:00:02. > :00:05.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.
:00:05. > :00:08.And I'm Rob Smith. Tonight's top stories:
:00:08. > :00:16.Jail for the gang who robbed hundreds of Kent rail commuters and
:00:16. > :00:20.built palaces in Romania with the proceeds. It left me feeling quite
:00:20. > :00:26.shaken up, quite nervous about getting the train, of which should
:00:26. > :00:29.be shaved. -- should be safe. We'll have live reports from the
:00:29. > :00:31.court where they were sentenced, and where the gang lived in
:00:31. > :00:34.Gravesend. Calling for a boycott of the Grand
:00:34. > :00:36.National - the Kent animal charity that says the country's biggest
:00:36. > :00:39.horse racing event is cruel. Also in tonight's programme:
:00:39. > :00:47.Take the fast train to Folkestone - the new ad campaign urging
:00:47. > :00:50.Londoners to look east for low house prices and high-speed rail.
:00:50. > :00:54.Pop star Peter Andre isn't a hit when it comes to hygiene at his
:00:54. > :00:56.Sussex cafe. Food standards inspectors award it one star out of
:00:56. > :00:59.five. And a marathon effort for the
:00:59. > :01:09.Seagulls supporter planning to run this weekend's Brighton race eight
:01:09. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :01:18.Good evening. A criminal gang of Romanian gypsy pickpockets who
:01:18. > :01:23.preyed on sleeping train passengers between London and Kent have been
:01:23. > :01:27.jailed for 11 years and three months. The Rostas gang were also
:01:27. > :01:30.claiming benefits during the time they were living in Gravesend.
:01:30. > :01:35.The family are believed to have stolen hundreds of mobile phones
:01:35. > :01:38.from commuters. In a moment, we'll bring you an exclusive report from
:01:38. > :01:43.Romania about how the gang spent their proceeds on building luxury
:01:43. > :01:50.palaces and top of the range cars. But first Sara Smith reports from
:01:50. > :01:54.Blackfriars Crown Court. CCTV captures the aftermath of a
:01:54. > :01:58.failed attempt by the pickpocketing ganged to steal a mobile phone from
:01:58. > :02:03.a commuter. Glenn Hawkins, travelling from London to
:02:03. > :02:06.Gillingham, was men -- one of the many targeted. They saw the asleep,
:02:06. > :02:10.came and put their hand in my pocket and took by phone and when I
:02:10. > :02:19.woke up, they were leaning over me, going for my other pocket which had
:02:19. > :02:24.my wallet in. Today, brothers Romulus, Marin Rostas, Robert and
:02:24. > :02:28.along with their cousin Cornell Rostas was sentenced to 11 years
:02:28. > :02:31.and three months. They were targeting people travelling from
:02:31. > :02:37.London to Kent, predominantly double double passenger who was by
:02:37. > :02:41.their escape through excessive hard work or from drink. Bags full of
:02:41. > :02:46.mobiles were recovered from the Rostas home in Gravesend. Stolen
:02:46. > :02:50.phones were sold in this country or shipped to Romania. For 2 and a
:02:50. > :02:56.half years, the gangs stalk they died services on routes such as
:02:56. > :02:58.this one into Kent. -- stalked late-night services. They worked in
:02:59. > :03:02.a co-ordinated manner, maximising opportunities and minimising the
:03:02. > :03:06.chances of being caught by frequently moving from train to
:03:06. > :03:10.train. They were caught after being spotted in action by a plainclothes
:03:10. > :03:16.detective. CCTV filmed them entering and exiting stations when
:03:16. > :03:23.theft occurred. The gang were convicted of 180 thefts, stealing
:03:23. > :03:26.property valued at �60,000. In January 2009 and August of last
:03:26. > :03:32.year. Detectives admit the true value of their crime is likely to
:03:32. > :03:36.be much greater. At the time, it left me feeling quite shaken up and
:03:36. > :03:40.quite nervous about getting the train, which should be safe and
:03:40. > :03:46.fine for me to get home of an evening. These images of expensive
:03:46. > :03:50.cars and a mansion in Romania were found on the gang's own mobiles.
:03:50. > :03:55.Now jailed for pickpocketing, they are also being investigated for
:03:55. > :03:58.benefit fraud. Let's cross live to Sara Smith,
:03:58. > :04:02.who's at Blackfriars Crown Court. Sara, what did the judge have to
:04:02. > :04:06.say during sentencing? He said this was a family which had
:04:06. > :04:11.a deep-rooted criminality and it was clear that they made their
:04:11. > :04:15.living out of crime. They ran, he said, a well organised, well
:04:15. > :04:18.regimented criminal enterprise, preying on vulnerable passengers on
:04:18. > :04:22.late-night trains and marketing the proceeds of their crimes but in
:04:22. > :04:27.this country and in Romania. The youngest two brothers, just 17 and
:04:27. > :04:30.18, he said he took no pleasure in giving them custodial sentences but
:04:30. > :04:33.because of the severity of their crimes, he had no choice.
:04:33. > :04:35.British Transport Police strongly believe the Rostas gang sent the
:04:35. > :04:39.proceeds of their crimes- thought to be hundreds of thousands of
:04:39. > :04:43.pounds - back to Romania. The five family members all come from the
:04:43. > :04:48.same remote town called Huedin. They own a number of large
:04:48. > :04:51.properties in the town, including a 16-bedroom palace. Detectives say
:04:51. > :04:53.they'll now try to confiscate the profits made by the the gang. Our
:04:53. > :05:03.Home Affairs Correspondent Colin Campbell has been to Romania to
:05:03. > :05:09.
:05:09. > :05:17.Huedin in northern Romania. The Rostas gang's home town. Amongst
:05:17. > :05:27.the poverty, there is wealth. There is one coming up here on the left-
:05:27. > :05:30.
:05:30. > :05:33.hand side. That is owned by the gypsies. It is massive. Career
:05:33. > :05:40.criminals who operated a massive pickpocketing racket, British
:05:40. > :05:44.Transport Police strongly believe that Ross -- gang sent the price --
:05:44. > :05:47.-- the Rostas gang said the proceeds of their crimes back to
:05:47. > :05:51.Huedin, funded these elaborate bidders. Whilst living in Kent, the
:05:51. > :05:54.family claimed they were destitute but we have learned this is at
:05:54. > :06:00.number -- one of the number of properties owned by the family in
:06:00. > :06:05.Romania. Decorated with Mercedes car emblems, symbolising wealth,
:06:05. > :06:11.the properties are shared with relatives. Much name is Colin
:06:11. > :06:15.Campbell, I work for the BBC. -- my name. Nice to meet you.
:06:16. > :06:19.This man told me he owned the property. He denied being a Rostas
:06:19. > :06:22.or having any knowledge of the gang's criminality.
:06:22. > :06:32.For committing crimes against the English people, stealing mobile
:06:32. > :06:32.
:06:32. > :06:37.phones. Do you know them? No. have never seen these men?
:06:37. > :06:41.Rostas? You don't know them? Huedin's chief of police did, the
:06:41. > :06:48.gang left Romania when they were boys, but occasionally be turned,
:06:48. > :06:53.showing off their wealth and driving around town in BMWs --
:06:53. > :06:58.occasionally returned. TRANSLATION: One of them has a criminal record
:06:58. > :07:01.here for stealing a mobile phone from a lawyer two years ago. As for
:07:01. > :07:07.the crime committed in the UK, I only know what has appeared in the
:07:07. > :07:10.media. It is in markets like this one
:07:10. > :07:15.where the gang are sold all of the stolen mobile phones. As we looked
:07:15. > :07:19.around, became a cross three-bed willing to Salas mobiles, all
:07:19. > :07:24.sourced from England -- we came across three men all willing to
:07:24. > :07:29.sell us mobiles. Whilst living in rented accommodation in Gravesend,
:07:29. > :07:34.the Rostas group claim benefits. It seems it is how they justified
:07:34. > :07:38.their new-found wealth. The mayor of Huedin said some people they
:07:38. > :07:42.considered in LED heaven, of where many false of trees. -- England
:07:42. > :07:46.heaven. TRANSLATION: When they return here, they said because of
:07:46. > :07:49.the social benefits in the UK, that is how they became wealthy. They
:07:49. > :07:59.collect a lot of money because they have so many children have they
:07:59. > :07:59.
:07:59. > :08:06.come back here and build houses. -- Nestling at the bottom of the
:08:06. > :08:10.Carpathians mountains in the region of Transylvania, Huedin is home to
:08:10. > :08:14.around 150-200 Romanian gypsy families. Whilst the elders remain
:08:14. > :08:20.here, younger members head overseas to try and make as much money as
:08:20. > :08:28.they can. With their gleaming roofs, there are 46 Gypsy and palaces in
:08:28. > :08:34.Huedin. In the driveways, cars with English and Irish numberplates. --
:08:34. > :08:38.gypsy owned. But owners don't like their property has been filmed. In
:08:38. > :08:41.recent years, the town has had a great deal of media attention. Last
:08:41. > :08:51.year, Panorama tracked the different Romanian gypsy gang who
:08:51. > :08:52.
:08:52. > :08:56.had been involved in baking back to The question is simple...
:08:56. > :09:00.Whilst the police suspect the Rostas gang are what that part of a
:09:00. > :09:03.wider criminal network that spreads across Europe, they will struggle
:09:03. > :09:10.to find out where the money has gone and which homes they owned in
:09:10. > :09:14.Huedin. We understand this house is owned
:09:14. > :09:23.by Romulus Rostas. This man says he owns their house.
:09:23. > :09:25.Getting to the truth is no easy task. Remember Johne? We eventually
:09:25. > :09:29.discovered he is a member of the Rostas family.
:09:29. > :09:36.Then you ask him why he lied to us yesterday?
:09:36. > :09:39.The house he claimed 20 and actually owns -- belongs to Romulus,
:09:39. > :09:45.his brother. Although there is no suggestion this man committed any
:09:45. > :09:47.crime, he continues to insist he owns the property.
:09:47. > :09:52.British Transport Police say they are seeking to prosecute other
:09:52. > :09:57.family members and confiscate assets the gang made through crime.
:09:57. > :10:07.In Huedin, officials say they are trying to curb the exodus of young
:10:07. > :10:13.Colin Campbell joins us live from outside the home of the Rostas gang
:10:13. > :10:19.in Gravesend. Colin, what is being done to try to deter this kind of
:10:19. > :10:22.criminality? Well, the Romanian officials that I
:10:23. > :10:25.spoke to whilst in Huedin accept that there are parts of the
:10:25. > :10:29.Romanian community -- Roman community that have been left
:10:29. > :10:35.marginalised, overlooked if you like, and they say that is their
:10:35. > :10:37.failing. To try and deter them from coming overseas to England and
:10:37. > :10:41.other parts of Europe, they are trying to engage with those
:10:41. > :10:45.communities and ensure they have received a full education and gain
:10:45. > :10:48.qualifications. Whilst living in Gravesend, the Rostas gang were
:10:48. > :10:52.claiming benefits. A full investigation, a major
:10:52. > :10:55.investigation, is under way into alleged benefit fraud now.
:10:55. > :11:05.In a moment: The blind Sussex judo champion
:11:05. > :11:06.
:11:06. > :11:10.picked to represent his country in A Kent campaign group is calling
:11:10. > :11:13.for a public boycott of tomorrow's Grand National horse race. Animal
:11:13. > :11:18.Aid, based in Tonbridge, says people should donate any cash they
:11:18. > :11:21.were planning to bet to horse sanctuaries instead.
:11:21. > :11:24.It follows the death of two horses in the race last year and another
:11:24. > :11:28.in the second race of the day at Aintree yesterday. Organisers say
:11:28. > :11:38.the course is the safest it has ever been. You may find some of the
:11:38. > :11:38.
:11:38. > :11:41.pictures in Jon Hunt's report distressing. It is arguably the
:11:41. > :11:45.toughest sporting test of man and beast. The Grand National has
:11:45. > :11:50.always carried risks, but last year, when two horses were put down as
:11:50. > :11:55.the race diverted past, have sharpened campaign that mines and
:11:55. > :11:59.called for boycotts of the event. - - campaigners. Last year, a horse
:11:59. > :12:04.broke its neck and a horse broke its back and I don't know why the
:12:04. > :12:08.public would want to support such an activity. I think it is because
:12:08. > :12:12.they have been, over the years, frankly conditioned to think it is
:12:12. > :12:19.harmless and the marvellous event. What we are asking people to do
:12:19. > :12:21.this here is the money they would have spent on a wager, to put it to
:12:21. > :12:26.supporting sanctuaries who care for horses rejected by the industry.
:12:26. > :12:29.This year, they have modified the course and the entry requirements,
:12:29. > :12:35.but that did not stop a horse fracturing it laid on the flat
:12:35. > :12:40.yesterday. Their leader has stumbled. Commentators say Aintree
:12:40. > :12:44.has done the best they can. Features Broch, jockeys say it is
:12:44. > :12:48.like jumping off the edge of the world -- features baroque. Now it
:12:48. > :12:52.is very different, almost flat on the other side. If you lower the
:12:52. > :12:56.fences too much, the horses go too fast and are more likely to have an
:12:56. > :13:00.accident. But this century is not in favour of the race at all. They
:13:00. > :13:04.are concerned about what happens to the horses after they are no longer
:13:04. > :13:09.race-fit. We get called every day about racehorses all thoroughbreds,
:13:09. > :13:13.we get so many coming out of the tracks that have no one to go to
:13:13. > :13:20.and know where to go, but they have to have a lot of work and cost a
:13:20. > :13:24.lot to keep. Animal Aid say hundreds of horses have died on the
:13:24. > :13:28.racetrack. They are asking punters to consult their consciences.
:13:28. > :13:34.We're joined now from Aintree by Nick Luck.
:13:34. > :13:39.Nick Luck is a racing commentator. Thank you for joining us. What is
:13:39. > :13:44.your response to the Animal Aid call for a boycott?
:13:44. > :13:47.It is important to stress it is an animal rights group rather than an
:13:47. > :13:51.animal where felt group. Everybody in British horse racing is
:13:51. > :13:56.concerned with animal welfare. You have to look philosophical. I don't
:13:56. > :14:00.think anyone at Animal Aid Dexia men and animals should have a co-
:14:00. > :14:04.dependent relationship -- thinks that humans and animals. The Grand
:14:04. > :14:10.National is a perfectly legitimate shop window for the sport of pays
:14:10. > :14:15.for it -- horse racing. Yes, it is risky. Last month at Chobham, five
:14:15. > :14:19.horses died. We have had one bet at Aintree already, but there is not
:14:19. > :14:23.inevitable at large meetings like this and should and more be done to
:14:23. > :14:28.make them say that -- his death not inevitable? It is always a
:14:28. > :14:32.possibility. It is an inherent part of any risky sport. I could not
:14:32. > :14:34.defend the Grand National unless I was absolutely confident that the
:14:34. > :14:38.organisers at Aintree and the British horse racing Authority were
:14:38. > :14:42.doing everything within their power to maintain the safety levels as
:14:42. > :14:45.high as they possibly can, whilst retaining the unique character of
:14:45. > :14:50.the race. Aintree has been a sell- out all week and it will be a sell-
:14:50. > :14:54.out tomorrow. People are voting with their feet. Animal Aid are
:14:54. > :14:58.asking people to donate to animal welfare charities and I say good,
:14:58. > :15:02.at donate to them and had a bet, but -- Grand National. You will be
:15:02. > :15:06.donating twice, because the percentage of the levy from British
:15:06. > :15:10.horse racing bets goes to animal welfare charities. Racing is very
:15:10. > :15:13.good at looking after its participants. It is a risky pursuit
:15:13. > :15:18.but we are aware of the risks. We'll have to leave it there, thank
:15:18. > :15:22.you very much. Three men have been injured
:15:22. > :15:25.following a suspected shooting in Gillingham. Police were called to a
:15:25. > :15:28.car wash in Railway Street at around 12:30 this afternoon, after
:15:28. > :15:32.one of the men received a serious but non-life threatening injury to
:15:32. > :15:39.his leg. Detectives are searching for two men who were in the area at
:15:39. > :15:42.the time. Stressed Londoners are being urged
:15:42. > :15:44.to quit the rat race and head on down to Folkestone in a new
:15:44. > :15:48.advertising campaign to be launched by Kent County Council.
:15:48. > :15:50.With travel times to the capital now under an hour on the high-speed
:15:50. > :15:53.line, the council believes Folkestone could become a commuter
:15:53. > :15:56.town for those looking for a better quality of life. It's planning
:15:56. > :15:59.posters on the Tube and adverts in London papers. But will Londoners
:15:59. > :16:05.be seduced by the seaside? Simon Jones reports.
:16:05. > :16:08.Why not trade there for here? That is the message to London as in a
:16:08. > :16:13.marketing campaign backed by the local MP that good looks something
:16:13. > :16:17.like this, stressing that with a 55 minute journey time to London,
:16:17. > :16:20.commuting is a real possibility. There is a temptation, you think we
:16:20. > :16:24.have a great place to live and we will wait for people to come here
:16:24. > :16:29.but we have to make the place and bang a drum for Folkestone. Philip
:16:29. > :16:34.Carter makes that case. One visit and usually people become addicted
:16:34. > :16:38.to Folkestone, it has that feel about it. This lady has already
:16:38. > :16:44.traded London for a life by the sea. It was getting a bit like a rat
:16:44. > :16:49.race in Lewisham. I just felt it was time for me to move. But others
:16:49. > :16:53.say since its heyday, things have gone downhill. A last time I came
:16:53. > :16:57.down here I was a teenager, at the funfair and that has gone now.
:16:57. > :17:01.There is a feeling in Folkestone and that the town has not cashed in
:17:01. > :17:06.on the benefits of the high-speed train. The campaign will say you
:17:06. > :17:10.can commute to the capital from here and enjoy the benefits of all
:17:10. > :17:14.of this. Compared to London, basically there is a lot more that
:17:14. > :17:18.properties have to offer than in the London market. Your money goes
:17:18. > :17:24.a lot further, you get a lot more space, more house for the money.
:17:24. > :17:29.The average house price in Greater London is �406,000. In Folkestone,
:17:29. > :17:34.it is 192,000. An annual season ticket on a high-speed train will
:17:34. > :17:39.cost over �5,000. They need to create an engaging social media
:17:39. > :17:44.campaign where they tackle head on the perception that it is an old
:17:44. > :17:51.folk's Tad and they need to create new Folkestone. -- town. Mixed use
:17:51. > :17:56.in London. London is by but at Folkestone is quiet. -- vibrant.
:17:56. > :18:02.love Kent, I used a had a caravan there. What they want there is the
:18:02. > :18:05.next generation. Our top story tonight: A criminal
:18:05. > :18:08.gang of Romanian gypsy pickpockets who preyed on sleeping train
:18:08. > :18:12.passengers between London and Kent have been jailed for 11 years and
:18:12. > :18:14.three months. The five members of the Rostas family are believed to
:18:14. > :18:16.have stolen hundreds of mobile phones from commuters and spent the
:18:16. > :18:23.proceeds on building luxury palaces in Romania.
:18:23. > :18:26.Also in tonight's programme: Pop star Peter Andre fails to score
:18:26. > :18:31.a hit in the hygiene ratings at his Sussex cafe, as food standards
:18:31. > :18:34.inspectors award it one out of five stars.
:18:34. > :18:44.And marathon man - the Seagulls fan planning to run this weekend's
:18:44. > :18:45.
:18:45. > :18:48.Brighton race eight times back to As the countdown continues, more
:18:48. > :18:54.names have been confirmed this week as to who will represent Team GB in
:18:54. > :18:59.the 2012 Paralympic games. One of them is 30-year-old Ben Quilter
:18:59. > :19:07.from Brighton. He lost his sight to a rare genetic disease when he was
:19:07. > :19:10.just ten. He's now on the hunt to add a Paralympic medal to his
:19:10. > :19:13.collection. Our Olympics reporter Chrissie Reidy has been to meet him.
:19:13. > :19:18.Registered blind, 30-year-old Ben Quilter from Brighton has refused
:19:18. > :19:22.to let anything stand in the wake of his dream. Today, that dream of
:19:22. > :19:28.representing Team GB in the 20 top Paralympic Games became a reality.
:19:28. > :19:32.I spot has been pretty Secure, so now it is official and I can tell
:19:32. > :19:38.people I am part of the scarred for 2012. It is very exciting -- part
:19:38. > :19:42.of the squad. He took up judo when he was seven. Three years later, he
:19:42. > :19:48.was diagnosed with a disease that gives him no central vision. It is
:19:48. > :19:52.the current world No. 1 and world visually impaired studio champion.
:19:52. > :19:55.He is the first visually impaired British champion for 12 years. This
:19:55. > :19:59.is him competing at the European Championships in Crawley last
:19:59. > :20:04.November, where he wiped the floor with his opponents. Something he
:20:04. > :20:08.hopes to emulate in 2012. By a major goal is to win a medal, but I
:20:08. > :20:12.would rather it was a gold one and bronze or sell that -- my major
:20:12. > :20:16.goal. For the first time ever, but the Olympic and Paralympic judo
:20:16. > :20:21.squads are trading side by side. you get to compete with the best in
:20:21. > :20:24.the world, fight with the best in the world and it put you in the top
:20:24. > :20:30.bracket. With more than one million tickets sold to the Paralympic
:20:30. > :20:36.Games, organisers have 2012 will be an opportunity to change the hip --
:20:36. > :20:40.perceptions. These are top athletes and people will be amazed by this
:20:40. > :20:44.year quality of competition. By the numbers of tickets that have been
:20:44. > :20:48.sold, it is amazing how it has engaged the great British public
:20:48. > :20:53.and we are going to capitalise on that. As the undefeated judo world
:20:53. > :21:03.champion in his category for the past two years, Ben is confident
:21:03. > :21:06.that a 2012 gold medal has his name on it.
:21:06. > :21:09.Pop star Peter Andre's new cafe, which opened with great fanfare in
:21:09. > :21:14.East Grinstead just four months ago, has been given just one star out of
:21:14. > :21:18.five by food standards inspectors. The 39-year-old former husband of
:21:18. > :21:23.glamour model Jordan opened the New York Coffee Club cafe in November.
:21:23. > :21:30.But Environmental Health inspectors haven't been impressed. The singer
:21:30. > :21:36.says the cafe is now up to standard. Lynda Hardy has more.
:21:36. > :21:41.Known for his music, celebrity Jon Stead the jungle and his ex-wife,
:21:41. > :21:44.Peter Andre is tried to expand his CV into the world of coffee. After
:21:44. > :21:50.living with Katie Price near Uckfield, he has now settled in
:21:50. > :21:54.hope. But it was in East Grinstead, when screaming fans greeted the
:21:54. > :22:00.opening of his first coffee house in November. I found a lot of the
:22:00. > :22:04.coffee here was burnt or bitter and I was thinking... Are you
:22:04. > :22:09.criticising the coffee in East Grinstead? Yes! But a recent
:22:09. > :22:15.hygiene inspection has only given his shop a poor one out of five
:22:15. > :22:20.rating. The biggest reason for that is there was a sink out of place.
:22:20. > :22:25.So within 24 hours, we had the sink in. There was some paperwork that
:22:25. > :22:31.wasn't up to scratch, that has been rectified. Been there in the shop,
:22:31. > :22:34.we are always under scrutiny. We try our best in everything we can.
:22:34. > :22:37.Customers this afternoon were impressed. I really like it, the
:22:37. > :22:44.stuff is fantastic, they were really friendly staff and we much
:22:44. > :22:48.prefer it to other shops. It is clean, the staff are radio-friendly
:22:48. > :22:51.and I just really love it -- a really friendly. The singer turned
:22:51. > :22:57.businessman will be hoping for a much higher rating of his cafe's
:22:57. > :23:02.next extension before he opens his second shop in Brighton in June --
:23:02. > :23:05.next inspection. That was his brother, Danny.
:23:05. > :23:07.It was. There is a bumper weekend of sport
:23:07. > :23:10.coming up with important football, cricket, rugby and hockey games
:23:10. > :23:13.across the south-east. And as if that isn't enough, the
:23:13. > :23:21.Brighton Marathon takes place on Sunday. Our sports reporter Neil
:23:21. > :23:25.Bell joins us from the city now. It has been an almost instant
:23:25. > :23:29.success. Organisers anticipate almost 11,000 people will cross
:23:29. > :23:36.that finish line at some time on Sunday but the winner being back in
:23:36. > :23:41.less than 2 1/4 hours. There will be run us from more than
:23:41. > :23:44.60 countries competing, or at least taking part -- runners. While 40%
:23:44. > :23:50.will be from Brighton area, the likely winner is almost inevitably
:23:50. > :23:54.an African. It is my first time in the southern part of the UK, it is
:23:54. > :23:58.a great opportunity and a great moment to come and have run here,
:23:58. > :24:02.especially in this great year of the Olympics. It looks likely that
:24:02. > :24:05.if conditions were as good as the previous two years, several new
:24:05. > :24:10.record will be set. But for many runners, it is just the thrill of
:24:10. > :24:14.taking part. I have had a really good things through running
:24:14. > :24:20.magazines, so I thought I would go for this one -- I have heard ready
:24:20. > :24:23.good things. This is my 30th. It gives you such a buzz when you
:24:23. > :24:30.cross the finish line. I was so unfit in my youth, I didn't start
:24:30. > :24:33.running until I was 47 and it gives me such a thrill to do it.
:24:33. > :24:38.charities will benefit from the marathon on Sunday but one man is
:24:38. > :24:41.going that extra mile. Dan Lawson, tell us what you are doing. I am
:24:41. > :24:47.going to start running eight marathons consecutively, non-stop,
:24:47. > :24:51.210 miles without a break. He why you doing it for? Albion in the
:24:52. > :24:56.community and their international projects. If you want to follow the,
:24:56. > :25:01.you can see me on Twitter. I will be tweeting as I go along. Are you
:25:02. > :25:09.ready to go? I am ready. OK, off you go.
:25:09. > :25:16.CHEERING. It is also a crucial weekend for
:25:16. > :25:19.the south-east football clubs as well. Brighton will take a lot of
:25:19. > :25:22.fans to east London for their game with fellow promotion rivals West
:25:22. > :25:25.Ham. The Albion know that they must win to stand any chance of moving
:25:25. > :25:28.back into the play-off places. League One leaders Charlton will be
:25:28. > :25:30.promoted tomorrow if they win at Carlisle and rivals Sheffield
:25:30. > :25:33.Wednesday lose. Five of the club's of supporters have paid for the
:25:33. > :25:36.club to fly north to give them the best possible chance.
:25:36. > :25:39.Crawley take on Wimbledon knowing victory could lift them back into
:25:39. > :25:41.the top three. It is the Reds' first game since the arrival of
:25:41. > :25:43.Steve Coppell as Director of Football.
:25:43. > :25:46.Gillingham can give their fast- disappearing promotion hopes a real
:25:46. > :25:49.boost with victory at rivals Oxford. The Gills go into the game four
:25:49. > :25:51.points behind Oxford, who currently are in the final play-off position.
:25:51. > :25:54.Also, a big sporting weekend for Canterbury. The rugby team will
:25:54. > :25:56.pick up the league title, the hockey players could get promoted.
:25:56. > :25:59.Thank you very much, Neil. Good luck to everyone taking part in the
:25:59. > :26:05.borough that and to Dan Lawson, who is already off back row.
:26:05. > :26:08.I hope the weather will be kind. It will be kinder. The shares will
:26:08. > :26:13.slowly fade away but don't put the plan said, there will be some frost
:26:13. > :26:16.around -- share was. High pressure around -- share was. High pressure
:26:16. > :26:19.to the north-west of us, a run of cold winds in between and after
:26:19. > :26:24.they moved away, next week, it will change in the weather and it is
:26:24. > :26:28.going to get wet and windy. We have had a few showers today, one or two
:26:28. > :26:31.heavy ones with some hail mixed in and they will continue into the
:26:31. > :26:34.evening. The odd shower could continue right the way through the
:26:34. > :26:38.night, but most of them will be fading away and the skies will
:26:38. > :26:44.break-up bid. There will be enough cloud left throughout the night to
:26:44. > :26:47.a halt temperatures above freezing. -- to hold. They could be the of
:26:47. > :26:51.light shower first thing tomorrow but they will find a way. -- fade
:26:51. > :26:57.away. NO-SPACE his dry with a fair bit of cloud but there will be some
:26:57. > :27:01.good brakes. -- most places dry. What you're about his boast is the
:27:01. > :27:07.way the cold north-easterly wind picks up. -- what you will notice
:27:07. > :27:10.the most. Those temperatures low on the East Coast. If you are off to
:27:10. > :27:15.the Grand National tomorrow, I think the message really is take an
:27:15. > :27:17.umbrella and wrap up warm, because it is going to be quite chilly. You
:27:17. > :27:23.know how good I am at forecasting, so these will obviously be the
:27:23. > :27:27.right ones. By tips for tomorrow. Added their why I have chosen them,
:27:27. > :27:30.but we can only hope they do well. -- I don't know why. Tomorrow
:27:30. > :27:33.evening, some frost, and on Sunday evening, some frost, and on Sunday
:27:33. > :27:36.are mostly dry day with some sunshine and a chilly wind.