12/08/2011 Spotlight

Little Lottie, who was top of the UK transplant list, has received a

new liver. Her parents say it couldn't have come sooner. Jury

operation and, once they have looked a tired old liver, it was a

real mess. She is really lucky to have had this opportunity and we

are blessed to have had that. Good evening. The operation was

carried out overnight after a live donor came forward. We'll have the

latest on Lottie's condition. Also on Spotlight, he said he was

raising money for Help for Heroes. Tonight Matthew Brown is starting a

16-month jail sentence for fraud. And uncovering the past - find out

what archaeologists discovered on A five-week-old baby from Torquay

who was so ill she was placed at the top of the UK transplant list

has been given a new liver. Lottie Bryon-Edmond underwent a long and

complex operation overnight in Birmingham after a donor came

forward. Her parents told Spotlight today that the potentially life-

saving operation couldn't have come a moment sooner. David Gregory

reports from Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Lottie spent 5.5 hours in surgery and is recovering in intensive care

at Birmingham Children's Hospital. She had been on the super urgent

transplant this for almost two weeks and time was running out.

During the operation, once they had looked at her old liver, it was a

mess. She is lucky to have had this window of opportunity and we feel

really blessed. She seems to have peaked at exactly the right day and

five weeks of up and down and a heck of a roller-coaster and on the

day that the liver became available she seemed to be in her prime.

of the complications for such tiny babies is that they are very small.

Lottie is one of the smallest and never have a transplant here at the

Birmingham Children's Hospital. waited nearly two weeks on the

super urgent transplant list because she needed her very small

liver. These livers in not become available very often. For her

parents that reinforces the eight importance of registering as a

doughnut. Abuse led recently? Sleep, that slipping from the dim

and distant past. He can probably tell them we have not had an awful

lot of sleep. The next few days will be critical but her parents

say for a -- Lottie is nothing if not a fighter. Joining me now is

Lottie's Uncle, Mark McCoy. Harry she at the moment? She is

doing remarkably well. She is in the 14th power of the crucial first

16. She is working very hard, so hard that a hospital had to take

extra data. The next 24 hours are critical. We know we know for sure

that she is going to be OK? By and no doctor but I think the most

dangerous period is coming to an end in the next few hours. In the

next 24 hours we will see what the prognosis is. It is looking better

by the hour at the moment. This must have been an incredibly

emotional time for the whole family. Yes, especially with Chris and duly

been away. I cannot imagine what it was like for them, they are now in

the 6th week of living in hospital, hand to mouth. As Chris described,

a roller-coaster of emotions with things changing by the minute. And

then, finally, to receive the news that there was hope at last and

eight liver was available, was beyond comprehension. I know you

have complied -- campaigned tirelessly to help find a donor for

Lottie. Whether you have found or can you not going to stop.

decided some time ago that this was not just about Lottie. It is more

than Lottie. Lottie was at the top of the super critical list.

Somebody else is now. And the pain in drifts back Chris Ng had been

through is clearly something that we want to try preventing Shum

shape or form. If that means encouraging donors, then that is

something we intend to continue. What are you going to do?

Personally, I decided I am going to attempt to swim the Channel.

Whether I will do that were not, I don't know, but uncertainty could

to try. We are going to continue campaigning and try to raise

awareness. There are about 90% of people who say they would receive a

transplant but only about 20% who was signed up. Clearly, if you are

willing to receive one, my simplistic view is you should be

willing to donate one. Lots of love unlike you and the family and two

Lottie. A man who masqueraded as a war hero and claimed to be raising

money for wounded soldiers has been jailed for 16 months for fraud.

Matthew Brown was arrested in Cornwall, where he had told people

he was half way through a mammoth charity walk for Help for Heroes,

but the charity never received a penny. Eleanor Parkinson reports.

The first time that Matthew Brown came to the attention of the people

of Cornwall was when he began to give interviews to the media

claiming he was a war veteran and was on a charity walk around the

coastline of Britain raising money for wounded soldiers. He gave

visited he -- into view to rage at Cornwall in which he said he was a

former helicopter pilot. -- Radio Cornwall. And explosion had come of

Pumphrey guys had gone down in it. I managed to line the helicopter in

heavy gunfire. I had a profile view of him and when he turned around I

realised his left arm had been completely blown off. Mr Brown

managed to convince everyone that he met that he was a war hero. The

owner of this hotel in court -- talkie was so impressed that he

gave him free accommodation and meals and donated more than �200.

We were appalled to find out that someone had defrauded so many

people, not just ourselves. So, it left Rotherham at pace in the mouth.

When Matthew Brown was arrested, the police urged his belongings and

they penned a crib sheet about military equipment which they

believed he used to give credence to his story. But his story was a

lie. He was not a war hero, he was a linguist and translator from

Inverness in Scotland and he had convictions for fought elsewhere in

the country. Help For Heroes raises money for the rehabilitation of

wounded soldiers. Today this at the fact that someone chose to take

fraudulent Lee funds for the a new use is unforgivable. They say it

undermines the work done by thousands of committed fundraisers

across the UK. The judge described Matthew Brown's crime as unpleasant

and mean-spirited. He was jailed for 16 months but is likely to

serve just half of the sentence. Two people have been arrested in

Devon on suspicion of incitement to riot, following postings on social

networking sites. The 54-year old woman and 24-year-old man, both

from Buckfastleigh, are in police custody. Meanwhile, Devon and

Cornwall police say they're not expecting any trouble on the

streets this weekend. BUT there will be high visibility patrols in

our towns and cities and up to 200 extra special constables are being

drafted in. The Plymouth man who shot the polar

bear which killed a schoolboy and injured four others on a Norweigen

island is having major surgery today. Mike Reid has tweeted that

he can't breathe, eat or talk, and is having the operation at

Derriford Hospital to fix a broken jaw, fractured skull and eye socket.

Business experts say the accident which closed the M5 southbound for

around six hours this morning cost the region �1 million an hour. The

motorway was closed between Tiverton and Wellington after a car

towing a boat overturned, spilling a large amount of fuel.

Health chiefs in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are encouraging

parents to use the summer break to make sure their children have the

MMR vaccine. It's because of higher than usual levels of measles

recorded in the county. Symptoms include a fever, coughing and

distinctive red-brown spots on the skin. The Government insists the

MMR vaccine is safe with a proven track record, but latest figures

released for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly show that just 88% of

local children were vaccinated before their second birthday. By

the time they reach their fifth birthday, only 84% have received

their second MMR vaccination, which is needed to give maximum immunity.

Do earlier I asked Cornwall's director of public health why she

was encouraging children to -- parents to have their children

vaccinated. We think this is a wonderful opportunity to take

advantage of the school break and people to pop along to the doctors

and get their children immunised if they have not had their first of

second MMR immunisations. We have a lot of measles circulating in the

community. It is particularly prevalent in mainland Europe but we

also seem more cases in England and Wales Fisher and last. We would

really like people to get their children immunised are they have

got done so already. What you think there is still there reluctance

among some parents to have the MMR? I think there has been bad press in

the past about the MMR back sing. All that research is that was done

has been put to rest. It is very clear that the research was flawed

and that the MMR vaccine is incredibly safety fuse. I have had

my daughter vaccinated and I would encourage other people to do the

same. What is wrong with letting children have the that Manfred, get

it out of the way you move on. A lot of people would say that is how

they did it when they were a child. We do have vaccines that protect

people. For the majority of people measles is a minor illness but for

some people and lead to complications for infections and

other things and very occasionally it can lead to inflammation of the

brain. That can lead to death. That is very rare but it can be an

unpleasant disease for children. Should we can avoid them having to

suffer these will this is there nothing we should take that

opportunity. Felicity Owen, talking to me earlier.

We've got all the sport still to come. Exeter City draw a big name

in the second round of the League Cup - Liverpool are on their way.

And the transformation of a run- down Plymouth Park is almost

complete - we'll give you a guided tour.

People are starting to move into one of the latest affordable homes

projects in Cornwall. The new estate is in St Ives, where the

average cost of a house is �205,000, almost �40,000 above the UK average.

Ten properties on the new development are for sale at prices

well below the market rate - the remaining 44 homes are available to

rent - a small number when you consider there are 20,000 people on

the housing waiting list in Cornwall. John Henderson reports.

Jumping for joy. Six-year-old Sofia outside her new home. The two-

bedroom house is one of 54 in a brand new estate. We do feel like

we have won the lottery, to be honest. Being in St Ives, the wages

of prey low compared to other areas and are up against it to get a

mortgage and buy a house. family have only been in for two

weeks. Chef Gary has lived in St Ives all his life - his local

connection meant the family didn't have long on the housing waiting

list. But many others in Cornwall aren't so lucky: -20,000 people are

on the housing register. This �5 million development has 44

properties to rent. Those at the sharp end say more has to be done.

There were nearly 500 households who expressed an interest. That

goes to show that within a town like St Ives, which has high house

prices, relatively low wages, there is a lot of pressure for affordable

homes. And in a district where the average cost of a house is �205,000,

the new development offers a small number the chance to get on the

housing ladder. James and Samantha have brought one of the ten shared

ownership homes on the estate. They pay a mix of mortgage and rent.

Rent which is affordable in in St Ives. We have a house and her

garden so we are very pleased. owners and tenants are moving in to

a much-needed housing estate in Cornwall.

Olympic officials say Weymouth and Portland has passed its last major

test ahead of next year's games. The two-week long sailing dress

rehearsal is coming to an end this weekend. Experts and competitors

from all over the world say the venue is in great shape.

Spotlight's Hamish Marshall reports. It's all about preparation. The

sailors have been getting used to Dorset's Olympic waters, and the

Olympic organisers have been seeing if their plans to cope with

competitors from around 70 countries translate to reality.

Issues have arisen like coping with weather delays and the exact layout

of the venue. But the man in charge told me solutions have been found.

It is things like a maximum volume you can get on a radio, they are

set at the base level and for us on the water we need more. So the

engine is one I could change a group and it was better and could

try it with a different setting and there we think we have perfect

radio. It is that kind of detail. The ten Olympic sailing disciplines

have been alternating over the five courses. Today's women's 470 medal

race was on the one closest to Weymouth. It is not a spectator

does gaining his peers, the people who lay out the courses are

learning as well. Some spectators have used the Nothe Gardens. This

will be ticket0only next year - and the sport is trying to make it

easier for them to follow. Competitors believe these waters

provide a good test. You get such a wide variety of conditions and then

it always seems to be windy. The forecast is for Twell and somehow

it manages to build a 25 knots. a put courses in several different

places in the venue's and it has been great. This was the first

Olympic venue to be ready - and after two weeks here, those who

travel the world following the sport have been impressed. It is

fantastic, the best sailing venue I have seen in my career. I have been

talking with other sailors from other teams and they say the same.

While transport, access to Portland, and the influx of spectators cannot

be really tested at this event - the organisers says things bode

well. Time for the sport now and tonight,

Dave's at St James Park, Exeter, as they start preparing for the visit

of Liverpool, no less, in the Exeter City have a big day to look

forward to later this month. Premiership big boys Liverpool are

coming to St James Park in the second round of the Football League

Cup. It is all-ticket. The draw has paired City at home with the former

European champions on Tuesday, August 23rd. Earlier, Director of

Football Steve Perryman told me what it means to the club. It means

the chance to progress. We're always looking at ways to push this

club forward. It takes money to do that. And, of course, Liverpool, we

would assume, would be a free app - - full house. A lot of interest in

the game and TV coverage, hopefully. So young people in Exeter can feel

proud of the team again. It just put us out to a wider audience and

gives us some credibility that we need to make that progress that is

of these here by looking at the training ground. We need to keep

that going to be a regular team in division one that is pushing

towards the championship. What are you expecting on the night itself

in terms of a contest? We have just played The Oval and the two clubs

get on particularly well together. It was a nice football evening. One

of us had to win and progress and frankly it was asked. But we're

more sorry for Yeovil Town now, the fact they have not got that glamour

tie. It is going to beat some stress, sunbirds, some passion,

some tension, a lot of quality. You see the red shirts of Liverpool and

that badge running about on St James' Park, that is not a bad

thing. Our players will have a chance to stretch themselves and

prove themselves against a high quality player. I think it is going

to make for a great evening, good television, and a chance for Exeter

City, again, to put itself in front of the public can show how the

progress is coming on here. Exeter City aim to continue their

unbeaten start to the new football season when Milton Keynes Dons come

to St James Park tomorrow. Yeovil Town try to get off the mark in

League One against Oldham Athletic at Huish Park. The big match in

League Two is at the Memorial Stadium, where Bristol Rovers

manager Paul Buckle renews acquaintances with Torquay United

after leaving them in May. Peter Reid has been instilling more

tactical nous into his Plymouth Argyle fledglings as they face

Rotherham United at Home Park. Best of luck to try rich city who

start their new conference South Seas and tomorrow after their 5th

promotion in six seasons. Top-class cricket comes to Exmouth on Sunday,

when Gloucestershire and the part- time side Unicorns meet in the Pro

40 League. The teams occupy the bottom two places in group C, but

Devon officials are just happy that the resort has been chosen to host

the match. It starts at 1.45pm. Finally, tonight's speedway sees

Plymouth Devils try to gain a Premier League double over

Leicester Lions at the St Boniface Arena. The Devils, bottom of the

table, won by a single point at Leicester, who are next-to-the-

bottom. That does it from me, back to you

knew you'd two. Archaeologists have just uncovered a Bronze age burial

chamber known as a cist on Dartmoor. It's the first time a team has done

this for over a century. As Greg Wade reports, experts are hopeful

the find will provide a snapshot of life in ancient Britain.

The high moor. A bleak and mostly deserted place. But 4,000 years ago,

the climate and the population would have been very different. Now

a site of antiquity is getting the scientific once over. Stone cists

were often burial chambers or coffins, sometimes with a

collection of funeral artefacts. until recently there were not any

known monuments up here. Below us there are obviously stone circles.

This was really an unexpected find this hike up. It's not just about

digging for finds. Investigating the stone box's surrounding's are

equally important. I'm here to take environmental samples so I can use

them for radiocarbon dating and we can understand the age of the

monument and to take environmental samples so that we can reconstruct

environment and think about the kind of landscape these people were

walking around and engaging with. They are finding out what the

environment and climate was life in these Bronze Age. Buried in the

ancient peat are micro fossils or plant life, which can then be

carbon-dated. Lifting the cap stone for the first time. Those bronze

age stones weigh a tonne. They're now pretty sure it's a burial site,

as they've just found cremated bones and some jewellery. It's time

to head back to the labs and analyse those peat samples.

A fountain dedicated to Admiral Sir Charles Napier, who campaigned to

improve the lot of the sailor, has been switched on as part of a major

restoration of a Victorian Park in Plymouth. It was the final stage of

a �5 million scheme to improve Devonport Park and encourage more

people to use it. Springing into life once more. This

fountain is dedicated to the memory of Sir Charles Napier. The Admiral

was known as the sailor's champion. They held him in such high regard,

they donated a day's wages each back in 1863 to remember him.

a rare fountains, in terracotta. It was made somewhere in the Midlands

originally and it is actually in reasonable condition.

regeneration of Devonport Park has been some five years in the

planning. It's cost �5.3 million. A large portion of that money has

come from a lottery grant - the largest such award in our region,.

Plymouth City Council says bigger projects are on the way. We have

got Central Park, at the next 10 years we have �12 million to

refurbish that. We are committed to our parks. This is an ongoing

project for stock It's not just money. It's taken hundreds of

volunteers many hours to transform the park. Mike Gallagher is one of

them. There were no real facilities, no public toilets, no caffeine. It

has all changed. The children's play area is amazing. We believe

this is Blitz damage from Plymouth city centre but nobody can be

certain where it came from. There are lots of pieces of sculpture

like that lying around in seven Polly that have been put here

during the war. It's gone from a no-go area to a sanctuary. It is a

way better part and when we were little. He you feel like you want

it for him it rather than debating as it looked at on the outside.

is a park to inspire all ages. Time to check out the weather

We have struggled today to find much in the way of sunshine. Most

of the more land today has been shrouded in low cloud and mist.

There are some breaks now and into the weekend it has turned quite a

bit brighter. We lose a lot of the low cloud and fog and things

improve. Sunday should be the best day of the two. There is a lot of

cloud covering the United Kingdom right now. Another lump of cloud is

falling in behind. Between the two we have had some sunshine but I

think the whole lot will move through later on tonight as a band

of cloud and patchy rain. As that moves away we introduce slightly

fresher air, slightly cleaner, so less of the mist and low cloud.

This complication is that bump developing on the weather system

which may bring more cloud across the Channel Islands and into Dorset

through the day tomorrow, giving a risk of further outbreaks of rain.

It is well gone by the time we get to Sunday when we have a week ridge

of high pressure and should see some sunshine. This is the story

for this evening. A lot of cloud covering most of western Britain.

In the last few hours we have had a few breaks to a low some late

sunshine. Very quickly, that will fill in as the cloud roles in

tonight. Also a return of the hill fog. Then ring for a time by the

time we get to dawn tomorrow. Wins will be moderate and overnight

temperatures similar to the last few nights. Still quite humid air.

It will be cooler by tomorrow night. Tomorrow we have a lot of cloud.

Some caps from time to time, allowing some sunshine.

Temperatures not as high as they have been but 20 degrees possible.

But there is a risk of some of that patchy rain spreading to the

Channel Islands. For the Isles of Scilly, it will brighten up quite

Certain continues into the weekend at New Quay. The coastal forecast

has wind from the south or South West. Brighter conditions for