16/09/2014 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.

Smith. Tonight's top stories. We exclusively reveal how Southern

Water could face a ?176 million penalty ` which will be the largest

away untreated from hospital twice. Also in tonight's programme:

Treasured pictures of a lost son are stolen, as the mother of a soldier

killed in Afghanistan is mugged in Sussex.

The teenager hailed a hero `fter he tackled a violent criminal trying to

escape from police. We're live in Brighton with the

details. And heavyweight actor Simon Callow

takes on a heavyweight text ` the Bible ` for his one man show, on

Southern Water is facing thd largest financial penalty ever imposed

on a water utility company, for failings in customer servicds and

BBC South East Today can exclusively reveal that the watchdog Ofwat may

force the company to reduce its bills to customers by ?176 lillion.

It's the latest in a series of controversies for Southern Water,

which was criticised by a hhgh court judge last year for discharging raw

Our Business Correspondent Lark Norman has this report.

And the prospect of a ?176 lillion penalty. It is the largest short

wall levy that has been proposed. It is subject to change. We will not

know the final result until December, but that is significant.

Southern water will need to learn the lessons for the future. 150

million for what is describdd as underperformance with sewagd

treatment plants. And ?26 mhllion for pure performance in dealing with

customer complaints. That is more than the entire company profits for

2012. The company said they were disappointed with the figurds. But

that is a word they have usdd before. The regulator's proposed

penalties are not related to the problems the company has had in East

Kent regarding the failure of water pumping stations. People here are

fed up with the company. We have lost a lot of money over thd summer

period. We will never get that back. Local businesses should be

compensated. It is never enough There is no excuse for it. One way

or another they will get it back as Bridget on the bills. The s`me as

the other people, gas and electricity. `` they will gdt its

back as they put it on the bills. It does not go far enough to compensate

for the damage that has been caused, especially as you over the past five

or ten years. It is severe. But it does not make Southern water's are

is what enough. Southern water has said this does not impact on bathing

water quality. They have bedn giving evidence to support the view that no

penalty should be imposed. They have until October to prove that point.

Any decision on penalties whll be made in December.

?176 million. It is a large amount of money. What does that me`n in

terms of the bills that customers will face?

They will come down. But thhs is not a fine. This is a cap on income

Customers bills will go down by 8.5%. But there will be mondy added

to our bills so we may not notice any difference.

This is a process that the company goes through every five years. The

company point out this is vdry much a discussion. They are putthng

points to the regulator now. They argue they should not be a penalty.

All we are interested in thhs will come down and whether it will be

held responsible. A Kent man who fractured

his spine in multiple places claims he was turned away twice by

Medway Maritime Hospital and told he The hospital is now investigating

what happened in Lee Chilman's case. The 37`year`old from Chathal claims

it took three visits to identify his injuries from the results of a CT

scan taken on the first occ`sion. Victoria Holland has

this exclusive report. Immobilised by pain. The phxsical

exhaustion and anguish on Lde Chilman's faces uncomfortable to

watch. He fractured his back three weeks ago. When he went to @ccident

and Emergency doctors told him he was faking his symptoms. Whx was I

physically shaking? The first Dr said the scam was fine. The next Dr

did not even bother looking. He just told him that he was putting it on.

The last consultant knew his job and did something about it.

Eventually the crack in the Spain was spotted and he was sent to

hospital in London. `` the crack in his back was spotted. That hs making

him frustrated. It is making me frustrated. I cannot help hhm like

he helped me. It is a knock`on effect. In a statement of the trust

say they are sorry for any distress caused. Basically are investigating

undertaking the complaint sdriously. Are visiting physiotherapists

becomes so concerned about his condition that he is admittdd to

hospital again. His parents hope that this time his injuries will be

taken seriously. In a moment:

The oldest person in the UK to undergo gender reassignment ` we

have 81`year`old Ruth's story. Dramatic images have been rdleased

of a Sussex teenager chasing down and tackling a man who had

seconds before assaulted two female 16`year`old Kiya Ingham who has been

commended for his bravery bx Sussex It was just instinct,"

after stepping in when the lan Kiya Ingham appears. Moments later

the officers are attacked. The offender does not get away thanks to

Kiya Ingham. It looked like he knew where he was going to go. Khya

Ingham has just finished his exams when it happens. He has been looking

at this screen for the bus times home. He walked on. Moments later

the man ran past him. He tackled him down to the ground. He has gone in

with out any hesitation at `ll. Despite getting a lot of abtse from

this man he has stayed calm and very professional. He has been vdry

measured and his actions. Wd are really grateful. The police

recognised the actions with an award. I cannot express how proud we

are. We are so proud of him. For Kiya Ingham it has been a

potentially life changing experience. I want to work for the

police. This has given you the inspiration. Yes, definitelx. The

offender eventually pleaded guilty to assault in court. At the scene is

he yelled at Kiya Ingham, I know your face. That's now so do the

police, all for the right rdasons. Juliette Parkin is live

where it happened. Juliette,

did anyone else step in to help They did not. Duelling the day this

is one of the busiest parts of Brighton. The footage shows that a

number of people what's past and did not stop to help. A number of them

even took pictures on their mobile phones as the drama unfolded. I

asked Kiya Ingham he had done anything like this before. He said

he had done kick boxing at his club, but nothing like this. Sussdx Police

see he is too young to sign up but they would be happy to speak to him

if there are any work experhence opportunities that come up.

A former Sunday Telegraph journalist who helped to expose the MPs'

expenses scandal has been j`iled for seven years for raping ` woman.

44`year`old Ben Leapman's vhctim came forward after his home

in Eynsford was searched by officers investigating obscene

He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnds has

It's understood Ms Barnes w`s driving her Mercedes and

when she was involved in a collision with another vehicle and went

Ms Barnes is shaken but not seriously hurt.

The mother of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan is pldading

for her mobile phone, stolen by a mugger, to be rdturned.

Jaqui Janes says the phone contains the only moving pictures shd had

of her son Jamie. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

The phone was taken after she was barged to

the ground while walking her son's dog on the South Downs ` and she

told our reporter Jon Hunt she is desperate to get the phone back

Jacqui Janes is heartbroken. The video of her and her son's class

Christmas together has been stolen. The video is of no value to anybody

else. But that helps me. I play it over and over again some nights

Just to hear his voice. He was killed in an explosion whilst

on patrol in Afghanistan in 200 . The following year gifts and flowers

were stolen from his grave. In 2012 of his mother called for an

enquiry. It is hoped yesterday 's thhef will

give the phone back. To him this is just a phone. To

Jackie it is more. At the time of the robbery Jacqui

Janes had only just built up the confidence to leave the house alone.

I have a problem with being out on my own. I do not like going out

even with my own children. H cannot wait to get back in. But I will not

be going out alone again. J`cqui Janes was not hurt in the robbery.

The thief is described as white man in his late 20s and skinny build.

A Kent family say they're shocked and angry after their four`xear`old

son managed to walk out of school at lunchtime on his first ftll day.

The first his parents knew was when there was a knock

at their door in Ramsgate from a stranger who'd followed Jdnsen

Simon Jones is outside the school now.

I understand Jensen's parents have made an official compl`int

Yes. The first day at school can be traumatic for pupils and parents

alike. That proved to be thd case for Jensen Hart who managed to get

through one of the gates despite the fact there was a member of staff on

duty who was supposed to be checking who was coming and going. F`mily

have complained. It is not the way his parents wanted his first day at

school to go. Some lady we have never seen before had our son with

her. She had seen him playing in the street on the road. She brotght him

home. Jensen Hart made his way from the school to his home, a dhstance

of over half a mile. I am angry because anything could have

happened. He will just run, he will just run in the road. Anythhng could

have happened. The school s`ys Jensen Hart managed to get out as to

parents who had dropped thehr children at nursery were le`ving.

The two adults realised what had happened, one at all the school and

one followed. But many were quick to defend the school. It is a one off.

It does not happen all the time It is our good school. Hopefully the

school has addressed the issue. The family say they are relieved.

Tonight the school described what happened as an unfortunate hncident.

The school says safety is the number one priority and they have

introduced measures to ensure this does not happen again. The family

are now taking it up with the chair of governors although they do point

out they have other children at the school and have never had issues

like this before. Southern water are facing the largest financial penalty

ever imposed on a utility for failure of services. The regulator

may force the company to reduce its bills by ?176 million.

Simon Cowell on quite possibly his biggest challenge yet.

I will have the weather det`ils later.

oldest person in the UK to tndergo gender reassignment surgery.

81`year`old Ruth Rose was a man called James until his earlx 70s.

Figures from the Gender Identity Research Edtcation

Society show 1,500 people whth transgender dysphoria are coming

forward for treatment every year. The median age for treatment is 42.

The study also found 84 children and young people are referred to gender

clinics each year. For tonight's Special Report our reporter Ian

Palmer spoke to Ruth Rose at her home in Newhaven and found ` woman

very much looking forward to the future.

The oldest person to undergo gender reassignment

listens closely to a debate about her NHS surgery on BBC radio Sussex.

Maybe this type of procedurd is spreading the NHS resources too

far... The reaction so far has been very

positive. Everybody has been saying I did the right thing and that the

NHS should provide facilitids like this.

Ruth used to be a man. The former engineer and financi`l

adviser married and raised ` family before deciding to lhve as a

woman. Two months ago the 81`year`old had gender reassignment

surgery paid for by the NHS. It s a decision not everyone agreed with.

I found that my friendships blossomed better. Everything has

gone very well for me and I had so much

support from friends. And I just feel that I've been accepted into

the feminine community once and for all properly. And that is rdally

nice. The number of people asking

for gender reassignment tre`tment is doubling every five years according

to a study carried out by the Gender Identity Research Education Society.

It's difficult to estimate the numbers of actual transgender

people because many of them live very closeted and secret lives,

afraid to be able to take things any further, or not in a position to

take things further. But we currently have 200 transgender

people on our books. Transgender

issues have recently hit thd headlines after the former boxing

promoter Frank Maloney annotnced the decision to live as a woman.

Deep down I thought, maybe I can earn

enough money that one day I can disappear and just live a ndw life

completely away as a female and no one would ever bother me. Bdcause in

sport once you come out of sport you are soon forgotten.

At 81 Ruth Rose has become a spokesperson for life

after retirement. She says ht's never too late to become thd person

you want to be. I'd give an awful

lot if I can to public life and adequately, I hope, repay what

they've done for me. That's only fair, that I

should give something back because that's part of what keeps md going.

He is not afraid of the biggest rules. Now his latest show focuses

on the character of Jesus Christ. He looks at the historical figtre

through the eyes of those who might have known him.

From Hollywood blockbusters to Shakespearean theatre he has

inspired and entertained in a variety of roles. But this time he

is looking at the life of arguably the most significant man in his

study. `` in history. Though he is not playing Jesus himself hd tackles

all the other characters including the family, friends and enelies of

Jesus. He said it was a personal story to tell. In the 1950s and

1960s the image of Jesus was all`powerful. As a young Catholic

one was looking at God. For Simon Cowell is another role he whll

always be fascinated by. Not one to be typecast, as well as an `ctor of

screen and stage she has also directed and written books. Life is

short and one wants to do as much as one can. `` he has also written and

directed. Earl de la Warr has tracked down the

sausages. I was always lookhng for the perfect sausage only to find I

had one on my doorstep. But the recipes disappeared. The Ar`l tried

to track down the family of the original which are. `` Earl de la

Warr try to track down the family. Everybody has their own ide` of the

perfect sausage. This was the one. Having made 22 attempts to lake a

sausage himself it was time to bring in the experts. We finally got it to

what we thought was the correct sausage. As the son of a butcher I

did see that as a good saus`ge. I would take the spaces out. Ht is

better to pay for a decent sausage rather than a rubbish sausage. It is

a very nice sausage. I cannot tell you what's the recipe is. Btt he did

tell me the sausages contain herbs and spices that are not own any

other sausages. Here is the weather. It will be misty in the morning

backed by the afternoon it will warm up. A similar theme over thd next

couple of days. If you have any photographs that you would like to

send, here is the address. Over the next couple of days it was

they settled. As we go throtgh tonight, initially some cle`rer

skies around. Lighter winds. More cloud cover feeding in from the

Channel. An overcast start to the day tomorrow. A misty and mtrky

start to the day. The winds 15 mph. Tomorrow night, more cloud cover

around. Thursday is staying settled. Eventually we will be seeing

thunderstorms as we head into Friday.

That dissolved for now. Goodbye.

There's so much more to this story than I thought. Wow.