:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today. I'm so it's goodbye from me
:00:00. > :00:09.Welcome to South East Today. I'm Polly Evans. I'm Rob Smith.
:00:10. > :00:12.Tonight's top stories: Crackdown on legal highs ` the MP who believes
:00:13. > :00:16.existing laws can be used to block shops from selling them on the High
:00:17. > :00:21.Street. We are live in Cantdrbury with the details.
:00:22. > :00:30.Manston could close as soon as ninth April ` news greeted with dhsmay by
:00:31. > :00:37.many local businesses. It is going to be a massive
:00:38. > :00:41.inconvenience. Cost effectiveness will be thrown out of the whndow.
:00:42. > :00:44.Also in tonight's programme: The Sussex woman demanding a Government
:00:45. > :00:46.apology after she was forced to give up her daughter for adoption in the
:00:47. > :00:50.1960s. A helter`skelter row over a
:00:51. > :00:51.statement work of art for H`stings ` how the artist received hatd`mail
:00:52. > :01:01.before his plans were rejected. Will Forces sweetheart Dame Vera
:01:02. > :01:19.Lynn chart again as she reldases a new album at the age of 97?
:01:20. > :01:24.Good evening. A Kent MP campaigning for a crack
:01:25. > :01:27.down on shops selling so`called legal highs says he believes our
:01:28. > :01:29.councils already have the powers they need, under existing
:01:30. > :01:33.legislation that's never bedn used before. The Canterbury MP, Julian
:01:34. > :01:36.Brazier, has met Home Officd Minister and Sussex MP Norm`n Baker
:01:37. > :01:40.this afternoon to push for new restrictions on the sale of legal
:01:41. > :01:43.highs, which have led to a series of deaths and serious injuries in the
:01:44. > :01:44.South East. Our Home Affairs reporter, Rebecca Williams, has the
:01:45. > :01:58.details. The human cost of so`called legal
:01:59. > :02:01.highs. Esther died at the age of 21 after mixing the substance of
:02:02. > :02:06.alcohol. Today her mother h`s welcomed plans to crack down on the
:02:07. > :02:10.trade of legal drugs. We have been looking for ages to find a law that
:02:11. > :02:17.exists that could restrict the use of legal dry `` legal highs through
:02:18. > :02:21.retail outlets. It is proposed is that these chemicals are allowed to
:02:22. > :02:26.be sold. Esther is not the only person to apparent reaction to legal
:02:27. > :02:32.highs. Two men drowned in Canterbury. Matt Ford nearlx had a
:02:33. > :02:37.heart attack after taking a substance bought from this shop in
:02:38. > :02:45.Canterbury. The local MP saxs he has found laws empowering counchls to
:02:46. > :02:51.shutdown and similar places. Two pieces of legislation back can give
:02:52. > :02:57.these powers. They can injunctions against things that can be damaging
:02:58. > :03:02.to the consumer. The legisl`tion is part of the 42 Google got b`ck. It
:03:03. > :03:06.allows councils to take any proceedings for the protecthon of
:03:07. > :03:11.its inhabitants. Julian Brazier is calling on the government to issue
:03:12. > :03:15.guidance to local councils `nd judges to use those powers. In
:03:16. > :03:18.Canterbury today, opinions were mixed weather shop selling legal
:03:19. > :03:28.drugs should lose. If it is illegal high, how can it be shot? I don t
:03:29. > :03:32.agree with legal highs. I think having it freely available for
:03:33. > :03:36.anyone to try out is just wrong If they are left open, people will know
:03:37. > :03:41.what they are buying. It is good in that way. Julian Brazier sahd that
:03:42. > :03:45.if his plans get the go`ahe`d they could come into force relathvely
:03:46. > :03:48.quick and as the legislation is already in place.
:03:49. > :03:51.Rebecca is live in Canterbury for us now. Rebecca, has there been a
:03:52. > :03:59.response from the shops that sell these legal highs? No. I contacted
:04:00. > :04:04.the shot behind me earlier on, but they didn't want to comment. It is
:04:05. > :04:08.important to point out that all the products sold in the shops `re done
:04:09. > :04:16.legitimately. Julian Brazier has been meeting Normanby, a minister
:04:17. > :04:20.for crime prevention. He sahd he is considering the proposals. He said
:04:21. > :04:26.he himself has said up a panel to look into legal highs.
:04:27. > :04:30.BBC South East has learnt that Manston Airport could close as early
:04:31. > :04:32.as ninth April. The Governmdnt has described the situation as very
:04:33. > :04:39.disturbing. But the airport says ongoing losses are no longer
:04:40. > :04:43.sustainable. Tonight, a taskforce is being set up to assess the hmpact
:04:44. > :04:47.and help support the 150 st`ff affected. In a moment we'll speak
:04:48. > :04:56.live to the leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter. First, this
:04:57. > :05:01.exclusive report from Simon Jones. They envisaged millions of
:05:02. > :05:04.passengers a year, but 9pm could come in just 20 days. This small
:05:05. > :05:09.firm that sells products for computer work station repairers
:05:10. > :05:13.established at the dust `` the Discovery Park says that thd airport
:05:14. > :05:19.divides a vital link to the international market. We have the
:05:20. > :05:25.airport ten minutes away. For all the small businesses here it will be
:05:26. > :05:30.a massive inconvenience. Cost effect this will be thrown out the window.
:05:31. > :05:33.The chief executive officer of Manston Airport in an e`mail to
:05:34. > :05:56.customers writes that: that is despite the consult`tion
:05:57. > :06:00.with staff is due to last 44 days. It appears that the airport they no
:06:01. > :06:10.longer be wanting to stay open but that long. If the people go, and
:06:11. > :06:13.they will have to because they will need to find other jobs, it will be
:06:14. > :06:17.very difficult to put it back together again. In the Housd of
:06:18. > :06:24.Commons, the aviation Minister was concerned. It is very disturbing
:06:25. > :06:27.news. It is disappointing that Manston Airport could not attract
:06:28. > :06:34.some of the low`cost carriers there were hoping to do. Some want the
:06:35. > :06:39.government to go further. It must keep ongoing, even if the government
:06:40. > :06:44.has to put in some money. M`nston Airport have said today that all the
:06:45. > :06:47.staff are shocked that devastated at news of the potential closure.
:06:48. > :06:50.Anyone worried about flights or holidays booked for the futtre are
:06:51. > :06:55.advised to contact their tr`vel operator.
:06:56. > :07:01.So, what does the future hold for Manston Airport? The announcement of
:07:02. > :07:05.a 45`day consultation period yesterday suggested it would remain
:07:06. > :07:08.open at least until early M`y. But we attempted to book a KLM flight
:07:09. > :07:13.from Manston to Amsterdam today and found it impossible to reserve
:07:14. > :07:16.tickets after eighth April. When Pfizer pulled out of Sandwich, the
:07:17. > :07:20.site was awarded Enterprise Zone benefits to attract new bushnesses.
:07:21. > :07:25.Thanet councillors say that should be extended to cover Manston, if the
:07:26. > :07:34.airport does close. The Kent County Council leader Paul Carter hs live
:07:35. > :07:37.for us at County Hall in Mahdstone. The consultation on closure is
:07:38. > :07:41.supposed to last for 45 days, but, as you may have heard, we'vd tried
:07:42. > :07:53.and failed to buy tickets for KLM after eighth April. Is this a done
:07:54. > :08:02.deal? Well, I have no idea. Clearly the good work that has been done
:08:03. > :08:07.necessity of a merger meeting with the aviation Minister and the
:08:08. > :08:14.current owners. What you were saying to us yesterday seems to be at odds
:08:15. > :08:19.with the efforts of Roger G`le and Laura Sands. He said that the
:08:20. > :08:26.prospect of having an airport there'd admit promising. I gave
:08:27. > :08:33.backing the redevelopment of the site? No, the clip you shoot was out
:08:34. > :08:38.of context with the whole of the interview. They said that wd needed
:08:39. > :08:43.to do all we can to work together during this 45 day consultation I
:08:44. > :08:49.did listen to the interview and energy said that the market is
:08:50. > :08:52.normally writes and the market is telling us that having tried and
:08:53. > :08:59.failed on previous occasions, the prospect of having an airport at
:09:00. > :09:03.Manston doesn't look very promising. Exactly. That doesn't mean to say
:09:04. > :09:07.that it is necessarily dead in the water. If those close down to the
:09:08. > :09:13.wire and there is an offer for government to reduce the cost and
:09:14. > :09:17.losses currently made up Manston Airport to keep their stratdgic
:09:18. > :09:21.airport of some significant national importance, particularly as an
:09:22. > :09:26.airport that can be used in emergency contingencies, wotld need
:09:27. > :09:34.to have that conversation. H hope that in my conversations in the next
:09:35. > :09:40.few hours we can broker a mdeting with the new owners and the aviation
:09:41. > :09:43.Minister and see if there is anything that national government
:09:44. > :09:53.can do to help keep this airport open. Thank you. We want to know
:09:54. > :09:56.what you think. Is it time to admit defeat, and accept that Manston
:09:57. > :10:00.Airport is not commercially viable? Or do you disagree? You can send an
:10:01. > :10:04.email to the usual address or join the debate on Facebook or Twitter.
:10:05. > :10:06.We'll hear your views later in the programme.
:10:07. > :10:11.In a moment: She's done it! The moment Hilary Lister created a new
:10:12. > :10:21.record as the first quadriplegic person to sail across an ocdan.
:10:22. > :10:26.A Sussex pensioner who was forced to give up her baby daughter for
:10:27. > :10:29.adoption in the 1960s because she was unmarried when she fell pregnant
:10:30. > :10:32.is calling for an official Government apology. Veronic` Smith,
:10:33. > :10:35.from Seaford, says she's never fully recovered from the trauma of her
:10:36. > :10:38.experiences in a Catholic institution 50 years ago. She says
:10:39. > :10:41.the state`sanctioned adoptions in which women were "coerced, cajoled
:10:42. > :10:57.and conned" into giving up their babies. Yvette Austin reports.
:10:58. > :11:04.Veronica Smith was 24 when she had her baby or taken away from her and
:11:05. > :11:08.just one we call because shd was not married. She had been working as a
:11:09. > :11:14.nurse at a holiday camp in Sussex when she fell pregnant. Now`days it
:11:15. > :11:18.is very difficult for peopld to understand. I am appalled at how
:11:19. > :11:23.compliant I was. I did what I was told. I was brought up an and
:11:24. > :11:28.obedience is very dominance in that life. You did a Steward told all
:11:29. > :11:33.through your school life and beyond. Veronica's mother organised with the
:11:34. > :11:38.baby to be born at a London hostel. It was barbaric to separate a mother
:11:39. > :11:42.and child just because we wdren t married. The majority were not
:11:43. > :11:49.married and that was the re`son the babies were taken. In recent years,
:11:50. > :11:53.mothers like Veronica have been speaking out about their pahn. The
:11:54. > :12:05.story of the last child of Philomena, made famous in the
:12:06. > :12:08.Oscar`nominated film. Veronhca Smith leading a campaign for the British
:12:09. > :12:18.government to apologise to her and mother like `` mothers like her who
:12:19. > :12:26.works forced to give up thehr children. The Australian Prhme
:12:27. > :12:32.Minister has apologised. Thdre, tens of thousands of babies were taken
:12:33. > :12:38.from unmarried mothers. It hs set back this, we must apologisd. For
:12:39. > :12:45.somebody to recognise what happened to us. I was one of six children and
:12:46. > :12:54.my daughter was the first grandchild and she was just dismissed out of
:12:55. > :12:57.the family, almost forgotten about. Veronica has my find her datghter
:12:58. > :13:06.and has a good relationship with her and her own grandchild.
:13:07. > :13:09.Detectives investigating a serious assault in a St Leonard's ptb say
:13:10. > :13:14.they are pursuing several ndw leads following an appeal on BBC
:13:15. > :13:18.Crimewatch. A 44`year`old man needed 40 stitches
:13:19. > :13:20.after he was attacked with ` pool cue last March.
:13:21. > :13:23.Two new primary schools for more than 800 children could be built on
:13:24. > :13:26.secondary school sites in Eastbourne. East Sussex County
:13:27. > :13:30.Council says the town needs new places, and will discuss thd plans
:13:31. > :13:34.at a meeting on Monday. The Government is giving ?14 million
:13:35. > :13:36.to councils in the South East to help repair potholes after
:13:37. > :13:41.exceptionally bad weather this winter. Kent and Medway will receive
:13:42. > :13:55.?8.8 million, East and West Sussex will get ?6.1 million, and ?300 000
:13:56. > :13:58.will go to Brighton and Hovd. Dame Vera Lynn, the Forces
:13:59. > :14:01.sweetheart, is to release a new album at the age of 97. Damd Vera,
:14:02. > :14:04.who has been celebrating her birthday at home in the Sussex
:14:05. > :14:09.village of Ditchling today, already holds a record as the only `rtist
:14:10. > :14:11.over the age of 90 to top the UK album charts. Her new collection
:14:12. > :14:14.will contain some previouslx unreleased songs. It is timdd to
:14:15. > :14:17.coincide with the 70th anniversary of the D`day landings in June. Peter
:14:18. > :14:20.Whittlesea has tonight's spdcial report.
:14:21. > :14:35.DAME VERA SINGS. During the Second World War,
:14:36. > :14:41.soldiers turned out in their hundreds to hear of Vera Lynn. Newly
:14:42. > :14:44.discovered material from thd 19 0s will be remastered and rele`sed At
:14:45. > :14:51.97, Dame Vera makes few appearances. She expressed her to
:14:52. > :14:56.light about her new record. It is rather exciting at my age to bring
:14:57. > :15:01.wider record, even though I did record it years ago. It might give
:15:02. > :15:07.the young people and interest to see what the music was like in those
:15:08. > :15:14.days and what the songs werd all about. It is so different than it is
:15:15. > :15:18.today. It is brilliant! 97 `nd another album coming out! Wd felt we
:15:19. > :15:24.had to make a statement, if you like, but the fact that she is 7
:15:25. > :15:28.and has had 90 years in show business! It will be releasdd to
:15:29. > :15:34.mark the 70th anniversary of the D`day landings. Back then, the White
:15:35. > :15:36.Cliffs of Dover symbolised fortress Britain.
:15:37. > :15:54.DAME VERA SINGS. Dame Vera Lynn made her stage debut
:15:55. > :15:57.at the age of just seven. 24 she recorded the hit song the White
:15:58. > :16:05.Cliffs of Dover. She made hhstory at the age of 92, being the oldest
:16:06. > :16:20.living person to record one album. That is why so many people remember
:16:21. > :16:27.her songs. Give me a quick rendition!
:16:28. > :16:59.THEY SINGS. Judging by her past success, she
:17:00. > :17:01.could have a number one albtm soon. Dame Vera Lynn, the Forces
:17:02. > :17:12.sweetheart, is to campaigning for a crack down on
:17:13. > :17:15.shops selling so`called leg`l highs says he believes our councils
:17:16. > :17:17.already have the powers thex need, under existing legislation that s
:17:18. > :17:20.never been used before. Canterbury MP Julian Brazier is calling for
:17:21. > :17:24.restrictions on the sale of legal highs, which have led to a series of
:17:25. > :17:26.deaths and injuries in the South East.
:17:27. > :17:30.glory ` How South East hockdy glory ` How South East hockdy
:17:31. > :17:31.players could hold the key to British medals at the Commonwealth
:17:32. > :17:33.Games. Things will be turning much colder
:17:34. > :17:38.as we head towards the weekdnd. Join me later for the forecast.
:17:39. > :17:41.An artist whose plans for a sculpture of a helter skeltdr on a
:17:42. > :17:44.rundown town centre roundabout in Hastings were thrown out by the
:17:45. > :17:46.council says he received hate mail from local campaigners.
:17:47. > :17:49.The artwork was rejected, even though a local philanthropist had
:17:50. > :17:52.offered to pay the ?100,000 cost. It follows a high`profile camp`ign
:17:53. > :17:59.against the creation of the town's Jerwood Art Gallery two years ago.
:18:00. > :18:10.Piers Hopkirk reports. An artist denied his canvas. Henry
:18:11. > :18:14.at work in his London studio today. It appears his controversial
:18:15. > :18:20.helter`skelter sculpture will not make the jump from drawing board to
:18:21. > :18:24.public dominance. There was an opportunity to make something really
:18:25. > :18:29.extraordinary. Something th`t could shift the perceptions of people in
:18:30. > :18:33.some way and become a major part of that landscape. I think it hs a lost
:18:34. > :18:37.opportunity. The 43rd helter`skelter was meant to be a homage to the
:18:38. > :18:47.history of Hastings and the Northern `` a nod to the towns fairground
:18:48. > :18:54.fun. The proposed that she here also received some serious hostility The
:18:55. > :18:59.artist received hate mail over his design and an effigy of the
:19:00. > :19:03.sculpture was Burns at the Lewes bonfire celebrations. Even though it
:19:04. > :19:07.was to be lifted to the town by a benefactor, the council says it is
:19:08. > :19:14.not in keeping with the timd and not relevant to its history. Have you
:19:15. > :19:18.given into a vocal minority? No we haven't. We looked at a verx
:19:19. > :19:21.carefully and unanimously agreed it wasn't the right is for the
:19:22. > :19:27.sculpture. My commission in the first place? It was an exprdssion of
:19:28. > :19:32.interest, competition. When people looked at what was being
:19:33. > :19:37.considered, then perhaps thdy thought it wasn't the best location.
:19:38. > :19:45.You don't think a 43rd helter`skelter may have improved
:19:46. > :19:52.this roundabout? No! No chance! Why? Why would you? I wouldn't. H didn't
:19:53. > :19:56.think it was in keeping with the environment. I thought that they
:19:57. > :20:04.should have done something lore local to the area. There was a
:20:05. > :20:08.similar controversy in Hasthngs over the creation of the Jerwood Art
:20:09. > :20:11.Gallery. The council says they are going to renovate the fount`in here
:20:12. > :20:18.instead. Piers is live in Hastings. How much
:20:19. > :20:23.of a blow was this for the `rtist? It is a blow to him. When I spoke to
:20:24. > :20:29.him today he was amazingly stoic and philosophical. He said he created
:20:30. > :20:31.this design home he wanted to reflect the revolutionary spirit in
:20:32. > :20:36.Hastings and he said the fact that they have project did it only goes
:20:37. > :20:41.to show that that revolutionary spirit is still alive and wdll. He
:20:42. > :20:46.said that all good art should provoke a strong response from
:20:47. > :20:51.people. He said that no arthst wants to be met with deafening
:20:52. > :20:54.indifference. The quadriplegic sailor Hil`ry
:20:55. > :20:57.Lister has set a new trans`ocean sailing record. The Kent yachtswoman
:20:58. > :21:00.is paralysed from the neck down and controls her vessel by suckhng and
:21:01. > :21:03.blowing into a straw. She h`s successfully crossed 1,000 liles of
:21:04. > :21:10.the Indian Ocean, from Mumb`i in India to Muscat in Oman, along with
:21:11. > :21:17.fellow sailor Nashwa Al Kindi. The trip was amazing and testing.
:21:18. > :21:22.Everything that you could hope, really. We had every sort of
:21:23. > :21:30.weather. It was great. I loved every second. It is fantastic what they
:21:31. > :21:35.have achieved. To seal here from mum by, nine days at sea under those
:21:36. > :21:43.sort of circumstances, that is nothing short of astonishing. It is
:21:44. > :21:46.great to see them here. This summer, the England men's and
:21:47. > :21:49.women's hockey teams will bd favourites to win gold at the
:21:50. > :21:52.Commonwealth Games. The spine of both teams will be made up of
:21:53. > :21:55.players from Kent and Sussex. This weekend, East Grinstead's mdn and
:21:56. > :21:58.Canterbury's women are expected to be crowned national champions. The
:21:59. > :22:05.South East is increasingly the focus of top flight hockey in the UK. Neil
:22:06. > :22:10.Bell reports. East Grinstead and England star
:22:11. > :22:14.Ashley Jackson has played a vital role in the surgeons in British
:22:15. > :22:19.hockey in recent seasons. This weekend he will be trying to get the
:22:20. > :22:22.Sussex club to be national champions. He is already looking
:22:23. > :22:28.ahead to the summer. At the start of the summer we have the World Cup.
:22:29. > :22:35.That is the bigger of the two German months. The World Cup for us is our
:22:36. > :22:39.biggest journeyman 's and wd really preparing for that. We are not too
:22:40. > :22:43.far away from that and things are coming along nicely.
:22:44. > :22:47.Two years ago millions of pdople were cheering on the women's hockey
:22:48. > :22:52.team as they won Olympic bronze Two of that side have since movdd to the
:22:53. > :23:01.highly ambitious can't club in Falkland. They want to be a strong
:23:02. > :23:07.presence in years to come. They want to host European competitions. They
:23:08. > :23:12.are a great club with a gre`t setup. They have decided to invest. While
:23:13. > :23:17.the international stars are paid to play there, the Demon Canterbury is
:23:18. > :23:21.all `` are all amateurs. Victory on Saturday will see them crying
:23:22. > :23:26.national champions for the very first time. I have played in the
:23:27. > :23:30.first team for 24 years. Last year was the glucose `` the closdst that
:23:31. > :23:41.we got to winning and we bldw it on the final fixture. We are in the
:23:42. > :23:45.same scenario again this ye`r! With the players we have had in the
:23:46. > :23:52.past, it is something that we should have done before. Many of these
:23:53. > :24:03.players could also soon be dnjoying international success.
:24:04. > :24:10.We will be seeing some rain tonight. Behind that, much colder
:24:11. > :24:14.air. Into the weekend it will be feeling markedly cooler. Thdre are
:24:15. > :24:21.some wintry showers are particularly over higher ground. This is what is
:24:22. > :24:25.heading our way as we go into tonight. More cloud cover around and
:24:26. > :24:36.the winds strengthening throughout the day. Temperatures at 1203
:24:37. > :24:46.degrees. It will be turning wet for us tonight. It will stay brdezy
:24:47. > :24:49.Clearer skies behind the rahn. As we start the day tomorrow will be
:24:50. > :24:53.relatively bright and staying quite windy. One or two hefty showers
:24:54. > :25:01.around, particularly by the afternoon. The winds will bd up to
:25:02. > :25:08.about 25 miles an hour. We could potentially see a rumble of thunder.
:25:09. > :25:13.Also some sunshine. That thd Jews will struggle to get out of single
:25:14. > :25:20.figures. Further outbreaks of rain as you go through tomorrow night.
:25:21. > :25:27.Temperatures will drop to three degrees behind the rain. It will
:25:28. > :25:32.stay breezy for the weekend. Low pressure firmly in control. The
:25:33. > :25:38.chants of one of two hefty showers, particularly by the afternoon. If
:25:39. > :25:39.you get caught under one of the showers it will be feeling ` lot
:25:40. > :25:59.cooler. Some hefty showers. Back to one of our top storhes
:26:00. > :26:02.tonight. BBC South East has learnt that Manston Airport could close as
:26:03. > :26:05.early as ninth April. The Government has described the situation as very
:26:06. > :26:08.disturbing. The airport says ongoing losses are no longer sustainable.
:26:09. > :26:13.Tonight, a taskforce is being set up to assess the impact and help
:26:14. > :26:21.support the 150 staff affected. I hope in my conversations in the next
:26:22. > :26:28.few hours we can broker and meeting with the new owners and the aviation
:26:29. > :26:32.Minister and see if there's anything the national government can do to
:26:33. > :26:39.heal `` to help keep this ahrport open.
:26:40. > :26:45.Lots of you have been getting in touch. Jan says the loss of the
:26:46. > :26:57.airport will be devastating to the area. Chris says that he has flown
:26:58. > :27:04.from Manston Airport Amsterdam, it was a great experience, but he said
:27:05. > :27:11.without direct flights to more places, it will not stay but `` it
:27:12. > :27:21.will not be viable. Another of your says, wide and use Manston @irport
:27:22. > :27:28.instead of growing gap wet? Another viewer says, why are they stggesting
:27:29. > :27:35.building a new airport on a man`made islands when we have a perfdctly
:27:36. > :27:39.good airport at Manston? Another viewer says that she strongly
:27:40. > :27:43.disagrees that those people are going to lose their jobs. She says
:27:44. > :27:54.the government should we save and not a new one built in the Dsther E.
:27:55. > :27:57.Before we go, we'd like you to let us know what you're doing to raise
:27:58. > :28:00.money for Sport Relief tomorrow We'll be showing your images and
:28:01. > :28:20.videos on tomorrow evening's programme. Please get in totch!
:28:21. > :28:22.That is it from us for this evening. Have a lovely evening. Goodbye.