:00:00. > :00:09.Hello, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South Today. In tonight's programme:
:00:10. > :00:11.A 26`year` old children's social worker jailed for possessing and
:00:12. > :00:16.distributing thousands of indecent images of children.
:00:17. > :00:26.Remembering the victims of the Clapham Rail crash 25 years on. I
:00:27. > :00:31.have not travelled on a railway since then and I have no intention
:00:32. > :00:36.of doing so. It has affected you that much? Yes.
:00:37. > :00:40.It's a 'no' for a boarding school for city children in the South Downs
:00:41. > :00:49.National Park. And a barnstorming performance for
:00:50. > :00:56.one school's nativity play. It was really great and I hope the TV
:00:57. > :01:08.watchers at home are going to watch this.
:01:09. > :01:13.A social worker employed by two city councils in the south to help
:01:14. > :01:15.protect vulnerable youngsters has been jailed for possessing and
:01:16. > :01:20.distributing thousands of indecent images of children. Mudassar Khan,
:01:21. > :01:23.who's 26 and from Reading, had contact with at risk children as
:01:24. > :01:27.part of his social work duties in Southampton and in Portsmouth. The
:01:28. > :01:39.FBI in the United States was involved in the case. Steve Humphrey
:01:40. > :01:42.reports. Hampshire police began an enquiry
:01:43. > :01:47.into social worker Mudassar Khan after his e`mail address was used to
:01:48. > :01:51.post indecent images of children Internet site. Great matches to
:01:52. > :01:58.police also provided evidence that he was in contact with a registered
:01:59. > :02:03.sex offender. The peer disc guest travelling to Eastern Europe to
:02:04. > :02:08.engage in child exploitation. With the assistance of the FBI,
:02:09. > :02:16.detectives built up a history of his Internet use. He pleaded guilty to a
:02:17. > :02:21.total of 17 charges involving the distribution and possession of over
:02:22. > :02:27.6000 indecent images of children. The judge said it was a very serious
:02:28. > :02:31.breach of trust. She said as a social worker involved in child
:02:32. > :02:37.protection Mr Khan had a clear understanding of the damage that
:02:38. > :02:42.exploitation causes the children. Mudassar Khan worked for Southampton
:02:43. > :02:46.City Council between April 2009 and January 2011. The council says a
:02:47. > :02:51.series of checks were made before he was employed. There is no record of
:02:52. > :02:55.any disciplinary actions or warnings during his employment. The police
:02:56. > :03:04.have confirmed there is no evidence that any children with placed at
:03:05. > :03:12.risk. Mr Khan also worked as a social worker in Portsmouth for 11
:03:13. > :03:19.months. All social care agencies are required to follow robust
:03:20. > :03:24.procedures. We are not aware of any concerns about Mr Khan's behavioural
:03:25. > :03:26.whilst in Portsmouth. And it is no suggestion that any of the
:03:27. > :03:30.youngsters he had dealings with other social worker appeared in any
:03:31. > :03:36.of the indecent images he possessed. His barrister told
:03:37. > :03:41.Woodchester Crown Court her client was full of remorse. Mudassar Khan
:03:42. > :03:47.stood with his head bowed as the judge sentenced him to two years and
:03:48. > :03:50.eight months in prison. An ambitious project to set up a
:03:51. > :03:54.state boarding school for inner`city pupils in the West Sussex
:03:55. > :03:56.countryside appears to be at an end. The South Downs National Park
:03:57. > :04:00.Authority today refused to give planning permission for a school to
:04:01. > :04:03.teach 350 teenagers from London. It had been a controversial scheme from
:04:04. > :04:07.the outset, opposed by many residents in the Midhurst area. The
:04:08. > :04:18.organisation behind the plan says it won't give up. Sean Killick reports.
:04:19. > :04:25.This academy already teaches primary school children in inner London. The
:04:26. > :04:28.Education Secretary is enthusiastic about its work. He backed its plan
:04:29. > :04:35.for a state boarding school the teenagers here in the South Downs
:04:36. > :04:44.National Park. On Monday mornings, 3007513 to 16`year`olds would be
:04:45. > :04:50.best from Lambeth to this site. But many residents said it was obtrusive
:04:51. > :04:53.and would cause traffic problems. The National Audit Office also
:04:54. > :04:58.questioned the way in which the government pledged ?70 million to
:04:59. > :05:01.the scheme. The South Downs National Park authority said it was
:05:02. > :05:07.sympathetic but today members turned down the plan. The concerns were in
:05:08. > :05:18.some ways about the impact on the listed building itself and also on
:05:19. > :05:25.the landscape and the views which would be impacted by the
:05:26. > :05:31.development. After the vote, opponents and supporters gave their
:05:32. > :05:40.reaction. I reject any claim of NIMBY `ism. We want this site to be
:05:41. > :05:47.used. We were happy for it to be used as a school if the chance for
:05:48. > :05:52.the arrangements were appropriate. This was a really important
:05:53. > :05:58.initiative and if we don't face it we will just downwards in the
:05:59. > :06:04.educational ladder and that will be a greediest of judgement. The
:06:05. > :06:13.Academy called the decision disappointing. It seems certain to
:06:14. > :06:16.appeal. Several air ambulance services in
:06:17. > :06:21.the South have had their helicopters grounded temporarily because of
:06:22. > :06:24.safety concerns. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, along
:06:25. > :06:28.with the Thames Valley and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulances
:06:29. > :06:30.operate the same type of helicopter that crashed in Glasgow. Bond
:06:31. > :06:34.Aviation, which leases them to many air ambulance trusts, stopped flying
:06:35. > :06:41.them after a fault was discovered on the Northwest Air Ambulance.
:06:42. > :06:44.Southampton's coroner office has confirmed the identity of a
:06:45. > :06:48.28`year`old man who died after entering a lake in Eastleigh. Austin
:06:49. > :06:51.Clark was pulled from the water by specialist rescue teams who were
:06:52. > :06:54.called to the scene at Lakeside Country Park on Monday. He was taken
:06:55. > :07:00.to hospital but later died. An inquest into his death will be held
:07:01. > :07:03.in February. Hampshire Police have issued an
:07:04. > :07:07.urgent public health alert after a man died after drinking a bottle of
:07:08. > :07:12.juice, which turned out to contain a lethal amount of cocaine. Joromie
:07:13. > :07:18.Lewis, who lived in Gosport, fell ill immediately after drinking
:07:19. > :07:21.so`called "Pear D". It came from the Caribbean and police are asking
:07:22. > :07:25.anyone who may have a bottle to hand it in. Chrissy Sturt is here with
:07:26. > :07:28.me. What do we know about what happened? Well, what we know is that
:07:29. > :07:33.Joromie Lewis became ill immediately after drinking this pear juice. He
:07:34. > :07:37.died within hours at Southampton General. This is what the drink
:07:38. > :07:40.looks like. It's a fizzy drink, the brand is Cole Cold and it's
:07:41. > :07:45.manufactured in the Caribbean, where it's very popular. It's not thought
:07:46. > :07:49.to have been exported directly to the UK. And police have made it very
:07:50. > :07:54.clear he thought he was drinking a normal drink. So, what tests have
:07:55. > :07:59.been done? Well, a postmortem was carried out but that proved
:08:00. > :08:02.inconclusive. But yesterday, police received lab tests on the liquid
:08:03. > :08:07.that threw up the high dose of cocaine. This has triggered the
:08:08. > :08:10.involvement of the Food Standards Agency who've issued a health alert
:08:11. > :08:15.and asked retailers to withdraw the product from their shelves. However,
:08:16. > :08:18.police are saying this was likely to be a "rogue bottle" from a
:08:19. > :08:26.consignment of drugs stored in plastic juice bottles. And what do
:08:27. > :08:32.we know about Joromie? Well, his family have just released a
:08:33. > :08:35.statement. They say he was originally from St Vincent and the
:08:36. > :08:38.Grenadines, and went on to join the Royal Navy. They describe him as "a
:08:39. > :08:42.devoted family`oriented man with a selfless attitude to help others,
:08:43. > :08:44.and always knew the right words and advice to give. His exemplary
:08:45. > :09:02.conduct and actions touched the lives and hearts of many".
:09:03. > :09:07.40 firefighters were needed last night to control a blaze at a
:09:08. > :09:10.property in Worthing. A neighbour in Salisbury Road raised the alarm at
:09:11. > :09:13.8:30pm. It is believed the fire started in the first floor flat.
:09:14. > :09:19.No`one was hurt. Police are now working with the fire service to
:09:20. > :09:22.investigate the cause. A ?400 million plan to revamp a
:09:23. > :09:26.large area of Reading town centre has been approved. The Station Hill
:09:27. > :09:31.project includes new apartments, offices, shops and restaurants.
:09:32. > :09:38.Demolition of the existing buildings could start next year.
:09:39. > :09:41.The leader of Wiltshire Council is defending a 22% increase in her
:09:42. > :09:45.allowances, saying she's going to take the extra money. It comes a
:09:46. > :09:48.month after a petition was started, calling for Jane Scott's resignation
:09:49. > :09:54.after councillors voted in favour of the rise for cabinet members. Mrs
:09:55. > :09:58.Scott now receives ?52,000 a year to do her job, but says it's about
:09:59. > :10:05.attracting the right people to do it in the future.
:10:06. > :10:08.Still to come in this evening's South Today: All wrapped up.
:10:09. > :10:19.Submarine knitters give HMS Alliance the woolly treatment.
:10:20. > :10:22.Memorial services have been held to mark the 25th anniversary of the
:10:23. > :10:27.Clapham rail disaster, in which 35 people died and almost 500 were
:10:28. > :10:31.injured. A crowded commuter train from Poole ran into the back of a
:10:32. > :10:35.train from Basingstoke at the height of the morning rush hour. A third
:10:36. > :10:38.train then collided with the wreckage. Our transport
:10:39. > :10:46.correspondent, Paul Clifton, reports.
:10:47. > :10:51.A quiet sombre gathering for a short service. So long as we live, they
:10:52. > :10:57.too shallow. The memorial stands above the deep cutting, where one of
:10:58. > :11:02.Britain's worst railway crashes happened at 12 minutes past eight on
:11:03. > :11:14.the 12th of December 1988. It was show shocking `` so shocking. I did
:11:15. > :11:23.not know I was hurt. Sometimes it is helpful and sometimes not. In the
:11:24. > :11:28.wreckage it took hours to rescue the survivors. Some of them were badly
:11:29. > :11:34.injured. Among those who died was Alison McGregor from Dorset. We
:11:35. > :11:40.never found out until the next day what happened. It was about
:11:41. > :11:48.agonising. I shall never forget it. I find it horrendous to think that
:11:49. > :11:55.other people have also suffered. It still hurts. I have not travelled on
:11:56. > :12:00.a railway since then and I have no intention to. The collision was
:12:01. > :12:04.caused by a signal failure due to a wiring fault. The technician
:12:05. > :12:11.responsible had worked seven days a week for the previous 13 weeks. An
:12:12. > :12:16.enquiry made 93 recommendations, many of which improved railway
:12:17. > :12:20.safety standards. But these old trains with poor crash protection
:12:21. > :12:24.continued to be used for the next 15 years. The enquiry said that
:12:25. > :12:30.commercial considerations should never be allowed to take precedence
:12:31. > :12:34.over safety and there are many who feel that has never been fully
:12:35. > :12:43.respected. I suppose justice was done in the eyes of those who sat at
:12:44. > :12:47.tables pontificating about it. They had to be an end to the story so
:12:48. > :12:55.that was the ending. We would have liked more clarity. Today the
:12:56. > :13:00.railway has a better safety record than ever before. It is the best in
:13:01. > :13:04.Europe. Paul is with me now. You were at the
:13:05. > :13:07.site of the crash yourself 25 years ago. Do you think it changed the
:13:08. > :13:11.railway's attitude towards safety? I was there an hour after the crash as
:13:12. > :13:14.a young radio reporter. Many of the 93 recommendations from the inquiry
:13:15. > :13:18.inspector were about changing working practices and introducing
:13:19. > :13:22.risk assessments. They have made the railway a safer place. No train
:13:23. > :13:26.passenger has died in a rail incident in the last six years and
:13:27. > :13:29.that's a record. But there have been times, following privatisation, when
:13:30. > :13:34.I am sure that commercial considerations were put before
:13:35. > :13:37.safety. After this morning's service, Network Rail was robust in
:13:38. > :13:49.defending its more recent safety record. There has been an awful lot
:13:50. > :13:53.of change since the tragedy. With the signal system and the training
:13:54. > :13:59.of our staff. It is now the safest railway in Europe by any measure.
:14:00. > :14:03.But we are not complacent about that. There is more we want to do.
:14:04. > :14:06.But Clapham led, eventually, to a change in the law? This was a
:14:07. > :14:09.preventable crash, caused by a failure of infrastructure, a failure
:14:10. > :14:14.of maintenance and a failure of management. But there was no
:14:15. > :14:17.mechanism for British Rail as a whole to be prosecuted. No`one was
:14:18. > :14:21.held accountable for the deaths. The Law Commission cited this as a
:14:22. > :14:26.reason for a new law on corporate manslaughter. It took 19 years after
:14:27. > :14:31.the crash, 2007, for that law to come in. But now any organisation
:14:32. > :14:35.can be charged with manslaughter if it can be proved that a death was
:14:36. > :14:41.caused by its failure in a duty of care, which is exactly what happened
:14:42. > :14:44.at Clapham. The Government published new league
:14:45. > :14:47.tables for primary schools today and it made grim reading for parents and
:14:48. > :14:51.education chiefs in Poole, revealed as the worst performing local
:14:52. > :14:54.authority in England. The tables are based on reading, writing and maths
:14:55. > :14:58.results taken by pupils before they move to secondary school. Across the
:14:59. > :15:04.country, 75% of pupils reached the expected Level four. In Poole, the
:15:05. > :15:09.figure was 63% and they were one of the few places to record a decrease.
:15:10. > :15:13.The Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Reading also had disappointing
:15:14. > :15:18.results. Top of the class was Wokingham which got 81%. In a
:15:19. > :15:21.moment, we'll be asking what's gone wrong in Poole. First, here are the
:15:22. > :15:29.views of parents from one school in the town. Quite disappointed because
:15:30. > :15:36.we really do like this school and it's a good school. The boys
:15:37. > :15:43.enjoying going to the school. `` the boys enjoy. I am disappointed but he
:15:44. > :15:48.seems to be doing very well. I am disappointed but it is only one
:15:49. > :15:53.snapshot in time. My kids have done wonderful at this school. Meissen
:15:54. > :15:59.has just passed the grammar test and the teachers care about the
:16:00. > :16:02.children. I have not got a bad word to say about the school.
:16:03. > :16:05.No officer or Cabinet member from Poole Borough Council was available
:16:06. > :16:08.for an interview today but the authority did release a statement.
:16:09. > :16:11.It said many of its primary schools were rated good or outstanding and
:16:12. > :16:14.today's tables were very disappointing. The statement said
:16:15. > :16:19.Poole is a small authority, so that if one or two of our schools do not
:16:20. > :16:22.do as well as they had predicted, it has a huge impact on our overall
:16:23. > :16:25.results. The leader of the opposition group can speak to us
:16:26. > :16:30.tonight. Councillor Mike Brooke is live for us in Poole. We had some
:16:31. > :16:36.parents and many of them said they were disappointed and shocked. I use
:16:37. > :16:44.a prized by these results? `` are you surprised. I was aware of the
:16:45. > :16:47.situation when we saw the provisional figures and over the
:16:48. > :16:53.last three or four years we have noticed a slight decline in the
:16:54. > :16:56.performance which is the reason we set up a cross`party working party
:16:57. > :17:06.to look into the standards in schools. It must be a concern
:17:07. > :17:15.because more than a little drop. 71% in 2012 and 63% and bottom of the
:17:16. > :17:22.pile. Why has it gone so wrong? A variety of reasons. As a Fogarty we
:17:23. > :17:25.have been trying to do a lot of development with our schools. We've
:17:26. > :17:32.been building schools for the future. With all those activities
:17:33. > :17:39.going on it is too easy for people to take the eye of the ball. That is
:17:40. > :17:45.one of the factors. We do have some very good schools in Poole but we
:17:46. > :17:51.have to look for improvements across`the`board. The borough
:17:52. > :17:56.council basically said it leaves it is one or two schools skewing the
:17:57. > :18:03.results. Do you go along with that? Not entirely. I have had a briefing
:18:04. > :18:07.short while ago with regard to the provisional results and what was
:18:08. > :18:14.very clear when you look at the detail behind these figures, there
:18:15. > :18:19.are issues in every school where key stages `` Key stage two is taught.
:18:20. > :18:24.The council has got to adapt its processes to ensure all schools
:18:25. > :18:30.improve the benefit of children in Poole.
:18:31. > :18:33.Planners have turned down an application from an industrial site
:18:34. > :18:37.which was already operating at the end of a series of narrow lanes in
:18:38. > :18:40.the north Hampshire village of Upper Somborne. Villagers have been
:18:41. > :18:44.complaining about the number of huge lorries thundering past their homes.
:18:45. > :18:47.HGVs and other large vehicles deliver plant machinery to Redwood
:18:48. > :18:51.UK. Test Valley Council says it could now take action to enforce the
:18:52. > :19:05.decision not to allow the company to operate there.
:19:06. > :19:09.A consortium of Irish businessmen are the new owners of London Irish
:19:10. > :19:13.Rugby Club. They're promising to try to turn the team into a leading
:19:14. > :19:16.force in Europe. That may take some doing, given they're currently
:19:17. > :19:19.second to bottom of the Premiership. One thing won't change. The club
:19:20. > :19:21.will carry on playing at Reading's Madejski Stadium, which they've
:19:22. > :19:27.shared with Reading Football Club since 2000. Chris Slegg reports.
:19:28. > :19:30.The team in emerald green where Conor O'Shea once running the tries
:19:31. > :19:36.and Sir Clive Woodward took his first steps in coaching. This is the
:19:37. > :19:48.clubhouse, the spiritual home of London Irish. Today is all about
:19:49. > :19:53.break `` building a brighter future. We are passionate London Irish
:19:54. > :19:58.supporters. We are making this investment on the basis of a strong
:19:59. > :20:02.business case. These men lead the consortium which now owns London
:20:03. > :20:13.Irish. They have made their presence felt today with the signing of a
:20:14. > :20:19.World Cup winner. He has won 75 caps for the Springboks. It is a very
:20:20. > :20:26.significant day and we are delighted and excited about the future.
:20:27. > :20:29.Heading the consortium is the chairman of the company which is
:20:30. > :20:37.sponsored London Irish for the last three years. Our intention is to get
:20:38. > :20:43.the club back to the top of the rugby world and take the brand
:20:44. > :20:50.globally around the world. Is it just a coincidence that this
:20:51. > :20:55.takeover has happened a week after Brentford got their new stadium.
:20:56. > :21:05.Were you talking to them about the possible run share? We are
:21:06. > :21:13.contracted to the majestic stadium until the 2025 season. With all the
:21:14. > :21:20.support that we have and the people around us and the people we want to
:21:21. > :21:25.bring with us on this journey. Big players and bold ambitions to bring
:21:26. > :21:29.the team back in from the cold. It's the time of year when we all
:21:30. > :21:33.want to wrap up warm and the idea is catching on in some unusual ways. In
:21:34. > :21:36.Gosport, even the old submarine HMS Alliance is wearing a giant scarf.
:21:37. > :21:39.It's the result of a community project involving more than 40
:21:40. > :21:45.groups and individuals from the area. Laura Trant has knit one pearl
:21:46. > :21:50.one for you. This Cold War veteran is wrapping up
:21:51. > :21:57.warm for winter. It's Scarfe has been pest `` specially commissioned.
:21:58. > :22:05.This consists of 500 feet and has been created by 200 nimble fingers
:22:06. > :22:11.from the local churches and individuals. We anticipated what it
:22:12. > :22:20.would look like but we had no idea how big it would look. `` how
:22:21. > :22:26.fantastic. I had no idea what it would look like that it looks
:22:27. > :22:31.superb. The ladies of Goths board have excelled themselves. It is a
:22:32. > :22:39.real labour of love and all in all they have knitted their way to 1337
:22:40. > :22:49.squares. That is 400 metres of Scarfe. It is wonderful. Most of the
:22:50. > :23:02.women have done this and have knitted 400 metres of Scarfe. It
:23:03. > :23:05.makes the submarine very colourful. Weather permitting the Scarfe will
:23:06. > :23:09.be displayed for the next few days. In the new year it will be displayed
:23:10. > :23:15.in the learning Centre at the submarine Museum.
:23:16. > :23:20.It's that time of year when the call goes out for a baby, a manger and a
:23:21. > :23:22.job lot of tea towels as schools prepare for their nativity plays. At
:23:23. > :23:25.the Francis Baily Primary in Thatcham, they decided to go for
:23:26. > :23:29.added authenticity this year, using real hay, real animals and the
:23:30. > :23:37.performance taking place in a real barn. Joe Campbell was in the
:23:38. > :23:40.audience to see how it went. It was a nativity play with a
:23:41. > :23:47.difference. Turning their back on the school hall, pupils from Francis
:23:48. > :23:54.Baily Primary have gone to the Christmas story's routes. I am just
:23:55. > :23:58.hoping the animals stay contained for the next hour. What is it they
:23:59. > :24:04.say about never acting with children and animals? Most Cas members though
:24:05. > :24:13.did not have the foot wrong. That night, nearly's baby was born in a
:24:14. > :24:23.stable and she named in Jesus. `` named him Jesus. Awesome. I wanted
:24:24. > :24:35.to stroke a goat. It was really great. I hope the TV watchers at
:24:36. > :24:41.home I going to watch this. Those who saw the play live were certainly
:24:42. > :24:46.fans. It just makes it even more magical. Christmas is a special
:24:47. > :24:52.time, especially for the children. Being in a barn was wonderful. It
:24:53. > :25:17.was different from being in school. It was fantastic.
:25:18. > :25:24.Very well done. Alexis has the weather forecast for you now. It is
:25:25. > :25:29.a bit damp and dismal over the next few hours.
:25:30. > :25:32.Lin Scott took this photo of the sun rising over Newport on the Isle of
:25:33. > :25:34.Wight. Sunbeams in Alberto Ferrone's front garden in Swanmore in
:25:35. > :25:36.Hampshire. And Judi Hutchings took this photo of a Christmas eagle in
:25:37. > :25:41.Angmering in West Sussex. this photo of
:25:42. > :25:44.There is the risk of light rain through the early hours of the
:25:45. > :25:50.morning and it is spreading in from the West during the night. Mostly
:25:51. > :25:59.light and drizzly. Clear periods for eastern areas until the cloud
:26:00. > :26:06.arrives. And mild temperatures. Similar conditions tomorrow. A murky
:26:07. > :26:11.start with drizzle. Light rain initially and the second ring band
:26:12. > :26:18.could reinvigorate and we could sap `` have some heavy bursts during the
:26:19. > :26:23.afternoon. The wind is fairly brisk with the rain from the south. That
:26:24. > :26:27.rain will rattle its way through tomorrow night, clearing most areas
:26:28. > :26:32.through the early hours of Saturday morning. Where we have the clear
:26:33. > :26:44.skies there is a risk of a touch of frost in the countryside. So a cold
:26:45. > :26:48.night tomorrow night than tonight. A decent day on Saturday, probably the
:26:49. > :26:53.best day of the weekend. An increasing breeze coming in from the
:26:54. > :27:00.south`west. Behind it, rain will arrive after dark on Saturday
:27:01. > :27:07.evening. But Saturday should stay dry and sunny. Here is your summary
:27:08. > :27:15.for the rest of the week and into next week. Rain tomorrow and there
:27:16. > :27:19.will be some dry periods as well. The rain could be quite heavy during
:27:20. > :27:28.the afternoon. Saturday is the best day of the weekend. Sunday, a damp
:27:29. > :27:31.start and an improving picture but more rain on Monday.
:27:32. > :27:41.more rain on That is it from us. Enjoy your
:27:42. > :27:43.evening and thanks for watching. Good night.