13/04/2017 South East Today

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

The online adverts targeting vulnerable people by offering free

I was under quite a bit of pressure to keep him happy. Because if they

are not happy with you, then anything could happen.

Rail trespass incidents reach record levels across Kent and Sussex.

Fighting a losing battle against plastic waste -

the campaigners struggling to keep our beaches clean.

We're live at Cuckmere Haven with the details.

And a flying visit from the Flying Scotsman,

as the world famous locomotive arrives in Sussex for the week.

I was excited, because I used to go to school on steam trains.

Vulnerable young people in Kent and Sussex are being targeted by men

offering free accommodation in exchange for sex,

an exclusive BBC South East investigation can reveal.

Landlords are posting adverts online, which do not break the law,

using classified advertising websites such as Craigslist.

But tonight, one MP is calling for a change in the law

to stop young people being exploited and traumatised.

Our reporter Lauren Moss has spoken to a student in Brighton

who was fleeing an abusive home life, and says she felt she had no

choice but to accept an offer of sex for rent.

I had no idea what I was getting into.

He took me into to his living room, got the drinks, and then after

that, it was straight upstairs and go for it.

Vulnerable and desperate for a roof over her head, Gemma answered

He would do what he wanted to do, forcefully.

And I just thought, yeah, went along with it.

After the third time, I started feeling

These are some of the offers we found openly placed on

Free accommodation, but with strings attached.

I was thinking once a week, something like that, but I'm

happy as long as there is sex involved.

I spoke with six men posting adverts in the south-east.

All wanted photos of me before they would talk on the phone.

All were clear how the arrangement would work.

These are real conversations, voiced by actors.

Well, you know, you agree something like, a couple times a week?

But as far as the apartment is concerned, it's

like completely as if we are flatmates.

There's a girl staying here now who has done the same.

Two or three times a week, basically.

But some say those agreeing to these deals

could be getting into a very dangerous situation.

Where people are in really desperate, vulnerable

situations in terms of housing and financial need, it could lead to

someone feeling trapped and being a prisoner somewhere

In just one day, I counted well over 100 adverts on

Craigslist offering free accommodation in exchange for some

In Maidstone, one man was asking for a

woman to move in with them and pretend to be his girlfriend.

Another, in Rochester, a double room in exchange

In Brighton, one advert was specifically aimed at young men.

And, disturbingly, this is perfectly legal.

I think these adverts go as close to the edge of the law

as they possibly can without breaking the law.

They would argue that they have chosen,

voluntarily, to enter that situation.

The trouble is, when you have a vulnerable person, that can

then becomes exploited, the concept of choice soon disappears.

One third of young homeless people in the south-east say they have

spent the night with a stranger just to get off the streets. It really is

very troubling to hear that people are preying on these vulnerable

young people. You think there should be able project to stop this from

happening? We should start with the advertisers to say, could they take

things like this down? If they are willing to do this then maybe MPs

will want to look into this in the House of Commons. I contacted

craigslist for comment, but they didn't get back to me. More adverts

are appearing every day. I was under quite a bit of pressure to keep them

happy. Because if they are not happy, then anything could happen.

They could basically just come over to you and say, I want sex now, and

you really don't have much of a choice, because you know it is their

home and you want to just keep that place. With an increasing number of

young, homeless people, it is feared that these adverts will only

continue to exploit those most in need.

So why is it that these adverts do not break the law?

Well, offering accommodation in exchange for sex isn't illegal,

because it's deemed to be an agreement between two consenting

adults, and not classed as prostitution or slavery,

as long as the tenant has made the choice to stay there,

and is free to leave whenever they want.

But tonight, charities are calling for new legislation to ban these

adverts for good and they've won the backing of one South East MP.

I'm grateful to the BBC for uncovering some of this, because I

There are particularly young people who are

being exploited because they are vulnerable.

There is an added onus on the owners of these platforms to

I'm being very explicit, because if they

don't stand up to this and accept their responsibility,

I will be pushing for legislation to do it for them.

Our reporter Lauren Moss, who uncovered this story,

is in Maidstone, where some of these sex-for-rent offers

Lauren, you've actually spoken to some of the landlords involved

Yes, I have had contact with one landlord here in Maidstone offering

this type of sex for rent agreement. There are other adverts, too, in

places like Rochester, Chatham and Brighton. The adverts aren't only

aimed at homeless people who are sleeping rough, they are a large

number of young people who simply can't afford a place to live. For a

number of reasons, high rent, large deposits, or, like the women I spoke

to, may have fled an abusive home life and Nelson for surfing. It is

these people charities fear are being exploited. The expert you been

talking to, say there are some real dangers involved? Yes, they are

warning of damaging effect on mental health. Post-traumatic stress

disorder and depression, and that can spiral into other things. The

power imbalance and fear of losing your home if you don't keep your end

of the bargain. The women I talk to two Dobby about another woman in the

same house, the same arrangement, that was being thrown out because

she didn't want to sleep with the Lambert any more. I approached

another one board offering a friend of benefits and asked him if he

thought he was taking advantage. He said, no, he thought it was a

win-win situation and both sides had been the other party wanted and

everyone went into it with their eyes wide open. But the women I met

and the charities say that is not the thank you.

And if you've been affected by the issues raised you can find

We mustn't let terrorists "chain us with fear and hatred",

the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter message.

The number of people risking their lives by trespassing

on the rail network across the South East has

reached an all-time high, according to Network Rail

and the British Transport Police, who've launched a fresh campaign

designed to warn young people of the dangers.

Tonight, the mother of a teenager who was electrocuted walking home

on the tracks in Kent says parents need to do more to teach

their children of the dangers of what she calls a "silent killer".

Our Education Correspondent Bryony MacKenzie has the details.

Young people who are risking their lives. Railways can be deadly.

Network Rail has issued footage of new Mrs, but nationwide trespassing

is at its highest for a decade. -- footage on new misses. Jade was a

really sensible girl, the pure shock that she would do that and risk her

life was very hard to comprehend, and the guilt that we were, we never

explain the dangers of the railway because it wasn't something we had

thought about. Last year alone, there were more than 1100 incidents

in which people risk their lives on the rail network in the south-east.

A 17% rise on the previous year. The numbers increase doing the school

holidays. This is the section of track brigade lost her life -- where

Jade lost her life 11 years ago. Whilst the train isn't coming, it

may look harmless, but the dangers are very real, as tracks are often

electrified. Now a Paralympic and, this man lost his leg when he was 21

years old. My foot went underneath the rail, I couldn't get it out, and

literally waited for a train to come along and take the lead off as it

were. Now, 100 schools and sports clubs are running schemes to warn

young people of the dangers. Projects like this, if we all

involved and educate each other on safety and make sure we have that

conversation, people can being hurt on a really. It is a silent killer.

That line can go from the middle to the outside, you do not know which

rail is live. A Christian nurse sacked for gross

misconduct after patients complained she preached at them has

lost her case for unfair dismissal. Sarah Kuteh was dismissed

after two warnings about inappropriate behaviour

at the Darent Valley She'd told one cancer patient he'd

have a better chance of survival if he prayed,

while another patient described her behaviour as

tantamount to "religious fervour". A priest found guilty of fraud

after using the disability parking badge of a woman who'd died two

months earlier has been told Ordained Anglican minister

William Haymaker, from Bexhill, was caught using the blue badge

to park in a disabled He's been released on bail until

the next court hearing, in May. An artwork by Tracey Emin, a bronze

death mask of her own face, has been bought by the National Portrait

Gallery. The Kent artist helped

to fund the purchase, so that it would remain in Britain

and go on show to the public. Environmental campaigners

are highlighting a growing problem of plastic waste being

washed up on beaches across the South East,

which is posing They say it's particularly bad

in the Cuckmere Haven area Our Environment Correspondent

Yvette Austin joins is live there for us now -

Yvette, local people say they're fighting a losing battle

trying to clear it up. Well, yes, at first sight this

appears like an idyllic wildlife haven. But look a little closer and

all was not what it seems. Some areas are literally strewn with

pieces of plastic, threatening the beach and life at sea bags and

bottles to tiny broken pieces, the drink one of the region's most

famous beauty spots. High tide has done an enormous amount of small,

marine litter on this area. Versus hundreds and hundreds. There is

hundreds and hundreds of pieces, really nasty things that if they get

into animals and fish, can cause agonising problems. It constantly

goes through my mind, am I wasting my time? Or, the other thing I think

is that everything I piece up is a piece that isn't going to get inside

a creature. Plastic waste as a global problem, and when it does get

into creatures, very few can be saved. This albatross chick in the

Pacific was lucky. All this plastic rubbish was picked up here by half a

dozen people in about half an hour. It is thought 8 million tonnes of

plastic enters the ocean every year. With an estimated 46,000 pieces of

plastic litter per square mile. A single plastic bottle can take more

than 450 years to decompose. Many places are affected, but it does

seem that this place is a hotspot for plastic litter. It is also a

site of special scientific interest and in a national park, soak deeply

worrying for campaigners. Try it is particularly bad here because things

get caught in the river mouth. It doesn't go anywhere, just get

smaller, it is you forever. It is an important spawning ground for lots

of fish, rare species like the muscles as well, so lots of plastic

litter will this would be having an impact on those delicate and rare

green environments. There is no easy solution. It is a global threat that

will go on for generations. East Sussex's county council owns the

area and they say they are organised regular litter picks. Numerous

groups come here and do what I was with today say they can mimic a

minute amount of difference because the plastic watches and from the sea

from all over the world and they say global change is needed. But

visitors can help by taking bit away with them.

Our exclusive investigation has revealed that vulnerable young

people in Kent and Sussex are being targeted by online

advertisers, offering them free accommodation in exchange for sex.

Full steam ahead - after a multi-million pound

restoration project, the Flying Scotsman

And today, we have had more sunshine, but what about our Easter

weekend? During me shortly before your full broadcast.

We mustn't let terrorists "chain us with fear,

Those were the words of the Archbishop of

Canterbury Justin Welby today, ahead of his annual Easter message.

In a wide-ranging interview, he also told me Kent communities

needed more Government support if they're to continue

But I started by asking him if it was possible to forgive

Khalid Masood, who grew up in Kent and Sussex,

but went onto kill five people in a terrorist attack

I think the terrorists succeed when they chain

us with fear, hatred, and

But, pastorally, you don't just go up to someone and who's just lost

someone they loved or has been terribly injured and say,

"No, you're going to do the forgiveness stuff".

You weep with them and then, over time, one hopes

and prays and encourages people not to be imprisoned

There have been an awful lot of factors thrown up recently

Migration, people from the Middle East,

There was a big camp burnt down in northern France the other day,

and one of our MEPs saying those people should be

Britain has a huge history of generous response

I have seen it down, for instance, on Romney Marsh.

Just incredible, caring for children who have arrived without parents,

and them being fostered just wonderfully.

But you can't expect people to do that while at the same time

And you think the Government hasn't put enough support in?

I think, I am not going to go into party politics,

And sometimes, the Government has succeeded and

I think there needs to be a very clear

statement, yes, we will take our share of people who are in

But we will only do it when we put resources

The church has been through the wringer

in recent years, particularly in East Sussex, over historical

Are you confident that the safeguarding issues that clearly

were a problem have now been addressed?

That those kind of things can't happen again now?

I have spent long enough in all kinds of

complicated situations, where you can

fail in systems, to know that the moment I say I am

I am confident that we are really striving to do it

I am equally confident there is always bad people

and people with these terrible desires, to harm children and

vulnerable adults, to manipulate for sexual gratification,

I know that that is always the case, it is part of

But I do know that we are profoundly aware of the danger

now and we are very, very tough with anyone

who steps over the line and will go on being so.

And we are stepping up our approach continually.

Archbishop, a pleasure talking to you, thank you very much.

The most famous steam engine of them all has arrived

on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex today.

The Flying Scotsman was greeted by enthusiastic crowds,

and tickets to ride behind the iconic locomotive have been

Built in 1923, it became famous across the globe as the first ever

steam locomotive officially accredited with reaching

It was retired by British Rail in 1963, but following a four point

two million pounds restoration project it came back

Our reporter Robin Gibson is live for us at Sheffield Park Station

near Uckfield, Robin, it's a dream come true

Well, it has fired all sorts of dreams. People who think of a time

when you use to grow up wanting to be an engine driver, people who are

fired up by the idea that this was a time, this was created when Britain

led the world in engineering. For them to be so up close and personal

to this great icon of the steam age, the sites, the sounds, the spells

that you get has been firing up people's imaginations all day.

For everyone who was there, this will be a day to remember.

Young and old will be able to tell the story

of the day I saw the Flying Scotsman.

The Flying Scotsman is in Sheffield Park.

I was so excited, because I used to go to

It is an inspirational machine, a record breaker.

It has steamed up to 100 miles an hour, it completed the

first nonstop run from London to Edinburgh, and since it's working

life ended, it has been bought, sold and fought over.

It has been around the world and drained the pockets of

Evoking all sorts of memories, thoughts and emotions.

Something I never thought would happen.

I never thought it would come down to Sussex, and here it is.

It was the first ever train to go 100 mph on a stable track.

Every time the Flying Scotsman stops, pauses or just

passes by a fence, you see the crowds come out.

It's as if a movie star has come to town.

And speaking of stars, imagine being asked to

To take the Flying Scotsman down the Bluebell Line

The Flying Scotsman flying south, yes.

It's been very good. It's been awesome, actually.

It's been a real privilege to be able to

There has been a lot of hard work by a lot of

Close-up and personal with a time traveller from

The Flying Scotsman, the ultimate blast from the past.

Well, there is still lots of activity going on down here at

Sheffield Park. What you're seeing behind me as bedtime for the Flying

Scotsman and all of the other engines. As I said, the tickets to

actually ride on it had sold out, but you can still come down here and

see and experience all the other trains on the Bluebell line. It is

here until next Wednesday. Time to savour a bit of railway history.

It is a beautiful thing. A lot of happy people there. How are we

looking for the Easter weekend? Could be better, could be worse. As

legal into the weekend, what we can say is that compared to last

weekend, the 24 degrees, we are not going to repeat that. Temperatures

will be more to go for this time of year. Predominantly dry, occasional

bright spells, but occasional cloud at times. Some uncertainty in the

forecast as we go through Easter Sunday and into Monday. This

morning, we had a stunning start to the day, pictures from our weather

watchers. Some hazy sunshine, coming in going, milky skies for others.

For some, the cloud broke and we had some glorious sunshine. Looking at

the satellite picture, you can see how we saw that cloud coming and

going, it built up, and through the afternoon we got a hole in the

cloud. But at the moment, the cloud is tending to build. It will stay

with us through the night, coming and going, some clueless bells. Like

the last couple of nights, it could turn a bit chilly, some showers here

and there. But tomorrow morning, we will get some bright, even sunny

spells. Not until later in the day that a weak weather front begins to

approach, making things more overcast later on. Potentially, some

patchy and some might rain. In any brightness, 13 or 14, but clouds

keeping temperature to 12 degrees. Some rain, on Friday night, but

nothing significant. Patchy, hit and miss, but does keep the temperature

is up at around eight or 9 degrees on Saturday. A great start on

Saturday, if you showers still around, but it will clear. And

improving picture with brighter skies later on in the afternoon.

Temperatures at ten to 11 degrees, maybe a degree or so higher. Through

Easter day, each to give an eye on that forecast. The current position

of the weather fronts is to the north, so Easter Sunday, dry with

some bright spells, but by Monday, potentially could introduce a bit

more cloud with some patchy rain. But certainly, if you have plans, I

wouldn't make this the loss forecast that you see. Overall, a lot of dry

weather through the weekend, but clearer spells and maybe a touch of

frost. Good luck to Brighton

and Hove Albion. They play tomorrow, away at Wolves,

and again on Easter Monday, If results go their way,

they could secure promotion Best of luck to the seagulls. All

the results of the recount. Goodbye. the most that have ever voted for

anything in this country, take back control and forge our own

destiny in the 21st century. Ukip members have campaigned

for this for 23 years, but this is only the beginning of

regaining control, to support Ukip

in these local elections. I certainly would want us

to make sure that we protect

our greenfield sites and that we build

on brownfield sites first of all we build affordable homes

for the local people.