:00:00. > :00:00.An unconventional decision and disappointment for
:00:00. > :00:09.Why the candidate who'll fight to keep Andrew Smith's seat will be
:00:10. > :00:15.Also - A plea to protect badgers by changing planning laws.
:00:16. > :00:21.How the animals are dying as housing developments are built.
:00:22. > :00:26.The TV stars marking a million-pound milestone
:00:27. > :00:44.As Andrew Smith spends his last few weeks as MP for Oxford East there's
:00:45. > :00:46.dismay in the local Labour Party that the candidate who'll stand
:00:47. > :00:49.in his place will be chosen nationally, not locally.
:00:50. > :00:52.The speed of the coming general election has led the party to decide
:00:53. > :00:55.on an exceptional procedure for selecting the person
:00:56. > :01:03.He's been a local MP for nearly 30 years.
:01:04. > :01:05.But the Labour candidate vying to replace him
:01:06. > :01:13.Labour's Oxford East candidate will be chosen nationally
:01:14. > :01:15.because of timescale of the snap election.
:01:16. > :01:18.The party's National Executive Committee will sort
:01:19. > :01:20.through applications, interview potential candidates
:01:21. > :01:25.That's clearly caused disappointment in the local party.
:01:26. > :01:31."It's with the greatest regret that Oxford and District Labour Party
:01:32. > :01:33.members will not be able to select a candidate."
:01:34. > :01:36.But they add that it "will not set any precedent for future elections."
:01:37. > :01:46.Andrew Smith gave me his reaction to that today.
:01:47. > :01:54.Yes, it would have been nice if local members could be involved. We
:01:55. > :01:59.have received assurances that in the selection process, very close
:02:00. > :02:02.attention will be towards the calibre and relevant experience to
:02:03. > :02:09.the candidates and close attention will be given to local links and
:02:10. > :02:14.that is very important. Would you be unhappy if someone was parachuted
:02:15. > :02:18.into what is considered a safe Labour seat? I have never considered
:02:19. > :02:23.anything said Seat, you have to earn your seat. They have to show people
:02:24. > :02:27.they are on their side and be in touch with the community. I am
:02:28. > :02:29.certain the next Labour candidate is going to do that.
:02:30. > :02:33.So what do people in Andrew Smith's Oxford East constituency think?
:02:34. > :02:41.It is a shame it won't be a local process, but I can see why they are
:02:42. > :02:46.doing it. Local person every time. They know the area and the issues.
:02:47. > :02:51.The way the Labour Party is at the moment, I would be a bit suspect of
:02:52. > :02:58.the candidate they chose. It doesn't bother me too much, but I think a
:02:59. > :03:02.local person has more of an interest and someone you can go to. I don't
:03:03. > :03:04.think it will make any difference to how they will perform as an MP.
:03:05. > :03:06.Other parties will now be looking at the Oxford East
:03:07. > :03:09.Candidates will be announced in the coming weeks
:03:10. > :03:20.I hope there will be a bit of time for travel, a bit more time to
:03:21. > :03:22.gardening and I would like a new bike.
:03:23. > :03:24.A senior prison officer from Woodhill prison
:03:25. > :03:27.near Milton Keynes is to stand trial for manslaughter.
:03:28. > :03:31.It follows the death of an inmate who was found hanged in his cell
:03:32. > :03:35.55 year-old Joseph Travers will appear at the Old Bailey next month.
:03:36. > :03:37.He's thought to be the first prison officer to be charged
:03:38. > :03:39.with manslaughter after a prisoner's death.
:03:40. > :03:42.A group supporting rough sleepers in Oxford is asking homeowners
:03:43. > :03:44.if they'd give a room to some of them.
:03:45. > :03:48.The Iffley Open House project has squatted a number of empty
:03:49. > :03:50.buildings in the city, drawing attention to the large
:03:51. > :03:55.Several of them have jobs and are looking
:03:56. > :03:59.Julius has recently started working in a pub
:04:00. > :04:04.If you are going to manage to get a job while you are on the streets,
:04:05. > :04:08.it's going to be really hard for you to move on from that.
:04:09. > :04:11.Because you just need a space where you can get back after work,
:04:12. > :04:14.have a shower and get some food, get dressed and the next
:04:15. > :04:20.More badgers are being killed on the roads and conservationists
:04:21. > :04:22.in Oxfordshire say the building of new housing developments
:04:23. > :04:27.They're urging planners and builders to do more to protect the animals
:04:28. > :04:33.Badgers have lived in this woodland in South Oxford,
:04:34. > :04:36.for at least a century but parts of the countryside here,
:04:37. > :04:48.and elsewhere in Oxfordshire, have been lost to new buildings.
:04:49. > :04:56.Their habitat is being taken for development. They are being squeezed
:04:57. > :04:59.out. They are not being able to reach their foraging areas because
:05:00. > :05:03.there are not enough wildlife corridors for them to reach them. We
:05:04. > :05:06.are seeing more of them being forced onto the roads and killed.
:05:07. > :05:08.While badgers are a protected species, there are no accurate
:05:09. > :05:10.figures to say for sure whether numbers of badgers
:05:11. > :05:16.However given the evidence at Cumnor Hill in the Vale
:05:17. > :05:18.there seems no doubt that badger setts are often destroyed
:05:19. > :05:24.as development creeps in on their territory.
:05:25. > :05:27.Oxfordshire Badger Group is also concerned about the impact
:05:28. > :05:32.of hundreds of new homes at Barton Park.
:05:33. > :05:42.But the City Council says artificial setts have been built for badgers.
:05:43. > :05:49.As any kind of biodiversity, the council takes it very seriously and
:05:50. > :05:55.we are committed to protecting them, as well as other wildlife. When a
:05:56. > :05:58.development comes into the Council for proposal, we will consider it
:05:59. > :06:01.and only permit it if we are satisfied there will be no impact on
:06:02. > :06:03.badges and other kinds of wildlife. There are national laws
:06:04. > :06:06.for protecting the countryside but some authorities go
:06:07. > :06:07.further than others. In Milton Keynes, a charity called
:06:08. > :06:22.the Parks Trust has been set up There is wildlife corridors that
:06:23. > :06:27.have been put together in Milton Keynes lakes, ponds and natural
:06:28. > :06:30.habitats. We have seen a successful development, plus protection of the
:06:31. > :06:35.environment working hand-in-hand as a new city is developed. There are
:06:36. > :06:36.some good examples in Milton Keynes that might work well in places like
:06:37. > :06:37.Oxford. The number of people living
:06:38. > :06:39.in Oxfordshire is expected to increase by more than a quarter
:06:40. > :06:42.in the next 15 years. The challenge is to build them homes
:06:43. > :06:47.without destroying the wildlife. One of the UK's biggest
:06:48. > :06:52.energy companies says it's using new technology to improve
:06:53. > :06:55.electricity networks for homes The multi-million pound investment
:06:56. > :06:59.means a special fleet of aircraft is now being deployed to scan
:07:00. > :07:02.the networks and keep Could this be the future
:07:03. > :07:14.of mapping our electricity networks? This aerial scanning system
:07:15. > :07:17.is being used by Scottish and Southern Electricity networks,
:07:18. > :07:21.surveying our power lines, checking for trees and other
:07:22. > :07:26.vegetation, which may lead to blockages
:07:27. > :07:29.and electricity cuts. Obviously, trees are continuously
:07:30. > :07:31.growing and we have to manage them on an ongoing basis and the biggest
:07:32. > :07:34.issue is trees falling What we're able to do with this,
:07:35. > :07:40.once all the data has been gathered, we can put it into our computer
:07:41. > :07:44.systems, we will be able to see which trees will be a threat
:07:45. > :07:47.to the lines and which trees aren't That lets us target
:07:48. > :07:50.the tree cutting. This innovative mapping
:07:51. > :07:52.system is a big investment But it wouldn't be possible
:07:53. > :08:05.without the team of engineers With the equipment we have on board,
:08:06. > :08:08.it sends out hundreds of thousands of flashes of light every second
:08:09. > :08:12.as we fly over the power lines and we get a really,
:08:13. > :08:14.really accurate, 3-D record of the line and the
:08:15. > :08:16.position of the trees. So when we come back
:08:17. > :08:18.we can process that data, serve it up on a 3-D platform
:08:19. > :08:22.so the guys back in the office can see exactly where
:08:23. > :08:23.they've got problems. Some network operators believe
:08:24. > :08:25.the technology could lead to better maintenance work,
:08:26. > :08:28.resulting in more A Buckinghamshire charity that
:08:29. > :08:38.trains puppies to be the ears of their owner is celebrating 35
:08:39. > :08:41.years in operation. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People take
:08:42. > :08:43.on 200 puppies a year, teaching them to respond
:08:44. > :08:46.to different sounds. This weekend the charity
:08:47. > :08:50.welcomes more than 200 dogs on a sponsored dog walk,
:08:51. > :08:54.and they want you to come along to. It's time to wake up,
:08:55. > :08:59.but you can't hear your alarm. This everyday problem impacts almost
:09:00. > :09:02.a million people in the UK. But for three and a half decades,
:09:03. > :09:05.a Buckinghamshire charity has been We as a charity, we train clever
:09:06. > :09:13.dogs to respond to sounds and to assist people
:09:14. > :09:20.who are profoundly or severely deaf. We create a partnership with that
:09:21. > :09:22.individual and the dog. It makes a huge difference
:09:23. > :09:25.to the lives of those individuals throughout
:09:26. > :09:26.its working life. Puppies are trained for up
:09:27. > :09:32.to two years to respond to sound such as doorbells,
:09:33. > :09:35.phones and smoke alarms. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has
:09:36. > :09:38.placed more than 2000 dogs One of those is George Street,
:09:39. > :09:46.who is paired with Jake. I had perfect hearing
:09:47. > :09:49.until I was about 30-40. Then gradually my hearing
:09:50. > :09:52.has deteriorated. He's my key ring carer,
:09:53. > :09:55.he's brilliant. He's a companion and a dog that does
:09:56. > :10:03.a job all rolled into one. The charity doesn't get government
:10:04. > :10:06.funding and relies on donations They help with everything
:10:07. > :10:10.from fundraising to maintenance It changed our lives,
:10:11. > :10:19.as much as it will hopefully We get that much out of having
:10:20. > :10:27.the dogs and it's just wonderful. If you'd like to get involved
:10:28. > :10:30.or just want to learn more, the charity is holding a fundraising
:10:31. > :10:34.event this Saturday. It's the Great British Dog Walk,
:10:35. > :10:37.it's a fantastic family day out. It's a sponsored dog walk event,
:10:38. > :10:41.but it's suitable for everybody. You don't have to have a dog to take
:10:42. > :10:45.part and children under 11 are free. Already we've got 200 people
:10:46. > :10:48.confirmed and we are expecting a lot more to just turn up on the day,
:10:49. > :10:53.there's still space is available. There's walks to suit all abilities,
:10:54. > :10:56.so whether you are coming with ten legs, six or maybe just two,
:10:57. > :10:58.the charity wants your help to make sure everybody can
:10:59. > :11:04.hear about their work. You can e-mail us with any stories
:11:05. > :11:20.at... Now more of today's
:11:21. > :11:32.stories with Sally Taylor. The Conservative MP and former
:11:33. > :11:34.Defence Minister has represented the constituency
:11:35. > :11:36.for the past 20 years. Later in the programme
:11:37. > :11:45.Alexis is looking ahead Lovely spring sunshine this weekend.
:11:46. > :11:49.All eyes looking forward to next week in the Arctic air.
:11:50. > :11:52.It was meant to offer a new style of rail tickets
:11:53. > :11:59.But a government-led smart card scheme to replace paper tickets has
:12:00. > :12:02.run millions of pounds over budget and failed to deliver -
:12:03. > :12:11.Our transport correspondent Paul Clifton has more.
:12:12. > :12:19.The idea was to help passengers move to smart cards, including flexible
:12:20. > :12:24.season tickets for people who commute part time. It has not gone
:12:25. > :12:30.well. The original cast was put at ?45 million. The final bill was 54
:12:31. > :12:37.million. Plus a further 66 million to make London ticket machines read
:12:38. > :12:43.mainline smart cards. The business case relied on 95% of season-ticket
:12:44. > :12:49.holders switching. So far 8% have done so. The government has failed
:12:50. > :12:55.on the 2015 manifesto commitment. Failed on bringing a promised back
:12:56. > :12:59.in 2015 to bring flexible ticketing. At the same time they wasted is an
:13:00. > :13:03.astonishing amount of tax payers money on a smart and flexible
:13:04. > :13:10.ticketing scheme which has delivered almost nothing for passengers. 11
:13:11. > :13:16.train operators were to offer smart cards. Only five do so. Only one
:13:17. > :13:21.offers a flexible part-time option. Southern, Gatwick Express and South
:13:22. > :13:24.West Trains have done smart cards there own way. The back-office
:13:25. > :13:30.functions that make them work do not rely on the government system. This
:13:31. > :13:33.month the Department for Transport has ended the south-east flexible
:13:34. > :13:37.ticket programme, saying the private sector should lead the way. The
:13:38. > :13:42.bottom line is that train companies and the government have not come
:13:43. > :13:47.together with a common standard across the network. They have fallen
:13:48. > :13:51.a decade behind the bus industry, where smart cards are standard.
:13:52. > :13:57.Three years ago the London Underground moved on to contactless
:13:58. > :14:03.bank cards, a runaway success. Yet millions of two metres, four years
:14:04. > :14:04.to come, will use paper tickets. Something the Victorians who built
:14:05. > :14:26.this railway would still recognise. Drivers faced long delays on the
:14:27. > :14:29.Adrian Surrey tunnel. Bail out back north bound for a time. Nobody was
:14:30. > :14:31.hurt, structural engineers have been checking the tunnel today.
:14:32. > :14:33.The Solent was once the biggest oyster fishery in Europe.
:14:34. > :14:39.450 boats caught 15 million oysters a year in the 1970s.
:14:40. > :14:43.But overfishing killed the industry and the last fishery shut in 2013.
:14:44. > :14:48.Now an attempt is under way to bring sustainable oyster fishing back.
:14:49. > :14:51.Hundreds of baby oysters are being put into the water
:14:52. > :15:01.Here's our business correspondent Alastair Fee.
:15:02. > :15:02.These oysters carry the hopes of environmentalists,
:15:03. > :15:10.On a pontoon at the Hamble - volunteers were today weighing,
:15:11. > :15:16.measuring and then carefully returning them to the sea.
:15:17. > :15:27.Most of them will be prisoners the idea is silent. Through overfishing
:15:28. > :15:34.and disease, predation, the native oyster almost died out in the 2013,
:15:35. > :15:42.the fisheries closed because of his stock
:15:43. > :15:47.The broadcaster Ben Fogle - a former Portsmouth student and keen
:15:48. > :15:50.conservationist was among those helping out.
:15:51. > :15:57.We hope these oysters will change the whole dynamic of the silent.
:15:58. > :16:03.Improving the water quality, bringing back bringing injection
:16:04. > :16:06.into the economy, tourism. The cost of a dozen succulent oysters is a
:16:07. > :16:08.relatively common problem for the gourmet.
:16:09. > :16:10.Intensive fishing of oysters began in the 19th century.
:16:11. > :16:12.At it's peak the industry kept 700 men at sea.
:16:13. > :16:19.But the native Oyster population has halved in the last 25 years.
:16:20. > :16:22.This year one million oysters will be re-introduced to the Solent.
:16:23. > :16:25.Every month at six locations they will be studied
:16:26. > :16:40.It knew that these ponds in mean on the monitor them easily.
:16:41. > :16:42.Assuming these young molluscs are back in abundance.The ambition
:16:43. > :16:45.is to have a sustainable fishery back in business in ten years.
:16:46. > :16:47.A big milestone's been reached in the campaign to create
:16:48. > :16:49.a new children's emergency department in Southampton.
:16:50. > :16:54.A million pounds has now been raised.
:16:55. > :16:58.The appeal has been helped by a charity set up by the actors
:16:59. > :17:02.The couple became involved after the care received
:17:03. > :17:05.by their baby daughter Ella-Jayne, who sadly died at just eight months
:17:06. > :17:18.Fresh from our screens in ITV's Broadchurch,
:17:19. > :17:23.actor Sarah Parish enjoys plenty of work and a high profile -
:17:24. > :17:31.but it's this role which is closest to her heart, as a charity
:17:32. > :17:34.It was the tragic loss of their baby daughter Ella-Jayne
:17:35. > :17:38.which has closely linked the couple to Southampton General.
:17:39. > :17:40.Sarah and James see a new hospital as her legacy.
:17:41. > :17:43.They're at the forefront of a push to build a brand new emergency
:17:44. > :17:50.department in southampton, just for children.
:17:51. > :17:58.When your Child is in an accident you want them to get the best care
:17:59. > :18:04.this trauma centre will give them back. Specialist x-ray rooms, 11
:18:05. > :18:09.observation areas. Anything a child needs when they are critically ill,
:18:10. > :18:17.this place will have. Giving them the best chance of survival.
:18:18. > :18:19.Today was about celebrating the money already raised -
:18:20. > :18:22.which takes the total to one million pounds.
:18:23. > :18:30.We provide a major trauma so if dealing with seriously injured
:18:31. > :18:41.children from the Channel Islands was an environment
:18:42. > :18:44.where the people can work effectively for them.
:18:45. > :18:47.At the moment the building is an empty shell and there's
:18:48. > :18:50.a lot of hard work ahead There's still one and a half million pounds
:18:51. > :18:57.The search is on four major donors, businesses or individuals prepared
:18:58. > :19:03.to donate hundreds of thousands of pounds for none naming rights, a
:19:04. > :19:14.plaque above the door. Still ?1.5 million to raise in just over one
:19:15. > :19:15.year. Going from strength to strength.
:19:16. > :19:18.Onto sport, and Michael Eisner, the man who wants to buy
:19:19. > :19:21.Portsmouth Football Club, is to come to the city to make
:19:22. > :19:23.a personal pitch to shareholders before they vote on his offer
:19:24. > :19:27.The former Disney Chief Executive and his family
:19:28. > :19:30.will talk to members of the Pompey Supporters Trust
:19:31. > :19:33.at the city's Guildhall on Thursday May the fourth.
:19:34. > :19:36.Voting packs will be sent out to shareholders next Monday.
:19:37. > :19:41.The ballot will close on May the 19th.
:19:42. > :19:43.Meanwhile, after clinching promotion to the Premier League on Monday,
:19:44. > :19:45.Brighton Hove Albion are being honoured with a civic
:19:46. > :19:49.Tens of thousands of fans who're probably only just recovering
:19:50. > :19:52.from Monday's celebrations, will be able to cheer their heroes
:19:53. > :19:55.again on Sunday May the 14th as they parade along the seafront
:19:56. > :20:03.The exact route and timings for the bus tour are
:20:04. > :20:06.A win for the Albion tomorrow night against Norwich would see them
:20:07. > :20:09.Thousands of runners are preparing for the 2017
:20:10. > :20:13.For Chris Arthey from Godalming, Sunday will be the fifth
:20:14. > :20:18.But it will be the first time he's run it since being involved
:20:19. > :20:36.I lost my spleen, broken ribs, punctured lung, bad concussion. We
:20:37. > :20:41.both had broken arms and hands. Denise's lead was lost straightaway.
:20:42. > :20:47.While fulfilling a lifetime ambition to ride a motorbike across America,
:20:48. > :20:53.in 2008, they were hit by a drunk driver, veering into their lane at
:20:54. > :20:58.80 miles an hour. Crisp' left leg was very badly damaged. They put me
:20:59. > :21:04.in a medically induced coma, tried to save the leg, but after ten days
:21:05. > :21:09.that did not work out. They took my leg. Chris had always competed in
:21:10. > :21:16.enduring sports. Denise made this promise to is surging. He will run
:21:17. > :21:22.another marathon. That is his drive, he is a runner. That does not
:21:23. > :21:26.change, losing your leg does not change EU are. I knew he would do it
:21:27. > :21:32.again. This leg I am wearing is a walking leg. The breakthrough came
:21:33. > :21:37.from Chris when he found the right prostatic to compete with. For
:21:38. > :21:45.running a use this one, same socket, but it has no need. It has this
:21:46. > :21:49.blade, which you can bounce on. With a sole unit fitted. Before the
:21:50. > :21:54.accident Chris had completed five of the world marathon majors, Boston,
:21:55. > :22:00.Berlin, Chicago, New York and London. His personal best time was
:22:01. > :22:03.just under three hours. He is setting himself a tough target for
:22:04. > :22:09.this Sunday as well. The training has gone fairly well. Four and a
:22:10. > :22:14.half hours plus a bit, I would be very happy. It has been a long road
:22:15. > :22:23.to recovery, the only thing that should hold Chris' progress on
:22:24. > :22:25.Sunday is the finish line. Good luck to Chris and already taking part in
:22:26. > :22:29.the London marathon this weekend. The world's strongest man
:22:30. > :22:33.was in Southampton today Zydrunas Savickas was flipping tyres
:22:34. > :22:36.with Aaron Page from Southampton. It'll be one of the most difficult
:22:37. > :22:44.disciplines in the Ultimate Strongman World Series UK qualifier
:22:45. > :22:52.being held at St Mary's in June. When I was 13 years old I came to
:22:53. > :23:01.strongman competition. For me, something amazing. I decided I
:23:02. > :23:10.wanted to be strong. It is good to compete. Nice when people enjoy it.
:23:11. > :23:11.He is handy if you break down! I would have in my car. Carrying
:23:12. > :23:23.tyres. Change my diet. Onto the weather. What we talking
:23:24. > :23:27.about, Arctic chills. We have some really cold air coming in next week.
:23:28. > :23:30.A chance we could have wintry showers, bitterly cold. Gardeners,
:23:31. > :23:32.beware. Steve Regan photographed the sunset
:23:33. > :23:35.at Man O'War beach in Dorset. Jacqueline Rackham's dog
:23:36. > :23:37.Louis enjoyed running And Ryan Curtis took this picture of
:23:38. > :23:50.Christchurch Harbour from the air. Lovely sunny spells today, a fair
:23:51. > :23:55.amount of cloud as well. This evening we are seeing the sunshine,
:23:56. > :24:01.cloud returning overnight. One macro clear spells. We could see some mist
:24:02. > :24:07.and fog patches. Where the cloud is thickest, the odd spot of drizzle.
:24:08. > :24:11.Temperature is not as cold as last night. Dipping to around five
:24:12. > :24:32.Celsius. Fairly cloudy start of the day. But. But the degree of Doctor
:24:33. > :24:37.bridges reaching 14- get border tomorrow. A good deal of cloud
:24:38. > :24:41.tomorrow. The odd spot of drizzle. One or two macro clear spells
:24:42. > :24:45.allowing mist of folk to form. Foremost we're looking at lows of
:24:46. > :24:51.9-10dC. Quite a cloudy start to the weekend. We will see the cloud
:24:52. > :24:56.gradually thin and break thanks to this cold front moving southwards.
:24:57. > :25:01.The odd spot of rain for eastern parts of Bucks. Otherwise dry, more
:25:02. > :25:04.in the way of sunshine for the afternoon and evening. Through the
:25:05. > :25:10.course of Saturday, high pressure building behind me. That will settle
:25:11. > :25:16.things down. Overnight Saturday cold air is settling in. Next week old is
:25:17. > :25:21.still in from the Arctic. Some wintry showers through the course of
:25:22. > :25:24.Monday. In fact more so on Tuesday evening and overnight into
:25:25. > :25:29.Wednesday. One or two macro showers possible through the course of the
:25:30. > :25:35.weekend. Staying mainly dry. A good deal of cloud tomorrow, and also the
:25:36. > :25:39.start of the" right running up in the afternoon. Lovely spells of
:25:40. > :25:40.sunshine on Sunday. Monday the odd spot of rain, thunder storms
:25:41. > :25:49.possible on Tuesday. Two Maronite we will take a look
:25:50. > :25:53.around a 15 foot model of Winchester, finding out why this
:25:54. > :25:54.action may labour of love for the person who made it. Thanks for
:25:55. > :25:58.watching.