22/03/2017 South East Today

have been injured. There will be continuing coverage of this

developing Tonight's top stories:

Terror at Westminster. Schoolchildren from Kent

and Sussex get caught up in a day of chaos and fear

in central London. We will be hearing from our

political correspondent Helen Catt at the scene and our

reporter Yvette Austin who is outside the Herstmonceaux Sussex

primary school where parents for their children

to return from today's school trip to the House

of Commons. Sussex Police apologise

to the family of a woman murdered Bred this verdict will not bring her

bike but we hope this will provide some comfort to her family and

friends. Bred Radcliffe tool bought online for just ?20

to steal thousands of A crackdown on illegally

parked lorries. Drivers are warned they

now face a ?70 fine. And the remarkable, inspiring

story of Adam Francis, the kent soldier who lost both legs

in Afghanistan, now At least two people have died

after a knifeman brought terror to the heart of Westminster,

mowing down pedestrians then stabbing a policeman

who has now died - before He was shot several times

by police marksmen. A woman who was hit by the vehicle

on Westminster Bridge has died and several others have

suffered "catastrophic injuries". It's emerged that schoolchildren

from Kent and Sussex were in Westminster at the time,

a group of primary school children from Herstmonceux Church

of England Primary School. what did you see this afternoon? The

first thing we saw was lots of people shouting and police officers

running. Then a number of shots rang out, and then people started hiding

behind the pillars of the Colonnade and it became apparent there was a

serious incidents going on and we were able to get out and into the

main part, but at the moment, we were in lockdown and that about 2000

people in Westminster Hall at the moment. The police are carrying out

a investigation. Won must be an extraordinary atmosphere. A lot of

tension and straightforward in certainty about what is going on? It

is a very subdued atmosphere and the belligerent to find out what has

taken place. The staff at the magnificent and people with medical

conditions are being looked after. People just want to find out what is

going to be happening. They have no idea yet understandably so as to how

long this will take, but it's an inconvenience but nothing compared

with the horror that has befallen some people today. Thank you.

Helen, some of our MPs actually witnessed the attack?

Normally at this time on Wednesday, we would be Binky the latest on what

our local MPs have been doing in parliament, the questions they were

asking all that. But what started on Westminster Bridge behind me at

2:40pm this afternoon, reports of a car collided with a number of

pedestrians. After that, an attacker going on with a knife to Parliament

and stabbing a police officer. Earlier, I caught up with a van

driver from Sittingbourne who went to the bingo that bridge. His finest

along there now. I had been pulled onto Westminster Bridge, I could see

people lying down and then the SWAT team turned up and asked us to

abandon our vehicle and move away. How many people did you see lying on

the floor? There was a lady laying on the pavement at their entry to

the bridge, convert the must of been about five more people further

along. There has been a lot of confusion as are the houses of

parliament today as more and more detail has emerged. We know the

police are treating this as a terrorism investigation for the

moment at least. Also, very sad news this afternoon that the police

officer who was stabbed by an attacker has also died. I'm standing

yards from new Scotland Yard. The leader of the Lib Dems study and

said it was heartbreaking, and I imagine many of our local MPs will

feel the same. Thank you. Well, a school party of 15 children

from Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School

in Hailshamare were in lock down with teachers in Westminster

when the terror attack was underway. Well let's cross live

to the school and speak What have the school had

to say this evening? The children are all aged between

seven and 11. They were in London with tee-macro members of staff and

volunteer helper. They were in it Westminster to help up -- learn

about Parliament and autism are caught up in this incident and a

lockdown which happened. I know these children where the

Parliamentary education Centre which is the opposite end of the palace to

where the incident happened. That was fortunate. It was also fortunate

the headteacher learned quickly that they were safe. Immediately we knew

that the children were safe. And since then, we have been a continual

communication with the member of staff responsible for the trip and

we are just very, very grateful and thankful that they are OK. I've been

here for a a few hours and it has been very tense. There's been a

meeting, and they have been learning about what has happened today and I

had confirmation that it was some relief about half an hour ago that

the children had been let out and were being guided with the police to

the railway station and will be making their way home as planned on

the train, but late. Thank you. The former boyfriend of Shana Grice,

Michael Lane, has been found It took jurors just two hours

to decide that the obsessed stalker cut her throat in her bedroom last

August. He denied involvement

all the way through the trial, despite overwhelming evidence

placing him at the scene. Tonight, Sussex Police have

apologised to Shana Grice's family for the way they handled her

situation in the months She repeatedly reported his

disturbing behaviour, but they gave HER a fixed penalty notice

for wasting police time. The force now faces

an investigation. One day after Shana Grice's murder

and Michael and is being interviewed by police. Tell me what happened to

her. I don't know. A fortnight later, another lie. Her bedroom door

was open and she was on the floor. Trying to suggest he found her dead.

But the real story was when he went to her flat that morning, it was him

who slit her throat. Shana Grice was brutally murdered in our own home by

Michael Lane. He had become obsessed with her and could not accept that

she did not want to be with him. Shana Grice had reported Michael

into the police several times. Kincora. He had followed her, put a

tracker in her car and soul of the keys to her home, letting himself in

while she slept. Something she confronted him about in this cold

call. -- this phone call. Six weeks later, he went into her

home again and killed her. This is the footprint he left behind.

Bizarrely, after the medical he went to the shops to check his lottery

ticket. In a statement read to the court, Shana Grice's mother said she

knew instantly it was Michael Lane who had murdered her daughter and

that he had been harassing, stalking pressurising her for over a year and

making her life a nightmare. The police, she said, some to listen to

her daughter and taken her fears seriously. The Independent Police

Complaints Commission is now investigating the actions of the

force. After Shana Grice's death, Michael Lane came up with a string

of lies about what happened. You won't believe me, but it is up to

you. Nobody did believe it. You will be sentenced tomorrow.

Sara, Shana Grice's family say they believe she would still be

alive if Sussex Police had listened to her fears and taken

Yes, they have been in the court every day throughout this gruelling

trial and today, after just two hours of deliberations, the jury

came back and returned that guilty verdict. There was cheering,

clapping, shouting and lots of tears. Then we heard that statement

from Shana Grice's mother read out in court when she criticised the

police for what she said was there in action. Then she went on to give

a personal impact on the family, she said that Michael Alleyne had just

killed their daughter, but ruined their lives. He had left them as

mere shells of their former selves. She said, we have lost our

beautiful, kind and thoughtful daughter. Michael Lane will get a

life sentence for being found guilty of murder, but tomorrow, the judge

will decide the minimum number of years he must spend in prison. Thank

you. So Michael Lane was today convicted

of Shana Grice's murder. As we've just been hearing,

her family believe her death could have been prevented

and Sussex Police have apologised for failing to respond more strongly

to Shana Grice's concerns Stalking charities say her death

emphasises the need for improved training for police

to recognising stalking behaviour. Meanwhile, Sussex Police's

response is the subject of an investigation

by the Independent Police Michael Lane was characterised

in court as a fixated stalker whose obsession with Shana

Grice turned to murder. His trial laid bare how

she and her friend had reported him to police on five separate occasions

before he eventually killed Shana Grice at her home

in Sam Taylor from

Brighton was herself a victim of a terrifying

stalking campaign. Potentially, she could

have been saved had the risk factors,

the very high risk factors in her case

been identified early on and I think what happened in the case is that

Michael Lane was given permission, really, by the system to just

continue in his behaviour. He was given a clear

message that what he Shana Grice was

described as friendly, bubbly and kind, a girl

who got on with everybody. Her family say the stalking

made her life a nightmare. In February last year,

she reported Michael Lane. In March, he was reported

for allegedly assaulting Shana Grice and later denied

it and was released. And in July, the month before

Shana Grice was murdered, Michael Lane was reported to police

on three separate occasions. He stole a key to her house and let

himself into her bedroom while she The next day, she reported receiving

a series of anonymous calls, then three days after that,

reported she was being followed by The jury heard the police

treated the incident as low The day after he crept into her

bedroom, Shana Grice challenged him in a phone

conversation she recorded. On one occasion when Lane

was reported to police for assaulting Shana Grice, SHE was

fined for wasting police time. It is very concerning,

but not surprising. We hear from people every day

on the national stalking helpline you say they reported the stalking

behaviour to the police, but it

does not seem to have been either recognised

or But we know that stalking

is a risk indicator of Sadly, that is exactly what came

to pass on this particular Shana Grice all of relationship

with Michael Lane was at times secretive though, making

the examination and assessment of his behaviour even more

of a challenge, according to the former chairman of the Police

Federation. What they are not used and maybe

knowing about is where a person becomes paranoid, when they become

totally obsessed with a relationship and is very, very difficult

for police officers to tell of those signs, and yet they will

need to learn better. New laws to combat the stalking

wage adduced in 2012. Some believe Shana Grice's murder

is showing the authorities are still This is a systemic

problem across the Women are still being murdered

and stalking is still not The Independent Police

Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into

the contact between Shana Grice, Michael Lane and Sussex Police

in the lead And Piers - it's very unusual

for the police to issue an apology to Shana Grice's family in the way

that they have? This is an extraordinary move. The

IPPC has not completed its own investigation published its

findings, and yet, representatives from those ex-police have still gone

to see Shana Grice's from it and apologise for their shortcomings. I

gather it was the Deputy Chief Constable, Bernie O'Reilly. And he

said, when we looked at the circumstances leading to Shana

Grice's murder, we felt we may not have done the best we could have. I

understand they've now carried out a review as to how they deal with

things like stalking and harassment in the hope of improving the way

they do it in the future. As for the victim's family, they left us in

little doubt as to the police's shortcomings. Her mother said in a

victim impact statement, we firmly believe that it could've been

avoided if her fears have been taken seriously by the police thank you.

You can find more in-depth coverage of the trial and the jury's verdict

Police are hunting a criminal gang that's targeting ford transit vans

to steal thousands of poundsworth of tools in the south east this

be bought online for just ?20. using a "master-key" tool that can

Online retailers, including Amazon, are being criticised

for selling the Chinese-made device, saying it allows thieves

to easily break into otherwise secure vehicles.

Our Special Correspondent Colin Campbell has this exclusive story.

Van thieves in action in Kent just a week ago.

The gang suspected to be using a master key lock pick device.

On Friday night in Tunbridge Wells, it was

landscape gardener Nick Poynter's van that was targeted.

I've lost my tools, so there are no jobs that I

can not do without hiring equipment, which will be an expense icons

This Ford transit was 15 broken into that evening.

We are investigating a number of offences

in the west of Kent, where we suspect a master key may have been

Made in China, there are tutorials on you Tube how to use a

We've chosen to blur are not name the product, but it can

be bought legally on Amazon and other online retailers for less than

In reviews beneath a product on Amazon are these comments...

A third writes, well done Amazon for selling

a lock pick that aids the theft of tools and fans from hard-working

We asked this security expert to show van drivers how the

That unlocks the van, the front is no unlocked.

If I press it a second time, you may see if the

That you can buy something like that.

Thousands of pounds worth of stuff in the van, yes.

I'm an electrician, so I got a lot of power tools.

It didn't open every transit, but it is feared that criminals have

The amount of calls we get per week from Ford owners who

have been broken into with no visible damage, it would seem they

Police are urging van drivers to remove tools and equipment for

vehicles and consider investing in better locks,

CCTV and park are well lit and secure area and report

Police are dealing with a major terrorist incident in the centre of

Westminster tonight. At least four people have died and 20 people

injured. Schoolchildren from Kent and Sussex visiting were caught up

the chaos. We merely inspiring soldier who lost

both legs in a bomb attack in Afghanistan and is now working as a

lorry driver. And after a bright start, it has been a wet and windy

day and staying that way into tonight. I'll hobble the details

later. An increasing number of fines

are being given to lorry drivers who park in laybys to avoid

the costs of parking More than two million lorries came

into Kent through Dover In that time, Kent Police

have found 3,500 lorries parked illegally

or dangerously. Meanwhile, Shepway District Council

is warning drivers that they face a ?70 fine

if they park in a lay-by Peter Whittlesea has

tonight's special report. We think you been here longer

than five minutes... Clamping down on lorries

illegally parked overnight. Councils throughout

Kent have introduced parking restrictions

for HGVs after more and more trucks

pulling up near villages and They are overnight parking

in places they shouldn't be, outside residential areas

and constant movement of lorries 24 hours a day through a residential

village, the roads are in a dreadful state and also, it's

the amount of litter, rubbish and human mess

they There's also a clamp-down

in Dover, the main concern being clearing up

after irresponsible lorry drivers. Those bags of litter

on the side of the road costs the District Council,

on the A2 and the A20 through Dover between ?50,000

and ?60,000 a year to keep clear. That is the money

of council taxpayers. Fines contribute to

the cost of clearing up. The Freight Transport

Association says more and more lorries are parking

on Kent's roads after bays And it is the lack of official truck

stops on this side of the Channel Peter, there is a call for a

countywide response to tackle this problem once and for all? Yes, local

councils are worried that if they impose parking bans in a lay-by is

like this, the problem will just be moved up the motorway and cause

problems higher up the motorway network. These are the problems,

here, you can see litter all over the area, despite there being

dustbins. Lorry driver so they are. All over on the curbs, because they

have to stop after a certain number of hours. In areas like this, the

lorry Parks gets full up at around 10pm. Thank you.

A soldier from kent who lost both legs to a roadside bomb

in Afghanistan is up for a major award after he returned

to civilian life and got a job as a lorry driver,

passing the test without telling the examiner he was an amputee.

Adam Francis is in the Inspiration category

of the Soldiering On Awards, which are announced on Friday.

Jon Hunt has been to meet him in Snodland.

Adam Francis very nearly died serving his country.

But this father of five children was not going to

let the shocking injuries he sustained stand in his way.

I had promised my children about life

Just because daddy had lost his legs, it

did not mean anything was

And I was lorry driving before, and I wanted

to keep my word that it wouldn't be different.

Mr Francis had been on a tour of duty

with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment in Afghanistan

in 2012 when his convoy drove over an

I don't remember any bang, just a very

bright light and then I remember being pulled out of the vehicle.

To be honest, I thought I was a goner.

I would hazard a guess that most people watching would probably think

they would crumble if they were faced with what you are faced with.

I think you've got to have the right attitude for a

My dad's over a glass half full kind of person and I get a lot

You can't change what has happened, that is there to

You have to move forward and create a new life for yourself.

The speed of his recovery was astounded.

He was told it will take in six mothers to be strong enough to walk

He was told he will not ride a motorbike again or drive

He has made all the moves to come back to

work, getting his licence, wanting to come back to work

Mr Francis has been nominated in the Inspiration

category of the Soldiering On Awards that recognise outstanding

achievements by those who have served their country.

Well, let's return to the our top story.

Four people, one of them a police officer,

have died in a terrorist attack in Westminster this afternoon.

A man who stabbed an officer was shot by police

Schoolchildren from Kent and Sussex were in Westminster at the time.

A group of primary school children from Herstmonceux Church

of England Primary School were kept under lockdown in Parliament

while police dealt with the attacker.

Helena, there is breaking News that Kent Police are increasing their

patrols, including extra armed police in light of what has happened

a Westminster? -- in Westminster? Yes, here, there are always police

on patrol. There is heightened security now. Now we are hearing

from the Chief Constable of Kent Police they will also be adding

additional patrols both armed and unarmed across the counter this

evening to ensure Kent remains a safe place to live, work and visit.

He has stressed there is no specific threat to Kent. This is to ensure

public safety. As for Westminster, I've spoken to several local MPs

today and they are a bit in shock and will have the browser is what

has happened here today. They will want to reassure their constituents

tonight there's a sense that Parliament is to continue. We have

been told it will be open as usual tomorrow. Thank you.

After bright start there was lots of cloud. That rain turned heavy at

times and it felt very chilly. Temperatures were around 8-9 .

Tonight, a good deal of cloud and stole a lot of rain at times, too,

which potentially could be heavy. It stays breezy, so overnight

temperatures will only drop to around 5-6 . A damp start tomorrow.

It improves through the day though. By the afternoon, it stays breezy

with easterly winds and we start to see breaks in the cloud cover. First

thing, lots of cloud and rain, by the afternoon, for most of us, we

will see sunshine and it stays breezy and as you can tell, along

the coast, there will be further outbreaks of rain. A 9-10 top

temperature. Along the coast, it will feel even cooler. As we head

into Friday, further outbreaks of rain and with the wind and rain,

temperatures dropping to around 4-5 , but an improving page as we

head through Friday, so first thing, lots of cloud, but again, by the

afternoon, we will see sunshine and an area of high pressure will build

in. Temperatures will creep up, 12-13 on Friday and as we look

towards the weekend, we will see the return of dry and warm weather. It

overnight, with the clear skies, it will feel chilly. Saturday, this

high-pressure stays with us. Still quite a breezy with easterly winds

and a similar story as we head through Sunday. During the afternoon

for both days, temperatures are on 13-14 and high-pressure stays with

us into next week. Wet, but improving with sunshine just in time

for the weekend.