16/04/2012 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today. I'm Rob Smith. And I'm Polly Evans.

Tonight's top stories. Digging for human remains in a Tunbridge Wells

garden - police investigate the death of a young woman, six decades

They all know the same story of how they heard screaming, how she was

introduced, and how she was disappeared.

Flights suspended, passengers injured - a day of disruption at

Gatwick Airport as a Virgin plane makes an emergency landing.

The plan to build new homes on a field near Ashford.

Happy birthday to the Turner Contemporary, with half a million

visitors in its first year. But is it all good news?

And, raising a loyal toast, the Sussex students creating a bread-

Good evening. It's a typical suburban house in

Tunbridge Wells, but today Kent Police began a major operation to

dig up the garden in a search for human remains. They're looking for

a young woman who disappeared in the 1950s. Members of a family who

lived in the semi-detached house at the time have told police that a

girl called Laura vanished whilst A large white tent marks the spot

where crime scene investigators from Kent Police are searching for

human remains. Their investigation prompted by information that a

young female was buried here in the 1950s after dying inside the

property. Jenny Baker contacted detectives on behalf of her mother,

who once lived in the semi- detached house. The girl that we

believe is buried in the garden is called Laura. We do not know if

that is a proper name. What has prompted me is that they all know

the same story of how they heard screaming up, how she was

introduced, and how she disappeared as quickly as she was introduced.

It was your aunts and your mother living in the house? Yes. What

happens if nothing is found? nothing is found, things can be

laid to rest, either way. Although it has not been confirmed by the

police, it is claimed the excavations are focusing on a

covered up concrete pond. Jonny Newell says it is all a waste of

time. He also grew up in the house, his father died over 20 years ago.

My father was a decent man, he was my best mate, my friend. It is not

true. When they pick out the whole, they will find there is nothing

there. The family that normally live here have been moved out

temporarily while the work continues. The police have been

keen to stress that they have got nothing to do with the

investigation. Neighbours in the street were informed early this

morning. It was a relief when we got a leaflet through the door, to

say that something happened a long time ago, so it a bit relieved that

they have let us know what is going on. I hope they find whatever they

are looking for, and they can put people at peace. The police say

they did not know how long their search for remains will go on.

Those who informed detectives hope that, either way, it will provide

closure. Flights to and from Gatwick Airport were suspended

today after a passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing

and more than 200 people evacuated from the plane.

Some of the passengers suffered injuries as they leapt down the

emergency chutes, with reports that a crew member was screaming in

The Virgin flight had been bound for Florida when it turned round

because of a technical issue? you can probably see the plane in

the background, with the red tail fin, it has been here since 12:30pm.

It left Gatwick at 10:48am, band for Orlando, and Annalong went off

in the cabin in the cockpit, alerting the captain, the pilot and

his crew that something was not right. The captain decided to turn

back. We are told there was panic on board. Possibly even smoke in

the cabin. When it touched down, there were ambulances and fire

crews alongside the plane, but all passengers were evacuated via the

inflatable slide. The stranded on the runway, less

than two hours into their flight to Orlando, Florida, 229 passengers

from the Virgin plane were back at Gatwick. Four people were injured

as they evacuated the plane using the emergency chute. It sounded

like a lady had got crazy, she was upset, screaming, we could not work

out what she was shouting. As I got closer, it turned out it was one of

the cabin crew, screening for people to get out. Anybody exiting

through the door was panicked. They were throwing themselves out of the

door, rather than going down calmly. People were crashing into each

other. Six fire engines were called as the plane made a safe emergency

landing at 12:30pm. There were reports of a small fire on board,

but Virgin described it as a technical problem. The captain

decided to evacuate the aircraft as a precaution. I have been with the

passengers, clearly, they are a bit traumatised, but equally, they are

grateful to the crew for doing the job they did. Our priority is to

get them on their way again, or get them home. The aircraft is with the

Air Accident Investigation Branch, they will go through the correct

procedures. The second busiest airport in Britain was put to a

standstill for a couple of hours this afternoon. Passengers from

that plane hope to set off to Florida tomorrow.

Tonight, those passengers will either spend the night at home or

be put up in hotels, and they will try again tomorrow morning.

Later, a fourth arrest over the investigation into the shooting in

Gillingham. He broke his leg after falling

through a seller shaft, and while waiting for an operation, he

developed pneumonia and he died. Tonight, his family said they are

disgusted that the owners of the pub were fined just �1 for failing

to report it properly. Pictured at the pub where he fell,

leaving him in hospital and the company that ran the pub Insurance

in 2010 in court. Fined �1 for the health and safety failings. It says

he was worthless. When you think of the friends he had in the village,

he used to do odd jobs for people, and that sort of thing, and the

friends he had, they must be just as devastated as we are, to think

that that life was not worth anything but apart from �1.

district council, which brought the prosecution, said that they were

not informed about what had happened here until he was already

critically ill in hospital. The failure to report the matter

promptly significantly hampered their ability to carry out a

thorough investigation. If that is justice, they have let him down

badly. He was a lovely bloke. He did not deserve to die like that,

at 52. Just really upset. council said magistrates on

sentencing... They too can -- they took into account the partnership

was binned by -- was being wound up. The owners were left devastated by

the death, they treated him like a son. It is his huge loss, he was

part of the village. He was there, he was always there, sitting

outside. The former owners declined to be interviewed, saying they

wanted to put the matter behind them. The pub is now under new

management, unconnected to the case. An investigation is under way into

the death of a patient after surgical clips were left inside her

following an operation at a Sussex hospital. The surgeon involved in

the procedure at the Eastbourne District General Hospital will not

undertake any further operations, pending the outcome of the

investigation. The hospital has offered their sincere apologies to

the woman's family. Friends and family will tonight

hold a candle vigil at the scene where a 19-year-old boy was killed

in Sussex. Connor Saunders was punched during an attack in

Rottingdean on Saturday night. He died later in hospital. A 13-year-

old and two 14-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Two remain in custody, the other has been released on bail.

A fourth man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in

Medway in which two men were seriously injured. The incident

happened on Railway Street in Gillingham around 12:30pm on Friday

afternoon. Kent Police have today arrested a man from the Maidstone

area. I understand the police are still looking for a weapon? Yes, it

is thought it was a shotgun, but it has not yet been recovered. It is

thought it was used here on Friday to shoot and seriously injured two

men, they have both since been discharged from hospital. The

police are keen to stress that the firearm -- that firearm incidents

like this are rare. This is not an indiscriminate act.

There was a dispute the day before, we know that this incident is

associated with that. This was specific to the location, not an

indiscriminate act. We are looking for people that we know in relation

to this incident. There have been a number of arrests,

but Kent Police are still looking for people involved? Yes, there

have been four arrests, one man remains in custody. He was arrested

on suspicion of murder, but they are still looking for two men

connected with this dispute that ended in a shooting. The police say

that if they do not hand themselves in, they will hunt them down.

If built, it would be one of the largest new housing developments in

Kent. 6,000 homes planned at the hamlet of Chilmington, near Ashford,

with a new high street, school and shops. Today, a public consultation

began into the controversial development. Opponents saying

there's no need for extra housing and 1,000 acres of farmland would

be destroyed. New homes, new neighbours, a new

community. This is what the development could look like.

village green, a cricket ground... Now, the Emir is fields. We are

trying to create a sustainable community, where people have the

facilities they want within walkable distance. We do not want

to compete with Ashford Town Centre,... Planned for the site,

6000 new homes, alongside four new primary schools and one secondary,

on 1000 acres of farmland, but opponents say this extra housing

alongside other developments is not needed. They have built 6000 houses

since 2000, we have got another 9000 in the pipeline, and another

4300 about to enter. In my view, that means that the local meat has

been more than met. It would be catastrophic, we live in a

beautiful area, this is an ancient hamlet. It will be ruined. With the

South East and half of the country officially in drought, there is

concern about water supplies for thousands of new homes. We know

that companies cannot guarantee supplies, even under present levels

of development, in drought conditions. How will they do it in

the future? South East Water says it can supply what is needed, and

in Ashford today, mixed reaction to the plans. I think if the

facilities are there to support the amount of people that will be

living there, to a good standard, why not? We need the houses. I do

not think Ashford needs it, we have got enough buildings that are not

being used. The consultation for more feedback runs until June.

This is our top story tonight. Police are digging up a rear garden

at house in a suburb of Tunbridge Wells in the search for human

remains. It's believed a young woman may have died in the property

in the 1950s, although no crime was reported at the time.

Also tonight, A Band Of Brothers, how people are mentoring teenagers

in Sussex. And, Queens On Toast, the unusual

jubilee celebration for Her Majesty in Brecht. -- in bread.

It's exactly a year ago that Margate's Turner Contemporary

opened its doors, and the gallery says it's exceeded all expectations.

Having forecast 150,000 visitors, it's had almost half a million. It

claims it's benefited Kent's economy by �13.8 million and

created 128 jobs. But the figures When it opened its doors a year ago,

it had become one of the leading art galleries in the country and

degenerated Margate. It seems they have done both. We have got Turner

and the elements, that signifiers that we are the driver and the

catalyst. The town is also changing. Businesses are opening, there are

more jobs created on the back of could -- on the back of Turner

Contemporary. It is a slow process, it takes a long time to change

places, and for transformation to be seen and felt. The Turner say

they have contributed more than �13 million to the local economy, but

more than 7 billion it is giving a monetary value to press coverage,

not really money coming into local shops and businesses. If you look

at what the visitors are spending, a proportion is local economic

impact, the rest comes from money that has been generated in

advertising spending, without people paying for it. It is

fantastic, but it is not new money being spent in the economy. In 2003,

the average tourist spend �7.20. Today, it is around �9.60. But is

that enough to help regenerate the town? A few hundred yards from the

Turner, Cliftonville, one of the most deprived wards in England,

highlighting these huge number of empty shops in Margate. People are

yet to see any discernible economic benefit. I am hoping that the

overspill will creep further this way, rather than just condensing

itself around the turn a centre. is still pretty quiet in the town.

Except for the weekends, when you get the coach loads in the summer.

But the winter is dead. Everything is down at one end. They should

bring something appear as well. It might push people at this end. It

is a better end! Experts say it could be at least 10 years until we

can really assess the Turner Contemporary's impact on the local

Teachers, mechanics and filmmakers are among the people giving some of

their time to mentor troubled youngsters on Brighton's Whitehawk

Estate. It's all part of a special scheme run by Sussex charity A Band

Of Brothers to help young people Growing up on the Whitehawk Estate,

this boy was a troubled young man. Playing truant from school and

getting arrested by the police. have been out of trouble than since

I started my drop. -- my job. Well over 18 months. It is really good.

That is thanks to local charity A Band Of Brothers. Set up to help

young people make the transition to adult had fired the use of an older

mentor. He used to stay in bed until the afternoon, and I offered

him some work, and he would get himself up in the morning. He would

telephone if he was going to be late. He started acting responsibly.

The experience has helped him to secure an apprenticeship as a

mechanic. It is one of many lives the charity is trying to change.

The word reaches right across Sussex, but most of it happens in

East Brighton, and especially here, won the White Cork estate -- on the

Whitehawk Estate. It is not just help the young people, but also

their families, it is having a positive effect on the local

community. There is such a buzz around the estate. People know that

we will not tell them what to do, we are here to help. People have

grown up. Perhaps their father was not there, perhaps they have

watched their father beat up their mother, perhaps they had a parent

who was addicted to alcohol or drugs. By helping them, it is hoped

it will have a positive impact on the community of Brighton's

Whitehawk Estate. After struggling for several seasons, Charlton fans

finally have something to celebrate after the club's promotion back to

the Championship. It was an emotional day for manager Chris

Powell and Addicks fans, whose next target is to see the club back in

the Premier League. Having travelled over 300 miles by

car, train and plane to be there, it was no great surprise that many

of the Charlton supporters - final 50 metres on fought to celebrate

with the players. There was a feeling that the tide had turned.

It has been tough recently. A small step forward in our history. I am

really proud to be the man at the helm. The game will not linger long

in the memory. This call was far from dramatic. But the reaction of

the supporters showed just how important it was. Not so long ago,

Charlton were an established Premier League side. The manager

left, and the slump began. Relegation was hard enough, two

years later, they dropped again, but following three years in League

One, pick are on their way back. Hopefully, we have got the man who

is a true Charlton player, he played for England, a legend for

the club, and hopefully we can move into the Premier League. I think we

will stay in the Championship, and we will get new players, and

possibly work away to the top. revival is a personal triumph for

Chris Powell, one of the most popular and respected figures in

football. Expect another party at the Valley on Saturday if Charlton

clinched the title. Sadly, it wasn't such a successful weekend

for the South East's other clubs. Brighton slumped to their heaviest

league defeat of the season, going down 6-0 at West Ham, a result

which leaves them five points off the promotion play-offs with just

three games remaining. Gillingham failed to make up any ground on the

League Two promotion pack after being held to a goalless draw at

Oxford. The Gills remain four points off the play-off places.

Crawley also picked up a point, at home to Wimbledon, thanks to a

powerful late strike from Gary Alexander, which leaves the Reds in

fourth place, three points off an automatic promotion place.

Many congratulations to the many thousands of runners who took part

in the third Brighton Marathon yesterday. A host of records were

broken in cool but sunny conditions, and around �4 million was raised

for charity. We spoke to dance on Friday, he won more than 200 miles,

and he completed his final Marathon in four and was and 90 minutes. The

bionic man! It is called Queens On Toast. It is a work of art by

students at Sussex Coast College, who have produced hundreds of

images of the Queen as you have never seen her before.

Take one slice of white bread, spread generously with acrylic Inc,

and poppet in the toaster. Three minutes later, you have got the

ingredients for a contemporary work of art. These are just some of the

8300 slices which will make up this installation. It is a British

staple, it is something that everybody wakes up and has. It is

something we got used to seeing it, just as iconic as the Queen's image.

Once you see it, you know what it is. 8254 to go! The Queens On Toast

will cover five walls here in the foyer of the Sussex Coast College

by tomorrow evening. While the artists are leading the project,

the students are giving it. They have been printing and toasting for

2 1/2 weeks. It is soothing. It is quite mind cleansing, to lose

yourself in it! Your hands get burned occasionally, but it is not

bad. It is not as bad as you might think! The project is inspired by

the screen printing of the sixes -- 60s. It is unusual to use it as a

canvas, but it is not the first creation of its sort. Last year,

Nathan produced this. And Emma's Mona Lisa used 160 slices for one

face. This is just one of this artist's dozens of toast creations.

Finished with a good squirt of hairspray, the toast should last

about three years. The hope is the installation will go on tour. Even

if you do not like the look of it, despite the Inc, the nails and all

of that hairspray, the smell of the toast still lingers. This project

is not just about the finished work, is it?

It is all about the students' learning how to put together an

installation of this scale, working together, getting the job done.

That mainly involves making slice after slice of toast, each with the

screen printing of the Queen's face. They want to take it on tour, they

would love to start here in Hastings, but they have also had

some interest from a couple of contemporary galleries in London.

And we are doing our own Jubilee artwork, and we'd like your help.

We are asking you to send in your photos for a huge photo mosaic of

the Queen. We've had hundreds already. Thanks to Frances and John

Pritchett from Eastbourne for submitting the photo of them at the

Queen's Garden Party in 2009. And 88-year-old John Funnell from Dover,

who sent us a great photo of him when he was serving as a Bomber

Command Navigator in 1943. And a very patriotic photo from Dan

Procter form Dartford, showing him and his girlfriend Rebecca

supporting England at Wembley earlier this year. The final

artwork will be on show at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne. Dig

out your favourite photo and upload Your tits came in!

Second and third, almost first and second! Weather Wise, which are

about to get stuck in a rut. Until recently, we had high pressure, but

now, low pressure. That means the weather will be very unsettled, and

we will have a fair bit of rain. This is the low pressure from the

north-west, into the country. The weather front brings the rain, and

the low pressure keeps it. A couple of important things. During the

course of Wednesday, the isobars packing, so it should be windy.

Later, they open up, so the showers will become slow-moving, and some

places could get some torrential downpours. As far as this evening

is concerned, we have had a fair bit of cloud, but it has melted

away. For a time, it will be fine and dry. The thicker cloud is not

for a way. For the second part of the night, the cloud will spread

from the West, and around daybreak, it will bring some outbreaks of

rain. It will be a mild tonight. They will not be a frost. Tomorrow

starts dull and wet, heavy rain. That clears for a time around the

middle of the day. Then, blustery showers. The temperatures are not