:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Polly Evans.
:00:00. > :00:11.A huge jump in the number of people smuggling operations disrupted -
:00:12. > :00:18.as MPs discuss issues uncovered by this programme.
:00:19. > :00:20.A vicious attack left Alfie Peak severely disabled -
:00:21. > :00:27.His partner Tanya talks about their remarkable relationship.
:00:28. > :00:30.Life has been really, really hard. Emotionally, really draining and
:00:31. > :00:34.really difficult. The inspirational teacher whose son
:00:35. > :00:37.has made a documentary on his battle License to sell - gadgets designed
:00:38. > :00:43.for real life British spies are set And the Sussex folk star
:00:44. > :00:52.who couldn t sing for 30 years is recognised for her huge
:00:53. > :01:07.influence with a national award. BBC South East Today can exclusively
:01:08. > :01:11.reveal that there's been a significant spike in the number
:01:12. > :01:14.of people smuggling operations The 32% jump was revealed
:01:15. > :01:18.at a special meeting called which discovered smugglers in Paris
:01:19. > :01:28.putting people on lorries transporting produce
:01:29. > :01:30.for the supermarket chain Lidl Here's our Special Correspondent,
:01:31. > :01:37.Colin Campbell. It was an investigation revealing
:01:38. > :01:40.how Paris had become a hub for TRANSLATION: They will fit
:01:41. > :01:51.you in a way that even the We exposed a gang offering
:01:52. > :01:56.us guaranteed passage to England in the back of trucks,
:01:57. > :01:59.transporting produce for the Our findings prompted
:02:00. > :02:07.two Kent MPs to demand a private meeting
:02:08. > :02:11.with Government ministers. What the BBC did was
:02:12. > :02:13.absolutely fantastic. That was the sort
:02:14. > :02:17.of evidence I think They can't be everywhere
:02:18. > :02:20.at all times. Top marks to the BBC
:02:21. > :02:22.for what they did. Let us hope that that is
:02:23. > :02:36.another route into the country, big smuggling operations,
:02:37. > :02:38.worth ?5,000 per person, big. show an increase in the targeting of
:02:39. > :02:47.smuggling gangs by the authorities. In 2015, 140 smuggling
:02:48. > :02:49.operations were disrupted. Last year, that figure
:02:50. > :02:51.went up to 185. We understand the Home Office
:02:52. > :02:54.expects the figure for this While some consider
:02:55. > :03:05.positive news, others believe their fight against
:03:06. > :03:08.smuggling gangs is being hindered. We will argue they are not
:03:09. > :03:10.succeeding in combating illegal We're having some success,
:03:11. > :03:13.but the sad reality is we are increased attendance
:03:14. > :03:15.of getting across the borders. As we showed last autumn,
:03:16. > :03:17.the demolition of Calais' migrants can has resulted
:03:18. > :03:20.in gangs targeting UK bound vehicles The Home Office say
:03:21. > :03:25.they are working closely with their French counterparts to break
:03:26. > :03:36.up the smuggling operations. Carling, your investigation has been
:03:37. > :03:40.dropped -- brought up at a Government level. Will there be a
:03:41. > :03:44.change in border protection? The French police are actively
:03:45. > :03:49.investigating this gang which we infiltrated. They are now the focus
:03:50. > :03:53.of a French and British joint investigation. Ongoing. Cooperation
:03:54. > :03:57.between the French and British authorities is essential to crack
:03:58. > :04:01.down on this kind of organised criminal gang network which crosses
:04:02. > :04:06.borders, as we discovered. The Home Office says that is what is
:04:07. > :04:09.happening, good cooperation with the French authorities. The union you
:04:10. > :04:15.had fun in my reports say they are concerned. 15% cut which they are
:04:16. > :04:21.worried to have a significant impact on the border force's ability to
:04:22. > :04:27.fight crime. An MP said he was encouraged, but is concerned about
:04:28. > :04:38.the reef forming of camps in France. -- reef treble.
:04:39. > :04:41.Four years ago, Alfie Peak was beaten almost to death
:04:42. > :04:43.in Bexhill after an argument over a bag of chips.
:04:44. > :04:45.The four men who kicked and punched him unconscious
:04:46. > :04:48.were jailed last october for a total of 55 years.
:04:49. > :04:49.Despite suffering life-changing injuries,
:04:50. > :04:51.which have left him only able to communicate though a keypad,
:04:52. > :04:54.Alfie and his partner Tanya have now had a baby -
:04:55. > :04:56.Nine months ago, their little boy, Marley, was born.
:04:57. > :04:58.Jon Hunt has more on their remarkable story.
:04:59. > :05:00.Father and son. Alfie and eight-month-old Marley.
:05:01. > :05:03.Bringing joy to a family after so much sadness and tragedy.
:05:04. > :05:08.He is really giving us something to look forward to.
:05:09. > :05:10.And a future, really, which is something we kind
:05:11. > :05:13.Our future had gone, it has been taken.
:05:14. > :05:17.That is exactly how Alfie described it to people before,
:05:18. > :05:25.that he felt his life was over with, really.
:05:26. > :05:29.Alfie Peak suffered a catastrophic b injury after being set
:05:30. > :05:36.upon outside a takeaway in Bexhill in 2013.
:05:37. > :05:38.Four men were jailed for the attack in October
:05:39. > :05:40.which left Alfie unable to walk or talk.
:05:41. > :05:45.Alfie was unconscious on the floor, and he was continued to be beaten
:05:46. > :05:53.Tanya White has stood by Alfie throughout his long rehabilitation.
:05:54. > :05:56.He is trying to learn to walk again, the signals from his brain
:05:57. > :06:01.It has put pressure on the couple, and Tanya admits that there have
:06:02. > :06:03.been times where she has wondered if she could stick with it.
:06:04. > :06:10.Everything is really difficult for him.
:06:11. > :06:12.That has spilled out onto all of his family and friends.
:06:13. > :06:17.Emotionally, really draining and really difficult.
:06:18. > :06:21.I know you feel because you cannot do all those other things that it
:06:22. > :06:26.But one day you will realise that you are an amazing dad.
:06:27. > :06:32.The couple say the attackers took everything from them.
:06:33. > :06:38.But their bubbly new baby boy is making life worth living again.
:06:39. > :06:41.Well, Jon Hunt joins from Bexhill where the family home is.
:06:42. > :06:44.Jon - Alfie is clearly on a journey of rehabilitation -
:06:45. > :06:58.He is determined to walk again. He has yet to take any steps on his
:06:59. > :07:02.own. He is being helped out physiotherapists using a walking
:07:03. > :07:06.frame. He was present at the birth of his son and would like to have
:07:07. > :07:14.two my children in addition to the two that he already has. -- two more
:07:15. > :07:19.children. In terms of the attacker, the couple say they feel nothing but
:07:20. > :07:24.hatred and anger towards them. Alfie is upset by the length of their
:07:25. > :07:25.sentences. He says he is suffering a life sentence and sees no reason why
:07:26. > :07:27.they shouldn't either. In a moment, the Sussex man
:07:28. > :07:30.who survived breast cancer - urging other men to look
:07:31. > :07:38.for the telltale signs he missed. When English teacher
:07:39. > :07:40.Paul Norman started to have difficulty moving normally,
:07:41. > :07:42.he was at first diagnosed Tragically, he was actually
:07:43. > :07:53.suffering from a rarer and even more devastating condition -
:07:54. > :07:55.Multiple systems Atrophy - which gradually shut down
:07:56. > :07:57.all his body's physical systems. His son Will, a student
:07:58. > :08:00.at Sussex University, has released a documentary
:08:01. > :08:07.about his father's last months - including the moment he went back
:08:08. > :08:23.to his old school to deliver What do you think of alcohol? It is
:08:24. > :08:29.good. You have tried it? Yes, sir. You don't have to call me serve.
:08:30. > :08:39.This, says will Norman, was typical of his father's teaching style,
:08:40. > :08:42.funny, unorthodox, inspiring. He was channelling Kilroy or Jerry Springer
:08:43. > :08:54.offers he like to get the to think differently. Slowly, and at a was
:08:55. > :08:57.ravaging his body. -- Multiple systems Atrophy. His son wanted to
:08:58. > :09:14.get his father 's thoughts while he still could.
:09:15. > :09:30.We'll organised -- Multiple systems Atrophy organised him to go back to
:09:31. > :09:37.his old school. People think because the body doesn't function properly
:09:38. > :09:45.that the brain doesn't operate as well. I feel like Steven Hawking,
:09:46. > :09:54.except I have a better voice. People have said, oh, hi, I was taught by
:09:55. > :10:00.your dad. They said they didn't like school but your dad made it worth
:10:01. > :10:06.it. He shaped the two who I am. He was a great English teacher. I love
:10:07. > :10:11.English so much and I think it is because of your teaching and the way
:10:12. > :10:17.that you inspired me. Paul Norman loved making this film, says his
:10:18. > :10:19.son. For city-mac, it is a reminder, if he needed one, of his exceptional
:10:20. > :10:25.father. -- for Will. Rescuers searching for a kayaker
:10:26. > :10:27.missing in Scotland since Dominic Jackson, who spent most
:10:28. > :10:31.of his life in Sussex, was reported missing
:10:32. > :10:32.on Sunday night. He'd failed to return from a sea
:10:33. > :10:35.kayaking trip in Portsoy, A kayak believed to belong to him
:10:36. > :10:40.was recovered earlier this week. Scottish Police said a body
:10:41. > :10:43.was recovered from the water The bosses of a carehome
:10:44. > :10:46.in Herne Bay have pleaded guilty to health and safety failings that
:10:47. > :10:49.led to the death of Joan Daws was a senior carer
:10:50. > :10:55.at the Laleham Residential Home when she suffered fatal crush
:10:56. > :10:58.injuries after a large chair tipped The case has been sent to Canterbury
:10:59. > :11:07.Crown Court for sentencing. Brighton has spent nearly half
:11:08. > :11:16.a million pounds on a set of a 100 new high tech bins -
:11:17. > :11:18.which keep rubbish completely The council says the new solar
:11:19. > :11:22.powered bins can hold eight times more rubbish -
:11:23. > :11:24.because they compact it down - and they contain special sensors
:11:25. > :11:27.which email the refuse team to let Our environment correspondent
:11:28. > :11:30.Yvette Austin has this report. Stealing a chip.
:11:31. > :11:33.It is what seagulls do. Our seafront restaurants and cafes
:11:34. > :11:36.are a prime destinations for But they are not
:11:37. > :11:46.welcomed by everyone. Rodney Posner, who runs
:11:47. > :11:48.the Meeting Place cafe in Brighton has been shooing
:11:49. > :11:50.them away for years. You have to be firm
:11:51. > :11:57.with these birds. If they come up to you,
:11:58. > :12:01.you need to be firm and shoo them The birds learn very
:12:02. > :12:05.quickly, this is I will hang around,
:12:06. > :12:07.jump on the table. And when it gets too much
:12:08. > :12:10.to bear, people are calling John Butler, an expert
:12:11. > :12:12.in bird control. We've put up wires and a system
:12:13. > :12:20.to keep the seagulls away because they have
:12:21. > :12:22.been taking the food because they have been
:12:23. > :12:24.taking the food off people's tables whilst
:12:25. > :12:25.they They might go on the lamp
:12:26. > :12:31.post, on the statues, on People are talking about a cull,
:12:32. > :12:35.but it won't happen. There is a suggestion
:12:36. > :12:39.that the council's new Costing ?500,000 for
:12:40. > :12:48.100, they alert to the Most importantly, they close
:12:49. > :12:51.completely, meaning the seagulls You have to shut the
:12:52. > :12:56.lid, which is great. I can't see a seagull
:12:57. > :13:00.getting in there. We have open ones on my
:13:01. > :13:02.road that seem to be I don't like them because it is not
:13:03. > :13:10.nice catching the bin because it is I don't like them because it is not
:13:11. > :13:14.nice touching the bin because it is But I suppose if it stops seagulls
:13:15. > :13:18.going in there and it For many, the birds
:13:19. > :13:20.are peoples friends. And so food will always
:13:21. > :13:24.be found in the city. This was discussed in parliament.
:13:25. > :13:42.joins us from Brighton. This was discussed in parliament.
:13:43. > :13:50.Will it help? David's -- David Cameron's Government committed money
:13:51. > :13:59.for a cull Baty did happen. Herring gulls are on an endangered list.
:14:00. > :14:00.Their numbers have declined by half since 19 69. Many people love them.
:14:01. > :14:04.There will be no quick fix. Kent County Council has agreed
:14:05. > :14:13.to increase council tax by 4%, that will add around an extra
:14:14. > :14:16.45 pounds a year The extra revenue will help
:14:17. > :14:19.fund adult social care. Councillors have also agreed
:14:20. > :14:22.measures to save the council millions of pounds after Government
:14:23. > :14:23.funding cuts. A pedestrian's died after being hit
:14:24. > :14:26.by a car on the A27 The driver of the car,
:14:27. > :14:30.a 58-year-old man from Climping, has been arrested on suspicion
:14:31. > :14:32.of causing death Despite treatment by paramedics,
:14:33. > :14:35.the 59-year-old victim The road was closed
:14:36. > :14:39.for much of the morning, Four years ago, Roy Collins
:14:40. > :14:47.from Bexhill was diagnosed It's incredibly rare for men -
:14:48. > :14:53.only 350 cases a year are recorded - After chemotherapy and
:14:54. > :14:58.a mastectomy, Roy has now been But he's urging other men to check
:14:59. > :15:01.themselves regularly. He only discovered the problem
:15:02. > :15:04.when his wife realised What you can see is all that
:15:05. > :15:11.remains, a nice, neat scar. Roy had to have a large
:15:12. > :15:14.tumour removed. He was diagnosed with
:15:15. > :15:16.breast cancer after his wife, a nurse, noticed
:15:17. > :15:22.something wasn't quite right. I was climbing out of
:15:23. > :15:24.the shower one day and Theresa noticed there
:15:25. > :15:25.was something wrong with my right nipple,
:15:26. > :15:28.it was a little bit inverted
:15:29. > :15:30.and she asked me what was wrong with it and I said,
:15:31. > :15:36.I don't know, it's probably
:15:37. > :15:38.just COLD or some such. Roy went to his Dr Who
:15:39. > :15:50.referred him to the I'm being told it's a six
:15:51. > :15:53.centimetre lump, needs to be removed along with
:15:54. > :15:55.the rest of the breast. It's also gone to the lymph nodes,
:15:56. > :15:58.so they'll have to come And I said to her, look, whatever,
:15:59. > :16:02.whatever you need to do, if it's radiotherapy,
:16:03. > :16:03.chemotherapy, drugs, whatever, crack on and do it,
:16:04. > :16:07.you are the experts, just get rid of Roy says he just did not know men
:16:08. > :16:12.could get breast cancer, and Certainly there are a lot of men
:16:13. > :16:18.who are not read that breast cancer can affect them,
:16:19. > :16:20.and that's probably because the disease is a lot
:16:21. > :16:24.more common in women. Over 50,000 women are
:16:25. > :16:26.diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and for men
:16:27. > :16:29.that figure is 350. Roy has now been
:16:30. > :16:32.given the all clear. His message to others
:16:33. > :16:35.who find changes in their The number of people smuggling
:16:36. > :16:53.operations disrupted jumped by a third last year -
:16:54. > :16:56.the spike was revealed at a meeting between MPs and the Government,
:16:57. > :16:58.prompted by our investigation into smugglers putting
:16:59. > :17:00.people on lorries in Paris Winger Tom Varndell is poised
:17:01. > :17:24.to break the Premiership's all-time She's one of folk music's most
:17:25. > :17:34.revered song collectors and vocalists, but for more than 30
:17:35. > :17:37.years she was famous Shirley Collins from Lewes last
:17:38. > :17:42.recorded new music nearly forty years ago by which point her voice
:17:43. > :17:44.was, she claimed, But now she's been nominated for two
:17:45. > :17:49.prestigious music awards, The 81-year-old singer's work has
:17:50. > :18:01.influenced the likes of Billy Bragg And is now in line to win Radio 2's
:18:02. > :18:23.Folk Singer of the Year. # Is labouring boy #.
:18:24. > :18:33.With her strong singing style and story telling, Shirley Collins... I
:18:34. > :18:42.was so shocked that I lost my voice. I could not sing the songs I was
:18:43. > :18:55.required to do. It was relating. -- humiliating. A Hastings girl, she
:18:56. > :18:59.was at the core of the folkrock seen in the 19 cities. There are so many
:19:00. > :19:06.songs connected to Sussex that's not a a lot of people know about. It is
:19:07. > :19:12.the most beautiful music. Now 81, 58 years since her last performance,
:19:13. > :19:20.she is back with a new album. # I met an old man #.
:19:21. > :19:25.The reason behind her return, possibly coaxing by her fans. She
:19:26. > :19:31.has a fire you don't see with many people. It is wonderful to behold.
:19:32. > :19:35.Her enthusiasm for talking about the music, relaying the stories around
:19:36. > :19:39.the music, it has was been there. It is back that she is -- it is good
:19:40. > :19:46.she is back performing. The award ceremony live on BBC Radio 2 is on
:19:47. > :19:53.April the bed. How would an 81-year-old celebrate her when? I
:19:54. > :20:02.wouldn't hardly's. If I lose, I will be gracious.
:20:03. > :20:05.A rare collection of original hidden weapons and secret gadgets
:20:06. > :20:10.designed for British spies, and troops caught behind enemy lines
:20:11. > :20:13.the kind of things that inspired Ian Fleming
:20:14. > :20:15.when he created James Bond, are being auctioned
:20:16. > :20:19.They date from the Second World War onwards and include a fountain pen
:20:20. > :20:21.concealing a dagger spike, and a watch that doubled
:20:22. > :20:25.Robin Gibson has been to take a look.
:20:26. > :20:35.They look like props for a vintage James Bond movie.
:20:36. > :20:37.Oddball gear designed by white coated boffins who spent
:20:38. > :20:40.their days thinking up as our weapons and secret gadgets to break
:20:41. > :20:44.their agents on the ground and of one tight spot or another.
:20:45. > :20:46.To the naked eye, this looks like an ordinary fountain pen.
:20:47. > :20:51.When it unscrews, it reveals quite a sinister dagger.
:20:52. > :20:59.This would have been used by an agent, if need be,
:21:00. > :21:02.to fight his way out of a corner or to eliminate an enemy sentry.
:21:03. > :21:07.This watch concealed a microphone to record conversations.
:21:08. > :21:10.A garrotte made of jagged wire conveys its horrific use.
:21:11. > :21:12.They all dates back to the Second World War, and were
:21:13. > :21:15.issued to agents and commandos dropped behind enemy lines.
:21:16. > :21:16.The items range from the gruesome to the
:21:17. > :21:25.Here is a uniform badge which unscrews to
:21:26. > :21:27.reveal a compass, useful for an escaping RAF pilot.
:21:28. > :21:35.A key, the end unscrews to leave a compartment useful for a
:21:36. > :21:53.They are keeping it to keep the history and
:21:54. > :21:58.Edward Toms, who is now 96 and lives in lives in hive, was attached
:21:59. > :22:00.to both the SAS and special operations executive during World
:22:01. > :22:04.We all have buttons that could be used as compasses.
:22:05. > :22:09.The SOE laboratory was in the natural
:22:10. > :22:17.The SOE laboratory was in the Natural
:22:18. > :22:20.And it was where all these gadgets would be
:22:21. > :22:27.Murderous weapons may not be everyone's cup of tea, not least
:22:28. > :22:28.that the auction takes place on Valentine's Day.
:22:29. > :22:31.But the collection is expected to go for thousands of
:22:32. > :22:38.As Wales and England prepare to go head-to head
:22:39. > :22:42.But one Kent-born player will be concentraing firmly
:22:43. > :22:46.Winger Tom Varndell is poised to break the Premiership's
:22:47. > :22:51.Varndell was born in Ashford in 1986 and started to play rugby
:22:52. > :22:54.He has actually played for four times for England
:22:55. > :22:58.But one more try will see him pass Mark Cueto's record of 90 -
:22:59. > :23:01.and become a rugby legend in his own right.
:23:02. > :23:03.His side Bristol face Harlequins tomorrow night,
:23:04. > :23:10.There are not many who can keep up with Tom Varndell.
:23:11. > :23:13.One of the fastest rugby players around.
:23:14. > :23:15.You usually have to wait for the replay
:23:16. > :23:23.With Leicester, Wasps and Bristol, he has turned
:23:24. > :23:28.So many, one more try this season will take the
:23:29. > :23:36.On the wing, on the end of most of the
:23:37. > :23:39.moves, and any player least -- wants to leave their mark on the game.
:23:40. > :23:42.If I can do that with my try scoring then it would be fantastic.
:23:43. > :23:46.The Ashford born winger has played 12
:23:47. > :23:47.seasons in English rugby's highest level.
:23:48. > :23:55.He has run in 90 tries, a figure that putting puts him level
:23:56. > :23:58.with Mark Cueto, the master try scorer from sales charts in England.
:23:59. > :24:01.A man who knows the miles that goes into every finish.
:24:02. > :24:06.All was one of the fastest guys in the premiership.
:24:07. > :24:08.From an athletic point of view, there isn't anyone
:24:09. > :24:14.I think he is creeping into his 30s now, so to still keep in the
:24:15. > :24:21.shape that he is in is doing really well.
:24:22. > :24:28.But there is a difference between the two men.
:24:29. > :24:30.Mark Cueto played 55 times his country, the Kent
:24:31. > :24:31.born speedster just for
:24:32. > :24:34.COMMENTATOR: Dream debut for Tom Varndell at 20.
:24:35. > :24:38.England represent a Varndell rarity - a chance missed.
:24:39. > :24:40.I would have loved to have more opportunity.
:24:41. > :24:43.I would love to have had a bit more of a shot, I think.
:24:44. > :24:45.What I like about the England setup at the
:24:46. > :24:48.moment is they are giving young boys a chance.
:24:49. > :24:50.If you play out wide, there is no time for looking back.
:24:51. > :24:52.As he prepares to go full throttle into
:24:53. > :24:55.his next record, against Harlequins on Friday, but Varndell's career has
:24:56. > :24:58.taken him from Kent, Leicester, London and Bristol, a career that
:24:59. > :25:19.There is a major house fire in Saint Leonards on West Hill Road. The Fire
:25:20. > :25:23.Service cannot confirm whether there was more than one person at the
:25:24. > :25:27.property. The police and six Fire crews are there on the scene. Road
:25:28. > :25:34.closures in place. Now, we will check the weather. You
:25:35. > :25:47.mentioned snow and they are. I wouldn't get the toboggans out
:25:48. > :25:50.quite yet. But when Terry mist to come. Certainly over the next couple
:25:51. > :26:02.of days. Today was cold and clothing. We have a drizzle coming
:26:03. > :26:09.out of the cloud. The sun has set and it is falling as flurries. Over
:26:10. > :26:13.the next 36 hours, the risk of wintry weather. The winds are
:26:14. > :26:22.slightly changing direction through Saturday. A north-easterly. From the
:26:23. > :26:27.North Sea, increasing the risk of potentially seeing some of the white
:26:28. > :26:31.stuff. As we head into the weekend. Let's see what is going on overnight
:26:32. > :26:36.tonight. Some showers coming through here and there. Not too much in the
:26:37. > :26:43.way of settling snow. Other higher ground, a dusting perhaps,
:26:44. > :26:50.temperatures in our towns staying ever so slightly above freezing.
:26:51. > :26:54.Another cold, cloudy and grey day. Maybe I slowly at times.
:26:55. > :26:59.Temperatures once more will struggle, like today. Not much above
:27:00. > :27:04.two or three degrees. Here is the good stuff. If you like something
:27:05. > :27:11.wintry, overnight into Saturday we will see showers pulsing to worse
:27:12. > :27:18.as. Where they do fall, especially over higher growth, you can... Lower
:27:19. > :27:23.levels, really just a dusting of snow to start your Saturday. Through
:27:24. > :27:27.the day on Saturday, still the risk of showers. The temperatures have
:27:28. > :27:33.started to come up a bit on Saturday. It will be still be a cold
:27:34. > :27:40.day because it will be rather windy. But we will lose the risk of snow.
:27:41. > :27:53.Back later, goodbye. OK, everyone, have you got
:27:54. > :27:59.your bamboo sticks? If you just paint
:28:00. > :28:01.what you want to paint, I've turned around,
:28:02. > :28:07.my painting washes away. ..and take on
:28:08. > :28:12.The Big Painting Challenge. Remember, you're not painting
:28:13. > :28:15.a pond.