:00:00. > :00:00.Today's main headlines in the south-east:
:00:07. > :00:10.After serious injuries in a balcony collapse in Sussex, warnings tonight
:00:11. > :00:19.Millions are needed to tackle illegal immigration says a Kent MP,
:00:20. > :00:28.calling for an EU visitor tax to pay for it.
:00:29. > :00:39.And after a crisp winter afternoon we have a hard frost due tonight.
:00:40. > :00:48.The boom in private holiday lets has led to a warning tonight that
:00:49. > :00:51.a relaxing getaway can turn into a disaster - if proper safety
:00:52. > :00:55.It comes after four people suffered serious injuries when a balcony
:00:56. > :00:57.collapsed at an Airbnb flat in Brighton last year.
:00:58. > :00:59.East Sussex Fire and Rescue is urging anyone involved
:01:00. > :01:02.in short-term lets to make sure that safety measures are taken
:01:03. > :01:06.Our Special Correspondent Colin Campbell reports.
:01:07. > :01:09.Four people hospitalised, left seriously injured, one impaled on
:01:10. > :01:14.It was the collapse of the balcony at this flat last
:01:15. > :01:17.summer that has prompted East Sussex Fire And Rescue to issue
:01:18. > :01:22.People that use these premises, they're typically not familiar with
:01:23. > :01:26.They might be down just for a weekend break, with
:01:27. > :01:29.people they might not know that well, they might turn up at the
:01:30. > :01:32.They're invariably having a good time and the last thing
:01:33. > :01:35.So the people that own these properties
:01:36. > :01:38.and rent them out need to be aware of the responsibilities and make
:01:39. > :01:40.sure the properties are safe, and the first
:01:41. > :01:41.thing they need to do is
:01:42. > :01:45.The flat where Jessica and her friends sustained their injuries
:01:46. > :01:49.I've got fractures in my pelvis and my back.
:01:50. > :01:51.I think everyone was worried that my back was more seriously broken.
:01:52. > :01:55.While Holiday rental agencies have been around for
:01:56. > :01:57.a while it's the growth of online platforms
:01:58. > :01:58.like Airbnb that has fuelled a
:01:59. > :02:02.huge growth in people letting out their rooms for first time.
:02:03. > :02:06.Airbnb was founded in San Francisco in 2008.
:02:07. > :02:09.It is a website which allows independent hosts to offer
:02:10. > :02:15.There are more than 2 million listings online
:02:16. > :02:17.currently around the world, and
:02:18. > :02:20.more than 60 million people have used it to
:02:21. > :02:22.More than 300 of those properties are in Brighton.
:02:23. > :02:26.The Fire Service's safety message is aimed at all who rent out holiday
:02:27. > :02:29.and party accommodation in Brighton, but some traditional letting agents
:02:30. > :02:32.believe it has developed into an uneven playing field.
:02:33. > :02:36.We are losing business because these other
:02:37. > :02:39.platforms don't insist on the safety checks that we insist on.
:02:40. > :02:44.Brighton's short-term holiday letting market is booming.
:02:45. > :02:46.East Sussex Fire And Rescue hope their
:02:47. > :02:53.intervention will prevent further serious injury or tragedy.
:02:54. > :02:56.Our reporter Jon Hunt has also been following this
:02:57. > :03:01.story and is in Brighton, where the balcony collapse happened.
:03:02. > :03:03.Jon, do people really consider safety when they
:03:04. > :03:14.I've been talking to quite a few people tonight who use these
:03:15. > :03:18.services regularly, both for work services regularly, both for work
:03:19. > :03:22.if safety is their top priority. if safety is their top priority.
:03:23. > :03:24.make bookings and on the whole they make bookings and on the whole they
:03:25. > :03:25.have had good experiences. and on the whole they have
:03:26. > :03:28.had good experiences. Compared to hotels, it
:03:29. > :03:29.just gives you more... I don't know, you feel more
:03:30. > :03:32.part of the city cos Everything they advertised
:03:33. > :03:36.on the website was Jon, what is the Fire Service doing
:03:37. > :03:55.to help ensure party They've been warning landlords that
:03:56. > :03:59.in some cases these decorative balconies do pose a hazard, not
:04:00. > :04:03.strong enough to carry people. They have also been inspecting some of
:04:04. > :04:06.these party homes in East Sussex and they say in a number of cases in the
:04:07. > :04:08.last few months they have found some to be so dangerous they have had to
:04:09. > :04:10.shut them down straightaway. The Government must increase
:04:11. > :04:12.the budget for the UK Border Force by ?250 million to crack down
:04:13. > :04:16.on illegal immigration. That's the view of Dover and Deal
:04:17. > :04:19.MP Charlie Elphicke, who says the money's needed
:04:20. > :04:22.to tackle people smuggling. His report cites BBC South East's
:04:23. > :04:27.exclusive investigation revealing how illegal migrants are offered
:04:28. > :04:30.Channel crossings in the back of Lidl supermarket lorries
:04:31. > :04:34.for thousands of pounds. Our Political Editor
:04:35. > :04:38.Helen Catt reports. Caught on camera - an agent
:04:39. > :04:41.for a gang of people smugglers offers to hide our undercover
:04:42. > :04:44.researcher on a lorry This BBC South East Today
:04:45. > :04:48.investigation showed people smuggling across
:04:49. > :04:50.the Channel is still a There's a lot of money there,
:04:51. > :04:56.an enormous amount. And if you've got the right
:04:57. > :04:58.people, the amount of money available, you can get
:04:59. > :05:03.anyone into the UK by sea. And the Government's adviser
:05:04. > :05:07.on terrorism law has now warned that remote beaches could even be used
:05:08. > :05:11.by returning fighters from Syria It's really important
:05:12. > :05:17.we make sure that we secure the English Channel,
:05:18. > :05:19.so that people can't just turn up on beaches like this, here,
:05:20. > :05:24.that we make sure we have action to stop people smuggling
:05:25. > :05:27.into Britain in lorries, and also to investigate intelligence
:05:28. > :05:31.so we can go after people traffickers and end their evil trade
:05:32. > :05:34.and modern slavery. And he thinks Brexit
:05:35. > :05:36.could be an opportunity to Under a visa waiver scheme
:05:37. > :05:40.he wants to introduce, EU visitors would have to pay ?10
:05:41. > :05:45.and fill in a form to visit the UK. Charlie Elphicke estimates
:05:46. > :05:47.that could raise ?250 million, which could
:05:48. > :05:51.partly be used on enforcement. I mean, if we can't help
:05:52. > :05:58.out our own people... I've lived in America
:05:59. > :06:01.for a while as either People can enter the UK legally
:06:02. > :06:08.with a visa and then Again, that's a very different
:06:09. > :06:16.policing operation to what's being But, certainly, the large
:06:17. > :06:20.proportion of people who are illegally resident in the UK have
:06:21. > :06:24.come into the UK perfectly legally. Responding to the report,
:06:25. > :06:27.the Home Office told us it is committed to ensuring
:06:28. > :06:29.Border Force has the necessary resources to keep the UK
:06:30. > :06:37.safe from a range of threats. Our reporter Piers Hopkirk has also
:06:38. > :06:50.been following the story. And depends what sort of deal the UK
:06:51. > :06:56.is able to secure post Brexit. If that means an end to freedom of
:06:57. > :06:59.movement, this might be something the Government considers,
:07:00. > :07:02.effectively taxing EU visitors to the UK and using the money to
:07:03. > :07:07.bolster border security. The question is what difference would it
:07:08. > :07:10.make, what impact will it have? It was interesting listening to the
:07:11. > :07:15.professor in the report. He said the bulk of illegal immigrants are
:07:16. > :07:16.people who have come here legally. Thank you.
:07:17. > :07:18.A mother who died at Tunbridge Wells hospital,
:07:19. > :07:23.lost more than four pints of blood, an inquest has heard.
:07:24. > :07:26.Today a doctor told how she tried to combat "alarming" levels
:07:27. > :07:31.of acid and carbon dioxide in Frances Cappuccini's blood
:07:32. > :07:37.At the coroner's court for the inquest into
:07:38. > :07:41.Frances Cappuccini's death, the family were here for a second
:07:42. > :07:48.Mrs Cappuccini died after an emergency Caesarean section.
:07:49. > :07:54.Today, the inquest heard how she lost 2.3 litres of blood.
:07:55. > :07:58.Doctor Gabriela Gray, a registrar obstetrician involved in
:07:59. > :08:03.her emergency care, says she managed to finally stop the bleeding once
:08:04. > :08:05.a piece of placenta left behind in the patient's
:08:06. > :08:11.Frances Cappuccini died in 2012, and in April 2015 two doctors
:08:12. > :08:17.The following year, a doctor and hospital trust were
:08:18. > :08:20.cleared of manslaughter following the collapse
:08:21. > :08:26.Soon after, charges against another doctor were dropped.
:08:27. > :08:29.Today, details emerged of the time leading up to
:08:30. > :08:33.The court heard how problems developed with
:08:34. > :08:37.Doctor Gabriela Gray said the high levels of Mrs Cappuccini's blood
:08:38. > :08:41.acid and carbon dioxide were alarming.
:08:42. > :08:43.Later, she was asked by the family's legal
:08:44. > :08:45.counsel what she found alarming about it.
:08:46. > :08:49.She replied, "The severity - I had never seen a patient with such
:08:50. > :08:56.Frances Cappuccini went on to have a cardiac arrest.
:08:57. > :09:06.A six-day strike by drivers on Southern Rail next week has
:09:07. > :09:10.been cut to three days, but three new strike days have been
:09:11. > :09:15.Members of Aslef were due to walk out on Monday -
:09:16. > :09:19.they'll now strike from Tuesday to Thursday.
:09:20. > :09:22.And a reminder that we're hosting a special debate about the ongoing
:09:23. > :09:27.crisis on Southern Rail services, this Sunday the 8th of January.
:09:28. > :09:30.If you want to be in the audience, email bbcraildebate@bbc.co.uk
:09:31. > :09:34.with your details and how you've been affected.
:09:35. > :09:42.The programme airs on Monday the 9th of January, at 7.30pm, on BBC One.
:09:43. > :09:45.Gillingham Football Club have appointed Adrian Pennock as head
:09:46. > :09:49.coach, a day after sacking former manager Justin Edinburgh.
:09:50. > :09:51.Pennock, a former defender at the club, will be assisted
:09:52. > :09:54.by coaches Steve Lovell and Jamie Day.
:09:55. > :09:56.The three have been appointed with immediate effect
:09:57. > :10:02.That's it from me, we'll have the national weather
:10:03. > :10:05.in a moment, first here's the forecast for the
:10:06. > :10:16.We had a cloudy damp start of the day but by the afternoon once again
:10:17. > :10:21.lots of sunshine. Those clearer skies also mean a chilly picture as
:10:22. > :10:27.we go into tonight. Once again temperatures will be plummeting.
:10:28. > :10:32.Lows of -2 or minus three degrees. A frosty start tomorrow. The highs
:10:33. > :10:39.tomorrow struggling to get much about four or 5 degrees. Tomorrow
:10:40. > :10:46.clear skies and perhaps the odd scattered shower. A really chilly
:10:47. > :10:53.picture as we start tomorrow. First thing to Thursday, lots of is -- by
:10:54. > :10:57.the afternoon those temperatures will struggle. We have highs of
:10:58. > :11:01.around three or 4 degrees and gentle breezes. He was a closer look at the
:11:02. > :11:04.rain by Friday afternoon. Temperatures creeping up a notch or
:11:05. > :11:10.two and turning milder into the weekend.
:11:11. > :11:19.A guarantee on your journey to work tomorrow, if you are nipping out to
:11:20. > :11:20.the shop for a paper, somebody will talk about how cold it