:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to South Today, I'm Laura Trant.
:00:07. > :00:10.The top stories this evening: Protection for police.
:00:11. > :00:28.This is a barbaric form of treatment of the individuals and is not safe.
:00:29. > :00:33.And the exchange in the Commons over Surrey county council's decision
:00:34. > :00:36.to drop a referendum on a 15 per cent increase in Council Tax
:00:37. > :00:42.Two of the South's police forces are to equip all front line officers
:00:43. > :00:48.They can be placed on offenders to prevent them spitting
:00:49. > :00:53.But their use has been condemned by human rights organisations,
:00:54. > :00:54.and rejected by some other police forces.
:00:55. > :01:00.Here's our Home Affairs Correspondent, Emma Vardy.
:01:01. > :01:03.A third of police forces across the UK have used spitguards.
:01:04. > :01:06.Now, for the first time, officers from
:01:07. > :01:13.Hampshire and Thames Valley will all carried them on duty.
:01:14. > :01:15.We have seen instances where officers have had
:01:16. > :01:19.Not only is it a disgusting and vile thing to do,
:01:20. > :01:21.but actually puts them at risk of infection.
:01:22. > :01:23.So we have looked at the evidence available and
:01:24. > :01:25.had national advice that says we should look
:01:26. > :01:27.to issue spitguards to
:01:28. > :01:32.Over the past ten months, officers from the two forces
:01:33. > :01:34.have reported being spat at more than 400 times.
:01:35. > :01:38.I speak to police officers who have had to go through
:01:39. > :01:40.medical processes to make sure they have not
:01:41. > :01:46.Is there a danger putting a hood on someone's head could potentially
:01:47. > :01:48.Police officers will understand and closely monitor
:01:49. > :01:54.And a point at which they stop spitting, the spitguard
:01:55. > :01:58.But there is disagreement over whether they
:01:59. > :02:00.The Metropolitan Police have been consulting on
:02:01. > :02:03.whether to introduce spitguards, but a pilot last year was cancelled
:02:04. > :02:05.after London mayor Sadiq Khan voiced concerns.
:02:06. > :02:07.And Kent Police decided against their use after considering
:02:08. > :02:10.the impact on a person having a spit guard placed on them.
:02:11. > :02:12.There can be fallout for police if they are
:02:13. > :02:19.deemed to have been used inappropriately.
:02:20. > :02:20.Last year, the Independent Police Complaints
:02:21. > :02:22.Commission found there was a case to answer
:02:23. > :02:25.against Sussex Police when a
:02:26. > :02:28.spit guard was used on an 11-year-old girl, with a condition
:02:29. > :02:33.Now, London is trialling them in just a small
:02:34. > :02:36.number of custody suites, but along with other
:02:37. > :02:39.forces such as Dorset, will routinely be giving them to
:02:40. > :02:47.Health do not use spitguards, the prison
:02:48. > :02:50.service do not use them and nor do Northern Ireland.
:02:51. > :02:53.As soon as you start restraining people on the
:02:54. > :02:55.head, accidents happen and people could get seriously injured and
:02:56. > :02:59.Police say suspects will be told why a spitguard is
:03:00. > :03:07.being used and when their behaviour changes, it will be removed.
:03:08. > :03:10.Earlier I spoke to the Sussex MP Tim Lougton, who's
:03:11. > :03:11.on the Home Affairs Select Committee.
:03:12. > :03:16.He believes spithoods protect police officers.
:03:17. > :03:18.And Kevin Donaghue, a lawyer for a firm that specialises in cases
:03:19. > :03:20.against the police who thinks they are dangerous
:03:21. > :03:32.I started by asking him what his main concerns are.
:03:33. > :03:39.They're just used in isolation, but with other forms of restraint such
:03:40. > :03:43.as being handcuffed, that would be a certainty. Or being placed in a
:03:44. > :03:47.prone position on the floor, for example. That can raise issues of
:03:48. > :03:53.position asphyxia, leading to brain damage and potentially death. This
:03:54. > :03:58.is a barbaric form of treatment of the individuals and it is not safe.
:03:59. > :04:02.There should be other options explored to protect those officers.
:04:03. > :04:09.I can see you shaking your head, you obviously disagree. You exploring
:04:10. > :04:14.strict protocols under which these strict protocols under which these
:04:15. > :04:18.spitguards can be used. It is alarmist language and Mr Donahue has
:04:19. > :04:23.used the word barbaric twice and tried to imply that there are loads
:04:24. > :04:27.of people who are dying all around the world because of the use of
:04:28. > :04:33.these spitguards. That is absolute nonsense. It is a proportionate and
:04:34. > :04:35.balanced measure for those who will not come quietly, who will not
:04:36. > :04:43.behave in a civilised way and would put the health of our police
:04:44. > :04:47.officers, doing their job, at risk. That is an acceptable. Timmer, do
:04:48. > :04:52.you think you may be rushing into this? Two thirds of police forces
:04:53. > :04:57.are not using them, including greater Manchester and Metropolitan
:04:58. > :05:01.Police. It is an operational matter for individual forces to decide if
:05:02. > :05:06.there is a case for them to use them. Frankly, if Mr Donahue as a
:05:07. > :05:11.problem with it, and we must remember comedy makes money out of
:05:12. > :05:14.taking cases against police and getting awards of public money for
:05:15. > :05:21.his clients, then it should come up with some better suggestions. With
:05:22. > :05:26.the greatest respect, Tim is the elected MP and he is in charge and
:05:27. > :05:30.he is mistaken, in fact, misleading people by saying the police have to
:05:31. > :05:35.follow strict guidelines, they do not. Bred the national police chief
:05:36. > :05:40.'s cows all have issued guidance for the use of these spitguards. There
:05:41. > :05:41.is no excuse for not allowing our police to take proportionate
:05:42. > :05:45.measures to defend their officers measures to defend their officers
:05:46. > :05:53.going about their normal duty subject this completely barbaric and
:05:54. > :05:56.an acceptable behaviour by people being apprehended. Thank you both.
:05:57. > :05:58."There is no deal with Government, there never was.
:05:59. > :06:03.Those are the words of Surrey Council's leader
:06:04. > :06:08.to claims that he'd been offered a deal by the Government in exchange
:06:09. > :06:12.for dropping plans for a 15% council tax increase.
:06:13. > :06:14.Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Commons he'd seen leaked text
:06:15. > :06:18.messages that he said proved there had been a secret agreement.
:06:19. > :06:24.Our Political Editor Peter Henley reports.
:06:25. > :06:28.The labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, started
:06:29. > :06:31.with a question about social care to the Prime Minister,
:06:32. > :06:36.venting his information concerning mis-sent texts.
:06:37. > :06:38.You will be contacting me to discuss a
:06:39. > :06:45.There are clues from the start that the
:06:46. > :06:51.I understand you want to chat, he says.
:06:52. > :06:55.Hi, David, I haven't specifically asked to speak to you.
:06:56. > :07:05.I am advised that DCLG officials and my director of finance have been
:07:06. > :07:11.The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is looking at the
:07:12. > :07:13.proposals, now are you in the picture?
:07:14. > :07:17.In the final text, David Hodge reverts to code, the numbers
:07:18. > :07:18.you indicated the numbers understand our unacceptable
:07:19. > :07:26.How much did the government offer Surrey to kill
:07:27. > :07:30.this off and is the same sweetheart deal on offer to every council
:07:31. > :07:33.facing the social care crisis created by her governments?
:07:34. > :07:36.I have made clear to the right honourable
:07:37. > :07:39.gentleman what has been made available to every council, which is
:07:40. > :07:59.It was a tough moment for Theresa May and this afternoon,
:08:00. > :08:02.Surrey County Council put out a statement denying any deal and
:08:03. > :08:06.saying the decision to call off the referendum was theirs alone.
:08:07. > :08:09.It hasn't stopped other councils asking for the same deal
:08:10. > :08:15.Surrey has some of the highest council tax
:08:16. > :08:18.Also, some of the tightest Budget pressures.
:08:19. > :08:19.And some of the most influential MPs in
:08:20. > :08:25.Government, Jeremy Hunt, Philip Hammond, and in David
:08:26. > :08:27.Hodge though, it had a determined and forthright council leader
:08:28. > :08:29.leading the team just seeming to emerge victorious
:08:30. > :08:36.Threatening a referendum on a 15% rise then settling for
:08:37. > :08:42.He wouldn't say exactly what though, but he hinted he had come
:08:43. > :08:46.Today, one simple mistake, pressing the wrong
:08:47. > :08:50.button on the phone, something we have probably all done, seems to
:08:51. > :09:01.That was our political editor Peter Henley.
:09:02. > :09:03.A children's nursery owner in Hampshire
:09:04. > :09:05.who was jailed in 2015 for tax and National Insurance fraud
:09:06. > :09:08.has been told to repay nearly one million pounds.
:09:09. > :09:10.Michael Scott ran two branches of Pixies Day Nursery
:09:11. > :09:17.He was jailed for five-and-a-half years for keeping the contributions
:09:18. > :09:22.Fresh talks aimed at ending the long-running strikes
:09:23. > :09:27.on Southern Railway will be held next week.
:09:28. > :09:29.The RMT union, which represents conductors, has held 25
:09:30. > :09:33.The drivers' union, Aslef, has done a deal with the company
:09:34. > :09:35.to operate more services without a second member
:09:36. > :09:40.Drivers are currently voting whether to accept it.
:09:41. > :09:44.We're back tomorrow with bulletins in BBC Breakfast and there's more
:09:45. > :09:53.Now Alexis has our latest forecast, and it's feeling chilly.
:09:54. > :10:02.Tonight, temperatures are hovering around freezing and may drop below
:10:03. > :10:06.it. We could have patchy frost with cloud, but under the clearing skies
:10:07. > :10:10.you are more likely to see frost. Mainly dry through the evening and
:10:11. > :10:15.overnight tonight. And tomorrow morning. Tomorrow daytime, there's a
:10:16. > :10:24.risk of a wintry showers, sleet or snow. That is delay breeze will take
:10:25. > :10:31.the edge of temperatures. Highs tomorrow of 2-6 C. Feeling why 3-4,
:10:32. > :10:36.given the wind-chill. That will stay with us into Friday and through the
:10:37. > :10:40.weekend. Friday will be similar to tomorrow, more of a chance of a
:10:41. > :10:46.wintry showers, especially after Darwin to bridge starts to fall. We
:10:47. > :10:50.drag in a bitterly cold air from the near continent. The colder and the
:10:51. > :10:57.cloud will stay with us. Bright as polls on Friday, but once again, the
:10:58. > :11:01.risk of a wintry shower. Also over the weekend, on Saturday, that is
:11:02. > :11:02.the coldest day this weekend with a raw wind.
:11:03. > :11:08.cloudy and Ben Rich will take you through the bigger picture.
:11:09. > :11:14.Good evening. Over the next few days I suspect it's going to feel like we
:11:15. > :11:21.have been plunged into the deep freeze. Cold weather on the way and
:11:22. > :11:25.not necessarily crisp cold weather, with blue skies. A lot of cloud,
:11:26. > :11:29.there was some sunshine today across parts of west Wales, for instance.
:11:30. > :11:35.That lifted temperatures up to 11. But further east as you can see from
:11:36. > :11:36.the picture, there was a lot of cloud feeding in and that