:13.celebrate their anniversary. They will be so excited, and seeing
:24:13. > :24:18.their little faces yesterday was like, "Are we really going to the
:24:18. > :24:22.new stadium?". This is a dream come true. Stepping into the stands of
:24:22. > :24:25.the Albion's new home for the first time, a golden moment for a golden
:24:25. > :24:28.anniversary. It is very modern, but it is nice.
:24:29. > :24:38.It is very nice. It is really, really nice. I like
:24:39. > :24:39.
:24:39. > :24:43.A life long Seagulls fan, Les thought the perfect way to Woo his
:24:43. > :24:48.wife was through football. How different would a first date be
:24:48. > :24:56.here? The Goldstone was good, but this is better.
:24:56. > :25:05.We use used to have to stand. The rain used to come in under the roof.
:25:05. > :25:10.Here, it is a beautiful place. He may have whisked her away to
:25:10. > :25:17.Brighton v Rotherham on their first day, but romance blossomed, the
:25:17. > :25:22.score a nil-nil draw, but for them, the perfect match. When the couple
:25:22. > :25:29.were married in 1961, it was a beautiful day and 50 years on the
:25:30. > :25:39.sun shown on them today. Brenda described their first date
:25:39. > :25:46.uneventful Les says he wants to see Uneventful dates can lead to
:25:46. > :25:49.marvellous marriages! They have had lots of golden
:25:49. > :25:52.They have had lots of golden sunshine. Things aren't looking so
:25:52. > :25:58.promising. Of course, the first of September is the beginning of
:25:58. > :26:01.autumn, but today has felt somewhat more like summer than most of
:26:01. > :26:05.August did really. Some really pleasant weather out there, but
:26:05. > :26:09.things as I say, are turning a bit. Now tonight, it is going to start
:26:09. > :26:13.off dry, but by the early hours of tomorrow, a little bit wetter. A
:26:13. > :26:17.picture of what's been going on today and as you can see in the
:26:17. > :26:20.south-east corner it has been clear skies all the way. Now, we are
:26:20. > :26:27.seeing a build-up of cloud as we move through the night so the next
:26:27. > :26:29.couple of hours cloud-free, but once the cloud has built up, we
:26:29. > :26:34.will see rain throughout the early hours of tomorrow. It will be
:26:34. > :26:38.chilly as well. The temperatures down to 12 Celsius in places. But
:26:38. > :26:42.throughout tomorrow, well any wet weather there is around will clear
:26:42. > :26:46.away and there should be quite a few sunny spells. Not as bright as
:26:46. > :26:50.today because there is a lot of cloud cover around. But still a few
:26:50. > :26:54.breaks in that and those temperatures still holding up not
:26:54. > :26:57.badly for the time of year, we are seeing them get up to 20 Celsius at
:26:58. > :27:01.their highest, but the weekend isn't far away so I'm sure he would
:27:01. > :27:05.like to know what it has in storement by first thing Saturday
:27:05. > :27:09.morning, the odd shower around, but nothing too substantial, generally
:27:09. > :27:13.a bit of cloud cover. Those temperatures down to about 11
:27:13. > :27:17.Celsius first thing and as you can see the wet weather isn't far away.
:27:17. > :27:21.It is hard to predict at this stage where and when it will fall, but
:27:21. > :27:26.the chances are there there will be a bit of wet weather mixed in with