20/12/2016 South East Today

News at Six. It's goodbye from me. On BBC One we

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

A ?100,000 fine, but no jail for the boss of a stunt show

We'll be live at court with the details.

The Kent family who narrowly avoided death

at the Berlin Christmas market terror attack.

Things could have been different, and we just thank our lucky stars.

You just feel so sorry - right on top of Christmas.

A Sussex family's agony at facing Christmas

missing after he disappeared in the Alps.

Found abandoned - the puppies dumped in a Kent field that highlight

And how a cancer diagnosis led one man to donate

a lifetime's collection of art to Eastbourne's Towner Gallery.

His approach to safety was described in court as "lackadaisical",

but today the boss of a stunt firm has avoided a prison sentence

after a human cannonball died during a show in Kent.

Scott May, who runs Stunts UK Ltd, admitted a health and safety breach

following the death of 24-year-old Matthew Cranch.

He faced up to two years jail, but received a 12 month community

order and the company was given a ?100,000 fine.

A thumbs up before climbing into the canon. But this stunt would cost

Matthew Cranch his life. In front of hundreds of spectators, he was fired

into the air. To their horror, the safety net intended to break his

fall collapsed as he was in midair. He hit the ground, suffering

catastrophic injuries. A mechanism designed to free the Sandman on the

net once he had landed safety had not been set properly. Bath Rugby

stuntman. His parents were in court as the firm he was working for was

mined. The council which brought the prosecution read a statement on

their behalf. Today was my sentencing is about bringing justice

for Matthew. He brought to the world a sense of kindness, gentleness,

sensitivity, fairness and incredible sense of humour. An unforgettable

smile and the very best of big hugs. We will always be grateful and

thankful for his love and the time that we have spent together. The

loss of our son is a matter we can have an exact or recover from.

Stunts UK Ltd and its director Scott May admitted failing to ensure the

safety of workers. I think what we can land on a case like this is that

the health and safety laws apply not just to companies and individuals

but also to directors of companies, and if those directors are found to

have fallen short of the mark, they can expect to be prosecuted as well

as the company. Anything you would like to say to the family?

Why did this happen? The judge accepted it was not a deliberate

health and safety breach, but the risk should have been identified.

The failure to do so resulted in a man losing his life.

What did the judge had to say during sentencing? -- have to say. In his

sentencing he said the punishment he offered was not an attempt to put a

value on the life of Matthew Cranch. As part of a punishment, Scott May

will have to do 150 hours of unpaid work. The firm as well as being

fined ?100,000 will have to pay ?80,000 in costs. But the judge

accepted this was not a deliberate attempt to breach health and safety

law by cutting corners to save money, it was a risk that was not

known about and had it been known about, perhaps the company would

have done something. But they should have taken measures to identify the

risk in the first place. This has taken five years to come to court,

there has been a police investigation, inquest and an

investigation by Ms didn't cancel and they say they will pursue cases

like this when lives are lost. -- Maidstone cancel. -- cancel.

A Kent family have been telling this programme how a spur-of-the-moment

decision to turn back and look at some decorations

at the Berlin Christmas market saved their lives.

Lynn and Barrington Butler, who run a cafe in Tenterden,

were with their daughter on a short break in the German capital

when an HGV lorry ploughed into the market

12 people were left dead and 48 injured.

Nightmare neighbour Lynn Street. The aftermath of a terrible act were a

lorry was driven into a Christmas market. Barrington Butler was in the

area when the terrorist made his deadly move. All the stalls were

empty, the stallholders were crying. They were on the phone, what's going

on? Everybody was just crying. We just knew a vehicle had crashed

into... We were literally... There was a wall of people. Things could

have been so different. The attack happened in the early hours of

yesterday evening in the popular market area of West Berlin's main

shopping street. The truck loaded with steel beams ploughed through

wooden huts and stands packed with tourists and locals. 12 people were

killed, 48 others were injured, some critically. Mr bow said he moved

away quickly, fearing a second terrorist attack. They have packed

the lorry full of explosive, we thought they were going to kill more

people when the goggles. I thought straightaway this was a terrorist. I

just feel so sorry for those people that have been caught up in it. The

German Chancellor, at the scene of last night's devastation. Angela

Merkel says she is shocked and saddened by what has happened.

Theresa May paid tribute to the people affected by the events in

Berlin. We have seen very timid images in our newspapers and

television. -- vivid. I wanted to expect express our condolences of

all of us, for those who have been affected, and we hold them in our

thoughts today. The incident in Berlin is the latest in a series of

terrorist attacks in cities across Europe. The threat level in Britain

remain severe, which means an attack is highly likely. Mr Butler was in

Germany for rest and relaxation following heart surgery. He returns

to Kent tomorrow with his wife, daughter and her partner.

Patients face having vital surgery cancelled

The Southern Rail strikes have cost the UK economy

according to a study published today.

The walk-outs, over changes to the role

The current strike by members of the RMT union ends at midnight.

Since the industrial action started, it's cost ?300 million,

And there are more strikes to come - RMT conductors will walk out

for another three days, starting on New Year's Eve.

Our political editor Helen Catt reports.

CHANTING: Southern Fail! Southern Fail!

We're trying to do the same amount of volume of work with less people.

Quite honestly, it's not a joke any more, it isn't a joke.

..Has been cancelled, due to a temporary

This West Sussex toolmaker says it is losing hours of working time

every week because of the train strikes making it much harder

Well, when we've got limited staff here, obviously that

productivity is reduced, so we're trying to do

the same amount of volume of work with less people,

In a region where the economy relies on commuting into London,

Gatwick and along the coast, a new study suggests

At the highest level, the total impact per strike day

is probably 9.5 million, at a conservative level.

Those trying to fill job vacancies say they have never seen it so bad.

We're not saying come here, let's come down

Because we are having trouble doing business.

We are having trouble getting around.

We are having trouble just getting to and from work.

This Sussex taxi firm, for example, says it has seen a boost

Ladies and gentlemen, we do apologise

That is due to too many people being on this train.

And while the strikes are stopping some acts from getting to this

comedy club in Brighton to perform, they are at least providing plenty

Comedically, it is a gift, it is a gift, but quite honestly,

it's not a joke any more, it isn't a joke.

We can laugh so much, but when it comes to affecting people's lives,

people's livelihoods, then no, that's not a joke.

The study didn't look at lost sales or the impact

With those added in, the costs could well be much higher

Well, Helen joins from East Grinstead train station.

Helen, problems on Southern have been brought up

It seems that the issues on these wheels are making a regular

appearance in Parliament. It is not all about industrial action.

Sutherland were suffering from poor performance before any of that

started so today, the East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim wrote and

presented a bill calling for a new real ombudsman. He also wants to hit

train companies in the pocket when things go wrong. He wants them to

have to automatically pay into a pot when trains are late and make it

easier for passengers to claim that because he says claiming rates for

compensation are pretty low. His bill was accepted so it will be

debated in Parliament next March. It already has the support of at least

eight other South East MPs. And you can follow strike updates

on our dedicated Local Live pages - or get in touch with us

via Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail to

[email protected]. A Kent-based company which kept

a group of Lithuanian men as modern slaves will pay out around

?1 million in compensation. The Maidstone chicken

catching company, DJ Houghton Catching Services,

was found to have withheld wages and kept workers

in inadequate conditions. It's the first High Court claim

against a British company A further 22 Syrian refugess will be

resettled in East Sussex in January, following 22 that have already been

welcomed to the county Eastbourne, Lewes, Wealden

and Rother councils have each agreed Whilst Hastings Borough Council has

pledged to house 100 people Nearly ?700,000 worth

of cocaine has been seized by Border Force officers

at the port of Dover, 17 kilos of the drug were seized

when officers searched a Bulgarian freight lorry

that had arrived on a ferry The driver of the lorry,

a 40-year-old man with dual Macedonian/Bulgarian nationality,

was arrested and released on bail. The wife of a man who went missing

four months ago in the Alps says her family is in "absolute

agony" as they prepare to spend their first Christmas

in Brighton without him. 61-year-old David Wood went

for a walk in the mountains while on holiday in August

and disappeared. Extensive searches and

investigations by both British and French police have found no clue

as to what happened to him. It is the not knowing which is the

worst part, says Valerie Armstrong. Her husband of 33 years went on a

walk from their holiday home in France and simply disappeared.

Absolute agony for us. You know, not to have any idea what has happened

to Dave, you know, we love him so much and we miss him so much, and we

don't know what has happened, we don't know if he has suffered, we do

not know anything. It is heartbreaking. David Wood, a

mathematician, was fit and strong, a rock climber in his younger days. He

had taken to mobile phones, walking sticks and was wearing this orange

cap as he set off from the village of Marie to the neighbouring one of

Clans in the French Alps in August. The six kilometre walk was one he

knew well but no sign has been seen of him since. Mountain rescue teams

and French police have searched and searched, as have Valerie and their

two sons, using social media to raise awareness. It is a sad story

but every year we hear stories of people who have gone off, walking on

their own in some remote parts of the world. It might start off they

go off early in the morning and the weather is nice, but in mountainous

areas the weather can be changeable so we often hear cases of people who

have been seriously injured or in many cases even worse. We are just

hurting big time. The thought of Christmas without David is going to

be such a big, empty hole. I have no interest in it, you know. I have

sort of half-heartedly put up a Christmas tree, and I just... It is

just too painful. It is the worst time of the year. Now David's family

is desperate for news, any news, come the New Year.

Vital surgery may have to be cancelled for some patients in Kent

as part of cost-cutting measures being discussed

The Clinical Commissioning Group, which organises all health care

in West Kent, says it needs to save an extra ?4 million.

This could mean courses of IVF, hip operations and cataract surgery

have to be suspended, with patients having to wait

We only get so much money and if we spend more than that, we have to

make deeper cuts further. At the moment, we are having

difficulty living within that money, which is why we've got to put

this plan in place. But it is the least

worst thing to do. is at the Tunbridge Wells

Hospital in Pembury. This really is about balancing the

books, before the end of the financial year. A key decision that

came from the meeting this afternoon in terms of non-urgent procedures

like some of the ones you mentioned, so if you have an operation and you

have a date for an operation in the next six weeks, will happen, but you

-- if you are on a waiting list, it is not going to take place anywhere

before the beginning of April 2017. The trust say this is as a result of

huge demand in other areas, mental health, acute services and

post-operative care. It is really about slowing the money down as they

head towards the end of the financial year. The patients

Association are criticising it, saying they are failing to keep up

with the demands of society. Tonight there will be people thinking they

had the operation coming up and now they have no idea when it will

happen. The boss of a stunt show whose

"lackadaisical" approach to safety led to the death of a performer

in Kent has been fined ?100,000, Scott May admitted a health

and safety breach following the death of Matthew Cranch

in a human cannonball act 30 years of collecting art,

and now he's given it all away. How a Sussex man's cancer diagnosis

prompted an act of charity. And December are so far has been

relatively settled, but that is all set to change in the run-up to

Christmas. I will have the details in the forecast later in the

programme. If you have a story you think

we should be covering on South East Today,

we'd like to hear from you. or send us an e-mail to

[email protected]. We are also on Facebook,

or you can tweet us - @bbcsoutheast. Growing numbers of pets

are being abandoned in the South East over Christmas,

with the RSPCA saying the situation has become dramatically

worse in recent years. It's estimated that four pets

are dumped every hour, according to figures released

by the RSPCA. Last year the charity took

788 calls on Christmas Day, and they say they've receIved

72 complaints of abandoned animals in the South East

since the beginning of December. The new figures come as six

Staffordshire bull terrier puppies were found dumped inside a sealed

plastic container in Kent. Charlie Rose has more

for tonight's special report. these puppies are just

a few weeks old and should Instead, they were found abandoned

and in need of urgent care. We got a call on Saturday morning

to say that somebody had When we went to the house, they told

us that they were all in one tiny tub that had been sealed

with the lid and everything, and when we got there,

they were in Some of them could hardly move,

very lethargic, they had scars They needed injections

and treatment for parasites. This one, called Ice,

still has the scars. Ice was one of the worst

ones, she was literally The vets literally were quite

worried, they took away It comes as animal charity the RSPCA

launches its latest appeal. # If you put your heart

in my hands...# It says it has received scores

of complaints of abandoned pets in the South East

since the beginning of December. In the 14 years that

I've been doing this, it's only the second time that we've

had a number of pups like this. So, it is quite a rare

occurrence, thankfully, And this time, Christmas,

when everyone is getting together with their families and everything

else, and obviously, these have been pushed out

in the cold, literally. Staff here do not know

where the mother of these Staffordshire bull terrier

crossbreeds is, But the future for her puppies

looks a lot brighter now. Soon they will be off to rescue

centres and if their appetites are anything to go by,

they will give anyone a lot of fun. Charlie Rose, BBC South East Today,

in the Medway Towns. When Sussex artist and art

collector Patrick Goff was diagnosed with cancer,

it left him contemplating what he should do with

his extensive array of artwork Well, he has followed a noble

tradition of art benefactors and decided to hand it over

lock, stock and barrel to the Towner Art Gallery

in Eastbourne. Piers Hopkirk has been to meet him

and to see his bequest Hidden from the view,

this storage room is the part of the Towner Gallery few will ever

set eyes on. Mounted on these movable

rails, the artwork that comprises the gallery's

4500 picture collection. It was a backstage tour

here which inspired artist, designer and collector Patrick Goff

to bequeath his own collection. So, how hard a decision

was it to let it go? I came in this morning and looked

at them and nearly cried. But I was diagnosed with cancer

and I was very conscious that whilst I hope I've got another 20 years,

I might only have another 20 minutes, so I had to do

something. Patrick's prints were accumulated

over 30 years - a collector with an eye

for a bargain. This, by artist

Gerald Spencer Pryse. This is Belgian troops

at the side of the road. It's an original

Boots frame from 1920. And you found this

at a blacksmith's? At the back of a blacksmith's

shop, covered in cobwebs It just shouted out

that it was worth having, Patrick is loath to put

a value to his collection. His reward, though,

like all benefactors, knowing it will continue to be

enjoyed for years to come. These are the original paintings

left by Alderman Towner to Eastbourne, for the creation

of an art gallery for the people. 22 in all, bequeathed

nearly a century ago. So, Patrick Goff's gift

follows in a long line We don't have an acquisition budget,

it is tiny, it is less than ?5,000. So, we rely on the generosity

of collectors, of philanthropists, It was burning in

a skip at the back... So, Patrick Goff's collection

will live on here, a lasting legacy

for future generations. Piers Hopkirk,

BBC South East Today, Eastbourne. I don't know if you have noticed,

but it is nearly Christmas! Over the last year, we've caught up

with celebrities from this neck of the woods and those

visiting the South East. As we approach Christmas,

here are some festive messages for you, starting with some

of the South East's To all the viewers of

BBC South East Today, we would like to wish you

a very Merry Christmas. Hi, I'm Lesley Joseph

and I want to wish everybody a really wonderfully

happy Christmas. some people say the future

of British comedy. I would just like to wish

all the viewers of BBC South East

a very Merry Christmas. I like him!

So sincere. The weather is on the turn, but not for a white

Let's recap tonight's top national and local news stories.

German police are warning that whoever was responsible

for yesterday's carnage at a Berlin Christmas market

The director of a stunt firm has been given a 12-month community

order for health and safety breaches following the death of a Kent man

who'd been fired from a cannon into the air.

And six puppies who were left to die after being sealed in a plastic

container and then dumped in a field have been rescued and re-homed

That it from us by now. I will be back at it a clock and at 10:20

five. Have a lovely evening. -- at eight o'clock.