:00:00. > 3:59:59Tonight the verdict on the Prime Minister's exit Strang. Join me now
:00:00. > :00:00.Hello, welcome to South Today. on BBC Two.
:00:00. > :00:00.Coming up, the crime of organised dogfighting.
:00:07. > :00:08.Animal charities want tougher sentencing, saying six months
:00:09. > :00:18.Service families say their complaints for improved
:00:19. > :00:21.And three-year-old Marla's delight with her prosthetic hand
:00:22. > :00:36.Here, the crime of organised dog fighting.
:00:37. > :00:38.The RSPCA wants tougher sentencing, saying six months
:00:39. > :00:47.400 incidents have been reported to the RSPCA
:00:48. > :00:50.Nationally, only around 3% of cases end in a conviction.
:00:51. > :00:53.Peter Cooke has the story, which contains some violent images.
:00:54. > :00:57.Bloody and brutal - the hidden world of illegal dog fighting.
:00:58. > :01:02.But animal rights groups say it's also being found on our streets.
:01:03. > :01:08.Rival gangs using animals as weapons - it's called a gateway crime.
:01:09. > :01:13.There is a strong link to dogfighting with crimes such
:01:14. > :01:14.as domestic violence and violence towards the elderly,
:01:15. > :01:17.violence towards young people, children.
:01:18. > :01:23.And that's why it needs to be a recordable offence,
:01:24. > :01:25.rather than something that isn't properly recorded by
:01:26. > :01:27.the Home Office, because if it isn't recorded properly,
:01:28. > :01:30.then the resources aren't put in to investigating
:01:31. > :01:35.The activity's prosecuted by the RSPCA but those involved
:01:36. > :01:41.Now politicians and animal welfare groups want the current maximum
:01:42. > :01:45.six month sentence extended up to five years.
:01:46. > :01:49.Mike Butcher's been trying to catch those using dogs to fight
:01:50. > :01:56.Even for any form of cruelty, six months nowadays is just outdated.
:01:57. > :02:01.You get five years abroad in Europe and longer than that in America,
:02:02. > :02:04.and we are in this country prosecuting more dogfighters
:02:05. > :02:08.than anyone else probably, we catch more dog fighters
:02:09. > :02:10.than anybody else, yet we have the lowest sentencing
:02:11. > :02:15.Both animal welfare groups are also calling for a register
:02:16. > :02:18.of banned owners and a review of the Dangerous Dogs Act.
:02:19. > :02:22.The Government says it already has the right laws to tackle those
:02:23. > :02:32.Military families have told us that they're still living
:02:33. > :02:35.in damp and decaying homes, six months after they were told
:02:36. > :02:39.The firm in charge of maintaining the properties was threatened
:02:40. > :02:42.with losing its multi-million pound contract unless it improved.
:02:43. > :02:44.The Public Accounts Committee says it has, but that's not
:02:45. > :02:48.the experience of residents, as Lewis Coombes reports.
:02:49. > :02:51.It's the battle that's closer to home, a fight for an acceptable
:02:52. > :02:55.Living conditions like this in Farringdon just one example
:02:56. > :02:59.of what military families are having to endure.
:03:00. > :03:04.Kim is married to an RAF pilot based in the south.
:03:05. > :03:07.After 13 years, he's decided to leave his job partly due
:03:08. > :03:13.A small leak from their boiler resulted in their lounge ceiling
:03:14. > :03:15.being replaced as it took nine months to fix what
:03:16. > :03:22.Kim was heavily pregnant and recently diagnosed with cancer.
:03:23. > :03:25.I just don't know what happens between the people being called
:03:26. > :03:30.The process doesn't seem to work, the administration or the computer
:03:31. > :03:35.It did affect my health because I was just so stressed
:03:36. > :03:39.about it and so focused about it, and I felt so helpless.
:03:40. > :03:42.47,000 homes are maintained by CarillionAmey in a five-year
:03:43. > :03:49.If CarillionAmey are being paid to do a certain job,
:03:50. > :03:54.they're just not doing that job so why should they be paid?
:03:55. > :03:57.BBC South has been inundated with families on e-mail talking
:03:58. > :04:01.about their experiences but unwilling to do so on camera,
:04:02. > :04:05.over fears that the consequences that could have on their jobs.
:04:06. > :04:07.It includes a soldier of 22 years who is weighing up
:04:08. > :04:10.whether to leave the military because he is embarrassed
:04:11. > :04:15.about the standard of accommodation he is providing his family.
:04:16. > :04:17.A group of MPs have been tasked with holding those in charge
:04:18. > :04:22.Those wives are looking after three children and the husbands
:04:23. > :04:29.Serving personnel feel under pressure not to talk to their MPs
:04:30. > :04:31.and that is something they continue to work with but the spouses
:04:32. > :04:36.are free to do so and I know have a confidential line that
:04:37. > :04:40.families from across the country can contact me personally on.
:04:41. > :04:43.MoD figures show the average rent for an unfurnished three-bedromm
:04:44. > :04:47.service home is almost ?300 per month.
:04:48. > :04:49.Families feel more investment is needed.
:04:50. > :04:52.It doesn't seem that we are important enough to care
:04:53. > :04:59.We expect our homes to be up to standard and it
:05:00. > :05:04.CarillionAmey has apologised to Kim and insist it's working hard
:05:05. > :05:06.for service personnel and their families,
:05:07. > :05:10.and focusing on how they can improve things further.
:05:11. > :05:13.In a statement, the MoD said they would absolutely not hesitate
:05:14. > :05:16.to take further action if deemed necessary.
:05:17. > :05:25.An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder after a stabbing
:05:26. > :05:28.26-year-old Daniel Lavender is believed to have been attacked
:05:29. > :05:32.Brandon Lavender will appear in court tomorrow,
:05:33. > :05:37.A man from Abingdon, who duped teenagers into performing
:05:38. > :05:40.sexual acts online, has been jailed for six years.
:05:41. > :05:47.They took place between 2012 and 2015.
:05:48. > :05:49.The decision over who's going to run council services
:05:50. > :05:52.in Buckinghamshire is now in the hands of the government.
:05:53. > :05:55.Aylesbury Vale District Council has sent its plan to run everything
:05:56. > :05:57.in the Vale from collecting rubbish to providing social care
:05:58. > :06:03.It's in direct conflict with the plan he already has
:06:04. > :06:09.From fixing potholes and picking up our recycling, to determining
:06:10. > :06:13.where and how Buckinghamshire's houses or roads will be built.
:06:14. > :06:16.This discussion is all about who should have responsibility
:06:17. > :06:22.At the moment, Buckinghamshire has one county council
:06:23. > :06:27.This week, the districts agreed a plan to scrap all those
:06:28. > :06:30.and replace them with two authorities called unitaries.
:06:31. > :06:33.One for Aylesbury Vale and a second merging Wycombe,
:06:34. > :06:38.The red area at the top there - that's Milton Keynes
:06:39. > :06:41.and that is already a unitary authority.
:06:42. > :06:44.The County Council meanwhile has already submitted its plan
:06:45. > :06:47.to effectively take over the districts.
:06:48. > :06:49.It would be the sole authority and responsible
:06:50. > :07:07.The Vale say just one large authority wouldn't work...So why
:07:08. > :07:09.The geography is Buckinghamshire so different.
:07:10. > :07:11.I believe having two different unit as we can focus our attention
:07:12. > :07:20.on the specific demands of the respective authorities.
:07:21. > :07:21.Why are these changes being proposed?
:07:22. > :07:24.are facing funding difficulties and these authorities agree
:07:25. > :07:28.Both proposals aim to save money- money that could be used to deliver
:07:29. > :07:32.The backers of the two unitary plan say it
:07:33. > :07:35.will save tax payers almost ?58 million over a five year period.
:07:36. > :07:38.Buckinghamshire County Council says its suggestion could save even more,
:07:39. > :07:43.Whichever option is chosen, we know Buckinghamshire will see
:07:44. > :07:51.The Secretary of State won't make any decisions until at least March.
:07:52. > :07:54.3D printing technology has been used to make a prosthetic hand
:07:55. > :07:57.for a three year old girl for a fraction of the cost
:07:58. > :08:01.Marla Trigwell, from Newbury, was born without a left hand.
:08:02. > :08:08.This was the moment Marla opened her very special Christmas present.
:08:09. > :08:17.And it's a psychological boost for her.
:08:18. > :08:20.So, when she meets people, instead of that, "Oh, poor you,"
:08:21. > :08:27.Marla's hand was made at a community workshop
:08:28. > :08:32.Members of this club, who love working on technical
:08:33. > :08:39.It was done in multiple sections, so we've got the fingers,
:08:40. > :08:42.the palm, the lower arm, the upper arm,
:08:43. > :08:46.Put them together, and you get something that will...
:08:47. > :08:54.I'm quite proud that this has turned out better than I'd expected.
:08:55. > :08:58.And it's really changing the life of young Marla and her family.
:08:59. > :09:02.Materials for this hand cost only ?30.
:09:03. > :09:05.More traditional prosthetics are thousands.
:09:06. > :09:07.And Marla wouldn't be able to get one of them
:09:08. > :09:13.The NHS can't provide a functional prosthetic, really,
:09:14. > :09:16.until they are much older, apart from the split hook,
:09:17. > :09:20.whereas with the 3D printing, they're available now.
:09:21. > :09:23.They can have them from just three and a half,
:09:24. > :09:27.Marla is very able with just the one hand.
:09:28. > :09:30.And she and her parents may decide never to wear a more
:09:31. > :09:34.But by using this lightweight plastic hand, she will be better
:09:35. > :09:46.The weather forecast is coming up ne Alexis has the details.
:09:47. > :09:50.It was a frosty night last night in some places.
:09:51. > :09:54.And tonight will be very similar, although it is a north-south divide.
:09:55. > :09:56.The further north you are, you'll have more cloud.
:09:57. > :09:58.And, here, temperatures will be above freezing.
:09:59. > :10:00.The further south you are, the clearing skies in
:10:01. > :10:04.the countryside, we could see loads of minus three Celsius.
:10:05. > :10:06.And cloud will start to sink its way southwards
:10:07. > :10:10.So, frosty in some places first thing tomorrow morning.
:10:11. > :10:13.And some sunny spells through the day as well.
:10:14. > :10:16.A very slim chance of a shower, and we may have some lingering fog
:10:17. > :10:20.patches in a few places, particularly over higher ground.
:10:21. > :10:22.Through the course of the day tomorrow, in any sunny spells,
:10:23. > :10:26.But, under the cloud, a high of five Celsius.
:10:27. > :10:28.The winds will be fairly light tomorrow as well,
:10:29. > :10:31.and it will be mainly dry during daylight hours.
:10:32. > :10:33.We are expecting more cloud during the course of Friday.
:10:34. > :10:36.High pressure will remain in charge of our weather,
:10:37. > :10:38.and the cloud will sink its way southwards across the
:10:39. > :10:41.country, arriving from the Midlands and the North.
:10:42. > :10:44.With that cloud cover through Friday daytime,
:10:45. > :10:48.we may have the odd spot of light rain and drizzle, which won't amount
:10:49. > :10:51.And then maybe also some bright spells as well.
:10:52. > :10:54.Looking ahead to the rest of the week, the potential
:10:55. > :10:57.for a frost tomorrow morning, a chilly start to the day
:10:58. > :11:00.More cloud around on Friday and over the weekend,
:11:01. > :11:05.but there will be some bright and sunny spells.
:11:06. > :11:07.next few days, no great changes over the next few days, more sunshine on
:11:08. > :11:15.the way. Despite high-pressure sitting across
:11:16. > :11:16.the country