:00:00. > :00:09.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith.
:00:10. > :00:12.And I'm Polly Evans. Tonight's top stories: Sussex Police is to trial
:00:13. > :00:15.the use of controversial surveillance drones to patrol
:00:16. > :00:18.Gatwick Airport. Opponents call them sinister.
:00:19. > :00:24.20,000 potholes repaired so far this year ` the costly legacy of the
:00:25. > :00:27.relentless winter rain. We're live on the Sussex street so badly
:00:28. > :00:30.damaged locals have been pl`nting flowers in the holes.
:00:31. > :00:33.Also in tonight's programme: Six anti`link road protestors are found
:00:34. > :00:38.not guilty of aggravated trdspass over last year's tree top
:00:39. > :00:42.demonstrations in Sussex. Wd remember the start of the ydar`long
:00:43. > :00:48.miners' strike and, how 30 xears on, some in Kent still can't forgive or
:00:49. > :00:53.forget. It changed my families life for ever
:00:54. > :00:56.and this community for ever. And, the cinema usherette who found
:00:57. > :00:58.out her Bill was coming homd safe from the First World War ` watching
:00:59. > :01:13.a newsreel film. Good evening. Sussex Police are to
:01:14. > :01:17.start using a controversial unmanned drone. The ?35,000 helicoptdrs will
:01:18. > :01:21.be used in an initial trial in and around Gatwick Airport. The force
:01:22. > :01:24.says they will help make thd county "even safer".
:01:25. > :01:27.But civil liberties groups `re deeply concerned, worried that the
:01:28. > :01:31.flying video cameras could be used to record and spy on people, with
:01:32. > :01:34.one MP branding them sinistdr and questioning whether they will be
:01:35. > :01:44.safe. Our home affairs reporter Rebecca Williams, reports.
:01:45. > :01:49.The unmanned aircraft, otherwise known as drones, are soon to be
:01:50. > :01:57.trialled by Sussex Police to make Gatwick Airport and the are` around
:01:58. > :02:02.it saved `` safer. They will be gathering film footage of G`twick
:02:03. > :02:07.and the surrounding area and it can be used to make sure that any
:02:08. > :02:13.unforeseen activity can be monitored. It can also be used where
:02:14. > :02:19.the safety of officers is p`ramount and weighed you can't necessarily
:02:20. > :02:22.deploy police officers. It will beam live pictures to police on the
:02:23. > :02:28.ground out allow them to assess incidents from above more qtickly.
:02:29. > :02:33.How will it work? An officer will control the aircraft from the ground
:02:34. > :02:37.using a portable console from up to 500 metres away. The craft hs
:02:38. > :02:48.expected to be used for the first time later this month. In 2012,
:02:49. > :02:50.Cologne `` Kent Police signdd up to a ?3 million project to devdlop a
:02:51. > :02:52.similar system claiming that patrolling Britain's shores would
:02:53. > :03:02.help fight in the `` would help in the fight against illegal
:03:03. > :03:07.immigrants. The chief deputx has reportedly not ruled out putting
:03:08. > :03:13.weapons on his drone. In Amdrica, the use of drones fought with `` by
:03:14. > :03:21.police is causing concern. @t the end of the day, these camer`s can
:03:22. > :03:26.indiscriminately capture im`ges so a lot of people will not feel
:03:27. > :03:31.comfortable. They would not expect to be `` they would not expdct the
:03:32. > :03:37.police force to use this sort of technology. I think serious privacy
:03:38. > :03:41.concerns exist with this. The question is will the new
:03:42. > :03:44.technology end up being and I or a spy?
:03:45. > :03:47.BBC South East Today has le`rned that more than 20,000 potholes have
:03:48. > :03:52.been repaired across Kent and Sussex since the start of the year. That's
:03:53. > :03:56.up by more than 20% on last year, when exceptionally cold weather and
:03:57. > :04:00.snow pounded road surfaces. Despite there having been no severe
:04:01. > :04:03.frosts this year, the AA saxs that the relentless rain has left the
:04:04. > :04:06.network crumbling and are c`lling on the government to provide councils
:04:07. > :04:16.with the necessary funds to repair the roads. Piers Hopkirk reports.
:04:17. > :04:22.Another car and another rep`ir bill put down to potholes. Basic`lly
:04:23. > :04:30.this bring on the front takds the weight of the car and everything up
:04:31. > :04:36.here and they split. One here is broken. As you can see, it has come
:04:37. > :04:42.off at the top. This garage has never seen a season like it. We have
:04:43. > :04:49.had forecast this week. It keeps going on. According to the @A, the
:04:50. > :04:56.wettest winter on record has wreaked havoc on our roads.
:04:57. > :05:00.We are getting reports that the situation in the south`east is much
:05:01. > :05:06.worse than the last couple of winters but we haven't had the snow.
:05:07. > :05:10.What we have had, though, is the relentless rain which appears to
:05:11. > :05:17.have eroded many small roads. Here, they have filled nearly 1 ,500
:05:18. > :05:23.potholes and in West Sussex, nearly 10,000. In Kent, the council has
:05:24. > :05:28.carried out over 3500 repair jobs with crews often fixing sevdral at a
:05:29. > :05:33.time. Councils are trying to keep up with repairs, but there is ?1
:05:34. > :05:38.billion shortfall nationwidd it is believed. If you want an extreme
:05:39. > :05:45.example of the impact the wdather has had on our roads, this hs
:05:46. > :05:51.callable Avenue in Peacehavdn. It is less a road and more a succdssion of
:05:52. > :05:59.craters. It is an unadopted road so pairs are down to the residdnts We
:06:00. > :06:05.levelled it all out, beautiful. It has all gone to pot. You have to go
:06:06. > :06:10.over the other side of the road and weave your way through. It hs the
:06:11. > :06:16.only way to go. You can hear people scrape their exhaust pipes `s they
:06:17. > :06:20.go. For those on two and fotr wheels, it is a year that h`s never
:06:21. > :06:27.been costlier going for a skin. Piers Hopkirk reporting and he joins
:06:28. > :06:30.us now live from Peacehaven. `` going for a spin. Piers, thd AA
:06:31. > :06:37.believes there is a massive shortfall for spending on rdpairs.
:06:38. > :06:42.So what's being done about ht? I don't think anyone could have
:06:43. > :06:47.predicted the winter would be as wet nor that it would cause the sort of
:06:48. > :06:52.damage we have seen on the roads and the government has acknowledged
:06:53. > :06:55.that. It has created a fund this week of ?140 million to be
:06:56. > :07:00.distributed amongst councils in England. It once that money handed
:07:01. > :07:04.out within the next few days because it once the repairs carried out as
:07:05. > :07:09.quickly as possible. Just how far that money will spread we whll have
:07:10. > :07:12.to judge on our roads in thd coming weeks.
:07:13. > :07:18.In a moment: Royal recognithon for the Sussex woman who's overcome drug
:07:19. > :07:24.and alcohol addiction to win an award from the Princes' Trust.
:07:25. > :07:29.Six activists who held a trde`top protest against the building of the
:07:30. > :07:33.Bexhill Hastings Link road have been found NOT guilty of aggravated
:07:34. > :07:36.trespass. One of the demonstrators said it was a great day for the
:07:37. > :07:40.right to protest. Opponents of the road in East Sussex
:07:41. > :07:43.say it'll devastate the countryside, but the County Council belidves it
:07:44. > :07:58.will help the areas economy. Mark Sanders reports.
:07:59. > :08:04.`` the area's economy. Justice is done! Tom Druitt was
:08:05. > :08:09.dressed little differently when he was arrested last January alongst
:08:10. > :08:13.six defendants involved in ` tree top protest against the Bexhill
:08:14. > :08:18.Hastings link road. The judge today found him and others not guhlty of a
:08:19. > :08:27.crime which has a maximum pdnalty of three months in prison. And used,
:08:28. > :08:39.vindicated, motivated. Basically, it says we can legitimately protest. ``
:08:40. > :08:43.I am confused. It is really freely and pleased that justice was done
:08:44. > :08:48.for all of us. The judge fotnd they did not have any intention to
:08:49. > :08:52.disrupt or obstruct. They mdrely were protesting and they have the
:08:53. > :08:57.right to do that. The activists believe the three Mile
:08:58. > :09:02.Rd will devastate the countryside. East Sussex County Council would not
:09:03. > :09:06.comment on the verdict but hn a statement said the road is crucial
:09:07. > :09:10.to the regeneration of Hasthngs and Bexhill. It claims it will hmprove
:09:11. > :09:15.congestion on the busy coast road and that it will create mord than
:09:16. > :09:22.3000 new jobs and bring economic benefits valued at ?1 billion. If it
:09:23. > :09:27.takes traffic off the main road I think it will be a good thing.
:09:28. > :09:31.In some ways, I am in favour of it because the gap `` traffic gets
:09:32. > :09:37.snarled up. A lot of money for nothing. Let us hope it improves the
:09:38. > :09:45.seafront run because getting back from work is a nightmare. Today s
:09:46. > :09:48.verdict is seen as a victorx by the protests and more activists are due
:09:49. > :09:53.in court to hear their verdhcts next week.
:09:54. > :09:57.Mark has been at Brighton magistrates today. Mark, wh`t were
:09:58. > :10:04.the issues in this trial? At the heart of the case was the
:10:05. > :10:09.question, to what extent were there protesters disrupting activhty in
:10:10. > :10:13.terms of disrupt `` construction on the link road? In the end there
:10:14. > :10:17.wasn't the evidence to convhcted of aggravated trespass. Despitd the
:10:18. > :10:22.court case today and the protests last year and the appalling weather
:10:23. > :10:24.last winter, the link road remains on track and it is expected to open
:10:25. > :10:30.to traffic next spring. The leader of Hastings Borotgh
:10:31. > :10:33.Council has written to Network Rail to say it's unacceptable th`t no
:10:34. > :10:37.date has been set for the rdopening of the London to Hastings lhne. A
:10:38. > :10:41.full train service hasn't rtn on the line since before Christmas after
:10:42. > :10:44.several landslips. It was dte to re`open on March third, but repairs
:10:45. > :10:47.were delayed by more bad we`ther. Councillor Jeremy Birch has urged
:10:48. > :10:51.Network Rail to give the line "the importance it deserves."
:10:52. > :10:54.Two men allegedly posing as grooms are among six people arrestdd over
:10:55. > :10:59.sham marriages in Kent. Immhgration officers made the arrests at
:11:00. > :11:04.Maidstone Register Office ydsterday. Both weddings were stopped before
:11:05. > :11:07.they could take place. Several thousand pounds in cash was also
:11:08. > :11:11.recovered from the boot of ` car belonging to one of the suspects.
:11:12. > :11:16.Thirty years ago today, one of the bitterest industrial disputds the
:11:17. > :11:19.country has ever seen got under way ` the miners' strike. Margaret
:11:20. > :11:22.Thatcher's decision to closd uneconomic pits challenged `n entire
:11:23. > :11:25.way of life for tens of thotsands of people.
:11:26. > :11:28.The communities at the four Kent coal pits of Snowdown, Tilm`nstone,
:11:29. > :11:32.Chislet and Betteshanger were changed forever. Peter Whittlesea
:11:33. > :11:35.has been speaking to people who experienced it at first hand and he
:11:36. > :11:45.found the strike still affects them today.
:11:46. > :11:47.The 12th of March 1984 is a date etched in every Welsh miners
:11:48. > :11:57.memory. The beginning of thd strike that started peacefully but led to
:11:58. > :12:01.bitter divisions. The decishon by some to return to work sign`lled the
:12:02. > :12:06.end of lifelong friendships. They were friends of mine when they
:12:07. > :12:13.worked with me and then thex transferred. One person I s`w in
:12:14. > :12:20.Canterbury and I couldn't even talk to him. You have never talkdd in 30
:12:21. > :12:30.years on? Never. Time is not a healer? Not on this issue.
:12:31. > :12:41.Luckily, we didn't have any scabs in our village. Everybody was
:12:42. > :12:48.organised, United, believed in what they were standing up for. This gaps
:12:49. > :12:55.came from outside the village `` the scabs. That was where there was a
:12:56. > :13:05.need for a picket down at the colliery. Many still feel it was a
:13:06. > :13:09.fight to save their way of life We followed our fathers into the
:13:10. > :13:14.pits and then the threat cale of that all coming to an end bdcause we
:13:15. > :13:19.knew all the pit closure `` closures would mean the closures of the
:13:20. > :13:25.communities as well. Many would argue that prophdcy came
:13:26. > :13:32.true. This former mining colmunity wants to preserve the history of the
:13:33. > :13:36.Kent collieries though. Peter, clearly feelings run high
:13:37. > :13:40.today? That's right. The miners who went on
:13:41. > :13:45.strike for the year can reel off the names of those who broke thd strike
:13:46. > :13:49.in 84. It is even more deep`seated than that because many of these men
:13:50. > :13:56.or second or third generation miners. They can tell you those who
:13:57. > :14:02.went to work in the general strike of years before. There are plans to
:14:03. > :14:06.redevelop the colliery and create a green energy plant and 1000 jobs in
:14:07. > :14:08.an area that has been dormant for a generation.
:14:09. > :14:14.Our top story tonight: Sussdx Police is to trial the use of unmanned spy
:14:15. > :14:17.drones in and around Gatwick Airport. It says the remote
:14:18. > :14:20.controlled aircraft will make policing more effective, be`ming
:14:21. > :14:23.high quality pictures to officers on the ground. But civil liberties
:14:24. > :14:25.groups fear that drones could ultimately be used to spy on the
:14:26. > :14:39.population. Also, how a cinema usherettd found
:14:40. > :14:42.out her Bill was coming homd safe from the wall whilst watching a
:14:43. > :14:46.newsreel film. Clearer skies and lighter whnds mean
:14:47. > :14:57.good weather for tonight. A former drug user from Sussex has
:14:58. > :15:04.been recognised at the Prince's Trust awards. Tia moved to Brighton
:15:05. > :15:08.18 months ago after her daughter was taken away because of her drug
:15:09. > :15:13.abuse. With the help of the Prince's Trust, she is now working and
:15:14. > :15:19.studying for a degree. The Prince's Trust was formed in 1976, stpporting
:15:20. > :15:26.vulnerable young people between 13 and 30. The trust has helped more
:15:27. > :15:29.than 750,000 young people in the UK. Ian Palmer has tonight spechal
:15:30. > :15:35.report. Less than two years ago, shd took a
:15:36. > :15:41.drugs overdose. She had dond it before but this time they took away
:15:42. > :15:48.her daughter, Ruby. I am not proud, I went and got drugs then and
:15:49. > :15:52.carried on. I think it was `bout a week before the court day and I
:15:53. > :15:57.looked around at my life and thought, what have I got? I haven't
:15:58. > :16:02.got any thing. Do I want to carry on down this road and leave my daughter
:16:03. > :16:07.without me. After years of abuse, Tia w`s
:16:08. > :16:11.brought up in care and was dxpelled from countless schools. Within weeks
:16:12. > :16:16.on the Prince's Trust she w`s working as a mental.
:16:17. > :16:24.I have worked with a lot of young people on the programme and I have
:16:25. > :16:29.never met any learner who h`s shown such commitment and determination
:16:30. > :16:33.and bravery. Nominated for a national aw`rd, she
:16:34. > :16:44.was a guest at a glittering invest in London. We got to the situation
:16:45. > :16:50.which I know is that the Prhnce s principal dream is for a yotng
:16:51. > :16:54.person taken from a terribld situation is helped by the trust and
:16:55. > :17:00.ends up supporting, financi`lly or whatever, someone in the future You
:17:01. > :17:06.are the one who have to makd that first step and go, I want to change
:17:07. > :17:11.my life. Unless you want it and believe in yourself then yot are not
:17:12. > :17:14.going to. You have to find that fight.
:17:15. > :17:18.Tia is working and studying for a degree in social care. She says she
:17:19. > :17:31.just wants her daughter to be proud of her.
:17:32. > :17:39.During the First World War, getting information back from the front line
:17:40. > :17:43.was extremely difficult. Falilies were in constant fear of receiving
:17:44. > :17:53.the dreaded telegram. One cinema usherette `` ushdrette,
:17:54. > :18:02.saw her husband heading homd safe and well in a newsreel `` in a
:18:03. > :18:08.newsreel film. Her daughter still remembers it.
:18:09. > :18:16.The photo includes my dad in a column of troops returning hn 1 17
:18:17. > :18:22.in `` 1917 after the big push. There is a screen grab shown in the
:18:23. > :18:27.newsreel in the local cinem` and my mum was working there as an
:18:28. > :18:31.usherette. The newsreel camd on and suddenly she realised my dad was
:18:32. > :18:40.coming right up into the screen `` screen. She screamed, "that is my
:18:41. > :18:47.Bill! " And the whole cinem` erupted in cheers. That was the first thing
:18:48. > :18:54.she knew and it must've been a truly wonderful moment. This photo is
:18:55. > :18:56.really to me because of what it describes. The ecstasy of everyone
:18:57. > :19:10.and the joy that he came back. Dot e`mailed us details of her
:19:11. > :19:18.story. If you have a story xou want is to know, contact us.
:19:19. > :19:24.The Elizabethan playwright Chris at `` Christopher Marlowe was born 450
:19:25. > :19:30.years ago this year. Three of his plays are being staged in C`nterbury
:19:31. > :19:33.to mark the anniversary. He lived a mysterious life.
:19:34. > :19:41.He is said to have been murdered in a brawl in London at 29. Drdss
:19:42. > :19:46.rehearsals for Faustus, the first in a trio of his plays to be pdrformed
:19:47. > :19:53.in Canterbury to celebrate the anniversary of his birth in the city
:19:54. > :19:59.450 years ago. Leave us the victory!
:20:00. > :20:04.It is a post`modern interprdtation of his classic.
:20:05. > :20:12.We are trying to reinvigorate it and make it more contemporary. Ht adds a
:20:13. > :20:23.whole different dimension to the dynamic.
:20:24. > :20:33.The Marlowe Theatre is also running the Massacre Of Paris. He wrote
:20:34. > :20:36.about bold and dangerous iddas. He was innovative and laid the
:20:37. > :20:42.foundations for bold and interesting work in theatre.
:20:43. > :20:47.He was born in Canterbury in 15 4 the son of a shoemaker. This tower
:20:48. > :20:53.is all that remains of the church where he was baptised. The Larlowe
:20:54. > :20:59.family home is thought to h`ve stood on the opposite side of the street.
:21:00. > :21:04.As a boy, he won a scholarship to King 's School in Canterburx where
:21:05. > :21:14.he left at aged 15 to read theology at Cambridge. He wrote six plays but
:21:15. > :21:18.died in Deptford aged just 29 in mysterious circumstances.
:21:19. > :21:22.So much focus is on Shakespdare and he is the forgotten half brother, if
:21:23. > :21:27.you like, but his work is epually rich and it speaks to now. We
:21:28. > :21:31.struggle with the Shakespearean language but Marlowe speaks in a
:21:32. > :21:40.much more contemporary idiol which makes it easier for audiencds.
:21:41. > :21:42.Faustus opens tonight but the celebration of his works and plays
:21:43. > :21:44.lasts a fortnight. Canterbury teenager Millie Knight
:21:45. > :21:47.finished an impressive fifth in her first ever Winter Paralympics race.
:21:48. > :21:50.The visually impaired 15`ye`r`old, Team GB's youngest ever competitor,
:21:51. > :21:53.beat a number of experienced skiers in the slalom this morning despite
:21:54. > :21:58.the poor conditions to match her pre`race target.
:21:59. > :22:01.Charlton Athletic play their first match under new Belgian man`ger Jose
:22:02. > :22:04.Riga this evening, but in l`st night's league games there were
:22:05. > :22:09.plenty of goals and impresshve performances. None more so than
:22:10. > :22:12.Gillingham's match at the Priestfield, which had absolutely
:22:13. > :22:16.everything ` six goals, four of them penalties, a sending off and one of
:22:17. > :22:24.the best goals you will ever see. Neil Bell reports.
:22:25. > :22:32.It was an extraordinary gamd but one moment stood out. This remarkable
:22:33. > :22:41.strike. It was the 19`year`old s first league goal although 05 years
:22:42. > :22:46.ago, this programme recorded a diminutive boy rolling the ball home
:22:47. > :22:51.at the same end. It was anndxed on fishing match. Which began with a
:22:52. > :22:57.rugby tackle and then moments later a red card. The big defender put
:22:58. > :23:09.them ahead. Then Coventry drew level. Another penalty is stretched
:23:10. > :23:14.the lead to 3`1 and then relarkably, a fourth penalty which put the game
:23:15. > :23:19.back in the balance. All th`t was left was the moment of brilliance
:23:20. > :23:23.from the teenager. Whatever he goes on to achieve, this will be
:23:24. > :23:26.remembered as one of the most extraordinary goals seen at this
:23:27. > :23:31.stadium. Writer knew just how import`nt
:23:32. > :23:37.victory was. The deadlock w`s broken deep into the second half when the
:23:38. > :23:41.pass was perfectly picked ott. Shortly afterwards, a low corner was
:23:42. > :23:52.whipped in and converted. It is a massive three points for us
:23:53. > :23:59.and I am extremely proud of the players. Crawley Town took `n early
:24:00. > :24:10.need when this was fired hole after a free kick hit the wall.
:24:11. > :24:19.That goal was incredible, w`sn't it? We will get a check on the weather
:24:20. > :24:24.now. Is it too soon to menthon barbecue weather?
:24:25. > :24:31.Fingers crossed it will stax that way for the weekend. It was a
:24:32. > :24:40.glorious afternoon with cle`r blue skies. Early mist and fog btt it
:24:41. > :24:49.cleared by the afternoon. Whnds were from an northerly direction. All of
:24:50. > :24:54.us saw a pleasantly warm afternoon. High pressure stays with us tonight
:24:55. > :25:00.and the wind will ease. We `re expecting to see dense mist and fog
:25:01. > :25:06.patches forming. Temperaturds will tumble under clear skies.
:25:07. > :25:11.Temperatures holding up along the coast. We have warnings out about
:25:12. > :25:16.the dense fog. It will be slow to clear so potentially some problems
:25:17. > :25:23.for the first part of the rtsh hour and possibly delayed flights as
:25:24. > :25:28.well. Eventually, by the afternoon, we start to see some breaks in the
:25:29. > :25:37.cloud cover and by the afternoon some decent spells of sunshhne.
:25:38. > :25:44.Light wind. The best of the brightness around the coast. A
:25:45. > :25:48.similar night with temperattres dropping to three or four Cdlsius
:25:49. > :25:52.and a misty or foggy start to the day on Friday. Brightening by the
:25:53. > :25:57.afternoon. The weekend will be settled. Dare we say, a barbecue
:25:58. > :26:08.weekend? I will not dust off the picnic
:26:09. > :26:12.blanket just off! That is it from us for the loment.
:26:13. > :26:14.See you tomorrow.