:00:00. > :00:00.News at Six. It's goodbye from me. On BBC One we
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.
:00:00. > :00:12.A ?100,000 fine, but no jail for the boss of a stunt show
:00:13. > :00:17.We'll be live at court with the details.
:00:18. > :00:19.The Kent family who narrowly avoided death
:00:20. > :00:23.at the Berlin Christmas market terror attack.
:00:24. > :00:26.Things could have been different, and we just thank our lucky stars.
:00:27. > :00:30.You just feel so sorry - right on top of Christmas.
:00:31. > :00:34.A Sussex family's agony at facing Christmas
:00:35. > :00:40.missing after he disappeared in the Alps.
:00:41. > :00:43.Found abandoned - the puppies dumped in a Kent field that highlight
:00:44. > :00:49.And how a cancer diagnosis led one man to donate
:00:50. > :01:04.a lifetime's collection of art to Eastbourne's Towner Gallery.
:01:05. > :01:08.His approach to safety was described in court as "lackadaisical",
:01:09. > :01:12.but today the boss of a stunt firm has avoided a prison sentence
:01:13. > :01:16.after a human cannonball died during a show in Kent.
:01:17. > :01:21.Scott May, who runs Stunts UK Ltd, admitted a health and safety breach
:01:22. > :01:25.following the death of 24-year-old Matthew Cranch.
:01:26. > :01:29.He faced up to two years jail, but received a 12 month community
:01:30. > :01:34.order and the company was given a ?100,000 fine.
:01:35. > :01:55.A thumbs up before climbing into the canon. But this stunt would cost
:01:56. > :01:59.Matthew Cranch his life. In front of hundreds of spectators, he was fired
:02:00. > :02:04.into the air. To their horror, the safety net intended to break his
:02:05. > :02:07.fall collapsed as he was in midair. He hit the ground, suffering
:02:08. > :02:12.catastrophic injuries. A mechanism designed to free the Sandman on the
:02:13. > :02:16.net once he had landed safety had not been set properly. Bath Rugby
:02:17. > :02:19.stuntman. His parents were in court as the firm he was working for was
:02:20. > :02:24.mined. The council which brought the prosecution read a statement on
:02:25. > :02:27.their behalf. Today was my sentencing is about bringing justice
:02:28. > :02:33.for Matthew. He brought to the world a sense of kindness, gentleness,
:02:34. > :02:40.sensitivity, fairness and incredible sense of humour. An unforgettable
:02:41. > :02:43.smile and the very best of big hugs. We will always be grateful and
:02:44. > :02:49.thankful for his love and the time that we have spent together. The
:02:50. > :02:54.loss of our son is a matter we can have an exact or recover from.
:02:55. > :02:59.Stunts UK Ltd and its director Scott May admitted failing to ensure the
:03:00. > :03:04.safety of workers. I think what we can land on a case like this is that
:03:05. > :03:08.the health and safety laws apply not just to companies and individuals
:03:09. > :03:11.but also to directors of companies, and if those directors are found to
:03:12. > :03:15.have fallen short of the mark, they can expect to be prosecuted as well
:03:16. > :03:20.as the company. Anything you would like to say to the family?
:03:21. > :03:24.Why did this happen? The judge accepted it was not a deliberate
:03:25. > :03:27.health and safety breach, but the risk should have been identified.
:03:28. > :03:29.The failure to do so resulted in a man losing his life.
:03:30. > :03:48.What did the judge had to say during sentencing? -- have to say. In his
:03:49. > :03:52.sentencing he said the punishment he offered was not an attempt to put a
:03:53. > :03:57.value on the life of Matthew Cranch. As part of a punishment, Scott May
:03:58. > :04:03.will have to do 150 hours of unpaid work. The firm as well as being
:04:04. > :04:06.fined ?100,000 will have to pay ?80,000 in costs. But the judge
:04:07. > :04:10.accepted this was not a deliberate attempt to breach health and safety
:04:11. > :04:14.law by cutting corners to save money, it was a risk that was not
:04:15. > :04:17.known about and had it been known about, perhaps the company would
:04:18. > :04:21.have done something. But they should have taken measures to identify the
:04:22. > :04:25.risk in the first place. This has taken five years to come to court,
:04:26. > :04:28.there has been a police investigation, inquest and an
:04:29. > :04:33.investigation by Ms didn't cancel and they say they will pursue cases
:04:34. > :04:38.like this when lives are lost. -- Maidstone cancel. -- cancel.
:04:39. > :04:40.A Kent family have been telling this programme how a spur-of-the-moment
:04:41. > :04:42.decision to turn back and look at some decorations
:04:43. > :04:44.at the Berlin Christmas market saved their lives.
:04:45. > :04:47.Lynn and Barrington Butler, who run a cafe in Tenterden,
:04:48. > :04:50.were with their daughter on a short break in the German capital
:04:51. > :04:52.when an HGV lorry ploughed into the market
:04:53. > :04:55.12 people were left dead and 48 injured.
:04:56. > :05:06.Nightmare neighbour Lynn Street. The aftermath of a terrible act were a
:05:07. > :05:09.lorry was driven into a Christmas market. Barrington Butler was in the
:05:10. > :05:15.area when the terrorist made his deadly move. All the stalls were
:05:16. > :05:21.empty, the stallholders were crying. They were on the phone, what's going
:05:22. > :05:26.on? Everybody was just crying. We just knew a vehicle had crashed
:05:27. > :05:32.into... We were literally... There was a wall of people. Things could
:05:33. > :05:35.have been so different. The attack happened in the early hours of
:05:36. > :05:39.yesterday evening in the popular market area of West Berlin's main
:05:40. > :05:44.shopping street. The truck loaded with steel beams ploughed through
:05:45. > :05:48.wooden huts and stands packed with tourists and locals. 12 people were
:05:49. > :05:53.killed, 48 others were injured, some critically. Mr bow said he moved
:05:54. > :06:03.away quickly, fearing a second terrorist attack. They have packed
:06:04. > :06:08.the lorry full of explosive, we thought they were going to kill more
:06:09. > :06:14.people when the goggles. I thought straightaway this was a terrorist. I
:06:15. > :06:18.just feel so sorry for those people that have been caught up in it. The
:06:19. > :06:22.German Chancellor, at the scene of last night's devastation. Angela
:06:23. > :06:27.Merkel says she is shocked and saddened by what has happened.
:06:28. > :06:32.Theresa May paid tribute to the people affected by the events in
:06:33. > :06:37.Berlin. We have seen very timid images in our newspapers and
:06:38. > :06:42.television. -- vivid. I wanted to expect express our condolences of
:06:43. > :06:45.all of us, for those who have been affected, and we hold them in our
:06:46. > :06:49.thoughts today. The incident in Berlin is the latest in a series of
:06:50. > :06:53.terrorist attacks in cities across Europe. The threat level in Britain
:06:54. > :06:58.remain severe, which means an attack is highly likely. Mr Butler was in
:06:59. > :07:02.Germany for rest and relaxation following heart surgery. He returns
:07:03. > :07:09.to Kent tomorrow with his wife, daughter and her partner.
:07:10. > :07:12.Patients face having vital surgery cancelled
:07:13. > :07:24.The Southern Rail strikes have cost the UK economy
:07:25. > :07:28.according to a study published today.
:07:29. > :07:30.The walk-outs, over changes to the role
:07:31. > :07:38.The current strike by members of the RMT union ends at midnight.
:07:39. > :07:44.Since the industrial action started, it's cost ?300 million,
:07:45. > :07:49.And there are more strikes to come - RMT conductors will walk out
:07:50. > :07:51.for another three days, starting on New Year's Eve.
:07:52. > :08:01.Our political editor Helen Catt reports.
:08:02. > :08:08.CHANTING: Southern Fail! Southern Fail!
:08:09. > :08:11.We're trying to do the same amount of volume of work with less people.
:08:12. > :08:16.Quite honestly, it's not a joke any more, it isn't a joke.
:08:17. > :08:18...Has been cancelled, due to a temporary
:08:19. > :08:24.This West Sussex toolmaker says it is losing hours of working time
:08:25. > :08:27.every week because of the train strikes making it much harder
:08:28. > :08:31.Well, when we've got limited staff here, obviously that
:08:32. > :08:35.productivity is reduced, so we're trying to do
:08:36. > :08:37.the same amount of volume of work with less people,
:08:38. > :08:44.In a region where the economy relies on commuting into London,
:08:45. > :08:47.Gatwick and along the coast, a new study suggests
:08:48. > :08:55.At the highest level, the total impact per strike day
:08:56. > :08:59.is probably 9.5 million, at a conservative level.
:09:00. > :09:06.Those trying to fill job vacancies say they have never seen it so bad.
:09:07. > :09:08.We're not saying come here, let's come down
:09:09. > :09:14.Because we are having trouble doing business.
:09:15. > :09:16.We are having trouble getting around.
:09:17. > :09:19.We are having trouble just getting to and from work.
:09:20. > :09:26.This Sussex taxi firm, for example, says it has seen a boost
:09:27. > :09:31.Ladies and gentlemen, we do apologise
:09:32. > :09:39.That is due to too many people being on this train.
:09:40. > :09:42.And while the strikes are stopping some acts from getting to this
:09:43. > :09:44.comedy club in Brighton to perform, they are at least providing plenty
:09:45. > :09:50.Comedically, it is a gift, it is a gift, but quite honestly,
:09:51. > :09:53.it's not a joke any more, it isn't a joke.
:09:54. > :09:56.We can laugh so much, but when it comes to affecting people's lives,
:09:57. > :10:00.people's livelihoods, then no, that's not a joke.
:10:01. > :10:02.The study didn't look at lost sales or the impact
:10:03. > :10:07.With those added in, the costs could well be much higher
:10:08. > :10:16.Well, Helen joins from East Grinstead train station.
:10:17. > :10:18.Helen, problems on Southern have been brought up
:10:19. > :10:33.It seems that the issues on these wheels are making a regular
:10:34. > :10:36.appearance in Parliament. It is not all about industrial action.
:10:37. > :10:41.Sutherland were suffering from poor performance before any of that
:10:42. > :10:44.started so today, the East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim wrote and
:10:45. > :10:48.presented a bill calling for a new real ombudsman. He also wants to hit
:10:49. > :10:52.train companies in the pocket when things go wrong. He wants them to
:10:53. > :10:56.have to automatically pay into a pot when trains are late and make it
:10:57. > :11:00.easier for passengers to claim that because he says claiming rates for
:11:01. > :11:05.compensation are pretty low. His bill was accepted so it will be
:11:06. > :11:06.debated in Parliament next March. It already has the support of at least
:11:07. > :11:09.eight other South East MPs. And you can follow strike updates
:11:10. > :11:12.on our dedicated Local Live pages - or get in touch with us
:11:13. > :11:17.via Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail to
:11:18. > :11:24.southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. A Kent-based company which kept
:11:25. > :11:27.a group of Lithuanian men as modern slaves will pay out around
:11:28. > :11:32.?1 million in compensation. The Maidstone chicken
:11:33. > :11:34.catching company, DJ Houghton Catching Services,
:11:35. > :11:37.was found to have withheld wages and kept workers
:11:38. > :11:41.in inadequate conditions. It's the first High Court claim
:11:42. > :11:43.against a British company A further 22 Syrian refugess will be
:11:44. > :11:50.resettled in East Sussex in January, following 22 that have already been
:11:51. > :11:52.welcomed to the county Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden
:11:53. > :12:02.and Rother councils have each agreed Whilst Hastings Borough Council has
:12:03. > :12:05.pledged to house 100 people Nearly ?700,000 worth
:12:06. > :12:12.of cocaine has been seized by Border Force officers
:12:13. > :12:15.at the port of Dover, 17 kilos of the drug were seized
:12:16. > :12:20.when officers searched a Bulgarian freight lorry
:12:21. > :12:23.that had arrived on a ferry The driver of the lorry,
:12:24. > :12:26.a 40-year-old man with dual Macedonian/Bulgarian nationality,
:12:27. > :12:32.was arrested and released on bail. The wife of a man who went missing
:12:33. > :12:35.four months ago in the Alps says her family is in "absolute
:12:36. > :12:40.agony" as they prepare to spend their first Christmas
:12:41. > :12:42.in Brighton without him. 61-year-old David Wood went
:12:43. > :12:44.for a walk in the mountains while on holiday in August
:12:45. > :12:48.and disappeared. Extensive searches and
:12:49. > :12:50.investigations by both British and French police have found no clue
:12:51. > :13:04.as to what happened to him. It is the not knowing which is the
:13:05. > :13:09.worst part, says Valerie Armstrong. Her husband of 33 years went on a
:13:10. > :13:15.walk from their holiday home in France and simply disappeared.
:13:16. > :13:21.Absolute agony for us. You know, not to have any idea what has happened
:13:22. > :13:25.to Dave, you know, we love him so much and we miss him so much, and we
:13:26. > :13:29.don't know what has happened, we don't know if he has suffered, we do
:13:30. > :13:34.not know anything. It is heartbreaking. David Wood, a
:13:35. > :13:39.mathematician, was fit and strong, a rock climber in his younger days. He
:13:40. > :13:42.had taken to mobile phones, walking sticks and was wearing this orange
:13:43. > :13:47.cap as he set off from the village of Marie to the neighbouring one of
:13:48. > :13:52.Clans in the French Alps in August. The six kilometre walk was one he
:13:53. > :13:57.knew well but no sign has been seen of him since. Mountain rescue teams
:13:58. > :14:01.and French police have searched and searched, as have Valerie and their
:14:02. > :14:05.two sons, using social media to raise awareness. It is a sad story
:14:06. > :14:09.but every year we hear stories of people who have gone off, walking on
:14:10. > :14:13.their own in some remote parts of the world. It might start off they
:14:14. > :14:16.go off early in the morning and the weather is nice, but in mountainous
:14:17. > :14:19.areas the weather can be changeable so we often hear cases of people who
:14:20. > :14:25.have been seriously injured or in many cases even worse. We are just
:14:26. > :14:30.hurting big time. The thought of Christmas without David is going to
:14:31. > :14:35.be such a big, empty hole. I have no interest in it, you know. I have
:14:36. > :14:43.sort of half-heartedly put up a Christmas tree, and I just... It is
:14:44. > :14:48.just too painful. It is the worst time of the year. Now David's family
:14:49. > :14:51.is desperate for news, any news, come the New Year.
:14:52. > :14:54.Vital surgery may have to be cancelled for some patients in Kent
:14:55. > :14:57.as part of cost-cutting measures being discussed
:14:58. > :15:02.The Clinical Commissioning Group, which organises all health care
:15:03. > :15:06.in West Kent, says it needs to save an extra ?4 million.
:15:07. > :15:11.This could mean courses of IVF, hip operations and cataract surgery
:15:12. > :15:14.have to be suspended, with patients having to wait
:15:15. > :15:29.We only get so much money and if we spend more than that, we have to
:15:30. > :15:30.make deeper cuts further. At the moment, we are having
:15:31. > :15:33.difficulty living within that money, which is why we've got to put
:15:34. > :15:36.this plan in place. But it is the least
:15:37. > :15:38.worst thing to do. is at the Tunbridge Wells
:15:39. > :15:51.Hospital in Pembury. This really is about balancing the
:15:52. > :15:53.books, before the end of the financial year. A key decision that
:15:54. > :16:00.came from the meeting this afternoon in terms of non-urgent procedures
:16:01. > :16:04.like some of the ones you mentioned, so if you have an operation and you
:16:05. > :16:10.have a date for an operation in the next six weeks, will happen, but you
:16:11. > :16:14.-- if you are on a waiting list, it is not going to take place anywhere
:16:15. > :16:21.before the beginning of April 2017. The trust say this is as a result of
:16:22. > :16:24.huge demand in other areas, mental health, acute services and
:16:25. > :16:29.post-operative care. It is really about slowing the money down as they
:16:30. > :16:32.head towards the end of the financial year. The patients
:16:33. > :16:36.Association are criticising it, saying they are failing to keep up
:16:37. > :16:39.with the demands of society. Tonight there will be people thinking they
:16:40. > :16:42.had the operation coming up and now they have no idea when it will
:16:43. > :16:44.happen. The boss of a stunt show whose
:16:45. > :16:48."lackadaisical" approach to safety led to the death of a performer
:16:49. > :16:51.in Kent has been fined ?100,000, Scott May admitted a health
:16:52. > :16:55.and safety breach following the death of Matthew Cranch
:16:56. > :16:57.in a human cannonball act 30 years of collecting art,
:16:58. > :17:07.and now he's given it all away. How a Sussex man's cancer diagnosis
:17:08. > :17:20.prompted an act of charity. And December are so far has been
:17:21. > :17:23.relatively settled, but that is all set to change in the run-up to
:17:24. > :17:24.Christmas. I will have the details in the forecast later in the
:17:25. > :17:26.programme. If you have a story you think
:17:27. > :17:29.we should be covering on South East Today,
:17:30. > :17:31.we'd like to hear from you. or send us an e-mail to
:17:32. > :17:36.southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. We are also on Facebook,
:17:37. > :17:47.or you can tweet us - @bbcsoutheast. Growing numbers of pets
:17:48. > :17:49.are being abandoned in the South East over Christmas,
:17:50. > :17:54.with the RSPCA saying the situation has become dramatically
:17:55. > :17:57.worse in recent years. It's estimated that four pets
:17:58. > :18:01.are dumped every hour, according to figures released
:18:02. > :18:03.by the RSPCA. Last year the charity took
:18:04. > :18:08.788 calls on Christmas Day, and they say they've receIved
:18:09. > :18:12.72 complaints of abandoned animals in the South East
:18:13. > :18:15.since the beginning of December. The new figures come as six
:18:16. > :18:19.Staffordshire bull terrier puppies were found dumped inside a sealed
:18:20. > :18:22.plastic container in Kent. Charlie Rose has more
:18:23. > :18:26.for tonight's special report. these puppies are just
:18:27. > :18:31.a few weeks old and should Instead, they were found abandoned
:18:32. > :18:40.and in need of urgent care. We got a call on Saturday morning
:18:41. > :18:43.to say that somebody had When we went to the house, they told
:18:44. > :18:48.us that they were all in one tiny tub that had been sealed
:18:49. > :18:51.with the lid and everything, and when we got there,
:18:52. > :18:53.they were in Some of them could hardly move,
:18:54. > :19:00.very lethargic, they had scars They needed injections
:19:01. > :19:04.and treatment for parasites. This one, called Ice,
:19:05. > :19:07.still has the scars. Ice was one of the worst
:19:08. > :19:09.ones, she was literally The vets literally were quite
:19:10. > :19:14.worried, they took away It comes as animal charity the RSPCA
:19:15. > :19:26.launches its latest appeal. # If you put your heart
:19:27. > :19:32.in my hands...# It says it has received scores
:19:33. > :19:35.of complaints of abandoned pets in the South East
:19:36. > :19:39.since the beginning of December. In the 14 years that
:19:40. > :19:41.I've been doing this, it's only the second time that we've
:19:42. > :19:45.had a number of pups like this. So, it is quite a rare
:19:46. > :19:47.occurrence, thankfully, And this time, Christmas,
:19:48. > :19:51.when everyone is getting together with their families and everything
:19:52. > :19:54.else, and obviously, these have been pushed out
:19:55. > :19:58.in the cold, literally. Staff here do not know
:19:59. > :20:01.where the mother of these Staffordshire bull terrier
:20:02. > :20:04.crossbreeds is, But the future for her puppies
:20:05. > :20:10.looks a lot brighter now. Soon they will be off to rescue
:20:11. > :20:12.centres and if their appetites are anything to go by,
:20:13. > :20:19.they will give anyone a lot of fun. Charlie Rose, BBC South East Today,
:20:20. > :20:27.in the Medway Towns. When Sussex artist and art
:20:28. > :20:30.collector Patrick Goff was diagnosed with cancer,
:20:31. > :20:32.it left him contemplating what he should do with
:20:33. > :20:36.his extensive array of artwork Well, he has followed a noble
:20:37. > :20:41.tradition of art benefactors and decided to hand it over
:20:42. > :20:43.lock, stock and barrel to the Towner Art Gallery
:20:44. > :20:46.in Eastbourne. Piers Hopkirk has been to meet him
:20:47. > :20:49.and to see his bequest Hidden from the view,
:20:50. > :20:58.this storage room is the part of the Towner Gallery few will ever
:20:59. > :21:03.set eyes on. Mounted on these movable
:21:04. > :21:05.rails, the artwork that comprises the gallery's
:21:06. > :21:12.4500 picture collection. It was a backstage tour
:21:13. > :21:15.here which inspired artist, designer and collector Patrick Goff
:21:16. > :21:20.to bequeath his own collection. So, how hard a decision
:21:21. > :21:23.was it to let it go? I came in this morning and looked
:21:24. > :21:30.at them and nearly cried. But I was diagnosed with cancer
:21:31. > :21:36.and I was very conscious that whilst I hope I've got another 20 years,
:21:37. > :21:38.I might only have another 20 minutes, so I had to do
:21:39. > :21:44.something. Patrick's prints were accumulated
:21:45. > :21:47.over 30 years - a collector with an eye
:21:48. > :21:50.for a bargain. This, by artist
:21:51. > :21:53.Gerald Spencer Pryse. This is Belgian troops
:21:54. > :21:56.at the side of the road. It's an original
:21:57. > :21:59.Boots frame from 1920. And you found this
:22:00. > :22:05.at a blacksmith's? At the back of a blacksmith's
:22:06. > :22:08.shop, covered in cobwebs It just shouted out
:22:09. > :22:13.that it was worth having, Patrick is loath to put
:22:14. > :22:21.a value to his collection. His reward, though,
:22:22. > :22:23.like all benefactors, knowing it will continue to be
:22:24. > :22:28.enjoyed for years to come. These are the original paintings
:22:29. > :22:32.left by Alderman Towner to Eastbourne, for the creation
:22:33. > :22:36.of an art gallery for the people. 22 in all, bequeathed
:22:37. > :22:40.nearly a century ago. So, Patrick Goff's gift
:22:41. > :22:43.follows in a long line We don't have an acquisition budget,
:22:44. > :22:51.it is tiny, it is less than ?5,000. So, we rely on the generosity
:22:52. > :22:57.of collectors, of philanthropists, It was burning in
:22:58. > :23:02.a skip at the back... So, Patrick Goff's collection
:23:03. > :23:04.will live on here, a lasting legacy
:23:05. > :23:07.for future generations. Piers Hopkirk,
:23:08. > :23:21.BBC South East Today, Eastbourne. I don't know if you have noticed,
:23:22. > :23:24.but it is nearly Christmas! Over the last year, we've caught up
:23:25. > :23:26.with celebrities from this neck of the woods and those
:23:27. > :23:29.visiting the South East. As we approach Christmas,
:23:30. > :23:31.here are some festive messages for you, starting with some
:23:32. > :23:33.of the South East's To all the viewers of
:23:34. > :23:36.BBC South East Today, we would like to wish you
:23:37. > :23:40.a very Merry Christmas. Hi, I'm Lesley Joseph
:23:41. > :23:43.and I want to wish everybody a really wonderfully
:23:44. > :23:46.happy Christmas. some people say the future
:23:47. > :23:52.of British comedy. I would just like to wish
:23:53. > :23:55.all the viewers of BBC South East
:23:56. > :24:08.a very Merry Christmas. I like him!
:24:09. > :24:10.So sincere. The weather is on the turn, but not for a white
:24:11. > :26:59.Let's recap tonight's top national and local news stories.
:27:00. > :27:01.German police are warning that whoever was responsible
:27:02. > :27:03.for yesterday's carnage at a Berlin Christmas market
:27:04. > :27:09.The director of a stunt firm has been given a 12-month community
:27:10. > :27:12.order for health and safety breaches following the death of a Kent man
:27:13. > :27:19.who'd been fired from a cannon into the air.
:27:20. > :27:22.And six puppies who were left to die after being sealed in a plastic
:27:23. > :27:26.container and then dumped in a field have been rescued and re-homed
:27:27. > :27:43.That it from us by now. I will be back at it a clock and at 10:20
:27:44. > :27:45.five. Have a lovely evening. -- at eight o'clock.