:00:00. > :00:17.The Royal Military Police apologises to the family of a soldier
:00:18. > :00:20.who took her own life over ht's handling of her rape allegations.
:00:21. > :00:24.What you need is to have independence and I don't believe
:00:25. > :00:26.that they can have independdnce if you have the Army
:00:27. > :00:31.A charity offers a solution to so-called bed blocking btt why
:00:32. > :00:46.The Royal Military Police h`s apologised to the family
:00:47. > :00:48.of a soldier from Dorset who took her own life,
:00:49. > :00:50.after claiming she'd been raped by colleagues.
:00:51. > :00:52.The RMP admitted it made mistakes in its investigation into
:00:53. > :00:57.In a moment we'll hear from her family, and the solicitor who helped
:00:58. > :01:00.But first, Steve Humphrey reports on the events that
:01:01. > :01:11.Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement from Bournemouth first reported
:01:12. > :01:14.that she had been raped by two colleagues whilst serving
:01:15. > :01:16.with the Royal Military Polhce in Germany in 2009.
:01:17. > :01:18.Even though everyone involvdd was in the Military Police,
:01:19. > :01:19.they investigated the case themselves.
:01:20. > :01:22.An Army prosecutor decided no charges would be brought,
:01:23. > :01:30.a decision that devastated Anne-Marie.
:01:31. > :01:32.In October 2011, she took her own life.
:01:33. > :01:34.Her family campaigned for jtstice and the human rights group
:01:35. > :01:39.It threatened legal action tnder the European Human Rights Act
:01:40. > :01:43.and the Ministry of Defence then agreed to refer the case for a fresh
:01:44. > :01:49.Two soldiers were eventually charged.
:01:50. > :01:52.Both were acquitted of rape in April this year after a court martial
:01:53. > :01:54.but the judge described their conduct towards
:01:55. > :02:20.Today, in its statement, the Royal Military Police s`ys. .
:02:21. > :02:30.Anne-Marie's family have accepted the apology,
:02:31. > :02:33.But they still question whether the RMP should investigate
:02:34. > :02:37.serious allegations made by serving soldiers.
:02:38. > :02:40.She would be pleased that there was an apology
:02:41. > :02:44.There is an acknowledgement finally that they got this so badly wrong.
:02:45. > :02:47.Can the Royal Military Police investigate serious crimes?
:02:48. > :02:50.Because in Anne-Marie's original investigation it was quite clear
:02:51. > :02:54.that they could not and we have also had criticisms from two judges now,
:02:55. > :03:01.criticising the conduct of the Royal Military Policd.
:03:02. > :03:04.The organisation Liberty represented the family as they fought
:03:05. > :03:06.Their solicitor says without the Human Rights Act
:03:07. > :03:08.they wouldn't have got that and is concerned about
:03:09. > :03:17.implications for future casds if the Government ever repe`ls it.
:03:18. > :03:20.The Human Rights Act, in thhs case, helped in two very important ways.
:03:21. > :03:23.First of all, it meant that we could get a full,
:03:24. > :03:24.wide-ranging inquest into Anne-Marie's death
:03:25. > :03:26.and that exposed bullying, including rape-related bullxing
:03:27. > :03:29.and all of the other terrible failures that led up to her death.
:03:30. > :03:34.The family had to fight for that, they had to go to court for that.
:03:35. > :03:36.The second was to secure a fresh police investigation
:03:37. > :03:39.into Anne-Marie's very serious report that she had been
:03:40. > :03:48.The Ministry of Defence and the Royal Military Police
:03:49. > :03:51.would not do that voluntarily, even after we asked them to do
:03:52. > :03:58.They would not do it until we again threatened to take them to the
:03:59. > :04:01.And the only bit of law that we were relying
:04:02. > :04:07.Would you like to see civilhan police investigate serious
:04:08. > :04:10.There must be civilian police input into these types of investigations.
:04:11. > :04:12.The Military Police, sadly, in this case,
:04:13. > :04:14.have shown themselves to be not capable of investigating serious
:04:15. > :04:17.crime and, in particular, serious sexual crime.
:04:18. > :04:19.That requires expertise and police officers who really know
:04:20. > :04:23.what they are doing and we're really sorry to say that Anne-Marid's
:04:24. > :04:25.experience indicates that they are just not
:04:26. > :04:39.So-called bed blocking costs the NHS ?820 million a year,
:04:40. > :04:41.but a charity that's offering rooms to allow hospitals to disch`rge
:04:42. > :04:44.patients who are medically fit, but unable to go home or into care,
:04:45. > :04:48.says its had no NHS patients since it opened three months ago.
:04:49. > :04:50.The Enham Trust's rooms in @ndover would cost around ?60
:04:51. > :04:55.a night, compared to ?400 a night in hospital.
:04:56. > :05:00.Our health correspondent David Fenton reports.
:05:01. > :05:03.Ten rooms, all ready for patients, all empty.
:05:04. > :05:08.And they've been like this for weeks and weeks and weeks.
:05:09. > :05:11.These apartments have their own sink and kitchen area.
:05:12. > :05:14.Of course, there is a bed and over here, there is a bathroom,
:05:15. > :05:24.In fact, it is better than lost hotels I've stayed in!
:05:25. > :05:28.But in three months, only three people have used
:05:29. > :05:31.these apartments and none of them were from the NHS.
:05:32. > :05:35.This complex looks after many people and there are physios
:05:36. > :05:43.and occupational therapists available for 24-hour care.
:05:44. > :05:46.To come into somewhere like an apartment here and be able
:05:47. > :05:49.to live and practice the independent occupation they need to do,
:05:50. > :05:53.like making a cup of tea or having a bath with the help of a therapy
:05:54. > :05:56.team, makes a big differencd to how quickly they progress.
:05:57. > :06:00.So, why are these facilities not being used by the NHS?
:06:01. > :06:09.Is it bureaucracy or becausd this complex is run by a charity?
:06:10. > :06:12.We are a small charity, but we are a very buoyant charity
:06:13. > :06:16.and I think the NHS can bendfit and I know that they recognhse that
:06:17. > :06:18.- from working with different charities to assist them
:06:19. > :06:21.in the complexity that they deal with, with a range of peopld
:06:22. > :06:24.The hospitals in Basingstokd and Winchester have been talking
:06:25. > :06:28.In fact, I saw a couple of people from Winchester Hospital
:06:29. > :06:32.Southampton General and the Royal Berkshire
:06:33. > :06:42.Is it the hospitals, is it the councils, is it
:06:43. > :06:49.It seems like a simple saving but the issues are very complicated.
:06:50. > :06:55.There have been two key votds tonight on proposals for three
:06:56. > :06:57.of the biggest councils along the Solent to join forces.
:06:58. > :06:59.Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight are considering forming
:07:00. > :07:01.a combined authority which would have its
:07:02. > :07:05.Portsmouth has already backdd the move - the other two
:07:06. > :07:07.councils voted tonight, with mixed results.
:07:08. > :07:09.Roger Finn's been following the debates and joins me
:07:10. > :07:13.Well, as expected, tonight Southampton has voted
:07:14. > :07:16.to approve the creation of , I'm afraid it's quite a mouthful -
:07:17. > :07:21.the Solent Mayoral Combined Authority.
:07:22. > :07:24.It's part of the Government's drive to bring devoloution to England
:07:25. > :07:27.The three councils would relain but there would also be
:07:28. > :07:29.a directly-elected mayor - that's a Government
:07:30. > :07:32.The new authority would get an extra ?900
:07:33. > :07:34.million over 30 years and get to keep all
:07:35. > :07:38.over housing targets, local transport and joining up
:07:39. > :07:42.Portsmouth Council agreed the idea last week.
:07:43. > :07:49.And now Southampton has gond for it too.
:07:50. > :07:51.We have, for many years, been under invested in this area
:07:52. > :07:57.and we don't have good transport links and we need an improvdd link.
:07:58. > :08:00.We need facilities to drive the economy and this
:08:01. > :08:02.is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take control of our desthny
:08:03. > :08:07.What level of support is there for the proposals?
:08:08. > :08:11.All the councils had an eight week consultation on the idea.
:08:12. > :08:14.Over 70% supported the idea of devolution but there was a fair
:08:15. > :08:18.degree of opposition to an elected mayor.
:08:19. > :08:23.And some have called for anx final deal to be put to a referendum.
:08:24. > :08:26.It is something that could put people's council tax up,
:08:27. > :08:30.and business rates up, and people need to have thehr say.
:08:31. > :08:32.It is such a big change and it's been too rushed,
:08:33. > :08:35.it is undemocratic and it is dodgy and has been done
:08:36. > :08:44.Tom, all three councils must agree for the plan to move forward
:08:45. > :08:47.But in tonight's discussions, on the Isle of Wight,
:08:48. > :08:57.Now a final decision there will be made by the Cabinet on Mond`y.
:08:58. > :09:03.Roger, thank you. We shall follow that closely.
:09:04. > :09:06.It is every metal detectorist's dream, unearthing Roman tre`sure.
:09:07. > :09:08.Two years ago, a hoard of ancient coins was found
:09:09. > :09:12.The find of 1,600 coins bear the heads of 12 Roman
:09:13. > :09:14.emperors and some date back to the third century.
:09:15. > :09:16.Significant finds like this often end up in national museums
:09:17. > :09:22.but a campaign's underway to keep them close to home.
:09:23. > :09:24.I want the coins to stay here, not going off to London
:09:25. > :09:29.They have too much stuff up there already, they can stax down
:09:30. > :09:36.Somebody in our area, one of our ancestors,
:09:37. > :09:38.hid these coins, maybe he was under attack,
:09:39. > :09:57.That is the latest. Time for the weather.
:09:58. > :10:01.Good evening. We have had some showers today. There could be more
:10:02. > :10:04.tonight. But there will be puite a lot of dry weather and more cloud
:10:05. > :10:08.arriving in the early hours. Where we have the clearing skies down
:10:09. > :10:12.towards Dorset, temperatures could fall low as three degrees or 4
:10:13. > :10:16.degrees. These are the tempdratures in urban areas. Through tomorrow
:10:17. > :10:20.morning we will have a lot of cloud. That bought them and break to allow
:10:21. > :10:23.for some sunny spells. Any sunshine, temperatures could reach a high of
:10:24. > :10:28.14 Celsius, but there will be varying amounts of cloud and the odd
:10:29. > :10:32.shower. Not everyone will h`ve the showers and Bobby dry weathdr with a
:10:33. > :10:39.high of 13 degrees or 14 degrees. During the course of Thursd`y into
:10:40. > :10:42.Friday, High pressure domin`tes and the ones will fall light on Friday.
:10:43. > :10:46.We are expecting a misty and murky start, particularly for Dorset and
:10:47. > :10:49.Wiltshire. The cloud will btild in the afternoon and there will be
:10:50. > :10:55.sunshine. High pressure domhnating over whether through tomorrow and
:10:56. > :10:58.also Friday. And up to the weekend. The winds will fall light tomorrow
:10:59. > :11:01.and Thursday as well. Temperatures will reach a high of 14 Celsius
:11:02. > :11:06.That is that cool breeze to factor in. Here
:11:07. > :11:10.is Matt with the national outlook. Good evening. Just as the weather
:11:11. > :11:14.starts to quieten down across many parts of the country it notched up a
:11:15. > :11:18.gear across the east coast today. Near gale force winds whipping up
:11:19. > :11:24.rough seas for our weather watchers in north Yorkshire and in Norfolk.
:11:25. > :11:28.Low pressure across the North Sea, still in place tonight bringing
:11:29. > :11:32.gusty winds down the east coast and showers as well. Away from that most
:11:33. > :11:35.will be dry. An isolated shower down to west Cornwall and the Isles of
:11:36. > :11:40.Scilly but it's high pressure in charge in the west. Lighter winds
:11:41. > :11:46.and clearer skies and coldest of the conditions. A night to snuggle down
:11:47. > :11:49.under the duvet. Frost-free to the east of England. The breeze will
:11:50. > :11:53.still be there in the morning. One or two showers on the coast. Most
:11:54. > :11:56.will get away with a dry morning commute. Sunniest weather to the
:11:57. > :12:00.west. Again a touch of frost here. One or two mist and fog patches
:12:01. > :12:04.Greater chance of frost to start the day in Scotland and Northern Ireland
:12:05. > :12:08.where some of the mist and fog patches will last to mid-morning.
:12:09. > :12:10.But winds are lighter here and with sunshine overhead