18/08/2011 South Today

Hello, I am Sally Taylor, welcome to say it's about. Tonight: Flash

flooding causes chaos across parts of the South -- welcome to Saturday.

A month's worth of rain falls in just a bad hours. The cost to the

south police forces over the riots could be as much as �2 million.

Two people die as their car plunges 300 ft on to add Isle of Wight

beach. Under a red letter day for A-level

students but what lies ahead for those who want to go to university?

�50,000, you are going to be in debt. Are people are thinking twice

A deluge of rainfall caused chaos across parts of the south today. In

Bournemouth, the first day of the air show was cancelled. Family

funerals had to be postponed. Roads were closed, bus shelters were

smashed and even the running of a leading hospital was disrupted when

part of its roof fell in. 120 locations flooded in the town and

the local authority dealt with over 1,000 calls in just over three

hours. Looking at this map, you will see

how the rain pattern tracked across the south. Bournemouth was in the

eye of the storm at one point. In parts of Dorset, 58mm of rain fell

in the space of nine hours - that's just over two inches. We'll be

speaking shortly to our Transport Correspondent Paul Clifton in

Southampton, but first we can join our reporter Chris Coneybeer, who

has been following the story in Bournemouth.

Chris, an emergency meeting held this afternoon. Just bring us up to

date. Indeed, it is the peak of a holiday

season, of course, and not many people have been on the beach today.

Aware there is always a bit interesting and dramatic and it has

been all of those things today -- our weather. Especially in Dorset.

It didn't just rain, the water crashed from the sky, falling with

such intensity that floods quickly and dangerous the developed. One

flash point was that the centre of Bournemouth, where the flood began

in the upper pleasure gardens and polished with terrifying speed

across the main square and into the gardens below, on its way to the

sea. I was a couple of miles away but it was pretty heavy, I had

never seen it like this. Or we saw a lot of shops already closed, so

we knew it was fairly dramatic. People were saying they have bore

the inches of flooding. The damage was so spans -- substantial. Gas

pipes were damaged. It exploded through a drain, cracking the road.

Another bus, driving through a flooded roundabout, hit a manhole

cover that came up through the floor of the bus. When the actual

rain got under the pavement, the pavement lifted, the surface came

up and the bus went down. So the bus actually got jammed on the

Actual tarmac. This was the moment water started coming into a clothes

shop, one of several businesses affected. The rain started this

morning, and after half-an-hour, we both went to check the shop, and it

came in through the window, literally within 10 or 15 minutes.

An inch, two inches of water. Right the way through the store. Much of

the stock has been affected but they hope to open again tomorrow.

And a local hospital lost all of its power when the rain came

through the roof. It is mid-afternoon there and --

you can see, the level of the water has dropped almost as dramatically

as it rose -- and that you can see. It has been extraordinary, by 0.5

centimetres of rain fell here in just a couple of hours -- 5.5.

There was some fun to be had as a kayak made its way through the

pleasure gardens. Rather him than me, there was a

rather distinctive and unpleasant spell, it -- smell coming from that

quarter. With me is Mike from the council who has just come out of

the emergency meeting. It has been a hectic day. It has. We have dealt

with over 1,000 of phone-calls within the first couple of hours

the following the abnormal rainfall. We have had the 20 roads that have

been closed at one time or another, and other incidents to deal with.

But importantly, we know that people's homes have been affected,

which is the saddest part. You have highlighted it all day. What has it

been like for your people the link up with it? We have been quite

stretched at times, but we have been happy to get out and help

people, get the traffic moving and help people in their homes where we

can. That is our job. Do you have anyone homeless tonight? A not that

we are aware rock. This is going to go on tomorrow, big recovery

operation? Certainly it. We have a major clean-up for the gardens, to

make sure they are fit for public use tomorrow -- certainly. Thank

you, we will let you get back to the emergency meeting. Before we go,

we do have some more flood warnings that are coming in from the

Environment Agency. Rivers in the Christ Church area are getting very

bad, especially the River Avon. Back river is rising fast right now

and they do expect it to burst its banks before too long -- that the

river. The other thing to tell you is that the air show in Bournemouth,

which was due to get under way this afternoon had to be cancelled, but

the great news is that the displays for this evening are going to go

ahead, they are going to be enhanced and they will be starting

in about 15 minutes. Chris, thank you very much. Those

are the problems in Bournemouth and in Dorset. Now let's go to

Southampton and joint Paul Clifton, he is just outside Mayflower Park.

-- join. There have been serious problems on the main route in and

out of Southampton. Sally, for much of the afternoon,

Southampton has been largely at a standstill, and the reasons were

different all over the city. Incidents and accidents, blocked

drains, roads flooded. Just down from here, at Mount Batten way, the

main road heading out of Southampton to the west, it was

blocked for several hours, causing chaos for people heading home. The

reason was a blocked drain. Here, passengers heading for cruise ship

sailings had difficulty getting there on time. Shoppers coming out

of the West Quay shopping centre were held up for for so long that

they actually had to give them free car-parking, because they weren't

getting out at all. There were road closures in Basingstoke, in

Winchester, in Romsey and throughout the New Forest.

Hampshire police say they have had a steady stream of emergency calls

all afternoon and they don't think that part was intentional, because

many of these have been very serious -- pun. We have had nearly

a fortnight rain today. Thank you very much. Alexis is here

now. Obviously, there have been all sorts of problems across the south.

Business rate moving and how much have we had?

-- is the rain moving? Over nine hours, around 2.2 inches

and we are not out of the woods yet. The Met Office still have a weather

warning enforced until around about 10:00pm this evening, when further

ready -- rain could cause localised flooding.

And what about flood warnings? There are flood warnings in a place

and you can check with the Environment Agency.

You will be back with a fall forecast later. BBC Radio's Solent

Breakfast Show will be live from 6:30am tomorrow morning.

It's been revealed that the cost of additional policing during the

recent riots came to more than a third of a million pounds for

Hampshire Police. Most of the south's forces sent police officers

to London during the riots. Some also helped boost numbers in

Bristol and the Midlands, and cancelled leave to strengthen

coverage in their own areas. And the final cost may rise, because

London is likely to need additional support for several more weeks. Our

Political Editor Peter Henley is here. Peter?

Yes, sadly, all of our forces actually cancelled leave and sent

some of their staff home, paying overtime to send officers to London,

and in Sussex in particular, they sent 75 officers, but in

Hampshire... I am sorry, I have to get my script, because it is not on

the screen. In Hampshire, there is a gap, because they spent a lot

more dealing with the potential threat of disturbance in the city.

Hampshire say they think they will be out of the pocket by at least

�300,000. That is only a small proportion of their annual budget

of �313 million, but if other forces in the region are in the

same boat, those four days of madness could top �2 million.

extremely grateful to my staff, I put them on 12 hour shifts,

cancelled their days off but I think they understand why. It cost

money to do it but I think it was a good investment and I praise my

staff for the attitude they showed in getting out there, countering

the rumours and being present on the streets to make sure we had a

safe and peaceful Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The other costs

incurred in the quiet, things like compensation for damage that has

been paid, he -- in the riot, a round-the-clock court sittings and

legal aid, they will all be paid from central government contingency

fund. But looking ahead, local councils expect to squeeze to meet

the Government promises that are being made to prevent riots in

future. Schemes like community pay back an early intervention, with

problem families, could increase costs for a probation and social

services. So many different ages this in local government are

counting the costs of these riots - - agencies. They are arguing the

case for more money in future. Divers have been assessing the

whole of the cargo ship Mungo which became wedged at the harbour wall

yesterday. She was pulled free in the early hours of this morning.

Police on the Isle of Wight have revealed that a couple who plunged

to their death off a cliff near Bembridge are from the island.

Detectives are now trying to establish what happened last night

and are appealing for witnesses. Steve Humphrey explains.

The car went over the cliff edge here at Culver at around 8pm last

night. The emergency services immediately launched an emergency

rescue operation. The bodies of the two people who died were found

amongst the wreckage at the bottom of the clip. The car fell 340 ft

and today, the beach was sealed off as the police continued their

investigation. The wreckage of the blue Renault car was not visible

from this vantage point. Meanwhile, at the top of the cliff, police

have been searching for clues. The car had to go over a ditch and

through a fence to reach the clifftop, a distance of around 200

yards from the nearest road. Coastguards say that car was

travelling at some speed when it went over the edge. It is still

subject to a police investigation, they are still at call that a

moment having a look at the tyre tracks and other evidence to see

why the vehicle ended up going over the cliff. Within minutes of being

alerted last night, the emergency services have lodged a major rescue

operation. We were sat outside the caravan and we saw what we thought

was a plane at first. What was your reaction when you heard what had

happened? We only heard this morning and it is shocking. You

just think, oh my goodness. Police are trying to build up a picture of

what happened before the car went over the cliff last night. We had a

team of officers investigating the incident and obviously, they are

requested that any witnesses or people in the area come forward and

make contact with us as soon as possible. Post-mortem examinations

on the two victims were being carried out today and the results

have not been released yet. The police say that the man and the

woman who died were a middle-aged couple who'd bet -- lived on the

Isle of Wight. They have not been name-check but police say their

families have been informed of the tragedy. -- Name up yet.

It's been a big day for thousands of youngsters in the south as they

find out their A-level results. More students are trying to get to

university than ever before. With the clock ticking on tuition fees,

universities have been inundated with calls from students desperate

to get a place before the fees hike up to �9,000 next year. Catharina

Moh has been to meet some of the students.

This morning, A-level results were released and the real race to get a

place at university began. Some did better than expected. A amazing

that, completely amazing. I am so excited. Others, not quite.

How did it go? Not very good. I get a Deep in business, a You in a

biology and a You in chemistry. Better get on to the university and

see if they will accept you. A young man with a sea and a deep, we

got on the University of the Winchester. Bash at grade C and a

great deal. And the UCAS website crashed today and this young man

could not find out whether he had got a place that his chosen

university. He is now desperately looking for a second choice.

don't think I am going to university this year. He now joins

thousands of university fighting for a place through the clearing

process. Here, a staff have been inundated with calls since 8am. As

you can see from the screen, they have had a nearly 2,500 calls. The

average wait time is around two minutes and 49 seconds, so it is

not too long. The students called into this main central helpline.

They get a divided into the other room, where staff of from

individual faculties are waiting to tell you whether you have been

successful or not. Students are very anxious about A-level results

every year but they have the additional pressure their share

about getting it so they don't have to pay the higher rates. -- this

year. Many will start university in autumn as planned but for those who

did not quite get the grades, the advice is do not give up.

Well, as the scramble for university places continues, what

are the alternatives for those who didn't get the grades required for

a place or who have opted not to study for any longer? Sarah-Jane

Bungay reports. Identical twins who have opted for

identical degrees. A poor Ben and Jerry, university remains the

perfect choice. -- 4. It is the experience that gives you a solid

basis for life skills. University is a place where you can broaden

that interest and get to know some great people and really fuel your

enthusiasm for I subject. But with the prospect of a hike in fees next

year, many students are thinking different peoples are I decided to

go down the apprenticeship route, because I thought it was better for

me. I have friends and family who have been to university and they

are in major debt. This caused shows students the very latest in

apprenticeships, job vacancies and opportunities to volunteer, if they

can take the time out to do that. In Eastleigh, they are capitalising

on A-level students who may want to take a different track. Before the

first time, a rail freight operator is offering apprenticeships for 18

year-olds. We are in an industry that is constantly on the move and

is on the up. It is a three-year apprenticeship scheme. Training

progresses college-based and in the workplace and it is looking to

provide genuine skills. People should consider on-the-job training.

It is not just the people who don't think they are suitable for

University, it is suitable for anybody. When I started my degree,

that was the gateway to every job, whereas now, I think I would have

thought twice, due to the expense of it all. Although the starting

salary for a new apprentices here may not be as much as a graduate's,

for many, the attraction will be the opportunity to earn, rather

than spend three she is getting into debt.

With me in the studio is Dr John Martin, director of Enterprise at

Southampton University. There is quite a big difference in at three

years, those graduates who are coming out of university now and

those A-level students who are may be going into university. At a huge

difference, and we don't know what it will be like in three years -- a

huge difference. It could be anything. The jobless figures have

gone up. 2.5 million. Where are the jobs that the moment? There are

still jobs, surprisingly in areas like finance and bind -- banking

and accountancy and there are quite a lot of jobs being created in

retail. Unfortunately, the Government would love to rebalance

the economy but there are not many jobs in manufacturing. So that is

not an area to go into? It is just more difficult, there are not many

jobs around. We are obviously losing jobs and the public sector

and we were told that the private sector would pick up those jobs. Is

that the case? No. Unfortunately, it is not. That was absolutely the

hope, the public sector shake-up was necessary and the private

sector would take it on but it is not happening. We were just

watching that pace from Sarah-Jane Bungay and she was talking to the

screen about vocational things, apprenticeships and you were saying

that, more of back. Absolutely. It is good to see that there is an

increase in apprenticeships and we need more of that. Some of these

people will end up with huge debts when they are starting their

working life. They won the day job. You don't want to come out of

university with a debt of �50,000 and no job. It must -- we must not

make it bleak. This is a good day for A-level students if they have

got these grades. Then queue for joining us.

-- thank you. A decision has been made on the

first statue of Charles Dickens in the UK which will be erected in

Bournemouth last year for -- next year. A statue by the Oxford Scott

Martin Germans has been chosen, which shows Charles Dickens Reading

in a chair -- the Oxford sculptor Martin a Jennings. Aplenty on that

on Saturday when it becomes closer. Campaigners who want to restore the

country's only Grade II listed lido say the local council should hand

it over to them. The Save Saltdean Lido group claim that the present

owner has let it fall into a state of disrepair. They want Brighton &

Hove City council to start legal proceedings to reclaim the lease so

it can be run as a community project. We would like to reinstate

the main rotunda and terraces that have not been used for many years,

and reinstate a cafe, tables and chairs, so people can use it all

year round. We would see it flourish and become the hub of the

community. I say lido. Let's go on to sport. Let's start with football.

Saints and Brighton? It is the big story once again.

The top of the Championship bears a striking similarity to the top of

League One at the end of last season. Southampton and Brighton

occupy the top two places. After Saints continued their 100% record

at Ipswich on Tuesday, Albion responded in kind with a resounding

win at highly-fancied Cardiff City last night.

last night. When things are going your way,

shot like this going in. And Brighton must feel they can do no

wrong that the moment. After Ashley Barnes had put them in front, Craig

McHale Smith was bowled for a penalty, which actually Barnes

greatly dispatched. -- Ashley Barnes. Even allayed Cardiff

Barnes. Even allayed Cardiff penalty could not take the gloss of

the victory. It is a dream start for us, three games and three wins.

It is perfect. And that assessment was endorsed by supporters in the

club shop today. I think we are surprising a lot of people and

surprising ourselves even. I don't think even Gus Poyet and that the

players know how good they can be. I think it is a combination of

everything, the stadium, the manager. The kind of management he

is doing it, he is excellent. Champions of League One last season,

Albion already seem very much at home in the championship.

England's One Day cricket international against India at the

Rose Bowl next month is sold out. The Hampshire venue's first Test

Match earlier in the summer was blighted by bad weather, so bosses

are hoping for better weather for a full house on Tuesday, 6th

September. England recently deposed the One Day World Cup winners as

the number-one team in Test Cricket. The region's cricketers have been

out buying their latest county out buying their latest county

championship matches. Michael Yardley didn't add to his century.

The home side going well. Hampshire's that men have failed

again on the opening day of their match against Warwickshire at

Edgbaston. The home side, and 96-44 reply when rain -- when play ended

Organisers of one of the world's top round-the-world yacht races

have changed the course just months before the start - because of

pirates. The second and third legs of the Volvo Ocean Race had been

due to pass up the East African coast, where more than 1,800

sailors were kidnapped by pirates last year. The yachts will now be

carried for part of the way on a transport ship. The crews will

travel separately. After the Olympic test event at the

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the Dorset resort

got a test of another kind last night. The town's carnival always

draws huge crowds. This year, it gave some of the 400 volunteers

who'll be needed to help visitors during next summer's Olympic

regatta the chance to practice some of their skills helping members of

the public enjoying the evening's entertainment. This is an event

that will never happen again in my lifetime in England and I just want

to be involved for a whole thing. How excited are you? I have been

excited since 2008, since it was announced. The excitement was

generated then and it just grows. suspect that they are glad they

held the car of all last night and not tonight, because all you to

have been doing has been whispering about the weather -- the carnival.

It is extraordinary. Lots of it weeks coming in. I wanted to read

this one. In all of the years I have been living in Bournemouth, I

have never seen rain this bad. It has been particularly bad in some

parts. We have got some flood alerts.

No warning shed, but if you want to check with the Environment Agency

you can -- no warnings yet. We do have some weather pictures.

Well, this picture got a lot of interest on Twitter today - lots of

re-tweets is the technical term - re-tweets is the technical term -

showing water pouring into the sea, or the tide going the wrong way at

Bournemouth beach. And this picture was sent in by

someone unlucky enough to be waiting for a bus - showing one

flash flood at its height. A new water feature popped up in

Swanage this afternoon. This was captured by Lyn Fegan.

And Liam Carey captured someone canoeing to a plane at Bournemouth

canoeing to a plane at Bournemouth Airport.

Extraordinary pictures. Yes, heavy rainfall today. Some

hefty total, 58 mm, just over two hefty total, 58 mm, just over two

inches, but this guy will clear over tonight. We do have a Met

Office warning for heavy rain -- the sky. There may be some mist and

fog patches following today's rain. Out in the countryside, it will be

a chilly start tomorrow, and a lot colder than last night. Blue skies

first thing, a complete contrast from today. We will see high cloud

fill-in, turning the sunshine hazy, but temperatures will be much

warmer. 20C tomorrow and the wind will stay light. Expect increasing

cloud cover through the early hours of Saturday morning. The chance of

a shower for the south coast but temperatures will stay mild, in

double figures. Saturday daytime, there is a little uncertainty to

this weather front, which could produce rain for northern and

western areas, and by the end of the day, another band of rain will

arrive from the near Continent, and that could produce some had --

thundery showers. East of the Isle of Wight, you are likely to see

those heavy, thundery downpours. So there is a Met Office weather

Advisory in force, and it is also been forced on Monday. Those

further showers drifting up from the near Continent, and it could be

a wet end to Sunday, also very wet on Monday for stuck so the Met

Office are keeping a close eye on the situation, do stay tuned for

the latest. Here is a summary for the rest of the week. A lovely day

tomorrow, feeling warm with light winds, highs of 20, 21C. What on

Saturday and predominantly drive. - - warm. Then on Sunday and Monday,

the chance of heathery downpours -- heavy. If you want a full five-day

heavy. If you want a full five-day forecast, you can log onto the Web

site. Thank you very much. It has been a

difficult day for a lot of people. To reiterate, the Bournemouth air

show that we were talking about, it was disrupted today but they are

back on course and events are going on this evening, and the good news

is, Sarah farmer is going to be down there tomorrow, whether it