:00:00. > :00:00.News at 6.00pm. For this evening, it's goodbye are from me, on BBC One
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm John Young.
:00:07. > :00:13.Another life sentence for the so called
:00:14. > :00:21."Skull Cracker" Michael Wheatley who escaped from a Kent open prison.
:00:22. > :00:26.One in ten five`year`olds in the Medway town is obese ` now "fat
:00:27. > :00:38.fighters" are set to hold a summit to tackle an epidemic in the area.
:00:39. > :00:42.Some of the children are terrible, overweight, but it is down to the
:00:43. > :00:51.parents. In search of
:00:52. > :00:55.the greater crested newt ` why the creature that property developers
:00:56. > :00:58.dread is being protected in Kent. Look who's being barked at
:00:59. > :01:04.on the tennis court! Our Rachel limbers up
:01:05. > :01:07.for a special match as Eastbourne's A serial violent criminal serving
:01:08. > :01:21.life for a string of armed bank heists has admitted carrying out a
:01:22. > :01:25.gunpoint raid on a building society Michael Wheatley dubbed the
:01:26. > :01:28.Skull Cracker has today been sentenced to another life term after
:01:29. > :01:32.he pleaded guilty to three offences Wheatley had already been serving a
:01:33. > :01:40.life sentence at Standford Hill Open Prison on the Isle of Sheppy when he
:01:41. > :01:44.failed to return from day release. Our Home Affairs reporter,
:01:45. > :02:05.Rebecca Williams has more. Dubbed the Skull Cracker, Michael
:02:06. > :02:13.Wheatley admitted robbing a building society whilst on the run from an
:02:14. > :02:17.open prison. The 55`year`old had been serving a life sentence at the
:02:18. > :02:22.time and carried out a series of robberies whilst on parole for
:02:23. > :02:36.another. One of his victims has told the BBC how he threatened to kill
:02:37. > :02:38.her. He put his hand around my neck. A gun to my temple. And started
:02:39. > :02:39.screaming and shouting, not at me but at the cashier 's. Michael
:02:40. > :02:41.Wheatley went on the run May the 3rd when he was granted a release.
:02:42. > :02:43.Filmed by an eyewitness, this is when he was arrested in east London.
:02:44. > :02:44.Today he appeared in court via video link. Just before his arrest he
:02:45. > :02:50.raided this building society in Surrey. He went in demanding money
:02:51. > :02:56.and let with a bundle of cash. Hours later police tracked him down ten
:02:57. > :03:00.miles away. Some insist he should not have been allowed out on day
:03:01. > :03:05.release in the first place. I cannot believe the 13 life sentences he got
:03:06. > :03:10.a tariff of eight years. In an open prison and then he escaped. It is an
:03:11. > :03:16.embarrassment and we need to sort it out. This will require a review. It
:03:17. > :03:25.has gone wrong. It may be about assessment, but an assessment is
:03:26. > :03:30.made before a person goes out. They go out supervised initially and then
:03:31. > :03:33.go out on their own. The Justice Secretary has said he won't allow
:03:34. > :03:38.the actions of a small minority of offenders undermine the prison
:03:39. > :03:45.system. Tonight, the Skull Cracker has been sentenced to another
:03:46. > :03:51.lifetime with a minimum of ten years behind bars. Rebecca, we understand
:03:52. > :03:58.leading politicians have been voicing their concerns? Yes,
:03:59. > :04:02.concerns from our local MP, but in the last couple of minutes I have
:04:03. > :04:06.heard from the Shadow Justice Secretary. He said although people
:04:07. > :04:10.will be happy this man has been caught and convicted, he said
:04:11. > :04:17.corners are being cut that are putting the public's lives at risk.
:04:18. > :04:20.There are big questions for the government because a lot of inmates
:04:21. > :04:25.have escaped and gone on the run last month.
:04:26. > :04:27.A so`called obesity summit including a team
:04:28. > :04:32.of fat fighters has been called to attempt to tackle one of the highest
:04:33. > :04:36.Swale and Medway are the second and third worst areas in England for
:04:37. > :04:40.people who are severely overweight with nearly a third of adults
:04:41. > :04:45.One in ten children in the area is obese by the age
:04:46. > :04:48.of five and the gathering comes after members of Medway Council
:04:49. > :04:50.called for a ban on fast food takeaways opening near schools.
:04:51. > :04:52.Our political reporter, Ellie Price, has more.
:04:53. > :04:54.A so`called obesity summit including a team
:04:55. > :04:59.of fat fighters has been called to attempt to tackle one of the highest
:05:00. > :05:02.Swale and Medway are the second and third worst areas in England for
:05:03. > :05:06.people who are severely overweight with nearly a third of adults
:05:07. > :05:12.One in ten children in the area is obese by the age
:05:13. > :05:15.of five and the gathering comes after members of Medway Council
:05:16. > :05:17.called for a ban on fast food takeaways opening near schools.
:05:18. > :05:19.Our political reporter, Ellie Price, has more.
:05:20. > :05:22.Medway has a big problem. Some of the children around here are
:05:23. > :05:25.terrible. Overweight and that, but it is down to the parents. Some
:05:26. > :05:27.parents say it is not that simple. They are doing Jamie Oliver school
:05:28. > :05:30.menus but a lot of the kids out there don't like half of the stuff.
:05:31. > :05:33.The fruit and veg is fine, but it goes off quicker and there is not
:05:34. > :05:37.enough time to eat it if you are throwing half of it away. It is a
:05:38. > :05:44.struggle to get him to eat fruit and vegetables. Won't even try it, yes.
:05:45. > :05:49.The definition of obesity is when your body Mass index is over 30.
:05:50. > :05:53.Medway Council says 10% of children in the towns are obese by their
:05:54. > :05:59.first year of school. It jumps to 20% by the time they are in year
:06:00. > :06:04.six. It is estimated 30% of adults in Medway are obese compared to the
:06:05. > :06:08.national average of 25%. Isn't it time to take action rather than just
:06:09. > :06:13.talk about it? We cannot take action until we have all of our partners on
:06:14. > :06:19.board. We talk it through so we can understand what each of our partners
:06:20. > :06:23.needs to do to make it happen. Those partners include schools, hospitals
:06:24. > :06:25.and sports clubs and the council says when the meeting takes place
:06:26. > :06:32.next Tuesday, there will be tangible results. The first being the council
:06:33. > :06:34.should be discussing is the fast`food takeaway places and they
:06:35. > :06:41.should make sure that, as much as they can, ban them from within a
:06:42. > :06:46.certain perimeter of schools and preferably parts as well in the
:06:47. > :06:48.Medway area. That is something the council says it is considering an
:06:49. > :06:50.following a public consultation will discuss it at a council meeting next
:06:51. > :06:54.month. Ellie the issue of obesity is never
:06:55. > :07:08.far from the headlines is it? Major research has suggested more
:07:09. > :07:13.girls are obese here than anywhere else in western Europe. The NHS has
:07:14. > :07:17.released new guidelines saying I respect the will and suggesting
:07:18. > :07:23.losing a bit of weight and keeping it off could be a more effective
:07:24. > :07:27.message. The council knows it had its work cut out and it has limited
:07:28. > :07:32.powers to force people to lose weight. It said it is going for a
:07:33. > :07:34.healthy carrot, rather than stick approach. But the idea is to
:07:35. > :07:39.persuade more people to change their behaviour.
:07:40. > :07:42.Well many of you have been contacting us with your comments.
:07:43. > :07:45.Janie Bond has an interesting take on it.
:07:46. > :07:48.She says the fact that people can choose
:07:49. > :07:52.schools further from home for their children means too many children
:07:53. > :07:57.Paul Anthony's been in touch on Twitter and he says:
:07:58. > :08:01.How about free activities for under tens as mandatory,
:08:02. > :08:09.How can we solve the problem of obesity?
:08:10. > :08:11.You can let us know via our Facebook page,
:08:12. > :08:16.or by tweeting us or e`mailing, and we'll read out some more of your
:08:17. > :08:24.Going global ` the Sussex tech company with
:08:25. > :08:34.a multi`million pound deal to take on American and Asian markets.
:08:35. > :08:37.The South East has seen the highest number of Help to Buy loans
:08:38. > :08:41.completed making up nearly a quarter of all the lending nationally.
:08:42. > :08:44.Critics say the scheme isn't doing what it was set up to do ` to get
:08:45. > :08:49.Ministers say the mortgage guarantee scheme is working and isn't creating
:08:50. > :08:57.According to official data, 385 homes have been sold
:08:58. > :09:01.so far across Kent and Sussex since phase two of Help to Buy
:09:02. > :09:08.Most of those were in Kent, with 60 loans secured in Medway alone, the
:09:09. > :09:12.highest in the South East and fifth most popular in the country overall.
:09:13. > :09:27.Greg moved into his new home just outside Maidstone four months ago.
:09:28. > :09:30.He try to take advantage of the Help to Buy scheme but it had only just
:09:31. > :09:36.been launched and there was computer and as to what he was eligible for.
:09:37. > :09:43.When I said, this is how much money I have got for a deposit. They said
:09:44. > :09:48.we can only take 5000 and we will offer you 90,000. In Maidstone, that
:09:49. > :09:52.wasn't getting me anything I would be happy to live with. All was not
:09:53. > :09:56.lost because the same bank had their own product for first`time buyers
:09:57. > :10:00.and he was able to buy a house that suited his needs and budget. The
:10:01. > :10:06.second phase of Help to Buy was launched in October last year when
:10:07. > :10:11.lenders offered mortgages with just a 5% deposit. The government
:10:12. > :10:17.protects this with underwriting the loan. The bubble has got to burst
:10:18. > :10:21.sooner or later. Either the government have got to step in to
:10:22. > :10:25.slow it down or the Bank of England will have two step in to do
:10:26. > :10:30.something with interest rates. If they do, this could cause a knock on
:10:31. > :10:33.effect and people could find their mortgage repayments, they can ill
:10:34. > :10:41.afford if the interest rates go up. The governments say figures show the
:10:42. > :10:45.scheme is working. It is about making sure people who earn a decent
:10:46. > :10:52.wage and should be able to get onto the housing market but cannot secure
:10:53. > :10:58.the massive deposits, this scheme is supporting those individuals. 14% of
:10:59. > :11:02.all Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme loans are secured in the
:11:03. > :11:02.south`east, an area which has seen house prices rise by more than 6%
:11:03. > :11:07.during the year to March. An investigation has been launched
:11:08. > :11:10.after a fire at the Dreamland site The fire started in a building
:11:11. > :11:14.near the Scenic Railway, Thanet District Council is now
:11:15. > :11:17.reviewing security measures More than 400 jobs could go at
:11:18. > :11:22.Surrey Police following budget cuts. The county's police
:11:23. > :11:24.and crime commissioner says services will suffer if more funding from
:11:25. > :11:27.central Government can't be found. Kevin Hurley says there'll
:11:28. > :11:29.be fewer staff in future. Two commuters have been hailed
:11:30. > :11:33.as heroes after they rescued a woman passenger who fell
:11:34. > :11:36.on to rail tracks shortly before The woman, thought to be in her 60s,
:11:37. > :11:43.tripped and fell at Strood station A small Sussex firm is set to go
:11:44. > :11:51.global after signing a multi`million deal with
:11:52. > :11:54.the Japanese equivalent of Amazon. DC Storm based
:11:55. > :11:57.in Brighton has spent a decade developing software which tracks
:11:58. > :12:00.consumer spending habits online. After signing
:12:01. > :12:03.the multi`million pound deal they now plan to expand their business
:12:04. > :12:05.into America and the Far East. Our Business Correspondent,
:12:06. > :12:17.Mark Norman, has the story. Sometimes appearances can appear
:12:18. > :12:21.deceptive. From the small offices in Brighton, the staff at DC Storm are
:12:22. > :12:25.about to be global players. They have developed software that helps
:12:26. > :12:31.target advertising by monitoring how we shop. You have been looking at
:12:32. > :12:37.this purchase over a period of time and interacting with different
:12:38. > :12:41.markets. We have been able to capture those different events, the
:12:42. > :12:46.different times you have looked for something and join it up into a
:12:47. > :12:50.consistent journey. The ability to do that is new and hugely valuable
:12:51. > :12:53.to retailers. Not entirely surprising they have done a deal
:12:54. > :13:02.with a Japanese company for the world's third I guess site behind
:13:03. > :13:08.Amazon and eBay. We envision this will be a technical hub in Brighton.
:13:09. > :13:17.We will grow our people and business out of Ryton. From Brighton to the
:13:18. > :13:21.rest of the world. Very exciting. This office will double. They are
:13:22. > :13:26.looking for skilled staff and work closely with the universities. The
:13:27. > :13:30.head of the New York office was at Sussex University a couple of years
:13:31. > :13:34.ago and spoke to me this morning. How is the transition from
:13:35. > :13:39.University to this company and where you are now for you? It has been
:13:40. > :13:47.great. It has been a fast growth for me. How long did it take you to say
:13:48. > :13:51.yes to New York? I think it was probably about half a pint. The
:13:52. > :13:55.company said this deal will reaffirm Brighton's status as a World Cup for
:13:56. > :14:11.digital marketing. The Skull Cracker has been jailed
:14:12. > :14:16.for life and a minimum of ten years today for robberies that was carried
:14:17. > :14:17.out well on the run from an open prison in Kent. Politicians have
:14:18. > :14:23.questioned the day relief system. The vineyard in Sussex
:14:24. > :14:28.where rose's all the rage. And serving up a surprise
:14:29. > :14:30.at Eastbourne ` find out how Rachel got on as the town's big tennis
:14:31. > :14:34.moment gets closer. If you have a story you think we
:14:35. > :14:38.should be covering on South East They can bring a major building
:14:39. > :14:56.development to a halt overnight. Protected by law, the great crested
:14:57. > :15:00.newt is in decline across Europe. Now in a major study
:15:01. > :15:05.conservationists at the University of Kent are finding out more
:15:06. > :15:08.about the lives of the amphibians to Great crested newts are the largest
:15:09. > :15:13.of Britain's three types of newt, but they're also an endangered
:15:14. > :15:17.species which is why they've been Our environment correspondent,
:15:18. > :15:32.Yvette Austin, Entering the world of the great
:15:33. > :15:35.crested newt. For nearly 20 years, students have been monitoring this
:15:36. > :15:40.spacey is in the longest`running study of its kind. We put some traps
:15:41. > :15:46.out late last night and this morning we will see what we have got. This
:15:47. > :15:55.is the first one. Let's take this out and see if there is anything
:15:56. > :16:03.there. Yes. There is a big great crested newt. She is popped into a
:16:04. > :16:08.box for identification. The marks on her stomach like our fingerprints. I
:16:09. > :16:12.can see straightaway but this one, is this one here. She has got it
:16:13. > :16:19.yellow patch at the top and some black blotches. That is Edith. At
:16:20. > :16:23.the height of the breeding season it is easy to tell the males and
:16:24. > :16:29.females apart in the water by the crest on the Mail's back. I am
:16:30. > :16:35.allowed to hold this one under the license? You are, this is Philip.
:16:36. > :16:41.This time of year his crest has pretty much disappeared. He is done
:16:42. > :16:44.with his breeding for the year. He has courted all of the females and
:16:45. > :16:50.he will probably wondering off in the pond in a few weeks. It is his
:16:51. > :16:55.movements around the pond the researchers are interested in. The
:16:56. > :17:00.trapping takes place every week from February to July. This particular
:17:01. > :17:04.site is a study where we know the individuals and what they have been
:17:05. > :17:10.doing the several years. That detailed information is allowing us
:17:11. > :17:13.to produce recommendations that will improve surveys and ultimately
:17:14. > :17:19.recommendations for mitigation for development. Giving the great
:17:20. > :17:29.crested newt a better relationship with developers in the future.
:17:30. > :17:33.You may well be about to sit down for the evening with a glass of
:17:34. > :17:40.If it's a rose, you're one of an increasing number
:17:41. > :17:45.Demand has increased so much that one Sussex vineyard is
:17:46. > :17:48.Helen Drew is there for us now at Bolney.
:17:49. > :18:08.They are indeed. But even if you want to make more wine, you cannot
:18:09. > :18:10.unless the weather is good enough. The weather is night this evening
:18:11. > :18:18.and fortunately so far the weather has been fine. Some of these finds
:18:19. > :18:22.are flowering. These are the flowers he would not normally see for a few
:18:23. > :18:27.weeks. That means more grapes and more grapes mean more wine.
:18:28. > :18:31.Red, white or rose? Some others don't mind which one, but an
:18:32. > :18:37.increasing number of people are turning to the pink plonk. I love
:18:38. > :18:44.it. I love all wine. I quite like rose. If I want a good night's
:18:45. > :18:46.sleep, I will have read but if I am drinking midday, it will be rose
:18:47. > :18:53.because it is lighter. I liked all three, it all goes down the same
:18:54. > :18:57.way. The demand for rose has grown. Of all the wine bought in British
:18:58. > :19:04.supermarkets and off`licences a decade ago, won in 40 bottles was
:19:05. > :19:11.rose. Now that has increased to one in eight. Sales are ?1.7 million
:19:12. > :19:17.every day. Rose is popular in the summer, people take it outside for
:19:18. > :19:20.drinks in the park. It is popular among younger drinkers, 18 to
:19:21. > :19:25.34`year`olds. It suits that demographic and lifestyle. To keep
:19:26. > :19:30.up with that demand, this vineyard near Haywards Heath is increasing
:19:31. > :19:35.its rose production this year. We have more than tripled production to
:19:36. > :19:41.10,000 bottles. It has been popular over the last few years. We release
:19:42. > :19:47.it in April and sell out in June. It is time to make more. Can you see
:19:48. > :19:54.the time when the demand outstripped the demand for the winds? Some
:19:55. > :20:01.months it does take over from the other winds, on a hot sunny day it
:20:02. > :20:06.is more preferable to drink rose. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's
:20:07. > :20:07.French chateaux is now producing it. Chances are, they won't be
:20:08. > :20:20.overseeing the production line. It is not just about rose. There is
:20:21. > :21:22.competition from sparkling wine. An increased amount of that is produced
:21:23. > :21:24.Well next month the Aegon International tennis
:21:25. > :21:31.tournament returns to Eastbourne and this year the annual event is
:21:32. > :21:33.celebrating its 40th anniversary. Over the years star names such
:21:34. > :21:36.as Martina Navratilova have graced the courts at Devonshire Park.
:21:37. > :21:39.This year it's the turn of me! I've been invited to play
:21:40. > :21:41.in a special media match during the tournament and I'm taking
:21:42. > :21:49.training very seriously. I am going to be playing my
:21:50. > :21:54.first`ever competitive tennis match after just five lessons. The LTA
:21:55. > :22:01.hope this ?40 million facility will keep the trend going. I have got the
:22:02. > :22:14.kit, I just need some expert advice. That chap over there is Leon and is
:22:15. > :22:20.the Davis cup captain and might be the man for the job. Don't rush into
:22:21. > :22:24.the box. Let the ball come to you. Don't rush. Finally you are
:22:25. > :22:36.listening to me. What is your top tip in the match? Try not to look up
:22:37. > :22:41.the crowd. You will see lots of people there and you will be
:22:42. > :22:44.thinking, they are all watching me. In its 40 year history, this
:22:45. > :22:48.tournament has welcomed some of the best`known names. I am feeling
:22:49. > :22:52.pretty nervous to say the least stepping out on the same courts as
:22:53. > :22:57.them. I know I am not particularly good, but should I have a mental
:22:58. > :23:06.strategy? The big advice is grab people of a similar level and grab
:23:07. > :23:12.some points for the next few weeks. That will settle your nerves. I have
:23:13. > :23:15.picked up some helpful tips. There might be a few butterflies on the
:23:16. > :23:19.day, but it is all for fun, right. I am not that competitive.
:23:20. > :23:22.And Rachel will be playing at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne
:23:23. > :23:24.for the special media match on Tuesday 17th June.
:23:25. > :23:27.I'd love your support on the day but if you can't get there,
:23:28. > :23:31.make sure you watch the main programme at 6.30pm.
:23:32. > :23:52.We have had highs of it in, 16 degrees and fairly light winds. As
:23:53. > :23:57.we go into tonight, much more of the same. Sharp showers, but we will be
:23:58. > :24:03.staying dry. Clearer skies and temperatures may be dropping into
:24:04. > :24:08.single figures. For tomorrow it will be a cloudy, mostly dry start but it
:24:09. > :24:11.should be brightening up nicely by the time we get to the afternoon. A
:24:12. > :24:16.brighter picture than when we started the week. Temperatures
:24:17. > :24:22.little bit up on today. Around or 17. A settle picture as we have high
:24:23. > :24:28.pressure building in from the North with light winds, ten to 15 miles an
:24:29. > :24:31.hour. Much more of the same as we go through tomorrow night. High
:24:32. > :24:34.pressure will be building. Temperatures staying relatively
:24:35. > :24:39.mild, but strapping into single figures around eight or 9 degrees.
:24:40. > :24:45.The weekend, Saturday in particular looks to be sunny and Vine. On
:24:46. > :24:50.Sunday there is the risk of rain, particularly by the afternoon.
:24:51. > :24:57.Dash`macro fine. On Saturday, lots of sunshine around. Temperatures
:24:58. > :25:04.climbing nicely. Highs lodging up to the low 20s but mostly 15 or 16
:25:05. > :25:10.degrees. One of a clear night as we go Sunday, we are expecting to see
:25:11. > :25:13.some rain arriving at some point but it will be a bright start to the
:25:14. > :25:18.day. One to showers but eventually we will see this rain as we go over
:25:19. > :25:21.into the new week. A bit of a wet stop the Monday I am afraid.
:25:22. > :25:27.Temperatures holding up pretty decently. Over the next couple of
:25:28. > :25:34.days, 20 of sunshine around particularly for Saturday. Risk of
:25:35. > :25:38.rain on Sunday. Rain stays until we go into Monday and then I am afraid
:25:39. > :25:41.it will be with us into Tuesday. But then lots of sunshine around
:25:42. > :25:51.particularly the Saturday. Enjoy it. Well let's return to one
:25:52. > :25:54.of our top stories tonight. A special obesity summit which will
:25:55. > :25:58.include a team of 'fat fighters' is attempting to tackle the weight
:25:59. > :26:00.problem in Swale and Medway. We asked you how can we solve
:26:01. > :26:10.the problem of obesity? Chris Webb in Strood has e`mailed to
:26:11. > :26:17.say it is the parents who don't encourage their kids to eat well and
:26:18. > :26:21.exercise. Eva says she has a go at the local
:26:22. > :26:26.authority. She says so many people are drinking booze and so much sugar
:26:27. > :26:29.is hidden in drink. Councils and courage take aways and restaurants
:26:30. > :26:36.who provide unhealthy food. Darren says, Chatham is a good example of
:26:37. > :26:40.the problem. Three cafes and a burger van 100 metres from a primary
:26:41. > :26:44.school. Stuart Daly who lives in Medway says
:26:45. > :26:51.every day my house is bombarded with three to five pizza and takeaway
:26:52. > :26:57.menus. There should be a limit. David thinks parents should be
:26:58. > :27:00.prosecuted and forced to attend food science classes. If you would like
:27:01. > :27:03.to join in the debate you can go on to join in the debate you can go
:27:04. > :27:09.onto our Facebook page. But that is it from us to now. Thanks for
:27:10. > :27:13.watching. We are back at 10:25 p.m.. But thanks for watching.