:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob up to 80 mph. That's all from
:00:00. > :00:14.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith. And I'm Natalie Grah`m.
:00:15. > :00:17.Tonight's top stories: Coll`psing buildings, slumping railways and
:00:18. > :00:20.more flooding expected, with a warning of violent gales ovdrnight.
:00:21. > :00:24.Our reporters will be bringhng the latest on the situation to xou live.
:00:25. > :00:39.She's done it! Lizzy Yarnold clinches Gold at Sochi ` thd Kent
:00:40. > :00:42.athlete becomes Olympic chalpion. Back home, pupils at the Golden
:00:43. > :00:47.girl's school go wild. Also in tonight's programme: Last
:00:48. > :00:50.moments of a suicide bomber? Extraordinary pictures of a Sussex
:00:51. > :00:51.man moments before a huge explosion in Syria.
:00:52. > :00:56.Beavering away ` could wildlife provide a long`term dam good
:00:57. > :00:59.solution to flooding? And she's also done it! Davhna
:01:00. > :01:02.McCall completes her extraordinary physical challenge to run, cycle and
:01:03. > :01:22.swim from Edinburgh to London for Sport Relief.
:01:23. > :01:29.With violent gale force winds forecast for tonight, the
:01:30. > :01:35.exceptional winter weather hs continuing to wreak havoc. Today,
:01:36. > :01:42.part of the building at the Theatre Royal in Chatham collapsed.
:01:43. > :01:48.Scientists from the British Geological Survey have been called
:01:49. > :01:52.in to investigate. It came down in the night. The side
:01:53. > :02:00.of the bank Chambers building being converted into shops. Today they try
:02:01. > :02:10.to secure it with more strong winds on the way.
:02:11. > :02:14.Behind that building, the w`ll is wobbling and we have to close
:02:15. > :02:21.because the roof could come off at any time. It is a nightmare. We have
:02:22. > :02:26.to get out as soon as possible. Two new sinkholes.
:02:27. > :02:31.Staff at the school asking for advice from the British Geological
:02:32. > :02:37.Survey and another discoverdd at Gillingham on a rugby pitch, already
:02:38. > :02:40.suffering after weeks of rahn. It is quite alarming. We have not
:02:41. > :02:48.been able to play matches for the last two weeks because the pitches
:02:49. > :02:52.are water logged. It is just another tale of wall on top of what has been
:02:53. > :02:58.an awful winter in terms of the rain.
:02:59. > :03:08.Also swallowed up, parts of the Mto, repairs are continuing. This
:03:09. > :03:15.underground gap was left by Choc excavations many years ago.
:03:16. > :03:20.They can be dangerous in thd sense that they get associated with loss
:03:21. > :03:23.of life although the number of incidents of loss of life are
:03:24. > :03:28.relatively few and far betwden in this country but they have or card.
:03:29. > :03:36.The women in this house is still waiting for this tree to be removed
:03:37. > :03:43.after a wrangle over whose hnsurers are responsible. It has been full,
:03:44. > :03:48.it's horrible. You come home wondering what else
:03:49. > :03:51.has happened. Are there mord puddles, another leak, as the house
:03:52. > :03:56.is still standing? The tree is finally set to be moved
:03:57. > :03:59.on Monday but repairs will take much longer.
:04:00. > :04:06.Simon Jones is in Chatham. Simon, part of the high street has now been
:04:07. > :04:11.shut because of the weather. That is right and it could remain
:04:12. > :04:16.closed for several more days. The council decided to shut this part of
:04:17. > :04:20.the high street at lunchtimd, deciding it was not safe enough to
:04:21. > :04:26.remain open. There was real fear that a further collapse could
:04:27. > :04:34.happen. It could cost busindsses a huge amount of money, one s`ys it
:04:35. > :04:40.will cost ?80,000 to put right and says he is heartbroken. The Highways
:04:41. > :04:45.Agency is warning that it is expecting to shut the QE2 bridge at
:04:46. > :04:51.Dartford and the Sheppey Crossing from around 9pm because of the wind.
:04:52. > :04:53.That could remain until tomorrow afternoon.
:04:54. > :04:56.Rail services have also been badly affected. The line between Battle
:04:57. > :05:02.and Robertsbridge will now remain closed until March as work to repair
:05:03. > :05:05.damage caused by landslips continue. There have been 40 landslips across
:05:06. > :05:09.Kent and East Sussex since December, affecting rail`lines includhng in
:05:10. > :05:12.Oxted, Stonegate, and Battld. Network Rail says it's dealhng with
:05:13. > :05:17.unprecedented conditions on this stretch of the line. Chrisshe Reidy
:05:18. > :05:26.is at one of the affected stations. Chrissie, the weather is catsing
:05:27. > :05:32.even more problems. There is absolutely no letup with
:05:33. > :05:36.this weather. I feel as if H have had a bucket of water thrown on me
:05:37. > :05:41.and the last human rights. Ht is pouring down. Engineers are working
:05:42. > :05:51.as much as they can during daylight hours. There are challenges all
:05:52. > :05:56.round. This was the impact of severe storms
:05:57. > :06:07.at Stonegate. Further down the line at Battle more collapses. They have
:06:08. > :06:13.to shut the line down well doing engineering work.
:06:14. > :06:17.We are acutely aware of the impact on passengers. In order to carry out
:06:18. > :06:21.this work, we took the decision to close down the lane for safdty
:06:22. > :06:28.reasons so that we could reopen the line safely and avoid these kind of
:06:29. > :06:33.problems in future. Since Ddcember, there have been ten landslips on
:06:34. > :06:39.this line. Just to give you some idea of the
:06:40. > :06:43.scale of the work, metal shdet piles will be wedged into the grotnd and
:06:44. > :06:50.levelled off in the next few days. 3000 tonnes of stone are crdating a
:06:51. > :06:58.new embankment. This isn't dmergency work, this is long`term rep`irs
:06:59. > :07:01.Many of the tracks haven't been replaced since the Victorian era but
:07:02. > :07:07.that is half the battle. Thdre are also being hampered by the bad
:07:08. > :07:13.weather. Unprecedented amounts of rahn. The
:07:14. > :07:19.first one has arrived today to bring in an amount to fill. We've had
:07:20. > :07:22.sheet piling taking place as well. It is hope and the line will be
:07:23. > :07:27.reopened by March, weather permitting.
:07:28. > :07:33.The rain is really coming down and there will be further disruption
:07:34. > :07:37.from seven o'clock this evening as result of this weather.
:07:38. > :07:46.There will be speed restrictions and the advice from network rail is to
:07:47. > :07:49.check before you travel. The forecast is for the wind speed
:07:50. > :07:53.to pick up even more overnight, and gusts over 70 miles an hour are
:07:54. > :08:02.expected on the south coast. Mark Norman is in Brighton. The city is
:08:03. > :08:07.bracing itself for a wild nhght It has got markedly worse hdre in
:08:08. > :08:16.the last half`hour. The next storm sweeping up the coast. The Let
:08:17. > :08:21.office is predicting rainfall of between 25 and 30 millimetrds. In
:08:22. > :08:26.terms of the wind, you can see it buffeting us. The amber warning as
:08:27. > :08:39.the second highest possible and means gusts of up to 80 mph. And the
:08:40. > :08:42.flood alerts, there are 15 flood warnings which means flights are
:08:43. > :08:50.expected and 28 flood alerts which means flights are likely. Do not go
:08:51. > :08:53.out tonight and if you do h`ve to go out plan your route and expdct to
:08:54. > :08:57.take much longer than usual. And off course you can keep up to
:08:58. > :09:00.date with all the weather ndws by tuning into your local radio
:09:01. > :09:05.stations or going online and there is a also special web page looking
:09:06. > :09:12.back at how the South East has been coping with the floods.
:09:13. > :09:15.The South East has a new Olxmpic hero tonight. Within the last hour
:09:16. > :09:19.Lizzy Yarnold has won Gold `t Winter Games in Sochi. The 25`year`old from
:09:20. > :09:23.West Kingsdown in Kent only began competing in the Skeleton four years
:09:24. > :09:26.ago. Cheered on by her parents and two
:09:27. > :09:29.sisters, calling themselves The Yarny Army, Lizzy Yarnold wdnt into
:09:30. > :09:32.today's final races as the firm favourite and she didn't disappoint.
:09:33. > :09:36.Despite enormous pressure, Lizzy came first by almost a second. Neil
:09:37. > :09:43.Bell reports on a historic achievement.
:09:44. > :09:49.In a blur of movement her lhfe changed for ever. As millions held
:09:50. > :09:58.their breath, Lizzy Yarnold held her nerve.
:09:59. > :10:02.Lizzy Yarnold is the Olympic champion!
:10:03. > :10:08.The reaction in Sochi and at her old school in Maidstone, relief, pride
:10:09. > :10:19.and joy. I think I was old enough to learn
:10:20. > :10:25.the Russian term for him ch`mpion. I just believed in myself I knew if I
:10:26. > :10:29.put in the hard work and thd do it. It's brilliant.
:10:30. > :10:32.I'm so happy for her. We're all so proud her.
:10:33. > :10:36.She's such an inspiration for the whole of Britain and especi`lly our
:10:37. > :10:39.school that someone can go on and get an Olympic medal.
:10:40. > :10:42.Lizzy's transformation from novice to Olympic hero is truly relarkable
:10:43. > :10:45.Her sporting prowess was recognised at St Michael's School in Otford and
:10:46. > :10:48.Maidstone Grammar School for Girls while at Tonbridge Athletics Club
:10:49. > :10:51.she joined the Girsls4Gold programme and in 2010 began competing for
:10:52. > :10:54.British Skeleton. Just two xears later she was World Junior Champion.
:10:55. > :10:59.And last month became World Cup Champion. Today, as so often in her
:11:00. > :11:08.meteoric career, the Yarny @rmy her family and friends, were thdre to
:11:09. > :11:15.cheer her on. Hello everyone back home, thank you
:11:16. > :11:19.for so much support I couldn't have done it without you. Follow your
:11:20. > :11:25.dreams, never limit what yot can achieve.
:11:26. > :11:30.Since my first year as head teacher she was one of the students. In some
:11:31. > :11:38.ways although this is amazing, it is not surprising because she gave 100%
:11:39. > :11:43.to everything she did. What ever the future holds for Lizzy
:11:44. > :11:50.Yarnold, she will always be an Olympic champion.
:11:51. > :11:59.Neil's with us now. She has made history and that is no mean
:12:00. > :12:03.achievement. It is a remarkable achievemdnt and
:12:04. > :12:11.carries on the remarkable rdcord we have in the skeleton. She whll be
:12:12. > :12:17.relieved, the whole of Team GB will be relieved. It was a fantastic
:12:18. > :12:21.effort. Many people will not have heard of this event.
:12:22. > :12:33.It looks like she is just sliding on 80 tree. `` tea tray. How mtch skill
:12:34. > :12:41.is involved? She is nowhere near her peak yet.
:12:42. > :12:49.She will probably be there hn four years. She could be winning medals
:12:50. > :12:58.for a longer period yet. Thd Yarny Army will really be enjoying
:12:59. > :13:01.themselves. Investigations are continuing into
:13:02. > :13:04.suspected parcel bombs which led to two city centres in the South East
:13:05. > :13:07.being cordoned off and buildings evacuated. Bomb disposal te`ms were
:13:08. > :13:10.cold to Brighton and Canterbury yesterday after the devices were
:13:11. > :13:13.found at Army careers officds. It's also been confirmed that another
:13:14. > :13:16.package sent to the Chatham office on Tuesday was a "basic but viable"
:13:17. > :13:18.explosive. A Government spokesman said they bear the hallmarks of
:13:19. > :13:21.Northern Irish terrorism. A campaign to ban off licences from
:13:22. > :13:27.selling high strength alcohol in Hastings is gaining support. From
:13:28. > :13:36.the beginning of January, 18 shops agreed to limit the supply of beer
:13:37. > :13:39.and cider over 6.5%. Now, 30 premises have signed up to the
:13:40. > :13:41.scheme run by the borough council and Sussex Police.
:13:42. > :13:45.Senior Muslim community leaders in Crawley say that tensions in the
:13:46. > :13:47.town are running very high `fter police searched three properties,
:13:48. > :13:50.following the apparent suichde bombing of a prison in Syri` by a
:13:51. > :13:53.Sussex man. Today, extraordhnary footage has emerged of what appears
:13:54. > :13:56.to be Abdul Waheed Majeed jtst moments before the attack on a
:13:57. > :13:59.prison in Aleppo. The chairman of Crawley Mospue says
:14:00. > :14:05.local Muslims are "outraged" by how the police have behaved, accusing
:14:06. > :14:08.them of a "witch hunt". Sussex Police say they have held rdgular
:14:09. > :14:15.meetings and are sensitive to community relations. Ellie Price
:14:16. > :14:20.reports. It appears to be the clearest
:14:21. > :14:23.evidence yet, if the deal of Abdul Waheed Majeed from Crawley posing
:14:24. > :14:39.for photos next to the truck packed with explosives. The inevit`ble
:14:40. > :14:46.conclusion. Since the attack last week, four houses in Crawlex have
:14:47. > :14:51.been searched by police. Today, his lunch amenity readers said the
:14:52. > :15:03.approach had been heavy hand at `` heavy`handed.
:15:04. > :15:07.What happens 4000 miles awax doesn't necessarily warrant this kind of
:15:08. > :15:12.action. I put them that, given mounting evidence, the police have a
:15:13. > :15:17.duty to investigate. They have a right to do so, however
:15:18. > :15:25.everyone's rights need to bd respected.
:15:26. > :15:30.So far, no one has been arrdsted. Sussex Police say they are working
:15:31. > :15:33.with the community. What has happened is that some
:15:34. > :15:38.searches have been carried out and that is linked to the
:15:39. > :15:48.counter`terrorism's ongoing inquiry. Our role in Crawley is to work with
:15:49. > :15:51.the community and that is what we have been trying to do sincd this
:15:52. > :16:04.information came to light. Today, Morse for those `` more
:16:05. > :16:08.photos emerged. The claim is that Abdul Waheed Majeed was in Syria to
:16:09. > :16:14.distribute aid. He is a family man so there is no
:16:15. > :16:19.suspicion that he was trying to do something like this.
:16:20. > :16:26.It is a stark contrast, a sticide bomber with an English accent. He is
:16:27. > :16:34.wearing the symbolic headband and white dress and then we see him
:16:35. > :16:45.taking pictures and celebrating the act and they are keen to melorialise
:16:46. > :16:54.the act. Our top story call on the
:16:55. > :17:01.exceptional winter weather hs continuing to wreak havoc. Part of
:17:02. > :17:03.this building in Chatham collapsed and numerous flood warnings have
:17:04. > :17:06.been issued. Also in tonight's programme: After
:17:07. > :17:09.500 miles of struggle sweat and tears, sussex star Davina McCall
:17:10. > :17:16.makes it all the way from Edinburgh to London for Sport Relief.
:17:17. > :17:22.After a day of wild weather, the winds are only strengthening
:17:23. > :17:36.tonight. Gusts of up to 80 lph. Join me later for the details.
:17:37. > :17:41.Discussions are already takhng place about how to prevent future
:17:42. > :17:45.flooding. Conservationists `re calling for more wetlands to be
:17:46. > :17:49.created to help reduce the threat of flooding. And the best way to do
:17:50. > :17:52.that, they say, is to introduce beavers in river catchment `reas
:17:53. > :17:54.where they can be allowed to broaden the flow of the river. Our
:17:55. > :17:58.Environment Correspondent Yvette Austin has tonight's Special Report.
:17:59. > :18:01.Enjoying a rare ray of sunshine in the man`made pond. But thesd beavers
:18:02. > :18:05.have been more than happy at home in the wet weather too. And thdir
:18:06. > :18:08.cousins on a nature reserve in the Kent countryside have been doing
:18:09. > :18:10.what beavers do best, digging channels into the land.
:18:11. > :18:14.We've had beavers at the nature reserve for a little over tdn years
:18:15. > :18:19.and they have made quite a difference to the site. This is one
:18:20. > :18:25.of the channels they have excavated and the total length of this channel
:18:26. > :18:30.is about 100 metres. What has that done to the whole area
:18:31. > :18:32.of land to make it less likdly to flood?
:18:33. > :18:37.It has diverted water away from the main water course. Bearing hn mind
:18:38. > :18:39.there will be a network of channels throughout the site, that is
:18:40. > :18:47.deflecting water from the m`in channel and therefore reduchng the
:18:48. > :18:51.risk of flash flooding events. Beavers became extinct in the wild
:18:52. > :18:54.in the UK 400 years ago but efforts are now being made by
:18:55. > :19:01.conservationists to reintroduce them because of the benefits it can bring
:19:02. > :19:06.to wetlands. Back in 1939, the skills were being recognised in the
:19:07. > :19:09.United States. It is the habit for the little
:19:10. > :19:13.animals to collect wood for their homes and the dams that restlt had
:19:14. > :19:16.been found to keep the stre`ms free from silting up.
:19:17. > :19:21.This family in Kent are soon to be released only Welsh river.
:19:22. > :19:24.There is good evidence to stggest that beavers will put 40 tiles more
:19:25. > :19:28.water behind the structures, the channels, the little dams, but also
:19:29. > :19:32.they create peaty soils that are a huge sponge that soak water into the
:19:33. > :19:41.land and stop it going down streams and flooding towns and citids.
:19:42. > :19:45.Maybe there's a case for be`vers being put to work here.
:19:46. > :19:49.It is expected that at least 10 0 beavers will be enlisted in the
:19:50. > :20:07.service before long. And all without pay.
:20:08. > :20:13.Lizzy Yarnold isn't the onlx person to celebrate an amazing sporting
:20:14. > :20:15.achievement tonight. The Sussex television presenter Davina McCall
:20:16. > :20:18.has finished her gruelling challenge in aid of Sport Relief.
:20:19. > :20:23.The 46`year`old began cycling south from Edinburgh before scaling the
:20:24. > :20:26.highest peak in Cumbria on foot She then swam the icy waters of Lake
:20:27. > :20:30.Windermere before getting b`ck on the bike. Today she ran a m`rathon
:20:31. > :20:35.from Windsor to the Millennhum Bridge in the centre of London. The
:20:36. > :20:38.presenter has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Sports
:20:39. > :20:41.Relief that aims to improve the lives of people here and abroad Our
:20:42. > :20:48.reporter Ian Palmer spoke to Davina McCall soon after she crossdd the
:20:49. > :20:54.finish line. Seven days of extreme physical
:20:55. > :21:06.effort. The dinar's longest journey has come to an end. `` Davina's
:21:07. > :21:11.It has been such an effort `nd I am just trashed. The mother of three
:21:12. > :21:13.has reason to be annoyed at the weather.
:21:14. > :21:20.She has been battling against the elements as beyond the breaking
:21:21. > :21:29.point challenge it self. Shd has had to consume around 10,000 calories
:21:30. > :21:33.every day. This peak was made an white winter weather. But the
:21:34. > :21:41.hardest challenge was on dax three in the swim across Lake Windermere.
:21:42. > :21:46.She had to be helped from the water. Rejuvenated, she was still back on
:21:47. > :21:53.the bike for more of what the elements could bring to her. Friends
:21:54. > :21:59.have been supporting her evdry step of the way. Here she is being
:22:00. > :22:07.carried to the start of the line by Jo Brand.
:22:08. > :22:15.I ran with her for five milds and she was in so much pain. Shd really
:22:16. > :22:23.was hurting and she said shd couldn't go on and we were just
:22:24. > :22:32.trying to keep going. Five 400 miles of cycling, swimming and walking.
:22:33. > :22:38.Davina McCall has faced her fair and ignored it. They know I will do
:22:39. > :22:43.anything they ask of me but I would like them to give me a break for a
:22:44. > :22:49.couple of years. Was that a yes or you no?
:22:50. > :22:56.You decide. What an achievelent Well done. She looks so happy.
:22:57. > :22:59.Football, and Charlton can forget their lowly league position this
:23:00. > :23:02.weekend as the Addicks travdl to Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth
:23:03. > :23:05.round of the FA Cup. Victorx for Chris Powell's side would provide
:23:06. > :23:07.the chance of a potentially lucrative sixth round tie against a
:23:08. > :23:10.Premier League team. There's no league match for
:23:11. > :23:13.Gillingham this weekend but Crawley Town are at home against Carlisle
:23:14. > :23:19.tomorrow afternoon although today's rain may leave the pitch
:23:20. > :23:26.waterlogged. There is more rain to come.
:23:27. > :23:37.Yes, that is just going to be continuing over the week ahdad with
:23:38. > :23:43.Sunday looking a little caller. This band of rain has been slowlx
:23:44. > :23:50.clearing eastwards. We sought 3 millimetres of rain today. Ht was
:23:51. > :23:59.relatively miles today but ht has been feeling really unpleas`nt.
:24:00. > :24:05.Gusts potentially of up to 70 mph tonight. Along the south co`st,
:24:06. > :24:15.isolated gusts could reach tp to 80 mph and even inland, gusts of 6
:24:16. > :24:24.mph. Blustery showers as evdr. If you do have concerns you can ring
:24:25. > :24:36.the flood plain or go onlind. `` ring the flat helpline. Strong winds
:24:37. > :24:48.as we start the day tomorrow. That will continue to ease as we go
:24:49. > :24:57.through the day. The good ndws is that things start to calm down as we
:24:58. > :25:05.go into Sunday. We are stayhng mostly dry. There is more unsettled
:25:06. > :25:06.weather heading our way next week but the wind and rain will be
:25:07. > :25:16.lighter. We have been rather celebrating the
:25:17. > :25:20.fact the South East has a ndw Olympic hero tonight. Just before we
:25:21. > :25:23.came on air Lizzy Yarnold won Gold at Winter Games in Sochi. The
:25:24. > :25:26.25`year`old from West Kingsdown in Kent only began competing in the
:25:27. > :25:28.Skeleton four years ago. Well, let's cross live to Sochi and spe`k to our
:25:29. > :25:44.reporter Richard Conway. The Yarny Army must have bedn loving
:25:45. > :25:50.it. They are indeed and I al delighted to say I am now joined by
:25:51. > :26:03.Lizzy's mother and father. You were in tears.
:26:04. > :26:07.I was in floods of tears. The first few runs were textbook and H just
:26:08. > :26:14.hoped the last one went well and it did. I was in tears the whole way
:26:15. > :26:23.down. Amazing. Have you had a chance to talk to Lizzy?
:26:24. > :26:28.No, we won't have a chance tntil she has done all the other medi` and
:26:29. > :26:34.drug testing and all the thhngs she has to do. We are just over the
:26:35. > :26:39.moon. We are coming to terms with the idea that our daughter has won
:26:40. > :26:42.an Olympic gold. It is so mtch for joining us.
:26:43. > :26:45.Well, it was the moment that she's been dreaming about for four years
:26:46. > :26:48.and today Lizzy Yarnold is `n Olympic Gold medallist and champion.
:26:49. > :27:12.Congratulations, Lizzy, frol all of us here at South East Today.
:27:13. > :27:16.Lizzy Yarnold is the Olympic champion!