14/02/2014 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob up to 80 mph. That's all from

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith. And I'm Natalie Grah`m.

Tonight's top stories: Coll`psing buildings, slumping railways and

more flooding expected, with a warning of violent gales ovdrnight.

Our reporters will be bringhng the latest on the situation to xou live.

She's done it! Lizzy Yarnold clinches Gold at Sochi ` thd Kent

athlete becomes Olympic chalpion. Back home, pupils at the Golden

girl's school go wild. Also in tonight's programme: Last

moments of a suicide bomber? Extraordinary pictures of a Sussex

man moments before a huge explosion in Syria.

Beavering away ` could wildlife provide a long`term dam good

solution to flooding? And she's also done it! Davhna

McCall completes her extraordinary physical challenge to run, cycle and

swim from Edinburgh to London for Sport Relief.

With violent gale force winds forecast for tonight, the

exceptional winter weather hs continuing to wreak havoc. Today,

part of the building at the Theatre Royal in Chatham collapsed.

Scientists from the British Geological Survey have been called

in to investigate. It came down in the night. The side

of the bank Chambers building being converted into shops. Today they try

to secure it with more strong winds on the way.

Behind that building, the w`ll is wobbling and we have to close

because the roof could come off at any time. It is a nightmare. We have

to get out as soon as possible. Two new sinkholes.

Staff at the school asking for advice from the British Geological

Survey and another discoverdd at Gillingham on a rugby pitch, already

suffering after weeks of rahn. It is quite alarming. We have not

been able to play matches for the last two weeks because the pitches

are water logged. It is just another tale of wall on top of what has been

an awful winter in terms of the rain.

Also swallowed up, parts of the Mto, repairs are continuing. This

underground gap was left by Choc excavations many years ago.

They can be dangerous in thd sense that they get associated with loss

of life although the number of incidents of loss of life are

relatively few and far betwden in this country but they have or card.

The women in this house is still waiting for this tree to be removed

after a wrangle over whose hnsurers are responsible. It has been full,

it's horrible. You come home wondering what else

has happened. Are there mord puddles, another leak, as the house

is still standing? The tree is finally set to be moved

on Monday but repairs will take much longer.

Simon Jones is in Chatham. Simon, part of the high street has now been

shut because of the weather. That is right and it could remain

closed for several more days. The council decided to shut this part of

the high street at lunchtimd, deciding it was not safe enough to

remain open. There was real fear that a further collapse could

happen. It could cost busindsses a huge amount of money, one s`ys it

will cost ?80,000 to put right and says he is heartbroken. The Highways

Agency is warning that it is expecting to shut the QE2 bridge at

Dartford and the Sheppey Crossing from around 9pm because of the wind.

That could remain until tomorrow afternoon.

Rail services have also been badly affected. The line between Battle

and Robertsbridge will now remain closed until March as work to repair

damage caused by landslips continue. There have been 40 landslips across

Kent and East Sussex since December, affecting rail`lines includhng in

Oxted, Stonegate, and Battld. Network Rail says it's dealhng with

unprecedented conditions on this stretch of the line. Chrisshe Reidy

is at one of the affected stations. Chrissie, the weather is catsing

even more problems. There is absolutely no letup with

this weather. I feel as if H have had a bucket of water thrown on me

and the last human rights. Ht is pouring down. Engineers are working

as much as they can during daylight hours. There are challenges all

round. This was the impact of severe storms

at Stonegate. Further down the line at Battle more collapses. They have

to shut the line down well doing engineering work.

We are acutely aware of the impact on passengers. In order to carry out

this work, we took the decision to close down the lane for safdty

reasons so that we could reopen the line safely and avoid these kind of

problems in future. Since Ddcember, there have been ten landslips on

this line. Just to give you some idea of the

scale of the work, metal shdet piles will be wedged into the grotnd and

levelled off in the next few days. 3000 tonnes of stone are crdating a

new embankment. This isn't dmergency work, this is long`term rep`irs

Many of the tracks haven't been replaced since the Victorian era but

that is half the battle. Thdre are also being hampered by the bad

weather. Unprecedented amounts of rahn. The

first one has arrived today to bring in an amount to fill. We've had

sheet piling taking place as well. It is hope and the line will be

reopened by March, weather permitting.

The rain is really coming down and there will be further disruption

from seven o'clock this evening as result of this weather.

There will be speed restrictions and the advice from network rail is to

check before you travel. The forecast is for the wind speed

to pick up even more overnight, and gusts over 70 miles an hour are

expected on the south coast. Mark Norman is in Brighton. The city is

bracing itself for a wild nhght It has got markedly worse hdre in

the last half`hour. The next storm sweeping up the coast. The Let

office is predicting rainfall of between 25 and 30 millimetrds. In

terms of the wind, you can see it buffeting us. The amber warning as

the second highest possible and means gusts of up to 80 mph. And the

flood alerts, there are 15 flood warnings which means flights are

expected and 28 flood alerts which means flights are likely. Do not go

out tonight and if you do h`ve to go out plan your route and expdct to

take much longer than usual. And off course you can keep up to

date with all the weather ndws by tuning into your local radio

stations or going online and there is a also special web page looking

back at how the South East has been coping with the floods.

The South East has a new Olxmpic hero tonight. Within the last hour

Lizzy Yarnold has won Gold `t Winter Games in Sochi. The 25`year`old from

West Kingsdown in Kent only began competing in the Skeleton four years

ago. Cheered on by her parents and two

sisters, calling themselves The Yarny Army, Lizzy Yarnold wdnt into

today's final races as the firm favourite and she didn't disappoint.

Despite enormous pressure, Lizzy came first by almost a second. Neil

Bell reports on a historic achievement.

In a blur of movement her lhfe changed for ever. As millions held

their breath, Lizzy Yarnold held her nerve.

Lizzy Yarnold is the Olympic champion!

The reaction in Sochi and at her old school in Maidstone, relief, pride

and joy. I think I was old enough to learn

the Russian term for him ch`mpion. I just believed in myself I knew if I

put in the hard work and thd do it. It's brilliant.

I'm so happy for her. We're all so proud her.

She's such an inspiration for the whole of Britain and especi`lly our

school that someone can go on and get an Olympic medal.

Lizzy's transformation from novice to Olympic hero is truly relarkable

Her sporting prowess was recognised at St Michael's School in Otford and

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls while at Tonbridge Athletics Club

she joined the Girsls4Gold programme and in 2010 began competing for

British Skeleton. Just two xears later she was World Junior Champion.

And last month became World Cup Champion. Today, as so often in her

meteoric career, the Yarny @rmy her family and friends, were thdre to

cheer her on. Hello everyone back home, thank you

for so much support I couldn't have done it without you. Follow your

dreams, never limit what yot can achieve.

Since my first year as head teacher she was one of the students. In some

ways although this is amazing, it is not surprising because she gave 100%

to everything she did. What ever the future holds for Lizzy

Yarnold, she will always be an Olympic champion.

Neil's with us now. She has made history and that is no mean

achievement. It is a remarkable achievemdnt and

carries on the remarkable rdcord we have in the skeleton. She whll be

relieved, the whole of Team GB will be relieved. It was a fantastic

effort. Many people will not have heard of this event.

It looks like she is just sliding on 80 tree. `` tea tray. How mtch skill

is involved? She is nowhere near her peak yet.

She will probably be there hn four years. She could be winning medals

for a longer period yet. Thd Yarny Army will really be enjoying

themselves. Investigations are continuing into

suspected parcel bombs which led to two city centres in the South East

being cordoned off and buildings evacuated. Bomb disposal te`ms were

cold to Brighton and Canterbury yesterday after the devices were

found at Army careers officds. It's also been confirmed that another

package sent to the Chatham office on Tuesday was a "basic but viable"

explosive. A Government spokesman said they bear the hallmarks of

Northern Irish terrorism. A campaign to ban off licences from

selling high strength alcohol in Hastings is gaining support. From

the beginning of January, 18 shops agreed to limit the supply of beer

and cider over 6.5%. Now, 30 premises have signed up to the

scheme run by the borough council and Sussex Police.

Senior Muslim community leaders in Crawley say that tensions in the

town are running very high `fter police searched three properties,

following the apparent suichde bombing of a prison in Syri` by a

Sussex man. Today, extraordhnary footage has emerged of what appears

to be Abdul Waheed Majeed jtst moments before the attack on a

prison in Aleppo. The chairman of Crawley Mospue says

local Muslims are "outraged" by how the police have behaved, accusing

them of a "witch hunt". Sussex Police say they have held rdgular

meetings and are sensitive to community relations. Ellie Price

reports. It appears to be the clearest

evidence yet, if the deal of Abdul Waheed Majeed from Crawley posing

for photos next to the truck packed with explosives. The inevit`ble

conclusion. Since the attack last week, four houses in Crawlex have

been searched by police. Today, his lunch amenity readers said the

approach had been heavy hand at `` heavy`handed.

What happens 4000 miles awax doesn't necessarily warrant this kind of

action. I put them that, given mounting evidence, the police have a

duty to investigate. They have a right to do so, however

everyone's rights need to bd respected.

So far, no one has been arrdsted. Sussex Police say they are working

with the community. What has happened is that some

searches have been carried out and that is linked to the

counter`terrorism's ongoing inquiry. Our role in Crawley is to work with

the community and that is what we have been trying to do sincd this

information came to light. Today, Morse for those `` more

photos emerged. The claim is that Abdul Waheed Majeed was in Syria to

distribute aid. He is a family man so there is no

suspicion that he was trying to do something like this.

It is a stark contrast, a sticide bomber with an English accent. He is

wearing the symbolic headband and white dress and then we see him

taking pictures and celebrating the act and they are keen to melorialise

the act. Our top story call on the

exceptional winter weather hs continuing to wreak havoc. Part of

this building in Chatham collapsed and numerous flood warnings have

been issued. Also in tonight's programme: After

500 miles of struggle sweat and tears, sussex star Davina McCall

makes it all the way from Edinburgh to London for Sport Relief.

After a day of wild weather, the winds are only strengthening

tonight. Gusts of up to 80 lph. Join me later for the details.

Discussions are already takhng place about how to prevent future

flooding. Conservationists `re calling for more wetlands to be

created to help reduce the threat of flooding. And the best way to do

that, they say, is to introduce beavers in river catchment `reas

where they can be allowed to broaden the flow of the river. Our

Environment Correspondent Yvette Austin has tonight's Special Report.

Enjoying a rare ray of sunshine in the man`made pond. But thesd beavers

have been more than happy at home in the wet weather too. And thdir

cousins on a nature reserve in the Kent countryside have been doing

what beavers do best, digging channels into the land.

We've had beavers at the nature reserve for a little over tdn years

and they have made quite a difference to the site. This is one

of the channels they have excavated and the total length of this channel

is about 100 metres. What has that done to the whole area

of land to make it less likdly to flood?

It has diverted water away from the main water course. Bearing hn mind

there will be a network of channels throughout the site, that is

deflecting water from the m`in channel and therefore reduchng the

risk of flash flooding events. Beavers became extinct in the wild

in the UK 400 years ago but efforts are now being made by

conservationists to reintroduce them because of the benefits it can bring

to wetlands. Back in 1939, the skills were being recognised in the

United States. It is the habit for the little

animals to collect wood for their homes and the dams that restlt had

been found to keep the stre`ms free from silting up.

This family in Kent are soon to be released only Welsh river.

There is good evidence to stggest that beavers will put 40 tiles more

water behind the structures, the channels, the little dams, but also

they create peaty soils that are a huge sponge that soak water into the

land and stop it going down streams and flooding towns and citids.

Maybe there's a case for be`vers being put to work here.

It is expected that at least 10 0 beavers will be enlisted in the

service before long. And all without pay.

Lizzy Yarnold isn't the onlx person to celebrate an amazing sporting

achievement tonight. The Sussex television presenter Davina McCall

has finished her gruelling challenge in aid of Sport Relief.

The 46`year`old began cycling south from Edinburgh before scaling the

highest peak in Cumbria on foot She then swam the icy waters of Lake

Windermere before getting b`ck on the bike. Today she ran a m`rathon

from Windsor to the Millennhum Bridge in the centre of London. The

presenter has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Sports

Relief that aims to improve the lives of people here and abroad Our

reporter Ian Palmer spoke to Davina McCall soon after she crossdd the

finish line. Seven days of extreme physical

effort. The dinar's longest journey has come to an end. `` Davina's

It has been such an effort `nd I am just trashed. The mother of three

has reason to be annoyed at the weather.

She has been battling against the elements as beyond the breaking

point challenge it self. Shd has had to consume around 10,000 calories

every day. This peak was made an white winter weather. But the

hardest challenge was on dax three in the swim across Lake Windermere.

She had to be helped from the water. Rejuvenated, she was still back on

the bike for more of what the elements could bring to her. Friends

have been supporting her evdry step of the way. Here she is being

carried to the start of the line by Jo Brand.

I ran with her for five milds and she was in so much pain. Shd really

was hurting and she said shd couldn't go on and we were just

trying to keep going. Five 400 miles of cycling, swimming and walking.

Davina McCall has faced her fair and ignored it. They know I will do

anything they ask of me but I would like them to give me a break for a

couple of years. Was that a yes or you no?

You decide. What an achievelent Well done. She looks so happy.

Football, and Charlton can forget their lowly league position this

weekend as the Addicks travdl to Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth

round of the FA Cup. Victorx for Chris Powell's side would provide

the chance of a potentially lucrative sixth round tie against a

Premier League team. There's no league match for

Gillingham this weekend but Crawley Town are at home against Carlisle

tomorrow afternoon although today's rain may leave the pitch

waterlogged. There is more rain to come.

Yes, that is just going to be continuing over the week ahdad with

Sunday looking a little caller. This band of rain has been slowlx

clearing eastwards. We sought 3 millimetres of rain today. Ht was

relatively miles today but ht has been feeling really unpleas`nt.

Gusts potentially of up to 70 mph tonight. Along the south co`st,

isolated gusts could reach tp to 80 mph and even inland, gusts of 6

mph. Blustery showers as evdr. If you do have concerns you can ring

the flood plain or go onlind. `` ring the flat helpline. Strong winds

as we start the day tomorrow. That will continue to ease as we go

through the day. The good ndws is that things start to calm down as we

go into Sunday. We are stayhng mostly dry. There is more unsettled

weather heading our way next week but the wind and rain will be

lighter. We have been rather celebrating the

fact the South East has a ndw Olympic hero tonight. Just before we

came on air Lizzy Yarnold won Gold at Winter Games in Sochi. The

25`year`old from West Kingsdown in Kent only began competing in the

Skeleton four years ago. Well, let's cross live to Sochi and spe`k to our

reporter Richard Conway. The Yarny Army must have bedn loving

it. They are indeed and I al delighted to say I am now joined by

Lizzy's mother and father. You were in tears.

I was in floods of tears. The first few runs were textbook and H just

hoped the last one went well and it did. I was in tears the whole way

down. Amazing. Have you had a chance to talk to Lizzy?

No, we won't have a chance tntil she has done all the other medi` and

drug testing and all the thhngs she has to do. We are just over the

moon. We are coming to terms with the idea that our daughter has won

an Olympic gold. It is so mtch for joining us.

Well, it was the moment that she's been dreaming about for four years

and today Lizzy Yarnold is `n Olympic Gold medallist and champion.

Congratulations, Lizzy, frol all of us here at South East Today.

Lizzy Yarnold is the Olympic champion!