07/03/2017 South East Today

Arsenal in Europe. Natalie thank you very much again at the Emirates

Stadium. A "gentleman's agreement" caught

on tape - amid allegations of a "sweetheart deal" over tax

between the Government The Sussex police inspector arrested

on suspicion of having sex with a vulnerable woman

he met on duty. We're live tonight in

Brighton with the latest. And after a sunny and mild

springlike day today, it is turning wet and windy for tomorrow.

As you may have seen on the national news a few moments ago,

a secret recording of the leader of Surrey Council saying he'd

obtained a "gentleman's agreement" from the government before he called

off a referendum on a 15% rise in council tax,

The Prime Minister has repeatedly denied that Surrey has been given

what Labour calls "a sweetheart deal" to drop plans for a big

But in a meeting with his own councillors, David Hodge said

the government "will sort the funding out for

Our Political Editor Helen Catt has this exclusive report.

It was the row that threatened to leave the government

A major Conservative council, saying it had been forced

into a massive tax hike, because it didn't have

enough money to look after its elderly and vulnerable.

I think it's important that politicians stand

up and tell the truth, and be honest, and tell them what it

When the rise was promoted Leigh abandoned at the 11th hour, it

sparked claims of a secret deal with the government.

Can be Prime Minister tell the house whether or not a special

The decision as to whether or not to hold a referendum in Surrey

Number 10 denied a deal had been struck.

Tonight, though, we can reveal secret recordings of a meeting

between David Hodge and Conservative councillors,

which show conversations had been taking place

and community secretary Sajid Javid just before

David Hodge also revealed that the threat of a referendum

Why shouldn't every council get this sort of deal?

Why is it a deal that has been done by Conservative leaders in Surrey

Why can't all local councils have access to this sort of deal,

given that social care is in crisis, not just in Surrey,

Approached by the BBC today, David Hodge said that every leader,

if they are any good at the job, will always have these conversations

He said he was still hoping the Chancellor would announce

extra money for Surrey in tomorrow's budget.

Downing Street has issued a statement again denying there was

any special deal for them one county council. To imply the opposite, it

said, is simply untrue. Helen is here in the studio. Has the

government had more to say on it this evening? There is that pretty

bullish statement they have put out denying there was any special deal

for Surrey, saying that Surrey will not receive any extra funding that

would not otherwise be provided to other councils. It is a pretty

embarrassing time for the government, tomorrow is the budget.

May well have too addressed that issue of how we pay for social care

watch was at the root of this whole council tax plan in the first place.

Not only will Surrey the watching, but as a result of this other

councils will be looking extremely closely at what said tomorrow.

Downing Street may have hoped to have killed off the story with that

statement but there is little sign of that so far. The night Labour

have called for Theresa made to apologise, which has been backed by

the Liberal Democrats too. Two people have been treated

for breathing difficulties tonight after a white powder -

suspected to be builders' lime - They're believed to have been

passing by when the powder reportedly fell from the back

of a lorry - at around five A cordon put in place in the area

around Sackville Road Kent Police are investigating

the death of a man whose body was found near Tunbridge Wells

railway station. Officers were called to the first

floor of Torrington car park early this morning,

after smoke was seen The death is being

treated as unexplained. A Sussex police inspector

is the subject of a major investigation tonight -

after he was arrested over allegations he had sex

with a vulnerable woman he met Inspector Tony Lumb,

who is based in Brighton, was arrested on suspicion

of misconduct in public office This programme has spoke

to Inspector Lumb on a number We've had 17 handed in so far. We've

only just started, only half an hour in, we are hoping for a lot more. It

is not about how money we get handed in, it is raising the awareness of

these BB guns. That was Inspector Tony Lumb talking

to the BBC in the past - our reporter Juliette Parkin is live

at Brighton Police Station Juliette - the Independent Police

Complaints Commission has taken an unusual step in this

investigation... Yes, the IPCC is appealing for any

women who may have been involved with Tony Lumb to come forward. The

independent investigation is looking into the nature of any contact he

may have had with the women concerned in these allegations. He

is of course a high-profile police officer. He was pictured here with

Katie born, the Sussex Police and Katie born, the Sussex Police and

Crime Commissioner, after he won an award. She wasn't commenting today

but Sussex Police say they do take any report of inappropriate

behaviour extremely seriously. We understand that Mr Lumb has been

suspended. A prolific burglar who now lives

in Kent says he was set on the path to crime by violent sexual

and physical abuse he Paul McDonagh - who's

waived his right to anonymity - says he was repeatedly molested

at a Scottish care Today, the Government said courts

should consider mitigating circumstances of an "unstable

upbringing" when deciding Our Special Correspondent Colin

Campbell has this exclusive report. Thefts, shopliftings,

burglaries, loads of crime. All through my life,

I've committed crimes. Paul McDonagh has spent more

than 20 years in prison. He blames his pattern of relentless

offending on the treatment If somebody had taught me back then,

if somebody had helped me back then, instead of abusing me,

if they'd have helped me, I could have done better in my life,

I could have done a lot better Some people may think

that this is convenient for you to talk about now,

after committing so many crimes. No, I ain't like that, anybody

who knows me, I ain't like that. I take full responsibility

for what I've done, for my crimes. At the age of 12, Paul was sent

to Kerelaw Remand Home in Ayrshire. It was supposed to be a safe haven

for troublesome youngsters. Instead, he says he was

subjected to emotional, And, yeah, torture is the only

way I can explain it. His older sister says she made

an official complaint at the time, He wasn't a bad child,

he was a good child, and he was a very loving

and caring little boy. It's like they ripped the heart

and soul out of him. You know, they've taken everything

that was good in that little boy, It was home to 72

vulnerable children. But it closed in 2006,

following a police investigation In 2009, 400 allegations of abuse

were revelaed from 159 children, Most survivors don't become

criminals, but many whose lives have been very badly blighted do end up

in that life, sadly. Two men were jailed for abusing

children at home in 2006. I know they are not going to admit

it, but I've put my complaint in, I know I am in the right,

he is the one in the wrong. For once in my life,

I know I'm right, I know I'm right. Paul says he is a criminal

but not a liar. He accepts he has done many

bad things but hopes by confronting his past he can

try to improve his future. Three league football matches

for our sides this evening - in the Championship,

Brighton won 2-0 away at Rotherham, closing the gap on league leaders

Newcastle at the top of the table. In League One, Charlton

beat Scunthorpe 2-1, scoring the winner

in the 90th minute, and in League Two, Crawley

lost 2-0 to Portsmouth. Now let's take a look

at the weather for the south east with Rachel Mackley -

Rachel - its going Yes, that is right, after a sunny

and mild day, it is all change, wet and windy and increasingly mild by

Thursday. Temperatures could once again reach highs of 14 or 15

degrees. Initially dry tonight but then from about midnight we start

with that cloud cover thickening, and eventually we start to see the

rain. Thanks to the window moraine it is a very mild night, overnight

temperatures only dropping the six or 7 degrees. Wet and windy and mild

as we start the day. Tomorrow we are holding onto this very mild airflow.

By the afternoon temperatures again should be reaching highs around 11

or 12 degrees. An average for the time of year is normally around

seven or eight, so again it will be wet and windy and mild as we go over

into Thursday, cloudy, mostly try to Thursday, highs of around 12. Here

is the outlook rain on Saturday. The national

picture now from Nick Miller. It looks like next week high

pressure will become a player again in our weather, settling things down

for some of us for a time but until then it is low-pressure, rain moving

across the UK overnight but not wet all the time. Many of us at a fine

day today, this was at you from West Yorkshire and Yorkshire and northern

England and Northern Ireland will farewell tomorrow, after this

frontal system has pushed on through the UK with rain. But as it does, it

introduces milder air so for the rest of the week we will have

temperatures widely into double figures. Back to