24/02/2017 South Today

Good evening, I'm Jo Kent. for the news where you are.

A woman from Southsea in Hampshire has died following an horrific

attack by a gang of robbers at her home in South Africa.

Sue Howarth was tied up and tortured along with her husband

at their farm at Dullstroom about 160 miles

The couple had moved there some years ago.

Our reporter Sophia Seth told me more about what happened.

Well, the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday.

I've been speaking to the local paper who

interviewed her husband, Robert Lynn.

He is now back at home recovering from his injuries.

He says that both he and his wife Sue

The intruders then tied them up, covered their heads and put them in

Robert was hit on the head with a gun, cut with knives

He received severe burns to his stomach.

It is not clear, the extent of Sue's injuries, but there are

reports locally that she received gunshot wounds.

Sue, who was 64, died in hospital on Tuesday.

Yesterday, a memorial service was held for her.

It was attended by her friends and members of the local community.

Especially because Sue was very well loved.

She was passionate about animals, especially border collies.

Everybody I have spoken to has called her a wonderful woman

She was forever getting money together for the

This is not the first incident of its kind in

Here, the couple were on their farm and attacked by

intruders in the middle of the night.

And I've been told this is not an isolated case.

From New Year's Eve until 21st of February, there

People have been attacked in the sense of being pulled out

of bed, tied around the neck, and been stabbed,

blowtorched, raped and then murdered.

Well, today, five people are reported to have been arrested and

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says it's in touch with

A postmortem is due to take place and once that is

completed, the ashes will come to Southsea to be buried

A five-year-old girl from Berkshire might not have died from a heart

condition had it not been for a failure in her

A coroner today recorded that neglect contributed

She collapsed outside her school in May 2014

Paramedics sent to help her failed to use a defibrillator

which could have delivered an electric shock to

Had Lilly May been defibrillated within 15 minutes of her collapse,

she would have survived and would still be with us.

The coroner has found that Lilly May's death was contributed

to by neglect on the part of South Central Ambulance Service,

and we hope that everyone involved in this inquest will have learned

from these events and that a child will not die

again in the future for want of defibrillation.

In a statement South Central Ambulance said "the Trust has

"undertaken a detailed investigation into our response to Lilly-May's

"death from sudden arrhythmic death and shared these findings,

"and our subsequent actions, with Lilly-May's family.

"We accept the findings of the Coroner today

"and offer our sincere apologies to Lilly-May's family."

Dorset's Abbotsbury Swannery has been declared clear of bird flu.

Nine dead swans found there in January tested positive

The swannery, a popular tourist attraction,

was given the all clear by animal health managers earlier today.

The virus is considered very low risk to humans.

There've been no cases at the swannery since last month.

A big operation is gearing up to get tens of thousands

of Southampton fans to Wembley for Sunday's League Cup final.

Special coaches and extra trains are being laid on but Saints

supporters are being warned about possible travel

congestion with a rugby international also taking place.

Briony Leyland reports on the big build up.

A rallying call for Saints fans being answered from both

This couple left Southampton for Australia in 1972 as newlyweds,

following the progress of Saints from a distance and travelling back

especially for Sunday's EFL Cup final.

It is taking an opportunity when it arises, you have to take it, life is

too short to sit back and say I should have,

They will be making the journey with other fans by coach.

There are over 100 coaches from around the south.

It is great for the city, for the company and for the fans, we go

to the matches, so it is all important for us.

Southampton may be the underdogs, but that was also true in 1976, when

they beat the same opposition, Manchester United, in the same

And that is when Ted Bates was the boss.

The landlord and landlady of the Southampton pub have happy

They will be taking their seats on Sunday even though

Karen finds it hard to look when the stakes are high.

Not long to wait now and to relieve the tension,

So match day is Sunday, kick off 4.30 at Wembley Stadium.

You can follow the action online and on the radio.

BBC Radio Solent will have a special edition of the Katie Martin show

live from Olympic Way with all the build up

From two o clock the BBC South Today team will be live on facebook

from the BBC bus which is stationed on Olympic Way.

Then from 3.30 Kevan James hosts BBC Radio Solent sport,

and from 4.30 former Saints boss Dave Merrington joins Adam Blackmore

That's all from the South Today news team this evening.

We are looking at cloudy weather in the next few days. Temperatures this

evening have dropped a freezing in many locations. But they will rise

with the arrival of cloud and outbreaks of light and patchy rain.

Temperatures will fall away in the countryside to run for Celsius.

These temperatures in urban places. A damp start tomorrow and through

the cause of the day, lighter, patchy rain, a dry start to the

morning a more persistent rain arrives in the afternoon. That could

be heavy at times. Temperatures tomorrow will reach a high of

8-10 C. As will get the weekend, Sunday is the better day, mainly

dry, with the odd shower. Sunshine and showers are expected on Monday

and over the next few days we will have brisk, south-westerly

few days it is that the stay miles. Outbreaks of rain at times

particularly as we head into Monday. A much calmer day today after the

nasty storm yesterday. Let's look at your pictures, tranquil from

Hampshire, on the edge of the new Forest. Nice cumulus clouds from

Hartlepool. Still a bit stormy, that sea. We are starting to get more

pictures of bass coming through. The 1st of March, the first day of

meteorological spring. We like it in three months