:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Natalie Graham.
:00:00. > :00:11.The Green Party plan a hike of almost 6% `
:00:12. > :00:22.Eric Pickles has imposed thhs on us and it is the least worst option for
:00:23. > :00:22.us. A three year high for fines handed
:00:23. > :00:25.out to lorry drivers carrying stowaways into the UK, even
:00:26. > :00:28.if they do it without realising A new departure for Gatwick,
:00:29. > :00:34.with the launch We speak to Squeeze ahead
:00:35. > :00:48.of their appearance at the Good news for some,
:00:49. > :01:04.but others need a little help. It's a tax bombshell that's
:01:05. > :01:08.stunned people in Brighton today. The Green Council have annotnced
:01:09. > :01:11.that they want to raise council The announcement comes four months
:01:12. > :01:16.after their last attempt to raise taxes by far more than
:01:17. > :01:19.the government recommended, but the Green Party say, they nded to
:01:20. > :01:23.try again to fill the funding gap. Mark Sanders has been gauging
:01:24. > :01:39.reaction in the city this afternoon. Councils across the country are
:01:40. > :01:44.facing cuts in funding. The government has been clear, `ny
:01:45. > :01:50.council wishing to raise its council tax above 80% threshold must hold a
:01:51. > :02:01.referendum. Brighton and Hove tried last year, undeterred they tried in
:02:02. > :02:10.this year `` 2%. A ?25 millhon gap in our budget for the year `head. We
:02:11. > :02:14.are a 5.9% increase to try `nd address that huge challenge. The
:02:15. > :02:18.green's plans were repeatedly blocked by opposition groups last
:02:19. > :02:24.year. They say, they won't succeed this term either. We have not seen
:02:25. > :02:29.value for money. They have failed in most of their manifesto pledges on
:02:30. > :02:36.schools, on homes, on getting recycling up to 75%, it is down to
:02:37. > :02:40.25%. Nobody trusts them. It was the highest in the country proposed last
:02:41. > :02:43.year, undoubtedly, it would be the highest this year. There is no
:02:44. > :02:49.chance of this exceeding it's a gimmick. The Green administration
:02:50. > :02:51.has faced many programmes, hncluding the strike by refuse workers which
:02:52. > :02:58.saw rubbish piling up on thhs street. There was a vote of no
:02:59. > :03:04.confidence in the leader. They say a raise in council tax might be
:03:05. > :03:09.necessary. The only way to raise money is to raise council t`x. It is
:03:10. > :03:17.not popular and never will be. At Basie it as their only option. It is
:03:18. > :03:22.quite a rise really. Cost of living is going through the roof and rise
:03:23. > :03:27.of living. I think that is very steep. I do. But, I don't know, it
:03:28. > :03:33.is a difficult balance. I don't know. If it is necessary, it is
:03:34. > :03:39.fine, as long as they use the money wisely, which they have not done so
:03:40. > :03:42.far, unfortunately. The council says tax will have to rise if thdy are to
:03:43. > :03:50.keep up with growing demand while budgets shrink. So why has the Green
:03:51. > :03:58.Party decided to propose such a big rise? Jason Kitcat says growing
:03:59. > :04:05.support from the government meant a gap in ?25 million in the council's
:04:06. > :04:11.budget. This is equivalent to ? 7 extra per year per band D household.
:04:12. > :04:17.Even without rise, he claims the gap would still be ?20 million. This
:04:18. > :04:21.would all has been tried before after a proposed 5% rise was
:04:22. > :04:30.rejected by opposition Labotr and Conservative councillors. It was
:04:31. > :04:35.written `` it rose by 2%. That was the limit without triggering a
:04:36. > :04:40.referendum. This 5.9 cent rhse suggested, which trigger a
:04:41. > :04:46.referendum. `` would trigger a referendum. If this figure `` failed
:04:47. > :04:54.last time, why have they propose it again? It was controversial last
:04:55. > :04:59.year. They put former is thd almost 5% rise and it was repeatedly
:05:00. > :05:03.opposed. They have been absolutely clear, they would oppose it again
:05:04. > :05:08.next year. Jason Kitcat knows he has no chance of getting it through but
:05:09. > :05:17.we know he is standing down. He won't be the leading next ydar. He
:05:18. > :05:27.has been a cute of gesture X. `` accused of gesture politics. He
:05:28. > :05:32.said, the only way I could do that, was to raise council tax.
:05:33. > :05:37.Therefore, it is not his fatlt. It may have caused big waves in
:05:38. > :05:42.Brighton and Hove, but this tax rise is still only a proposal only. It
:05:43. > :05:44.would have to be put `` approved by the whole council.
:05:45. > :05:46.The number of lorry drivers fined for carrying
:05:47. > :05:48.stowaways on their vehicles has reached a three year high.
:05:49. > :05:51.Figures show that over 900 fines were handed out to drivers
:05:52. > :05:53.and companies last year, a total of around ?1.8 million pounds.
:05:54. > :05:56.It comes after an investigation by this programme earlier this year
:05:57. > :06:00.revealed the desperate attelpts being made by migrants to gdt to
:06:01. > :06:17.Balancing on the axle of a lorry. These pictures show the desperate
:06:18. > :06:22.measures migrants take to gdt to Britain. Today, Home Office
:06:23. > :06:28.statistics show more stowaw`ys are being caught. According to border
:06:29. > :06:31.force after `` officers, thhs reflects the situation on the
:06:32. > :06:38.ground. It's another piece of evidence. The level of people
:06:39. > :06:43.smuggling is at a high level. With the activities of the French
:06:44. > :06:48.security services in Calais, people are becoming desperate. When we do
:06:49. > :06:56.apprehend clandestinely book, their attitude is more hostile th`n it has
:06:57. > :07:02.been in the past `` people. Find the handed out last year. Companies and
:07:03. > :07:13.drivers can be fined up to ?200 for each person carried illegally. Find
:07:14. > :07:17.the total ?1.8 million. Tod`y, some lorry drivers, say they won't stop
:07:18. > :07:21.in Calais for fear of migrants jumping into their lorries. I don't
:07:22. > :07:30.stop, because it is too risky. It is too risky. It's risky. More? More
:07:31. > :07:37.than last year. More and more and more, a big problem. This Bdlgian
:07:38. > :07:40.driver told me, yes there are lots of migrants, I have no idea where
:07:41. > :07:47.they all come from. The grotps that represent all years say the current
:07:48. > :07:56.system of fines is unfair `` Paul Leas. Lorry drivers are find ?2 00
:07:57. > :08:01.every single illegal immigr`nt that are find on their truck. Th`t could
:08:02. > :08:06.be a fine of ?10,000 or ?12,000 They tend to get fined first, then
:08:07. > :08:11.questioned after later. The Home Office says lorry drivers mtst play
:08:12. > :08:18.their part in tackling illegal immigration. Security at Calais has
:08:19. > :08:23.been bolstered. Without sectre parking at Calais, lorry drhvers say
:08:24. > :08:28.they face an impossible sittation. Many lorry drivers say the French
:08:29. > :08:33.Channel ports is now becoming a no go area, because there are so many
:08:34. > :08:38.migrants who. Nothing to julp on their lorries. One told me he now
:08:39. > :08:43.makes his last stop hundreds of miles away so stories can't get in
:08:44. > :08:46.and he won't face a fine. The Home Office save the fines are not
:08:47. > :08:52.disproportionate. They stopped 11,000 people illegally crossing the
:08:53. > :08:53.Channel last year. They also say border security is their mahn
:08:54. > :08:54.priority. Remembering a 19`year`old m`n
:08:55. > :08:56.killed by a drunk driver. And the new campaign to
:08:57. > :09:06.support families affected. A troubled further education college
:09:07. > :09:09.in Kent has announced a new round of cuts, 100 jobs,
:09:10. > :09:12.in an attempt to recover K College has five campuses
:09:13. > :09:16.across the county. It was announced last year
:09:17. > :09:18.that it would be broken up. Our reporter Rebecca Willials is
:09:19. > :09:21.outside the Ashford campus now. Rebecca, it?s another blow
:09:22. > :09:34.for the college, isn't it? It certainly is. They say these
:09:35. > :09:40.hundred redundancies will s`ve 2 million in their salary bills. This
:09:41. > :09:45.is part of an ongoing attempts to recover from a multi`million pound
:09:46. > :09:52.deficit. K College has five sites, one in Dover, one in Tonbridge. One
:09:53. > :09:57.in Ashford. They have 15,000 students and employee around 10 0
:09:58. > :10:03.staff. This is the second w`ve of redundancies. In 2012, they
:10:04. > :10:07.announced they would make 170 redundancies. Today's news lay come
:10:08. > :10:11.as a shock to many, because next month they are due to dividd into
:10:12. > :10:20.two. This has decided five xears ago, after it was revealed that
:10:21. > :10:24.there was a ?60 million defhcit by the government. Has the college has
:10:25. > :10:31.anything to say today? They said it is with regret that they ard making
:10:32. > :10:37.the redundancies. The curriculum is due to continue as usual from 2 14
:10:38. > :10:41.to 2015 there will be a consultation with staff and the union. They say,
:10:42. > :10:43.they will try to avoid any compulsory redundancies.
:10:44. > :10:45.Thanet District Council say they're "extremely disappointed" after their
:10:46. > :10:47.meeting today with the owners of Manston Airport.
:10:48. > :10:50.The airport finally closed hn May, but campaigners are hoping to
:10:51. > :10:53.persuade the council to compulsorily purchase the site.
:10:54. > :10:58.The council say the airport's position remains unchanged.
:10:59. > :11:00.This programme understands that despite today's news, an Amdrican
:11:01. > :11:07.investment firm, Riveroak, hs still interested in buying Manston.
:11:08. > :11:10.Police and Crime Commissiondrs in the South East are being given
:11:11. > :11:15.an extra ?850,000, the Government has announced.
:11:16. > :11:17.Kent's Ann Barnes says, the money will go towards ddveloping
:11:18. > :11:19.a centre to help victims of rape and sexual assault.
:11:20. > :11:24.Sussex's Katy Bourne has bedn given ?250,000 pounds to help victims
:11:25. > :11:27.of crime, while Surrey's Kevin Hurley says, his portion will help
:11:28. > :11:33.Residents are being asked to have their say on the name
:11:34. > :11:35.for the multi million pound Bexhill to Hastings link road.
:11:36. > :11:38.Rother District Council is `sking people to vote on 17 potenthal
:11:39. > :11:41.names, which will then be whittled down to a shortlist of five.
:11:42. > :11:47.A final decision will be made by the council later this month
:11:48. > :11:50.The Conservative MP for Hovd and Portslade, Mike Weatherley,
:11:51. > :11:53.has announced he won't stand for re`election next May.
:11:54. > :11:56.Mr Weatherley, who won the seat from Labour with a small majority
:11:57. > :11:59.four years ago and recently beat cancer, described it as
:12:00. > :12:05.Passengers flying to the US@ from Gatwick Airport have h`d to go
:12:06. > :12:08.through extra security checks today, in response to US warnings
:12:09. > :12:12.of a "credible" threat to ahrcraft flying into the States.
:12:13. > :12:16.It comes on the very day th`t direct flights to New York and Los Angeles
:12:17. > :12:18.are launched, significantly increasing the number of rottes to
:12:19. > :12:30.Our correspondent, Mark Norlan, has more.
:12:31. > :12:38.Al`Qaeda flags flying from captured military hardware in Sydney ``
:12:39. > :12:41.Syria. Now Western intelligdnce suggests that bomb`making expertise
:12:42. > :12:46.is causing a credible threat to flights to and from America.
:12:47. > :12:50.Security checks at Gatwick have been stepped up. Today, at least, that
:12:51. > :12:57.did not cause problems for passengers. Gatwick seems to be
:12:58. > :13:01.coping well. For most destinations, you should not notice any
:13:02. > :13:05.difference. If you are flying to America, be prepared for extra
:13:06. > :13:10.searches at the gate and perhaps some tough questions about where you
:13:11. > :13:14.are going and why. Clearly, that is quite frightening if you intend to
:13:15. > :13:22.fly to America in the next few weeks and months. Just coming into the new
:13:23. > :13:26.domain, the security and airline experts say they believe thdy can
:13:27. > :13:30.keep people safe. But the stmmer holidays are ahead. Some of us might
:13:31. > :13:34.be concerned, but a new low`cost route from Gatwick to America was
:13:35. > :13:39.launched today along with a new message for passengers. Comd to the
:13:40. > :13:44.airport, give yourself plenty of times to travel through the airport,
:13:45. > :13:49.but the vast majority of passengers should not see any reduction. In the
:13:50. > :13:53.meantime, the UK Government are not giving any details about new
:13:54. > :14:03.measures, but they haven't ruled out longer queues and security desks.
:14:04. > :14:08.The Green Council in Brighton and Hove is planning to raise council
:14:09. > :14:13.tax by far more than the government recommends. Leaders say ratd me to
:14:14. > :14:18.rise by almost 6% because it has been prevented from making the
:14:19. > :14:19.necessary rises in the park. `` past.
:14:20. > :14:21.Squeezing out another performance ` we talk to the band
:14:22. > :14:25.as they prepare for the Hop Farm Festival this weekdnd.
:14:26. > :14:30.And keeping cool ` Rachel hangs out with the ldmurs
:14:31. > :14:35.If you have a story you think we should be covering on South East
:14:36. > :14:40.You can call us on 0345 300 37 7, or send us an e`mail to
:14:41. > :15:00.We are also on Facebook or xou can tweet us ` '@bbc south dast .
:15:01. > :15:11.A family from Kent to is tednage son was killed by a drink drive was kept
:15:12. > :15:13.`` is setting up a new trust. Will funnel was just 19 when he was
:15:14. > :15:14.killed in a car He was a passenger in a car driven
:15:15. > :15:20.by a 21`year`old man, who w`s three In the last three years,
:15:21. > :15:24.nearly 500 people, aged 17 to 2 , were killed or seriously injured
:15:25. > :15:26.on Kent and Medway's roads. One quarter of call collisions
:15:27. > :15:29.on British roads involve those aged And more than one in four drivers
:15:30. > :15:34.killed are under the age of 24. Sara Smith has tonight's
:15:35. > :15:48.special report. this was will funnel on his 18th
:15:49. > :15:51.birthday. Just 19, he was ddad. He had accepted a lift with a friend
:15:52. > :15:57.who was drunk and who had t`ken drugs. He also died in the crash.
:15:58. > :16:01.His shattered parents, who have lost their only child, have set tp a
:16:02. > :16:09.charity to provide the support that might have supported them. H am
:16:10. > :16:16.still in a bad place. You are not doing all right. At times, xou just
:16:17. > :16:20.want to talk to someone. Nothing to do with the family, someone you
:16:21. > :16:29.don't even know. That is who you need to speak to. MUSIC PLAXS
:16:30. > :16:34.Teenagers are overrepresentdd when it comes to road casualties.
:16:35. > :16:39.Licensed to kill is a road safety programme aimed specificallx at
:16:40. > :16:45.young people. It's very. Chhldren are quick to learn, but thex also
:16:46. > :16:50.listen to peer pressure and they have their own views on lifd. It is
:16:51. > :16:57.about getting the balance. We don't want to make them feel unsafe or
:16:58. > :17:02.value delves `` vulnerable, but we do want them to feel the dangers of
:17:03. > :17:07.the road. Will funnel's dad will tell his story as part of the
:17:08. > :17:17.scheme. It has ripped our f`mily and the other family apart. It hs like a
:17:18. > :17:27.shock wave. He has written ` song and made a video about will, to
:17:28. > :17:30.highlight the new trust. Pl`nning his own son's funeral was something
:17:31. > :17:35.he never imagined he would have to do. Now he wants to help other
:17:36. > :17:36.families cope with the shock and grief that his is still going
:17:37. > :17:42.through. They were one of the biggest
:17:43. > :17:45.bands of the post punk era. Squeeze turned out a string
:17:46. > :17:49.of top ten hits during the late 70s, 80s and 90s ` including
:17:50. > :17:53.Up The Junction and Cool For Cats. Well, this weekend they'll be back,
:17:54. > :17:56.joining the likes of Ray Davies Grace Jones and Sophie Ellis Bexter
:17:57. > :18:07.at Kent's Hop Farm Festival # The Indians send signals
:18:08. > :18:11.from the rocks above the pass. # The Cowboys take position
:18:12. > :18:14.in the bushes and the grass. # When Squeeze burst onto
:18:15. > :18:17.the music scene in the 1970s, their edgy pop melodies and pithy
:18:18. > :18:18.lyrics, peppered with a heavy synthesiser sound, very quickly
:18:19. > :18:28.helped them build a cult following. # The Indians send signals
:18:29. > :18:33.from the rocks above the pass. One of the great things
:18:34. > :18:36.about Squeeze is that we have never Long`term, that has worked to
:18:37. > :18:39.our advantage, because we skit about whatever is happening, not
:18:40. > :18:42.necessarily part of any movdments. Now we are part of the movelent
:18:43. > :18:46.of old blokes in bands, so H suppose But even there, we stand out,
:18:47. > :18:51.I think, from the crowd. # I never thought it would happen
:18:52. > :18:57.# With me and a girl from Clapham Riding high on a new wave of pop,
:18:58. > :19:04.it wasn't long before they had You have been compared to the Lennon
:19:05. > :19:20.and McCartney. The first second and third `lbum,
:19:21. > :19:25.there was Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, they were all peers and plaxing in
:19:26. > :19:28.pubs in London. We were plaxing in pubs in London, too. They wdre big
:19:29. > :19:30.me from a lyrical point of view You have been compared to the Lennon
:19:31. > :19:37.and McCartney. As the two founding members
:19:38. > :19:48.of Squeeze, there have been a lot Even Jools Holland made
:19:49. > :19:53.an appearance. He left under a cloud, we h`ven t
:19:54. > :19:56.really talked about it for xears. At their recording studio in London,
:19:57. > :20:10.rehearsals were in full swing today We've got lots of tricks up
:20:11. > :20:23.our sleeves and rabbits unddr hats. So if you fancy hearing somd
:20:24. > :20:25.classics mixed in with a few new tracks, they'll be
:20:26. > :20:35.on the main stage this weekdnd. Charlton Athletic unveiled their
:20:36. > :20:38.new kit for the new season today. The Championship club will be
:20:39. > :20:40.sponsored by the University Their recent signing,
:20:41. > :20:44.striker Igor Vetokele, a new signing from FC Copenhagen,
:20:45. > :20:48.was one of the players showhng off the new outfits, as Addick?s boss,
:20:49. > :21:02.Bob Peters, rebuilds his sqtad. You need good players. That is why
:21:03. > :21:08.we tried to bring in other players to get a good squad. It is ` very
:21:09. > :21:10.tough division if you play for the six games. You need players who can
:21:11. > :21:10.cope with it. Well, you don't need us to tell
:21:11. > :21:13.you it's been warm today. In fact, it's been the warmdst
:21:14. > :21:16.day of the year nationally! So Rachel's here now, with
:21:17. > :21:25.a few facts and figures for us. Rachel, unusually, Kent was not the
:21:26. > :21:33.hottest place in the countrx. It usually is!
:21:34. > :21:44.Our temperatures were in thd midst 20. Earlier, I went out with two of
:21:45. > :21:49.my colleagues to see how thd South East was coping with the he`t. With
:21:50. > :21:54.the one temperatures and so much sunshine, the crop at the Stssex
:21:55. > :22:00.vineyard has flowered early. To ensure the great writing, the job is
:22:01. > :22:07.to let as much sunshine reach them `` Wright Penn.
:22:08. > :22:12.It is getting all of the canopy nice and neat, foliage wise on the
:22:13. > :22:21.terrace, so that we create that wall of leaf to capture the
:22:22. > :22:25.sunshine. It's not just the great doing well. Strawberries and other
:22:26. > :22:32.soft fruits are thriving in the near`perfect conditions. Should the
:22:33. > :22:37.fine weather continue, farmdrs can expect a bumper crop, not jtst a
:22:38. > :22:45.healthier yield, but even bdtter tasting wine. Is this the Costa
:22:46. > :22:51.Brava? As the temperatures climbed, it looked as though Viking Bay was
:22:52. > :22:56.everyone's favourite destin`tion. We came down here because this is the
:22:57. > :23:00.best place in the South East. There is a lots of seaweed, I am not a
:23:01. > :23:04.great fan of the seaweed. It is remarkable to think that only six
:23:05. > :23:11.weeks ago, the council was `dvising swimmers not to go in the sda after
:23:12. > :23:16.a spell of wet weather resulted in sewage being pumped out a lhttle
:23:17. > :23:23.further up the coast. The w`ter was soon declared safe, but traders say
:23:24. > :23:28.it affected business. It grows in peoples minds. That could bd what is
:23:29. > :23:36.causing a start this year. Today, they are basking in better times. In
:23:37. > :23:42.this park, some animals needed a little more TLC than others. I am in
:23:43. > :23:46.lemur land and we are chillhng out with a lolly. The lemurs were
:23:47. > :23:56.enjoying their beetroot and carrot I follows, many other animals were
:23:57. > :24:03.given mud bath to keep cool Ashgrove ice lollies. We put cream on
:24:04. > :24:08.everyday, especially for pigs and around their ears. Their skhn is
:24:09. > :24:14.similar to ours and they ard prone to sunburn. We give them good
:24:15. > :24:19.protection throughout the d`y. Not everybody was bothered by the heat.
:24:20. > :24:25.Some people were happy `` some animals were happy to kick back and
:24:26. > :24:32.enjoy the sun rays. Tomorrow, temperatures are expected to rise. A
:24:33. > :24:38.warm and sunny picture. It hs not going to last. Earlier, lots of
:24:39. > :24:47.sunshine, clear blue skies for the most part. Many had no clouds in the
:24:48. > :24:59.sky. Temperatures in the low mid to high 20s. Into tonight, it will stay
:25:00. > :25:06.settled. Light winds, cleardr skies, you might just see some mist
:25:07. > :25:09.and fog patches forming. Temperatures 14 and 15 degrdes, mild
:25:10. > :25:14.as we start the day. Plenty of sunshine from the word go. Similar
:25:15. > :25:22.to today. Temperatures comfortably in the mid`20s. Even along the
:25:23. > :25:26.coast, temperatures around 21 or 22 degrees. A settled picture. The
:25:27. > :25:32.winds pick up the south`westerly direction, becoming increashngly
:25:33. > :25:37.breezy and we see some more cloud cover around. That is ahead of rain
:25:38. > :25:39.that we expect to see in thd first part of tomorrow evening.
:25:40. > :25:48.Eventually, all of us will see the rain. Temperatures remain
:25:49. > :25:58.comfortably in the midst te`ms. `` teams. It will be a wet day. For the
:25:59. > :26:02.weekend, a fresher feel to things. The rain will be clearing ott of the
:26:03. > :26:09.way on Saturday, but even on Sunday there will be some showers `round.
:26:10. > :26:15.First on Saturday, plenty of rain. Temperatures 21 or 22 degreds. On
:26:16. > :26:19.Sunday, one or two showers `nd temperatures around 19 or 20
:26:20. > :26:25.degrees. More rain on Mondax and it stays unsettled as we go into
:26:26. > :26:32.Tuesday. The tomorrow, tempdratures will rise on today's values, highest
:26:33. > :26:37.26 degrees or 27 degrees. Lots of sunshine and a comfortable day.
:26:38. > :26:43.Heading towards a weekend, ` real shift. Showers stay with us until
:26:44. > :26:52.Sunday. Still, for tomorrow, lots of sunshine, do enjoy it. Let's look at
:26:53. > :26:56.our top stories, security is being stepped up in Britain's airports as
:26:57. > :27:03.America warns of a credible terrorism threat. The extra checks
:27:04. > :27:09.come amid fears that Arcadi`, Syria could be developing bombs. Brighton
:27:10. > :27:15.and Hove Council have proposed a 5.9% rise in council text `` tax for
:27:16. > :27:19.next year, if successful thhs would trigger a referendum through the
:27:20. > :27:23.city. The number of lorry drivers fined for carrying stowaways has
:27:24. > :27:27.reached a three`year high, figures show that over 900 finds were handed
:27:28. > :27:33.out to drivers and companies last year, a total of around ?1.8
:27:34. > :27:40.million. Drivers find even hf they did not realise they had a still
:27:41. > :27:47.away on board. `` are fined. Good night.