:00:00. > :00:08.Good evening, I'm Jo Kent. for the news where you are.
:00:09. > :00:11.Seven special schools in Southampton are facing a funding cut
:00:12. > :00:18.The parents of the children who go to them and the teachers who work
:00:19. > :00:21.They're worried the children who have complex needs will suffer
:00:22. > :00:23.because vital staff and services could be lost.
:00:24. > :00:30.Pop your head back a minute. Good boy, thank you.
:00:31. > :00:32.Abi Simper gets her son George ready for school,
:00:33. > :00:37.confident that when he's there he's safe and happy.
:00:38. > :00:40.The seven-year-old from Southampton has a variety of complex
:00:41. > :00:42.physical and medical needs and Rosewood Free School caters
:00:43. > :00:50.Knowing that he's going somewhere where he enjoys and they can
:00:51. > :00:52.accommodate his care levels is a lifeline for us really.
:00:53. > :00:59.If there wasn't a place for him, I'm not sure what we'd do.
:01:00. > :01:02.But Rosewood is one of seven special schools in the city facing
:01:03. > :01:07.In April their funding is being slashed by ?2.9 million
:01:08. > :01:11.forcing major changes in the classroom.
:01:12. > :01:14.The likelihood is that we will go up to class sizes of eight.
:01:15. > :01:17.That would be similar to asking a reception mainstream class to go
:01:18. > :01:22.We would be pushed towards a situation where we would be
:01:23. > :01:25.processing children rather than supporting, caring for
:01:26. > :01:33.The Cabinet member for Education and Skills
:01:34. > :01:36.at Southampton City Council told us no decision has yet been made.
:01:37. > :01:39."I asked the Secretary of State for Education to provide sufficient
:01:40. > :01:41.funding for schools and have invited her to come
:01:42. > :01:44.to Southampton to see the effects of the Government's cash freeze
:01:45. > :01:50.But the Department for Education says it has already allocated
:01:51. > :01:54.the council an extra ?1.1 million for special education.
:01:55. > :01:56.The issue will be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday where staff
:01:57. > :01:59.here hope to stop the city's most vulnerable children
:02:00. > :02:12.A young girl who suffered life changing injuries in a car
:02:13. > :02:15.accident which was caused by a Hampshire County Council
:02:16. > :02:18.vehicle is to receive record compensation which could
:02:19. > :02:23.The girl, who can't be identified, was sitting in a stationary car
:02:24. > :02:26.near Winchester when the van drove into the back of it.
:02:27. > :02:28.Earlier our reporter Edward Sault explained
:02:29. > :02:34.Hampshire County Council admitted liability and they will pay
:02:35. > :02:37.a lump sum of ?9 million, but with added costs over
:02:38. > :02:40.the course of the years by the time this girl is 70,
:02:41. > :02:46.In a statement from London's High Court,
:02:47. > :02:50.the judge said today, "I have no doubt that the family
:02:51. > :02:53.would sacrifice every penny to turn the clock back to before
:02:54. > :02:54.the accident and I have no hesitation in agreeing
:02:55. > :03:00.that this settlement is in her best interests."
:03:01. > :03:04.So Ed, what has Hampshire County Council said?
:03:05. > :03:06.Well, they weren't prepared to put anyone up for a television
:03:07. > :03:08.interview, but tonight we got a statement from them.
:03:09. > :03:17.They said, "The county council wishes to sincerely apologise
:03:18. > :03:27.They've worked with the family's legal representatives and our
:03:28. > :03:31.It has got legal commentators talking tonight who admit that this
:03:32. > :03:35.A local authority like Hampshire employs a large number of staff.
:03:36. > :03:37.Some of those drive vehicles, others operate machinery,
:03:38. > :03:40.accidents happen and if it's the responsibility of the council
:03:41. > :03:41.employee then the council usually has to pay.
:03:42. > :03:44.In this case, it was settled and all the judge did
:03:45. > :03:48.What it means is that people who live in Hampshire,
:03:49. > :03:50.through their payment to the local authority, are supporting this
:03:51. > :03:53.little girl, woman as she will be for the rest of her life.
:03:54. > :03:56.Ed, do we know any more about the girl involved?
:03:57. > :03:57.Jo, court orders mean we can't identify her,
:03:58. > :04:00.but the court was told how she was under ten
:04:01. > :04:04.They heard how she wanted to be a vet, but how those
:04:05. > :04:09.The court heard as a result of the incident she will never be
:04:10. > :04:11.speak, walk independently or use her arms again.
:04:12. > :04:17.Conductors in the RMT union have announced another strike
:04:18. > :04:23.It will be on 4th April, the day after drivers at the same
:04:24. > :04:25.company decide whether to accept a deal to operate some
:04:26. > :04:29.services without a second member of staff on board.
:04:30. > :04:31.It will be the 31st day of strike action since
:04:32. > :04:37.This week the drivers' union, Aslef, reached agreement
:04:38. > :04:39.with Southern Railway over new working arrangements,
:04:40. > :04:41.and balloting on that deal started today.
:04:42. > :04:44.Several of the Royal Navy's lynx helicopters took to the skies today
:04:45. > :04:48.The helicopters, which have been in service for more than 40 years,
:04:49. > :04:51.are due to be retired at the end of the month.
:04:52. > :04:53.Taking off from their base at Yeovilton, they flew over sites
:04:54. > :05:01.After a quick stop at base, they travelled along
:05:02. > :05:04.the South Coast, on to London and back across country.
:05:05. > :05:06.Our reporter Laurence Herdman watched on from their
:05:07. > :05:11.Airborne for one final time, a diamond formation matching
:05:12. > :05:23.Everything meticulous just as it always has been.
:05:24. > :05:26.The joy of this aircraft, it does a little bit of everything.
:05:27. > :05:28.So load lifting, winching, it has got weaponry both anti-submarine
:05:29. > :05:35.It's the eye in the sky. It's search and rescue.
:05:36. > :05:40.From the waters of the South Atlantic to the sands
:05:41. > :05:42.of the Persian Gulf, the lynx has flown its colours
:05:43. > :05:50.It seemed everyone wanted to share the milestone.
:05:51. > :05:52.We've got a wonderful helicopter they served our country
:05:53. > :05:54.for 41 years, you have to say farewell to it.
:05:55. > :05:57.It maybe goodbye to the lynx from Portland as it disappears over
:05:58. > :06:05.the horizon, but exciting new adventures becon.
:06:06. > :06:09.In football, Reading have moved up to fourth
:06:10. > :06:12.in the Championship tonight, following a win at top-six rivals
:06:13. > :06:17.Yann Kermorgant put the Royals ahead early in the first half,
:06:18. > :06:19.with Adrian Popa doubling their score with a last minute goal
:06:20. > :06:23.Several match winning saves from Ali Al Habsi meant the Royals
:06:24. > :06:27.took away a clean sheet as well as three points in the race
:06:28. > :06:31.That's all from the South Today news team this evening.
:06:32. > :06:42.Well, sunshine in short supply over the next few days. And after a
:06:43. > :06:45.cloudy day today, things stay cloudy through tonight and the winds will
:06:46. > :06:49.pick up too. So the cloud building over the coming hours and under the
:06:50. > :06:53.cloudy skies temperatures not at all chilly. We are look at lows of eight
:06:54. > :06:58.or nine Celsius. Just the chance perhaps of the odd spit or spot of
:06:59. > :07:01.rain, but most places staying dry. Tomorrow, dawns breezy and cloudy
:07:02. > :07:05.and that cloud is going to stick around all day. Again, the chance of
:07:06. > :07:09.the odd spit or spot of rain, but most places staying dry and under
:07:10. > :07:15.the cloudy skies, highs reach 13 Celsius. But you will notice that
:07:16. > :07:21.very brisk westerly wind. Looking ahead to the next few days. Tomorrow
:07:22. > :07:25.is dry, cloudy and mild. Sunday continues cloudy and mild, but we
:07:26. > :07:29.could see some rain later on in the day and for Monday, it's a cool,
:07:30. > :07:32.cloudy prospect with showers. Those winds still strong.
:07:33. > :07:39.it is rather breezy. Now for the national outlook.
:07:40. > :07:47.It was quite a wet day across many northern and western parts of the
:07:48. > :07:51.UK. This was the view in Lancashire not so long ago. For the weekend we
:07:52. > :07:56.are looking to see further rain, all coming from the west, so the further
:07:57. > :08:00.east you are, it should be drier. It will be quite a windy weekend for
:08:01. > :08:03.all parts. The radar from earlier today showing quite a bit of rain
:08:04. > :08:08.across the North and west. The only rain across the East has been light
:08:09. > :08:14.and patchy, but heavy bursts further west. The satellite sequence shows
:08:15. > :08:18.cloud over the UK at the moment. Plenty more cloud over the Atlantic,
:08:19. > :08:25.and it's heading our way, most of it rain bearing. Tomorrow night, still
:08:26. > :08:29.wet for most areas. Snow over the hills of Scotland, not much rain in
:08:30. > :08:30.the east, but still some. With the crowd and breeze, temperatures kept
:08:31. > :08:31.up