22/01/2014 South Today

Sunday. Make the most of Saturday because Sunday looks pretty

Hello, I'm Sally Taylor. Welcome to South Today.

In tonight's programme: Fourteen years in an Indonesian jail for the

Sussex woman who says she was forced to smuggle drugs.

450 houses planned for a golf course which is protected with a legal deal

promising no development. We need bone marrow donors ` the plea from a

teenager who has a rare form of leukaemia. And freedom of movement

for a woman who broke her back in childbirth ten years ago.

The Portsmouth Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock has been suspended from

the party, after allegations about his alleged inappropriate sexual

behaviour with a female constituent were made public. The action was

taken by the national party in London, still reeling from

criticisms surrounding Lord Rennard. Mike Hancock had continued to sit as

a Liberal Democrat councillor while a local inquiry and civil court case

were brought against him. He vigorously denies the allegations.

Our Political Editor Peter Henley joins me now.

Why has he been suspended this evening? A lot of people will be

asking that question. There was a long enquiry by the City Council,

which found that he had reached the standards that public life require

of someone like that. But that process wasn't completed, because

the woman who complained of sexual assault was suing him for damages.

The report was published by the Guardian newspaper before Christmas.

Today, it was published by a political website. That is the

reason being given by the Lib Dem party. They say the Lib Dems have

for the first time given the conclusion: We have immediately

suspended Mike Hancock's membership of the party. Is this anything to do

with the national scandal involving Lord Rennard? There is so much

furore at the moment. So much pressure on Nick Clegg's leadership.

The solicitor representing the woman has made the point, how can suspend

Lord Reynard and not suspend Hancock? . Today, the report's

author Nigel Pascoe QC said he felt that was unfair on Mike Hancock `

because it was comments about him that haven't been published She

clutched a Bible as she was sentenced to 14 years in an

Indonesian prison. Andrea Waldeck, a former Police

Community Support Officer, was today found guilty of smuggling the class

A drug crystal meth into a country with some of the toughest anti`drug

laws in the world. Waldeck, who used to live in Rustington in West

Sussex, had faced a possible death sentence after being arrested in

April last year. At the court, in the East Java city of Surabaya, her

lawyer had claimed she was a victim of a drugs gang. Briony Leyland

reports. Holding onto her faith, as the

judges made their ruling. Andrea Waldeck told the court she was sorry

and ashamed of what she had done. At an earlier hearing, she admitted

smuggling more than a kilogram of crystal meth into East Java from

China. The court could have imposed the death penalty, but instead

Waldeck was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The 43`year`old used to live

in Rustington in West Sussex, but more recently worked as a Police

Community Support Officer in Gloucestershire ` leaving the force

in 2012. She was arrested in the spring of last year. She said that

she'd been coerced into the crime, and that she'd been threatened by a

Nigerian man. Michelle is understood to have been

a friend in China. Speaking after the verdict, Waldeck's lawyer said

he was disappointed at the length of the sentence.

I object to the judge's decision ` an Indonesian national connected to

the case was sentenced to ten years last week. I and my client were

hoping for the same sentence. The BBC's reporter at the court says

conditions at the Indonesian jails can be very uncomfortable.

Indonesian prisons, in general, are known to be overcrowded and with

poor sanitary conditions. There have also been reports of corrupt

practices dash of prison guards taking bribes in exchange for better

living conditions. Those who are willing or able to pay can get a

lavish facility, but for those who don't things can get quite rough.

Andrea Waldeck can appeal, but that carries a risk, as the higher court

sometimes imposes a harsher sentence, particularly in drugs

cases. Her legal team says she is considering her options. 25 years

ago, Berkshire's politicians enshrined a green buffer zone around

the town of Bracknell. Tonight the covenant protecting it looks set to

be torn up. It's a hugely controversial decision. Jo Campbell

joins us from outside the meeting now. This is expected to be a

meeting with a large public turnouts. At stake is a legal move

to lift the covenant protecting a part of the land tween Bracknell

Forest and Linfield, where they want to build a 450 homes, a school and a

house. It has proved a controversial matter. Bracknell looms large in the

minds of those who come here to get away. The open space has long been

protected from the bulldozers by covenant. Until now. In the

distance, we have Bracknell. Behind us, we have been fields. This is the

green gap. This is what the council fought so hard to protect, 20 years

ago. To try and stop any future development. In over an hour, the

chamber will be full, as the council debates scrapping that protection.

They now say the demand for housing outweighs that. In the last 25

years, we have grown significantly. The demand for housing has

increased. This won't be welcome news for many, but it will end the

uncertainty that already undermines the golf course. When there is

uncertainty on development, people are concerned if they're going to

have a wedding or function here. We try to get the message across to

those people, that it is business as usual. We don't know what's going to

happen. It's important for us, as a business, to continue as usual.

Whatever tonight's decision, this site is set to be a battle ground

for some time to come. Protesters were once to make sure their voices

are heard tonight, as they speak against plans for these

developments. The council has already decided that this is what

the land will be used for. Tonight, they want to remove one legal

hurdle. It's a first for UK Policing ` today

officers from Hampshire Police have been sworn in as Special Constables

for the Bermuda Police Service. It's so they can investigate serious

crimes on board cruise ships that dock in Hampshire ports. Our Home

Affairs Correspondent Emma Vardy is here with more on this. What's

prompted this policing arrangement with Bermuda? From time to time,

Hampshire Police are called to investigate crimes committed on

board cruise ships coming into Southampton. In the past, these have

included murder and rape. But because many cruise ships are

registered in Bermuda, it's meant they've have had no police powers on

board, like the power of arrest. Some cruise ship companies fly the

Bermuda flag, so that they're not bound by certain British laws. It

means they can hold weddings at sea and don't have to be subject to the

minimum wage. But this has caused difficulties for police. So, today,

the Bermuda Commissioner himself came over to swear in sixteen

officers ` that's the Bermuda Commissioner in the centre of that

picture ` and now that this team of officers are effectively special

constables for the Bermuda Police, they will now be able to carry out

criminal investigations on board. So what's happened in the past if

there's been a crime on board? Sometimes they've had to wait for

the Bermuda Police Service to fly over their own officers, and because

there's only limited flights to the UK that can take two days. Because

ships aren't in port for very long, Hampshire Police say it's been

difficult for Bermuda police to get here in time, and so that has

hindered investigations. Hampshire Police have described this, today,

as a big step forward in driving international collaboration between

police forces. Could there be similar arrangements

with other countries too? Yes, we might see Hampshire Police

partnering up with other British Overseas Territories. The force says

it's looking into, perhaps, making arrangements with the Bahamas and

British Virgin Islands in future. But the officers are going to see

how agreement works with Bermuda first and take it from there.

Still to come in this evening's South Today: The woman who broke her

back in childbirth finds a new lease of life suspended by ribbons.

Sophie Bosley, from Midhurst, has an extremely rare blood cancer called

Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. She's been encouraging other young people

at Chichester College to sign up to the bone marrow register Our

reporter, James Ingham, went along to meet her.

Sophie Bosley was in the middle of GCSEs when she was diagnosed with a

rare form of leukaemia. Two years later, she is still being treated

with chemotherapy, but has managed to continue a relatively normal

life. It was a big shock. We were all

devastated ` it put a big problem in the works. There wasn't really

anything worse we could have imagined. It put me out of place

with everything going on around me, because at that time I had exams

going on. I missed two of them, and was going to have to come back. It

was hell, basically. Sophie will need a bone marrow

transplant ` potential matches have been found, but she's very aware of

the difficulty some people have of finding a donor. This is why she's

involved in this big push to get people signed up to a register.

My tutor mentioned it in college, and said it something she's a part

of. I thought I'd give it a go. It's worthwhile. It's an opportunity

to help someone out that a lot less fortunate than you.

People in my class seemed to be into it, and it seemed like the right

thing to do. Most of the students here are around

Sophie's age, so her story has really struck a chord. And it's

these young people that it's so important is to get on the register.

Sophie's story highlights just how important it is for people to come

forward and register. Currently, we are only finding matches for half of

the patients coming to us. Our mission is to be able to find

matches for all patients. Only around one in 1000 people on

the bone marrow register ever get a call to donate. That would mean

going through a simple procedure. But the more potential donors there

are, the greater the chance a lifelike Sophie's could be saved.

Residents at a sheltered housing estate in West Sussex are angry

they're being charged ?40,000 for fire safety improvements they say

are not necessary. But the company which runs the housing complex

disagrees, and says there's a legal requirement for the work.

Sean Killick reports. Residents at the Glebe are inspecting a new fire

alarm system, they say they don't want and can't afford. Owners of the

23 leasehold flats were told by management company Anchor the new

alarm system, costing a total of ?23,000, was needed to meet fire

regulations. They were also told their front doors need replacing to

meet regulations, costing another ?20,000. But the Residents

Association chairman says they were told by anchor's own surveyor that

the work is not legally required. The residents are angry.

They are absolutely incensed and furious that their hard earned

funds, in what is called a sinking fund ` money we have put by for work

that needs to be done ` is being taken for work that doesn't need to

be done. The residents say they would be happy with ordinary smoke

detectors. There is no necessity. The fire brigade have told us that a

simple alarm would do. It would cost around ?200 for all six blocks. This

is going to cost a small fortune. Ankara told us that the safety of

our residents is paramount. That's why the

but residents are calling for the work to be halted, and for an urgent

meeting with Angkor. A woman from Newbury, who got involved in aerial

performances in the run up to the Paralympic Games in 2012, says she

wants to leave a legacy that will help other disabled people. Once a

professional dancer ` Mel Stevens broke her back ten years ago ` she

then discovered that hanging upside down not only helped her physical

state but spurred her on mentally too. Now her dream is to open a

space where special equipment could allow other disabled people to feel

alive again. Dani Sinha reports. Mel Stevens has had many twists and

turns in her life ` at 29 she broke her lower back whilst giving birth,

leaving her with no sensation in both legs and chronic pain. It was

only when she was asked to get involved in aerial displays in the

run up to the Paralympic Games, that she realised the benefits of

suspending herself in the air. The minute I hang, my spine

decompresses. I haven't needed to medicate since I got out of the

harnesses and did my first try on trapeze. Practicing here at an

aerial fitness studio in Newbury, Mel is able to feel free again ` but

this is the space, which Mel wants to transform into a specialised

studio for people with disabilities ` she hopes it will be a fully

functioning by Easter. Guiding her on her journey is coach and former

Cirque de Soleil performer, Serenity Smith Fortune. Arnesses and did my

first try on trapeze. For anyone who has any challenges with supporting

their weight with their legs, they need to get more fitness, more upper

body strength, so they can be healthier and fitter. And happier

too ` there are a lot of endorphins that go through you when you get to

swing around. I'm dancing, I'm flying. My disability is not who I

am. Mel's friend Lyndsay performed in

the opening and closing paralympic ceremonies but hasn't been able to

practice her sport since then. She's hoping to benefit from a new space.

Keeping her feet off the ground ` Mel is able to reach heights she

never thought were possible. It looks amazing, doesn't it? It

looks so simple, but it's really tough.

Southampton Football Club have appointed Gareth Rogers as Interim

Chief Executive, with immediate effect. Rogers has been Saints'

Chief Financial Officer since March 2011. He's been appointed

temporarily by owner Katharina Liebherr, following the departure of

Executive chairman Nicola Cortese last week. As we reported earlier

this week, former Blackburn chairman John Williams is still a leading

contender to fill the chief executive role on a long`term basis.

Oxford United are out of the FA Cup, after losing their third round

replay to Charlton. Chris Wilder's side went down by three goals to nil

at the Kassam Stadium. Charlton go on to meet Huddersfield in the

fourth round. Meanwhile, MK Dons lost at

struggling Crewe in League One. The Dons were already one goal down when

they were awarded a penalty for handball. Shaun Williams' effort was

brilliantly saved. Crewe wrapped up the win in the second half. MK sit

tenth, eight points off the play`offs.

There will be no speedway on the Isle of Wight in the 2014 season,

after the Island's club decided to suspend their racing licence this

year. The Islanders' shareholders voted to step down from the coming

National League campaign, due to ongoing financial issues. The club

need to raise 30 thousand pounds for a mandatory new safety fence at the

Smallbrook Stadium. But with still more than half of that money to

find, the Islanders have taken the decision not to race this season.

Perhaps you need to kill something to let people know that it has gone.

Perhaps in five years, it might come back and we might see crowds like we

used to. There are just over two weeks to go

until the Winter Olympics get underway in Sochi in Russia, and

today more members of Team GB were announced ` including four athletes

from the South. Among them is a skier going to her fourth Games, a

bobsleigher who's made a switch from an entirely different sport, and a

debutant, competing in the new Olympic event of snowboard

slope`style. Jo Kent reports. Slope style is all about big tricks,

and Southampton's Billie Morgan carries big British medal hopes.

When you can pull off a jump like this, you can see why. He is thought

to be the first snowboarder to complete this triple rodeo jump,

consisting of three full flips in the air. He suffered a knee injury

last year, but was back in action this month in Colorado. He was the

top qualifier, but unfortunately the finals were cancelled. This week,

he's at the X games in Aspen, hoping to show that he is on top for Sochi.

Meanwhile, Andrew Musgrave, who was born in Poole, will represent

Britain in cross`country skiing. Fresh from a win at the Norwegian

national championships. The course in Lillehammer was pretty

similar to the course in Sochi ` so it's long, big hills, pretty hard

for a sprint course. That's what I've been training for this year,

and it seems like it's paying off well.

Winter Olympics veteran Chemmy Alcott proved that she is still

Britain's best, despite being dogged by injury. She broke her leg for a

third time in August, and hasn't competed on the World Cup circuit

this season, after her comeback race was cancelled last weekend. Sochi

will be the Hove skier's fourth games.

And Craig Pickering from Milton Keynes will become one of only a

handful of British athletes to compete in both summer and winter

Olympic Games, after swapping sprinting for bobsleigh.

It has been a tough couple of years ` I stopped athletics because I

needed a back operation. I thought my career was finished, but I just

kept plugging away and here I am going to my second games. I'm really

happy. In selection, Craig has proved he is

as good on the bobsleigh track as the running track. An athlete

determined to get a second chance at Olympic success.

We are getting into the feel of the Winter Olympics.

And now for the weather. There are weather warnings in the

next few days. We are keeping a close eye on the situation. There

will be some dry periods. We have a day of rain, a day of scattered

spells. The afternoon was predominantly dry,

a few showers to speak of. Tonight is mainly dry, with one or two

showers. There is a chance of a frost in the countryside.

Temperatures will fall away to three or four. Perhaps, down to one out in

the countryside. Pretty chilly tomorrow morning. There will be a

band of showers from the West, which could be on the heavy side.

Following that, one or two showers, but few or far between otherwise.

Highs of six or eight. A fresh field to things. Through tomorrow nights,

the risk of showers, but most places will be dry before this band of rain

starts creeping in. That's what we are keeping a close eye on. That was

the weather warnings from The Met office is in place for. Chilly

temperatures to starts tomorrow night, but warming up slightly

through the early hours. We are expecting a wet day on Friday. There

is a yellow weather warning in place. We could see an inch of rain

fall. Friday will see brisk south`westerly winds, and bands of

rain moving in from the west lingering for much of the day. At

rain only clears after dark on Friday. We are looking at some

showers tomorrow, but they are few and far between through the

afternoon. Weather warnings in place for Friday and Sunday. It's later on

on Sunday that the rain will push in. Maybe some gales along the south

coast. Thursday and Saturday are the days where we will see some

sunshine. We all have hopes and fears

for the future and for the lives our children

and grandchildren will lead.