04/01/2017

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:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.

:00:00. > :00:10.Following serious injuries when a balcony collapsed in Sussex,

:00:11. > :00:17.warnings about the safety of holiday flats being rented out online.

:00:18. > :00:20.A Kent MPs plans for an EU visitor tax to raise ?250 million

:00:21. > :00:24.We'll be live in Dover with the details.

:00:25. > :00:30.A mother who died after giving birth at a Kent hospital had lost

:00:31. > :00:33.four pints of blood, an inquest hears.

:00:34. > :00:35.A veteran of bomber command and Britain's last

:00:36. > :00:37.surviving Olympian - should Bill Lucas have received

:00:38. > :00:57.And the changing landscapes that aren't quite what they seem to be.

:00:58. > :01:01.The boom in private holiday letting has led to a warning tonight that

:01:02. > :01:04.what should be a relaxing getaway can turn into a disaster - if proper

:01:05. > :01:11.It comes after four people suffered serious injuries when a balcony

:01:12. > :01:16.collapsed at an Airbnb flat in Brighton last year.

:01:17. > :01:19.East Sussex Fire and Rescue is urging anyone involved

:01:20. > :01:23.in short-term holiday lets and party accommodation to make sure that

:01:24. > :01:27.safety measures are taken before guests arrive.

:01:28. > :01:37.Our special correspondent Colin Campbell reports.

:01:38. > :01:42.Four people are hospitalised, left seriously injured, one in peeled and

:01:43. > :01:46.an iron railing. It was the collapse of the balcony at this flat last

:01:47. > :01:51.summer that has prompted east Sussex Fire and rescue to issue this safety

:01:52. > :01:55.warning. It is aimed at making sure people use the premises safely. They

:01:56. > :01:59.might be dangerous for a weekend break, people they might not know

:02:00. > :02:03.that well, turn up to the property late. The last thing they're

:02:04. > :02:06.thinking about is fire. The people that own these properties and rent

:02:07. > :02:08.the might need to be aware of the responsibilities and make sure the

:02:09. > :02:14.properties are saved and the first thing they need to do is carry out a

:02:15. > :02:17.fire assessment. The flat for the sustained injury was booked through

:02:18. > :02:23.an online site. Got fractures my pelvis and my back and I was worried

:02:24. > :02:28.that I'd heard my back more seriously and it was broken. Holiday

:02:29. > :02:31.rental agencies have been around for awhile but growth of online

:02:32. > :02:36.platforms like Airbnb has fuelled huge growth in people letting it

:02:37. > :02:41.rooms for first time. The blue was founded in San Francisco in 2008. It

:02:42. > :02:44.is a website which allows independent posts to offer

:02:45. > :02:48.short-term lets, there are more than 2 million listings online currently

:02:49. > :02:51.around the world. More than 60 Minikin million people have used to

:02:52. > :02:56.find somewhere to stay. More than 300 of those properties are

:02:57. > :03:00.Brighton. The Fire Service's safety image is aimed at all who rent out

:03:01. > :03:04.party accommodation in Brighton but some traditional letting agents

:03:05. > :03:09.believed it has developed into an uneven playing field. We are losing

:03:10. > :03:13.business because these other platforms don't insist on the safety

:03:14. > :03:18.checks that we insist on. Therefore, that pits us at a disadvantage.

:03:19. > :03:22.Brighton's short-term holiday letting market is booming. East

:03:23. > :03:23.Sussex Fire and rescue hope their intervention will prevent further

:03:24. > :03:25.series injury or tragedy. Our reporter Jon Hunt has been

:03:26. > :03:28.following this story and he joins us now from Brighton,

:03:29. > :03:38.where the balcony collapse happened. What is the Fire Service doing to

:03:39. > :03:49.help ensure these legends save? Last summer the issued a warning to

:03:50. > :03:54.landlords and residents to explain that balconies like this one here

:03:55. > :03:57.very popular in the city can sometimes be just designed for

:03:58. > :04:01.decorative purposes only and are not strong enough to carry the weight of

:04:02. > :04:05.people standing or sitting on them. Since then, they have been

:04:06. > :04:08.researching the number of party homes and property lets in the city

:04:09. > :04:11.and have started visiting them to make sure that they are safe and

:04:12. > :04:16.comply with the law and tell me that some of the property they visited in

:04:17. > :04:19.the last few months have been found to be so dangerous that they had to

:04:20. > :04:19.shut them down immediately. Thanks, John.

:04:20. > :04:21.The Government must increase the budget for the UK Border Force

:04:22. > :04:25.by ?250 million to crack down on illegal immigration.

:04:26. > :04:28.That's the view of Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke who says the money

:04:29. > :04:33.is needed to tackle "lorry drops" where migrants pay to be

:04:34. > :04:37.smuggled into the country in the back of trucks

:04:38. > :04:39.and those landing undetected on our beaches.

:04:40. > :04:43.His report cites BBC South East's exclusive investigation revealing

:04:44. > :04:48.how illegal migrants are offered Channel crossings in the back

:04:49. > :04:53.of Lidl supermarket lorries for thousands of pounds.

:04:54. > :04:59.Our political editor Helen Catt reports.

:05:00. > :05:08.They don't take the chaplain of the vehicles. Cot on camera, an agent

:05:09. > :05:13.for a gang of people smugglers offers to give an interview for our

:05:14. > :05:16.underserved -- undercover researcher. This should people

:05:17. > :05:21.smuggling across the channel is still a lucrative business. There is

:05:22. > :05:25.a lot of money there, an enormous amount and if you've got the right

:05:26. > :05:30.people, the amount of money available, you could get anyone into

:05:31. > :05:34.the UK by C. The Government's adviser on terrorism law has now

:05:35. > :05:38.warned that remote beaches could even be used by returning fighters

:05:39. > :05:43.from Syria trying to avoid border checks. Dover's MP wants action.

:05:44. > :05:50.It's important we make sure we secure the English Channel so

:05:51. > :05:53.beaches like this here, we make sure we have action to stop people

:05:54. > :05:56.getting smuggled into Britain on lorries and to invest in the

:05:57. > :06:01.intelligence that we can go after people traffickers in the evil trade

:06:02. > :06:05.of modern slavery. He thinks Brexit to be an opportunity to find a

:06:06. > :06:08.crackdown. Under a Visa waiver scheme he wants to introduce, EU

:06:09. > :06:15.visitors would have to be ?10 and fill any form to the UK. Charlie

:06:16. > :06:21.estimates that could raise ?250,000 which could be used on enforcement.

:06:22. > :06:26.It's not a bad idea. It's helping out. If you can't help out our own

:06:27. > :06:31.people. I've lived in America for a while and I know the system works

:06:32. > :06:35.really well. I'm on board with that. It is right to make sure that the

:06:36. > :06:41.people living here are contributing to this country. I'm all for

:06:42. > :06:48.stopping the immigrants if it's at all possible -- possible. I feel

:06:49. > :06:53.very sorry for them. I think the country has enough immigrants at the

:06:54. > :07:00.moment. People can enter the UK legally and overstate that the user.

:07:01. > :07:03.Again, that the day different operation to what is being proposed

:07:04. > :07:06.here but certainly in large proportion of people who are

:07:07. > :07:12.illegally resident from the UK have come into the UK perfectly legally.

:07:13. > :07:15.Responding to the report, the Home Office told us it is committed to

:07:16. > :07:16.ensuring border phrase has the necessary resources to keep the UK

:07:17. > :07:18.safe from a range of threats. Helen Catt joins us

:07:19. > :07:33.now live from Dover. How realistic is this as an idea's?

:07:34. > :07:37.It all depends on the deal that the UK strike with the EU on Brexit. If

:07:38. > :07:41.it is as many people think outside of the single market, no freedom of

:07:42. > :07:45.movement, the sort of scheme may well be the sort of thing the

:07:46. > :07:48.Government looks at. Will it do what Charlie Elphick hopes, you heard the

:07:49. > :07:53.professor say that acts of the larger source of illegal emigration

:07:54. > :07:59.the country isn't illegal entry, it is people overstaying. Also, there

:08:00. > :08:02.are concerns about the cost. The US system at $14 ahead just covers its

:08:03. > :08:03.own costs. There are questions as to whether 10p will be enough create --

:08:04. > :08:09.to create a surplus. The battle for Britain's pubs -

:08:10. > :08:12.campaigners angry over the demolition of a Kent public

:08:13. > :08:23.house fight for greater protection. A doctor involved in the emergency

:08:24. > :08:26.care of a woman from Kent who suffered a fatal haemorrhage

:08:27. > :08:28.after giving birth by Caesarean section, has told an inquest

:08:29. > :08:31.into her death about the "alarming" levels of acid and carbon

:08:32. > :08:33.dioxide in her blood. It can happen because of blood

:08:34. > :08:35.loss and in certain 30-year-old Frances Cappuccini died

:08:36. > :08:39.at Tunbridge Wells hospital in 2012. Today the inquest heard how

:08:40. > :08:42.she lost four pints of blood At the coroner's court

:08:43. > :08:48.for the inquest into Frances Cappuccini's death,

:08:49. > :08:52.the family were here Mrs Cappuccini died after

:08:53. > :08:58.an emergency Caeserean section. Today, the inquest heard how

:08:59. > :09:04.she lost 2.3 litres of blood. Dr Gabriella Grey, a registrar

:09:05. > :09:08.obstetrician involved in her emergency care,

:09:09. > :09:11.says she managed to finally stop the bleeding once a piece

:09:12. > :09:15.of placenta, left behind in the patient's uterus,

:09:16. > :09:18.had been removed. Frances Cappuccini died in 2012

:09:19. > :09:22.and in April 2015, two doctors The following year,

:09:23. > :09:28.a doctor and hospital trust were cleared of manslaughter,

:09:29. > :09:30.following the collapse And, soon after, charges

:09:31. > :09:37.against another doctor were dropped. Today, details emerged

:09:38. > :09:39.of the time leading up The court heard how problems

:09:40. > :09:44.developed with her breathing. Dr Gabriella Grey said the high

:09:45. > :09:48.levels of Mrs Cappuccini's blood Later, she was asked

:09:49. > :09:52.by the family's legal counsel I had never seen a patient with such

:09:53. > :10:02.acidosis and c02 levels. Frances Cappuccini went

:10:03. > :10:06.on to have a cardiac arrest. Charlie Rose joins us now

:10:07. > :10:12.from Gravesend where Charlie, Frances Cappuccini's

:10:13. > :10:30.family have waited a long Yes, the inquest was due to take

:10:31. > :10:33.place in 2014 but it was postponed because of those criminal charges

:10:34. > :10:37.which ended up being dropped. The family lawyer says the family have

:10:38. > :10:41.had to wait for and a half years of this inquest. They have waited with

:10:42. > :10:46.great patience. He also told the court this inquest is not just to

:10:47. > :10:50.find out why Frances Cappuccini died but what circumstances. This inquest

:10:51. > :10:55.is due to last for another nine days, during which time it will hear

:10:56. > :10:56.from another 20 for experts and witnesses thanks, Charlie.

:10:57. > :10:59.The South East Coast Ambulance Service has a new Chief Executive.

:11:00. > :11:02.Daren Mochrie - who has almost 30 years' experience of working

:11:03. > :11:04.in the NHS in Scotland - has been appointed.

:11:05. > :11:07.The former Chief Executive left his post last year after it

:11:08. > :11:12.emerged the trust ran a secret and controversial pilot

:11:13. > :11:17.which delayed sending help for some calls.

:11:18. > :11:20.A six-day strike by drivers on Southern rail next week has

:11:21. > :11:24.been cut to three days, but the Aslef union says

:11:25. > :11:29.there will be more industrial action later this month.

:11:30. > :11:34.Members of Aslef were due to walk out for six days from Monday.

:11:35. > :11:37.The strike will now be held over three days next week -

:11:38. > :11:42.And today the Aslef union has announced three new strike days

:11:43. > :11:47.However, Southern says the union's actions are merely "a cynical ploy",

:11:48. > :11:51.to minimise the impact on drivers' pay and maximise

:11:52. > :11:57.Shameful action being taken by the union leaders here.

:11:58. > :12:00.This is disproportionate and unreasonable for the changes

:12:01. > :12:04.We're making these changes to improve the quality of service

:12:05. > :12:07.that we can offer to our passengers that they so desperately need

:12:08. > :12:12.Our reporter Sara Smith is at Crawley station tonight.

:12:13. > :12:15.Sara, has the union said why it's decided to change

:12:16. > :12:29.They said today that they were taking a longer term view of this

:12:30. > :12:35.dispute, that's why the split those days between next week and the last

:12:36. > :12:39.weekend, last week in January. They say they can't guarantee there would

:12:40. > :12:42.be more strikes. The accused Southern of posturing rather than

:12:43. > :12:46.negotiating properly. Southern Xavier showing pure content for the

:12:47. > :12:51.passengers. The language shows how better this dispute remains. Stuck

:12:52. > :12:55.in the middle as always as the passengers. I've got to go back to

:12:56. > :12:58.university next week and is not getting get ill at night because I

:12:59. > :13:06.wouldn't have got back in time if I had to get the train. I work at

:13:07. > :13:09.Gatwick Airport meeting is cancelled every day. I'm always late and you

:13:10. > :13:11.run out of excuses. I heard it's because somebody doesn't want to

:13:12. > :13:15.have to open doors as part of their job but I think people should just

:13:16. > :13:19.be thankful they have a job. This dispute has been going on for a long

:13:20. > :13:27.time. It's not just the Aslef drivers who are involved. Next week

:13:28. > :13:30.12 members of the R M T who are also train drivers will be going on

:13:31. > :13:36.strike, there will be no services on the trains. The booklet on 200 buses

:13:37. > :13:39.to help people to get to other stations where they can pick up

:13:40. > :13:43.other services which are running. Those buses would have nearly enough

:13:44. > :13:45.capacity to deal with 2000 train services a day that they will be

:13:46. > :13:49.replacing. Zero, thank you. A Kent school has defended

:13:50. > :13:51.its decision to turn away girls wearing skirts that it deemed

:13:52. > :13:53.'innappropriately short' on the first day of term,

:13:54. > :13:56.saying parents are welcome to have Around a dozen girls were sent home

:13:57. > :13:59.from Ebbsfleet Academy, prompting parents to take to social

:14:00. > :14:02.media complaining that the school's But the school says the rules

:14:03. > :14:06.need to be enforced. Our education correspondent

:14:07. > :14:21.Bryony Mackenzie has more. How short is too short? The rule for

:14:22. > :14:26.skirt length here is by centimetres -- five centimetres above the knee.

:14:27. > :14:31.If you're going to have a uniform, you should enforce it strictly. It's

:14:32. > :14:35.important for them to look smart. It was commented very positive in our

:14:36. > :14:38.recent offset when the inspectors talk specifically about students

:14:39. > :14:43.wearing the uniform with pride. I think it is quite odd to think that

:14:44. > :14:49.young girls should be walking around wearing skirts that are flashing an

:14:50. > :14:54.inappropriate amount of leg. Uniform is a contentious issue, especially

:14:55. > :14:58.with parents who paper it. Last summer, the new head of a school

:14:59. > :15:04.sent home over 50 students in three days in a row for incorrect uniform.

:15:05. > :15:09.Ebbsfleet Academy have commented online. The parents. They said the

:15:10. > :15:14.school was nit-picking over uniform and the skirt came from their own

:15:15. > :15:21.website. Another we spoke to agreed. Sending them home is just wrong.

:15:22. > :15:25.They have overreacted. If you've got a big legs or their sheep, it's

:15:26. > :15:31.going to be hard to get us go to fit you. If I turn up for work without

:15:32. > :15:33.the steel toe caps, I can't work. I think it's instilling that within

:15:34. > :15:39.the children at a young age. Brilliant. I think sometimes these

:15:40. > :15:43.goats were a bit too short for a school uniform. I can remember a

:15:44. > :15:52.young girls in the 60s wearing ridiculously short skirts. At

:15:53. > :15:53.school? Yes. The schools rules aren't clear. The rules are easily

:15:54. > :15:54.broken. Bryony Mackenzie joins us now

:15:55. > :16:06.from outside the school. Will these pupils be allowed back

:16:07. > :16:10.in? Those who don't change tomorrow will be taught in isolation. This

:16:11. > :16:14.row is much about the school's relationship with the parents as

:16:15. > :16:17.much as the behaviour of the children. Of course, it's not

:16:18. > :16:22.essential, every school doesn't have to have a uniform although many do.

:16:23. > :16:26.The school says this is about the rules, their is you'll uniform and

:16:27. > :16:31.other issues that affect everyday school life. Parents and pupils need

:16:32. > :16:31.to abide by those rules to have a happy learning environment. Thank

:16:32. > :16:33.you. The rise of private holiday letting

:16:34. > :16:38.has led to a warning tonight that a relaxing getaway can turn

:16:39. > :16:40.into a disaster if safety It comes after four people suffered

:16:41. > :16:45.serious injuries after a balcony collapsed at an Airbnb flat

:16:46. > :17:02.in Brighton last year. Paintings that make you look twice.

:17:03. > :17:07.A Kent artist's work isn't quite what it appears to be. We are

:17:08. > :17:12.expecting a hard frost as we go into tonight with a crisp cold winter's

:17:13. > :17:13.day for tomorrow. I will have the details for you in the forecast just

:17:14. > :17:18.a little later in the programme. Our pubs are closing

:17:19. > :17:21.at an increasing rate, and in Gravesend -

:17:22. > :17:23.where there's been an angry reaction to the illegal demolition

:17:24. > :17:26.of the Battle of Britain pub - they're campaigning to give public

:17:27. > :17:29.houses greater protection. According to the Campaign

:17:30. > :17:33.for Real Ale, 27 pubs are closing with two being converted

:17:34. > :17:37.into supermarkets. saying a pub injects about ?80,000

:17:38. > :17:43.into the local economy each year. In Gravesend campaigners' plans

:17:44. > :17:47.to help save their local boozers have been rejected

:17:48. > :17:50.by the local authority. But as Leanne Rinne explains

:17:51. > :18:07.for tonight's special report Across the fields of Kent and

:18:08. > :18:12.Sussex, the Battle of Britain began in which the front line fighters

:18:13. > :18:17.wear ear men. RAF pilots that served in World War II built the Battle of

:18:18. > :18:21.Britain pub more than 70 years ago. For decades it was at the heart of

:18:22. > :18:26.the local community until last year when it was demolished illegally.

:18:27. > :18:29.Now, campaigners are calling on the council to apply article four to all

:18:30. > :18:33.the remaining pubs in Greece and which would mean owners would have

:18:34. > :18:39.to seek planning permission before changing the building use or

:18:40. > :18:42.knocking pubs all over the country are being knocked down like our

:18:43. > :18:45.beloved Battle of Britain which was a real historic landmark. I don't

:18:46. > :18:49.want to see this happen to anyone again. In October last year,

:18:50. > :18:53.developers wrote to the council asking whether permission was needed

:18:54. > :18:58.to demolish the pub and agreed not to take any action until a decision

:18:59. > :19:02.was made. But a week later bulldozers arrived and council

:19:03. > :19:07.officers were called to decide to try and halt the demolition work.

:19:08. > :19:12.The next day it continued illegally and the pub was then deemed

:19:13. > :19:15.structurally unsafe. Greaves Sir Borough Council told me they would

:19:16. > :19:20.consider using article for on a case-by-case basis but want to be

:19:21. > :19:22.implementing it across the board for all pubs. Instead, they seat

:19:23. > :19:26.amenities that devalue a particular building should apply to have that

:19:27. > :19:33.building listed as a community asset which would give it more protection.

:19:34. > :19:41.We have two or three vaguely viable parts, if they all stay open, we

:19:42. > :19:46.will find out that the wash-out. Use it judiciously. Campaigners in do

:19:47. > :19:49.work supported by Paul Hollywood won their battle to stop this in from

:19:50. > :19:53.being turned into housing but without article for in place, there

:19:54. > :19:55.are real fears in Greaves said that other pubs will soon be shut for

:19:56. > :20:04.good. Frank Franklin is an artist

:20:05. > :20:07.from Kent who delight's in creating fantastical images that can give

:20:08. > :20:09.you completely the wrong impression. Take a look at this

:20:10. > :20:11.image for instance - a Greek warrior stands with a cape

:20:12. > :20:14.billowing in a sunset, But look at it another way -

:20:15. > :20:19.and it's clearly a portrait Piers Hopkirk has been to his studio

:20:20. > :20:27.in Rochester to see him at work. They say all art should

:20:28. > :20:29.have the power to turn heads, and for Frank Franklin,

:20:30. > :20:32.that's exactly what makes his There's this face and some

:20:33. > :20:36.fruit and another bowel Obviously another cat

:20:37. > :20:41.standing over here. We take it back and it

:20:42. > :20:45.reveals a face. This is supposed

:20:46. > :20:48.to be Nicholas Cage. Frank's intricately imagined

:20:49. > :20:55.pictures within pictures are the product of hours of careful

:20:56. > :20:59.thought, before they're finally I just looked into the shadows

:21:00. > :21:05.for as long as I could to try and find images, which didn't really

:21:06. > :21:09.relate to a face. Eventually, I found

:21:10. > :21:13.the images I was happy with. In the foreground, you've got

:21:14. > :21:16.a horse here, it's pulling a chariot in front of a couple

:21:17. > :21:18.of standing stones. Remarkably, Frank was

:21:19. > :21:32.never formally trained. Through social media, his paintings

:21:33. > :21:35.now sell all over the world, from Australia to America and even

:21:36. > :21:37.China. I'm just glad people

:21:38. > :21:43.enjoy it, really. I enjoy doing it and for someone

:21:44. > :21:46.to actually enjoy looking at it. It's even better to

:21:47. > :21:52.have some feedback. I like it when you see

:21:53. > :21:54.the little bit of wonder in their eyes where they're like,

:21:55. > :22:00.Oh, my God, that's what that is. Frank's now planning a full

:22:01. > :22:02.exhibition of his paintings. He's considering having them

:22:03. > :22:06.rotating to enhance the effect, creating then, a whole

:22:07. > :22:20.gallery of turners. Bill Lucas led a life that is by any

:22:21. > :22:23.standards, extraordinary. He is Britain's oldest

:22:24. > :22:27.Olympian, who ran the 5,000 During the war, he flew 81 missions

:22:28. > :22:33.for Bomber command, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross,

:22:34. > :22:36.and became a squadron leader. Since then, he's been heavily

:22:37. > :22:39.involved in grass roots athletics, as well as fundraising

:22:40. > :22:43.for other veterans. Now there are growing calls

:22:44. > :22:45.for his contributions to be officially recognised

:22:46. > :22:48.with an honour. Ian Palmer has been

:22:49. > :23:05.to meet him at his home They carried out bombing missions

:23:06. > :23:09.over Germany during the Second World War. Bomber Command is credited by

:23:10. > :23:14.some with helping to bring the conflict to an end. Bill Lucas

:23:15. > :23:18.standing on the left carried out 81 missions. There are calls for him

:23:19. > :23:26.who is 99 years old to be officially recognised with an honour. It would

:23:27. > :23:32.mean quite a lot. Yes. It really would. He was nominated as an honest

:23:33. > :23:36.candidate two years ago. So far he has been overlooked. His wife says

:23:37. > :23:43.time is running out. He lost out on the Olympics because of the war.

:23:44. > :23:49.That would be great. I would like him to receive something. After the

:23:50. > :23:53.war, Bill Lucas represented Great Britain in the 1948 Olympics, he can

:23:54. > :23:58.be seen at the back running against... Leading the pack. The man

:23:59. > :24:06.wearing 213 missed two Olympics because of the war. As I flippantly

:24:07. > :24:12.say, Hitler deprived me of them so I went and bombed him. Thousands of

:24:13. > :24:15.people recognised in the New Year, among the most noticeable was Andy

:24:16. > :24:20.Murray who becomes a night. The comedian Ken Dodd also becomes a

:24:21. > :24:26.server. The former pop singer Victoria Beckham was given will for

:24:27. > :24:29.her services fashion. But some say the honours are discredited because

:24:30. > :24:34.the are given to too many people who don't deserve them. Someone who

:24:35. > :24:36.would agree if the president of the Belgrave Harriers athletic club

:24:37. > :24:42.where Bill Lucas has been a member for more than 80 years where he ran

:24:43. > :24:46.and helped coach youngsters. It's a case of whether you can work the

:24:47. > :24:51.system and pitted together. Someone like Bill Lucas just wouldn't think

:24:52. > :24:56.of doing anything like that. Bill Lucas is 100 years old in 12 days.

:24:57. > :25:01.An honour would be the best bet the present he could receive.

:25:02. > :25:15.Lots of sunshine for tomorrow but temperatures start the day at around

:25:16. > :25:19.-3, maybe even minus four. Earlier today by contrast it was much

:25:20. > :25:23.milder. First thing we had that patchy drizzle and cloud but behind

:25:24. > :25:28.that we've had clearer skies. This was the picture at sunset at

:25:29. > :25:34.Ramsgate in Kent. Those clearer skies mean as we head to tonight

:25:35. > :25:38.temperatures plummet, as low as -34 degrees, lots of sunshine around

:25:39. > :25:41.tomorrow, temperatures not getting about three or four. This is the

:25:42. > :25:45.picture as we head through to tonight. We've got clearer skies,

:25:46. > :25:51.the odd isolated shower at the further east you are. Widely

:25:52. > :25:55.temperatures below freezing. In more rural spots, potentially as low as

:25:56. > :26:03.minus two degrees. As we start the day tomorrow, a hard frost first

:26:04. > :26:06.thing with an pressure, it is the settled crisp if cold day. Lots of

:26:07. > :26:09.sunshine from the word go. Temperatures are the most part by

:26:10. > :26:14.the afternoon ranging between three and along the closed five or 6

:26:15. > :26:21.degrees. A really chilly day. Northerly winds which I quite like,

:26:22. > :26:25.five to ten mph. Thursday into Friday, more moisture in the air,

:26:26. > :26:29.potentially some freezing fog and mist patches around. Again,

:26:30. > :26:35.temperatures dropping below freezing for us all. Minus two degrees in

:26:36. > :26:38.more rural spots, patches hovering just below freezing. For the most

:26:39. > :26:44.part it is a frosty start to the day for Friday and misty and murky. That

:26:45. > :26:48.fog is slow to clear. It is dry initially but it doesn't stay that

:26:49. > :26:53.way. He was the picture to the afternoon. All of us saying that

:26:54. > :26:57.rain for a time, heavy bursts, temperatures reaching highs of six

:26:58. > :27:01.or 7 degrees. Once that rain clears through, it is a warm front. Behind

:27:02. > :27:06.it as we look towards the weekend, generally it will be milder. Lots of

:27:07. > :27:10.cloud around, some drizzle, but for the most part as we see there's a

:27:11. > :27:15.ridge of high pressure, mostly a dry picture, lots of Clyde, temperatures

:27:16. > :27:17.at seven or 8 degrees. For tomorrow, sunshine but wrap up warm because it

:27:18. > :27:23.will be called. -- cold. Exasperated commuters,

:27:24. > :27:25.unhealthily packed trains and companies forced out of business

:27:26. > :27:28.- Britain's worst strike in 20 years has meant misery for hundreds

:27:29. > :27:30.of thousands of people and BBC South East is hosting a special

:27:31. > :27:33.Question Time style debate on the on-going crisis

:27:34. > :27:46.on our railways. This is not a dispute

:27:47. > :27:47.with the public. This is a dispute with the

:27:48. > :27:54.Government and with this company. That it's gone on for

:27:55. > :27:58.as long as it has. I've tried to empathise

:27:59. > :28:03.with why they're striking. You pay too much for delays,

:28:04. > :28:07.cancellations and disruption. I don't think the Prime Minister has

:28:08. > :28:15.any idea of the level of suffering and pain that rail passengers

:28:16. > :28:18.and businesses are suffering. There is only one body responsible

:28:19. > :28:23.for the current strike. This is a strike

:28:24. > :28:28.from the trade unions. If you live or work in the south

:28:29. > :28:31.east and want to take part in the debate at

:28:32. > :28:34.the Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead this Sunday then

:28:35. > :28:37.send an email to with your name, The programme airs on Monday 9th

:28:38. > :28:57.January at 7.30pm on BBC1. That's about it for now. We will be

:28:58. > :28:59.back at eight o'clock and 1030. See you then. Have a good evening.

:29:00. > :29:03.Goodbye.