0:00:01 > 0:00:03Have a good night.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Welcome to South Today.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Coming up - a reunion with the people who helped him
0:00:07 > 0:00:11rebuild his life 25 years after his release in Beirut.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Terry Waite goes back to Lyneham - where he spent his first
0:00:14 > 0:00:15days of freedom.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18It's a place that will always be in my mind -
0:00:18 > 0:00:25not just the base, the people of this area too.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28And getting the most from your motor - the car challenge
0:00:28 > 0:00:30that's not about speed, but who can use the least
0:00:30 > 0:00:38fuel over 400 miles.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Good evening.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44The former hostage Terry Waite has returned
0:00:44 > 0:00:47to the Wiltshire airbase he flew into 25 years ago after his release.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50He spent his first days as ` free man at RAF Lyenham -
0:00:50 > 0:00:53with a team of experts who helped him prepare
0:00:53 > 0:00:55for his future life.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Now, in a visit specially arranged by BBC Wiltshire,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59he's been back to say thank you
0:00:59 > 0:01:03David Garmston has this report.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Coming home in a storm, Terry Waite's plane bumped
0:01:07 > 0:01:10through the Wiltshire cloud and then he was back.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Never had rainswept England looked so good.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Home, after five years as a hostage in Lebanon.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Home, the special envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury
0:01:22 > 0:01:24who was captured while trying to negotiate the freedom
0:01:24 > 0:01:27of hostages.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Now, 25 years on, he's returned to Lyneham with the psychiatrist
0:01:31 > 0:01:35who reintroduced him to the outside world.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Well, the plane landed here right on this runway.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It was a rainy day, it was blowy, it's blowy today, but it
0:01:41 > 0:01:42was raining then also.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And I looked around and I couldn't believe it because here
0:01:45 > 0:01:51was a welcome sign and the place was absolutely full of people
0:01:51 > 0:01:54from the press.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I've never seen so many press people together.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02And because of the weather, they decided to have the prdss
0:02:02 > 0:02:05conference in the hangar.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08So I went across to the hangar and I'd written a few notes
0:02:08 > 0:02:11on the plane because I'd bedn told it would be the best thing to give
0:02:11 > 0:02:13a statement to everybody and then meet my family.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Ladies and gentlemen, I think you can imagine that
0:02:17 > 0:02:27after 1,763 days in chains, it's an overwhelming experidnce
0:02:27 > 0:02:36to come back and receive your greetings.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Today, the station is no longer an RAF base.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45It's a training centre for Army recruits.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48In the chapel, Terry Waite takes a moment for reflection.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I come back and unfortunately there are still many people
0:02:52 > 0:02:55who are prisoners of conscidnce and held captive in many parts
0:02:55 > 0:03:00of the world, so today, I have lit that little candle
0:03:00 > 0:03:03in memory of all those around the world who are held
0:03:03 > 0:03:06against their will and who `re prisoners of conscience.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10BBC Wiltshire arranged for Terry Waite to come to Lyneham
0:03:10 > 0:03:12again with the team that organised his reception and helped
0:03:12 > 0:03:16him rebuild his mind and body.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The family are actually aware that the person who has been
0:03:19 > 0:03:22returned to them isn't the same and they fret about that
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and they develop anxiety and depression sometimes as well.
0:03:26 > 0:03:33And we have to take all that into account.
0:03:33 > 0:03:40So the idea of a controlled re-entry into the family holds good,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44just as well as it does for the analogy of a shuttld
0:03:44 > 0:03:48coming back down to Earth.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51The teams here at Lyneham g`ve Terry Waite his life back.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54He could get to know his falily again and start paying his lortgage,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57which had never stopped during his years held in captivity.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00But he says it wasn't only the people inside the RAF station.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04The whole community showed him kindness.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09And those kind strangers had another surprise in store.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14One night my wife and I, we heard the bells ringing.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18I said, "Oh, they must be practising, the bell-ringers."
0:04:18 > 0:04:22And she turned to me and shd said, "They're ringing the bells for you."
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I didn't know that!
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Yes, the bells pealed again for Terry Waite
0:04:29 > 0:04:31at Lyneham's Parish Church, 25 years after they rang out
0:04:32 > 0:04:36to welcome him home.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39BELLS RING.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40David Garmston with that report
0:04:40 > 0:04:43And if you'd like to hear more from Terry Waite on his rettrn
0:04:43 > 0:04:45to Lyneham, he spoke to BBC Wiltshire's Marie Lennon
0:04:45 > 0:04:48on her programme this morning - you can listen to the conversation
0:04:48 > 0:04:51on the BBC iPlayer.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54A man has died in an accident at Ikea in Reading.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56The store, which only opened in July, will stay closed
0:04:56 > 0:04:59while the police investigatd how the contractor died in the darly
0:04:59 > 0:05:00hours of this morning.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04No one has been arrested over the death.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The Prison Officers Association says it was "extremely concerned"
0:05:07 > 0:05:10that five serious assaults at Bullingdon jail had not
0:05:10 > 0:05:13been reported in line with national guidelines.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17A government spokesperson initially said they hadn't taken placd.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19But the BBC has obtained a letter from the National Offender
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Management Service confirming the attacks.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Checks at Bullingdon are now being made to find
0:05:23 > 0:05:28out whether procedures are being followed.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31People in Swindon could havd to pay for new parish councils
0:05:31 > 0:05:33to run their services.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35The Borough Council says it can no longer afford to manage
0:05:35 > 0:05:37everything on its books.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It's proposing three new parishes are set up to take
0:05:40 > 0:05:41over some contracts.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45It's estimated taxpayers wotld have to pay up to ?70 more a year.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Dan O'Brien explains.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It's not just the grass that's getting trimmed in Swindon.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55The local council here says central government cuts means it cannot
0:05:55 > 0:05:59afford to do jobs like this for much longer.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01We're facing unprecedented budget pressures and we're facing
0:06:01 > 0:06:05unprecedented pressures on our services for vulnerable
0:06:05 > 0:06:07people, for adults and children
0:06:07 > 0:06:10That squeezes those important local services like street
0:06:10 > 0:06:12cleaning and grass cutting, looking after children's
0:06:12 > 0:06:14playgrounds.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17This provides us a mechanisl to ringfence that money and provide
0:06:17 > 0:06:22that service in perpetuity.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Many of our main councils are trying to get the smaller parish councils
0:06:25 > 0:06:28to take on responsibility for services like grass cutting
0:06:28 > 0:06:32street cleaning, grounds mahntenance and even some libraries.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35But where Swindon is taking it a step further, is that it plans
0:06:35 > 0:06:38to create three brand-new p`rish councils, where none currently
0:06:38 > 0:06:41exist, specifically to take on responsibility for services it
0:06:41 > 0:06:45says it can no longer afford.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50At recent consultation events, the idea didn't go down well.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Campaigners fighting these plans want the council to go back
0:06:53 > 0:06:55to the drawing board.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58These proposals don't actually work and the public have told thd council
0:06:58 > 0:07:03again and again that they don't work and we don't want them.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06They save a small amount of money, ?2.6 million, which could bd paid
0:07:06 > 0:07:09by a small increase in the council tax, and it would be a more
0:07:09 > 0:07:12appropriate way to keep the town together so that we all bendfit
0:07:12 > 0:07:16from the economies of scale of running our own town.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17But for the Conservative administration here,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20getting local taxpayers to fund these new councils is
0:07:20 > 0:07:25the only way they can see of keeping services going.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Dan O'Brien, BBC South Today, Swindon.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Motorsport competitions tend to be about to who's fastest -
0:07:32 > 0:07:34but fuel consumption rather than speed has been the aim
0:07:34 > 0:07:38of drivers taking part in the MPG Marathon.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40They've covered more than 400 miles over two days -
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and the winner will have usdd the least fuel.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Jeremy Stern has the story.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49One by one they set off from Heythrop Park.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Most opting for a leisurely pace.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59The winner will achieve the best number of miles per gallon.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It's also a chance to showcase efficient driving.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07It's to show people that thd way in which they drive has a htge
0:08:07 > 0:08:09effect on the fuel consumpthon that they get from their vehicle.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Over the years we have found there has been a lot of medha
0:08:13 > 0:08:16attention on the way that some vehicles cannot manage the combined
0:08:16 > 0:08:18figure that the manufacturer says, and our event will show
0:08:18 > 0:08:19that they can.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Just here...
0:08:21 > 0:08:24As well as being BBC South's transport correspondent,
0:08:24 > 0:08:30Paul Clifton is also the current MPG driving champion.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33This year he's driving a Honda built in Swindon.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36He says success comes down to teamwork.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39You and your team-mate have to be like an old married couple.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42You have to finish each othdr's thoughts and complete
0:08:42 > 0:08:43each other's sentences.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47When he looks left, I look right and between us we have a colplete
0:08:47 > 0:08:51understanding of what's going on around us.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Organisers tracked the progress of the cars as they made thdir way
0:08:56 > 0:08:58to the first stop - Silverstone race circuit.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03The route through North Oxfordshire wasn't straightforward.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06The problem is you're trying to drive slowly and not hold up
0:09:06 > 0:09:08other road users, but you h`ve got to keep your momentum going.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11So you're looking at roundabouts and you want to flow through them
0:09:11 > 0:09:15but you have people behind xou that are pushing you and they do not
0:09:15 > 0:09:17understand that you are trying to go slowly.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Lots of twisty roads, ups and downs.
0:09:18 > 0:09:25We need some clear and open roads to get some decent economy,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but we will get there and we will stick at it.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29It's certainly challenging.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31It's a test of concentration, skill and endurance.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36The winners will be announcdd later in the week.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Jeremy Stern, BBC South Tod`y.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40That's it from us.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Alexis is coming up with thd weather forecast.
0:09:42 > 0:09:51Goodnight.
0:09:51 > 0:09:51We
0:09:51 > 0:09:51We are
0:09:51 > 0:09:52We are back
0:09:52 > 0:09:52We are back tomorrow morning
0:09:52 > 0:09:52We are back tomorrow morning in
0:09:52 > 0:09:52We are back tomorrow morning in BBC
0:09:52 > 0:09:55We are back tomorrow morning in BBC Breakfast.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Good evening.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Today, we had one or two showers and there's a possibility overnight
0:09:59 > 0:10:01tonight we could have one or two more.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04They will be fairly light in nature and not everyone will see them.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07There will be a lot of dry weather as well.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09A fair amount of cloud building by dawn tomorrow.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Temperatures in the countryside down to around 4-5 Celsius.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13These are values in our towns and cities.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Tomorrow there will be a northerly breeze which will take
0:10:15 > 0:10:16the edge off temperatures.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Quite a cloudy start to the day
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Through the afternoon there will be some sunny spells but also the risk
0:10:21 > 0:10:23of one or two isolated light showers, with highs
0:10:23 > 0:10:24tomorrow of 13-14 Celsius.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Feeling slightly cooler with the northerly wind.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Through the course of Thursday into Friday, high pressure
0:10:28 > 0:10:29still dominates our weather.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32We're looking at the winds falling lighter tomorrow and even more
0:10:32 > 0:10:34so on Friday.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37High pressure still remains in charge, but there is the risk
0:10:37 > 0:10:39of one or two isolated showdrs.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41If you catch one you'll be tnlucky.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43They're more likely for eastern parts of the country,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48drifting in off the North Sda with that northerly breeze.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Over the next few days therd will be some sunshine and showers.