06/04/2017 South East Today

He triggered a by-election when he defected from

Mark Reckless is accused of being a 'Judas' in Rochester.

We will be reporting live from the Medway Towns.

How thieves burst into a shop in a Surrey market town

and brought its owner to the brink of tears.

We have got the CCTV coverage and saw exactly

what these hooligans have done to our private little business.

Also in tonight's programme, the row over the dredging

Dover Harbour says it is key to the future of the gateway.

The common clothes moth feasting on its fine furnishings.

And she was described as unorthodox and infectiou.

Now, punk icon Poly Styrene is the focus of a new film.

There is outrage in Rochester tonight, after it was confirmed

that the town's former MP Mark Reckless, who defected

from the Conservatives to Ukip, is to leave that party and vote

with the Tories in the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Reckless triggered a by-election in Rochester Strood when he left

the Conservatives in 2014, provoking anger within the party

at his "betrayal" and criticism of the cost of the election process.

Tories in Rochester have tonight gone as far

One senior politician says he would personally knock on the door

of Number 10 in protest, if he is allowed back into the party.

The report include some flashing images. Today, I am leaving the

Conservative Party. His departure from the Conservative Party to Ukip

trigger the by-election. But critics are challenging that if he goes to

the election box again, he will never be elected once again. It is

the actions of the Judas. I will make very strong representation to

the party to deny any consideration to have him back as a member of the

Conservative Party. Three years ago, he announced he was leaving the

Conservative Party, forcing the by-election. He won the by-election.

A cast made weekends in just over ?160,000 to stage the election.

Today, Ukip colleagues are asking him to look at his conscience. I

think that people should choose. I think he has made a big mistake. But

today, Mark Reckless said the proportional representation system

in Wales meant he could not trigger a by-election. With the proportional

system, that is not possible. Anyone who did vote for Ukip our Noel

coming over to the Conservatives at all levels. With sprigs of no one in

this way, people say the decision from Mark Reckless is not a big

surprise. It is really not so much a party any more, Barack Obama

campaign. Mark Reckless Says he will move forward with the Conservatives

in Wales. Attention will no to Rochester, free originally defected?

People were intrigued by the rise of Ukip. I remember him proclaiming

just the other party would win one in ten of the seats at the general

election. He was hoping he would be able to stand down and wait another

Ukip member take his place. CCTV footage has been released

showing the moment robbers smashed their way into

an independent shop in Oxted, near Sevenoaks,

using a sledgehammer, to help them steal ?30,000

of designer clothes. The owners of the store

have described them as "hooligans" and say it

will be hard to recover from what they call a "sickening"

incident early yesterday. Surrey Police are urging

anyone who may have seen the getaway vehicle -

a white Landrover - to contact them. Dramatic footage shows how

the audacious thieves used rope Moments later,

they smashed their way Meticulously planned,

one stands guard, while the other steals large quantities

of designer clothes. Fortunately, we have got the CCTV

coverage and saw exactly what these hooligans have done

to our private little business. They stole around ?30,000

worth of clothes from the Gas Station Jeans store

in the early hours of Wednesday. We do not think people

have the guts to do that. It is obviously not very nice,

because the damage is massive. Most of what was stolen

was premium-branded jeans. Locals say this is a quiet

and small town and something They obviously do not think

about that it is someone's That is way beyond

anything I would imagine. The shop owners pay quite a lot

in rates and it is quite sad. It will be quite hard

to recover from this, because we cannot just go out

to our suppliers and say we need more stock, because our suppliers

will say, "I'm sorry, we have sold out" and we are left

with nothing to sell. Surrey Police told us

they are investigating a number he killed himself during a sex

abuse trial, but now a school worker from Sussex

has his conviction overturned. Jobs and investment in the Port

of Dover will be under threat if it is not allowed to dredge

material from the Goodwin Sands. That is the claim from the harbour

board, after campaigners raised concerns that the work could disturb

wildlife and war graves at sea. The Goodwin Sands lie

seven and a half miles The Dover Harbour Board wants

to take millions of tonnes of gravel from an area called South Calliper,

to use as building material But over 12,000 people have signed

a petition against the plans. It is a battle over the 12 male

sandbank in the English Channel. For some, it is a fatal home for the

delay. From us, it provides the Port of Dover with material for

much-needed regeneration. The ?250 million project has already begun.

Sand dredged from Goodwin Sands would be used in the project. If

they had to purchase elsewhere, the easy it would cost millions. Some of

the peripheral stuff I have been fighting for for a long time to get

here. And we have been waiting for it for since the end of World War

II. That could be under threat if we have to spend the money on material.

The harbour authorities say they would dredge lesson 1% of Goodwin

Sands. But campaigners say Goodwin Sands the horse dozens of shipwrecks

and also a lot of their own aircraft from World War II. This EV do not

know what would be disturbed. They have not taken due diligence. If the

dullness at the start of this, they would not be faced with the

situation just know. He would have budgeted for the extra cost of

getting aggregate from elsewhere. Marine conservation see the whole of

the area should be protected. But the harbour authorities say the

development will bring jobs and prosperity.

Our reporter Sara Smith is live in Dover now.

How many jobs do the developers think the will bring? This either

will be 520 new jobs created of fee can go ahead with all the proposals.

If they have to spend that extra ?21 million to get material from

elsewhere other than Goodwin Sands, the seat it will affect some of the

project. Campaigners say this is nonsense. This either as many other

places they could get the aggregate cheaply. A report on this will be

expected later in the year. The family of a toddler, named

locally as Victoria Resetnjova, who was attacked by a dog

in Chatham, say that the incident has ruined their lives and the lives

of their two children. Her parents have expressed

their gratitude to the NHS The three people arrested by police

have been released on bail. An inquest into the death of a man

from Kent who died while taking part in a charity pram race,

has concluded that his death was the result a severe

traumatic brain injury. Francis O'Sullivan,

who was 52 and known as Titch, fell from the makeshift pram

at the event in Sutton Valence He died in hospital

the following day. Today, a coroner confirmed his

death was accidental. A former boarding school worker

from East Sussex who killed himself during a sex abuse trial has

had his conviction overturned, after it emerged correct

court procedure may not Darren Turk, who was 54

and worked at Frewen College in Northiam, was found guilty of ten

offences against boys at the Today, judges ruled those

convictions should be annulled. Our reporter Amanda Akass is at

the court in London for us now. Amanda, why did the judges

reach this decision? Darren Turk Took his own life the

day before the jury were about to deliver the verdict at a five-week

long trail last summer. The guilty verdicts whether then delivered. He

was the first dead man ever to be convicted of a claim in England. His

family were extremely angry about this. His mother brought the case to

the Court of Appeal. Judges decided the verdict should be overturned

because legally, if someone dies, the trail should be brought to an

end straightaway. But campaigners are concerned that this could be

care people from coming forward in future. People were victimised in

these years when they should have been enjoying life have really been

struggling to pluck up the courage to come forward. The situation today

just shows how complicated things can be.

Has there been any reaction from those involved in the case?

I have spoken to the family of a number of people involved. They are

shocked and deeply distressed. They are keen to point out that the case

was about the point of law, not necessarily cleaving the name of

Darren Turk. But the few we have not been fairly represented today.

Mark Reckless, the former UKIP MP for Rochester,

who triggered a high profile by-election in the town

when he defected from the Conservatives, has been called

a "Judas" by former Tory colleagues in the Medway Towns,

after announcing he is leaving Ukip, to vote with the Tories

unlocking the secrets to how Sussex inspired one

A new Constable exhibition opens in Brighton.

Plenty of sunshine this afternoon. I will of the weather forecast later

on. It was built as a fort in Tudor

times to protect Kent against invasion from the French,

but now Walmer Castle is facing Tiny invaders almost too small

for the eye to see are waging war Moths are feasting on its fine

furnishings, with English Heritage reporting a doubling in numbers

in the past five years. Lots of types of moth attack

fabrics, but the common clothes moth They live indoors,

hiding in dark places, The larvae that hatch from the eggs,

then spin silk across the material they are eating,

causing holes to form. Jane Witherspoon spoke

to Walmer's team of experts Commonly thought to wreak havoc in

our warm drops, it is no threatening to cause problems with our historic

sites. Walmer Castle Believe the number of them has doubled in the

past five years. It is devastating. They will eat through anything. That

is the potential to be a major issue. I assume this would be your

biggest nightmare? You are not wrong. The room we are and no, this

was the Duke of Wellington 's bedroom. This was the campaign he

took with him on campaigns. They cheer behind is actually the cheer

that he died in. They are historic. If the common clothes moth got into

them, it would be devastating. A charity spends ?1 million a year

cleaning the site. We have found one moth which is relatively new to the

United Kingdom. We need to find out if it is something which is coming

from abroad. They are leaving traps with the female moth pheromone to

try and stop the problem escalating. People can also purchase a kit which

will see just how widespread the art in the region. Just how bad is this

problem? It could be worse. We have this under control at the moment.

They are keeping a check on things. They are inviting people to also

give their own information to them. You put it down for three months and

then you see with the infestation will be coming from. Hopefully, this

information will be helpful. Thank you very much.

She famously formed her band after watching the Sex Pistols

perform on Hastings Pier on her 18th birthday and now, a new film

about Poly Styrene, the former singer with

Fundraising has begun today for Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche,

with a cinema release date set for November 2018.

Poly Styrene was one of the first female punk icons.

Her real name was Marianne Elliot-Said.

X-Ray Spex released just one album, Germ-Free Adolescents,

She died in 2011, at the age of just 53, after suffering from cancer.

Piers Hopkirk looks back on her life and the plans for the film.

A chose the name because it is a late week disposable products. In

the dressing room of the punk rock maker, the 100 Club, the director of

the film explains the reasoning. I think she was just as important as

any of the important people of the punk era, such as Johnny rotten. She

was the first female to make an impact. July the fact. Your 19th

birthday. On Hastings Pier, I saw the six pistols for the first time.

The story begins in Hastings. This was when she was inspired to form

the band. It is being narrated and researched by her daughter. It has

been an amazing experience. I had all her artwork and Davies. I am

able to discover my mother as she was. It is really special. The offer

and musician is one of the raters. She was reading Day-Glo colours and

was almost gleeful and childlike. I just admire the bravery of what she

did and what she stood for. Her final years were spent at home. She

died from cancer. I had a band and we went out there and made a lot of

people dance and sing. Code funding for the film has just begun. It is

hoped there will be a Premier in November next year. A tribute to one

of punk rock 's most fascinating figures. Hastings Pier are looking

very different to when she saw it. Constable and Turner -

two names that trip easily off the tongue when you ask people who

were the greatest English artists. They lived at the same

time, 200 years ago and were even in competition

with one another. Turner's connections with Kent

and Margate are well established, but an exhibition at Brighton Museum

and Art Gallery now unlocks a window on the fascinating story

of the years John Constable spent Robin, how did his relationship

with the town start? Initially, it was not a love of

Sussex. He came because his wife was ill and they were hoping that the CE

may kill problem recover from tuberculosis. But he painted many

landscapes like this one behind me, as you will find out, which can be

seen in this exhibition. This is a jaw-dropping collection

by one of the godfathers It is the first time

these pictures have been brought together, to tell the story

of John Constable time in Sussex. It was a time which was personally

tragic, because it ended with the death of his wife Maria,

but also at a time when his We have been able to amass a large

percentage of the work he completed in Brighton,

Brayton so we have everything from huge

masterpieces to really detailed little sketches that he painted

out in the countryside. There is a real wow factor,

coming into this room and seeing all these works by one of the real

greats of English art. All these great pictures

were painted in Brighton You cannot just say "This

is John Constable's house." This is where John Constable lodged

with his family in Brighton, in the hope that the sea air may cure Maria

of her tuberculosis. It is still occupied by an artist,

whose fascination with Constable led him to jointly curate this

summer's exhibition. I feel it is like a

handshake across time. It is like having someone

tap on your shoulder Constable was not a fan

of the busy centre of the town. But as the exhibition reveals,

he painted what he loved in walks into the

surrounding countryside - much of which has now

disappeared under development. Constable is always thought to have

been a Suffolk painter, or a painter So, when he is in Brighton,

this is a completely new aspect of him which has

been discovered, really, because no-one knew where

he was living or what he was doing. 60 jewels from the legacy

of one of the most famous The exhibition is

here until October. The exhibition does not open until

Saturday. A fascinating exhibition. I was lucky enough to spend one or

two I was virtually alone with their paintings. It was absolutely

inspiring. Thank you very much. Some beautiful live shots. Is this

beautiful weather going to last into the weekend?

For the most part, temperatures around 14-15 C. A few places even a

couple of degrees better off than that. Over the next couple of days,

staying dry. Thing is beginning to get slightly cooler, Monday. By

Sunday, we could see temperatures getting up to 22-23 C. Heading

through tinny, clear sky could lead to some morning mist. Overnight

temperatures just dropping down to 8-9 C. Potentially quite chilly in

the countryside, with temperatures may be dropping down to 2-3 C. I the

afternoon tomorrow, some cloud, but for many others, very similar to

today. I temperatures of 13-14 C. today. I temperatures of 13-14 C.

Into Saturday, again, dry, with clear skies. Overnight temperatures

similar to tonight, 8-9 C. By the afternoon on Saturday, temperatures

again reaching up to 22-23 C. A similar story on Sunday. He slightly

cooler fuel into Monday and Tuesday. Over the next couple of days,

tomorrow very similar to today. Saturday and Sunday, a lot of

sunshine. Temperatures getting up into the low 20s. Things a lot

colder come Monday. Thank you very much.

A recap of the top national and regional stories.

A father who wanted to take his daughter out of school for a holiday

during term time has lost his case at the Supreme Court.

Jon Platt, who is from the Isle of Wight,

had refused to pay a fine, after taking his daughter

The Supreme Court has now overturned a High Court judgement,

saying parents need to act within school rules.

There is outrage in Rochester, after it was confirmed

that the town's former MP Mark Reckless, who defected

from the Conservatives to Ukip, is to leave that party and vote

with the Tories in the Welsh Assembly.

Mr Reckless triggered a by-election in Rochester Strood when he left

CCTV footage has been released showing the moment robbers

smashed their way into an independent shop in Oxted,

near Sevenoaks, using a sledgehammer, to help them

Surrey Police are urging anyone who may have seen

We are back with the headlines at 8pm and the late news at 10.30pm.

Stacey and Chris are preparing for marriage by spending

a few days living alone with their in-laws to be,

and asking them all kinds of questions.

Did you get a kiss on the first date? No.

What does their in-laws' marriage tell them about each other's

I expect you'll want to become a schoolmaster, sir.

That's what most of the gentlemen does that get sent down

for indecent behaviour. Evelyn Waugh's classic novel.

Have you ever been in love, Mr Pennyfeather? No, not yet.