11/01/2012 South East Today

Jeremy Clarkson strikes again - the controversial journalist provokes

anger by comparing Kent residents to illegal immigrants.

I think that somebody needs to remind Jeremy Clarkson that these

kinds of Commons are unhelpful and offensive.

TripAdvisor ruined our business - a Sussex B&B owner hits out at

malicious reviews. We are live with the details.

A massive blaze destroys a chicken factory in Kent. Scores of fire

crews were needed to bring it under control.

We meet possibly the youngest football manager in the country at

a Erith and Dartford. And spring is springing early. Make

the most of the unseasonable blooms because the next frost is likely to

make them wither. Good evening. The television presenter Jeremy

Clarkson is at the centre of a new row, for claiming that people who

live in Kent tend to be the sort who "arrived in the back of a

refrigerated truck, or clinging to the bottom of the Eurostar". His

comments have been described as unhelpful and offensive.

Writing in the latest issue of Top Gear magazine, Clarkson compared

the Isle of Sheppey to a caravan park and also wrote about what he

says are the difficulties of driving through the county, which

he labels the Twilight Zone. Simon Jones reports.

He is never short of an opinion. In an article about driving to the

Isle of Sheppey, Jeremy Clarkson rights, and what of the locals?

They tend to be the sort of people who arrived in England in the back

of a refrigerated truck or clinging to the underside of a Eurostar

train. But people who works -- work with migrants are not seeing the

funny side? I think somebody needs to remind

him that these comments are unhelpful and offensive. People who

are looking for sanctuary have obviously had to resort to

desperate means in the past and quite a few have died in those

attempts. That is why I think it is quite unfortunate that this article

should make fun of those situations. Last year he was forced to

apologise for this, about striking public sector workers on a The One

Show. Frankly, I would have them all shot.

I would execute them in front of their families.

Today in shabby, some feel he has gone too far again.

-- Sheppey. He needs to breathe in his exhaust.

I have no idea why an individual would have this idea. I found it

funny actually. He has also called Gordon Brown of

one-eyed idiot and said that Gordon Brown is a one-eyed idiot. -- and

said that truck drivers murder prostitutes.

Perhaps Jeremy would like to come to Sheppey. I would show him some

of the other sides we have here. His supporters say he can take it

as well as give it out. Good one!

Simon Jones and joins us from the Isle of Sheppey. Has Jeremy

Clarkson had anything to say this evening? He was away filming today

but the publishers of top gear magazine say that these comments

have been taken out of context. They say that regular readers know

that these are tongue-in-cheek comments. This was supposed to be

an article pointing out how bad some of the roads are in Kent but

people to the speaking -- speaking to the people in Sheppey there were

a mix of viewers. Some people were very offended, others said, this is

Jeremy Clarkson, this is what he does. Others were just fed up of

hearing about his outbursts. A Sussex bed-and-breakfast owner

says that her business has been damaged and she has been forced to

take anti-depressants because of malicious, harsh reviews posted on

the travel website TripAdvisor. The website allows guests to review

and rate their stays in hotels and B&Bs around the world. But Jane

Carter, who runs the Medieval Lodge in Hastings, says they have

suffered a disastrous slump in bookings since a reviewer posted a

highly critical report. Fiona Irving reports.

With more than 50 million visitors to the TripAdvisor website each

month, those who post opinions of their stay have massive cloud. For

Jane and Richard Carter, who run the Medieval Lodge in Hastings, a

couple of bad reviews have made them put their business on the

market. This was a dream which has turned

into a nightmare. All from TripAdvisor. Definitely. When I

first came here I was so happy go lucky and now I am just what I was.

90 % of the views about their B&B on the site are positive. The rooms

are wonderful and charming said one. We left feeling very contented and

refreshed. But one posted last week said, not a nice time here. The

beds were lumpy, the rooms cluttered and the breakfast Creasey.

The owners say they are being targeted by guests who stayed here

six months ago and since they reviewer went up last week they

have had no bookings. Last weekend was the first in six and a half

years that this B&B was empty. It is too easy for people with

malicious intent to cause serious damage to a perfectly good business.

While many see that website as a fantastic tool for planning a trip,

James -- Jane says that a couple of bad reviews have damaged her health

and her business. He it is very rare that one review

will have an impact. I suspect that they have had plenty of reviews. We

are all about having travellers get their expectations met.

But for the Carters, getting travel as to their door is the problem.

Fiona, what can the Carters do about what they claim are malicious

reviews? The reviewed they were particularly concerned about has

now been taken down, not by them but by TripAdvisor or the reviewer

themselves. The company does help with malicious comments but it

takes them a while to get them down because of legal reasons. And they

can affect bookings. TripAdvisor is used by millions across the globe

and it can be very useful for them but the Carters say it is what led

them to pack it in. Coming up, Southeastern is accused

of ripping off commuters after they raise car-parking charges by 33 %.

A huge fire has destroyed two large sheds at a chicken farm in Kent.

The smoke from Fridays, near Cranbrook, could be seen from as

far away as Hastings and Ashford, as more than 50 fire crew battled

the blaze. Investigations are under way to

find out how many birds were killed in the fire, but no people were

injured at the site, which has been run as a family business for the

last 50 years. Alex Beard reports. At its height, 50 firefighters

fought the flames as they ripped through two massive chicken sheds.

A plume of smoke was visible for miles as these pictures show. It

prompted the Health Protection Agency to release a statement

warning local residents to stay indoors. Kent Fire and rescue cent

10 engines to the fire, which started shortly after 11.

There was quite a serious fire in some chicken sheds. It could quite

easily have spread to other parts of the building and other sheds so

our first priority was, having established nobody was inside,

stopping at spreading further. Fridays is a family run business

that has been going for 50 years. They said earlier that they had

been upset by today's events. As the flames were brought under

control, the damage was revealed. Fire investigators now begin the

task of finding out how and why it started.

Health bosses are challenging a �375,000 fine after hospital

computer hard drives containing confidential patient information

turned up on eBay. Brighton General Hospital was decommissioning the

hard drives using a registered contractor to destroy them. A man

from Seaford was arrested on suspicion of theft but no further

action was taken. Police have confirmed they are

investigating whether drugs were involved in a fight which led to a

man's death in Brighton. Two men barged into Christopher McLean's

flat in Caledonian Crescent last Friday and a fight broke out. He

later died of coronary heart disease.

A train company has today been accused of ripping off passengers

by putting up car-parking charges, a week after fares increased.

Southeastern has been criticised for charge rises of as much as 33 %.

The increase in rail fares led to heated clashes in the Commons today

between the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition. Well,

let's cross live to Katherine Downes, who is at a car park in

Tunbridge Wells that has seen an above inflation increase. How does

Southeastern justify the parking increases?

They say the majority of station car parks will not see any increase

at all and those that do are being brought up in line with the average

cost of parking elsewhere. In Tunbridge Wells there are three

station car-parks. One will not see any increase, another will see an

increase of 10 % and this one, the premiere car-park, will see one of

the biggest increases in the recent -- region.

A few hours ago Cameron and Miliband went head-to-head over

fare increases. Will he stand up to the rail

companies and get a better deal for commuters? Money for railways can

either come from the taxpayer or the traveller.

Season-ticket holders in the South East were angry when they were made

to pay an average of 6 % more for their tickets at the start of the

year. Now some will have to pay more for parking.

Commuters have very little opportunity but to park their car

in a train station. They have seen massive increases in rail fares and

this is another way to exploit commuters.

Out of 67 station car parks in the South East, 22 will see increases,

five will see false and 40 will have no change. For a daily ticket,

commuters from robbers Bridge will see the biggest rise, up one-third.

And a car-park in Tunbridge Wells station sees an increase of �186.

They should have a reasonably priced parking facility available.

It is our way of getting more money out of the poor old commune --

commuter. Southeastern say that only a minority of their car-parks

are going up in price to bring them in line with other ones and any

increase goes to pay for rise in rental costs. Campaigners are

asking the Government to intervene and stop this daylight robbery.

Only a small percentage of commuters use car-parks, say the

A medical student from Chatham has told the court she had lied to

police after being charged of the murder of a Sikh television

presenter. 20 year-old Mundil Mahill is charged with the murder

of 21 year-old Gagandip Singh. She is accused of tricking him to come

into her home in Brighton where it is alleged he was beaten

unconscious by two male friends. Has Miss Mahil explained why she

lied to the police? Miss Mahil said that before going to the police,

she contacted her brother for advice. He was a police officer.

She told the court that he told her not to mention him, and not to

mention the fact that they had had meetings with fellow accused,

Harinder Shoker. When Miss Mahil went to the police station

voluntarily she was quickly arrested on suspicion of murder and

questioned. One of the questions was, when was the last time you met

Harinder Shoker? She said two weeks ago, which was a lie because they

had met that very evening. Her defence barrister, Michael Birnbaum,

asked her, was shot on to trees for? Not entirely, no, she replied.

What was the extent of Miss Mahil's lying? She pretty much told the

court she had been truthful for the rest of her answers, but there was

one further life. Again in reference to Harinder Shoker. She

quickly corrected herself and told the court today she had corrected

herself because she felt she could not protect him any longer.

Harinder Shoker, Mundil Mahill and Darren Peters all denote -- deny

murder. Trial resumes tomorrow. It is coming up to 6:45pm. The top

story. Jeremy Clarkson, a controversial TV presenter, has

caused another rout by comparing people who live in Kent to illegal

immigrants. His comments have been described as unhelpful and

offensive by the refugee network. Also tonight, spring has come

blooming early, but what it means for our plants if they flower in

January? It has been another cloudy and mild

picture, but is set to change as we end the week. Join me later in the

programme for a 45 they could -- a fall a five-day forecast.

A family of an Eastbourne benefactor who donated a fortune to

the town to create a memorial to its war dead sad they are sad and

it will be demolished. Gilbert Foyle, who founded the famous

Foyle's bookstore, donated �70,000 to Eastbourne after witnessing the

impact of German bombing raids in World War II. It is the equivalent

of �2.5 million in today's money. It was used to build the Wish Tower

Cafe in 1961, but as we reported on New Year's Day, Eastbourne council

says it has fallen into such disrepair, it will have to be

knocked down. Surveying his father's legacy. John

Foyle says he is saddened by plans to demolish the place of leisure

his father helped to create for the people of Eastbourne. He loved

Eastbourne. He served Eastbourne, on the local council. And he loved

the town. At the turn of the 20th century, Gilbert Foyle failed his

civil service exams. With his brother with him, they sold their

textbooks and set up a book business. Within five years, they

opened a shop in London's Charing Cross Road. At the time, it was the

largest bookstore in the road. -- in the world. He retired to

Eastbourne and witnessed much suffering during the 1940s

following repeated bombing by the German air force. A family friend

says his donation of �70,000 to build the Wish Tower Cafe

represented virtually every penny he possessed. And his sons, Eric

and John, readily agreed that their father should give away what was,

perhaps, their inheritance. And he went to live in a rented flat in

Eastbourne, having giving everything away. The authority in

East Bourne regain possession of the building in October last year

and decided the structure was not worth refurbishing. It says any

permanent building erected in the future will recognise Gilbert

Foyle's legacy. The council is very aware of the massive contribution

and generosity of the family to Eastbourne. Not just the Wish Tower

Cafe, but it crossed the town. We respect that generosity and

whatever we do with this site it will reflect that. John Foyle says

he will watch what happens here. The building will be raised to the

He is one of the youngest talents in football, and could be destined

for the very top. The 20 year-old Sam MacNeil says he wants to be a

major player in the Premiership One day. The young man from Dartford

has already hung up his boots. A former grammar school boy is the

manager of Erith and Dartford football club, so we found that why

he has stopped playing for a life in the dug-out.

He is the future of youth football. Off the pitch. Sam MacNeil is young,

full of ideas and ambitious. The 20 year-old has just taken charge of

Erith and Dartford football club. If you come in as a young coach,

Andy do not know what you're doing, you find a problem. I have come in,

sat down with the players, we had a chat about weight -- what we wanted

to do and where we want to go, and everyone understood. I have had the

full support of every single player, no matter what age. The A star

people could have chosen any career, but he has jump feet-first into the

school of hard knocks. He has had his first defeat. I have to tell a

group of top players that they were over 30 that they will watch me --

were not needed. I was only 19. It is not something that fazes me.

MacNeil's desire for the game is not unique. 70 year-old Sir Alex

Ferguson was 32 when he started. The Chelsea manager Andre Villas

Boas was 21 when he became head coach of the British Virgin island.

And Carl Robinson is 31, the manager of the MK Dons was 29 when

he was appointed. It is fantastic to see such a young person managing

and adults team. We quite often see young people managing youth teams,

but for a young person to be managing a team at this level is

quite rare to see. There is no cash rich oil billionaire behind this

club. Success will have to start at grassroots level. Knowing Sam, he

was to go all the way. It is very important to him. Sam MacNeil

support to -- Newcastle United. If you fancy a flutter on him becoming

manager of them one day, bookmakers are taking bets.

He has got a lot of confidence! A Kent couple have spent most of

their married life at sea. Their ocean-going adventures together

began in the 1950s in a former Hitler Youth boat that was

requisitioned by the Royal Navy. Since that time, they have and

three other boats which have taken them two countries across the world.

This is Bill and Laurel Cooper's This photograph goes back to the

time which was our first, our first long sea cruise. We're going back

to 1954, when we sailed from Malta, where Bill was based at the Navy,

in one of Hitler's Hitler Youth boats. We had reclaimed it after

the war. There were several of them in a mortar. You could borrow one

and go on a cruise, and that is what we did for a month with our

six-month-old baby. It sowed seed in my mind that one day, I wanted

to retire and go cruising round the world in a boat I would build

myself. We started building it in Maidstone. We had her for 10 years.

We cross the Atlantic in her, and went to America, or up to road

Ireland. And we won an award for getting through a hurricane north

of Bermuda. We swapped her, we bought a cargo barge in Holland.

did not actually cross any oceans in that boat but we did a

tremendous lot of sailing, we went right down the Danube, going

through the Yugoslav there when war broke out, which was not a good

idea. We were in a town when it was bombed. They missed us,

fortunately! Now we are in our geriatric boat. The end of the

cruising has come. I am well into my eighties, it is probably time

to... Time to stop? Time to stop, yes. That was the story behind Bill

and Laurel Cooper's photo. We would like you to send us your memorable

We know that it has been a strange old the if the weather. We have had

drought orders in part of the south-east, the warmest water on

record, all coming after the coldest winter in a century. So it

is not a great surprise that strange things are going on in the

garden. Woodland Trust across Kent and Sussex are reporting thousands

of wild flower species are in bloom months earlier than normal. Make

the most of it, a sharp frost would Some are too late, others too early.

For gardeners, one thing is certain. It has been an extraordinary year.

I have been gardening now for 30 years, and I have been here for 22

years. This last 12 months has been the most bizarre gardening year I

have experienced. From extreme drought last spring, through to a

current drought, and plants do not know whether they are coming or

going. Here, Kew Gardens's country home, these roses are still in

bloom from the summer, so for the first time, they are flowering

alongside this winter plant and they are not alone. These are two

plants which are never normally blooming at the same time. The

white camellia flowers throughout the winter, but the red one should

not flower until March. The temperature last night was six

degrees, a lot higher than average for the time of net -- time of year.

It is the length of the mild spell, four months so far, which is

confusing the plants. Those which get ahead of themselves might be

vulnerable when the frosts to come. That is the concern here in Kent.

It is now starting to push out new leads. The first frosts that come

along, these will all get damaged and down the plant, you could use

it. These should normally be completely closed like this one

here. Also at risk are seedlings which had germinated months ahead

of Schedule. Most bigger plants will bounce back. For now. If you

get a succession of similar unusual years, plants become increasingly

stressed. And then they are vulnerable to fungal diseases or

pests and that is when they can get problems. Those whose livelihoods

depend on it will be watching carefully.

What a lovely day it has been today. You have been sending us your

pictures of these effects the mild winter has been having. This is a

rose making an early appearance in Hassocks in West Sussex. Here is

another rose in Kent. And these are camellias, in Haywards Heath. He

says, they would normally flower in his garden in March or April. This

is not just plants, this is a one- day old miniature goat from Alkham

Valley community project small animal unit.

It is just too cute! Might selectee The day was a gorgeous day, mild,

plenty of sunshine and it stays mild through tonight. The best of

the brightness is tomorrow morning, the cloud cover will be thickening

in the afternoon. Staying mild throughout the day, temperatures in

double figures. High pressure is still very much in control of

things. It is taking some cloud around, but there were some

brighter breaks in the afternoon. The best of the sunshine, not

feeling too bad. Those winds are still staying pretty light and

variable. Three tonight, we are holding on to the mixture of cloud

and clearer skies. Temperatures a little bit cooler than they were

last night. Still above average for the time of year. Tomorrow morning,

the best of any brightness will be get into the afternoon. The cloud

cover will thicken, and that is has this a weather front spread south-

east would. Thicker cloud, not too much in the type of rain -- in the

way of rain. Temperatures still in double figures. Plenty of cloud

cover around, that will be clearing through the evening. It leaves

behind quite a different picture. Clearer skies, under those skies

temperatures dropping to one or two degrees. A widespread ground frost

and fog patches forming. Plenty of sunshine for us on Friday, high

pressure in control. A similar picture over the weekend, plenty of