06/01/2014 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm John Young.

And I'm Natalie Graham. Tonight's top stories: Two police

officers taken to hospital after they were stabbed on duty.

We're live in Folkestone with the details.

Was he poisoned by a generator? The man who died with his wife at home

on Boxing Day during the power cut. Just tragic news. Ken and his wife

were lovely people. Also in tonight's programme: After

the floods, good news at last as some families are able to return

home for the first time. Hard questions about the hard

shoulder as works nears completion to remove it altogether from a

section of the M25. And it's a tiring business being a

world famous cat that's now curled up on a stamp.

Good evening. A man is in custody tonight after two police officers

were stabbed while on duty in Folkestone. The officers were

attempting to issue a warrant. They both needed stitches, one to his

face and hands. We've just received this report from Mark Norman, in

Folkestone. The scene as Kent Police officers

respond to calls from fellow officers attacked while attempting

to arrest a man at his home in Folkestone. Both officers were from

our neighbourhoods team in Folkestone and they were executing a

warrant at Saint Michaels Court where they were confronted with a

man armed with a knife and they faced significant violence before

overpowering him and a 39`year`old man is in custody at the moment.

That violence involved a knife and both officers were hurt. The attack

is an indication of the dangers that police officers face everyday.

Fortunately both officers are OK at the moment and they have been

discharged from hospital. One has a deep laceration to bits and and the

other has a significant cut in his cheek that has been patched up but

both are doing well. Officers are issued with protective equipment to

make sure they can protect themselves and the public. This is a

stark reminder. It is a reminder to everybody that the police officers

take risks day in day out to protect the people of Kent. A 39`year`old

man was arrested at the scene and is tonight being held at Folkestone

police station. Mark Norman reporting, and he joins

us now from Folkestone. This happened in a quiet residential

area? Yes, this is Saint Martin's Street, a quiet residential area.

People coming home here tonight were unaware of what happens today. The

officers were executing an arrest issued under the Mental Health Act.

I spoke to one of their colleagues who said they were subjected to a

very nasty attack and he was very grateful they were wearing anti`stab

vests. Both officers have returned to police stations to talk to their

colleagues and both will return to work very soon. Thank you very much

indeed. An elderly couple who died in their

home on Boxing Day are believed to have been poisoned by fumer from

their generator. Kenneth Swallow, who was 70, and his wife Dorothy,

who was 71, were found dead in their property at Hurstpierpoint in West

Sussex. Police say the fumes may have come from a generator left

running overnight following a power cut. As Ian Palmer now reports, it

highlights the risks that using generators can pose.

On Boxing Day two people were found dead in their rural home. It is

believed they died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The couple may

have been using a generator following a power cut caused by

Swallow moved to the area in 1973, Swallow moved to the area in 1973,

they lived in the house just over my shoulder for nearly 30 years. News

of their death on Boxing Day has shocked the whole community. 40

years ago Kenneth Swallow began playing football at Burgess Hill.

Friends remember a very committed player. I saw him recently and him

and his wife, he was supposed to be answering the phone from his wife

and she was annoyed you could find him, but that sort of character, he

was a lovely boy. His granddaughter was being given work experience at

the club on the day the couple died. Ken asked me and of course I

accepted it and she was here on Boxing Day for a very short time

when she received the news. It is just tragic news. Ken and his wife

are lovely people. And in Christ # an inquest into the deaths has been

opened and adjourned. In a statement the police said they thought the man

and woman may have succumbed to fumes from a generator left running

overnight following a power cut. An investigation into their deaths

continues. At a time when people cannot use electricity because they

mean it have it and it may be a power shortage or if they have been

flooded then hopefully the electricity has been turned off,

then they really must be aware that indoor use of generators that should

be kept outdoors is dangerous. At the football club members are

comforting each other following the news. Officials say the couple's

life will be celebrated with a ceremony during the next home

fixture. In a moment: The Kent man on death

row in the Congo who's now facing a second murder trial.

Flood victims from a caravan park at Yalding in Kent are finally

returning to their homes after water levels dropped overnight. Many

stranded vehicles are now being collected from the area and loss

adjustors are assessing the damage. Local people have been questioning

whether operations at the Leigh Flood Barrier, built to protect

Tonbridge, made the flood worse for them. Our Environment Correspondent

Yvette Austin reports. Nothing to salvage. This man has

lost both of his cars to the flood. Like so many people from the

Goulding area, that height of the water level took him by surprise. It

started at 3am and by the time we looked at getting them out it was

too deep. There was no water here so I put them there and then it just

came and took them away. Yalding and the Little Venice caravan park are

among the worst expect `` were among the worst affected areas at

Christmas. In parts the water reached eight feet high and people

had to be rescued because it rose so quickly. Today a first opportunity

for some caravan owners to assess the damage. The whole thing went up

squarely but then when it got up to the top for some reason it can to

Dover and you can see the line on the window as to how much it can

state, so it went over like that. It must have gone quite heavily because

of the staff shifting over. It has all been underwater because of the

angle. It was the rate the water rose that has caught people out.

Britain of cars have been counted in their hundreds and some residents

have questioned whether operations at the Leigh Flood Barrier were to

blame. We had very little notice that they were going to release

water from the Leigh Flood Barrier and we had just one hour to evacuate

and we were told our house would be badly flooded. Is it now out of date

in terms of what we get these days? So what did happen when Tonbridge

also flooded? The Environment Agency says that the Leigh Flood Barrier

started storing water because there had been so much rain but there was

no big release and many hundreds of homes and businesses were presented

`` prevented from flooding. When we start to store water we do not close

any gets fully, we allow a certain amount through. We capture the top

of the flooded to reduce the flow of water going down the stream. What we

did was reduce the inflow into the storage area by half so the flows in

Tonbridge were half of what they would have been without this

structure. The agency says it now wants to work with the people of

Yalding to devise a flood scheme for them.

Resurfacing work begins this evening to improve the safety of one of the

busiest trunk roads in the South East. Lane closures and temporary

traffic lights will be in place on sections of the A21 between

Lamberhurst and Flimwell during overnight work to improve the road

surface. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the

month. The Shadow Transport Secretary has

been in the region today, calling for a cap on rail fare rises.

Campaigners handed out leaflets and took their petition to railway

stations. It comes as commuters returning to work after the festive

break face average increases of 2.8% with campaigners saying fares are

going up three times faster than incomes. Prices have gone up by on

average 20% in the four years that the Conservatives have been in

government. We know it is really hitting commuters and talking to

people at the station today we want to see a tough cap on fares.

Our political reporter Ellie Price joins us now live from Tunbridge

Wells station. Ellie, the government says this is the lowest fare

increase in years. The government has said it is already capping their

rises to inflation. Yes, the rises this year were lower than last year

but that is small comfort to those returning to work this week and

having to pay more for it. An annual season ticket from deal and Dover

Priory to London will cost more than ?5,000, an increase of 3% but that

is under the inflation rate cap. Here in Tunbridge Wells commuters

will now pay just more than ?4200. Labour say they would do more to

ease the fare increases but the Conservatives point out that under

Labour affair increases regularly rose by more than inflation. Thank

you very much indeed. A former soldier who grew up in Kent

is to face trial in Central Africa tomorrow for the murder of his best

friend. Joshua French was travelling through the Democratic Republic of

Congo with Tjostov Moland in 2009 when the driver they'd hired was

shot dead. The pair were sentenced to death for the killing. Now Mr

French stands accused of a second murder after Mr Moland was found

dead in the cell they shared last year. Jane Witherspoon has more.

The moment Joshua French 's `` the moment Joshua French and Mr Moland

were sentenced to death in 2009. According to the family the young

men had been trying to set up a security business when their driver

was shot dead. Now Joshua French faces a fresh murder charge after

his best friend was found dead in their shared sale last year even

though a postmortem confirmed he had committed suicide. The findings were

very clear, there was nothing criminal in his death. My son was

absolutely innocent and there was even a press conference which the

military held to say that Joshua was innocent and then suddenly we hear

that he is going to be charged with his friends murder. Joshua is due to

face a military court tomorrow morning and legal charity has called

for the government to intervene. He is devastated. He has lost his

cell`mate and best friend and the British government has a lot of

influence and we have a case of a deeply flawed potential trial that

if it goes ahead, he will end up with a death sentence. The Foreign

Office say they will continue to provide support for his family but

it has been a long six years for his mum. He told me that he has

forgotten how it is to be outside prison walls. He has forgotten how

it is to be in a normal world. Supporters remain hopeful despite

the trial being scheduled to go ahead in just a matter of hours.

Tenants of a Kent property tycoon say they are outraged after he

started evicting the 200 or so who are on housing benefit to make way

for Eastern European migrants. Fergus Wilson, who owns around 1,000

properties worth more than ?200 million, says migrants are more

likely to pay their rent on time. In a moment we'll be speaking to him

live. But first Simon Jones has been gauging reaction.

We have only looked at it from the point of view of money. Surveying

his property empire where he says that Eastern European 's our

excellent tenants. The Eastern European people come over and in 24

hours they have got a job. You have English people who are unemployed

for seven years. Alison receives housing benefit and lives in one of

his homes and she is now fearing eviction. It does not seem very fair

because a lot of people are on housing benefit for a reason and not

just for scrounging purposes. Fergus Wilson owns hundreds of properties

including this entire close. He says it is a logical decision, rents are

going up while many are seeing their housing benefit cut. If he is cut #

if he is chucking out everyone warring council then he is chucking

out British people but more relying on foreign people and to me that is

not fair. But the landlord says it is just about finances.

Well, we're joined now by the landlord Fergus Wilson who is in

Ashford. What do you say to people like Alison who are very worried

about what will happen to them now? Well, I am afraid it is purely a

case of economics. It is for the government to subsidise them, not

for the landlord. The situation is for people on benefits that the

benefit level has been dropping and rents are going up. The gap is

getting so much that you cannot really expect a tenant on benefits

to be able to manage it so we are very clear that if they can and

cannot pay, then we cannot pay for the mortgage and we both lose the

house. Indeed, many of our viewers... We would rather somebody

who is working who may well be a Eastern European. I am sure many

viewers will sympathise but you say it is about economics and you chose

to go into business but some viewers will say that you chose to go into a

business involving people and their lives so you should have an element

of social conscience? Well, there is an element of social conscience, we

have actually made life easy for people who want to leave over a

period of time. Very few have resulted in addictions but some

will. Basically at the end of the day we are running a business and it

is for the government to subsidise these people and it is all linked to

employment. If you are unemployed and on benefit then you are very

likely not going to have a house but however if you get yourself a job

then that is a passport to getting accommodation. You are saying that

Eastern European is better tenants for you and it is as simple as that?

They are better at paying the rent. In other respects there is no

difference. Many of the people on social benefit pensioners and single

mothers, what hope is there for them? Well, there is not an awful

lot of hope. The situation is getting worse and worse, the

government of the day did not create the problem but I suppose it falls

to David Cameron to solve the problem. Some questions do not have

an answer and really there is no answer to this. If you start putting

their housing benefit up, then all of the people working have to pay

more tax so at the end of the day the money has to come from

somewhere. Maybe the answer is for a lot of the people who are not

working and are at home on benefits, maybe the answer is to get a job. We

are out of time now. Thank you very much indeed.

This is our top story tonight: Two Kent Police officers have been

treated in hospital after they were stabbed on duty.

The incident happened in Folkestone where they were issued with a

warrant to arrest a man under the Mental Health Act. A 39`year`old man

has been arrested. Also in tonight's programme: The cat

who's been around for 40 years, about to appear on your doormat.

If you're ever unlucky enough to have your car break down when you're

on a busy motorway, your natural reaction would probably be to head

for the hard shoulder, but what if it wasn't there?

Things will eventually be calming down but over the next few hours

that are going to be some squally showers. Join me later for the

forecast. Or 40 years, about to appear on your doormat.

If you're ever unlucky enough to have your car break down when you're

on a busy motorway, your natural reaction would probably be to head

for the hard shoulder, but what if it wasn't there? The Highways Agency

is planning to remove the hard shoulder from a stretch of the

motorway between junctions five and seven in order to ease congestion,

despite concerns that it could be unsafe.

Up to 160,000 cars travel through that stretch of the M25 every day.

The works will cost ?129 million pounds and will be completed in

spring of this year. Mark Sanders has tonight's special report.

This hard shoulder is being given the cold shoulder. It is being

removed permanently by the highways agency and it will be turned into

another lane to ease congestion. There will be emergency refugees

just over every mile but motoring groups are worried. Hard shoulders

perform a really important safety function on our motorways,

particularly in terms of allowing people to pull over if they

breakdown alt of moving traffic. We are worried that some drivers will

not make it to one of the refuges and that could put them in a very

dangerous situation. It will happen on the M25 between junctions five

and seven. Motorists we spoke to were not happy at losing the hard

shoulder. Well, it is just dangerous. There is nowhere for you

to stop and you need to stop somewhere, don't you? I think you

need the hard shoulder. If you break down you need to pull over and

otherwise if you breakdown you are going to cause a big delay. I think

it is going to cause problems obviously if people breakdown and it

is more beneficial to have it there than not. The highways agency

acknowledges that some motorists will be concerned about losing the

hard shoulder here but it insists that it is putting in measures that

will ensure their safety. The one that people highlight on is the one

of having to stop in a live lane. There will be technology out there

monitoring the road condition all the time and signs will come on

indicating to following drivers that there is an incident ahead and they

should slow down and so on and so forth. The highways agency says that

accidents have been reduced another motorways where the hard shoulder is

used as an extra lane and this work is a significant and permanent

change to one of your's busiest roads. `` Europe's busiest roads.

The family of Lizzy Yarnold, the winter sports star from Kent, say

they're proud and amazed after she won her third gold medal of the

Skeleton World Cup season. Lizzy, who's 25 and from West Kingsdown has

finished on the podium in all five races this season and leads the

world rankings. As Neil Bell reports, it's a great spot to be in

with the Winter Olympics in Russia barely a month away.

It is only her second full season in the sport but Lizzie Yarnold is

almost unbeatable at the moment. This weekend in Germany she put in

an almost perfect performance, cheered on by her biggest fans, her

family. She is loving every minute of the season. I think she is very

lucky that she is doing a sport that she is loving with people that she

enjoys being with. Providing Lizzie continues her brilliant start to the

season, she seems certain to make the British team for the Winter

Olympics. We are starting to dream ahead to the Winter Olympics so

fingers crossed it goes well so I am excited and I cannot wait to

hopefully go to the Olympics. For the last couple of years have family

have driven through the night to support her and they are looking

forward to cheering her on at the Olympic Games. Although we do not

know that she will be going yet, we have, fingers crossed, we have

flights booked and we are hoping, her sisters and her father and we're

all hoping to be there and we hope to squeeze in one more race before

that as well. Her family are back in Kent but Lizzie is off to San Moritz

for next weekend's race and hopefully another morale boosting

performance on the way to Olympic glory. We will keep our fingers

crossed. To football, and the striker Matt

Tubbs has re`joined Crawley Town on a month`long loan deal. The

29`year`old became a fan favourite when he scored 40 goals in the

2010`11 season which saw the club promoted to the Football League. He

left the Reds in February 2012 to join his home`town club Bournemouth.

Half the lads are still here from when I left so it is always good to

come back and see them. There are a lot of new faces but there are old

faces which is nice. I have had my first training session today and I

am looking forward to getting back into it.

The FA Cup third round tie between Charlton Athletic and Oxford United

has been postponed for a second time. The match was originally due

to be played at the Valley on Saturday and was called off because

of a waterlogged pitch. It had been rearranged for Wednesday, but

Charlton have announced it will now be played on Tuesday 14 January.

He may be a saggy cloth cat who's showing his age, but at 40`years`old

Bagpuss has been given the ultimate honour by the Royal Mail.

The children's TV character created in Kent by Peter Firmin and Oliver

Postgate will now feature on a postage stamp. But as Peter

Whittlesea explains, he's not the only one to achieve such status.

According to you, the viewer, Bagpuss was a first class

children's television series. To celebrate the famous saggy old cloth

cat's 40th birthday, he will appear on a stamp. It is a great honour,

isn't it? To be sitting on a stamp next to the Queen, amazed that year

after year people still remember him and it is the warmth of the

characters, they are all friendly characters and no adults are

involved. Morning, I've or! Morning Mr Jones. Is it cold you want? What

else have you got? Bagpuss and I've or the engine were created in a barn

outside Canterbury and both the animations feature in some new

stamps. Tee`macro three the engine was first in 1959 so it is a very

old show but people have such good memories of it. Bagpuss has just the

test of time. And what about this for authenticity? One of the

original cutouts was used the stamp. Oliver chose to Ivor, and nice Welsh

word and the Royal Mail were able to get a really good reproduction of

it. Andy Pandy was not the work of these men but it was also created in

Kent and is part of the collection. However, if the polls of our

favourite children's TV shows are to be believed, it is the Bagpuss stamp

that will get our seal of approval. And Emily loved him! She has been

looking forward to saying that all afternoon.

It's the 12th day of Christmas today and Rachel, it must have been one of

the wettest Christmases, surely? No, it has not been festive weather,

has it? It has rained every day somewhere since Christmas. In the

next 24`hour was we have warnings out about heavy rain falling and

really strong wind. Today we have gusts of 40 or 50 miles an hour and

it will continue for the next 24 hours. We hold onto the heavy

showers as well. Earlier there were plenty of showers around and

brightness as well. The average wind speed was around 25 mph and the

gusts have been up to 50 mph with really high waves because of the

high tide levels. The temperatures have been mild for the time of year

but it has not been feeling pleasant. Through tonight there are

further heavy and squally showers with the wind gusting along the

south coast. Temperatures are hardly dropping. There is hardly a cold

night ahead. That it will be wet and windy tomorrow. The good news is the

showers will ease a bit by the afternoon but eventually there will

be more rain and it will be dry for a time. The isobars are slowly

widening. By the afternoon we will start to see holes in the cloud

cover. Temperatures will still be pretty mild for the time of year.

There will still be gusts along the south coast of 30 or 40 mph. Drive

for a time but it will not last. Tomorrow night there will be further

heavy rain and we expect ten or 20 millimetres of rain and it will be

another wet and windy night. Temperatures will only drop to seven

or eight degrees. On Wednesday it is a dry start to the day and it does

not stay that way. The wind will ease with further heavy rain on

Wednesday into Thursday. The temperatures will be mild again but

the good news is as we get into Thursday we finally have some high

pressure building so we finally get some dry weather and the

temperatures will get cool but I think we can handle that, carbon?

Hooray! Stay tuned because Inside Out is

coming up. I will be back with a later date.

Take care, goodbye. TOM: # And if there's

anybody left in here # That doesn't want

to be out there... #