:00:00. > :00:00.Today's main headlines in the South East:
:00:00. > :00:11.A man's body has been found after a severe
:00:12. > :00:14.A man's body has been found after a house fire in Sussex -
:00:15. > :00:19.A huge rise in the number of people smuggling operations distrupted -
:00:20. > :00:26.MPs discuss issues uncovered by this programme.
:00:27. > :00:33.It feels like winter. If you are hoping for a bit of snow, there is
:00:34. > :00:37.some in the forecast. I will tell you where and when, at the end of
:00:38. > :00:40.the programme. The body of a man has been
:00:41. > :00:46.found inside a house Fire crews were called
:00:47. > :00:50.to the property in West Hill Road in St Leonards just
:00:51. > :00:53.after 5.30pm this afternoon. The cause of the fire is currently
:00:54. > :00:55.being treated as unexplained. Our reporter Jon Hunt
:00:56. > :00:58.is live at the scene. Jon, what more do we know
:00:59. > :01:13.about the incident? Six fire engines were sent to the
:01:14. > :01:19.scene along with the police and paramedics and specialist medics
:01:20. > :01:22.from the heart team. They are sent to deal with hazardous incidents.
:01:23. > :01:27.Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus were here for around five
:01:28. > :01:31.hours. But sadly they discovered the body of a man inside the property.
:01:32. > :01:37.The property has been significantly damaged by fire and smoke. A lot of
:01:38. > :01:41.damage around the entrance hall. There appears to be smoke damage and
:01:42. > :01:46.broken windows on the first floor as well. Smoke did spread to a
:01:47. > :01:52.neighbouring property and residents in that property had to be evacuated
:01:53. > :01:59.as well. Is there any more information about the cause? The
:02:00. > :02:06.police say at the moment it is treated as an unexplained fire. The
:02:07. > :02:10.scene has been secured. I foresee a significant investigation, probably
:02:11. > :02:15.in the morning, with forensic teams working closely with the fire teams.
:02:16. > :02:19.Aside from the man who died, police said there had been no other
:02:20. > :02:24.injuries. The coroner has been informed. Officers are asking for
:02:25. > :02:26.anything or have any information anything or have any information
:02:27. > :02:30.about what could have caused this fire. Thank you.
:02:31. > :02:33.A body has been found by rescuers searching for a Sussex kayaker
:02:34. > :02:36.Dominic Jackson, originally from Uckfield, was reported
:02:37. > :02:41.He'd failed to return from a sea kayaking trip off
:02:42. > :02:47.A kayak believed to belong to him was recovered earlier this week.
:02:48. > :02:51.A pedestrian's died after being hit by a car on the A27
:02:52. > :02:56.The driver of the car, a 58-year-old man from Climping,
:02:57. > :02:58.has been arrested on suspicion of causing death
:02:59. > :03:03.Despite treatment by paramedics, the 59 year-old victim
:03:04. > :03:13.The bosses of a care home in Herne Bay have pleaded guilty
:03:14. > :03:16.to health and safety failings that led to the death
:03:17. > :03:20.Joan Daws suffered fatal crush injuries after a large chair tipped
:03:21. > :03:24.against her in a lift at Laleham Residential Home.
:03:25. > :03:26.The case has been sent to Canterbury Crown
:03:27. > :03:33.BBC South East Today can exclusively reveal that there's been
:03:34. > :03:36.a significant spike in the number of people smuggling operations
:03:37. > :03:40.A 32% jump was revealed at a special meeting
:03:41. > :03:47.It was prompted by our investigation which discovered smugglers in Paris
:03:48. > :03:50.getting people to Kent by putting them on lorries owned
:03:51. > :03:58.Here's our Special Correspondent Colin Campbell.
:03:59. > :04:01.It was an investigation revealing how Paris has become a hub for
:04:02. > :04:05.TRANSLATION: They will fit you in a way that even the
:04:06. > :04:12.We exposed a gang offering us guaranteed passage
:04:13. > :04:14.to England in the back of trucks, transporting produce for the
:04:15. > :04:23.Our findings prompted two Kent MPs to
:04:24. > :04:27.demand a private meeting with Government ministers.
:04:28. > :04:29.What the BBC did was absolutely fantastic.
:04:30. > :04:31.That was the sort of evidence I think Border Force need.
:04:32. > :04:33.They can't be everywhere at all times.
:04:34. > :04:35.Top marks to the BBC for what they did.
:04:36. > :04:39.It's been acted upon and let's hope that that is another
:04:40. > :04:41.route into the country, big smuggling operations,
:04:42. > :04:46.worth ?5,000 per person, you know, this big money,
:04:47. > :04:52.The latest figures we have gained show an increase
:04:53. > :04:54.in the targeting of smuggling gangs by the authorities.
:04:55. > :04:57.In 2015, 140 smuggling operations were disrupted.
:04:58. > :04:59.Last year, that figure went up to 185.
:05:00. > :05:09.We understand the Home Office expects the figure for this
:05:10. > :05:15.While some consider it positive news, others
:05:16. > :05:18.believe our fight against smuggling gangs is being hindered.
:05:19. > :05:22.We would argue they are not succeeding in combating
:05:23. > :05:27.We're having some success, but the sad reality is we are seeing
:05:28. > :05:30.increased attempts of getting across the borders.
:05:31. > :05:32.As we showed last autumn, the demolition of
:05:33. > :05:36.Calais' migrants camp has resulted in gangs targeting UK-bound vehicles
:05:37. > :05:42.The Home Office say they are working closely with
:05:43. > :05:50.their French counterparts to break up the smuggling operations.
:05:51. > :05:52.Our reporter Peter Whittlesea has been following the story for us.
:05:53. > :05:57.This programme's investigation prompted the MPs to meet,
:05:58. > :06:04.do they feel enough is being done to tackle the problem?
:06:05. > :06:12.They said that from the meeting, the gang we exposed in that report were
:06:13. > :06:16.actually being looked into by the French authorities. And on this side
:06:17. > :06:20.of the Channel, the British authorities are trying to see what
:06:21. > :06:24.they are doing here. British and French governments have said for a
:06:25. > :06:29.long time, the only way to crack down on people smugglers is joint
:06:30. > :06:33.cooperation. The Home Office says it is actually happening, hence the
:06:34. > :06:37.increase in detection rates. But the union that represents border force
:06:38. > :06:43.workers said that good work could be put in jeopardy because they are
:06:44. > :06:47.facing 15% cuts. MPs are concerned migrant camps are reforming and
:06:48. > :06:52.people smugglers are returning. You have been to Calais recently, is
:06:53. > :06:56.that the situation on the ground? Last week I was in Calais and
:06:57. > :07:00.charity workers said there are up to 500 migrants who have returned to
:07:01. > :07:06.the Calais area. The official camp at Dunkirk has increased to 1500
:07:07. > :07:09.migrants. I spoke to migrants who said there are people smugglers back
:07:10. > :07:16.in the area touting for business. This is the concern of MPs like
:07:17. > :07:21.Craig McKinley, his say more camps could crop up and more people
:07:22. > :07:24.smugglers could be going back to France.
:07:25. > :07:26.Four years ago Alfie Peak was attacked in Bexhill
:07:27. > :07:28.after an argument over a bag of chips.
:07:29. > :07:31.Last October the four men who continued to beat him even
:07:32. > :07:34.when he was unconscious were jailed for a total of 55 years.
:07:35. > :07:36.Despite suffering life changing injuries, Alfie and his partner
:07:37. > :07:48.Bringing joy to a family after so much sadness and tragedy.
:07:49. > :07:53.He has really giving us something to look forward to.
:07:54. > :07:56.And a future, really, which is something we kind
:07:57. > :07:59.Our future had gone, it has been taken.
:08:00. > :08:03.That is exactly how Alfie described it to me before,
:08:04. > :08:05.that he felt his life was over, really.
:08:06. > :08:08.Alfie Peak suffered a catastrophic brain injury after being set
:08:09. > :08:10.upon outside a takeaway in Bexhill in 2013.
:08:11. > :08:15.Four men were jailed for the attack in October which left Alfie
:08:16. > :08:24.Alfie was unconscious on the floor, and he was continued to be beaten
:08:25. > :08:33.Tanya White has stood by Alfie throughout his long rehabilitation.
:08:34. > :08:36.He's trying to learn to walk again, the signals from his brain
:08:37. > :08:43.It has put pressure on the couple, and Tanya admits that there have
:08:44. > :08:47.been times where she has wondered if she could stick with it.
:08:48. > :08:53.Everything is really difficult for him.
:08:54. > :08:57.That has spills out onto all of his family and friends.
:08:58. > :09:04.Emotionally, really draining and really difficult.
:09:05. > :09:06.I know you feel that because you can't do all those other
:09:07. > :09:09.things that it makes you not a very good dad.
:09:10. > :09:12.But one day you will realise that you are an amazing dad.
:09:13. > :09:16.The couple say the attackers took everything from them.
:09:17. > :09:22.But their bubbly new baby boy is making life worth living again.
:09:23. > :09:29.That's it from me, we'll have the national weather
:09:30. > :09:32.in a moment, first here's the forecast for the South East
:09:33. > :09:44.You are quite excited by the talk of snow. I started the programme
:09:45. > :09:50.talking about the risk of snow tomorrow. Overnight into Saturday is
:09:51. > :09:54.when you are likely to see the risk. We have showers filtering in just
:09:55. > :09:59.from the cloud we have had today. The temperatures in our town is
:10:00. > :10:04.holding up slightly above freezing, but below freezing elsewhere. Watch
:10:05. > :10:08.out for ice tomorrow morning. There might be a dusting on the ground at
:10:09. > :10:12.high levels. But it is tomorrow evening when we start to see a risk
:10:13. > :10:16.of showers coming through. Temperatures struggling tomorrow,
:10:17. > :10:20.two or three degrees. As we go through tomorrow night, a feature
:10:21. > :10:24.running in from the North Sea to our part of the world and that is
:10:25. > :10:28.introducing some showers as it comes in overnight. We are talking about
:10:29. > :10:34.the risk of snow. Let's have a look at how we start Saturday morning. We
:10:35. > :10:40.could have, over higher ground, maybe a centimetre or two. They are
:10:41. > :10:42.hit and miss. As we go through Saturday afternoon, temperatures
:10:43. > :10:46.struggling again but coming up a little bit. Won't feel any great
:10:47. > :10:50.shakes, because what is happening through the second half of the
:10:51. > :10:57.weekend, the wind will pick up and it will feel raw. N'Gales along the
:10:58. > :10:59.coast on Sunday. Any Outlook, temperatures coming up a little bit,
:11:00. > :11:02.but it will feel very cold sleet and snow. The outlook, Sunday
:11:03. > :11:09.will turn a bit less cold again. All the way up seven Celsius.
:11:10. > :11:15.At this time of year we can often get the weather stories that reflect