23/11/2017 South Today - Oxford

Welcome to South Today.

Coming up: They carried out

a five-year campaign of abuse

Tonight an Oxfordshire couple's

jailed for child cruelty.

Could Milton Keynes' bid

for European Capital of Culture

be scuppered by Brexit?

And, enhanced security

or just plain cruel?

Critics say boarding up shop

doorways is a kick in the teeth

for Oxford's rough sleepers.

Good evening.

An Oxfordshire couple has been

sentenced to a total of 11 years

behind bars, after being

found guilty of multiple

child abuse charges.

Lisa Pratt and Andrew Clent

from Bampton attacked two children

over a five-year period.

Jeremy Stern was in court today,

and earlier I asked him

about the background to this case.

Lisa Pratt and Andrew Clent targeted

two boys, and the report heard

they were abused mentally,

physically and emotionally.

One of the boys was

strangled with a towel.

Their eating was

controlled by Lisa Pratt.

At times they were force-fed.

Sometimes they were not even allowed

to go to the toilet.

They were also forced to take

scalding hot showers and

they were hit for no reason.

The list goes on.

This abuse went on for a long period

of time, from 2010 until 2015.

It all came to a head at a family

barbecue, where a neighbour

saw Lisa Pratt attack a third boy.

The NSPCC described this

as a horrendous case.

This sustained abuse

and neglect over a period of a

number of years can have

a devastating effect on children.

We know from talking

to children, young

people who have been abused,

that they will often say

the physical abuse they can recover

from quite

quickly, but it is the emotional

effects that have the

lasting impact.

What did the judge say?

The judge also talked

about the emotional impact

that this had on the victims.

She said...

Lisa Pratt was sentenced

to seven years

in prison, Andrew

Clent to four years.

Next tonight, just

a week before the winner

was due to be announced,

Milton Keynes has been kicked out

of the competition to be

the European Capital

of Culture in six years' time.

The title brings great economic

benefits, and Milton Keynes

was one of five places in the UK

under consideration.

But now the European Commission has

told them they'll no longer

be allowed to continue

because of Brexit.

Mike Cartwright explains.

Celebrations of

Milton Keynes's 50th.

A party that they hoped

would carry on.

Milton Keynes shortlisted for Euro

capital of culture 2023.

A title putting

culture at its centre.

Celebrating what is already

here and what is to come.

£150,000 spent on the bid.

But after months of planning

and excitement, today

learning they would no longer be

considered because of Brexit.

For the Council, a bitter blow.

It is hugely disappointing.

I think there was a real desire

in the city and people

were quite excited about becoming

European capital of culture.

It is a loss to the city,

all that economic

development it would bring in.

And all the jobs it

would have created.

Milton Keynes' bid went in along

with five other British entries.

Why has the commission

waited 17 months

to let people know?

That public money would

clearly not have been

invested if people had known

that there was no point

in putting a bid together

because the European

Commission is going to

say, you can't enter.

A fallout from Brexit

the council here say they

never expected.

Now, not withdrawing their bid,

hoping a compromise can be found.

An international cosmetics company

has apologised to the homeless

people of Oxford, after they boarded

up their shop front.

When Lush and Next relocated

to the Westgate Centre,

two properties in Cornmarket street

had their entrances sealed off,

a move the Green Party

has called 'cruel.

It comes as the latest figures show

the number of rough sleepers

in Oxford has almost doubled.

In the latest street count,

61 people were found

sleeping on the streets.

That's compared to 33 last year.

The City Council has admitted

it did raise concerns

with the managers of both properties

over anti-social behaviour

outside their stores.

Matt Graveling has

been investigating.

It's a kick in the teeth, I think

if you were sleeping on the streets

at the moment and you woke up

on Monday and Tuesday and saw this,

I think you'd feel the tide

was against you.

This doorway is often used

as a shelter for Oxford's

homeless community.

But now, as stores relocate

to the new Westgate Centre,

they are being blocked off.

The manager of this property,

previously occupied by Next,

said his boards were

for security reasons.

Nobody would suggest for a moment

that sleeping, living

in a doorway is an ideal solution

but for many people here out

on the streets at the moment

there isn't another option

on the table, and I'm sure

there are ways of securing these

buildings without actually closing

up the whole shop front.

The issue of homelessness has never

been far from the headlines.

In December last year,

a group of homeless people moved

into an empty car showroom owned

by the university but

were later evicted.

They occupied a further two empty

buildings before being moved on.

Then in February, City councillor

John Tanner came under fire

for branding Oxford's homeless

people "a disgrace".

He has since apologised.

And then in July,

the City council pinned

notices to sleeping bags,

warning of fines if possessions

were left in doorways.

A petition against the policy

followed, and it's now under review.

This latest development

continues to divide opinion

in the city centre.

If they are leaving a mess,

which they do most of the time,

I don't agree with it.

I say generally people,

European people are more

aloof about caring towards others.

My thought is that it would be

better if the council could find

some kind of housing for them.

The city council insist they did not

instruct either store

to board up their doorways.

They didn't raise concerns about

the homeless but about individuals

taking drugs and leaving needles

on private land.

They suggested taking out

injunctions against those involved.

But an email from a city council

official, seen by the BBC and sent

to agents acting on behalf of one

of the stores, said...

Lush have since apologised

to the homeless of Oxford for making

one less place of safety for them

and will be removing

the hoarding immediately.

Matt Graveling, BBC South Today

They may say they're

just doing their job,

but Thames Valley Police officers

who helped solve two high profile

murder cases last year have just

been commended for their work.

Chief Constable Francis Habgood gave

out the awards to staff,

who helped to investigate

the murder of antiques dealer

Adrian Greenwood in Oxford,

and the killing of mother-of-three

Natalie Hemming in Milton Keynes.

Sarah Lowden has more.

In April last year,

the body of Adrian Greenwood

was found slumped in his hallway.

The 42-year-old had been

stabbed 16 times.

The Oxford book dealer

was well-known for buying

and selling first editions.

His killer - Michael

Danaher - had found out

Mr Greenwood had a rare copy

of The Wind in the Willows,

worth £50,000.

He murdered Mr Greenwood,

while stealing the book

which he later tried

to sell.

Danaher got a life sentence.

And although he wasn't previously

known to the police,

these officers tracked

him down in four days,

tracing Mr Greenwood's phone,

which Danaher had also stolen.

They've now been

commended for their work.

An exceptional sentence of 34 years

shows the effort that went into it.

But more rewardingly,

we got justice for Adrian's family

and that's what drives us every time

we come to work.

In May last year Thames Valley

Police were involved

in one of their biggest ever

missing person searches.

Natalie Hemming hadn't been

seen for three weeks.

The mother-of-three's

partner, Paul Hemming,

was physically and mentally abusive.

He had killed her

in the family home,

the children asleep upstairs.

It was a complicated case,

involving an extensive search.

Paul Hemming had dumped

her body 30 miles

away, all the while denying

he'd hurt Natalie.

Natalie was reported

missing on 3rd May.

He went out on 2nd May

to a zoo on the second

of May with the children -

leading what could appear to be,

to anyone else,

a normal regular life.

At that time he had disposed

of Natalie in woodland.

Hemming is serving a life sentence

in prison.

And these police staff have been

recognised for helping

to bring him to justice.

We've got some really fantastic

people who are doing

some extraordinary things

and it's brilliant that we recognise

them publiclically.

That's it from us for now.

We're back on BBC Breakfast

tomorrow morning.

Alexis Green is next

with your weather, but from everyone

on the late team, goodnight.

Hello, good evening.

We did have some sunny

spells today, some patchy

rain, but more rain is arriving

overnight, in many places we have

seen the rain.

It will clear during the early

hours of the morning, and

once it does we will have clearing

skies, temperatures could fall away

to around three or four

Celsius in the countryside.

A mainly dry and slightly cloudy

start to the day tomorrow.

The cloud will disappear south

and eastwards, and we will see

some sunny spells.

There is the risk of the odd

isolated shower, but most

places will stay dry

and temperatures tomorrow

afternoon in the sunshine

with light winds will

reach a high of 7-8 Celsius.

Slightly below the seasonal average

by three or four Celsius.

Through the course of tomorrow

night, under clearing

skies, risk of frost

first thing on Saturday.

Also the chance of a wintry

shower tomorrow night and

through the day on Saturday.

If you catch a wintry

shower, you may have

a little bit of sleet,

snow or even hail mixed in.

That cold air is coming

straight in from the

north-west, making it

feel bitterly cold.

A high on Saturday

of just 6-7 Celsius.

A cold day on Saturday

and also on Sunday.

Over the weekend,

temperatures drop below their

seasonal average by 5-6 Celsius.

Out in the open, with that

north-westerly breeze, it will

feel bitterly cold.

Looking ahead to

the rest of the week.

Tomorrow, after a cloudy start,

it will brighten up.

The risk of an isolated shower, also

the risk of a wintry shower over

the weekend, with a high on Saturday

of just five Celsius.