29/03/2012 South East Today


29/03/2012

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Welcome to South East Today. Tonight's top stories: The

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Speaker's wife, Sally Bercow, angers family of two men who died

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after taking a legal high, by saying a ban would tempt her to try

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Opponents say plans for a satellite grammar school in Sevenoaks is a

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new selective school by the back door.

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Also in tonight's programme, lessons in life for teenage parents

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- by teenage parents - and their book of advice that's going across

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East Sussex. Even when they are in bed, they

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still and media attention. -- need your attention. Bringing the

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Brighton Belle up to speed - progress on the restoration project

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that will make the historic train run faster than it's ever done. You

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snooze, you lose - after being fired from the Apprentice, we have

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a chat with Kent restaurateur Maria O'Connor about falling asleep on

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Good evening. The family and friends of two young men who died

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after taking a so-called legal high, have reacted angrily tonight to

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comments from the wife of the Commons Speaker, suggesting she's

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tempted to try the drug before it's banned. Hugo Wenn and Daniel Lloyd

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took the substance, known as mexxy, before they drowned in Canterbury

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two months ago. It's now to be made illegal by the Government. But

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Sally Bercow suggested on her Twitter account that a ban will

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only increase its use. Simon Jones reports.

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Popular local musicians Danielle Lloyd and Hugo Wenn both died after

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taking mexxy. The Speaker's wife, Sally Bercow, took tea Twitter on

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Friends of the men who died and not impressed. I lost two friends to it.

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It is not something that should be advertised on Twitter has something

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interesting. I would like to see her say that in Canterbury market

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and see the reception she gets. It is insensitive and ignorant. This

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is the pond where a Hugo Wenn and Daniel Lloyd's bodies were found.

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Daniel's mother said today she welcomed the ban and said Sally

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Bercow's comments were faultless. We have had a two young lives

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completely wasted in this community as a result of taking these legal

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highs. We should be discouraging young people from taking these

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drugs. The Government is dead right to take action. No stranger to

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controversy, the wife of the speaker raised eyebrows when she

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went on Celebrity Big Brother. She said today she was making the point

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that banning legal high is increases their popularity. When I

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heard about the tweet that Sally Bercow had done yesterday, I was

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outraged. However, when I read it for myself I realised it was

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slightly tongue in cheek and I have sympathy, because she is basically

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saying that banning this substance is really not going to do a great

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deal. We actually agree that raising awareness is more important.

:03:46.:03:56.
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Sally Bercow describes herself as We are joined now by Sally Bercow

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life from Westminster. I used surprised by the reaction? I am

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slightly surprised. I am a more disappointed in the sense that I am

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not condoning drug usage at all. I am on the same side as most parents

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who want to see drug abuse and the harm that drugs cause stamp out.

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What I was doing was making a simple point in a provocative way.

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This time yesterday nobody had heard of mexxy. Now everybody has

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heard of it. That is because the Government has banned it. Banning

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drugs does not reduce their popularity. So if that is not the

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answer, what is the answer? Were the answers is education. It is

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extraordinary that drugs awareness is not even part of the national

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curriculum. Decriminalisation is the answer as well. Putting people

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in prison for taking drugs is not the solution. You would like to see

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all recreational drugs decriminalised? Yes, absolutely. We

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should have a sensible debate in this country about our drugs policy.

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The war on drugs has not worked. My heart goes out to the parents of

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those boys who died. But I would say, banning is not the only way

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forward. It has been shown not to have worked. Methadone, up and in

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2010, its popularity has increased. The first major expansion of a

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grammar school in 50 years has moved a step closer tonight, after

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Kent County Council agreed to push ahead with plans to create a new

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school in Sevenoaks. It follows a debate this afternoon triggered by

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a petition with over 2,500 signatures from parents in the town.

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They say more than a thousand students spend up to two hours a

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day commuting to other Kent grammar schools because there's no

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provision in Sevenoaks. But there's a law preventing new grammar

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schools, so any new one in Sevenoaks would have to be an

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annexe of an existing school in We only started this campaign three

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months ago. We are amazed that Kent County Council agreed and took the

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Petition and approved it. We hope we will end up with new grammar

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school places in Sevenoaks. Louise Stewart is live at County Hall in

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Maidstone. Louise, why is there such a demand for a new grammar

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school in Sevenoaks? As you said, there is more than 1100 children

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travelling every day at 25 mile round trip because there simply is

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not capacity. Those supporting the project say it will alleviate the

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problem. I am joined by the leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter,

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and Nigel Hopton from the Kent Head Teachers' Association. Why have you

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given this the go-ahead? Will this be built imminently? Under the

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previous Government we were restricted. There has been

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relaxation in the rules and regulations allowing grammar

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schools to provide satellite provision out of their area. We are

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going to use that opportunity to build an adjunct to an existing

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grammar school in Sevenoaks. The parents and young people in

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Sevenoaks have been marginalised for too long. My job, what do you

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say to that? There are people who have passed the 11 plus who need a

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grammar school. They do not need a grammar school. There are very good

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schools in the area. There is a fantastic Academy. The pupils are

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very proud of it. It has a grammar stream. I would like the Council to

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back schools like this rather than take away 25% of their brightest

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children. How can you justify spending money at a time a budget

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cuts when there is capacity? There will be no difference to this

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Academy if we were to build a grammar school in Sevenoaks. We

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believe in diverse education. As much choice in provision as

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possible. We have spent millions of pounds on academies and improving

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our high schools in Kent. It is time that we sorted out. Thank you

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both. The Government say the reforms will provide better choices

:09:12.:09:22.
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for parents. The Football Association is

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bringing disciplinary charges against Crawley Town and Bradford

:09:26.:09:36.
:09:36.:09:36.

City after a mass brawl on Tuesday night. The jury in the murder trial

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of a mother and daughter from Canterbury have been sent out to

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consider their verdicts. Retired bookmaker Don Banfield disappeared

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in 2001. His body has never been found, but his wife Shirley and

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daughter Lynette are accused of his murder. Ellie Price has been

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following the trial, and joins us live from the Old Bailey. The women

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admit charges of perverting the course of justice and fraud, Ellie,

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but they deny murder? Yes,. Don Banfield went missing 11 years ago

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after signing the contract for the sale of the family home in Wales

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than in London. The prosecution allege that Shirley and Lynette

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Banfield profited from the sale of that has. They also claimed �36,000

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worth of pension payments. Don Banfield's body has never been

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found. They say he may have returned to his native Trinidad.

:10:28.:10:38.
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The jury will consider its verdict tomorrow. They've struggled to cope

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with the pressures of bringing up a child as teenage parents. Now a

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group of young mums and dads in East Sussex have produced a book

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advising other young people how to cope with parenthood. The book,

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designed to deter school age children from becoming pregnant, is

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now going to be distributed across the county. And Natalie Graham has

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been to meet some of its contributors in Newhaven.

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This course in Newhaven is the only one in East Sussex which offers

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students the chance to bring their children into the classroom. Most

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of these children at school when they became parents. They're here

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to try to get back into education and to find much-needed friends.

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You have a lot of friends before you get pregnant. Then you get

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pregnant and you realise that your friends are doing other things. It

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can be hard to accept. girlfriend told me she was pregnant

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by sending me a text... The group has produced a booklet describing

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their experiences of becoming a parent. I was 17 and my sister and

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sister-in-law both pregnant. I went to the doctor and found that I was

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pregnant. I told Sam by text. I told my mum and dad. They were

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upset. But because my sister was pregnant, it took the pressure off

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me a bit. What is lovely for me is to see young people coming in. Once

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they are here, they realise we're not here to tell them how to bring

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up their children. It is about supporting them and guiding them.

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And giving them a future. Some of these students have gained a place

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at university as a result of the course. They all agreed they would

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not be without their children. But they would not necessarily

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recommend their situation. you're thinking about getting

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pregnant, think twice. People think you just have a baby and you put it

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in a pram and push it around. It is not like that. You lose your

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friends and you're lonely. It is hard. And that is the message these

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young parents now want to spread to other teenagers. Natalie Graham

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reporting, and she joins us live from Hastings. How big a problem is

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teenage pregnancy across the South East, Natalie?

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It is a problem. Particularly in coastal towns like this one.

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Nationally, in 2010, around 11 at of every 1000 women was under 18 --

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giving birth was under 18. 17 out of every 1000 women giving birth

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was a teenager in the Dover. In fact, it was 23.4. The group in

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Newhaven want to visit schools in East Sussex and take their powerful

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testimony into the classrooms. They would also like funding to turn

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that booklet international publication.

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This is our top story tonight: Sally Bercow, the wife of the

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Commons Speaker, has sparked anger by jogging on Twitter that she is

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tempted to try and legal high drug linked to the deaths of two young

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men in Canterbury, because it is about to be banned. My heart goes

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out to the parents of those boys who died from drug abuse. But I

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would say, banning is not the only way forward. It has not worked.

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Mephedrone, which has banned in 2010, a recent survey showed its

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popularity has increased. Also in tonight's programme, how you can

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become part of a unique work of art to celebrate the Queen's Diamond

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Jubilee. And we have had the high temperatures again. 20 aplenty

:14:29.:14:39.
:14:39.:14:40.

today. It will turn cooler for the World War Two veterans from Sussex

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will attend a special ceremony this summer to honour comrades who

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fought and lost their lives on bombing raids during the conflict.

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Over 55,000 men of Bomber Command died. The average age of those who

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perished was just 22 - in fact, one in 10 of all British serviceman

:14:56.:15:01.

lost in the war died in service with Bomber Command. Now a new

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appeal's been launched to ensure that a memorial will stand for

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future generations to salute the unsung heroes. Steve Gaisford has

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tonight's Special Report. The crews of Bomber Command went

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out night after night. Nearly half were killed and 10,000 became

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prisoners-of-war. Was a rear gunner on a Lancaster. Our job was the

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defence of the aeroplane. That was a lonely and cold place to be. It

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was not too bad. We survived. than half of his colleagues would

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not survive. For decades, there remained unsung heroes. This summer,

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they will be honoured. The finishing touches are been made to

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a permanent memorial in Green Park. At its heart will be a 10 ft bronze

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sculpture of accrue looking skywards. All of the money has been

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raised. Now we need extra funds to make sure that it is maintained in

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perpetuity. So that these tens of thousands of young men will be

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respected and remembered. On 20th June, a Lancaster bomber will drop

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1 million poppies onto the site. It is hoped people will sponsor a

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handful of copies so they can raise the �1.5 million needed to maintain

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this memorial. This ceremony is long overdue. It is a dedication to

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all our comrades who won fortunately did not make it.

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money raised should ensure that those who give their lives for

:16:52.:17:02.
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their country will be forever It's usually business acumen - or a

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lack of it - that sees the downfall of candidates fighting to be Lord

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Sugar's next Apprentice. But Kent restaurateur Maria O'Connor has

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been fired, basically, for falling asleep on the job. Even though

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she's used to long hours at her restaurant in Sandwich, a series of

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early wake-up calls on the BBC show took their toll. But, as Lynda

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Hardy reports, she's managing to see the funny side.

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It needs a picture. The moment the Kent restaurant owner admits she

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:17:54.:18:00.

became a target to be fired. are you OK? The you have ideas?

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do not know, I am thinking. I have to start with it... What can you

:18:11.:18:21.
:18:21.:18:22.

do? I am Greek, I need an afternoon siesta now and then! What about

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this sleeping nonsense? That was my fault. I fell asleep for two

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seconds. I was tired. As soon as I fell asleep, the target was done.

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The youngest candidate at 20, she featured on the girls' team whose

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creation lost out to the boys in the battle to unbend the best

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household gadget. All we need to do is get them to make orders and

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impress them with the product and the pitch. It is a far cry from her

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usual business, the Greek restaurant in Kent she founded at

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the age of 18. We were talking and the area said, let's go for

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something. I helped her and guided her. And she has done this. What we

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your customers make of this? Tale of it. I hope they will want to

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come and see me more. Unfazed by her a quick exit, she says she is

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glad she was not the first to be fired. She plans to open many more

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restaurants in Kent. I hope to open another five by the time I am 25.

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Which means no more sleeping on the job.

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A It is a good job she has got a sense of humour. It's Britain's

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biggest train restoration project - bringing the famous Brighton Belle

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back to its former glory. The aim is to have the 80 year old

:19:49.:19:52.

carriages back in service to Sussex next year. But they'll have to run

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faster than they've ever gone before to fit in alongside modern

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trains. Paul Clifton's been given exclusive access to the Derbyshire

:19:58.:20:06.

workshop where the repairs are taking place.

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The Brighton Belle was the first InterCity electric train. An Art

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Deco icon stripped back to bare metal. At �2 million, Britain's

:20:19.:20:24.

biggest train restoration project. We are doing a full strip out to

:20:24.:20:30.

eliminate corrosion, all elements of damage, elements of the scars of

:20:30.:20:40.
:20:40.:20:42.

life the train has been through. The Brighton Belle ran for 40 years.

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Retired 40 years ago. When British Rail decided to drop kippers from

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the breakfast menu, the actor, Laurence Olivier, had a campaign to

:20:52.:20:59.

have them restored. His as important in its way as the Flying

:20:59.:21:05.

Scotsman is, the Orient Express. Two years later the train itself

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was retired. Now five of the carriages are being restored.

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was originally designed to run at 75 mph. It is no longer fast enough

:21:17.:21:22.

for today's heavily congested network. It has to be able to run

:21:22.:21:27.

faster. That means quite a lot of intricate engineering to do that.

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If the work goes according to plan, the aim is for this train to run on

:21:32.:21:40.

the Brighton main line by the end Fingers crossed she does.

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Congratulations are in order to BBC Radio Kent breakfast presenter John

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Warnett. He's been given a Kent Invicta Award today at County Hall

:21:46.:21:49.

in Maidstone, along with a �5,000 cheque for the Demelza House

:21:49.:21:51.

Children's Hospice, in recognition of all the community work he's

:21:51.:22:01.

involved with across the county. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

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celebrations take place in June, and we'd like you to take part in

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an extraordinary and unique commemoration of the event. All we

:22:08.:22:13.

need is for you to send in a photo - and we'll do the rest. It's a

:22:13.:22:16.

very simple - but brilliant - idea. We're going to create an amazing

:22:17.:22:26.
:22:27.:22:27.

photo mosaic of the Queen, using 10,000 pictures of you lot.

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I am in Brighton, I have got to get 10,000 thought for the -- photos by

:22:32.:22:37.

the beginning of May. I'd better crack on. Can I take your

:22:37.:22:47.
:22:47.:23:10.

Do you mind if I take your picture? To find out how it is going to work,

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I have come here in Brighton. How was it going to work? If you have a

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look at what we have here, sue macro range of iconic images of

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Brighton. We put them all together and we come across up with another

:23:24.:23:29.

image. We're going to do exactly the same as that with an image of

:23:29.:23:39.
:23:39.:23:50.

And when it is all put together at this is where it is going to be

:23:50.:23:57.

Hong, at this Gallery in Eastbourne. It is going to be massive.

:23:57.:24:05.

Authority ft wide, 15 ft high. -- 30 ft wide. The size of a double-

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decker bus. We want you to e-mail your pictures, with family, with

:24:10.:24:18.

friends, Collor, black or white -- black and white... You could be

:24:18.:24:22.

part of the bigger picture. So to take part, all you have to do is

:24:22.:24:25.

log onto our website and you'll find the instructions there telling

:24:25.:24:35.
:24:35.:24:37.

We have had loads already, including a Beefeater. We have been

:24:37.:24:47.

trying to make the most of the The weather is turning

:24:47.:24:50.

significantly cooler and the next few days. The thermostat is going

:24:50.:24:57.

down. It is turning cooler. This is no way April Fool, this is an April

:24:57.:25:03.

cool! We have high pressure at the moment keeping us drive. No rain in

:25:04.:25:07.

the forecast. The high pressure will introduce more cloud in the

:25:07.:25:12.

next few days. That will impact the temperatures. By next week we will

:25:12.:25:17.

have a couple of cold fronts coming down. By Tuesday, daytime

:25:17.:25:25.

temperatures could be a measly 9- ten degrees. Not be 22 degrees we

:25:25.:25:32.

have been enjoying this week. -- not the 22 Grays. Into this evening,

:25:32.:25:40.

Belgrade change. Clear skies. Another chilly night. In some

:25:40.:25:44.

places last night the temperature was dropping by one degree every 10

:25:44.:25:49.

minutes. If you had a frost over the last couple of nights, you

:25:49.:25:56.

probably will again tonight. For tomorrow, it is the last of days

:25:56.:25:59.

like this. The beautiful sunshine once again. Not quite as warm as it

:25:59.:26:07.

has been all week. Some cumulus clouds. Temperatures up to 19

:26:07.:26:15.

degrees. Not bad if you were celebrating anniversary. -- if you

:26:15.:26:20.

are celebrating an anniversary. And whatever you're doing this weekend,

:26:20.:26:24.

we will see more cloud, particularly coming in first

:26:24.:26:28.

Saturday. That is due to a cold front. There could be a few spots

:26:28.:26:33.

of drizzle. Nothing more than that. First Sunday, there will be some

:26:33.:26:39.

cloud. Cooler temperatures. The main thing is it is not going to be

:26:39.:26:48.

Now back to our top story tonight. The family and friends of two young

:26:48.:26:51.

men from Canterbury who drowned after taking a so-called legal high

:26:51.:26:54.

have reacted angrily tonight to comments from the wife of the

:26:54.:26:56.

Commons Speaker, saying she's tempted to try the drug before it's

:26:57.:26:59.

banned. Sally Bercow used her Twitter account to suggest a ban

:26:59.:27:02.

will only increase use of the substance, known as mexxy. Earlier

:27:02.:27:05.

we asked if you thought banning legal highs was the right approach.

:27:05.:27:07.

Peter on Facebook says there will always be new legal highs, they

:27:08.:27:11.

will always be dangerous if left on regulated. Unless you stamp them

:27:11.:27:21.
:27:21.:27:22.

out... Mike says it is the same old story. As soon as you draw

:27:22.:27:28.

attention to drugs, they become more alluring. Educate young people.

:27:28.:27:33.

It is just not working. Lisa says if it is dangerous it would make it

:27:33.:27:37.

less accessible to Kidd's if you bandit. It also makes it easier to

:27:37.:27:47.
:27:47.:27:49.

deal with. -- deal. Sean, 17, from Eastbourne disagrees with what

:27:49.:27:57.

Sally Bercow is sane. -- St. Police need to target those shipping it

:27:57.:28:02.

into the country. Phillips says that alcohol is an illegal

:28:02.:28:08.

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