11/04/2012 South Today

Good evening. Here are the headlines: Harrowed is the retail

sector get back on track? Police hunting the killers of a man it

dumped in a burning Ben appeal for sightings in 10 said and done

streets. Getting to the heart of it - the

Royal's move closer to the Premier League.

Engineering the past - the tools belonging to one of the engineers

are lost on the Titanic. But still below the national average.

That town and city level the picture is confused.

One survey suggested Reading had 19 % of shops and filled. Salisbury

had nine %. Our Correspondent reports from Aldershot where the

town is dealing with a tough time at the tills.

Close, empty, to elect. Familiar signs. One in five shops here are

vacant. A lot of shops are shutting down. The why? Rates are high.

you a shopper? It is run down. It is busy. Not for me. It was not

always like this. Some shopkeepers to remember the bustling town

centre. A lot of businesses have gone. They have not been replaced.

A lot of pounds shops now. The tenor of the town has been lowered.

This is the latest shops shut. It shut three weeks ago. It joins 50

empty units. At Aldershot is to turn its fortunes around it needs

to persuade people to stay here and spend. The town is now looking to

this in retail guru for help. �100,000 is not a massive amount.

We will use that money to help some of their stores work with

independence. This company opened last summer. A second shoppers plan

for a wedding. In February saw a good rise in food fall. In March

again, but there are not enough people coming into the town centre.

Away from its empty shops changes on his way. This new centre will

bring cinema, hotel and restaurant. The town will find out if it will

get the Maryport has made over by the summer. Earlier I spoke to a

spokesperson from the British Retail Consortium. I asked him how

things were looking on the high street? Overall retail sales picked

up a march. That was more about the early arrival of a sunny weather.

People what fashion goods, garden good, things to do with leisure. It

was not a fundamental change in where customers are. If people are

still under a great deal of financial pressure. On the hall

they are not prepared to be a big spending commitments. -- on the

whole. It is not right across the board. Some are doing better than

others. Why is that? That pressure on customers is compounding the

difficulties that a lot of pounds of heart over a long period. This

is to do with the cost of doing business, failure to invest, the

cost of parking. Some of places are relatively less prosperous. Some

towns have had more success with initiatives. That is interesting.

One of the initiatives is the initiative of Mary Portas.

Aldershot is bidding for �100,000. Is it as simple as just getting

money end to the high street? can make a difference. Well done to

all the towns to engaging in this. That is making at town-centre feel

like a safe place where customers want to go to. That is all very

important. The Government could be more ambitious on this. At the

start of this month be slapped another �350 million on to the

business rate bills. When you talk about �100,000, even 10 million, in

terms of initiatives, that is trivial and not likely to make a

huge difference against that the natural backdrop. Thank you.

Hampshire Police have confirmed that a body found in a burned-out

car in Southampton was male. Detectives are not sure who the man

is. Firefighters found the body while dealing with a car fire

yesterday morning. It is still not known how the person died. An

initial post-mortem there was inconclusive.

A husband and wife in Dorset are being treated in hospital after

escaping from a house fire. The couple were forced to jump from the

first four of their house to escape the flames. The woman Dulles her

spine. Her husband is being treated for smoke inhalation. The Fire

Service says part of the house has been it demolished. An

investigation is under way. This couple had a lucky escape. The

fire was into the first floor. They were very lucky. Police have named

the woman killed in a fire in Guildford last month. The woman

from Surbiton died after a fire broke out in a ground-floor flat. A

57-year-old man, up injured in the incident, is receiving treatment at

the rehabilitation unit. Four people are still being

questioned by police is that and then on suspicion of murder

following the death of Jamie Dack. Has badly burnt body was found in a

wheelie bin on Easter Sunday on an industrial estate in the city. His

family and friends today paid tribute to him.

A loving son and brother who liked to chat and made friends easily.

His parents were too shocked and upset to talk on camera today, but

told the BBC they did not believe their son had any enemies.

Jamie Dack had been staying here at a hostel for homeless young people

in the weeks leading to his death. I have broken down in tears. I have

not been able to sleep properly. I keep getting flashbacks of when I

last saw have. He is in my mind. I keep seeing him. It is really

upsetting. Jamie Dack worked here over the Christmas period. Today

his former colleagues paid tribute to him, calling him a nice chap.

They said he was a nice worker and very mild mannered.

Forensic searches are continuing at this property. Police believe the

body may have been moved in a wheelie bin it to this industrial

estate. Firefighters discovered his burned remains here on Sunday.

Police want to hear from anybody who may have seen at wheelie bin

being pushed down this street and other neighbouring streets early on

Saturday night or early on Sunday morning.

Tonight four people are still being questioned by police on suspicion

of murder. Detectives believe two teenage

Nigerian girls to have gone missing in West Sussex may now be elsewhere

in the country. The girls, both aged 15, disappear on Good Friday

after leaving their foster homes for this Baptist Church. They had

arrived unaccompanied from Nigeria and were in the care of Surrey

social services. Detectives are appealing for help from anyone who

saw them on Friday or since then. This horse sanctuary has less than

one month to be Kate its site following the death of the

landowner. Volunteers have been looking after adult -- volunteers

have been looking after the horses for 20 years. They are looking for

an new site. All the other horse sanctuary has our full. Everybody

needs land for horses. It is very difficult. The sad thing is that a

lot of these courses will have to be euthanasia.

Still to come, sport and weather. Uneventful day at Hayle, showers,

and thunderstorms. I will have the full forecasts later in the

programme. And in sport and will have more on Portsmouth's future.

And also how Reading are closer to a return to the Premier League.

The South's most ambitious renewal energy project is reaching an

landmark. Consultation ends next week. The proposal for over 200

turbine switch theoretically could provide enough electricity for

Dorset Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is facing opposition.

This stretches from south of the Isle of Wight took over the air.

This man is part of a protest group. It's members are worried about the

visual impact of the proposed wind farm. They have produced this

computer animation which the EC is a fair impression of what the

turbine is would look like. They say this would damage the feel of

this World Heritage Site. People are prepared to make a few

sacrifices because there is an energy crisis. I that is true. It

does combine to balance in their end. This particular area or is

close to the coast. And usually close to the course. With as an

area of high sensitivity. We think this is a bad compromise here.

was one of several zones designated for wind farms by the government to

meet their international obligation to produce more green energy. The

successful bidder has proposed using this section. The company

says there are still working on the exact details, but visual impact is

not the only consideration. have taken account of how we could

seek to minimise the effect on shipping activities, sailing

activities, the activities of other sea users. We are taken into

account the Ministry of Defence practice areas. Some fear an impact

on tourism along the Dorset coast. Opinion is divided however. There

are substantial wind farms in North West. They're not particularly

unsightly. It's would be a shame. This is the Jurassic Coast. People

come to visit the beauty of the landscape. We need renewable energy.

It is all very well saying not here, but when it comes down to it it

will save the environment. Where do you put it?

The proposal when form towards any other proposal ever seen in this

region. Final details will be ready by the end of next year. The farm

is due to be up and running by the end of 2020.

The number of couples receiving IVF treatment funded by Berkshire

Primary Care Trust has more than half. Figures obtained show that

110 people receive funding last year compared to 240 the year

before. Berkshire Primary Care Trust sees it reviews each request

on at case-by-case basis. On to the sport now. You did well

A massive result for Reading last night, keeping on Southampton's

coat tails. One point was enough for them. The result kept Brighton

and outside the championship play- off places.

He would not have guessed the significance of the game for the

teams judged by the joviality before the match. This free kick

took a deflection and left the chance to draw level and Ashley

Barnes was felled in the box. He picked himself up to take it but

the keeper comfortably denied him - one of a number of saves on the

night by the Australian postop Reading move level on points with

The last two games, we have got two clean sheets and got six points.

Fantastic. If we keep playing the way we played today, if we are able

to maintain the key players and play the way that we play, it is a

matter of time until we are in the Premiership. We will see how that

affects the top of the table shortly. Portsmouth's hopes of

remaining in the championship could be entered this weekend. Anything

other than a Pompey win at Doncaster could see them in danger

of relegation on Saturday postop. The closest Pompey came in a

disappointing performance was Kelvin Etuhu's long-range effort,

tipped over by Mike Taylor for top it could not be set up that of all

As they fight to avoid relegation on the pitch, the search for a

buyer for Pompey continues. They went into administration in

February for the second time in three years. Today the

administrator published a report on their finances and they do not look

pretty. Bryony is at Fratton Park. How big are the depths? The club's

total liabilities at up to �58 million. There are hundreds of

creditors and reading through the list is like picking through the

Yellow Pages because they're all manner of businesses from pizza

parlours and forests to water companies and hotels. One of the

biggest claims is from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, who

say they are owed more than �10 million. The City Council is paid

�61,000 and Hampshire Police authority �26,000. If and when the

club is salt, creditors will not get all their money back. There

will need to be an agreement and they will get just a proportion of

what they are owed. The next step is a creditors' meeting on 26th

April when they will be asked to agree the meeting - that the

contents of the report and to set up a committee to represent their

interests. What have the administrators been saying about

the prospect of a new buyer? For the administrator says that they

have been in discussion with a small number of interested parties.

No offers have been made yet and liquidation remains a possibility.

He says they have managed to stabilise the finances of the club

to the extent that they will be able to fulfil all of this season's

fixtures and they have tried to make the club as attractive as

possible to potential buyers. He says he still believes they can

find a buyer for the club before the money runs out and they

continue to do all they can to achieve that. Fans will hope they

Hampshire's cricketers get their competitive season under way as

they begin life in Division Two. Danny Briggs will be key to their

promotion hopes. It is the first time since 2005 about the county

have found themselves in the second tie-up. They have got with a

smaller, younger squad led by Jimmy Adams and they kick off tomorrow

against Gloucester, with a Australian batsmen Simon Katich

back as overseas player. What I ask is that the players give it 100%. I

go out there with the right intent and the will to win. We will make

mistakes but as long as we are doing all things bright and doing

them the right way, we will come out on the bright side in September.

In Division One, Sussex have Monty Panesar and Steve Magoffin

available for tomorrow's game that Lancashire have. Surrey are making

the short trip to play Middlesex at Lord's.

Sarah is coming up with the weather in a moment.

They made the ultimate sacrifice - the 36 Engineer officers on Titanic

kept the ship's systems working as she took on water and sank after

hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton. By the

time they were relieved of their duties, although lifeboats had gone.

Not one survived. In another of our special report to mark 100 years

since the Titanic was lost, and Engineer pays tribute to the memory

of those men. My name is Stephen pain and I am an

architect. I was the architect that designed the Queen Mary to. This

memorial celebrates the 36 marine engineers that were lost on the

Titanic. When this memorial was unveiled, it attracted a huge crowd

of people. I would like to point out one particular name here.

Father was known as Bob. He lived in Romsey and was the youngest of

14 children. -- Arthur. Six died in infancy. At 14, he left school and

began an apprenticeship at this garage. He then went on to a

shipbuilder's in Southampton. He joined the White Star Line in his

youth. He would have had as Senior Engineer supervising him and been

responsible for many of the routine, mundane jobs in the engine-room. I

went to meet his great nephew, who lives in Romsey and still has

engineering in his blood. Was Bob looking forward to his voyage on

the Titanic? Probably not. He was due to get married the weekend it

was sailing across the Atlantic and he was advised that if he did not

go on and take the voyage, he would be likely to jeopardise his chances

of promotion. A understand you have some tools to show me. Yes, I have

a set of tools that I found in my grandfather's tool chest when I

moved into his house. I saw Arthur's name engraved in it. Like

most things, you bought your own tools or had them made and took

them to get your name engraved on it. We have some other tools that I

inherited from the family. I found these. I don't know what these

tools do. I have no idea either. That is a tremendous link to the

man. You tend to feel that you've got to know him a bit more, because

you find these improvements and it is something -- implements and it

is something that becomes real rather than just being a put the

club. There were 36 enter the ring of this has on the Titanic and not

once the pipe. -- engineers on at the Titanic. His thoughts must have

been of her room, his fiancee, all the things that he was leaving

behind. -- of a home that. A white star official came here to see

Bob's bar that the family home to offer compensation. He replied,

"You Dare of any money? No amount of money can bring my son back. Go

away.". We are here at the Abbey and these two plaques commemorate

all but ward of. One was paid for by subscription and the other by

his family. Plaques on other man but they only tell part of the

story. -- honour the man. We have a special programme on

Sunday. This actor played Captain Smith in James Cameron's Hollywood

film. He will be looking at the impact of the tragedy on the City

of Southampton. But is at 4:50pm on The rain we wanted has come. Is it

stay in? It is coming and going again. Good news for the gardeners!

Some lovely pictures today. Derek moat to dodge the showers.

This is al-Ahly RTE picture that reflects the day's weather nicely.

-- and it RTE picture. The bluebells have been blooming.

Tracey captured this springtime seen.

With this springtime theme we have April showers coming and going

through the course of the day. There have been some hefty bursts.

The greens and yellows on the map are from Elliott today, showing

where the really heavy downpours have been. There has been hell

macro and thunder. -- there has been hailed. Things are drying out

and coming down tonight. We should start to see the last of the

thunderstorms by 8pm. This showers ease and become dry heading towards

midnight. Where we see clear spells, temperatures could get down to

freezing in some places. Cooler in rural areas. We are expecting a

touch of frost. Some brightness around. We will see the cloud of

the ring back in and the return of those showers. There could be some

heavy ones with hail and thunder in the next but if you manage to dodge

them, some present breaks. Temperatures peaking at 14 degrees.

Despite pleasant. A few clear spells and cloud breaking apart.

Another chilly one. Temperatures down into minus figures for some of

our towns and cities. Friday, a repeat performance. We start with

some brightness, gradually seeing more showers, and the southern

coast will steer clear of the bulk. As we head towards the weekend,

sunny spells, scattered showers. It looks like temperatures are

starting to drop away so it becomes cooler by day and overnight, some

sharp frosts. Sunshine and showers into the weekend. The winds picking