29/03/2017 South East Today

European Union after 44 years of membership. That's all from

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

He's banned single mums and benefit claimants.

Now, a controversial landlord is investigated over

Well, there's nothing to back down on, is there?

At the end of the day it's up to me who comes into my property.

Five riverside art works will form the permanent memorial to victims

We'll be reporting live from Shoreham.

A teenager who starved himself to death was let down by Kent's

mental health services says his grieving mother.

After seven breakdowns in eight months we ask

if Brighton's Faulty Tower is becoming an

And the famous Flying Scotsman like you've never seen it before.

Kent Police are investigating the behaviour of one

of the country's largest buy to let landlords, after he made a serious

series of racially charged remarks about people renting his properties.

Fergus Wilson, who owns hundreds of properties in the south east,

told his letting agency in an email that he didn't want ?coloured'

people renting his homes because they left the buildings

Mr Wilson, who has also controversially banned single mums,

'battered wives' and benefit claimants from renting his homes,

is being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights

Commission, who have condemned his remarks as like something

from "the dark ages". Simon Jones reports.

He owns a property portfolio worth millions.

But Fergus Wilson says he's fed up having difficulty re-letting houses

because of curry smells and the cost of getting rid of them.

The equality and human rights commission

And Pakistani and Indian people eat curry, so people

put the two together and say you are anti-coloured people.

We're not anti-coloured people, we're anti-curry.

Well, you would say that, wouldn't you,

You obviously don't believe it because...

Your comments have been called disgusting.

Well, that isn't the view shared by the majority of

The equality commission believes the ban is unlawful.

Kent Police says it is looking to see if any offences

It's certainly provoked a strong reaction.

He's an enormously rich man but I don't think he'll

I think it's really shocking, actually.

I think if you think back to the 60s and the first race

relations act, it was brought in to address

Where landlords were refusing to let properties to people

These were the views in Maidstone town centre.

It's... There's no words for it.

Disgusting. That's the word, disgusting.

Everybody tries to protect their property.

In this day and age that kind of prejudice

It's just horrific, it makes you feel sick.

Fergus Wilson has previously drawn up a list of banning single mothers

and fathers, battered wives and plumbers in addition to

That is not racist in my view. Why?

Because I am not objecting to coloured people.

Part of your question you should have been asking me,

and I'm sure you meant to was do you currently have

any coloured people as parents?

Well, there's nothing to back down on is there?

At the end of the day it's up to me who goes into my properties.

You have no regrets saying no coloured people?

Despite the backlash, he insists the ban

Simon, how likely is Fergus Wilson to face legal action?

Well, he is of course a big player in the property market. For example

along this row of houses he owns all five properties and another couple

on the other side of the road. If police were to take action it would

probably have to be in incitement to racial hatred but that would require

the permission of the Attorney General said that seems like quite a

high bar. But an individual could decide to take their own action if

they felt they were denied a property simply because of their

race and the equality commission is tonight threatening its only goal

action if Mr Wilson doesn't change his mind.

Five different art works are to form part of a permanent

memorial to the victims of the Shoreham air disaster.

11 men died when a Hawker Hunter jet crashed on the A27 in Sussex

A series of memorial sculptures will be installed along the banks

of the River Adur close to the scene.

The designs, which are in the very early stages, will honour

the victims and their families, the first responders

19 months after the disaster which claimed 11 lives, today the first

glimpse of plans for a permanent memorial. It's been created by

Brighton artist Jane Ford and David Parfitt. A series of works to sit

alongside the banks of the River Adur, designed in close consultation

with the victims' families. We aim for this work to achieve quite a

quiet contemplation of the river and the sense of peace that it offers.

The memorial will be spread over five locations including a sculpture

dedicated to the first responders. A little further up the river a

tribute to the community, in form a community area with stop then the

east side of a toll bridge, a series of 11 art is dedicated to each of

the victims. People really liked the fact that we've tried to create

areas for people to go to to do their own grieving, really, to be

very personal. That they can spend time walking up and down the river

and just sitting in one place or not kind of gathered all in one object

that interprets their grief. The town's told toll bridge a short

distance from the crash site became a temporary shrine. Now, though,

sure we'll have a memorial for all time. -- waste that I will have a

memorial for all time. Memorials are important because people need a

place to go to delay flowers or just sit all reflect. For people in the

town and it is a welcome focal point for a grief which in jewels. I am in

nursery manager any local nursery the children struggle with what

happened, and I think it is right that there is a lasting memorial for

people to go and pay respects. I think it is lovely and great and it

is important to have that they're so it is not forgotten, and I think

when there is something physical death it brings you back and people

will always keep them in their memory. Sussex Police's

investigation into the crash is ongoing. Tonight, they said they

hoped to submit a file of material to the Crown Prosecution Service in

advance of the pre-inquest review on June 20.

Piers hub Kirk joins us now from Shoreham. How important is this

memorial? Well, it's hugely important and really does fill a

void here. You will remember that in the days and weeks after the

Shoreham air crash this bridge became a focal point. People came

here with flowers, tied ribbons onto the bridge. Those have long since

been removed and a second memorial that was just down on the river bank

below me, that's two has been taken down, so this memorial will provide

a new and fresh focal point for the community. It will cost in the

region of ?180,000, being organised and part funded by a the council,

and the hope it is it will be up and ready in time for the anniversary,

the third anniversary of the Shoreham air crash. Piers, thank

you. Sussex business and worried he might

go out of business analyst CCTV captures the criminals.

A NHS Trust has admitted a young man from Kent didn't receive appropriate

treatment for the eating disorder which eventually led to his death.

Steven Brazier, from Minster, was 19 stone when he started

a healthy weightloss programme - but his weight fell to just eight

The 20-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest in 2014.

Tonight his mother told this programme her son's death could have

been prevented if the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care

Partnership Trust had given him the mental health care he needed.

By the time he died, Stephen Brazier was so thin he could barely walk. He

had lost more than ten stone in just two years after starting a diet to

lose weight with an after breaking his leg. He just carried on until

there was no off switch with him, he just carried on. Until there was

virtually nothing of him, a fraction of himself, really. He would be at

the end of his tether, basically, would say that I can't go on like

this, Mum, I can't keep doing this. And I have just had enough, I just

wanted to die and hearing your son say that is really, really hard. The

partnership trust sectioned Stephen for his own safety and he was

treated for more than a year at a specialist hospital in Bromley. He

seems to have improved, so the trust decided to send him back to his

family. Stephen was discharged back to his home here in Minster in

August 20 13th, even though the local community mental health team

were owned that track are unable to taken on as a patient, from that

point on his family say his mental health continued to deteriorate

until his death in February 20 14. He was left with no care at all. I

used to telephone the mental health people, they would tell me to ring

the eating disorder service and it was just going backwards and

forwards, nobody seemed to know who should be looking after him. In a

statement the trust accepts that communications between the service

is looking after Steven was not adequate. They say patients said

expect a standard of service not provided here. And they insist they

have learned. He was just a skeleton with skin stretched over him. His

teeth had all come out, and it just... No... I don't want anyone

else to go through that. Nobody. The trust have now reached a settlement

with the breezes. -- Braziers. Over 40,000 people have signed a

petition last night launched by Katie Price calling for online

bullying to make case is a big crime.

Price's 14-year-old son Harvey, who is partially blind,

autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome, was targeted by a troll

on Twitter which has subsequently been investigated by Sussex Police.

The clock has started ticking - and the UK has formally handed

in the letter of notice to let the European union know

Britain now has two years to negotiate terms for unwinding

four and a half decades of membership - it will mean working

out the rights of more than million EU nationals already living here -

as well as Brits who've settled abroad -

there will be haggling over the so called divorce bill,

estimated by some to be as high as 50 billion pounds

and the thorny question of where the UK's border checks

will be carried out - Calais or Dover?

A few minutes ago in Brussels, the United Kingdom's permanent

representative to the EU handed a letter to the president of the

Confirming the government's decision to invoke article 50 of the Treaty

The Article 50 process is now underway.

And in accordance with the wishes of the British

people, the United Kingdom is leaving the European union.

The referendum last summer saw a significant majority vote

to leave in the south east, a margin of 55 to 45.

In Gravesham, more than 65% voted to leave.

But in Brighton and Hove it was a colpete reversal -

Well, let's cross live to Brighton and speak

There's a mass rally there tonight by so-called

'remainers' who aren't happy - but there are many parts

of the south east that will be celebrating the triggering

Well, absolutely, as you said these are the rest of the country voted to

leave the EU. Certainly many people I have spoken to since that in June

have been saying why aren't we getting on with it but today the

Article 50 process has begun, so I went to speak to some of those whose

businesses are most directly affected by EU legislation.

These Sussex cattle could be among the last to be revealed their whole

lives under EU rules. The official start to the downtown to Brexit is

welcome news for the farm owner. Absolutely delighted. Who wouldn't

be? Now just wants to get on with it. She hopes it will be a chance

for farmers to get more control over their land. It will be very

positive. It is everything that we need to do. I think we had to stop

having people who actually don't know about farming calling around

over our fun telling us what we can't do. I think some of that will

go with the demise of the common agricultural policy. But this farm

in west mauling in Kent where they plant 1 million lettuces a week, the

mood is less buoyant. For businesses like ours it is the uncertainty that

really damages the business. It relies on a steady stream of migrant

workers stop Nick says Brexit can be an opportunity but the government

needs to act quickly. We need decent trade agreements, if the EU is our

biggest sale export market and we need access to workers, pick the

crops and we need a scheme, so they say we will get this game but they

are talking around 2020. What happens in 2019? How do crops get

picked in 2019? In Gravesend market today, some relief that breaks it

was finally underway. We voted a democratic right out and it is just

starting going through. The deal is done, let's break away and become

Britain again. It will be a good thing. It actually prove that we

don't actually need to rely on European money or European laws to

make our country a success, that it was before. Society without lyrics,

I think, is a society at all. We have found out I into a corner where

there is no comeback. There are some in the south-east those who believe

triggering Article 50 remains the wrong choice. My concern is much

more of a cultural one. Nicholas says he believes it still could be

stopped. We are a microcosm here of Europe, we have polls and Spaniards

and Italians working here, and they are all under 30 and they are future

is up what exactly is coming down the line for the south-east will be

decided over the next two years. Well, the feelings are still running

high, a small protest here earlier outside Hove town hall from those

who wanted to remain. There is going to be a lot in those two years in

those negotiations. Wings like those farmers balancing migration, making

sure migrant workers come in to help with the Phils buyers not too many.

There are also things like what to do with the border at Dover? How

does that still flow smoothly Mr Mark and help the tourism

industry... Helen, thank you. You can join in the debate online.

A Sussex business owner says he fears he may have to stop trading

after burglars targeted his shop for a third time in seven years.

The gang escaped with power tools worth about ?10,000

from Ben Mitchell's industrial unit in Uckfield.

Now he says his insurance premiums have risen so much,

the future of his ten-year-old business at risk.

He's hoping that CCTV will help catch the criminals.

These men break into the Department, it is the third burglary here

They left with high value power tools we stock.

Bare body, combination drill set, ?1000.

Ben Mitchell open a shop ten years ago but has insurance premiums

are so high, he may have to give it up.

I don't want to give it up, I'm a local guy

I feel I owe it to my family, and staff, to carry on.

the futures' in the balance.

Sussex Police have asked anyone who witnessed the man or a

white van in the area around the time of the burglary, or anything

suspicious in the time leading up to it to

It's 10 minutes to seven, this is our top story tonight:

Kent Police are investigating a landlord after racially charged

remarks. Also in tonight's programme:

the faulty tower - its Brighton's breakdown prone

tourist attraction becoming And after a cloudy day today, the

sun is back tomorrow. Highs of 20 even. The forecast coming later.

There has been a sharp rise in reporting of animal

cruelty in the south east, according to the RSPCA -

with recent shocking cases including a dog that was kept chained up

for the first 18 months of its life - and another that was thrown

from the back of a van at 70 miles an hour.

The animal charity investigated more than 12,000 cases

East Sussex saw the largest increase in allegations,

And with more than 5,500 reports in Kent,

the county had the fifth highest number nationally.

Ian Palmer has tonight's Special Report.

Benji is a west Highland terrier cross. Chained up in a yard with a

German Shepherd, his early life cross. Chained up in a yard with a

German Shepherd, his early life was full of misery and pain. I knew they

were tied up, separately, in a garden. Benji one side, the Alsatian

and the other side, and I never knew if they could get to each other.

Benji the owner went to court. The RSPCA cared for him until he was

well enough to be be homed. She needed a companion to have grieved

for her brother. She met him in October, one of the many cases RSPCA

dealt with in the south-east last year. Many mistreated Alan Mills in

the region come to this shelter in Brighton stop in 2016 the number of

cruelty cases in East Sussex rose by nearly 30%. Why those numbers go up,

it may be people having more confidence in contacting us. Maybe

they see things online as well. We have certainly seen the impact of

social media in how people communicate the RSPCA. There are

many extreme cases of animal cruelty. One of the most shocking

involved Snoopy the female lurcher, found dumped on a busy road.

Emaciated, she was close to death. Happily, sleepy as a new home.

People say they are distressed to hear people are still being

mistreated in Kent and East Sussex. My reaction is complete horror. I

can't imagine who these people are. The only have to look at the dog to

just be a macro wants to love it, really. I don't understand these

people who throw animals out of cars and things like that. It's

heartbreaking to think that in the so-called nation of animal lovers

that this is going on. It is still training to get him back. On the

Sussex coast, Benji loves his training. The development continues

to astound the people he loves. The two-year-old Westie is very

fortunate, but for every Benji there are many more animals who are not.

Brighton's I360 remains a 'fantastic addition to the city',

that's the message this evening from the City Council,

as the troubled attraction reopened today after the seventh incident

The 450 foot tower cost ?42 million to build that has been shut for a

total of 11 days since opening last August. John is by the tower.

John, the City Council's opinion on all this really matters?

It really is, Rob, and that is because the City Council, ie local

taxpayers, then the building many millions of pounds and if it the

project will fail that that will have to be repaid I council tax

payers and that money is being repaid to the council already so it

is all ticking over nicely but today we asked for a detailed breakdown on

the numbers of visitors. We were not given that buts told that targets

weren't being met, that visitor numbers were well within target

parameters. A damp afternoon in March was never

going to pull in vast crowd but people were still booking today for

a ride that is increasingly becoming a talking point for the wrong

reasons. What was meant to give the city a cutting edge new image has

now created something of an image problem. The pictures of a temporary

loo being hastily assembled went global. It turned out to be one of

three breakdowns in four days. The brief incident in December followed

with a more serious incident in February and another last Sunday. We

were greatly disappointed it was broken down, and if it keeps

breaking down as frequently as that it is not great, is it? What effect

is it happening on your decision whether to use it or not? I don't

want to get stuck out there, particularly! I was disappointed to

see that there were technical failures but I think everything has

teething problems, doesn't it? It doesn't worry me. Will it fall this

goal that there will it fall from the sky question mark now. It is an

attractive attraction for Brighton. That was certainly the message given

back in October when receiving the approval of the Duke of Edinburgh,

with an incident free ride for him. Today neither the City Council or

the owners gave interviews but a spokeswoman for the i360 gave the

Russian visitor numbers were on target. The City Council said it was

convinced the finances were robust. It does remain however denied one

puzzle about this. In the past breakdowns have been committed to

computer problems meaning that safety equipment is kicked in early,

reassuring if you like. On this occasion though the owners have

simply not explain what the problem was other than saying it was

technical. I pushed today, was at a computer glitch today? Or something

structural? They simply would not stay. The night the message from the

i360 is everything that has been tested is fine, it is perfectly

safe, and it is nominated for three awards and is open for business.

the famous Flying Scotsman like you've never seen it

For the first time in the UK, these models go show on at the Kent

and East Sussex Railway in Tenterden, alongside

an exhibition of 30 other lego models, charting

the history of Britain. Claire Cottingham's been to visit.

The Flying Scotsman drives ahead, to spell 50 years

It's the world's most famous steam locomotive,

but at eight metres long, it's not quite how people

Made entirely out of Lego, with three Pullman carriages,

I mean, Pullman cars didn't have sleeping compartments,

there's a little bit of artistic licence but the detail's fantastic,

there's cigars on the bar, there's loo roll in

the toilets and there's chains there, it's

You look inside it and every little detail is there.

You can see where all those 250,000 bricks went.

These impressive models, which originate from artists'

drawings, were made using hundreds of thousands of Lego bricks,

and for the first time in the UK they go on show at the Kent

and East Sussex Railway in Tenterden this weekend.

It is opening up our living museum, which is what we are,

You know, we've got here a history of Britain

and we are the history, you know, we are a social

history piece down here, so really exciting to have something

that is so widely recognised down here at the station.

The locomotive itself was built by an artist

called Nick Barratt, and it took nearly

With 250,000 bricks on display, it's truly a sight to behold.

That's great, isn't it? Looks fantastic. Now some good news in the

weather. Tomorrow there will be some sunshine

and what is not to love? Earlier a bit more cloud cover around but

actually still really quite mild for the time of year. Top tempter of 16

degrees, average for the time of year being 11 or 12. Going through

tonight we hold onto a lot of that Clark but for tomorrow it brightens

up and as I mentioned by the afternoon we could see highs of 20

or 21 degrees. Warm for the time of year. Tonight, cloud, but perhaps

some drizzle and temperatures dropping only to ten or 11 degrees

and those are the sorts of values we would expect to see in the afternoon

at this time of year. Clouds at first then but quickly we see

brightness and again by the brightness leg-macro afternoon

wheeze see temperatures in the top teams, a little bit cooler along the

coast perhaps but they're reaching highs of 15 or 16 degrees. Further

north potentially 1920 degrees. Thursday into Friday we see

mildness, but the most part dry as well. A bit more cloud cover as well

towards the hours of Friday -- early hours of Friday and we see a weather

front passing through quickly, a lovely dry and bright and two-day on

Friday. Looking towards the weekend one of two halves. Sunshine back on

Sunday. Saturday you'd like to see more showers but fine on Sunday and

the same in the new week. Lots of sunshine tomorrow, maybe highs of

21! You have made our day! That's it for

now, back for 1030 -- 6:30pm.