:00:13. > :00:18.Welcome to South East Today. Tonight's top stories: An exclusive
:00:18. > :00:23.- after two years' delay, the terminal cancer patient who fears
:00:23. > :00:28.she will die before the complaint against a doctor will even be heard.
:00:28. > :00:34.It has already been postponed once, and the danger is I will not be you.
:00:34. > :00:43.The first new grammar school in more than 50 years. People in
:00:43. > :00:45.Sevenoaks have signed a petition for a new school there. Also in
:00:45. > :00:47.tonight's programme: Grape expectations - we visit the Sussex
:00:47. > :00:51.vineyard which will be the largest in the UK.
:00:51. > :00:53.The sunshine coast - how the South East has been sizzling in the
:00:54. > :00:56.Spring heat. We will be soaking up the rays live in Brighton.
:00:56. > :01:06.There's a buzz around the 15-year- old beekeeper from Kent, inspired
:01:06. > :01:08.
:01:08. > :01:11.to do it by an ad he saw on the Good evening.
:01:11. > :01:14.A Kent woman with terminal cancer fears she may die before her
:01:14. > :01:17.complaint against the doctor who treated her is ever heard. Debbie
:01:17. > :01:20.Westwick, from Canterbury, believes Dr Howard Smedley gave her the
:01:21. > :01:26.wrong treatment. Despite lodging a complaint with the General Medical
:01:26. > :01:36.Council in 2009. It still has not been heard. Dr Smedley rejects the
:01:36. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :01:46.allegations. Simon Jones reports. She knows time is running out.
:01:46. > :01:53.dying. The more delays there are in the hearing, there is a possibility,
:01:53. > :01:58.although it is listed to be held in June, there is no guarantee that it
:01:58. > :02:04.will be. It has already been postponed once. The danger is a
:02:04. > :02:10.will not be here. Debbie Westwick was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
:02:11. > :02:15.She says her oncologist did not followed the right management
:02:15. > :02:18.protocol. Dr Howard Smedley had restrictions placed on his work by
:02:18. > :02:25.the GMC, meaning it should have been supervised by another
:02:25. > :02:29.consultant. I think the GMC had handled this appallingly and have
:02:29. > :02:33.that tweeted debut with distain. It is so hard for patients to are
:02:33. > :02:42.fighting doctors and fighting cancer to be fighting to GMC as
:02:42. > :02:45.well. Debbie received her treatment in Canterbury. The trust that
:02:45. > :02:49.employed Dr Howard Smedley said that they had carried out a full
:02:49. > :02:53.investigation and concluded that there was no reason to take any
:02:53. > :02:58.action against Dr Howard Smedley, who retired last year. He recently
:02:58. > :03:03.applied to have his name removed from the GMC register on grounds of
:03:03. > :03:13.ill health, meaning I hearing would be unnecessary. The GMC rejected
:03:13. > :03:23.
:03:23. > :03:28.She now fears leaving her son behind. It is hard to think that I
:03:28. > :03:38.probably will not live long enough to see him qualified and it is hard
:03:38. > :03:38.
:03:38. > :03:48.to think I won't see his children. But what can I do? In a statement,
:03:48. > :03:53.
:03:53. > :03:58.The GMC has made it clear that he rejects the allegations. Simon,
:03:58. > :04:03.what more have the General Medical Council had to say tonight? We have
:04:03. > :04:07.had several complaints that the GMC are taking too long to examine
:04:07. > :04:12.cases. It will this tonight that they understand the frustration
:04:12. > :04:17.among the patients, but in this case they have actively been
:04:17. > :04:21.looking for a new gate and that has been set for June. Debbie Westwick
:04:21. > :04:25.did it reach an out-of-court settlement for �155,000 over her
:04:25. > :04:29.care but the trust did not admit any liability. She says this game
:04:29. > :04:36.is not about money, but holding people to account. She is keen to
:04:36. > :04:39.point out that the care she is now getting in Canterbury is excellent.
:04:39. > :04:42.A controversial new grammar school for West Kent looks likely to get
:04:42. > :04:45.the go-ahead this week, the first new grammar for 50 years. Pressure
:04:45. > :04:48.has been building from people in Sevenoaks, who currently have no
:04:48. > :04:53.grammar school in the area. There are currently 32 grammar schools in
:04:53. > :04:55.Kent. They provide almost 4,500 places each year. But every day
:04:55. > :04:59.1,150 Sevenoaks children travel at least nine miles to grammar schools
:04:59. > :05:08.in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. A petition signed by 2,500 people has
:05:08. > :05:12.now triggered a debate at a full council meeting. Sara Smith reports.
:05:13. > :05:15.These are just three of the six grammar-school as a cross Don
:05:15. > :05:19.Bridge and Tunbridge Wells. This former boys' school building his
:05:19. > :05:23.work campaigners hope Sevenoaks might get its first. A new school
:05:23. > :05:31.he would cut out the long bus ride for children who currently pass
:05:31. > :05:36.their 11 plus. This one and led the campaign. Ideally, I knew grammar-
:05:36. > :05:40.school would be great because that is the easiest solution, but
:05:40. > :05:44.because legally we can't have one I think what they will probably do is
:05:44. > :05:52.say that we can have an Amex which will be a satellite of existing
:05:52. > :05:56.grammar schools. The coalition government has not reversed
:05:56. > :06:00.legislation on a new grammar schools opening. Cut 2600
:06:00. > :06:04.signatures on this petition means the full council must there be at
:06:04. > :06:08.the call for a satellite grammar in Sevenoaks. The council leader says
:06:08. > :06:13.it will get his party's support. the moment There are a number of
:06:13. > :06:17.parents of young people who have passed the 11 plus with no current
:06:17. > :06:22.places in grammar schools in West Kent because of that under
:06:22. > :06:29.provision. This is the opportunity to deal with the under provision
:06:29. > :06:32.side of grammar school places and builds a school in Sevenoaks.
:06:32. > :06:39.all agree there is a lack of capacity in Sevenoaks, not everyone
:06:39. > :06:44.assumes that a new grammar school is the am - is the answer. Kent has
:06:44. > :06:49.a vision for Kent which has three ambitions, one is putting citizens
:06:49. > :06:54.in control. We want to harness that and to a proper survey of all the
:06:54. > :06:58.families in the area to say what provision do you actually want? How
:06:58. > :07:01.can we make sure that the spaces that are created are relevant to
:07:01. > :07:05.you? It seems that on Thursday new grammar-school provision in
:07:05. > :07:15.Sevenoaks will get the go-ahead. Would the money will come from has
:07:15. > :07:26.
:07:26. > :07:29.yet to be decided. A parliamentary inquiry into the
:07:29. > :07:32.UK's aviation strategy begins today. The group of MPs says they will
:07:32. > :07:35.explore new ideas that ensure the country can keep pace with
:07:35. > :07:37.countries like Brazil and China. The inquiry has been brought
:07:37. > :07:39.forward after the Government announced that their own
:07:39. > :07:44.consultation on the future of aviation has been delayed until the
:07:44. > :07:51.summer. A central question is that of airport capacity in the South
:07:51. > :07:56.East, a point the Chancellor made in his budget speech last Wednesday.
:07:56. > :07:59.Mean cannot cut ourselves off from the fastest growing cities in the
:07:59. > :08:02.worlds and the transport secretary will set out government thinking
:08:02. > :08:06.later this summer. So, when it comes to increasing airport
:08:06. > :08:09.capacity in the South East, what options will the MPs be looking at?
:08:09. > :08:11.There are expansion plans at Gatwick to cater for an extra seven
:08:11. > :08:13.million passengers a year, but legal restrictions currently
:08:14. > :08:17.prevent a second runway. Airline bosses, including Richard Branson
:08:17. > :08:21.on this programme last week, are calling for the construction of a
:08:21. > :08:25.third runway at Heathrow. But the coalition government ruled that out
:08:25. > :08:33.as soon as they came to power, which has meant plans for a brand
:08:33. > :08:38.new airport in the Thames Estuary have been gaining ground. I am
:08:39. > :08:43.joined now by a Labour MP who is chairing the All Party Group on
:08:43. > :08:48.aviation. This is a hugely controversial issue in the south-
:08:48. > :08:54.east, especially the idea of creating a new airport in the
:08:54. > :08:59.Thames estuary. I don't think that is an option, to be honest. It is
:08:59. > :09:04.more to look at what we have and what we can do in the immediate
:09:04. > :09:11.future deceive the British aviation industry. That is what I am intent
:09:11. > :09:16.in trying to achieve. If they have Boris Ireland idea, that is a non
:09:16. > :09:20.starter? We will examine that along with everything else, we will
:09:20. > :09:24.examine what possibilities there are four that in terms of the
:09:24. > :09:27.environmental impact it would have on the south-east of England.
:09:27. > :09:31.coalition government has said that they have ruled out a third runway
:09:31. > :09:36.at Heathrow, but obviously people like Richard Branson had been
:09:36. > :09:40.saying that that is the most sensible option. Do you have a view
:09:40. > :09:47.as a committee yet? We are certainly pointing in that
:09:47. > :09:51.direction. Unless we examine that, we will have at drain on the number
:09:51. > :09:56.of services that can come into Heathrow. Amsterdam has more
:09:56. > :10:00.regional services from the United Kingdom going to its airport, it
:10:00. > :10:05.seems it is well overdue that there be some short-term answer to this
:10:05. > :10:11.problem. Every time this issue is raised here we get lots of e-mails
:10:11. > :10:18.and phone calls with people saying what about some of the other
:10:18. > :10:24.regional airports? You have to look at what you have got. The best way
:10:24. > :10:28.to have an airport run and have the hub IT is at Heathrow. If it is
:10:28. > :10:34.possible, we would be able to Interlink at other airports in the
:10:34. > :10:39.south-east. Stakeholders in the aviation industry have been invited
:10:39. > :10:44.to present the inquiry with written evidence and they have got until
:10:44. > :10:53.16th May to do so. Hull Crown Court has heard that a
:10:53. > :10:58.restaurant manager at Gatwick airport subjected to teenage girls
:10:58. > :11:03.to sexual harassment. He is accused of brushing himself girls -
:11:03. > :11:06.brushing himself against girls or touching them. He denies the
:11:06. > :11:10.allegations. A crackdown and drug dealing in
:11:10. > :11:15.Brighton has led to more than 250 charges. Sussex police say they
:11:15. > :11:20.have brought 37 charges against one suspect alone and that they have
:11:20. > :11:23.seized their to �6,000 worth of heroin in a single raid.
:11:23. > :11:26.Planting of grapevines has begun today in Sussex at what will become
:11:26. > :11:29.one of the biggest vineyards in Europe. The owners in Alfriston
:11:29. > :11:39.hope it will eventually produce more than a million bottles of
:11:39. > :11:43.sparkling wine a year. Steve Gaisford reports. Mark Driver had
:11:43. > :11:46.always dreamt of owning have been yard and after 18 months of
:11:46. > :11:51.planning that has finally happening. Work started early this morning and
:11:51. > :11:56.at the end of this week 50,000 fines will have been planted in
:11:56. > :12:02.this field near Alfriston, signalling the birth of Britain's
:12:02. > :12:07.largest have been yard. It is the same type of Jock, the same soul
:12:07. > :12:12.and the same climate. We are getting the same whether they have
:12:12. > :12:18.had in champion for dozens of years. So when the first planting face has
:12:18. > :12:24.been completed, it will be a 50 acre vineyard. The plan is to
:12:24. > :12:28.extend it out to 350 acres making it one of Europe's largest single-
:12:28. > :12:33.site vineyards. The weather could not be better for the planting
:12:33. > :12:38.process. We have got nice blue skies and a sunny day, so it should
:12:38. > :12:43.be good. A do weather is not always like this, are you concerned?
:12:43. > :12:48.need a bit of rain for the fines to grow, so we're hoping for a bit of
:12:48. > :12:53.rain in the next week or so. question on everyone's lips, when
:12:53. > :13:02.can we tasted? The first bottles won't be on the shells and
:13:02. > :13:06.available to taste until 2016, so we have a few years. The estate
:13:06. > :13:13.along with more established vineyards in the area will soon
:13:13. > :13:18.become a collective force in sparkling wine. One that will no
:13:18. > :13:21.doubt challenge their Champagne region. The estate expect their
:13:21. > :13:26.price of sparkling wine to commit just beneath that of champagne, but
:13:26. > :13:32.that is not to say it would be as good. They are expecting the 1
:13:32. > :13:41.million bottles produced East - each year to be the first flying
:13:41. > :13:45.off the shells. Our top story tonight: A Kent woman
:13:45. > :13:54.with terminal cancer believes she might die before the complaint she
:13:54. > :13:57.has made against the doctor that treated her is ever heard.
:13:57. > :14:05.The 15-year-old beekeeper who is causing a bit of a buzz in
:14:05. > :14:10.Maidstone. It has been another warm dry and
:14:10. > :14:17.bright day to day and this weather is set to continue. Join me later
:14:17. > :14:20.in the programme for all the It won't have escaped your notice
:14:20. > :14:25.that the weather we are having is more like June than March! And it
:14:26. > :14:28.is set to continue. Temperatures reached 21 degrees at the weekend
:14:29. > :14:32.and conditions are forecast to continue in the same vein until at
:14:32. > :14:34.least the end of the week. While for many the sunshine is welcome,
:14:34. > :14:38.there are downsides. Tonight, we have three linked reports. Bryony
:14:38. > :14:40.Mackenzie has been to West Sussex, looking at how we can all plant for
:14:40. > :14:43.a drought-resistant garden. Rachel Mackley has been investigating
:14:43. > :14:53.early forest fires, but, first, Alex Beard reports from Brighton on
:14:53. > :14:53.
:14:53. > :14:57.how the warm weather is bringing a boost to many traders.
:14:57. > :15:02.The adverse, buskers and beach lovers were out enjoying the sun in
:15:03. > :15:08.Brighton. For businesses feeling the benefit? Ron Smith has run a
:15:08. > :15:14.shop for six years and he knows the impact sunny weather can have.
:15:14. > :15:23.is all-important. The weather is the business, for everybody on the
:15:23. > :15:28.seafront. We are all eternal optimists here, are we? A weekend
:15:28. > :15:33.of sunshine and a welcome boost in his trade as visitors flock to the
:15:33. > :15:39.seaside. We have come down from the Midlands this morning. It is hot
:15:39. > :15:44.now, so we are happy. It is such a nice day. We have seen so many
:15:44. > :15:48.people in Brighton today, but it could not really be better. It has
:15:49. > :15:54.been really good. Both businesses and visitors are making the most of
:15:54. > :15:59.the warm snap because there is no guarantee it will continue.
:16:00. > :16:04.Today 32 acres of Ashdown Forest in Kent are blackened and burnt. While
:16:04. > :16:08.further yesterday was battled by over 100 firefighters and has not
:16:08. > :16:11.be cared out until this morning. This winter in the south-east you
:16:11. > :16:15.have seen three-quarters of the usual amount of rainfall and have
:16:15. > :16:21.very little significant rain this month, the undergrowth here is
:16:21. > :16:28.tinder-dry. You have got this letter layer, the residue from the
:16:29. > :16:34.winter, and even after a week of rain, within a matter of hours with
:16:34. > :16:39.weather like this it will be dry and up again for fires. Just last
:16:39. > :16:43.Wednesday a large area of Scotland in Hastings cult-like and with the
:16:43. > :16:47.heatwave set to continue this week via Cruise caressing for people to
:16:47. > :16:51.enjoy the countryside, but take care.
:16:52. > :16:56.Primulas love it, magnolias thrive on it, even Dafydd also partial to
:16:56. > :17:03.it, but if you can't water your favourite plants and flowers, how
:17:03. > :17:08.does your garden grow? We are at the Mediterranean border. Basically,
:17:08. > :17:15.they are drought tolerant. There are lots of heat loving companions
:17:15. > :17:23.to fill our beds with, some prettier than others. Vanessa has
:17:23. > :17:27.more tips. We use water restoring granules here. We would encourage
:17:27. > :17:31.people to plant small plants so that they're able to adapt to their
:17:31. > :17:41.conditions. Signs of summer are all around, but they may need a bit
:17:41. > :17:43.
:17:43. > :17:49.more care. Alex, the Sun has been proving very
:17:50. > :17:54.popular there today. It has. The seafront is still quite busy with
:17:54. > :17:59.people. Use of the pictures of the weekend when the beach was actually
:17:59. > :18:04.quite busy. The traitors and was speaking to said that provided a
:18:04. > :18:08.much-needed boost in business. It is not good news for everybody and
:18:08. > :18:18.on 5th April the hosepipe ban comes in, and that is an unwelcome side-
:18:18. > :18:27.
:18:27. > :18:30.A teenager from Kent has become one of the youngest in the South East
:18:30. > :18:32.to qualify in beekeeping. Unusually, for a young apiarist, he hasn't
:18:33. > :18:36.learnt his skills from anyone in his family. Jordan Whitcombe, who
:18:36. > :18:43.is 15 and lives in Maidstone, was inspired by a TV advert for cereal
:18:43. > :18:49.he watched a few years ago. Charlie Rose reports.
:18:49. > :18:54.This is one of the most important things. It keeps bees off your face
:18:54. > :18:59.and head. Other teenagers are following the latest fashion trends,
:18:59. > :19:03.that this is the only outfit Jordan Whitcombe is in two. It is a
:19:03. > :19:09.compelling hobby. Each time you look at the Hyde you learn
:19:09. > :19:14.something new. They are also quite friendly creatures. So, did these
:19:14. > :19:20.understand him and his school friends do, too. And when to prime
:19:20. > :19:24.the school with him and he was obsessed then. He even made so a
:19:24. > :19:29.little peaky is were you could see how they make their nest. You can
:19:29. > :19:34.really see the dedication, what he enjoys doing and what is
:19:34. > :19:37.interesting is. A Jordan will make an excellent beekeeper. It is
:19:37. > :19:43.nearly a year since we passed him for his exam and there was no
:19:43. > :19:48.question that he passed well indeed. Mum is proud. She is quite keen on
:19:48. > :19:56.the product, too. But those bees may just guessed - may just get
:19:56. > :20:05.everywhere. He is taking babies to school? On purpose? No, they just
:20:05. > :20:09.crawled in! Turning professional is a serious business. Well, in his
:20:09. > :20:16.five hives he has 40,000 bees and to turn professional he would meet
:20:16. > :20:20.- would need a much bigger garden to fit 1.5 million bees. It is
:20:20. > :20:30.almost like he wants to know each and every one of them. They can
:20:30. > :20:40.
:20:40. > :20:43.read my emotions. Most of the time Gillingham Football Club chairman
:20:43. > :20:46.Paul Scally has warned supporters that the club may be forced to
:20:46. > :20:49.leave the Medway Towns. He says that if a proposed Chatham Docks
:20:49. > :20:52.redevelopment proposal gets the go- ahead the club would have no option
:20:52. > :20:58.but to move. Our sports reporter Neil Bell joins us from Chatham.
:20:58. > :21:00.How serious is this? It is never easy to tell what Gillingham. The
:21:01. > :21:05.problems surrounding Asda superstore which is part of the
:21:05. > :21:10.redevelopment plans. The chairman has written to the councillors to
:21:10. > :21:20.oppose it because he says if it gets the go-ahead that would like
:21:20. > :21:22.
:21:22. > :21:31.his stadium plans. It was a disappointing weekend for
:21:31. > :21:34.Gillingham on the picture as well. Brighton remain in 4th place in the
:21:34. > :21:39.championship but know they could have done better after they went in
:21:39. > :21:48.front at Nottingham Forest. They held out until four minutes into
:21:48. > :21:58.stoppage time before there was a late equaliser. I am not pleased at
:21:58. > :21:58.
:21:58. > :22:04.all. In the last few weeks we had the excuse of the pitch, so there
:22:04. > :22:09.is no excuse. We need to sort out to keep things away from home.
:22:09. > :22:17.is now just one win in five games for Charlton. An early penalty was
:22:17. > :22:21.dispatched by Jordan Rhodes for his 35th goal of the season. Russell,
:22:21. > :22:25.who conceded the penalty, was later sent off. They are still eight
:22:25. > :22:35.points clear at the top of the table. Crawley moved up to 4th in
:22:35. > :22:46.
:22:46. > :22:51.We have to rattle one or two cages today, but they got flying in the
:22:51. > :23:01.second half. Gillingham remain four points off the play-offs despite a
:23:01. > :23:01.
:23:01. > :23:05.dream start. Bradford pulled a goal back hands with six minutes left,
:23:05. > :23:11.they grab the controversial equaliser which was called off side,
:23:11. > :23:18.but was allowed to stand by the referee. You do wonder how some
:23:18. > :23:21.managers have any hair left. Herne Bay still have a great chance of
:23:21. > :23:24.going to Wembley. Their FA Vase semi-final was the Kent team's
:23:24. > :23:27.biggest game for years and they came back from two goals down to
:23:27. > :23:30.grab a draw with West Auckland. The teams meet again in the second leg
:23:30. > :23:33.next Saturday. Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior helped England make a
:23:33. > :23:36.great start against Sri Lanka in the First Test. Prior caught
:23:36. > :23:39.Sangakarra early on as England reduced the home side to 15 for
:23:39. > :23:41.3.But they rallied to reach 289 for 8 by the close. Many
:23:41. > :23:44.congratulations to the thousands of people who came out for Comic
:23:44. > :23:46.Relief yesterday I was down at Brighton where, as usual, there
:23:46. > :23:56.were some extraordinary outfits and a great party atmosphere.
:23:56. > :23:59.
:23:59. > :24:02.Organisers believed it was the best turnout ever. Just think what it
:24:02. > :24:10.would have been like if you had enjoyed that sort of weather for
:24:10. > :24:17.you triathlon a week ago? At big thank-you to everybody who
:24:17. > :24:20.sponsored me. That figure was about �3,000. Well done to everyone who
:24:20. > :24:22.took part. Small and unique, delicate and expensive - a rare
:24:22. > :24:24.Turner painting of Sussex has arrived in Brighton. The
:24:24. > :24:28.watercolour, which showcases the Brighton Pavilion, has recently
:24:28. > :24:32.been brought in New York for �225,000. It will go on show at
:24:32. > :24:41.Brighton Museum at the end of month and it is the first time in 100
:24:42. > :24:46.years that it has gone on public display. We watch the auction
:24:46. > :24:51.online live. The price went up and up. When the hammer fell and it
:24:51. > :25:01.went below the estimate, there was a roar of laughter and cheers from
:25:01. > :25:04.the Office when we realised we had secured this wonderful picture.
:25:04. > :25:08.A company in Dover is trying to raise �14 million to recover and
:25:08. > :25:11.restore a former cross-Channel steamship. The Dover carried around
:25:11. > :25:18.1,000 cars to and from the Continent during the 1960s. 30
:25:18. > :25:25.years ago she was sold and ended up as a nightclub venue in Tyneside.
:25:25. > :25:28.We are looking to preserve her. She is owned by nobody at the moment
:25:28. > :25:32.and we are hoping that the permission of the various
:25:32. > :25:40.stakeholders and balls in the north-east and here in Dover that
:25:40. > :25:45.we can make acquisition of the vessel very soon. It was a
:25:45. > :25:55.legendary nightclub in Newcastle. Let's get a check-up on the weather
:25:55. > :25:55.
:25:55. > :26:00.Today again was warm, settled and drive. It will stay clear of three
:26:00. > :26:06.tonight. Plenty of sunshine on offer and it will feel warm tonight.
:26:06. > :26:12.The reason for that is this high pressure dominating. We have gentle
:26:12. > :26:16.north-easterly breeze. Highs in Dover of around 12 degrees and in
:26:16. > :26:20.Brighton we have seen highs today of the 18 degrees. Through tonight
:26:20. > :26:27.we will hold on to the Clear skies with temperatures falling pretty
:26:27. > :26:37.quickly. It will be cool overnight. High pressure is in control again
:26:37. > :26:41.tomorrow. It will be another warm and settle day. Blue skies through
:26:41. > :26:47.the afternoon with the gentle north-easterly winds. The further
:26:47. > :26:54.west you go the higher the temperature in a region. If so,
:26:54. > :26:57.Clear skies again overnight into Wednesday. Temperatures by Don down
:26:57. > :27:02.to four or five degrees. Wednesday list that will be the warmest day
:27:02. > :27:08.of the week with temperatures in London as high as 23 degrees. Just
:27:08. > :27:12.to put that in context, the average for the time of year is 11 degrees.
:27:12. > :27:16.High pressure will be moving westwards, so that the time we get
:27:16. > :27:24.to Friday we have more cloud cover around. By Saturday the chance of
:27:24. > :27:34.some much-needed rain. So, here is the outlook. Wednesday will be the