21/02/2017 South East Today

Today's main headlines in the South East:

A doubling in the number of people using imposter passports

to get illegal migrants into the UK.

No place like home - why Bovis have been forced to put

aside ?7 million to make good unfinished properties.

And it was another cloudy and mild day. Gale force winds by Thursday.

People smugglers are increasingly using imposter passports -

real documents used fraudulently - to get illegal migrants into the UK.

We've spoken exclusively to one criminal who was caught at Dover

using a child's passport to get an adult into the country.

Europe's border security agency says passport fraud

Colin Campbell has this special investigation.

He is a criminal who smuggled an adult from Dunkirk in France to

Dover using a child's passport. The security breach happened early

next, cluster. The passport was shown to both the British and French

officials in Dunkirk. Were you surprised how easy it was to pass

through the security checks in France?

According to Europe's border control agency, document fraud is now a key

criminal activity linked to the migration crisis. Within the EU,

most people using fraudulent documents were detected on entry to

the UK, mainly between France and England. The agency's most recent

risk analysis this document fraud is a crime that will continue to

represent a substantial threat to the security of the EU in 2017. The

organisation which manages EU borders is particularly concerned

about the fraudulent use of real passports. We are observing

impostors, so the passport itself is a legitimate passport but a person,

an impostor, is using it. Border officers have a really tough

job. That is why we need to use the latest technology to help them,

facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, biometrics like that

can help keep our borders safe and secure.

The home Office of the border force officers are killed, rigorously

trained to prevent the use of fraudulent documents. They say they

continue to invest in new technology to crack down on the crime.

The family of a man from Sussex who was reported "missing presumed

dead" while on holiday in Thailand say they are devastated

after the authorities there revealed that a body has now been discovered.

was last known to be on the popular tourist island of Koh Samui.

The 38-year-old, who has a young daughter, told family

he was going to a full moon party on a nearby island last Sunday -

The train drivers union Aslef has been holding fresh talks

with Southern Rail today in a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute over

It comes as commuters prepare for another day of industrial action

tomorrow by the RMT union, which represents guards,

as they walk out for 24 hours from midnight.

We're joined now from East Grinstead by our reporter Chrissie Reidy.

Chrissie, commuters must be getting used to preparing for strike action?

-- you could say that. Tomorrow, the RMT is staging the 29th strike days

since this hole dispute began. Speaking to commuters here at East

Grinstead this evening, ten or so months into this argument they told

me they are tired, they are just weary.

If there is a transport strike had to take the taxi to the two take the

train from there. Really, is annoying. It has been really

horrible. We had to drive into London 23 times maybe. People

getting up to work and stuff in the morning, it has got to be right

aggravation. So, the strike tomorrow comes after

talks today between Aslef and Cupboard. Aslef remaining very

tight-lipped as to how to day went. As regards tomorrow, Sutherland said

to borrow is pointless but they will help to run 75% of their services.

For commuters, it means further disruption. -- Sutherland.

Tomorrow morning, BBC Sussex will be live on the picket line that RMT and

speaking to commuters trying to make their way into work.

One of Britain's biggest house-builders, Bovis Homes,

who're based in Kent - have been forced to set aside

?7 million for compensation to customers whose

properties were substandard or unfinished.

It follows a scheme to offer financial inducements to some

to move into homes that weren't ready, just to hit sales targets.

All of the windows, so the cells, nothing is sealed so a... And

unsealed windows, wobbly banisters, wonky woodwork and missing tiles.

Danny is one of many frustrated homeowners to join the storm of

complaints against the company. He moved into his new house in June

2015, but it says much of the building work had not been finished

properly. My wife gave up her job because she could not stand the

stress of working everyday and then trying to deal with the company,

trying to call them up to fix the things that should have been done

before we moved on. More than 1600 people have joined a Facebook group

complaining about similar issues. Now the company has admitted its

customer service standards have fallen significantly. The quality

control checks are not in place within the building organisations to

check for this kind of thing. It is a case of get the money in and deal

with the problems later and it does not work and that has really come

back to bite them. The company build nearly 4000 new homes last year. But

after mounting complaints, they have had to set aside ?7 million to pay

for repairs and compensation for customers. The company now says it

will aim to build ten to 15% fewer homes this year and improve its

quality assurance process. They have let everybody down that has been

involved with this. Everybody on this housing estate that bought a

bogus house has got a story to tell about how badly they have been

treated by the company. -- bought a Bovis house. 'S this has all come

years too late for Danny. They made this announcement is part

of a warning that their overall profits fell last year. A ?57

million fund is needed to cover the potential costs of repairing what

they are describing as a small number of homes. -- VCD ?7 million

fund. They are in touch with customers who have got in touch with

them with specific issues. Industry experts say they do not think Bovis

are the only big house-builders to be suffering such major customer

service problems and they are expecting other companies to make

similar announcement in future. Thank you.

who lost more than ?7,000 in charity cash stolen by

says she's absolutely gutted and feeling wretched.

Reverend Lynda Hulcoop had picked up the money in US Dollars

from a bureau de change at a supermarket in Hove

The money was meant to help struggling families in Zimbabwe.

This is Reverend Linda in the appeal court leaving Sainsbury's, and this

is the moment the cash she is carrying is taken. A woman gets her

hands into the carrier bag and steal thousands of pounds worth of

dollars. These are some of the people the money was destined for,

children in a poverty stricken township in Zimbabwe. It was being

taken in cash as the banking system there is in crisis. The reverend was

due to leave for the country just a couple of days later. I felt

absolutely gutted. All sorts of the motion go through, I think the most

difficult one was because it was not my personal money, it was charitable

money and that a large sum of money, and I thought goodness, you know,

this is terrible. I am going into days, so you have got all the trauma

of what do I do? Do I go? Do I not? What can I do? On the police! I feel

wretched inside. The money was raised by volunteers here at the

church, it was donated from around the country. I think everybody was

very shocked. The whole church was shot. Mine main thought is why did

they need it? What is their lifestyle? It is for children abroad

in Zimbabwe, and for that to happen it is very callous, I think. The

charity has had to borrow the money to take to Zimbabwe. It goes towards

supporting schools, medical services and even growing crops for some of

the poorest communities. Police want to find two women captured on CCTV

following the reverend after she collected the cash. They are asking

anybody who recognises them to come forward. There has been some good

news in this case. Already, the donations are coming in to repay the

money. Let's have a look at the weather.

Yes, a far cry from the highs of a team we saw on Monday. Strong Doris

as the head through the day on Thursday. Earlier today, a good deal

of cloud cover and, again, very mild. Temperatures reaching highs of

15 degrees. It stays mild tour tonight. Again, going to be cloudy

and at times I will be patchy drizzle. The winds are going to be

picking up from a westerly direction and again, very mild. Overnight lows

of nine or 10 degrees. Mild as they start their day. It is going to be

breezy. We have got a weakening weather front around Seoul during

the afternoon tomorrow particularly, some rain around and mild for a time

of year. Highs of around 1112 degrees. Waiting in the wings for

Wednesday ended her estate is strong Doris. We have not got warnings

about four hours at the moment. Potentially gusts of up to 50 mph.

Again it, it is going to be relatively mild and to Thursday.

Very wet and windy for Thursday at self. Here is the outlook for us and

the national for guest. the day, particularly up towards the

evening rush hour. It calms down on the Outlook toward the end of the

week and then milder again from the wheel them. More on storm Doris now

with Matt Taylor.