:00:08. > :00:11.We are live in Hastings tonight for the latest stage of the Olympic
:00:11. > :00:18.torch relay. Thousands of people have lined the streets to celebrate
:00:18. > :00:22.the first full day of the relay in the South East. They did not come
:00:22. > :00:26.to Tunbridge Wells, but double Olympic gold medal winner Kelly
:00:26. > :00:33.Holmes brought the torch to her home town anyway. It has been an
:00:33. > :00:38.amazing day. To bring the flame and the spirits to my home town.
:00:38. > :00:43.The threat to Border Control Services at Dover and Gatwick
:00:43. > :00:50.because they have laid off 1000 staff to many. We are live in Dover
:00:50. > :00:55.with the details. And he is a doctor of boogie-woogie.
:00:55. > :01:05.Jools Holland is recognised by the University of Kent for a lifetime
:01:05. > :01:09.
:01:10. > :01:15.of music. Welcome to South East Today live in
:01:15. > :01:20.Hastings where the Rizzle Kicks are performing on the stage here. It is
:01:20. > :01:25.day 60 of the Olympic torch relay, and 3,500 people have turned out to
:01:25. > :01:29.watch it be carried into the stage. It will be taking up there and the
:01:29. > :01:33.Olympic cauldron will be let hopefully in the next half an hour.
:01:33. > :01:37.You would not believe it. The Sun has been shining on the
:01:37. > :01:47.torchbearers today. Amongst them has been the comedian Eddie Izzard
:01:47. > :01:48.
:01:48. > :01:58.and Eric Hardwick. The report now on the route that the torch has
:01:58. > :01:58.
:01:58. > :02:03.The first case of the morning. An early handover as the torch headed
:02:03. > :02:10.through Brighton. Among the Beria's was police officer Mark Hill.
:02:11. > :02:16.is the star, this torch. It is representing my community. From
:02:16. > :02:25.Brighton, it was on to Crawley. The barest make the most of the torch's
:02:25. > :02:30.first full day in the South East. It headed towards East Grinstead.
:02:30. > :02:35.The torch has been on the road since 7:30am today. It is now
:02:35. > :02:39.nearly 11am. It is due in Tunbridge Wells in half an hour. There are
:02:40. > :02:48.crowds lining the streets as far as the eye can see. I am really
:02:48. > :02:54.excited and nervous! I am there is in case I drop it. Everyone is
:02:54. > :02:59.watching. I don't want to be the one to set my hair on fire. No-one
:02:59. > :03:07.set their hair on fire in the end, or fell over. Fantastic! What a
:03:07. > :03:13.lovely day. It is really exciting and we can't wait. It is a once-in-
:03:13. > :03:18.a-lifetime opportunity. Even those places not on the parade route got
:03:18. > :03:25.into the spirit. At Tonbridge, they had their own torch held aloft by
:03:26. > :03:29.the town's Olympic champion Kelly Holmes. Beragh 8,000 holes in this
:03:29. > :03:37.torch for 8,000 torchbearers, every - at each one with a story of their
:03:37. > :03:45.own. It was the turn of Lorraine Mercer next. It was overpowering. I
:03:45. > :03:49.can't explain it. It was magic. are not sure this is in the
:03:49. > :03:54.motorcycling Handbook, but who cared today? The only thing missing
:03:54. > :04:04.was the rain. As torch went from town to town to town, the crowds a
:04:04. > :04:08.lot larger. Nowhere more so than when it reached Eastbourne and
:04:08. > :04:13.these two took their turn. The bus we are one with the relay, the rest
:04:13. > :04:17.of the team for this leg are the most inspirational people. You did
:04:17. > :04:25.not need to be famous to enjoy the limelight today. It was the moment
:04:25. > :04:28.when every torchbearer got the star treatment. The people of Kent and
:04:28. > :04:34.Sussex have watched this relate going around the rest of the
:04:34. > :04:43.country for weeks. Day 60 was theirs. In every village and every
:04:43. > :04:47.town, people turned out to be part of it. While those doing the relay
:04:47. > :04:51.clearly loved every moment, so did the crowds. The whole procession
:04:51. > :05:00.created quite a spectacle. It is hard to miss when the Olympic torch
:05:00. > :05:07.is in town. We are hoping that the torch will
:05:07. > :05:11.arrive here in about 15 minutes. They have been crowds lining the
:05:11. > :05:18.streets here in Hastings waiting for it to come through. The crowd
:05:18. > :05:28.here at the moment is very much enjoying Rizzle Kicks. We will let
:05:28. > :05:35.
:05:35. > :05:43.In amongst the crowd is our reporter Ellie Price. Is the
:05:43. > :05:47.excitement building for the arrival of the flame? 3,500 people are
:05:47. > :05:51.expected down here. Some had to arrive at lunch time to queue to
:05:51. > :05:57.make sure they got a good spot. 50,000 people will be watching this
:05:57. > :06:01.whole event on big screens around the town. For you, this is a
:06:01. > :06:06.celebration of Hastings as well as the torch, isn't it? It is
:06:06. > :06:09.brilliant coming to Hastings. We have got this beautiful on the
:06:09. > :06:14.Stade open space. It is brilliant for the town and puts us on the
:06:14. > :06:20.back. It is fantastic for the town. I'm so proud to be a part of it. I
:06:20. > :06:26.love it so much! And she will be dancing for the rest of the night.
:06:26. > :06:29.Hastings has got its own Olympic link. Sierra Leone is linked with
:06:29. > :06:34.Hastings and I am joined by some Olympic athletes. Have you had a
:06:34. > :06:39.good reception? Everyone has been so friendly. It has been an awesome
:06:39. > :06:47.experience and I'm glad to be here. And had you in -- enjoyed the
:06:47. > :06:53.reception? It is great. I feel great. I feel good. You will be
:06:53. > :06:57.moving on to the Olympic scene. I'm excited? Yes, it is really nice to
:06:57. > :07:01.be in Hastings. The hospitality is wonderful. I won't keep you,
:07:01. > :07:11.because these guys are expected on the stage very soon, where the
:07:11. > :07:13.
:07:13. > :07:18.We are keeping an eye out for the torch. Where has it been on a 60?
:07:18. > :07:22.It started off this morning in Brighton and headed towards Crawley.
:07:22. > :07:27.From there it went to East Grinstead, T Tunbridge Wells, to
:07:27. > :07:31.Crowborough, then on to Lewes. It went Eastbourne today and excel as
:07:31. > :07:35.well. It heads is a Hastings this evening wear it will stop tonight
:07:35. > :07:42.on the stage. Every torchbearer that has been involved as they roam
:07:42. > :07:45.unique story for why they have been chosen. The former stuntman Eddie
:07:45. > :07:55.Kidd he was severely injured in a motorbike accident was one of the
:07:55. > :07:56.
:07:56. > :08:01.people who carried the torch in He is used to performing in front
:08:01. > :08:06.of crowds. The day was no exception. His injuries prevented him from
:08:07. > :08:13.Roland -- when the final leg, but there would have been few prouder
:08:13. > :08:19.torchbearers and heading keyed. reminds me of my wedding day! I am
:08:19. > :08:23.really proud. Fearless and charismatic. Back in the 80s, Eddie
:08:23. > :08:27.Kidd's daredevil exploits made him a household name. The accident
:08:27. > :08:31.which ended his career made his appearance today very special.
:08:31. > :08:36.it is amazing what he has done for charity. Running the marathon as
:08:36. > :08:40.well. It is fantastic. He is a great man. It is because of Eddie
:08:40. > :08:44.Kidd rather than the Olympics, to be honest! The Olympic flame is all
:08:44. > :08:50.about fortitude, perseverance and pride. Who better to carry it than
:08:50. > :08:57.Eddie Kidd? I helped finish of holding the torch for him. He loves
:08:57. > :09:00.it. It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. He has people -- has had
:09:00. > :09:10.people coming over from America, from Scotland and Wales, to cheer
:09:10. > :09:14.him on. It has been emotional. I am trying not to cry. I have come from
:09:14. > :09:19.America to support Eddie. I have known him for 25 years. This is a
:09:19. > :09:22.wonderful event. I used on my air miles because it is worth it.
:09:22. > :09:26.Completing the London Marathon was a remarkable feat, but today was
:09:26. > :09:31.memorable as well. I was there when he was doing the marathon as well,
:09:31. > :09:38.along the way and at the end. I had seen him do some fantastic things.
:09:38. > :09:41.He has a surge in his strength that he is incredible. For a man used to
:09:41. > :09:47.defying gravity, his journey with a torch is far from spectacular. He
:09:47. > :09:53.has been looking forward to it for months and it made a great deal to
:09:53. > :09:59.him and others. That does seem to be a running
:09:59. > :10:04.theme. People are moved by the stories of the torchbearers. It is
:10:04. > :10:10.about three minutes behind schedule. We will be back here to greet it
:10:10. > :10:14.when it comes into this -- the Stade.
:10:14. > :10:19.In other news Corp, the UK Border Agency has come under fire for
:10:19. > :10:22.having cuts too many staff too quickly. A report from the
:10:22. > :10:26.Government's spending watchdog said it has had to hire extra people in
:10:26. > :10:34.order to meet demand. The performance in the South East is
:10:34. > :10:39.dipping due to staff shortages. They are the frontline of the fight
:10:39. > :10:42.to keep the South East sake. They are gearing up for an influx of
:10:42. > :10:46.rivals for the Olympics, but staff on our borders admit that times are
:10:47. > :10:53.tough. We have found an increasing pressure on our frontline members
:10:53. > :11:02.come on customers -- customs staff to help with immigration. There are
:11:02. > :11:07.not enough people to do did jobs properly. By this April, the number
:11:07. > :11:11.of staff had dropped by 2000 people. That is 1000 more than planned in a
:11:11. > :11:14.rush to cut costs. The Immigration Minister inspecting border controls
:11:14. > :11:19.told me that budget reductions could be successfully managed.
:11:19. > :11:24.can always look at your systems and work them differently. Can you cut
:11:24. > :11:28.20% and still keep borders secure? Yes, absolutely, and not just as
:11:28. > :11:32.secure as they were before, but more secure. The National Audit
:11:32. > :11:36.Office says that an increase of technology and an intelligence led
:11:36. > :11:40.approach has been implemented in a piecemeal manner without evaluating
:11:40. > :11:45.its potential impact. One of the things they begin to cut costs was
:11:45. > :11:51.letting people go. That number has run ahead of plan, leaving them
:11:51. > :11:55.with problems and inefficiencies. It is a real concern. There have
:11:55. > :11:57.been problems with G4S and we have had a lot of people coming into the
:11:57. > :12:00.country through airports and through the port of Dover. We need
:12:00. > :12:04.to make sure that immigration controls have and have people to
:12:04. > :12:11.work on them to manage the influx of people. The coming days will
:12:11. > :12:16.prove the real test. Simon is live now in Dover. That is
:12:16. > :12:20.some strong criticism for the UK Border Agency. What has been the
:12:21. > :12:24.response? We asked to speak to the Immigration Minister, but we were
:12:24. > :12:30.told his diary was full. We also wanted to speak to somebody from
:12:30. > :12:33.the Border Agency, but nobody was available. The Home Office has said
:12:33. > :12:37.that it recognises its challenges, but that it is already saved a huge
:12:37. > :12:43.amount of money for the taxpayer and that it is changing the way it
:12:43. > :12:50.is working. The board aspect of the Border Agency, the people who check
:12:50. > :12:53.cars and Czech immigrants, is being sped off to make the board up force.
:12:53. > :12:57.Music is playing behind me in preparation for the torch arriving
:12:57. > :13:01.here tomorrow evening in Dover. In the run-up to the Games, the Border
:13:01. > :13:08.Agency says it will be working with the ferry companies and the port
:13:08. > :13:11.and also with the police to make sure that things go off safely.
:13:11. > :13:19.Insiders have told the they are taking on extra staff for the
:13:19. > :13:23.Olympic period. The big concern is what happens immediately after the
:13:23. > :13:27.Games. Thank you very much.
:13:27. > :13:31.Soldiers from Kent have been drafted into provide extra security
:13:31. > :13:35.for the Olympics. The Ministry of Defence says that soldiers from the
:13:35. > :13:39.Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders based in Canterbury have already
:13:39. > :13:44.taken at their new duties, just one week after the union was told it
:13:44. > :13:49.was effectively being disbanded because of defence cuts. An extra
:13:49. > :13:59.3,500 defence personnel are needed for the Games after G4S failed to
:13:59. > :14:01.
:14:01. > :14:08.recruit and train enough staff to The people being blamed for driving
:14:08. > :14:13.dairy farmers out of business are to be questioned by MPs today. Last
:14:13. > :14:16.week producers lobbied Parliament. The supermarket chain Asda and
:14:16. > :14:19.Dairy Crest were among those being questioned today.
:14:19. > :14:21.The ambulance service in Kent still isn't meeting all of its Government
:14:21. > :14:24.response times according to information obtained by BBC South
:14:24. > :14:28.East. Ambulances are supposed to reach the scene within eight
:14:28. > :14:35.minutes in 75 percent of cases. In Sevenoaks, the figure is just 55
:14:35. > :14:37.percent and across the county, five out of 13 areas fell below target.
:14:37. > :14:40.Overall however the county showed an improvement on last year's
:14:40. > :14:43.performance. The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley
:14:43. > :14:49.is to investigate claims by Labour that NHS bosses in Sussex are
:14:49. > :14:54."rationing" cataract operations for elderly patients. The issue was
:14:54. > :14:56.raised in the Commons by Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Burnham.
:14:56. > :15:06.He's accusing Andrew Lansley of being the minister who is "cutting
:15:06. > :15:07.
:15:07. > :15:12.the NHS - and not the deficit." I will respond in writing and put a
:15:12. > :15:18.copy in the library in the house. But unlike her predecessors we will
:15:18. > :15:23.not accept any blanket ban on treatment. Any treatment must be
:15:23. > :15:27.clinically determined in the interest of patient.
:15:27. > :15:31.Thousands of people have turned out to greet the Olympic flame as it
:15:31. > :15:41.continues its journey to the Olympic Games through East Sussex.
:15:41. > :15:44.
:15:44. > :15:47.Also tonight, Jools Holland is a doctor of boogie-woogie as the
:15:47. > :15:53.University of Kent recognises his lifetime in music.
:15:53. > :15:59.And if we have brought the sunshine to Hastings today. It is on the
:15:59. > :16:01.breezy side. Join me for a full forecast later on.
:16:01. > :16:05.Renowned pianist, broadcaster and writer Jools Holland has today
:16:05. > :16:10.become Dr Jools. The University of Kent has recognised his long
:16:10. > :16:12.contribution to music and the arts with an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
:16:12. > :16:14.As Robin Gibson reports, Jools donned cap and gown and joined the
:16:14. > :16:24.ranks of the graduates receiving their degrees in Rochester
:16:24. > :16:29.
:16:29. > :16:33.Cathedral. He is an O B E eat and Deputy
:16:33. > :16:40.Lieutenant of Kent. But you do not really associate Jools Holland with
:16:41. > :16:48.pomp and circumstance like this. It is a great honour to have this
:16:48. > :16:52.bestowed upon me. And my big concern, I could become so big-
:16:52. > :16:56.headed that I would not get a hat to fit me. It is great to be year,
:16:57. > :17:04.all these people work so hard to get their degrees and all I have
:17:04. > :17:09.done is play a bit of will be will be! He is a musician, band leader,
:17:09. > :17:16.presenter and writer and Kent castle owner, just like the man who
:17:16. > :17:22.bestowed his degree today. And it turns out they have history.
:17:22. > :17:29.said I know you, you live at Allington Castle. If I lived in
:17:29. > :17:34.Newcastle when Henry VIII had come with his army, he knocked down the
:17:34. > :17:40.walls of my castle and I want money in compensation! But we agreed it
:17:40. > :17:46.was all over now! He told the graduates they had already shown
:17:46. > :17:56.hard work and determination. He told them to love their work and to
:17:56. > :18:02.
:18:02. > :18:04.be kind. In the last few minutes, we've been
:18:04. > :18:07.able to chat with the comedian Eddie Izzard carrying the torch in
:18:07. > :18:10.his home town of Bexhill. Eddie's used to a run, he recently ran 43
:18:10. > :18:17.marathons in 51 days for charity. And he says it's a special thrill
:18:17. > :18:25.to be an Olympic Torch bearer. It was a beautiful experience and
:18:25. > :18:31.great to seek so many people coming out. I did not know there was going
:18:31. > :18:35.to be so much excitement. You expect a little but everyone has
:18:35. > :18:42.really joined in. So I think it is wonderful and great to run through
:18:42. > :18:47.Bexhill, I know the place. It is a slightly shorter distance to what
:18:47. > :18:56.you used to. How did it compare? did not really get into a sweat on
:18:56. > :19:04.this one, it was more about waving and Swire -- and smiling. And we
:19:04. > :19:07.have got a bus on a building might behind! This beautiful thing. That
:19:07. > :19:12.is part of the Cultural Olympiad. It is the only town in the whole
:19:12. > :19:19.world to have a bus on the building! No one has ever thought
:19:19. > :19:21.of it. Time now to return to Hastings,
:19:21. > :19:27.where Polly and a crowd of more than 3,000 people are waiting for
:19:27. > :19:33.the arrival of the final Olympic torchbearer.
:19:33. > :19:38.We have seen the ALF riders coming in, the bus that precedes the
:19:38. > :19:43.torch-bearer has given up. And we understand it is somewhere along
:19:43. > :19:48.the seafront. Some of those pictures coming in life, the crowds
:19:48. > :19:53.have gathered here to see it of course. When it gets here that
:19:53. > :19:57.torch-bearer will bring it up through the crowd, all the weight
:19:57. > :20:01.up onto the stage. And the reason that the torch is here is because
:20:01. > :20:11.the Olympic Games are imminent. That means the arrival of athletes
:20:11. > :20:19.from all over the world. Athletes from all over the world have
:20:19. > :20:24.travelled to training camps in Kent and Sussex, ahead of London 2012.
:20:24. > :20:30.Just 10 days to go and athletes from around the world are making
:20:30. > :20:37.the south-east their temporary home. One is the 100 metres swim or would
:20:37. > :20:42.usually trains in Florida. But they have made Crawley their new
:20:42. > :20:48.training base. It is raining but so far we have
:20:48. > :20:58.adjusted pretty well. And there has been a welcoming spirit. It is
:20:58. > :21:02.pretty solid support for a start. Benjamin from Paraguay is also
:21:02. > :21:08.using the swimming pool in the Kent centre. He is impressed with the
:21:08. > :21:13.facility. It is nice because we have a 50 metre pool, it is a shame
:21:13. > :21:20.we do not have won in Paraguay. We came early to use that facilities
:21:20. > :21:25.and get used to swimming in an Olympic pool.
:21:25. > :21:31.10,000 miles away from home, the Australian sprinter is making the
:21:31. > :21:37.most of what Tonbridge School has to offer. It is really exciting.
:21:37. > :21:42.When we landed in London it really hit us. We saw some on the other
:21:42. > :21:48.countries a ride as well. It is a long hard road to get here but it
:21:48. > :21:53.is worth it. More than 20 centres are hosting international athletes
:21:53. > :21:58.in South East. The last stop before they perform on the largest stage
:21:58. > :22:02.on earth in front of the biggest audience.
:22:02. > :22:09.We just have some Morris dancers along the route of the Olympic
:22:09. > :22:15.torch! And the sun has been out all day but now the cloud is spreading
:22:15. > :22:19.over Hastings. Thomas is here with the weather forecast.
:22:19. > :22:23.It is great to beat in Hastings today. There has been a bit of
:22:23. > :22:29.sunshine and there is no doubt that that the Olympic torch has helped
:22:29. > :22:33.that the Olympic torch has helped burn away some of that a cloud!
:22:33. > :22:38.Temperatures currently are in the high teens. And there will not be
:22:38. > :22:48.much change in the next 12 hours or so. It will be quite humid
:22:48. > :22:49.
:22:49. > :22:55.overnight. The temperatures probably around 14 or 15 degrees.
:22:55. > :22:59.Now tomorrow, at the Olympic torch is going from Hastings all the way
:22:59. > :23:04.to Ashford and then ending up in Dover. The weather is going to be
:23:04. > :23:12.more or less the same, a bit of sunshine again and temperatures in
:23:12. > :23:19.the high teens. The best weather will probably be in northern parts
:23:19. > :23:28.of Kent. So on Thursday there will be some rain around across the UK.
:23:28. > :23:34.There is the chance of catching some showers. Probably not too
:23:34. > :23:38.heavy. And of course we have that next relay going all away from
:23:38. > :23:45.Dover through Margate and into Maidstone. There is a possibility
:23:45. > :23:50.of catching a shower in Maidstone. of catching a shower in Maidstone.
:23:50. > :23:53.That is it, that is the weather. Well we're listening out for the
:23:53. > :24:01.turrets of Fire theme tune which means that the torch will have a
:24:01. > :24:09.right. -- Chariots of Fire. But in the meantime we have got some of
:24:09. > :24:18.the torch bearers from today. Unless that and Kate. Vanessa, just
:24:18. > :24:23.15 years old. You were in Tunbridge Wells? I will stop you there
:24:23. > :24:33.because as a ABBA standard, but torch has arrived. -- as I
:24:33. > :24:43.understand it. This is Keith, 57 years old. He was chosen for his
:24:43. > :24:44.
:24:44. > :24:50.contribution to reviving English customs. Events that bring a lot of
:24:50. > :24:55.visitors to the town. That is why he was nominated. He will now go up
:24:55. > :25:04.onto the stage. That George eventually cannot withstand
:25:04. > :25:14.temperatures of minus five and afforded degrees Celsius - chance
:25:14. > :25:15.
:25:15. > :25:22.would be a fine thing! -- 40 degrees. It is amazing, I can
:25:22. > :25:32.imagine how he's feeling seeing this crowd. He will have been
:25:32. > :25:38.
:25:39. > :25:46.feeling nervous earlier, like I There it is, of the Olympic
:25:46. > :25:51.cauldron. Let us have a quick chat now, how was it for you? You were
:25:51. > :25:58.nominated because you had several operations recently on your legs.
:25:58. > :26:06.But you were able to run today. was amazing, indescribable, really.
:26:06. > :26:14.And to seek all these people cheering. It was a significant
:26:14. > :26:20.moment for me. And Kate, tell us about your run today. That was in
:26:20. > :26:26.Eastbourne. It was just amazing. When I got out of the coach all the
:26:26. > :26:31.children were screaming. And they sang for me, it was wonderful.
:26:31. > :26:35.are you going to do and with the torch now? Ivel put it on display,
:26:35. > :26:41.in schools and different places. And you must have been very proud,
:26:41. > :26:48.mum? I was very proud. The NHS paid for her to go to France and the
:26:48. > :26:55.treatment has since the debt - has succeeded. To see her running
:26:55. > :27:00.through the streets, it was just, I was crying! Let me tell you, if you
:27:00. > :27:03.are in Hastings but he missed the torch today, tomorrow morning you
:27:03. > :27:06.can catch a glimpse of it as it sets off from the Funicular Railway.
:27:06. > :27:16.It then heads to Rye and Hamstreet and on to Ashford, before heading
:27:16. > :27:22.
:27:22. > :27:24.to Hythe and Folkestone. Tomorrow's evening stop is in Dover. You've