14/07/2011 Spotlight

A double blow for our local airports as air south-west

announces they are to cease operations completely.

Good evening. Important revenue will be lost at Newquay airport and

Plymouth will close earlier than expected. We will be live there

with reaction. But shock and anger as the government confirms Brixham

and Portland will close by 2014. I think it is a disaster. They have

not thought about this, the consultation was poor, and it is an

awful decision. And investigating a double murder

in Cornwall - police make a significant find at a house near St

Austell. Passenger flights into Plymouth

airport will stop three months earlier than expected. Air South

West today said it will pull out in September, but it also made the

surprise announcement that it will cease flights to and from Newquay

airport at the end of September. Business leaders have described

that unexpected move as a major blow to the entire region. The

announcement came just hours after the Government confirmed two

coastguard stations would close. Brixham and Portland are set to

shut by 2014. We are live in Brixham for reaction to the

coastguard announcement later but first our business correspondent,

Neil Gallacher, is at Plymouth airport now.

Poor old Plymouth airport. First we learned its operators had decided

to close it at the end of this year. Then we learned there are no

flights in August due to radar problems. Now we learn the last

scheduled airline still using the airport, Air Southwest, is bringing

forward its last day of flying here to September 14th. The reaction

from the business community has been regret mixed with fatalism.

They have fresh concern now - the impact on Cornwall's only real

airport, Newquay. Because Air Southwest flies to 9 destinations

from there year-round, and it's Today's announcement starts to

bring home to cause the wider implications, because, with the

closure of routes from Newquay as well, that much -- must put a

question on what will happen to the rest of Newquay. With this we have

no air service at all, and that is a bigger issue.

Of course putting a question mark over Newquay'sd future is not the

same as saying The future is bad. All the same Air Southwest is 25%

of their pax numbers. We are discussing with the council,

they owned the airport. It is unfortunate that the economic

downturn, which has affected aviation very harshly, has left

this decision. The air will be a renewed campaign to get faster rail

links. I have sobering news on that. I

asked the Transport Secretary and the boss of Network Rail about this,

and both men that made significant factual errors in interview with us,

which overstated the benefits and how fast with -- far south-west the

rail links would come. These could have been slobs of the tongue, but

if there is anyone hoping hear that at the very highest level there is

a detailed grasp of our peripheral The closure of Plymouth Airport, it

was confirmed that two of the region's coastguard stations will

close. There had been fierce lobbying to save them, but today

the Transport Secretary announced that the station in Brixham would

close by 2014 along with Portland Coastguards.

But it seems the intense pressure to save Falmouth Coastguards has

paid off. It will be retained as a 24 hour station, despite initial

proposals to downgrade it to daytime only. Our reporter, John

Henderson, was in Brixham when the announcement was made and join us

live from there now. Yes, Brixham basking in glory this

evening, the trotters tied up, yachts in the marina, plenty of

cruisers coming in and out. It has been a great day for the weather,

but for people in Britain it will not have been a good day, and also

those in Portland, because the coastguard stations are going to

close. Brixham Coastguard has been at the

harbour for about 25 years, but for how much longer? This lunchtime,

staff gathered at the station to be called -- told it will close in

three years. We are still trying to take it in and see our options.

Disappointment? Definitely. Anger? Not at the moment. A Brixham is the

biggest fishing port in England. Trawler's rely on the weather

information provided by the station which employs 25 people. The loss

of local knowledge is worrying some. I think the knowledge will be lost,

the coastguard is important in co- ordinating any rescue, especially

around the shore. Responding to local concerns about safety, the

Secretary of State for Transport told MPs in the Commons today that

updated proposals would safeguard seafarers. Of course, safety is

paramount, and this whole process is about making the coastguard

service more resilient, more effective, creating a proper career

structure which will attract and retain the quality of people we

need. While Portland Coastguard is also

to close, the Falmouth station will continue to provide round-the-clock

cover. We are very pleased that we are to

retain the station, but we do not have details about what our role

will be. The work and Mike Dixon colleagues did during June and July

out strips the work that we do and it will put a lot of strain on us.

He so old, while Cornwall keeps its station, Devon and Dorset are the

losers. I think it is fair that lots of

people are not very happy. The people who work at Brixham

coastguards say they will fight this plant closure, but speaking to

people today, lots of them are very resigned about the future of their

coastguard station. Joining me now is Sherryl Murray,

MP for South East Cornwall, he campaigned against some of the

proposals. What did you make of today's out come?

I think it is an absolute disgrace. It is going to affect the economy

of coastal areas all the way along the coast, from Dorset through to

Cornwall. The loss of Brixham coastguard, I cannot believe that

the minister, after I wrote to him and told him about the lack of

technology that his proposals were relying on, which I have given him

definitive evidence of when the coastguard could not locate my

husband's boat and a commercial website at identified its location

within minutes, he still proceeded and I think it is disgraceful.

minister has said he has effectively dealt with the issue of

local knowledge, because for the coastguard stations that worked in

pairs, one of the pair would remain. I do not reassured by that?

absolutely not? Book will cover when folk myth is

struck by lightning, as happened a while ago? -- absolutely not, who

will cover when four-month is struck by lightning? At casualty

earlier this year, everyone was surprised that he survived, and

hyperthermia had set in, and a few minutes later and his life would

have been lost. That is unacceptable. Adelaide of two or

three minutes could happen now. -- a delay. I am calling on the

minister to conduct a full consultation, because the Prime

Minister has already said that a willingness to listen and then

change of policy is a sign of strength. We have seen it with the

forests, so if we can save trees, why can't we listen and start to

look at saving the lives? Thank you for joining us.

With me in the studio is our political editor, and as we heard,

Sherryl Murray is a very unhappy with today's announcement, but how

much of a surprise was that? The Transport Secretary hinted

heavily that this kind of compromise, fewer closures and

retaining night cover, was a likely outcome, and I think he made it

pretty clear that completely abandoning his original plans was

not on the cards. This partial climbdown has been welcomed by the

chairman of the Transport Select Committee, which was extremely

critical of the original plans a few weeks ago. She says she is

pleased that might cover will be retained in all the coastguard

stations which remain open. -- night-time cover. She says it is

regrettable that some stations were closed. She has requested a further

short consultation and that the Government will continue to listen.

Just picking up on the big development, the closure of

Plymouth airport, when it was first hinted that would happen local

politicians were to try and put load all the stops to save it.

Where does today's announcement leave all of that?

Plymouth council have been spearheading the approach to find

an alternative solution. They have made no comment about this at all.

The city's MPs have been off to try and see if the Government will step

in. I tried to get an update from a Devon and Cornwall MP come and it

is not good news. He said the issue needs to be resolved locally, but

to get Government help with VAT we would need to be an island with

flights the only way in and out. Detectives investigating the

disappearance of two men in Cornwall who they believe have been

murdered say they have made a significant find. A murder

investigation team have been excavating an area of land around a

farm house near St Austell in their search for the two men. Another man

has been arrested and is still being questioned by the police.

Eleanor Parkinson reports. This is the scene at a farmhouse

hidden away in a valley above St Austell. All day, police have been

working with specially trained victim recovery dogs and equipment

like diggers. The house is next to a campsite whose Warner says he is

shocked. I was very surprised when the

police turned up yesterday morning. They had the usual paraphernalia

that goes with this, police cars, incident vans and what have you,

and have never seen so many police in my life.

These are the two meant the police are looking for - David Griffiths

and Brett floor right. They have not been seen for one month since

they left their homes in Merseyside and Berkshire.

You say you have been excavating this farm and have made a

significant find. Could you give us an idea of what that may be?

At the moment, too early to say, but specialist search teams are out

at the farm, and officers will be engaged late into the night and

probably tomorrow in excavating certain areas.

The police of the county's force headquarters say this is a fast-

moving inquiry. They say they have 50 people working on the case, 40

detectives and many specialist search officers. They are also

trying to trace the two men's vehicle, a white van. For now, the

An elderly woman has died and man is seriously ill after a house fire

in Plymouth. Emergency services were called to an address in the

Ernesettle area of the city in the early hours of the morning. One

senior fire officer described it as the most intense domestic fire he

had seen. John Danks reports. Residents noticed smoke coming from

the property at around midnight last night. Neighbours brought in

attempting to rescue those trapped inside.

Once we got the door open, we could hear someone groaning, but because

of the smoke, we could not see, you could not feel your way around, it

was completely dark. The smoke was so thick we could not get in to do

anything. Around 20 firefighters tackled the

blaze, which had taken hold throughout the house. A very

intense fire, I would go as far to say as in my 20 years the most

intense domestic fire have been too, and the crude who entered with

breathing apparatus said that, also. And 84-year-old woman died, and a

64-year-old man, believed to be her son, is now being treated at

Derriford Hospital. The Devon Fire and Rescue Service

fire investigation team will be conducting inquiries, but at the

moment we believe there areso it -- no suspicious circumstances.

Residents described the victim as a nice old lady. As investigations

get under way, many in the Coming up...

Testing for the breast cancer gene - one young woman's story. Plus,

pulling together - we'll catch up with the Royal Marines rowing the

length of the Thames. $$JNEWLINE And changes in the weather from

A 21-year-old woman from Cornwall who carries a gene giving her an 85

% chance of getting breast cancer is featured in a BBC documentary

tonight. Emma Webster, from Falmouth,

decided to be tested after her mother died from breast cancer when

she was just eight. Janine Jansen has been to meet her.

M R Webster was just eight when her mum died of breast cancer. There

was a 50-50 chance that she would carry the same, hereditary faulty

gene. She had the test and it was bad news. It means she has and 85 %

chance of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. As a BRACA career, she has

the option of prevented of surgery. Yes, I could go and have a double

mastectomy and think I would live forever, and maybe the next day I

would be sunbathing in a bikini and think I actually quite like my

breasts and think then they will kill me, and then you have really

down days when you think, I have four time-bombs sitting in my body,

and it can just happen and you don't know. Ovarian cancer is hard

to detect until you have it, so that is one of the scary things.

The map was asked to take part in a documentary as a young advisor to

three sisters in the same position. Their mum has had surgery, but

should the sisters have the test. My mother died five days later. If

you test positive you feel like you have a deadline of when you need to

start thinking and acting. Denmark is running her own project

called the BRACA trail to help Earlier I asked Dr Kat Arney from

Cancer Research UK what the benefits were of finding out

whether or not you carry the BRACA cancer gene.

For some women who have a strong family history of types of catheter,

mainly breast and ovarian cancer, they can go and ask to be

genetically tested, and in some cases people want to do that

because they want to know all if they are carrying a gene that is

causing all these breast cancers in their family, and there are things

that people can do to help reduce the risk of developing those. Some

people choose not to, that they would rather not know, but some

people do take the next step, they want to be in control and have that

test. Still, what help is there out there

for people, both medically and mentally. M R Webster from Cornwall

has been tested and says she has had insufficient support. It seems

the UK there is no one who is interested who knows anything. What

help is there? There should be a lot of

information available. It is disappointing to hear someone has

not got the access to the information they need, because at

Cancer Research UK we believe people should have access to that

information. We have are nursed team where anyone who is concerned

can give them a rhino -- can give them a ring. If you have a genetic

test with the NHS you should be put in touch with a genetic counsellor

who is trained to help you think about those issues.

How many people should be tested for this gene? In the UK, if you

have a strong family history of certain types of cancer, breast and

ovarian cancer, you can go and ask for a genetic test. There are quite

strict conditions. You cannot just say, I have had one person in my

family with cancer, I want the test. It depends on the age diagnosed and

how many female blood relatives. If you are concerned, you should chat

to your GP about it, look at your family history and they make

referred you for genetic testing and counselling. -- they may refer

you. A spokeswoman for Treliske hospital

says women who are concerned can get every possible surveillance and

treatment from the Mermaid Centre at the hospital. And you can see

Josie: My Cancer Curse on BBC Three They are already heroes, but today

they managed another a heroic feat. Royal Marines based in somerset -

all recovering from injuries, some received in Afghanistan - today

rowed into London after five days and 150 miles. Some of them had

never picked up an oar before. Clinton Rogers was there to see it

The end is in sight. We join them with just ten miles to go. For the

Marines, the strain of five days of rowing was taking its toll. They

took a break to talk to us. What has been the toughest bit?

The last couple of days. Once the aches and pains and blisters come

in we just have to work through it. It has been very important, it will

help lads who are injured, so it means a lot to not all.

Each one of the 12 marines taking part in this five-day row is

fighting injuries. Some of them were received in Afghanistan. When

they started their training in Somerset one month ago, only one of

them had ever done anything two before. Today, they had earned the

applause of MPs who stood and watched as they passed Westminster.

Not sure what she made of it all. They have earned the admiration,

too, of their rowing coach, he described them as extraordinary man.

You cannot see the pain, exceptional, that is all I can

think of. They have done everything I have asked and not argued,

questioned, made a fuss, just got on with it.

It was early Sunday morning when the Thames Challenge got under way

from Gloucestershire. Five days later, these men have raised the

profile of Royal Marines and a few thousand pounds for the Marines

Charitable Trust Fund. So, now the final push on to Greenwich, and for

these men a well-earned rest and a change of close, because tomorrow

they will be guests of the Princess Royal at a garden party in

Now we all like to comment on the weather, but before we go to the

forecast with David we're going to hear more about a pioneering

meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality.

However, like many meteorologists, the founder of the Met Office,

Robert FitzRoy, could not take criticism very well. Here is Helen

Roberts to tells us more. Robert Fitzroy was a pioneer in

weather forecasting. Yesterday we found out how he set up a storm

warning system in 1861 to try to reduce loss of life at sea.

His role at the Met Office was to connect meteorological data, so it

came as a surprise to his superiors when in 1861 he published Britain's

first public weather forecast. That makes it the 100 and 50th

anniversary in a few weeks' time. The first forecast he issued to the

public was correct, and that was a tactical mistake because it is all

downhill from there. As more of these daily forecasts were found to

be wrong, the pressure started to mount. He had a fault, and that was

that he could not take criticism easily. He started writing to

newspapers, sometimes using pseudonyms. He wrote to them

complaining that his forecasts were better than the impression given,

but he was also been criticised by the Royal Society, who said that

these forecasts were not scientific enough.

Public weather forecasts have somewhat moved on since then, and

these days forecasting is not just the Domain of professional

meteorologist. I went to meet a keen amateur and asked him where

his passion for the weather came from. I cannot remember where it

started, I was always fascinated with the weather. Forecasting for

someone like me, who is an amateur, is all based around how the

information is going to affect you. You have your trend, you can see

the barometer dropping off, then you can see the clouds starting to

build, as well. There are various website where you can look at rain

and radar imagery, so you can see a weather front coming through and a

band of rain, and you can see that it has gone that far end that a bit

of time, it will wash out new opportunities later in the day. As

an amateur, you envisage this person who is obsessive about the

weather, but I do not view it that way. It is just being able to look

ahead for the next five or six hours to plan your day.

Still, the world of weather forecasting is very different from

150 years ago. One that -- now the Met Office has one of the world's

most powerful supercomputer -- supercomputers at a wealth of

mathematical information at its fingertips. Whilst it has improved

significantly, we still can't get it right every time.

Robert Fitzroy it may not have liked criticism, but David is

always happy for feedback on his forecasts.

I will get a pseudonym, Windy It has been a lovely day, a lot of

sunshine, and things are set to change, a gradual change tomorrow

to more unsettled, and it does not look that good for the weekend. We

have low pressure coming in, not just for Saturday but also Sunday.

This low pressure is out in the Atlantic poised to move in. This

weak weather front gives us some rain tonight, but the main cloud is

racing in off the Atlantic and by the end of tomorrow that will have

given us some rain here and there. That is the picture for Saturday,

lots of isobars, at times windy and wet. Here is the picture from

earlier today. We are between weather systems at the moment, and

between the two might we have some clear sky. -- between the two, we

have clear sky. Tonight, turning a little misty here and there with

temperatures between 8 and 12 Celsius, the warmest along the

coast. Tomorrow, some bright weather in the morning,

particularly in the Somerset and East Devon, but for the rest of us

quite cloudy. That cloud will produce some light rain, Patsy, not

every player. Temperatures still good in the sunshine early in the

day, 19 or 20 Celsius, cooler further west. For the Isles of

Scilly, a stiff breeze into the evening and some good bits of rain.

It is very unsettled as we move into the weekend, and that may well

affect the cricket which starts at Somerset tomorrow.