20/10/2011 South Today

Welcome to South Today. Drama off the African coast. A

Hampshire naval commander tells of the capture of Somali pi pirates.

We fired warning shots. The Royal Marine boarding team

closed in. At home, there is a sea change in

naval training as a unique multi- million pound simulator is unveiled.

These came down in 1993. 18 years later, the twin sail

bridge rises into the sky over Poole.

And facing up to student debt, the graduates who have gone into

business with a smile on their faces.

Most people we tell say that's crazy, but it sounds like it could

The Royal Navy has struck for the third time in a week to combat

piracy in the Indian Ocean. A task force led by Southsea Captain,

Gerry Northwood, chased and then fired at a pirate mother ship which

it is thought was used to launch an attack on an Italian tanker last

week. Four pirates have been captured and 20 Pakistani hostages

Warning shots were fired across the bow 200 miles off the coast of

Somali, a pirate boat was spotted and tracked by the Royal Navy. HMS

Somerset's helicopter fired to make the pirate leader surrender, but he

tried to escape towards the African coast. But Royal Marines caught up

and boarded the hijacked vessel. Each pirate leader will generally

give up at the first signs of intimidation. They realise that we

are going to be stronger than they are, but in some cases, he took it

down to the wire. In reen years the Royal Navy has

played an active role tackling the growing, but lucrative business of

piracy. The boat was thought to be a mot hothership -- mothership.

On the board the Marines found 20 Pakistanis. The crew had been taken

hostage. They were They were freed while the pirates were handed to

the authorities. . There is no shortage of people

who are prepared to get involved in this game. I am sure over the weeks

and months we will continue to see more Somali coming out with their

pirate action groups to get involved in this game. We will do

our best along with the international forces to prevent

them from being successful. Both ships are back on patrol as

part of a NATO operation operation As news of the pirate capture was

beginning to emerge today, some of the service's top brass were in

Fareham to officially open a new multi-million pound training

facility. Every year around 1,000 new recruits will learn how to

operate high-tech radar systems in classrooms set up to simulate

control rooms across a range of Stailt State-of-the-art ships,

demand state-of-the-art training. Today's fleet has become so hi-tech,

the navy had to re-think the way it trains its sailors. It is too

costly to train at sea. Here is the cutting edge solution. A suite of

classrooms built on solid ground which simulate conditions in a

virtual warship. Attacks from above. Attacks from below, missiles,

pirates, humanitarian disasters, it is all here at the touch of a

button. It It It the navy needed to move

with the times. It is money well spent.

You can tell by looking around you, it is really expensive and they

have spent a lot of time and money putting this system together and to

be honest, it works really well. Its flexibility which is the key.

The rooms can be set-up to simulate a type 45 destroyer working in the

gulf one minute and the the next they can be changed into a frigatte.

We can separate them all and they can do their own individual bits of

training, depending what skills we're trying to get people to learn.

This upgrade doesn't come cheap. The price tag was a cool �108

million, but in the long run the Navy says it will save money.

One has got to see it over the 40 or 50 year lifetime of this

facility. That's a fantastic value for money when you consider it

costs so much to have a ship at sea. When we get there, we must make the

most of it and this makes sure we get the best of the training at sea.

For the Navy, it is a major leap forward in the way they prepare for

battle. Sir Jock Sclaiter did the - - Slater did the honours with the

A former Surrey police officer has appeared before Worthing

Magistrates charged with the murder of his partner, Detective Constable

Heather Cooper. Peter Foster, who is 35 and from Haslemere, confirmed

his name, address and date of birth during the short hearing. He was

remanded in custody and is due before Lewes Crown Court tomorrow.

Heather Cooper's body was found in Two men have been found guilty of

destroying trees which stood in the way of their multi-million pound

Sandbanks housing development. The owners of Barrington Homes, 41-

year-old Alistair Collier and 66- year-old Harvey Lee, killed five

protected pine trees on a sea front plot. Rachael Canter has been

following the case at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court. That's right,

property developers Harvey Lee and Alistair collier paid �4.5 million

for the plot of land and they planned to build three luxury homes

on the site expecting to more than double their money. The problem was

that five pine trees stood in their way so they decided to take matters

into their own hands. A prime sea-front plot on the

exclusive resort of Sandbanks, but developers Alistair Collier and

Harvey Lee were told they couldn't build here because the homes would

be too close to the roots of protected trees. Within a month of

planning permission being refused, all five pine tree has more than a

foot of bark stripped away from their trunks. It had the effect of

killing them slowly like cut flowers in a vase.

The pair said the ring barking could have been done by vandals,

but experts disagreed. I think it was a haphazard job, it

it would look haphazard. This had clinical precision which

demonstrated it was a professional job.

Trees were worth �50,000, but people living nearby say this is

about more than their financial value. This is an ongoing problem.

We have had trees cut down at night to improve views to the harbour. It

is just a general annoyance to everybody and we gist want to see a

-- just want to see a stop to it. Judge said the ring barking had

been clearly carried out with knowledge, precision and purpose.

She said although there was no direct evidence Alistair Collier

and Harvey Lee killed the tree, she found them guiltingy of causing or

permitting the destruction to happen today. Both men refused to

accept the verdict. I respect the law, but

unfortunately we know better from the judges and their decision was

because what we did and didn't do and we did nothing.

So you were be appealing? There is no question of that.

Because of the seriousness of this case, it has been sent to

Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing. This is one of around

20 prosecutions for deliberately killing trees in this area in the

last two years. And because it is such a difficult crime to detect,

the council says that really could Political parties are being given a

chance to have their say on changing constituency boundaries. A

meeting was held today at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. Under

the plans, all constituencies will have roughly the same number of

voters. Overall, the boundary changes proposed would reduce the

number of MPs at Westminster from 650 to 600. In the South, it would

mean losing three seats completely, but the Isle of Wight would

increase to two MPs, not one. For most, it will mean a different name,

a different area that is covered and perhaps a different MP. Peter

This stadium has seen its share of nailbiting contests. While the

first public hearings of the Boundary Commission may not look or

sound exciting, for the region's MPs this is life or death.

In the past MPs represented towns or parts of a county. Now the

numbers of voters are the overriding factor. You might not

think it makes much difference if your MP changes, but think of it

like a football fan, imagine this end of the stadium being toll, "I

can't support Reading, they have to cheer for Southampton instead.".

This hole exercise has been designed to produce an unfair

system in which many people will find find they are voting for MPs

who have got no connection with their local community.

Snoot problem is, it is numbers driven. That's the system. It is

different from any previous review. Within that frankly the Boundary

Commission have done their best and the political parties have done

their best, but making it numbers driven creates problems in some

areas. A successful campaign on the Isle

of Wight means they won be sharing an MP with the mainland, but some

MPs like, have seen their constituencies change.

If you only have 55 out of 1,000 in a constituency required to select

an MP and 85,000 in the south as was the case with Winchester, in

that way, it can't be fair. . Today the the Boundary Commission

heard all sorts of special pleading. We have got a clear set of rules to

work to. They were handed down to us by the Act of Parliament which

was voted on and agreed by Parliament.

Hearings continue through November with the aim of getting everything

The chorus helping to rescue one of the poshest churches in southern

A stretch of the M3 near Basingstoke has been closed since

9am. There have been massive tailbacks after 500 litres of

diesel fuel was spilled following a collision between a car and two

lorries. The northbound motorway is closed between Junctions 7 and 5

while the road is resurfaced. Drivers have faced hours of delays

and the road is not expected to Now for those of you of a certain

age, this will bring back some memories. Fire.

The year - 1993. The place, Poole in Dorset. And the occasion, the

demolition of the two chimney stacks at the town's power station.

Quite a sight. It brought the town to a standstill. And thousands of

people searched out the best vantage points. Their demolition

and that of the station itself, made way for a new gateway into

Poole and that led to the plan for the twin sails bridge. All these

years later, the bridge, which is still under construction, was put

through its paces. We sent Steve Humphrey, who was there that day in

1993, back to see how things look From which ever angle you look at

it, the new twin sails bridge has already changed the Poole skyline

and local people are looking forward to the benefits it will

bring. I think it looks smart. It seems to

blend in with the area it is in. It is like a sail. It is like a

sail. It is like a sail. We are 200 yards away, it doesn't look like

tarmac stuck up in the air. It looks like a couple of sails. It is

good. It will be a great thing. I think

it will help with the congestion in the mornings and the evenings

especially during the school run. Yeah, I think it is a good thing.

Today they were putting the new bridge through its paces, making

sure it goes up and down properly. That's important because the bridge

will have to be raised several times a day to let boats in and out

of Poole Harbour. It was the demolition of the old

Poole power station in 1993 that underlined the need for a new

bridge. Without it, the regeneration of a 26 tech tar brown

field site would have been impossible. A especially as the

existing 84-year-old lifting bridge struggles to cope with traffic

flows, leading to congestion at peak periods.

The new bridge should change all that.

This is linking two communities. It is bridging two communities. It is

bringing Poole together. So it really is exciting for everybody in

Poole. Work on the new bridge started last

summer and several local companies had a chance to get involved in the

project. People were going to say I was part

of that. They are living and breathing it at the moment. It is

great. A good atmosphere. President. The old bridge is stayingks but

soon it will a younger, more stylish partner.

New bridge has been described by the civil engineer magazine as

beautifully simple. The contractors are saying it should be completed

and open for business early in the On to sport. I think they are

gearing up in Aldershot. It will be interesting tosses what the town

makes of Manchester United -- to see what the town makes of

Manchester United being there next week. There is only 100 tickets

left. It is a big Carling Cup tie. The Carling Cup itself was in

Aldershot this afternoon as the build up intensified to one of the

biggest matches Aldershot Town will ever play. Danielle Glavin caught

up with the manager and gauged the mood in the town. It was a press

conference with some serious serious silverware in the

background. The manager's nerves are steady.

I will try and make sure that I portray calmness to the players and

make sure we are prepared well and I will try and enjoy the occasion.

The only way I will enjoy it is if we win.

Danny Hilton came up through the youth team. They have had a bad run

of form since the draurks since the draw, but they are they are

optimistic. You always dream of playing in

these games when you are little and we have got our chance on Tuesday.

We have a big game on Saturday to think about first. Hopefully get

back to winning ways. Tuesday is a bonus for how well we have done in

the Carling Cup, but we won't go into the game fearing them, believe

we can win. This is their biggest game in their 19 year history. Cup

fever hasn't reached Aldershot yet. There is no signs up in the windows

cheering on the teams and most of the people I've spoken to say they

are not planning to watch the game, but there is a few fans in the town.

It is a a Cup game and everyone supports the under dogs.

I will try and get a ticket. REPORTER: So you will try and go to

the game? I might do. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and

Bournemouth have signed the son of former Portsmouth and England

striker, Teddy Sheringham. Charlie Sheringham joins from non-league

Dartford where he has scored 12 goals already this season. The 23-

year-old is giving up his full-time job as an investment banker for a

chance in professional football. Bournemouth are thought to have

paid around �25,000 for him. Poole Pirates will be favourites to

complete a domestic double tonight, as they go into the second leg of

their Knock out cup final with only a two point deficit against Belle

Vue. But the Aces are the only side to have won at Wimborne Road this

season. Last week the Pirates lifted the Elite League title in

front of a full house. They'll be aiming for more celebrations like

these tonight. Poole lost in Manchester by 47 points to 45 last

night. My money is on them completing the double.

More celebrations. Can you get anymore celebrations? Now for the

last in our series on rescued churches. Roger Finn has been

exploring redundant churches taken over by the Churches Conservation

Trust. There has been quite a Architectural jewels and quirky

treasures. He is ending in Hove with the very exclusive church of

St Andrew. Waterloo Street, one of the many elegant terraces that run-

down to the sea-front. This is the home of St Andrew's Church. It

doesn't look goo grand from the outside, -- too grand from the

outside, but behind these gates, well prepare for something

extraordinary m. This was once the poshest church in

town. It is now home to the Brighton and Hove Gay Mens Chorus.

They have been based in St Andrew's for five years and have become the

first openly gay men's chorus to win a major recording contract.

Their home is a Victorian masterpiece. It was built in 1828

and it is a rare example of the a private chapel. John is the

church's conservation trust representative in Sussex.

The chapel was built by a clergyman. It was his own personal building

and having spent that money on the design and construction of it, he

got that money back by charging rents for people to come and use it.

So for example, in these seats we have cardholders where people would

put their card once they paid their rent.

From the start this was designed to be the place to be seen in Hove in

the 1820s and we know that on the opening ceremony in 1828, there

were three dukes and duchesses in the congregation here and because

you paid, it was exclusive and that kept the riff-raff out.

No riff-raff here either. This is the crypt be Neath St Andrew's, it

is the final resting place for dozens of noble members of the

congregation and again, they had to pay for the privilege.

The original arc tech was Sir Charles Barry who went on to design

the Houses of Parliament. His son, extented St Andrew's and in the

190s had a flamboyant makeover. All this was created in 1927 by the

then priest here who said he wanted to bring a little bit of Italy to

Waterloo Street. Everything here is in the Italian-style. This which

covers the altar with its wonderful Latin inscriptions, the dove and

the Holy Spirit and it covers the centrepiece of any church. This was

a church that was not only for showy people, but it was to be a

showy building as well. A tradition the chorus is happy to

continue. The chorus is one of many community

groups that have been using drew's since it reopened ten years ago

after it was rescued by the Trust. They helped to raise thousands of

pounds towards the upkeep of the church. When we came here, we had

no central lighting or -- central heating or lighting. Now it is a

different story. There are shows on all the time and the place always

has got life in it. It is unique and special to us. We look on this

place as our home. It has had a chequered history. There is been

new bits going in, old bits, but it They are fabulous.

Fabulous. If you want to visit any of the

churches Roger's featured or any others cared for by the Churches

Conservation Trust, there is plenty You'll find details there on

rescued churches near you and their opening times. I don't know if they

will be singing when you go because they don't live there obviously, do

they? It will be nice. I would like to walk into that church and have

the choir going. Beautiful. The weather, cold last night and

getting warmer. Cold over? Well, getting warmer. Cold over? Well,

for this week. Despite the frost Sophie and Rosie

looked as if they were enjoying their early morning walk to Bere

Mill in Whitchurch. This photo was taken by Peter Hooks. A crisp, but

sunny start to the day in Brighton. Michael James captured the Palace

Pier and new wheel this morning. Conditions were perfect for a spot

of Paragliding at Devil's Dyke on the South Downs in Sussex. Thank

you to David Pearce. Do you think he was in it?

I have stats for you. Tonight temperatures will be above freezing,

6 to 9 Celsius, but last night the coldest temperature in the region

was in Oxfordshire, minus 3.2 Celsius. Minus values across the

patch. A cold start to the morning. It will be warmer tomorrow morning.

Temperatures will start to climb as we head through the week rising to

around 18 Celsius perhaps by Sunday. So very mild for the time of year.

Tonight will be cloudy and dry and that cloud cover will hold in the

warmth below. One or two clear spells, but the cloud will build in

from the West on the breeze. Temperatures under the cloud cover

will stay above freezing, lows of 6 to 9 Celsius. The winds will pick

up speed and it is tomorrow they start to change direction, drawing

in mild air from the near Continent. A cloudy start tomorrow, but we we

rule out the chance of a frost and the cloud will break-up by the

afternoon to allow for sunny spells. Highs of 14 Celsius or 15 Celsius,

but the winds will increase and they will continue to increase as

we head into the weekend. Blustery on Sunday. Saturday night, Friday

night into Saturday, temperatures perhaps a few degrees higher than

tonight's values, lows of 9 to 10 Celsius. On Saturday, that's when

we will see this warm air move in. There is a front waiting in the

wings, courtesy of this area of low pressure. There is uncertainty as

to where the low pressure will move and we can expect rain later by

month. So for Sunday, sunny spells, increasing cloud cover for western

areas ahead of this weather front, but there is uncertainty as to how

fast it will track its way in. It is looking likely it will arrive

later on Monday after a dry start to the day. Enjoy the sunshine.

Perhaps a cloudy start to the detail tomorrow. The cloud will

break up allowing for sunshine for the afternoon. Staying cloudy for

Rising tuition fees, almost one million young people unable to find

work and graduate unemployment double what it was before the

recession. It is a bleak picture for those leaving university

thousands of pounds in debt. However, two graduates have come up

with a rather unusual solution to this - by selling advertising space

on their face. Ed Moyse from Poole and Ross Harper came up with the

idea while studying for their finals. Catharina Moh went to meet

finals. Catharina Moh went to meet them. This face is for sale as is

this one! Ross is a neuroscience graduate.

They set-up Buymyface.com. Between them, they have �50,000 of student

debt to pay off. So for the next 366 days, as it is a leap year,

their faces are up for sale. I lost my friends at university who have

applied to 30 internships before they have had an offer. Some of

them haven't got offers and that's not a job, that's just an

internship. It is a tough time for graduates at the moment.

We wanted to try something different.

They have made �3,500 and they are just two weeks in. Some companies

offering to pay them more than the asking price which started at �1.

Employers are being pickier than ever, but they are they are

recruiting. The tools for success, three advice points would be to be

creative, ininnovative and most importantly, be proactive.

Ed and Ross expected to be ridiculed, however most people have

been supportive. I think it is a great idea.

It is nice while the sun is shining and they can get the benefit of

this. In the long run, their brains are wasted.

It is clever. It is novel, isn't it? A clever idea maybe, but not

one they thought through. The main issue is that Ed and I

have to be together every hour of every day for the next year. I went

out on a date, I went punting in Cambridge and Ed decided he would

punt me and my girlfriend along while we had a romantic picnic.

The pair have sold out of face space for this month and it looks

like they will be able to pay off their student debt before the year

I reckon they are going to make money out TV. It is a good idea. Ed

and Ross. A good idea. It is a good idea to put something on your face

to advertise something else. It is great.