26/01/2017 South East Today

Welcome to South East Today. I'm Rob Smith.

Jail for the man who left a 17-year-old girl to drown

in the sea at Ramsgate - actions branded as

A ?200 million investment in Dover's western docks,

aimed at keeping the port relevant after Brexit.

We will be live at the port, with all the details.

Also in tonight's programme, a woman battling cancer lobbies Parliament,

to allow others to have the drug she has benefited from.

It is just shocking that women are not allowed to have it.

A legal challenge to Eastbourne Council's plan to sell

And Sussex modernism. How the Downs have been a magnet

for some of the last century's greatest artists.

A man who left a young woman to drown in the sea at Ramsgate has

been jailed for five and a half years.

Michael Bowditch pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Becky Morgan,

She was with Bowditch when she fell from the sea wall in the early hours

of May 1 last year, but he did not contact the emergency services

The judge condemned his behaviour as "repugnant".

Becky Morgan's friends and family crowded into the court today,

to hear a man admit that he had left the teenager to drown.

Exactly what happened to her that night, they will never know.

But they do know that he could have tried to save her.

Most certainly, he could have helped.

There was a lifebuoy on the side of the harbour arm,

quite near to where Becky went into the water.

He had a telephone on him at the time.

The emergency services could have been alerted.

Instead, Michael Bowditch, who had only met Becky a few hours

He would tell police they had been kissing and mucking around,

when she had fallen off the harbour arm.

She had been screaming for help and saying she could not swim.

He later retracted that and said he could not

What is clear is that they had gone on to the harbour arm just

after 2am, when Becky had fallen into the water.

Bowditch only called the police at five o'clock.

where he had been seen chatting and laughing.

A little later, Becky's body was found, two and a half miles

In a statement, Becky's mother said she felt something bright

All I can think about is her being alone, in the dark, in the cold

I can imagine that she was calling for me.

Another family member spoke of their distress.

All of us are completely devastated, to be honest.

I know it is real, but I still keep expecting to hear her voice.

I still find it terribly difficult to believe that

this wonderful, vibrant, intelligent girl is just gone.

The judge described Bowditch's behaviour as "repugnant",

to see that Becky was in trouble, but walk away.

He said the fact that, while she had been sober,

he had been drunk and taken cannabis and cocaine was not an excuse,

He sentenced him to five and a half years.

A woman from Deal has gone to the Houses of Parliament today,

as part of her campaign to get the government

Chantelle Rashbrook has been taking Kadcyla for three years,

after developing secondary tumours, following breast cancer treatment.

The drug, which is believed to prolong life, has not yet

Chantelle will continue to be given the drug,

but says she wants other women to be given the same chance she has had.

When Chantelle Rashbrook cancer came back. Treatment, she was given a

drug, Kadcyla. It is no no longer prescribed for new patients. It is

just shocking that women are not allowed to have it. Why cannot we be

given it? They have no taken the campaign to Parliament. People

living with cancer, especially secondary breast cancer, that we

have not given up and we want an NHS which provides us all with the

access to the most effective treatment. Kadcyla Used to treat a

particular type of cancer, breast cancer which has spread to other

parts of the body and cannot otherwise be treated. 1200 people

would be eligible for it. Those who take it can live up to nine months

longer than those on alternatives, but it costs up to ?990,000 per

patient, which NICE see as far too expensive. We have raised thousands

for breast cancer. She herself has raised a lot of money. They are

drugs which could be helping the research into breast cancer be taken

away? NICE CVR are looking at the situation. She just wants other

people to be given what she was given, tame. -- tame.

Significant improvements for the hospital, but stays in special

measures. It is being described as the single

biggest investment ever undertaken by the Port of Dover -

the revival of the Western Docks, to create a new cargo

facility and marina. And tonight, a consortium of leading

British and European lenders has agreed a ?200 package

of loans, to help make Simon Jones is in Dover.

How are things set to change? The area has looked rather forlorn

ever since the hoverport move data a few years ago. In all, this will

cost ?250 million. News today of ?200 million in loans secured. 75

million of it from the European investment bank. Why is it needed?

Report says the amount of freight is going to increase by 40% in the next

15 years. They see it as a clear sign of confidence in the future of

the port, despite Britain leaving the European Union. They say it will

make a huge difference. The local MP agrees is in agreement, but says he

wants to see them getting on with their work, which is not expected to

be completed for about three years. The trust which runs

the Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest

in St Leonards has been told it will stay in special measures,

despite making The East Sussex Healthcare NHS

Trust went into special Today's report says a new leadership

team has had a positive impact, but the trust's A departments

still need to improve, as our Health Correspondent

Mark Norman reports. Around 1,500 operations a month

happen in these theatres. A year ago the staff

in this department were, I am told, devastated to be

rated as "inadequate". Today, though, this department

is rated as "good". It has not been any one

person, in particular, and from the public's confidence,

I am hoping that will raise the profile for us and the public

and our patients will have a Despite now being rated

as requiring improvement, inspectors say the trust must stay

in special measures. They say the new leadership team

appears to have tackled concerns about staff bullying,

but say, in the trust's A department, there are poor staffing

levels, poor record-keeping There are a number

of factors behind at. Clearly, demand on the

department is growing. It is huge and creating great

pressure and the trust is struggling to recruit key members of staff

to support that department. But we feel there are some things

they can do for themselves which would really help and some

of that is about rapid reporting of incidents,

good infection control and good And we feel the trust

can handle that. Issues the trust's

new boss acknowledges. It is not where we aim to be.

It is a milestone on the way. We are on an improvement trajectory,

as the CQC described it, and we will progress from here,

through an assessment of good, in due course, and our aim

is to be an outstanding To achieve that outstanding rating

would represent a huge turnaround in the space of just a few years,

but staff here seem to believe today's report is one step

towards that ambitious goal. The chief executive cannot be

faulted for ambition. He has been outlining

to you how he might achieve Indeed. Very confident. He says he

is confident that people in the south-east are happy about the

health care they are getting. He has got to separate problems. Accident

and emergency. He has got problems they had to sort out. Also, with

them in special measures, the facing a big deficit. They have got to look

at the long term, but he is confident they will be tunnelling in

Rome by 2020. -- terming it roamed. There are calls this evening

for a rail body to be set up, comprising councils,

businesses and commuters in Sussex, to help decide the way

the Southern service is run. The leader of Brighton

Council wants a new body, A similar scheme for the north

of England has already helped Southern Rail has faced

months of disruption through strike action,

but had been facing strong criticism for delays before

that action started. This is a partnership based

on what local councils have done across the North,

in partnership with the Department for Transport, to create a body

which has the power to give a view on who runs the rail

services in their area. So, we are proposing

it is called Rail South - as they do in the North,

Rail North - and it would sit within Transport

For The South East, which is a new sub-national body being proposed

by the Department of Transport. It follows a claim by the RMT union

that the government could take control of the Southern Rail

franchise as early as the weekend. It is the latest twist in a bitter

industrial dispute over the role Our Political Editor Helen Catt

is at Brighton train station now. It has been quite a day. We had

these reports suggesting they are plans afoot to take Southern back

into public ownership. Ten Downing St is dismissing this is

speculative. The Labour Party has, however, been pleased about this.

The Shadow Transport Secretary said there was no need for the government

to prolong the soft suffering of passengers on Southern. There has

even been temporary support from conservative MPs Farid temporarily

renationalisation. Today, we saw this announcement looking further

down the track. Train to give customers the chance to be listened

to. Still very elderly with regard to that, with regard to the looking

at the franchise been re-awarded the game.

A leading environmental lawyer is challenging Eastbourne Council's

case for selling off around 3,000 acres of its Downland Estate.

Simon Boyle, who lives in the town, has produced a legal review,

questioning the council's claim that the land is protected

Campaigners are concerned about the land's future, if it

falls into private hands, but the council insists it would

Our environment correspondent Yvette Austin reports.

The closely grazed fields of Eastbourne 's downland in the

winter. The council wants to sell three quarters of it. About 3000

litres. The council wishes to retain this part. They want to sell off

this farmland in the middle. Many people who live here are not happy.

You do not know who is going to purchase it? There is no guarantee

over who is going to order the land. A local environmental lawyer has

been digging into the details of the covenants and believe the council is

from insisting that these will always protect the land. People also

think that being in a national park provides more protection than it

does. It offers some protection. But we have seen the likes of pylons and

solar farms going up and we could see the same sort of thing happening

here. It will remain farmland. The focus will remain so purpose. There

will be stringent planning in place which will always protect the

forums. In the neighbouring area, campaigners are cautiously

optimistic that no more will be lost. It is a natural area, the rich

wildlife. Oliver and more is what they should be looking at.

Campaigners in Eastbourne are hoping that public pressure will persuade

the councillors to think again. A judge has branded a man who left

a young woman to drown in the sea Michael Bowditch pleaded guilty

to the manslaughter of Becky Morgan, He saw her fall from the sea wall,

but did not contact police He has been jailed for

five and a half years. How the Sussex Downs as Hill to link

inspire some great 20th-century art. Join me later for the weather

forecast later in the programme. A Kent couple say families

with relatives in care homes should be able to complain about quality

of care, without fear of reprisals. It comes as the Residents

and Relatives Association say they have received a 60% increase

in calls from relatives who say they have been banned

from visiting spouses or, worse still, had their

loved ones evicted. Chrissie Reidy has

tonight's special report. Dorothy was resident at the Key of

homing deal. After the family raised numerous concerns about her clear,

she was evicted. We should be free to these consent about our loft ones

without fear of retribution. If I say something, are we going to be

stopped from visiting or are they going to be evicted? They have any

set complaints procedures and people are not frightened to use them. As a

relative, we are fighting to complain because we are frightened

what would happen. The majority of care homes are privately run. Some

see burning or evicting visitors should be the last resort. It is not

always about the relatives, it can be about the provider on geeky

stuff. This is where communication breaks down. When you have people in

a care home, you need to have transparency and good communication.

George says he was banned from visiting his late wife after

complaining. A lot of the care home straight and persuade you into

silence. It is silence. The do not want to think it is the fall. The

Care Quality Commission said it is not in the arena to mediate between

relatives and the care homes. But there has been a huge increase in

both complaints and evictions, according to Residents and Relatives

Association. If someone has been banned from the premises are being

evicted, there has to be a very good reason for this. We contacted the

care home today and they said they would provide does with the

statement. As yet, we have not received one. With people living

much longer, family see much more open and transparent complaints

processes are provided. For Dorothy 's family, it is too late.

With 19 games to go, Brighton and Hove Albion sit top

of the Championship table, with the prize of the Premier League

And a vital part of what the club hopes will be its march to promotion

is a player born and bred in Sussex - Solly March.

The 22-year-old winger is from Hailsham and went to primary

school in Hellingly, before attending Ringmer Community College.

And he played for Lewes and Eastbourne Borough,

making his debut at the Amex in 2013.

He has been chatting exclusively to our reporter, Natalie Graham.

That was Solly March, scoring on his debut at the Amex -

a goal that showed Seagulls fans just what he was capable of.

The stadium was great. So, a great moment,

And everyone is still talking about that goal.

I know, I need to redo it. Hopefully, that will come soon.

He has achieved what most Sussex schoolboys dream of and his path to

His first club was Lewes, then Eastbourne Borough.

When I was seven or eight, I always had a ball at my feet and

it was my aim to become a footballer.

I suppose, when I was 16-17, I thought I had a chance.

I seemed better than the people I was playing with,

so that was when I realised I had to go for it and, why not, yeah.

And at one of his former schools, Solly is a poster boy for

I was very proud to see Solly making his debut for Brighton.

And we have seen him reach other levels.

Even more proud to see him playing for England under-21s.

To then see him play Premiership football,

as long as he does not score against Spurs, who are my team,

And, hopefully, I would be there to see it.

And that long-awaited next step to the Premier League is on the

Solly recently returned from a year off, recovering

from a knee injury, just in time, as he helps the team push

How good would it be to start next season in the Premier League?

It will be like a dream for a lot of us, I think, for the whole club

It will be a big moment and I think it's probably the best position

we've ever been in to do it, so hopefully, we can push

So, you need to repeat that Norwich goal, don't you?

With 19 games to go, Sussex expects and the pressure is on the boy

Over the years, why have so many artists, writers and thinkers taken

to the hills in Sussex, looking for inspiration?

It is a question that has inspired a major show,

freaturing artworks and treasures from some of the

best-known galleries, famous houses and museums in Sussex.

The story of Sussex Modernism is revealed through

all sorts of objects, from paintings by the Bohemian

artists of Charleston Farmhouse, to Brighton Museum's

famous Salvador Dali sofa, based on movie star Mae West's lips.

Robin Gibson is at 2 Temple Place in Central London for us now.

The more shocking in the day, before and after the First World War, model

challenge people's perceptions about art. But all the artists on short

year chose to live and work in Sussex. A lot of the images, up some

of them are rather troubling. I think that is what sets the

borderless apart. They were treated as strange by Crusaders. The

exhibition brings them all together. They have raided the Sussex family

jewels. This has been collected from a variety of different museums. The

most important purpose is to raise the profile and this -- promote the

art galleries which are based on West London. The skewed its fame and

bespoke short for the house. There are some extraordinary pieces

onshore, including the house itself, which was built from scratch as an

office for the business magnate, Astor. It was a good place for

people to escape from the city life. There has been talk about the

different communities and groups, but they have never been shown

together. I hoping people will go and see this exhibition and make

their own connections between things. It tells a colourful story.

Looks like they have raided the best of all of our exhibitions!

It has been absolutely freezing today.

Yes, there has been a lot of cloud and it has been bitterly cold.

Today, clear skies, so the temperatures plummeting once again.

Down below zero once again. There is a warning out, much of it will fall

as rain, but it could set is ice through the data model. The wind

will pick up as we head through the day. Eventually, it will be a lot

less cold as we head to the region. Much of the day feeling bitterly

cold. By the Ulsterman, more cloud around and although temperatures

look not too bad, they will not feel that Kerry because of the strength

of the wind. The wind getting up to 15-20 mph. Serena rowing technique

overnight. But only dropping a DDR salt from the best of the day came

temperatures. Rain first thing for Saturday. Mostly a dry picture.

Temperatures getting up to 9-10 C. At the moment, as will towards

Sunday, there is a level of uncertainty. A ridge of high

pressure for Monday. On Tuesday, the wind picking up. So, the mean thing

really is that warning for ice tomorrow. But eventually, a little

less cold. We are a clock with an update. Goodbye for now.

Einstein replaced Newton's theory of universal gravitation

with a more accurate theory - general relativity.

So, why's my apple falling? Well, it's not.

It is the ground that accelerates up to meet the apple.