20/12/2016 South Today - Oxford

And storm Barbara will affect northern parts by the end of the

week. For us there will be a significant wind chill. All the

details shortly. A coroner's heard how a man

thought to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia died

a day after he was sent 52-year-old Jason Basalat

was found hanging from a bed Six other prisoners there have

taken their lives this year. The prison has the highest rate

of inmate suicide in the country. Woodhill Prison officers attended

the inquest into Jason Basalat. He was a man with mental health

issues who was sent to jail at the weekend, ahead

of an appearance in court over Prison officers had reported

Jason Basalat for his bizarre behaviour and, within 24 hours

of being put inside Woodhill Prison, One prisoner among so many

to end their lives behind bars here. So far this year, seven prisoners

have died at Woodhill Prison, that's more per head of prison

population than any other Jason Basalat was sent

to Woodhill on December 10th. He was known to mental

health services. On December 11th, he was seen

by an officer at 7:15am, He had been found

hanged in his cell. Northamptonshire Police say Jason

Basalat was arrested on the M1. He had been a passenger on a bus

when he grabbed the steering wheel, A paranoid schizophrenic,

police described him Various officials have repeatedly

spoken out about their concerns that the recommendations made

following deaths are simply not being implemented

at Woodhill Prison. The fact that death after death

happens at Woodhill Prison, in very similar circumstances,

suggests that things Kevin Scarlet had mental health

problems when he killed himself His self-harming, his previous

suicide attempts... His stepbrother says no

lessons are being learned. It is shocking, especially

when you think that the highest rate of self harm and suicide in prison

is within the first three days. If he is showing bizarre behaviour

anyway, why is he not Why is he being put in a position

where he can take his own life? Why are the safer cells

not being utilised? The inquest has been

adjourned until next June. It has happened in the middle

of legal action being taken by relatives of prisoners

who have died. They have lauched

a judicial review, calling for action to enforce safety

procedures at the prison. In a statement the Ministry

of Justice told us they take mental health in custody extremely

seriously, and there are a range of measures in place

to support prisoners, They added they've launched

a suicide and self harm reduction project, and more funding

for prison safety. More than 140 motorists have been

arrested for drink and drug driving offences in the Thames Valley this

December. Officers arrested 117 drivers

for suspected drink offences in the first 15 days

of their Christmas crackdown. 88 people have been charged

for being under the influence The funeral's been held for one

of the men who died when part of Didcot Power Station

collapsed in February. Christopher Huxtable from Swansea

was one of four men killed. His coffin was carried on a truck

by the local recycling firm An investigation into the cause

of his death is ongoing. An Oxfordshire cat breeder has

been banned from keeping animals for three years -

after neglecting more than sixty cats in her care .The RSPCA found 64

Bengal cats at Elizabeth Watson's She's been given a suspended

prison sentence. Seven of the cats

had to be put down. Groups trying to save children's

centres in Oxfordshire will get 12 Yesterday they were worried

it would only be six. Last month county councillors voted

for rents to be waived, where a centre would otherwise

have to close. Our political reporter

Bethan Phillips sent this report. Councillors today were urged to give

children's centres an early Christmas present

and eventually they This whole issue has come

about because the county council's stopping funding for

the majority of centres, and wants community groups

to step in and help. But in eight cases it

would be charging rent in some cases charging

?30,000 a year. Last month, the whole council voted

in favour of waiving rents But the final decision on that had

to be made by the cabinet, and it had been recommended

they agree to only It was clear that time limit

was going to split the cabinet - one member, Nick Carter,

described it as draconian. Campaigners agreed, warning six

months of help wouldn't be enough So, instead of six months,

today the cabinet agreed to give up to 12 months of rent

relief for centres. That was described to me

by campaigners as a "small victory" Berkshire-based BBC Monitoring,

the UK service that translates and analyses global media,

is in danger of becoming a "hollow The government has

moved responsibility The Defence Committee said this had

"predictably" led to cuts and expressed concern at plans

to move out of its Caversham The BBC said it was "confident"

the service would continue to meet Next, building new homes,

and the row that's broken out in Aylesbury over which areas

of the green belt The leader of Aylesbury Vale Council

has accused Buckinghamshire County Council of interfering in plans put

forward by two councils But what will it mean

for those looking for a home, or those trying to protect

the countryside from development? Mix politics and planning

and passions will run high. The heart of the issue

is about which of Buckinghamshire's green belt areas should be

used for housing. Chiltern and South Bucks councils

have proposed 15 sites, but Buckinghamshire County Council

has raised concerns This has led to fears by the council

leader in Aylesbury that nearly 3,000 more homes will be

forced on the town. The county council has not objected

to that green belt use by Wycombe, but it has objected to green belt

used by Chilton and South Buckinghamshire, and yes, the leader

of Buckinghamshire County Council happens to live in the Chilton South

Buckinghamshire area, so I suppose I put two and two

together and maybe I made five, I don't respond to these personal

attacks and personal comments. I can only assume that this person

was briefed by his officers and when he knows the full facts I'm

sure he will be reassured. Martin Tett went on to say district

councils alone make the final decision about changes

to green belt areas, and the County Council was just

responding to views being sought We commented on issues such as

highways access to proposed sites. We commented about flooding,

impact on the adjoining areas of outstanding natural beauty,

and whether in fact we are effectivley sprawling

between different towns. So that's what we've done

at the moment, nothing more. Any final decision of what happens

to the green belt land is expected Fundraising in memory

of four-year-old Barnaby Cork, who was knocked down and killed

in Thame, has passed the ?25,000 His family have set up

a Justgiving website in aid Around 1,000 people

have pledged donations. Barnaby was knocked down

outside the sports centre on Oxford Road earlier this month,

and died shortly afterwards. Buses are due to be stopped

from using Oxford's Queen Street when the new Westgate

shopping centre opens. Council officers raised safety

concerns, saying the number of pedestrians on the street

could more than double. They've voted in favour

of pedestrianising it Alexis is coming up with the weather

forecast for tonight South Today is back

in BBC Breakfast. Hello, after a dry day to day with

lots of sunshine, tonight were expecting increasing cloud and there

may be light rain through the early hours of the morning, especially by

dawn tomorrow. Temperatures will be on the chilly side will those of

2-3 C, so a cold start to the day tomorrow. A lot of rain first thing,

mainly light and patchy, which will clear south and east Woods, giving

us a window of dry weather before the next batch of rain will arrive

during the afternoon and evening, and this could be heavy rain at

times during the afternoon with a breeze from the south-west.

Temperatures just up into high single figures, around eight or nine

Celsius. The rain eventually will play tomorrow night, and once it

does we are expecting a frosty start to Thursday. A ridge of high

pressure will build in on Thursday, giving us a settled, dry day with

hazy sunshine through the afternoon. The next weather system is due to

Friday evening and overnight into Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve itself

should be mainly dry. The wind will be strong and bitterly cold, and the

next weather system is expected Christmas Eve into Christmas Day,

but it should be mainly dry for us, that weather system will affect the

north of the country. Through Christmas Day itself, we will have

some blustery showers. Looking ahead to the rest of the week, a good deal

of cloud to start the day tomorrow with some rain, a brighter interlude

during the middle of the day, Sammy on Thursday but rain later on

Friday. making a journey elsewhere in the

country it's worth knowing the national forecast. Over now to

Tomasz. So, the weather's going to blow a

few cobwebs away in the coming days and maybe a few other things, as

well. How stormy is it going to get? For most of us probably not too

terrible. It is, however, going to be very nasty across parts of

Scotland on Friday. The clouds are racing across the Atlantic and we

will see a storm by the