20/12/2016 South East Today

of the German flag in tribute to those who lost their lives

Today's main headlines in the South East:

A ?100,000 fine, but no jail for the boss of the Stunt show that

A ?4 million overspend could mean patients in West Kent having

And how a cancer diagnosis led one man to donate

a lifetime's collection of art to Eastbourne's Towner Gallery.

The boss of a stunt show company has been fined a hundred thousand pounds

over the death of a man during a human

Matthew Cranch died in front of a horrified crowd

at the Detling showground in 2012, when a safety net collapsed.

Scott May was described as "lackadaisical" in his approach

to health and safety by the judge at Maidstone Crown Court.

A thumbs up before climbing into the canon but this stunt cost Matthew

his life. He was fired into the air, to their horror the safety net

intended to break his fall collapsed midair. He hits the ground and

suffered catastrophic injuries. The mechanism designed to free the

stuntman hadn't been set properly. His parents were in court as the

firm he was working for was fined. The council which brought the

prosecution read a statement on their behalf. Today is about justice

for Matthew. He brought to the world defence of kindness, gentleness,

sensitivity, fairness and incredible sense of humour. An unforgettable

smile and the very best in Haggs. Haggs. We will always be grateful

loss of our son is a matter we can loss of our son is a matter we can

never accept or recover from. Stunts UK Limited and its director

admitted failing to ensure the safety of workers.

I think what we can learn from this is about to be health and safety

laws apply not just to companies and and individuals but directors of

companies. If they have fallen short of the mark they can expect to be

prosecuted as well as the company. Is there anything you would like to

say to the family? Why did this happen? The judge accepted it wasn't

a deliberate breach, but the risk should have been identified. Got a

must to 150 hours of unpaid work. The firm as well as being

fined ?100,000 will have The Southern Rail strikes have cost

the UK economy hundreds of millions of pounds,

according to a study The walk-outs, over

changes to the role The current strike by members

of the RMT union ends at midnight. Since the industrial action started,

it's cost ?300 million, And there are more strikes to come -

RMT conductors will walk out for another three days,

starting on New Year's Eve. Our political editor

Helen Catt reports. This West Sussex toolmaker says

it is losing hours of working time every week because of the train

strikes making it much harder Well, when we've got limited staff

here, obviously that productivity is reduced,

so we're trying to do the same amount of volume

of work with less people, In a region where the economy relies

on commuting into London, Gatwick and along the coast,

a new study suggests At the highest level,

the total impact per strike day is probably 9.5 million,

at a conservative level. Those trying to fill job vacancies

say they have never seen it so bad. We're not saying come

here, let's come down Because we are having

trouble doing business. We are having trouble

getting around. We are having trouble just

getting to and from work. This Sussex taxi firm, for example,

says it has seen a boost Ladies and gentlemen,

we do apologise for That is due to too many people

being on this train. And while the strikes are stopping

some acts from getting to this comedy club in Brighton to perform,

they are at least providing plenty Comedically, it is a gift,

it is a gift, but quite honestly, it's not a joke any more,

it isn't a joke. We can laugh so much, but when it

comes to affecting people's lives, people's livelihoods,

then no, that's not a joke. The study didn't look

at lost sales or the impact With those added in,

the costs could well be much higher And you can follow strike updates

on our dedicated Local Live pages. A Kent-based company which kept

a group of Lithuanian men in a state of slavery is to pay out around

?1 million in compensation. The Maidstone chicken

catching company, DJ Houghton Catching Services,

was found to have withheld wages and kept workers

in inadequate conditions. It's the first High Court claim

against a British company Vital surgery may have to be

cancelled for some patients in Kent The Clinical Commissioning Group -

which organises all healthcare in West Kent -

says it needs to save an extra This could mean courses of IVF,

hip operations and cataract surgery have to be suspended

until April next year. We only get so much money

and if we spend more than that, At the moment, we are having

difficulty living within that money, which is why we've got to put this

plan in place. But it is the least

worst thing to do. Our reporter Ian Palmer

is at the Tunbridge Wells hospital. This really is about balancing

the books, before the end so if you have an operation

and you have a date for an operation in the next six weeks, will happen,

but if you are on a waiting list, it is not going to take place

anywhere before the The trust say this is as a result

of huge demand in other areas, mental health, acute services

and post-operative care. When Sussex artist and art collector

Patrick Goff was diagnosed with cancer it left him

contemplating what to do with his extensive array of artwork

collected over three decades. And as Piers Hopkirk reports,

following a noble tradition of art benefactors he decided to hand it

over to the Towner Art Hidden from the view,

this storage room is the part of the Towner Gallery few will ever

set eyes on. Mounted on these movable

rails, the artwork that comprises the gallery's

4500 picture collection. It was a backstage tour

here which inspired artist, designer and collector Patrick Goff

to bequeath his own collection. I came in this morning and looked

at them and nearly cried. But I was diagnosed with cancer

and I was very conscious that whilst I hope I've got another 20 years,

I might only have another 20 Patrick's prints were

accumulated over 30 years - a collector with an eye

for a bargain. This, by artist

Gerald Spencer Pryse. This is Belgian troops

at the side of the road. It's an original Boots

frame from 1920. And you found this

at a blacksmith's? At the back of a blacksmith's

shop, covered in cobwebs It just shouted out

that it was worth having, Patrick is loath to put

a value to his collection. His reward, though,

like all benefactors, knowing it will continue to be

enjoyed for years to come. These are the original paintings

left by Alderman Towner to Eastbourne, for the creation

of an art gallery for the people. 22 in all, bequeathed

nearly a century ago. So, Patrick Goff's gift

follows in a long line We don't have an acquisition budget,

it is tiny, it is less than ?5,000. So, we rely on the generosity

of collectors, of philanthropists, So, Patrick Goff's collection

will live on here, a lasting legacy Piers Hopkirk, BBC South

East Today, Eastbourne. Now lets take a look

at the weather for the South East Rachel,its going to be

quite damp tomorrow? That's right. Today stayed settled

we even saw some sunshine. All change tomorrow. Heavy rainfall

Wednesday with gale force twins as we look towards the weekend.

Overnight some outbreaks of light, patchy rain and drizzle. Quite a

mild night. Temperatures between four and 7 degrees. If you get up

early it's a dry start, but quickly we see that rain. Heavier pulses

within that, dried for a time about lunchtime but the rain is back again

for the afternoon. A wet start to the day. During the afternoon you

might see a glimmer of sunshine but the cloud and rain is back. It moves

in from the West, south-westerly winds pick up. Top temperatures, ten

or 11 degrees. The rain clears, dry on they aren't winds pick up on

Friday. He really country it's worth knowing the

national forecast. Over now to Tomasz.

So, the weather's going to blow a few cobwebs away in the coming days

and maybe a few other things, as well. How stormy is it going to get?

For most of us probably not too terrible. It is, however, going to

be very nasty across parts of Scotland on Friday. The clouds are

racing across the Atlantic and we will see a storm by the time we get

to around about Friday and then Friday night.

At the moment we have a weather front crossing the country, we have

had dreadful