:00:00. > :00:10.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith. Tonight's top stories:
:00:11. > :00:13.Hundreds of schools face disruption and closure tomorrow as teachers
:00:14. > :00:16.take strike action over pay and pensions. We'll be reporting live
:00:17. > :00:20.from Sussex and Kent. A teenager is arrested after an
:00:21. > :00:26.attack on a couple in their 80s leaves them in hospital. There's no
:00:27. > :00:29.way you can call them "animal" because animals don't do that. They
:00:30. > :00:35.are evil. Also: Green MP Caroline Lucas
:00:36. > :00:38.pleads not guilty to wilfully obstructing the highway during the
:00:39. > :00:41.Balcombe fracking protests. Brainchild of the boffins ` the
:00:42. > :00:49.first gin micro`distillery in 200 years opens in Kent.
:00:50. > :00:54.And, a Commonwealth champion ` but we chat with Kent athlete Lisa
:00:55. > :01:07.Dobriskey on the shock of her losing her lottery funding.
:01:08. > :01:13.Good evening. Strike action by teachers means thousands of pupils
:01:14. > :01:17.across the south east will be forced to miss school tomorrow. The
:01:18. > :01:20.government is condemning the action, saying it will affect pupils'
:01:21. > :01:25.education and have a massive impact on parents who have to take the day
:01:26. > :01:28.off work to care for their children. But union leaders say they're
:01:29. > :01:31.trying to protect their pay and pensions. As Sara Smith reports,
:01:32. > :01:39.the disruption is most severe in Brighton and Hove, where 80% of
:01:40. > :01:44.schools will close tomorrow. Last week it was the Midlands and
:01:45. > :01:48.the North and tomorrow this strike reaches the south`east. Teachers
:01:49. > :01:52.say they are fighting to protect their profession and the future of
:01:53. > :01:58.the nation's schoolchildren. Ministers say they are disrupting
:01:59. > :02:02.children's education and inconveniencing parents. The strike
:02:03. > :02:08.is about headteachers having the power to pay good teachers more. Th
:02:09. > :02:13.is going on strike will disrupt the lives of parents and it will hold
:02:14. > :02:21.up the children's education and damage the reputation of the
:02:22. > :02:27.profession. 72 schools in Brighton and Hove and 57 say they will close
:02:28. > :02:32.tomorrow. We regret the deception it causes. We are parents ourselves
:02:33. > :02:35.and we understand the issue, but the responsibilities of the dispute
:02:36. > :02:40.lie squarely with the government because it keeps on going after
:02:41. > :02:44.different aspects of our terms and conditions. The net result will be
:02:45. > :02:49.bad for teachers and children in the long run. Striking teachers say
:02:50. > :02:54.they are worried about retirement ages getting later was
:02:55. > :02:59.contributions to pensions rise and they say performance`related pay is
:03:00. > :03:03.not the way to improve standards. Parents at its Brighton Prime re
:03:04. > :03:08.seemed torn between wanting to support the teachers are having to
:03:09. > :03:11.support with an extra day off. It is it inconvenient but they need to
:03:12. > :03:16.stand up for their rights, I suppose. I have sympathy but
:03:17. > :03:21.everyone is feeling the pinch. I work from home but I know a lot of
:03:22. > :03:26.parents are affected by childcare issues. It is inconvenient for
:03:27. > :03:31.working parents but there isn't that much we can do about it. These
:03:32. > :03:35.things shouldn't interfere with every child's life. Tomorrow,
:03:36. > :03:44.teachers will take to the streets to make their voices heard.
:03:45. > :03:48.Sara Smith is at St Paul's School in Brighton which is set to close
:03:49. > :03:52.tomorrow. Are the two sides any closer to an agreement tonight? The
:03:53. > :03:58.language doesn't seem to suggest that. The Education Secretary says
:03:59. > :04:02.he unhesitatingly condemns the action and describes the teaching
:04:03. > :04:06.unions as being militant and putting ideology in front of
:04:07. > :04:11.children's interests. Teaching unions say they don't remember him
:04:12. > :04:15.making a fuss about a couple of days off for the royal wedding or
:04:16. > :04:20.the diamond jubilee and they were either in the run`up or during
:04:21. > :04:24.exams season. They say the government is trying to undermine
:04:25. > :04:28.their profession but the government says the unions are getting in the
:04:29. > :04:31.way of necessary change. The strike will cause disruption
:04:32. > :04:37.for thousands of parents and pupils elsewhere in the south east
:04:38. > :04:41.tomorrow. In East Sussex, 87 schools will be partly or fully
:04:42. > :04:50.closed, along with 32 in Medway. And 103 schools will shut in Kent.
:04:51. > :04:57.It is regrettable many children will have their education disrupted.
:04:58. > :05:02.We make a point that a day's disruption is damaging and from the
:05:03. > :05:06.point of view of families, it is disruptive so we regret what is
:05:07. > :05:11.happening in that sense. Ian Palmer is in Chatham. What were the
:05:12. > :05:20.picture before Medway tomorrow? A mixed bag. There are 52 schools
:05:21. > :05:26.open tomorrow in Medway. A further 27 will be partially open and five
:05:27. > :05:32.will be fully closed. With the Academy's, schools which control
:05:33. > :05:39.their own budgets, there will be nine academies that are fully open,
:05:40. > :05:46.13 partially open and four fully closed. A very mixed and patchy
:05:47. > :05:50.fixture `` picture and it will need careful handling for parents,
:05:51. > :05:54.particularly if they have children in different schools.
:05:55. > :05:57.After tomorrow's strike action, there could be further disruption
:05:58. > :06:00.to come. The two teaching unions involved, the NUT and NASUWT, are
:06:01. > :06:02.planning a one`day national walkout before Christmas.
:06:03. > :06:08.A 16`year`old boy has been arrested in connection with an attack on an
:06:09. > :06:10.elderly couple during a burglary at their home in Hextable, near
:06:11. > :06:14.Dartford. John McDougall, who's 84, and his wife Jean, who's 89,
:06:15. > :06:17.suffered head injuries and are recovering in hospital. Simon Jones
:06:18. > :06:28.is at the scene. What's the latest on the police investigation?
:06:29. > :06:33.The police are hunting for a second man tonight who was seen in this
:06:34. > :06:38.area shortly after the attack. This is accommodation exclusively for
:06:39. > :06:41.people over 55 who want to maintain their independence but you are
:06:42. > :06:45.offered a degree of support. But nothing could prepare them for what
:06:46. > :06:51.happened K yesterday. It was a burglary in broad daylight.
:06:52. > :06:55.Residents are moved he to feel safe but they say that has now been
:06:56. > :07:03.shattered with two of their neighbours in hospital. Heartbroken.
:07:04. > :07:11.I would be heartbroken if it was someone our age, but to be that age
:07:12. > :07:18.and for the toe racks to do what they have done, it is absolutely
:07:19. > :07:25.not on. It is devastating. What sort of people do that? There is no
:07:26. > :07:33.way you can call them animals because animals do not do that.
:07:34. > :07:37.They are evil. Evil, evil people. A 16`year`old has been arrested on
:07:38. > :07:42.suspicion of burglary and tonight the police have released this image
:07:43. > :07:47.of a man they want to talk to. The couple were only discovered when a
:07:48. > :07:51.neighbour heard a commotion. If we hadn't heard it they could have
:07:52. > :07:57.late there all day because no one knocks on your door every day to
:07:58. > :08:03.see if you are OK. It makes you a bit nervous. It is terrible. They
:08:04. > :08:09.are such nice people. There is nothing you can do about it, is
:08:10. > :08:14.there? Residents are being urged not to panic. It is about trying to
:08:15. > :08:20.reassure residents about what happened, it is unusual and also
:08:21. > :08:25.about what we can all do together to make sure this horrible incident
:08:26. > :08:29.does not happen again. The tonight `` the police are tonight appealing
:08:30. > :08:33.for witnesses. The couple remain at King's College
:08:34. > :08:40.Hospital in London. The injuries are not life`threatening. Today, an
:08:41. > :08:46.emergency meeting was held here for the residents and the messages
:08:47. > :08:52.there incident like this is extremely rare.
:08:53. > :08:58.Coming up: Remembering Sefton ` the sculptor who created a life`size
:08:59. > :09:02.sculpture of a horse who survived the deadly IRA attack.
:09:03. > :09:06.A Sussex MP arrested during anti` fracking protests in Balcombe has
:09:07. > :09:09.appeared before magistrates in Crawley today. The Green MP for
:09:10. > :09:12.Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, pleaded not guilty to a public
:09:13. > :09:15.order offence and wilfully obstructing the highway ` during
:09:16. > :09:23.the protest in August. Our political reporter, Ellie Price,
:09:24. > :09:28.has the details. Caroline Lucas, in what protesters
:09:29. > :09:34.called a day of direct action. She had joined protesters who are
:09:35. > :09:39.concerned about exploratory drilling which could lead to
:09:40. > :09:41.fracking. 30 people were arrested, including her son and moments later
:09:42. > :09:57.the MP herself was arrested. She admits to taking part in the
:09:58. > :10:04.protest but denies breaking any laws. Tonight, she spoke to confirm
:10:05. > :10:09.her name, date of birth and address. She was released on unconditional
:10:10. > :10:15.bail. She spoke to the assembled media afterwards. By joining the
:10:16. > :10:19.peaceful protest, I wanted to join others in the exportation of yet
:10:20. > :10:23.more fossil fuels. The trial will take place early next Dee and my
:10:24. > :10:29.constituents can contact me as usual. I will continue my weekly
:10:30. > :10:34.surgeries and represent Brighton Pavilion and parliamentary debates.
:10:35. > :10:38.In an open letter, she said that by joining the protest she wanted to
:10:39. > :10:41.send a message to the government. She will now be tried with four
:10:42. > :10:43.other defendants in a trial that will take place next February or
:10:44. > :11:03.March. A soldier from Sussex has been
:11:04. > :11:06.killed in action in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal James Brynin, from
:11:07. > :11:08.Shoreham, was shot dead yesterday when his
:11:09. > :12:12.Tonight, nearly 5,500 pupils will find out if they have passed but
:12:13. > :12:18.there is a shortfall of nearly a 1000 places. Of course, not
:12:19. > :12:22.everyone who passes the exam takes a grammar school place and Kent
:12:23. > :12:27.County cancel is trying to solve the problem by building a satellite
:12:28. > :12:32.grammar school in Sevenoaks but the plans awaiting government approval
:12:33. > :12:38.and, in any case, it would not be built or open till 2015. There has
:12:39. > :12:43.been criticism about where there the Kent test is a fair way of
:12:44. > :12:47.allocating places. Yes, there is concern that the current system
:12:48. > :12:54.favours the children from wealthier backgrounds because children who
:12:55. > :12:58.can afford to pay for it to To can catch their children. One in eight
:12:59. > :13:05.children who pass the test went to a private fee`paying school. Last
:13:06. > :13:09.month, the Schools Minister was intent and he called on grammar
:13:10. > :13:13.schools to do more to offer places to children from poorer families. A
:13:14. > :13:17.thank you. A life`size bronze statue of a
:13:18. > :13:27.horse that became the symbol of the struggle against IRA terrorism has
:13:28. > :13:30.been unveiled this afternoon. Sefton survive did deadly bomb
:13:31. > :13:35.attack in Hyde Park. Soldiers and horses were killed in the atrocity
:13:36. > :13:39.in 1982 per Sefton recovered from his horrific injuries and returned
:13:40. > :13:44.to duty with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
:13:45. > :13:50.One of the worst days of Terrorism London has seen...
:13:51. > :13:54.July 20th, 1982. As the Household Cavalry make their way to changing
:13:55. > :13:58.the guard a nail bomb went off causing carnage in London. Four
:13:59. > :14:05.soldiers and seven horses were killed and many injured. The
:14:06. > :14:11.cavalry course Sefton included. But he survived. Today, at a safe ``
:14:12. > :14:18.statue of him was and Ellen `` unveiled at the Royal Veterinary
:14:19. > :14:25.College. I rented a big shed which was
:14:26. > :14:30.absolutely bitterly freezing in the winter. I got up on a ladder and
:14:31. > :14:38.insulated it and wrapped the play up because it would freeze. That
:14:39. > :14:42.was like his story in the way. Creating the sculpture has been one
:14:43. > :14:48.trial after another. The injuries were serious. He had 36 shrapnel
:14:49. > :14:55.wounds including a severed jugular. He had eight hours of surgery and
:14:56. > :15:00.was given a 58% chance of survival. It require different skills to pat
:15:01. > :15:05.him up. Most importantly, some tender loving care to make sure he
:15:06. > :15:10.felt he could survive. I don't think it would have happened and
:15:11. > :15:16.less Sefton himself had had the with ` my will to survive. His
:15:17. > :15:22.recovery captured there hearts of the nation. People were inspired by
:15:23. > :15:26.the story of a horse battling the odds and who would not give up.
:15:27. > :15:31.Nearing his 20th birthday and with a clean bill of health, he
:15:32. > :15:34.rehearsed for his first ceremonial event.
:15:35. > :15:39.He returned to duties with his regiment, often passing the exact
:15:40. > :15:41.spot where the bomb went off. His statute is a symbol of that
:15:42. > :15:58.resilience. A top story: Strike action by
:15:59. > :16:03.teachers means thousands of pupils will be forced to miss school
:16:04. > :16:07.tomorrow. The government has condemned the industrial action.
:16:08. > :16:14.A also, how Andy and Norman put their heads together to create
:16:15. > :16:17.tense First Minister distillery in two centuries.
:16:18. > :16:23.After a wet day, rain is easing eastwards and behind it a dry night
:16:24. > :16:26.and a dry day tomorrow. Will it stay that way? Join me later for
:16:27. > :16:36.the week's forecast. Next year marks the centenary of
:16:37. > :16:41.the outbreak of the first world war and today, the BBC has announced
:16:42. > :16:48.plans for a partnership with the Imperial War Museum in an actor of
:16:49. > :16:53.commemoration. At south`east today, we will focus on the impairs ``
:16:54. > :16:57.impact of the war in Kent and Sussex and how it changed all of
:16:58. > :17:04.our lives forever. We have been finding out what life was like here
:17:05. > :17:10.as war approached. A distant conflict but even after
:17:11. > :17:17.100 years, not too distant to touch. Its victims lived on in pictures,
:17:18. > :17:24.in war memorials and its characters that it inspires. Coming down is a
:17:25. > :17:29.kind of pilgrimage. This man has made sure that his grandfather's
:17:30. > :17:33.World War One story Never dies. He was a decorated machine gunner
:17:34. > :17:41.before he transferred out of the army to learn to fly. Here was the
:17:42. > :17:44.very first port of call. His military training and discipline,
:17:45. > :17:49.drilling and marching up and down in front of visitors and
:17:50. > :18:04.holidaymakers. Fitness up on the downs. `` Downs. He came here to
:18:05. > :18:08.Hastings. Who knew this was the barracks for the Royal Flying
:18:09. > :18:13.Corps? Hastings was a world of suits, hats and boots, posing
:18:14. > :18:20.fishermen, and Empire Day parade but it was not the whole story. You
:18:21. > :18:25.have the seafront, the fashionable areas and appears all bringing in
:18:26. > :18:31.hundreds of thousands of visitors a year at `` the Peers. In the
:18:32. > :18:36.backstreets, you find unbelievable poverty and depression. Clean,
:18:37. > :18:43.shiny and smart, military service was a step out of poverty. Here is
:18:44. > :18:47.one Regiment who were seasoned soldiers of the British Empire and
:18:48. > :18:52.they would be amongst the first into battle of World War One.
:18:53. > :18:57.Between the ball or and the First World War we had a depression equal
:18:58. > :19:04.to that preceding the Second World War. Especially in the town's of
:19:05. > :19:11.Kent, the work was not there. The war would herald changes for women
:19:12. > :19:15.and families. These photos show them bravely kissing husbands and
:19:16. > :19:19.members of their family goodbye. What happened here is a mirror to
:19:20. > :19:25.the rest of Britain and Europe. What happened a hundred years ago
:19:26. > :19:29.is part of our world and we are still fascinated and horrified by
:19:30. > :19:31.the everyday experiences of ordinary people who lived here
:19:32. > :19:43.before us. Throughout 2014, we will tell the
:19:44. > :19:47.extraordinary stories and legacy of the first world war and if you know
:19:48. > :19:49.of the story we should cover as part of the commemorations, please
:19:50. > :20:09.tell us. Not many men can spend their
:20:10. > :20:13.redundancy and life`savings on gin and still smile at the end of it,
:20:14. > :20:17.but two former research scientists say they are living the dream
:20:18. > :20:22.because they have set`up the first gin distillery in the county for
:20:23. > :20:26.almost 200 years. They are now applying the skills they learnt in
:20:27. > :20:32.the pharmaceutical industry to the science of creating the perfect
:20:33. > :20:38.tipple. We went to see them in action.
:20:39. > :20:43.Converting high grade alcohol to hand made it in combines proven
:20:44. > :20:47.scientific procedures with secret ingredients that provide a unique
:20:48. > :20:52.flavour. That is why two former research chemists think they have
:20:53. > :20:58.the perfect qualification to be artisan Distillers. Here we have a
:20:59. > :21:04.neutral grain spirit which is high grade alcohol. We loaded into are
:21:05. > :21:10.beautiful copper still and then we add water and botanicals and
:21:11. > :21:15.flavouring components for gin. The main component being juniper
:21:16. > :21:21.berries. That distinctive flavour was described as hitting the palate
:21:22. > :21:28.of the poor by the author Daniel Defoe when the gin craze took over
:21:29. > :21:32.hundreds of years ago. But the liquor made in Marden is nothing
:21:33. > :21:36.like the mother's ruin of yesteryear. The unique properties
:21:37. > :21:42.are that we are taking classical Jane botanicals and blending them
:21:43. > :21:47.with big tent range of botanicals. They are forward in hot and
:21:48. > :21:53.lavender and we have a unique ingredient that is not found in any
:21:54. > :21:58.other gin, samphire. Can drinkers taste the difference? Very crisp
:21:59. > :22:04.and light on the palate. I would definitely have one of these on a
:22:05. > :22:07.night out. It is very dry, which I liked, and seduce the but a smooth
:22:08. > :22:18.finish which is unusual compared to other genes. `` with citrus tones.
:22:19. > :22:24.For centuries, gin has been synonymous with London and as a
:22:25. > :22:26.middle`aged a drink, but the makers of this gene say it is flavour will
:22:27. > :22:34.give it a broader appeal. In football, Brighton and Hove
:22:35. > :22:37.Albion have signed Leroy Lita on loan from Premiership side Swansea
:22:38. > :22:41.City. The 28`year`old has signed for the Seagulls until January the
:22:42. > :22:47.1st and is available to make his debut at Yeovil Town on Saturday.
:22:48. > :22:51.The Kent athlete Lisa Dobriskey says she was left close to tears
:22:52. > :22:54.after discovering that her National Lottery funding is ending.
:22:55. > :22:58.The 29`year`old from Ashford is a former Commonwealth Games champion
:22:59. > :23:00.in the 1,500 metres. But after battling with injury and illness,
:23:01. > :23:11.her grant has been withdrawn. Chrissie Reidy has more.
:23:12. > :23:20.She has enjoyed massive highways, but plagued with injury, she has
:23:21. > :23:24.endured a disappointing lows. She finished a distant 10th last year
:23:25. > :23:29.and now she has lost her funding. They have made this decision based
:23:30. > :23:33.on my injury history and I haven't been involved in that meeting all
:23:34. > :23:37.once sat down with the head coach this year are all with the support
:23:38. > :23:43.staff and discussed the problem I have had. It has been a judgment
:23:44. > :23:47.made completely out of my hands. It is something I feel I could argue
:23:48. > :23:53.the case for strongly but I don't think I have been given the
:23:54. > :23:58.opportunities. Her career got off to a flying start when she won gold
:23:59. > :24:03.in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and three years later she picked up a
:24:04. > :24:08.silver medal. But then injuries followed. The most recent was a
:24:09. > :24:14.plait clot on her lungs. As much as I appreciate it is a difficult
:24:15. > :24:18.situation to support someone who is so injury`prone, it is a bit of a
:24:19. > :24:23.vicious circle because I don't know where to go from here in terms of,
:24:24. > :24:28.how do I get better and get over my injury? UK Athletics may have
:24:29. > :24:33.tightened their criteria or but some think Riise could make a
:24:34. > :24:38.comeback still. Other athletes have lost funding and have come back
:24:39. > :24:46.better. She has the pedigree to go back where she was ` the best in
:24:47. > :24:52.Britain and the world. Lisa says she may have lost the backing from
:24:53. > :24:58.UK Athletics, but her career is far from over. I love what I do and the
:24:59. > :25:00.sport so I will not stop just because British athletics decide
:25:01. > :25:07.not to help me. Now the weather. It has ` might you
:25:08. > :25:33.have some good news for tomorrow? Earlier today we saw the rain. 10
:25:34. > :25:39.to 15 mm of rain. Behind it, some sunshine and the legacy of milder
:25:40. > :25:46.air. The wind was really picking up but from a southerly direction.
:25:47. > :25:54.As we go through the night, mostly we will stay dry with a westerly
:25:55. > :25:59.wind so temperatures will hold up. Mostly dried but by dawn a
:26:00. > :26:06.scattering of hefty share was. Temperatures will John `` drop
:26:07. > :26:13.overnight. By 8 o'clock in the morning, the showers should have
:26:14. > :26:18.eased away. Quite a breezy picture and the temperatures really decent
:26:19. > :26:22.for the time of year. One or two showers for the first part of the
:26:23. > :26:28.morning but Brighton in by the afternoon with corresponding
:26:29. > :26:36.lifting temperatures. The westerly winds will stay with us though.
:26:37. > :26:49.Tomorrow night, staying dry. More cloud feeding in. Initially dry on
:26:50. > :26:55.Friday, but look at this. It looks menacing, doesn't it? Wet and windy
:26:56. > :27:02.throughout the day. Quite a troubling picture and temperatures
:27:03. > :27:08.will correspond, feeling more like 12 or 13. Staying unsettled for the
:27:09. > :27:13.weekend. Pretty breezy. Showers lighter on Saturday but they will
:27:14. > :27:28.be heavier on Sunday. In between, some sunshine. Temperatures feeling
:27:29. > :27:34.cooler under the showers. The low pressure will be with us on Sunday.
:27:35. > :27:38.Staying unsettled over the next few days.
:27:39. > :28:15.You ask us to get behind you and why should we?
:28:16. > :28:17.You're punching above your weight, aren't you?
:28:18. > :28:24.He wouldn't do that to me because he wasn't that sort of a man.