17/04/2014 South East Today

News at six. It is goodbye from me and

Welcome to South East Today. I'm Rob Smith. I'm Polly Evans. Tonight's

top stories: Sussex MP Caroline Lucas is cleared in court for her

part in anti`fracking protests ` she vows to fight on.

Specialist keyhole cancer surgery is suspended indefinitely at Maidstone

Hospital, after a damning review into the deaths of five patients.

Also in tonight's programme: A lorry driver is arrested and questioned

over the M26 crash that's left two young women dead and seven people

seriously injured. A private clinic offers to freeze

and store the eggs of Kent woman Lizzy Rose, who faces infertility

after treatment for a chronic bowel condition. We are live in Margate

with the details. "Dearest, darling Frankie..." ` the

love letters notorious gangster Reggie Kray wrote to his first wife

from prison go up for auction in Sussex.

Good evening. The Green Party MP Caroline Lucas

has been cleared of public order offences. The Brighton Pavilion MP

was arrested during anti`fracking protests in the West Sussex village

of Balcombe last summer. Speaking after the verdict was announced, she

said, "oppressive policing" was eroding the right to protest. Jon

Hunt joins us live from Brighton Magistrates' Court. Jon, there's

been criticism in court of the way her case was handled by Sussex

Police. Yes, according to the judge, as senior Sussex police

officer decided to impose restrictions on the demonstrators in

August last year, restrictions he did not have the party to impose.

The restrictions were not adequately communicated to the demonstrators,

so the case against them field. `` `` failed.

Caroline Lucas says today's judgement is not a cause for

celebration. Protest is the lifeblood of democracy. We are

deeply concerned that the right to protest is being eroded and

undermined by oppressive policing in Canada `` in an attempt to silence

dissent. Caroline Lucas was arrested in August last year when chilling

time with demonstrators and sat in the roads outside the exploratory

drilling site in Balcombe. The district judge ruled that none of

the defendants were made fully aware of the restrictions. The deputy

Chief Constable had not the authority to impose them and there

was not a wilful obstruction of the highway. It is too early to say in

terms of any action we might take. Quite clearly I felt that the

policing on the day was disproportionate and unnecessary. It

was an entirely peaceful protest and we had every right to be there.

Sussex police would not be interviewed, but they said in a

statement: We made it absolutely clear that our priority in this

operation was safety ` for the general public, local residents,

protesters, Cuadrilla employees and for own officers and staff. We

worked with all sides to enable them all to meet their peaceful and

lawful objectives, whether they were day`to`day commercial activities, or

protest. The actions of Caroline Lucas have

drawn both praise and criticism. It is great she is getting involved in

taking in act of interest in what is going on in her constituency. I

don't think that a representative of Parliament she should've in there. I

think that is what MPs are for. They fight for their constituents in

whatever realm. Sussex police said the policing of the protest involved

that ethical balancing act, but says it respect the verdict of the court.

It was the Crown Prosecution Service which ultimately made the decision

to bring this case against Caroline Lucas and the co`defendants. Tonight

it defended that decision saying it was in the public interest and there

was sufficient evidence and a realistic aspect of a conviction.

Specialist keyhole cancer surgery has been suspended indefinitely at

Maidstone Hospital after a damning review by the Royal College of

Surgeons, following the deaths of five patients. It's concluded that

surgeons there were unable to provide a safe service. The patients

died from potentially avoidable complications within a year of

having stomach or throat surgery. One family has already launched a

criminal negligence claim, as Louise Stewart reports.

The report is damning. It found that five people died from what was

called avoidable complications after cancer surgery at Maidstone

Hospital. As a result, keyhole surgery has been suspended

indefinitely. The husband of one of the patient who died has spoken of

his shock. The day before she died, she was sitting up, looked fairly

bright, chatting. She said she wanted to do the Times crossword. I

left on the 19th. On the 20th I had a phone call at eight o'clock in the

morning saying she had died. She had lost a lot of blood and they

couldn't stop it. This kind of surgery can include procedures from

anything from the oesophagus to the ball. Trips are inserted into the

patient so surgeons can remove any cancerous growth. The report today

said that surgeons could not provide a safe service to patients and their

clinical decision`making must be improved. It also said the

monitoring of post`operative patients has to improve. We believe

that the complications may have led to the deaths of these five

patients. Today, the solicitor act turning on board the widow of the

51`year`old patient welcome decision to suspend surgery indefinitely. It

is very important that the trust make sure that these operations will

not be carried it until they are clear that they have a system in

place to make sure that those patients can be operated on safely.

Definitely, we welcome the decision by the hospital. She believes there

could be many more than the five patients known to have died that

where affected. In a moment: Spring has sprung and

the very mild weather has given bees and butterflies a flying start.

A 45`year`old lorry driver has been arrested and questioned over

yesterdays crash on the M26 in Kent that left two people dead and seven

others in hospital, some with serious injuries. It happened

yesterday morning near Kemsing and involved two HGVs, two cars and a

van. Two French day`trippers, a 22`year`old woman and a 16`year`old

girl, died in the crash. Tonight, three people remain in a critical

condition. Simon Jones reports. A family from France here on a day

trip, the two daughters killed as their car was crushed. Their father

remains in a critical condition while their mother, also in the

front of the car, receipts support. And massively traumatic event for

the family. It is the sort of call that the emergency services to

read. The involvement of young children. When you get there, you

have a professional job to do that you're only human and that has an

impact. Two children were rescued from another car, one is in a

critical condition. The motorway has reopened, but this carriageway was

shot for over eight teen hours. There were five vehicles involved.

Other motorists had to jam on their brakes to avoid going into the back

of the accident. In the aftermath, many drivers got it to desperately

help those involved. My main concern at the time, once we established

that the people in the car we were looking were alive, was a fire.

Quite clearly, if the car had got fire we were in real trouble.

Fortunately, I was able to commandeer an extinguisher and stood

there waiting until the emergency services came, then we helped them

by giving information. It was not altogether clear when you first saw

the car with the surviving people in their doctor was another card

trapped between the two lorries. We did establish that the key, but

there was very little we could do. Tonight, the police are repeating

their request for witnesses to the crash to come forward, as a lorry

driver faces further questioning. Simon joins us near the scene of the

accident in Kemsing. Simon, police have praised motorists who were

caught up in the aftermath of the crash. Some drivers got out of their

car, worked on `` Walter down the carriageway to weird that other

motorists. There is also praise for the drivers who were caught up in

the long tailbacks, some of them for several hours. The police have

thanked them for that patients, explaining they had to carry out a

full investigation. As for the driver he has been arrested, he was

driving a foreign lorry. His nationality has not been confirmed.

Passengers trying to travel through the Channel Tunnel on both Eurostar

and Eurotunnel train services have endured a miserable start to the

Easter getaway today. There've been four`hour delays this afternoon,

following a fatality on the line in Northern France, and then the

failure of a Eurotunnel Shuttle train, which blocked the line.

Passengers have complained about a lack of information.

A former Kent Cathedral choir leader has been charged with sexual

activity with a child. 28`year`old Samuel Rathbone, who ran the girls'

choir at Rochester Cathedral, has been remanded in custody. He's due

to appear at Maidstone Crown Court next month.

The coxswain of Newhaven Lifeboat, who led a six`hour search for a

missing teenager in dangerous conditions this winter, is to be

recognised with one of the RNLI's highest accolades for his bravery.

Paul Legendre led the search for 14`year`old Dylan Alkins, who was

swept into the sea off Newhaven's West Beach last October. The

teenager's body has never been found.

Lizzie Rose, the young woman facing infertility as she undergoes radical

treatment for a bowel condition, has been offered free private treatment

to freeze her eggs. The 25`year`old, from Margate, lost a legal challenge

on Tuesday to try to force the NHS in Thanet to pay for it. Now, a

London clinic has offered to store her eggs, as she undergoes

chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant to treat Crohn's disease.

Claudia Sermbezis is in Margate. Claudia, how has Lizzie reacted to

this? Well, she is completely overwhelmed

by direction of people from her story. When they were filming

earlier, completes Rangers shouted at present, Lizzie, we are so happy

for you! She is a very private person. She deals angry that she has

had to go so public with her story just so she can fight for what

seizes her `` for what she sees as her right to have children. Ford

Lizzie Rose, this has always been about choice. I am aware that I am

very lucky, that this would not happen to everybody. I hope that in

the future of their women will not have to go through this process to

get the help they need. To ease her pain and discomfort, her care team

have recommended a bone marrow transplant, which could put her

Crohn's disease into remission. It is a bit like restarting your immune

system. It is getting to the root cause, your immune system

malfunctioning. It is almost like having a new immune system. It could

leave her infertile, so her. Your suggested she throws her eggs before

treatment. But the funding was refused. In 2009, Thanet concluded

that the guidelines were not mandatory, and when Lizzie Rose took

them to court, it was not agreed on by the court. Lizzie did not have

the ability to fund at herself. That's why this support is so

important. The wider court judgement still remains. We are waiting to see

what action the CCG will take regarding that. Lizzie Rose will

begin the process of praising her eggs over the next few weeks, then

she can finally begin the new treatment for her Crohn's disease.

The new treatment will not cure Crohn's disease, but it should ease

her pain and discomfort. Only a handful of people have had a tonne

in the UK. She spoke to a man in America they have the treatment and

he said it has completely transformed his life, and the

quality of his life is so much better.

Sussex Police have been outlining their plans for a march by English

nationalists through Brighton in the summer, which has seen angry counter

protests in recent years, leading to fighting and arrests. Last year more

than 700 officers were deployed for the March For England event along

the city's seafront. The force is hosting a webchat as we speak for

people to put their questions to those policing the event on 27th

April. Piers Hopkirk joins us live from Brighton. Piers, how concerned

are the police that there may be violence again this year? They are

very concerned. As you can see, this is a fairly combustible mix. March

for England are a collective of right wing groups. They have come to

Brighton for the last six or seven years to celebrate Saint Georges day

with a march along the seafront. There is a counter demonstration

planned by antifascist groups. Last year, this led to a major police

operation, costing half ?1 million. The police were able to give the two

sides apart, but there were 13 arrests in total for public

disorder. The police say they have no powers to stop the march and the

counter demonstration from happening, but they will do all they

can to insure a pass as up as peacefully as possible. My operation

is geared towards isolating those individuals and groups who are there

to break the law. We are there to make sure they don't undermine the

purpose for which everybody else is in the city. We will focus on those

individuals and, where appropriate, hold them to account through the

courts. It's taking place on the main seafront again this year ` why

is that? It has caused some controversy. There was called

locally to move it to the racecourse, is less prominent.

Talking to the police today, they say this is a good the best race to

have it, to allow the margin demonstration to happen, but to

allow the police are also police said peacefully.

`` police it peacefully. Our top story tonight: The Green

Party MP Caroline Lucas has been cleared of public order offences

this afternoon. The Brighton Pavilion MP was arrested during

anti`fracking protests in the West Sussex village of Balcombe last

summer. Speaking after the verdict, she said "oppressive policing" was

eroding the right to protest. Gunning for a record fourth title,

as British superbikes return to brands Hatch this weekend.

I will have your full weather forecast later in the programme.

After the misery of the wettest winter on record, spring has brought

with it a real silver lining because the exceptionally mild weather has

given a flying start for bees, blossom and bluebells. The sunshine

of the last couple of weeks is also bringing many plants into flower

earlier than usual across the South East. There are signs that insects

like butterflies could enjoy a bumper summer. Yvette Austin has

tonight's Special Report. Warm relief. The long, wet winter is

finally over and spring is in full bloom. Insect 's are busy

pollinating in the orchards, and there are signs it is going to be a

good year for the countryside. It is a lot earlier than it was last year.

We have surprising amounts of Gerry Bloom, given the chill that we had

in the winter. We had enough chilled units below six to Greece to get

this sort of quantity of bloom. That is up and has to respect for the

cherry crop. The orchards are literally buzzing with the life,

some prodding to help pollination, but it is of numbers in the wild are

up on last spring. It has been a difficult year for our bumblebees.

We have had harsh winters in the last couple of years, but last year

we had good temperatures and they responded rapidly. We are hoping for

a really good year for art bees. The bluebells are performing for Easter

this year. The wet months of winter are thought to have listed the

bulbs. This is a full month earlier than last year. It is wonderful to

see the bluebells. They are the harbinger of spring. It may be too

early to predict good summer, but this spring will surely be to

remember. `` surely be one to remember.

Love letters from the notorious gangster Reggie Kray to his

sweetheart Frances are going under the hammer in Lewes, where he spent

time behind bars. The couple later married and the auction includes a

wedding photo by David Bailey. She took her own life after their

relationship fell apart. As Ian Palmer reports, it was a tempestuous

affair that's captured the imagination of collectors and

film`makers alike. Ronnie Kray, asking his twin

brother, Reggie, about plans to marry his long`time girlfriend

Frances on the big screen. The brothers ran gambling clubs in the

East End of London. They also ran a protection organisation. The pair

were feared and admired. His marriage to Frances Shea took place

in 1965. The ceremony was photographed by David Bailey. The

union lasted just three months. She committed suicide aged 23, shortly

after. Their five`year courtship began when Frances was just 16.

Reggie wrote to his sweetheart from his prison cell over a two`year

period. He frequently complains that she has not been to see him. He

frequently complains that she has not written often enough. I think

there is one reference to Christmas where she has written to him, saying

she went to a dance on Christmas Day. He was furious. The letters

between Reggie and Frances along with many photographs are being

auctioned in Lewes. They show a life of clubs and late nights and a

so`called glamourous lifestyle. But they also show the pair relaxing on

holiday and, remarkably, Reggie Kray in colour. Countless books have been

written about the brothers. At Brighton University, this professor

says the Krays will always capture the imagination. They broke the

rules. They beat people up. They were violent. But they made money. I

think the country was fascinated. Judging by the true crime literature

that has followed in their wake, we still are. During the marriage,

Frances used drink and drugs. Less than two years after the divorce,

she killed herself. At the time, there were rumours Reggie may have

been involved. Images that capture a gangland criminal at work and play.

The items go on sale in Lewes on 14th May.

The debut race of the British Superbikes Championship roars into

Brands Hatch this weekend, and there will be massive local support for

the Kent rider Shane 'Shakey' Byrne. He's hoping to become the first`ever

rider to win the title for a fourth time. Charlie Rose reports.

If last season was anything to go by, Superbike fans are in for some

drama this weekend with local hero Shane 'Shakey' Byrne determined to

get his season off to a winning start as he attempts to win back his

crime. He is an angry man! It hurt him badly that he lost his

championship, especially here at Rand 's Hatch. This is his home. He

got beaten in July when we were here last year and he lost The

Championship year. He has now lost about a stone in weight and I have

never seen him looking better. This season, hopes are high again with

the title with a dedicated team and the latest technology. The necessary

information for the mechanics, the battery voltage, water temperature.

How will you make him win? Give him his rice and beans on a Sunday. We

will try to set up the bike as well as we can for him. Once you find a

good setting for the bike, the rest is up to him. Some of the bikes here

can get close to 200 miles an hour, a reminder of how dangerous this

sport can be. Ian Hutchinson fell off his bike at Silverstone three

years ago. The visibility was terrible. Bike came through and

ruled over my legs. I was unhurt from falling off, but that smashed

it to pieces. Along with Shakey Byrne, he will be welcoming the fans

this weekend. The weather will be good in parts?

Yes! Friday and Saturday lovely. But it will take a turn down on Sunday.

For tomorrow, there will still be plenty of sunshine around. Lots of

that on Saturday, as well. It would be a lot better on Easter Day

itself. This area of high pressure is slipping away, and this area of

rain will come Europe. Despite plenty of cloud around earlier,

there was some quite decent temperatures. We had highs of 16 or

17 degrees. During the morning we saw plenty of sunshine. The wind is

back to a westerly direction. Going into tomorrow they will swing to a

northerly direction. Temperatures will feel cooler in the next couple

of days. Tonight, quite a bit of cloud cover around is. Which is

relatively mild. Sunshine really from the word go tomorrow. By the

afternoon, we will start to see some work cloud cover around. Under the

cloud, if you're caught in those winds, it will feel cool.

Temperatures will just be reaching double figures. It will be

noticeably cooler than today. Tomorrow night, we will stay dry

with clearer skies, temperatures dropping close to freezing. Expect

to start the day with a touch of frost. We should be staying dry with

plenty of sunshine around. You will not see temperatures doing much

above 1213 degrees for many of us. Into Sunday, the area of rain will

pull it from Europe. It will be wet and breezy. Plenty of cloud cover

will be behind that rain band. Over the next couple of days, plenty of

dry and bright weather, but make the most of it. On Sunday, April ten

wet. Whatever you are doing, have a lovely Easter!

Have a lovely Easter, whatever you're doing. See you next week.

Goodbye.