14/04/2017 South Today

Hello, I'm Allen Sinclair with the news from South Today.

There's a warning to those enjoying the countryside this

weekend that huge areas are at risk from heathland and grass fires.

Hampshire firefighters have dealt with more than 50 incidents over

The ground still smouldering in parts of the six hectares

The recent warm weather has created a perfect storm -

vegetation is dry and people are around.

Bottles, broken glass on the ground there,

another example of whereby the sun can react to it like

Another potential cause for the start of the fire.

I'm not saying that this was the one on this occasion,

but take your rubbish with you take a glass home you,

This was the Yateley fire at its height, one of 52

Hampshire Fire Rescue dealt with within the week,

The devastation caused by this fire is all too evident.

Wildlife animals will have perished in this fire, but thankfully,

no people were injured, although it came close to houses

It can't be ruled out that this fire was started deliberately.

It's the loss of the land, it's the damage the environment -

it will take years to recover from this.

Let alone, further still, the risk to the public,

These fires can take flight very, very rapidly, hence,

we quite often term them as a wildfire.

Whilst the preservation of these vulnerable open spaces is key,

the message is if you do encounter a fire, report it and don't try

Poultry farmers are allowing their birds outdoors again

for the first time in months, after restrictions to prevent

the spread of bird-flu from wildfowl were lifted.

Normally, free-range hens have had to be kept indoors.

That's meant that, since February, boxes of free-range eggs have

had to carry a label, pointing out that the birds

have been been kept inside for their welfare.

When these hens were first shut inside the barn,

dozens died of suffocation as they crushed up inside against

They did get used to it, but now the restrictions have eased,

When these hens were first shut inside the barn,

Production, I think, probably was affected a little bit.

They certainly ate more food, because obviously when they're

outside, they're grazing, weeds, grass, slugs,

They were marked as barn eggs rather than free range.

As from yesterday, they are now free range again, which is great.

This easing of restrictions by Defra comes with a warning attached.

All keepers must still comply with strict bio-security measures,

because the risk of a flock like like this one contracting bird

And the worry here on New Farm is the hens may have

to spend every winter inside until a vaccine is developed.

The distinctive drone of its engines has been heard in the skies over

but the aircraft that's shuttled tens of thousands of passengers

between the city and the Channel Islands has touched

As Edward Sault reports, the Trislander plane,

built on the Isle of Wight, has made more flights than any other

Almost 33,000 flying hours and over 105,000 landings,

but this Aurigny Trislander has landed for the last time,

To think that this aeroplane has retired after so many flights

and moving so many thousands of people around, it does

This Trislander, known to many over Southampton, isn't going far.

It is destined for here at the Solent Sky Museum

and whilst it linked Alderney with the mainland, its connections

It's very important, actually, as a local

aviation story because, of course, Britten-Norman

started their activities on the Isle of Wight

and we have their very first aeroplane.

It has almost become a part of Southampton life, if you like,

and that was because of the distinctive engine noise.

As soon as you heard that, you knew there was a Trislander

Oscar November, as this aeroplane is known, will be on show

in its new home in six to nine months.

It's Good Friday of course, and worshippers at Christ Church

Cathedral in Oxford have been re-enacting the Easter story.

They held a procession around the cathedral,

stopping to perform scenes for the public.

The aim of the event was to help children to better understand

the events leading up to the crucifixion.

Sometimes people just go straight into Easter and they don't actually

know the story of what happened at the end

a way of trying to tell what is a difficult and complicated

it is story in a way that is accessible and for

younger people, as well as, I hope, quite moving for all ages.

Onto football, and Brighton are still on track to secure

automatic promotion to the Premier League

and remain top of the table, after winning away to Wolves.

But a win from third-place Huddersfield means guaranteed

promotion spots are still too close to call.

There were three games in League One.

Oxford United lost 1-0 away at Bradford.

Swindon managed to salvage a point at least

after a goalless draw at home against AFC Wimbledon,

but the Robins remain in the relegation zone.

In the two of the Fort Hood. They went a goal down at Fratton Park.

They had hoped to win today would secure their will then move up to

lead one but Pompey are hot on their lead one but Pompey are hot on their

heels in third point -- third place. Results elsewhere guarantees them a

play-off place. OK, onto the weather then,

and Sarah Farmer is here. Bit gloomy today, can

we expect better for the rest too but certainly fresher then it

was a week ago. Some outbreaks of rain, nudging themselves across our

part of the world. Patchy in nature, it will tend to come and go.

Clearing towards the south coast through the early hours.

Temperatures down to eight or 9 degrees. We start tomorrow on a

cloudy note, any remnants of that cloudy weather clearing.

Temperatures up to around 12 or 13 degrees. Looking ahead to the rest

of the weekend, Sunday start on a cloudy note with some rain arriving

later in the day. Monday the odd shower is possible, and there may be

a touch of frost on Tuesday. Rain from my Easter a camp? Thanks a lot,

Sarah. We are back at 10:20pm tonight have a great evening,

goodbye. To think that this time last

weekend, temperatures were in the 20s. They got up to 25.5. Much

cooler across the country this weekend. And this headline is true

for the weather next week. That cool air stream from the north will

persist. The mild air tries to get in, but never really wins. What have

we got for the rest of today? The rain we had across Wales earlier

will move southwards, but once the rain reaches you, it will be much

lighter. Across many northern areas, the skies will clear up altogether.

It will be a nippy night. Certainly a touch of frost