30/06/2011 South Today

Hello. Welcome to the programme. Schools out. Teachers much in

protest against pension changes. -- teachers March. A cold-blooded

killer. Danilo Restivo is jailed for life. Now that he has happened

and he is going to be in prison, some healing will be able to take

place. Precision Engineering. The first caller sections of the Royal

Navy's new aircraft are put in Tens of thousands of teachers and

civil servants were out on strike but the South may have been less

affected than others parts of the country. This was the scene in

Brighton where 3,500 people marched through the city. There were four

arrests. More than 1,000 schools in our region were shut or partially

closed. That's about a third of all schools. But there were big

variations. In Wiltshire, most schools were open. But in Poole

most schools were disrupted. In the first of a series of reports on the

strike, Danielle Glavin looks at the impact on parents and children.

Disruption was the story of the day for many. Seaside primary school in

Lancing only opened some classrooms so parents had some children at

school and some at home. The first we had a very big fight this

morning over breakfast. The eldest understands why the youngest has

caught the day off. I work nights, and I am working again tonight, so

it was a case of, who could have who? There were no pickets at this

school but along the coast, it was a different story. Lecturers made

their voices heard at a sixth-form college. Some here had taken the

day off work or called grandparents to help out. It is not right.

you miss school today? Yes. Why? Because it is fine. It is great for

them to be outdoors. They learned so much, they are happy and the sun

is shining. Many kids are off to date as well -- tomorrow as well

because their schools are closing for a training day. Many nurseries

which run play clubs for school age children were full up today. Tops

Nursery at Cosham near Portsmouth has 12 places available for 5 to 11

year olds - which are usually booked on inset days or when

schools are closed due to snow. Within hours of today's teachers

strike being announced, every space was taken and many parents had to

be turned away. I was quite shocked, because we're flexible and we do

things on a weekly basis, but we had to juggle staffing to

accommodate all the children who needed a place. It was quite

worrying at first, but we seem to manage. The dispute centres on

proposed changes to public service pensions - although one of the big

teaching unions, the NASUWT, has decided to await the outcome of

talks. In Dorset, several hundred people from the Public and Civil

Services Union, and two teaching unions marched through the centre

of Dorchester to County Hall. There were also rallies in Reading,

Portsmouth and at Camberley, in the heart of the Education Secretary's

constituency. Allen Sinclair was there. 300 teachers, bolstered by

other public sector union members - wound their way around Camberley -

arriving eventually at a hall too small to accommodate them. Many

waited outside for a hurriedly re- scheduled second rally. It is the

first time I have ever been out and I never thought that it would be

something I felt I had to do, but here I am, with many colleagues.

are being asked to work longer, to get less, to pay more. And it is

not justified. Earlier in the day a small delegation had delivered

their demands to the constituency office of Camberley's MP - the

Education Secretary Michael Gove. Teachers on the picket line in

Berkshire say they had no option but to make a stand. Five years ago

we had pensions review. Young teachers have agreed to work until

65. We have to basics -- 50% more contributions, and we do not think

that is fair. Although politicians from all sides have criticised

today's walk-out - strikers may take comfort from the fact that

whatever the outcome, it's been noticed. So what does the dispute

mean on a personal level? Clare Blake is a 37-year-old mother of

two who works at a primary school in Dorchester. Simon Clemison

followed her throughout the day to find out what led her to strike.

Clare Blake Is normally preparing for a day's teaching at this time

in the morning but right now, she is on strike. She has had

permission to take have otters out of their lessons and today they

will learn about industrial action. Have you paid into your pension?

Yes, I realise the importance of it even more as I get older, and I

would like to be able to look after my children's children, as my

mother has done for me. She will have to work until she is 67 and

she says she will get less money back. Thank you very much to those

of you who have come, and we will be off in about five minutes.

out of school for the day is affecting children's education, but

it is a good cause. I hope that children and parents can sympathise

and see that what we are doing is aiming to maintain standards of

education. The walk out by civil servants was noticeable at several

Government buildings. There was a picket outside the main job centre

in Brighton. Union leaders say the strike severely reduced the

services available inside. Protesters also gathered outside

the city's main Law Courts. On the Isle of Wight, there were reports

of a picket outside the prison in Newport. Airports across the south

were largely unaffected by the strikes, and there were no major

delays at the ports. Borders Agency staff and customs officers were

among those stopping work. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said

just 22 of its 1,100 staff went out on on strike. They said all

stations were operational and "appropriately manned". The unions

and the Government are to hold more talks on pension reform - but there

is also the threat of more industrial action in the autumn.

Our Political Editor Peter Henley joins me now. Public reaction is

likely to be a big influence on the future of this dispute. It is. And,

while both sides are clear that this focuses attention and brings

things to ahead. Neither of them is clear which way public opinion will

go. The most obvious public disruption was in schools, with

parents having to take time off work. Maybe they are sympathetic to

the plight of teachers. Some councils put schools under a great

deal of pressure to remain open. course we have an obligation to

teach, for 200 days each year, and this is another day out.

disruption in many places was less than expected. It was less than

half of the schools in Hampshire. Jobcentres and courts kept going.

The unions do not want to antagonise people at this stage and

damage the case they are making, and will be annoyed at the arrests

in Brechin after the March there. They will be pleased with the

strength of the come out at these protests, but will that when order

people who say that the public sector should not be getting such

generous pensions? The world has been suffering over the past four

or five years with people losing their jobs. You would think, listen

to the news, they were the only ones affected, and they do not

understand public anger to this. what happens later in the year with

the prospect of more action? At the highest level, the Government could

make concessions. The unions could feel that as a result of public

opinion, their case is strengthened and emboldened. Police in Wiltshire

will get new powers to crack down domestic violence. As part of a

Home Office pilot project, special orders can be made that ban

offenders from returning to the victim's address where there is a

continuing threat of violence - even if it's their own home. The

long running dispute over new ferries using Lymington Harbour on

the Solent is a step nearer a conclusion. Natural England has

ruled that changes to the berth for larger ferries to the Isle of Wight

will not damage either the river or tidal mudflats. Wightlink says the

matter should now be dealt with quickly by the local council,

ruling out the need for a public inquiry. Still to come in this

evening's South Today - Reham has an early steer on the weekend's

weather forecast. And join us in at the Strawberry Fields of Hampshire,

as we find out how this industry used to dominate life in this part

"You will never be released from prison". The words of a judge today

to this man, Danilo Restivo, as was given a life sentence. He was told

he had displayed nothing but inhuman depravity when he beat

Heather Barnett to death with hammer in her Bournemouth home in

November 2002. It was the culmination of an investigation

which had taken the best part of a decade to bring Restivo to justice.

Ben Moore reports. There was raw emotion, grief, anger and relief.

Danilo Restivo was told he would die in prison after he savagely

murdered and mutilated Heather Barnett in November, 2002. Her

children found her. The judge made Danilo Restivo said -- they are

straight ahead and showed no emotion as he was sentenced. There

was great relief that he was not going to be able to come out and do

anything to any other family. Danilo Restivo haunted the family

of Heather Barnett from the moment he killed a. He comforted her

children at the scene and even went to a funeral. In a statement to the

court, Heather Barnett's daughter, who has been at the style every day

for the last six weeks, described the moment she was told that her

mother was dead. She said it billed as if her heart had been ripped out,

she was in a state of complete and utter shock. She went on to

describe how she was forced to grow Caitlin wanted to make up her own

mind and to see how she has taken on board what has happened whereas

her son wanted to remain apart from it. Heavy judge said there was no

doubt that Danilo Restivo had killed before, murdering Sixteen-

year-old Elisa Clapp, in Italy in 1994. This attack bore striking

similarities with the we both had hair placed in their hands. Passing

sentence, the judge spoke of the stark reality of the destructive

forces that Danilo Restivo had unleashed on the family. He added

that he would never be released from prison. It was a harrowing

case. An unspeakable crime. So what happens to Restivo now? The focus

now moves to Italy. Extradition proceedings are now underway to

return him there to stand trial for the murder of Elisa Claps. We could

see a trial in Italy within a year. If he's found guilty he could serve

time there or here but that's up to the two governments. And what do we

know about Restivo's past in Italy? This is an internal report by the

Italian Police dating from 2008. There is a mention of the 14-year-

old Danilo Restivo. "When he was 14, Restivo cut a boy's throat with a

knife. The report says that had this been dealt with properly,

Restivo might not have developed into what they describe as a high

risk stalker. And there's lot of concern in Italy that the threat

Restivo posed wasn't treated seriously enough and that the

investigation into Elisa Clapp's disappearance was mishandled." in

this case, there was certainly superficiality from the police and

investigators. Someone who should have dug deeper, but didn't.

British Police said Restivo was very clever, very cunning and very

difficult to interview He spoke English but always demanded an

interpreter - police said that was to give him time to think before

giving an answer. And after Restivo murdered Heather Barnett the police

went to great lengths to try and stop him killing again didn't they?

Yes, they didn't have enough evidence to charge him but they

were building a case. They had a policy of man management. For

instance Restivo was stalking women, armed with a knife, at Throop near

Bournemouth in 2004. The surveillance team say he came

perilously close to claiming another victim there before

officers stepped in. I remember getting a call from the

surveillance team to say, boss, he is causing us real concern. We are

very concerned. We think he is going to attack a woman. And that

was a chilling and worrying time for me. But the police went even

further - Restivo kept trying to get a job at hospitals - in Poole,

Bournemouth and Dorchester. Each time he applied the police were

tipped off and stepped in to warn hospitals against taking him on.

They also warned female foreign students lodging with Restivo and

his wife that they were at risk. It's been the best part of a decade

then just sum up this case. This was a monumental investigation.

Seasoned police officers, legal teams, everyone who worked to bring

Danilo Restivo to justice, say they know they'll never see a case as

horrific as this again. But tonight the killer, who brutally took

Heather Barnett's life and effectively robbed her two children

of theirs, will never be free again. �7 million of government money has

been awarded towards the funding a new academy on Portland in Dorset.

The academy, for four to 19-year- olds, would be built on this site

and could replace the Island's six schools. It will specialise in

environmental and sports science and open next year. A new recovery

centre for injured service personnel has opened in Wiltshire.

The unit in Tidworth will provide care and rehabilitation for men and

women like these at Headley Court - once they've finished treatment at

the Surrey centre. It's the first of five such centres being funded

and run by the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes and the ministry of

defence. Construction of the first of the Navy's new aircraft carrier

has taken a big step forward. Experts in Portsmouth successfully

brought together two sections of the hull, each weighing thousands

of tons. Steve Humphrey was watching. The shipbuilding projects

do not get much bigger or heavier than this. Inch by inch, a massive

part of the needy's new aircraft carrier, weighing almost 4,000

tonnes, was moved to join up with another section and they got it

into perfect position. This give you an idea of the scale of the

enormity of how big it will be because there will be three decks

to go on their before those aeroplanes go on it. 500 people

have been working on the section been built in Portsmouth goals up

it will form a major part of the needy's new, 65,000 tonne aircraft

carriers. They are also building other parts of the ship, and will

make the same sections all over again for the second aircraft

carrier. The idea is that as much as possible is completed before

these blocks go up to Scotland for the final assembly. These caverns

will have accommodation for 1600 people. This one is already ready

to go apart from the soft furnishings. It will be going on a

barge down the English Channel and up to recite in April of next year

where it will then be connected to the other parts. The first of these

ships will be launched in 2016. An astonishing feat of engineering,

isn't it? And so to the penultimate day of competition at the Island

Games on the Isle of Wight. While some events might muster a modest

standard of competition, that couldn't be said of the long jump.

The Isle of Wight's James Gruecock - an Under-21 international - had

three other international competitors standing between him

and a medal in one of the most tightly fought contests. Roisin

Gauson went to see how he got on. A four-man battle -- a formidable

line-up. A former Commonwealth athlete from Guernsey, and below

global, -- the local hopeful, James Gruecock. We are blessed with

having at ways of these standards from these islands, it is awesome.

A huge jump in the fourth-round would have challenged of goal.

James took off well before the board, losing 50 centimetres. He

took the bronze medal in front of a huge home crowd. It is the best

atmosphere I have had an competition. It was great to get to

the number-one ranked in the country. The competition been here,

I am very proud and it is a good atmosphere. The price is Olympic

qualification for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. People think

he has what it takes. I like the way you ones and a tax the poor.

For a young athlete I think he has a great future. -- and attacks the

board. As James moves into senior competition, it is clear that there

is plenty more to come from in. A couple of cricket matches to tell

you about in the Twenty20 Those matches just about to start.

A quintessentially English sport next. I'm not sure I can ever

recall us doing a feature on this before. But we've all heard of it -

and may even have had a go at, what can be, an infuriatingly difficult

game. And this week marks one of the biggest events on the croquet

calendar. Tony Husband's been to Hampworth near Salisbury to see

their equivalent of the Ryder Cup. There are two flags flying above

the score one country club this weekend, because it is Britain,

America, and it is croquet. I am enjoying it. It is a very technical

game. I don't know enough about the game to be able to judge at a

glance what is going on. I need to have it explained. How do you play?

It is like putting square pegs into round holes, but the other way

round! Clare's navigate their way round the course, and the first one

to do so then at the centre stage, is the winner. It is not as easy as

it looks. The appeal of the game is there it is wanted physical skill,

one took tactical skill, and one- third psychology. There is plenty

to play for and much at stake. far, the score is 16-one in favour

of Great Britain, but the American teams are getting better and they

were the victors and the last one. We know that these guys are coming

after us with all they have, especially after losing the title.

It is all good fun, but it is very serious to us, also. It is not

exactly a crowd-puller. And I doubt if it will make a big hit on

television, but it is fascinating. And it is very close between two

well-matched sides, and the transatlantic battle concludes on

Saturday. Nothing more English than the game of croquet. And perhaps

nothing more English than these. Strawberries go well with Wimbledon

and with cream. But more than that, here in the south they have a

special place in our heritage. And thanks to a �10,000 grant from the

Heritage Lottery Fund, their importance to the area is about to

be explored for the benefit of a new generation. Chris Coneybeer

reports. Once, large parts of the south of England were covered with

fields of strawberries, and just about everyone got involved with

picking them. I remember having to get up at 5 o'clock to pick them

before I went to school. There are certain ways that you have got to

pick them, to use your fingernail, and not pull them off, and the top

level has got to be up the right way, so that they look nice. In the

19th century, the industry took off. But it was taken to the station at

Botley in Hampshire, and transported by train to Covent

Garden in London. It was considered to be a good place because they

could breach markets quickly, but more importantly, was the fact that

Frosts were not so frequent in Hampshire. 20,000 tonnes of berries

each they went from here. Now it is much quieter and most of the fields

have disappeared behind -- underneath housing. But streets

here are named after the righties of strawberry. The Peter here will

be the focus for workshops of music and dance about the local

strawberries. People remember the strawberry heritage, going

strawberry picking, and hopefully, it is shedding new light on this

story for people who do not know about it for future generations.

Some fields remain, like this one in Netley, and a Vera has not lost

a taste. Yes, I lost robberies. You We have the sunshine, we have the

showers, and we have some lovely pictures, this one off -- of a deer

escaping an oncoming tractor. Tonight, it will be dry and cool

with long, clear spells. You can see that cloud building up. With

that, comes a risk of a few showers. We have a line extending from

Oxfordshire into Berkshire, with these showers easing, leaving a

drier picture. What those long, clear spells, we could see some

patchy mist and fog by Don. Temperatures in the towns and

cities down to nine Celsius, and perhaps lower than that in the

countryside, with three Celsius possible. Good amounts of sunshine

for the morning, but, by the afternoon, more low cloud, and it

is going to stick around for much of the afternoon. Temperatures,

better than the day. And it is going to be milder than tonight,

with temperatures for many places in double figures, up to 13 Celsius.

A grey start to Saturday, but the weekend forecast is not too bad,

because of this high-pressure, pushing into the south and

dominating by Sunday. It is going to be a fairly pleasant weekend,

with Saturday seen the best of the sunshine along the South coast.

Generally speaking, it is going to be a cloudy theme. There may not be

a lot of sunshine but it will be dry and warm. Friday, dry and

bright, Saturday predominantly dry with temperatures slowly creeping