:00:04. > :00:09.Welcome to South East Today. I'm Polly Evans. And I'm Rob Smith.
:00:09. > :00:12.Tonight's top stories: A dramatic day in court. A teenager pleads
:00:12. > :00:14.guilty to the manslaughter of an Afghan asylum seeker in Kent.
:00:14. > :00:24.Critically important and highly controversial - a decision on the
:00:24. > :00:25.
:00:25. > :00:28.Bexhill Hastings link road will be taken by next spring.
:00:28. > :00:31.Also in tonight's programme: The baby born in a storm. How a Kent
:00:31. > :00:35.mother was forced to give birth in a car, as winds battered the South
:00:35. > :00:39.East. The car was snaking a bit on the road. It wasn't the safest
:00:39. > :00:46.journey I've ever had! # Our hearts will build a bridge
:00:46. > :00:48.across the time and space. With a song in their heart, the
:00:48. > :00:53.choir of Dover's Royal Military Academy perform a Christmas hit for
:00:53. > :00:57.parents serving in Afghanistan. And full to the brim with Christmas
:00:57. > :01:07.cheer. Why a Sussex pub isn't taking the matter of christmas
:01:07. > :01:13.
:01:13. > :01:16.Good evening. It was a killing that shocked the town of Folkestone, a
:01:16. > :01:21.street brawl between rival gangs of Afghan teenagers that resulted in
:01:21. > :01:24.the death of a 17 year old from a knife wound in January. Today the
:01:24. > :01:28.trial abrubtly and dramatically came to a close when one of the
:01:28. > :01:31.defendents, who denied murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
:01:31. > :01:41.Farid Hussani will serve five years for the death of Osman Sherzad. Our
:01:41. > :01:42.
:01:42. > :01:46.Home Affairs Correspondent Colin 17 year-old Osman Sherzad fled war-
:01:46. > :01:52.torn Afghanistan for a better life. Tragically he was fatally stabbed,
:01:52. > :01:56.left dying on the streets of Kent, by a fellow countryman. Today the
:01:56. > :02:00.man who inflicted the fatal blow, 18 year-old asylum-seeker Farid
:02:00. > :02:05.Hussani, admitted manslaughter, abruptly ending a lengthy trial at
:02:05. > :02:13.Maidstone Crown Court. It is just a waste of life. It is such a waste
:02:13. > :02:16.of life. To come all this way seems so futile to die in another country.
:02:16. > :02:21.Osman Sherzad died from a single stab wound to the stomach in
:02:21. > :02:26.January. Violence erupted inside a flat on Marine Parade in Folkestone
:02:26. > :02:30.as two rival groups of Afghan youth gathered to try to resolve
:02:30. > :02:34.simmering tensions. Instead of brokering peace, one group launched
:02:34. > :02:39.an attack. The mass brawl spilled onto the streets and several
:02:39. > :02:43.witnessed the aftermath. The police and paramedics were working on the
:02:43. > :02:46.bodies in the road, tried to resuscitate them. Loads of
:02:47. > :02:50.commotion everywhere. Guilty of affray, further three Afghan
:02:50. > :02:55.teenagers were jailed for their part in the violence. Described as
:02:55. > :02:59.a student with great promise and potential, Osman had been at
:02:59. > :03:04.college in Folkestone for over a year. His death prompted widespread
:03:04. > :03:08.safety concerns. We had a problem with too many young Afghan men in
:03:08. > :03:12.the asylum system being house in close proximity to each other. What
:03:12. > :03:17.has happened since the incident has been dispersal. Or have been the
:03:17. > :03:21.move to two different locations around the county. -- more have
:03:21. > :03:27.been moved to different locations. Our Osman Sherzad came to the UK
:03:27. > :03:31.via Calais. He arrived without any family aged just 16. Despite the
:03:31. > :03:40.distance travelled and the risks taken, he was unable to avoid the
:03:40. > :03:43.violent rivalries that dominate his homeland.
:03:43. > :03:45.A decision on the controversial Bexhill to Hastings link road will
:03:45. > :03:48.be taken by next Spring, the Government has revealed. Ministers
:03:48. > :03:50.say they recognise transport links are critically important to the
:03:50. > :03:53.regeneration of the area. The planned road would link the A21
:03:53. > :03:55.north of Hastings to Bexhill, through the Combe Haven Valley. But
:03:55. > :04:02.before any final decision other schemes, including improving the
:04:02. > :04:07.A21 at Pembury, the A259 and local rail lines, will also be considered.
:04:07. > :04:12.Our political editor, Louise Stewart reports.
:04:12. > :04:15.For more than two decades, plans to build a road linking Hastings and
:04:15. > :04:20.Bexhill has been seen as a way of improving an area that has been in
:04:20. > :04:24.decline for years. In 1989, proposals for a Hastings bypass
:04:24. > :04:28.were put forward by the council. 12 years later, the Government
:04:29. > :04:33.rejected the plans. In 2003, the council was asked to develop new
:04:33. > :04:35.proposals for the link road we see today. But the plans were put on
:04:35. > :04:40.hold with the change of Government last year. Residents were told they
:04:40. > :04:46.would have to wait three months for a decision. Many people in Hastings
:04:46. > :04:50.will be bitterly disappointed. The residents along Bexhill Road,
:04:50. > :04:57.clearly, because this is an opportunity to reveal less
:04:57. > :05:04.congestion. But also the people of the town wanting jobs which would
:05:04. > :05:07.require the link road to open up the town to realise these projects.
:05:07. > :05:15.Other projects that a similar have been given the go-ahead elsewhere,
:05:15. > :05:20.minister said that she was looking carefully at the bypass auction.
:05:20. > :05:24.need to to work with local authorities to find a solution. We
:05:25. > :05:28.have not said no, but we just need a bit more time to get it
:05:28. > :05:33.absolutely right. Campaigners who support the plans for a bypass say
:05:34. > :05:36.that the delay just extend their misery on the roads. It takes me
:05:36. > :05:41.three quarters of an hour to come home from Bexhill in the evening.
:05:41. > :05:44.It is about time we had something done about it. We used to live on
:05:44. > :05:51.Buchel Road and it do we two hours to get home from work. It needs to
:05:51. > :05:55.go ahead. -- Bexhill road and it took me two hours. The bypass road
:05:55. > :05:58.has always proved controversial. Campaigners say that it will damage
:05:58. > :06:03.the environment by cutting through the undeveloped Combe Haven Valley.
:06:03. > :06:06.They welcome the decision to look at more options. We won this to be
:06:07. > :06:10.successful and we don't think this is the right way to spend �100
:06:10. > :06:14.million. There are other ways that we will go into over the next few
:06:14. > :06:16.months. The Department for Transport says they will work with
:06:16. > :06:19.the County Council over the next few months before making their
:06:19. > :06:23.final decision and hopefully putting an end to years of
:06:23. > :06:25.uncertainty. Our Political Editor Louise Stewart
:06:25. > :06:31.joins us from Westminster. I understand the Government is
:06:31. > :06:35.planning a three month consultation to find the best approach? That is
:06:35. > :06:39.right. They are very aware of concerns about the environmental
:06:39. > :06:43.impact of this bypass. They want to look at other options like trunk
:06:43. > :06:47.roads and local railways. I am joined by the Conservative MP for
:06:47. > :06:52.Tunbridge Wells. How likely is it that this scheme will get the go-
:06:52. > :06:58.ahead? I am determined that the A21 will be a matter of when and not if.
:06:58. > :07:02.It is crucial. The congestion that we have, bad accident records,
:07:02. > :07:05.going from bad to worse with the new hospital opened at Pembrey. We
:07:05. > :07:11.need investment and the sooner the better. That should not be at the
:07:11. > :07:15.expense of the Hastings bypass. A21 and the bypass are both very
:07:15. > :07:17.important to the regeneration of Hastings. What the Transport
:07:17. > :07:21.Secretary has said is that she wants to consider both schemes
:07:21. > :07:25.together over the next few months. I am hopeful that this can all be
:07:25. > :07:28.moved forward. Lots of transport infrastructure projects have been
:07:28. > :07:31.announced across the country but none has been given the go-ahead in
:07:31. > :07:36.the South East. That is disappointing for campaigners. Why
:07:36. > :07:42.have we been overlooked? All of the schemes announced today were in
:07:42. > :07:45.that the waiting room and our scheme was not in that position.
:07:45. > :07:48.I'm encouraged that Justine Greening has said that the A21 and
:07:48. > :07:51.the connections in the area will be looked at over the next three
:07:51. > :07:54.months. This is an important investment for the local economy
:07:54. > :07:58.and it is important all away down the line, from Sevenoaks to
:07:58. > :08:02.Hastings. It is important that we get this moving and I am determined
:08:02. > :08:06.to keep fighting for it. As you have heard, the decision will be
:08:06. > :08:10.taken in around three months. Thank you.
:08:10. > :08:15.In a moment: Years of public health campaigns, so why are a fifth of
:08:16. > :08:19.our youngsters now officially obese?
:08:19. > :08:22.A man from Thanet who was falsely accused of rape by his ex-
:08:22. > :08:25.girlfriend says he feared his life had been ruined. Wayne Maddox says
:08:25. > :08:28.it was the most humiliating experience of his life. Kelly
:08:28. > :08:37.Atkins from Margate has now been jailed for two years for perverting
:08:37. > :08:41.the course of justice. Simon Jones reports. He works in the family
:08:41. > :08:46.business, but Wayne Maddox found himself arrested in front of his
:08:46. > :08:51.family, accused, along with one of his friends, of rape, and held in
:08:51. > :08:55.police cells until Kelly Atkins's lies were exposed. If she had been
:08:55. > :08:59.successful in doing what she was trying to do, it would have been my
:08:59. > :09:05.whole life. Any chance of a career over, straight away. I don't know
:09:05. > :09:08.what it is, 10 or 20 year sentences. It could have ruined my life. It
:09:08. > :09:12.was the single most embarrassing thing I have ever had to do in my
:09:12. > :09:17.life, have people take swabs of May and things like that. But it was
:09:17. > :09:21.Kelly Atkins that found herself in court. She had been harassing her
:09:21. > :09:26.ex-boyfriend after they split up, a culminating in the false accusation.
:09:26. > :09:29.It soon became clear to the police that Kelly Atkins had made up a
:09:29. > :09:34.tissue of lies. The judge said to her that rape is a repulsive line
:09:34. > :09:39.but making false allegations of rape is a dreadful crime that
:09:39. > :09:44.undermines public confidence in the judicial system. It is a view
:09:44. > :09:47.shared by organisations who work with genuine rape victims. Anyone
:09:47. > :09:49.that was the makes an allegation of rape and that is clear and obvious,
:09:49. > :09:54.then they should be pursued with the full might of the law, because
:09:54. > :09:57.to do so makes it so much more difficult for genuine rape victims
:09:57. > :10:01.coming after them. It is a difficult enough crime as it is to
:10:01. > :10:05.get conviction without that sort of bother. Kelly Atkins has been
:10:05. > :10:08.banned from going near her victim's home when she is released. I would
:10:08. > :10:11.not want genuine rape victims to see this as something that puts
:10:12. > :10:17.some of coming forward and reporting an offence of rape to
:10:17. > :10:21.Kent police. -- put them off. This is not about a genuine victim who
:10:21. > :10:26.was not believed. This is somebody who made up an entirely false
:10:26. > :10:31.allegation. Why do you think she did it? I wish I knew. I have not
:10:31. > :10:39.got a clue. I wish I knew. She obviously had to reasons but I will
:10:39. > :10:41.probably never know. An ordeal that he now wants to try to forget.
:10:41. > :10:45.Police in Kent have raided scrapyards across the county today
:10:45. > :10:48.in an attempt to cut down on the selling on of stolen metal. Metal
:10:48. > :10:51.theft is on the increase in the South East with copper from phone
:10:51. > :10:54.cables and lead from roofs fetching high prices on the black market.
:10:54. > :10:59.Police checked metal with infra red lights to detect Smart Water tags,
:10:59. > :11:01.but found no illegal metal. People with dementia in the South
:11:01. > :11:06.East are collectively being defrauded of millions of pounds, a
:11:06. > :11:09.charity has claimed. The Alzheimer's Society says up to 3000
:11:09. > :11:15.sufferers in Kent and 4000 in Sussex have lost over �5 million to
:11:15. > :11:24.cold callers, scam letters and doorstep sellers. It's calling on
:11:24. > :11:27.banks and Trading Standards to be more alert to the problem.
:11:27. > :11:29.Demonstrators who'd spent more than a month camped out in Brighton's
:11:29. > :11:32.Victoria Gardens have had their site cleared today. Tents making up
:11:32. > :11:35.the Occupy Brighton camp were blown down in the recent storms.
:11:35. > :11:43.Protesters said they wanted to clear up the area themselves but
:11:43. > :11:46.staff from Brighton and Hove City Council did the job this morning.
:11:46. > :11:49.As gale force winds and driving rain caused damage across the South
:11:49. > :11:52.East this week, the wild weather also led to a desperate journey for
:11:52. > :11:54.one expectant mother. Caelyn McDonnell went into labour three
:11:54. > :11:57.weeks early, prompting a 16-mile drive to the hospital. But the
:11:57. > :12:00.stormy conditions delayed the journey, so the baby made his
:12:00. > :12:02.appearance in the back of the car instead. Safely back at home,
:12:02. > :12:07.relieved mum Caelyn has been speaking to our reporter Lynda
:12:07. > :12:13.Hardy. Here the picture of Peace Now, but
:12:13. > :12:18.his arrival was about as far as possible from this quiet calm. They
:12:18. > :12:23.came on the same day that gusts of wind up to 74 mph battered the
:12:23. > :12:29.South East. They ripped down rooftops and trees, meaning long,
:12:29. > :12:35.slow and treacherous car journey to hospital for his mother. I was
:12:35. > :12:41.having to worry about the winds, the conditions as well as being in
:12:41. > :12:46.labour. I must try not to deliver my husband's car. It was horrible.
:12:46. > :12:53.Going up the motorway, we were aquaplaning, getting blown sideways
:12:53. > :12:59.and having to basically fight the car and try to maintain a safe
:12:59. > :13:02.speed. Visibility was terrible. The roads were just no fun at all.
:13:02. > :13:07.had driven his wife from their home to the William Harvey Hospital in
:13:07. > :13:11.Ashford, a 16 mile trip. It is a journey that normally takes about
:13:11. > :13:15.20 minutes, but because of the conditions, it took double the
:13:16. > :13:19.amount of time. The delay meant that Caelyn did not make it to the
:13:19. > :13:26.labour ward, giving birth in the back of the car in the ambulance
:13:26. > :13:29.Bay instead. Luckily there was help nearby. Caelyn did brilliantly in
:13:29. > :13:34.what could not be worse circumstances. It was pitch black,
:13:34. > :13:38.pouring with rain, blowing gales. Then the midwife came down and
:13:38. > :13:42.happened to be there just in time to catch the baby. Then we went
:13:42. > :13:46.inside and tried to warm the baby up and Caelyn went to maternity
:13:46. > :13:56.with him. For the tiny tot who has yet to be named, quite a story to
:13:56. > :13:59.tell him when he is older. Despite years of public health
:13:59. > :14:01.campaigns, the latest figures for childhood obesity show that more
:14:01. > :14:05.youngsters than ever before are being classed as obese. The figures
:14:05. > :14:09.published by the NHS today show that almost one in five 10 to 11
:14:09. > :14:13.year olds in Kent and Medway are obese. In East Sussex including
:14:13. > :14:16.Brighton, one in six 10 to 11 year olds are obese. The figures reveal
:14:16. > :14:23.that many children in the South East are obese before they even
:14:23. > :14:26.start school. I think we need to be extremely worried about this. Being
:14:26. > :14:31.overweight or obese at a young age means to have a much higher chance
:14:31. > :14:35.of being overweight or obese as an adult. We all know there are many
:14:35. > :14:37.health problems associated with being overweight as an adult.
:14:37. > :14:40.while the issue has prompted some parents to re-examine their
:14:40. > :14:48.children's eating habits, others are questioning whether the way the
:14:48. > :14:51.statistics are measured actually make sense. Alex Beard reports. 11
:14:51. > :14:56.year-old Jake was considered overweight by national standards.
:14:56. > :15:01.Since losing four pounds he is healthier and things about what he
:15:01. > :15:07.eats. That is not what was always the case. As a parrot, I am guilty.
:15:07. > :15:12.We had crisps and biscuits in the cupboard. He would come in and say
:15:12. > :15:15.he was hungry and eat them and that would be it. Since attending every
:15:15. > :15:19.ten-week course, the family have changed their lifestyle and eating
:15:19. > :15:25.habits and the benefits are not just physical. It changed my
:15:25. > :15:29.personality. It changed my confidence, because before I was
:15:29. > :15:35.not very confident but now I am. Jake is now a healthy weight, but
:15:35. > :15:38.statistics show that obesity is on the rise. Some campaigners say that
:15:38. > :15:45.these figures are misleading because they are based on a ratio
:15:45. > :15:52.of Heister to wait, the PMI index. -- height to wait. The BMI index.
:15:52. > :15:58.Muscle is heavier than that, so there BMI could be higher, but they
:15:58. > :16:04.might not beef fat. Thomas was seven. When his mother received a
:16:04. > :16:09.letter informing her that her son was obese, she ignored it. A letter
:16:09. > :16:14.that calculated his BMI from his weight and height, technically he
:16:14. > :16:21.was obese. I was very surprised to hear that and very annoyed. He is a
:16:21. > :16:26.normal, healthy boy. He is not obese. The childhood obesity rates
:16:26. > :16:31.are officially on the rise. There are predictions that by 2050, half
:16:31. > :16:34.of the adult population will be obese.
:16:34. > :16:38.Our top story tonight: An 18 year old has pleaded guilty to stabbing
:16:38. > :16:40.to death a rival Afghan youth in a street brawl in Folkestone. 17 year
:16:40. > :16:43.old Osman Sherzad died from his injuries in January. Today Farid
:16:43. > :16:53.Hussani, who denied murder, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and has been
:16:53. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :17:00.jailed for five years. Also in tonight's programme: I can't wait
:17:00. > :17:03.to see you. I am taller than man now. Come home. Written from the
:17:03. > :17:07.heart. A 15 year old's emotional letter to her father serving in
:17:08. > :17:16.Afghanistan. Join me in The Marine Park in
:17:16. > :17:21.Eastbourne where the landlord has created the ultimate Santa's grotto.
:17:21. > :17:25.-- pub. Unemployment figures released today
:17:25. > :17:28.make for grim reading. The numbers are up again, though the Government
:17:28. > :17:31.say the rate of increase shows signs of slowing down. There are
:17:31. > :17:34.now 2.6 million people out of work, the highest level since 1994. Youth
:17:34. > :17:38.unemployment rose to 1.027 million, the highest since records began in
:17:38. > :17:40.1992. And here in the South East the number of 18 to 24 year olds
:17:40. > :17:50.claiming Jobseekers Allowance is now almost 22,000. Our Business
:17:50. > :17:51.
:17:51. > :17:55.The faces behind the numbers. These friends are all under 24,
:17:55. > :17:59.unemployed, and looking for work. They are getting help from the
:17:59. > :18:06.Prince's Trust but it has not been easy. It has been really
:18:06. > :18:13.frustrating. I am giving out CVs, more than once to one place, but no
:18:13. > :18:17.responses. I want to look for a specific job that I like, and enjoy,
:18:17. > :18:21.instead of just being down and depressed at work. We will get a
:18:21. > :18:28.job in the end, and soon hopefully. Although it is hurting right now,
:18:28. > :18:31.it should not impact in the long term. But is he right? Some experts
:18:31. > :18:34.say that long-term unemployment can damage young people's futures and
:18:34. > :18:38.the Government is not approaching the problem the right way. A period
:18:38. > :18:41.of unemployment when you are young and so is the damage your life
:18:41. > :18:45.chances later on. You are more likely to be unemployed again later
:18:45. > :18:49.on in life and you are more likely to have low wages and if he did not
:18:49. > :18:55.have that period of unemployment. You also likely to have low levels
:18:55. > :18:59.of health. Sometimes you get initiatives with the current
:18:59. > :19:02.Government where they want to get rid of an old Labour policy, and
:19:02. > :19:07.then they six months later reintroduce it with a new name.
:19:07. > :19:11.That erratic behaviour does not really help employers. There are
:19:11. > :19:15.100 staff at this firm in Crawley and 20% of them are under 24, and
:19:15. > :19:18.they are currently recruiting more. They agree that red tape makes it
:19:18. > :19:22.difficult to take on youngsters on the dole queues, but they have
:19:22. > :19:25.tried and been successful. I have been really impressed with the
:19:25. > :19:28.youngsters that we have had coming on board. They are really
:19:28. > :19:33.enthusiastic and keen to learn. They have a good attitude. They
:19:33. > :19:37.have got fantastic IT skills. That really helps us in this sort of
:19:37. > :19:42.business. On the one hand, we need more employees, but on the other it
:19:42. > :19:45.is the affordability of those people. That is not that we want to
:19:45. > :19:48.their employees, because it is not what we are about, but it is about
:19:48. > :19:55.making it more affordable for us as the business and simpler to employ
:19:55. > :19:58.those people as well. Government says that numbers are
:19:58. > :20:08.stabilising and schemes like these to get young people back into
:20:08. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:13.employment need to be given time to They're an unexpected contender for
:20:13. > :20:15.the Christmas Number One - the military wives, conducted by TV
:20:15. > :20:18.choirmaster Gareth Malone. Now their singing has inspired another
:20:18. > :20:21.choir, this time the children who attend the Duke of York's Royal
:20:21. > :20:24.Military Academy in Dover, many of whom have parents serving in
:20:24. > :20:34.Afghanistan at the moment. They've recorded their version of the song
:20:34. > :20:38.
:20:38. > :20:43.Wherever You Are. Sara Smith reports.
:20:43. > :20:47.# Wherever you are, my love will keep you safe. Choir master Gareth
:20:47. > :20:51.Malone coaxed these women into forming a choir. They sang at the
:20:51. > :20:56.Royal Albert Hall and on TV. And possibly, if the bookies are right,
:20:56. > :21:01.they could be about to become number one for Christmas.
:21:01. > :21:05.# I hold you in my dreams each night until you are back.
:21:05. > :21:08.Now the children of servicemen and women that go to the military
:21:08. > :21:16.academy in Dover have joined the wives in recording their version of
:21:16. > :21:20.the song. Their version is made up of the letters between the men and
:21:20. > :21:26.their families. We really wanted to support the military wives and
:21:26. > :21:31.their quiet. For our pupils, who not only have parents but brothers
:21:31. > :21:35.and sisters and friends, former pupils of the school, serving in
:21:35. > :21:39.the armed forces, it really meant a lot to them. Included in the
:21:39. > :21:43.recording is a message from one people to her father. I was hoping
:21:43. > :21:47.that you would be back before Christmas but no worries. Alan
:21:47. > :21:51.Oliver is serving in Afghanistan over Christmas. From the base in
:21:52. > :21:57.Germany, Jordan Oliver explained what that meant to her. It is quite
:21:57. > :22:04.upsetting when we are all there on Christmas Day opening presents and
:22:04. > :22:07.he is not able to open his. That is why this year we have decided to
:22:07. > :22:12.only open a few and then when he comes back, we can open the rest
:22:12. > :22:16.with him, so that way we do have Christmas together. The recording
:22:16. > :22:20.on the song, done on the last day of term, has been sent to those on
:22:20. > :22:24.active duty including Jordan's father. When I saw it, I had tears
:22:24. > :22:29.in my eyes because I know how much that will mean to Alan. He will
:22:29. > :22:33.love it. Like she says, it will make him cry and he will be so
:22:33. > :22:36.proud of her. As with the military wives, it is hoped that this will
:22:36. > :22:46.remind people not just of those serving but of those left behind as
:22:46. > :22:57.
:22:57. > :23:02.They sound lovely. While sightseers being attracted to
:23:02. > :23:07.a certain pub in Eastbourne? It is because inside the landlord has
:23:07. > :23:11.gone crazy with decorations. Seven van loads of Christmas trees, 450
:23:12. > :23:15.sets of lights and more decorations than you can shake a stick at. Is
:23:15. > :23:21.it all being done in the best possible taste?
:23:22. > :23:25.Polly, it is Christmas, everything is in the best possible taste!
:23:25. > :23:30.There are 22,000 light bulbs in this pub in Eastbourne. I have
:23:30. > :23:38.counted every single one of them. It has made it the most festive pub
:23:38. > :23:42.in the country and of course the ultimate answers -- Santa's grotto.
:23:42. > :23:47.The ceiling is festooned with baubles, tinsel and the lights.
:23:47. > :23:55.This is how it works. 20 people come in on a Sunday and put up the
:23:55. > :23:59.structure of, basically lots of sprigs and Bowers to hang the
:24:00. > :24:04.lights. Even though there are that many people, the landlord still
:24:04. > :24:11.have to work for weeks to get them up. An extraordinary effort. Why on
:24:11. > :24:15.earth do you do it? I think I must be mad. The chaps come along and
:24:15. > :24:19.help and they like to see people's faces, especially the children. It
:24:19. > :24:24.is incredible to see. People are coming from far and wide to see it.
:24:24. > :24:27.Yes, there was some Belgian people at a local guest house a few years
:24:27. > :24:33.ago and now they make a pilgrimage every year to spend a weekend in
:24:33. > :24:39.Eastbourne and eat and drink it up. It all away from Belgium. Thank you.
:24:39. > :24:44.Set speeches some punters about what they make of it. That -- let's
:24:45. > :24:48.speak to some punters. What do you think? He does it every year and to
:24:49. > :24:56.improve it every year. It is fantastic. Good luck to him. He has
:24:56. > :25:02.really made the pub. It is a one- off. They certainly is that, I have
:25:02. > :25:06.to tell you. He does not come cheap. The landlord has to spend �100
:25:06. > :25:10.every week just to keep the lights on. How about that?
:25:10. > :25:14.Thank you. It is nice to see our correspondent in winter and it
:25:14. > :25:24.where! You do not get to use the phrase festooned with baubles
:25:24. > :25:26.
:25:26. > :25:32.I am festooned with stormy weather, which is not quite so nice! One or
:25:32. > :25:37.two to come over the next 36 hours. It one has the unique personality.
:25:37. > :25:41.I think they will be leaving with not too many friends left behind.
:25:41. > :25:45.No. 1, that is coming in the next few hours and it is really the
:25:45. > :25:52.warm-up act for what is to follow tomorrow night. The main thing at
:25:52. > :25:55.the moment is the heavy rain falling across the South coast. The
:25:55. > :26:00.winds will be picking up over the next few hours and overnight they
:26:00. > :26:04.could be up to 60 mph. Not quite as strong as Monday-night but it will
:26:04. > :26:08.be close. The heaviest of the showers will always be around the
:26:08. > :26:14.South coast. Already we are starting to see showers bubbling up
:26:14. > :26:17.on the sea, and pounding the South coast. Some of them will be moving
:26:17. > :26:21.inland. There is thunder and lightning mixed in and some of them
:26:21. > :26:28.will be pushing inland. Many places will and up staying dry but
:26:28. > :26:38.wherever does stay dry, with those cool temperatures, icy conditions
:26:38. > :26:40.
:26:41. > :26:44.can become a problem. Some of us will see ice and some of us rain.
:26:44. > :26:47.Tomorrow the showers will fade away and there will be drier weather and
:26:47. > :26:53.even sunshine tomorrow. The temperatures will be fairly cool
:26:53. > :26:57.again, six or seven at best in those strong winds. The next storms
:26:57. > :27:01.will be coming in tomorrow night and this one is the real bad boy.
:27:01. > :27:04.The winds will be getting stronger and the rain will be heavier. Any
:27:04. > :27:08.time from 6 o'clock tomorrow evening, the rain will be starting
:27:08. > :27:13.and the winds will be getting stronger. We will be in for a wet
:27:13. > :27:17.and windy night with gusts of up to 70 mph. There is a sting in its
:27:17. > :27:23.tail as well because when the winds have feared to the north-western
:27:23. > :27:26.eight on Friday morning, they slap is in the chops when we are down,
:27:26. > :27:31.because the north-westerly could bring some wintery showers on