25/07/2011 Spotlight

MPs call for reassurances over the future of the region's naval

training. Good evening and welcome to Spotlight on Monday 1st August.

Also on the programme tonight. Already proving its worth. The new

lifeguard facility which has already helped hundreds of people

And fame and hopefully fortune in Two South West MPs are tonight

calling for reassurances from the Ministry of Defence over the future

of Royal Naval training in the region. It follows reports that the

Government is considering closing the Britannia Royal Naval College

at Dartmouth or HMS Raleigh at Torpoint to save money. In a moment

we'll hear from our political editor, Martyn Oates, but first,

Chris Lyddon reports. HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, one of two

navy training bases waiting today for news of their future, amid

heightened speculation of closure. This internal Royal Navy memo

obtained by Spotlight reveals defence officials are investigating

co-locating Royal Naval training at either Raleigh or Dartmouth or an

alternative brownfield site. Other ideas include moving 45 Commando

from Scotland to the south west. have a complex array coffers

loyalties that meet the Navy pose past, present and possibly for the

future. I hope the government will realise how cost-effective

Dartmouth is and hope much part of the community it is. Several months

ago, the Defence Secretary Liam Fox, told MPs that even with a shrinking

Navy, Raleigh and Britannia would remain. Sheryl Murray believes the

minister will stand by the promise he made in a letter to her last

October. It categorically states that there are no plans to close

HMS Raleigh and that they are looking at HMS Raleigh being the

Navy's prime location for the initial training. I have no reason

whatsoever to doubt that Liam Fox is not telling me the truth.

Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston believes Darmouth should be the new site for

all training and is also calling for clarification.

Well, I'm joined now by our political editor, Martyn Oates. The

Government made a big announcement last month about the Army and the

RAF. This leaked document now sheds light on the future of the Navy.

Last month's announcement was mainly about than army and the RAF

but the Defence Secretary did announce that 45 Commando will

Marines would be leaving their current home in Scotland and also

the Scot went -- de government had a longer term plan to bring all of

the Royal Marines took the south- west. And they would not say any

more than that? Just that intriguing line in a long speech.

In Scotland, the RAF and the marines are leaping three paces,

but those bases will not close, they have been taken over by the

army. It does show that the MoD is not simply walking away from those

communities. The government says that the military Footprint, as it

puts it, will actually increase in Scotland as a result. What

President could that said for us? Clearly if a Haifa Dartmouth or HMS

Raleigh were to stop training they would be an outcry. But it could

not be the end of the story. We have that commitment from the

government, or are planned, to bring all that will rings together

in the south-west. And potentially, military bases going begging.

A young boy is in a stable condition in hospital this evening

after being hit by a bus in a busy city centre. The two-year-old - who

hasn't been named - is being treated at a specialist head

injuries unit after the incident in Exeter. Simon Hall reports.

People working here told us of their shock at what happened. Eight

to your old hit by a bus and a city centre in front of dozens of people.

He has been taken to the specialist head injuries unit at Frenchay

Hospital in Bristol. Police say he is in a stable condition. A

statement from the bus company Stagecoach said, our immediate

concern is for the welfare of the child and of course continue to be

with him and his family. We are assisting the police with their

inquiries and also carrying out our own investigation. The police have

taken CCTV recording from local shops to help their inquiries. They

are asking anyone who saw what happened to contact them. It's

already helped more than 600 people and been involved in more than 500

incidents. Today, the lifeguard unit on one of Cornwall's busiest

beaches was officially opened. As Philippa Mina reports, the RNLI

says the new �500,000 building at Fistral in Newquay is already

proving invaluable. A pleasant day at the beach turned

into a pain for this man when he stepped on a weaver fish. The Life

Guards are there to help out and for the speaker the presence in the

new facility was a welcome sight. Nicky is a hot spot for certain so

having this here is really good. -- Newquay. The RNLI has provided a

lifeguard service on Fistral Beach for the last 10 years, operating

mainly from temporary cabins. After seven years of planning, the new

tower opened last year. It cost the RNLI �500,000, which they see as a

long-term investment. High volumes of people, dealing with a lot of

incidents. A lot of our workers in the water but a lot is done on the

land as well and if we have a good facility people can come and find

us easily, for things like Lost children. We stand out and people

know where we are. If we are dealing with first-stage incidence,

we have good facilities now. I think it does warrant it. In the

time the facility has been open, Life Guards have dealt with 520

incidents and assisted over 600 people. Today, the building might

have been named weaver fish towers. In the short time we were there, a

line of people build up and were provided with a bucket of cold

water to come bursting. It hurts more than you imagine, but they are

really helpful. They do what they can to help. Really quite better.

And you like the Life Guards, had they held to? Yes. The building has

dedicated training and first aid room to and a large observation

area from where lifeguards can watch the whole of the beach. With

the board must the surf championships due here next week,

they are expecting upwards of 20,000 people and for the Life

Guards this facility will harm them keep an eye on everyone's safety.

Plans to change terms and conditions of staff at Plymouth

City Council will not come into force today as council bosses had

hoped. Proposals included scrapping contractual overtime, simplifying

expenses and allowances, as well as making Saturday a normal working

day. Two trade unions are refusing to sign them off. Other councils

are said to be monitoring what happens in Plymouth before bringing

in similar changes. The Fire Brigades Union is calling

for assurances about how a merged control room covering Devon and

Somerset will be staffed. The new facility would replace the existing

centres in Exeter and Taunton. The original plan for a control centre

covering the six counties of the South West was ditched amid

protests, IT delays and spiralling costs.

Motorists who are risking their lives by jumping warning lights on

a bridge in Weymouth have been caught on camera. The CCTV images

show drivers attempting to get under safety gates as they are

being lowered on the historic Town Bridge. As Amy Cole reports, the

footage is now being passed on to the police.

Weymouth Town Bridge snaps into two. During the summer months, it raises

every two hours. Making sure that motorists and pedestrians stayed

well clear of it is strikingly obvious, but it seems that some are

taking risks after the warning signal comes on, putting people's

lives in danger. The staff usually come out of the office on the

bridge. They come out to make sure the barriers are coming down and

there are no pedestrians in danger. They have to cross the road and

cars are taking a risk by going and to the barrier and need knocking

out operatives out. Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has passed

footage to the police of several offending motorists who, in the

past few days, had been caught on CCTV speeding over the bridge at

the barriers had started to go down. There is a lot of mechanical stuff

under the bridge and if they were to slide down all manner of things

could go wrong. When you come across there are people trying to

cross the road as well. Idiots. It's against the law. And he is

right, planning -- going through a warning signal is illegal. Some

argue that the CCTV is a bit Big Brother, but the council says it is

just trying to protect people. Coming up next, a touch of

Hollywood glamour in Cornwall. Plus - full sail ahead with a rehearsal

for the 2012 Olympics in Dorset. And getting to the point - we'll

meet the Olympic hopeful behind the Hollywood comes to Cornwall this

week in the shape of the movie superstar Brad Pitt. The actor is

the star of a new horror film about zombies, and some of it is being

shot on location in Falmouth. Hundreds of local people have been

drafted in as extras and it's hoped it'll be a real boost for the town.

In a moment we'll hear from the town manager, but first here's our

Cornwall reporter, Eleanor Parkinson.

Brad Pitt and his wife, Angelina Jolie, attract attention wherever

they go and this week pay and there on to write are heading for

Falmouth. It is one of the locations for a new movie, World

War Z, an adaptation of a novel about zombies. Most of the action

will be ticking here at Falmouth docks. There will be lots of large

vessels, some helicopters, hundreds of people, but that is all they are

telling us. The film will need hundreds of extras and local people

have auditioned. One successful person is Henry Davies, a film

director himself. It is going to be really exciting to see it happening

on that scale. When you see the breadth of the production, it is

enormous. They are talking about groping in military assets, all the

way down to I saw some people building be its force of the

refugees. The movie circus is moving into town. The marquees on

up, these ones will be used for make-up and costume. Security is

tight but the people of Falmouth still hope to get a glimpse of the

stars. We saw it in the papers and a very excited. We are hoping to

see him and talk to him and maybe he will adopt one of us as well!

is nice to have a celebrity in the town. I have got competition!

film company, Paramount Pictures, will not say exactly when Brad Pitt

flies in, but filming starts on Tuesday.

Joining me down his whole month Town manager at Richard Gates. This

is quite a coup for Falmouth. aptly be fantastic. The whole

turnaround has only been in a few weeks, it has been that quick. It

is brilliant for the town, the area and the economy. It has not been a

secret because it has been in the national newspapers over the

weekend. What are you hoping it will bring to Falmouth? We are busy

anyway at this time of year, we have Falmouth Week happening at the

same time. But there is just so much going on. They have looked at

every possible area where they can for accommodation and it is going

to be right through the county, not just in terms of Falmouth. Do you

think there will be a lasting legacy from this film in the

future? Once it comes back, maybe more people want to come and visit

Cornwall and Falmouth? I am sure they will. Everything they can do,

people come to see the area, it has to be a benefit for the future.

co-presenter he would like to know if Angelina Jolie is coming down to

Falmouth?! We would all like to know that! I'm not aware of that

but there are lots of rumours in the national press so we will have

to see. Security is tight. Are they stink anywhere nice? Again, there

are lots of rumours about where they are staying there is talk of a

super yacht in the bay. We do not know. I have been working with the

casting agents and the location managers but things like that are

not being revealed for obvious reasons. Keep us informed! NT. I

have a spare room if Angelina Jolie is looking for somewhere!

Now, it attracts more than two million visitors a year and covers

an area of 368 square miles. Dartmoor National Park now has a

new number to boast as it turns 60 this year. Yesterday ramblers

gathered at a popular spot for a celebratory walk. Spotlight's John

Danks reports. In these highlands of the West

Country, there was a gathering of the clans. Ramblers from all over

Devon showing their support for Dartmoor National Park on its 60th

anniversary. With walking poles rather than swords, there was a

sense there were still battles over access and funding to be fought.

National Park is part of the country, it is ours to use.

Unfortunately you have this anomaly where you have landowners that have

permission, or they have given us permission to war, but they can

withdraw it at any time. example is this track which runs

alongside Milton was a pop. It has been been closed to the public

since March, when the existing access agreement expired. Dartmoor

National Park Authority and the landowner are in negotiation, but a

new deal is yet to be done. We have got to maintain the landscape,

which is under quite severe pressure. We have got to try and

influence government and European policy so that we can provide local

solutions for local problems in terms of landscape management.

are concerned about funding because this government has cut the

national parks budget and the park can do great things on a fairly

small budget, but it does need the money in order to do the wonderful

things that it does. The Government says cuts are needed in almost all

areas of public spending to reduce the national deficit. Dartmoor

National Park Authority needs to find savings of 30% over the next

three to four years. They say they'll work more closely with

partners such as the Ramblers Association to help achieve their

goals. The walkers here today certainly share a passion for the

landscape. It is a beautiful place to come,

Sunday-morning go for a nice or, fresh air and exercise. Topple is

all things to war man. Many faces, many different weathers. It is even

more challenging when it is snowing or raining.

Another reminder of how beautiful array region is. Time for some

sports news now, and here's Dave. Who needs Brad Pitt!

A full dress rehearsal for the 2012 Olympic sailing events is under way

in Dorset. With less than a year to go, it aims to replicate what will

actually be going on in Weymouth and Portland during the Games.

Spotlight's Simon Alexander reports. These are some of the finest

sailing waters in Britain, and, with less than a year to go to the

2012 Olympics, Weymouth and Portland are pushing the boat out

to make sure the biggest maritime sporting event in the area's

history will be a smooth operation. The great thing about Weymouth and

Portland, they have hosted major international events and we have a

great culture with a lot of the volunteers. But the Olympics with

different and we are trying to replicate some of the specific

elements so that we can learn before next year and get it as

perfect as possible. The dress rehearsal is covering everything

from how the competition venues will cope with the thousands of

spectators seeking the Olympic experience, to those preparing to

compete for gold. It is really serious. It is the closest we will

ever get to experience in what the Olympics might be like next year.

We have a lot smaller fleet to race again so the tactics might be

different. It will be great to get practice in for next year. Over the

next 12 days this area will go into full Olympic mode with its

competition and infrastructure tested rigorously to make sure it

will run smoothly. The most important thing we have is

measuring the actual athletic performance. Each boat has a

tracking device and a rigid transmitter that arrives at the

error also over my right shoulder here and is related to the resort

room. This is the front end of what a complex network of technology

that will cover all the events that we are running in summer 2012.

Millions of pounds have been spent turning parts of Weymouth and

Portland into an Olympic sailing haven. As this is the only full

rehearsal before the Games in July next year, organisers will be

hoping this scale of preparation will ensure only the right legacy

is left in the Olympic's wake. This week on BBC local radio,

television and online, we're launching our series Olympic Dreams.

It follows regional athletes in their bid for a place in next

year's Olympics in London. Today, we feature Truro fencer Katherine

Kempe, who's moved to Cornwall to help reach her aspirations.

22-year-old Katherine Kempe is a top sabre fencer. But she wants to

excel in her sport and be good enough to compete on the big stage.

And there's no bigger than the 2012 London Olympic Games. Katherine has

had to move from her fencing club in Essex to join what's acclaimed

to be the best in the country at Truro, in a bid to help her reach

Olympic standard. I am competing on the British team which means I am

in with a shout because you have to be going to the internationals to

get the points to qualify. If you wanted to go to the Olympics now it

would be tough because you're not in the British team. From there it

is a case of try and get the points on the board. Part of the reason

why I wanted to come down here was I felt it would be a positive thing

for my fencing and hopefully that will choke in the small window of

opportunity that we have at the beginning of next season, from

January to April. Because it is our home Olympics we have been given

some wild cards so that means there are better opportunities for

British athletes to compete in this Olympics across all sports on there

have been for quite some time. It is why you saw so many Chinese

athletes competing in Beijing in 2008. She has the expert

professional tuition from Jon Salfield to help her achieve her

ambitions, and some of the best training facilities in the UK. Now,

it's down to her to fulfill her promise.

And we'll be following more of the South West's prospective Olympians

during this week here on Spotlight, your BBC local radio station and

online. The 47 competitors in the single-

handed Figaro de Solitaire race have set off from Perros Gerock in

Brittany. Plymouth sailor Conrad Humphries is taking part in the

four-legged race, which covers more than 1,600 nautical miles. It will

take the sailors through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the

world. Conrad says it's a huge challenge. Honda's first lake it is

340 miles. I think we will probably average somewhere between 10 and

maybe 20 minutes of sleep each day. The golden rule is picky sleep you

lose your place. It is always very difficult to sleep but you have to

find times two. As little bit of sleep to recuperate.

Somerset cricket captain Marcus Trescothick looks to lead his team

to a third consecutive victory in the County Championship tomorrow.

Trescothick captains the Cidermen against Sussex at Taunton over four

days. The former England opener has become the first player to score

1,500 first-class runs this season. The county have closed the gap on

leaders Durham to 23 points, with five games left to play.

Finally, the new football season starts this Saturday and later this

week we'll be looking ahead to the prospects for the region's clubs.

I can just hear them all at home! You should have seen the look on

her face when he said that! It has only just finished. 12 weeks ago.

You're joking! I look for to that! A museum in Cornwall that's

arguably one of the country's smallest - and certainly one of the

more unusual - is up for sale. The Museum of Celebrity Leftovers in

Kingsand features crumbs from royalty, rock and roll and

television personalities. The entire collection is being sold off

to raise money for charity. Spotlight's John Henderson reports.

As museum's go, this one just might take the biscuit. Or, in the case

of Prince Charles, a piece of leftover dessert complete with tin

foil crown. The Museum of Celebrity Leftovers is a 20-strong collection

of titbits from the tables of the rich and famous. We have a piece of

bread pudding leftover from Prince Charles. A piece of cheese and

tomato toasty from the musician Peter Dougherty and a piece of

lemon drizzle from Michael Winner. Over the years, the museum has

exhibited morsels from photographer David Bailey and actor Hugh Dennis.

But the cafe which houses the display is on the market and its

owners say it's now time to pass a major tourist attraction on to

someone else. Someone with a warped sense of humour, possibly. I'm

hoping someone might want to make a sizable donations to the charity

and be able to say they own a museum, at the smallest museum in

the world, and in America is rated between a bird runnels Museum as

one of the more obscure museums. We are quite proud of that. Money

raised from the sale of the museum will go to the children's cancer

charity, Click Sergeant. Potential buyers should contact the Old

Boatstore cafe for a museum of celebrity crumbs.

I have a few crumbs of chocolate cake my desk from you. Digging they

might be worth it? I hate them! I was lucky last week

to have a week off in Cornwall with glorious weather. I'm sure people

on hold-up men would like more of the same. -- on holiday at the

Feely humid weather at the moment and hopefully we will start to see

more blue skies later in the week. For today it has been rather cloudy.

On the satellite picture you can see the south-east corner of the UK

poking out from the line of cloud. This is a weather front and there's

not much movement in the air at the moment said there by the front is

not really my thing. That does produce some rain overnight. The

weather front starts to weaken said the Rangers appears tomorrow and

the cloud should break up for a time. Some -- bike when state the

next system moves in an the frontal system will clear away the humid

and sticky weather. -- by Wednesday. Generally it has been fairly tidy

throughout the day to day and it will cloud over everywhere during

this evening. There is the band of rain which makes his way from the

West. A few heavy downpours in there but very light winds

overnight. Another very humid tonight. Temperatures no lower than

15 or 16 Celsius. Most of the range it clear by first thing tomorrow

morning and they cloud should break up nicely. From the cloud we will

start to see a future showers during the afternoon but for many

places it will remain dry, sunny and bereaved mourned tomorrow.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 40 seconds

All the rest of the week, tomorrow there are bomb or took showers

around but a good deal a dry weather and sunny spells. Wednesday

looks like a fine start but it will cloud over head of the ring than

that looks like it will make its way in from the West. The brink

should clear by Thursday and leave behind a fair amount of cloud. Or