:00:15. > :00:19.Officially welcomed home, more than 1000 members of 3 Commando Brigade
:00:19. > :00:23.march through Plymouth. Good evening.
:00:23. > :00:26.It was one of the biggest parades in the city since the end of the
:00:26. > :00:31.Second World War. The beach and run does those who
:00:31. > :00:36.did not come home. -- region remembers those.
:00:37. > :00:46.White across the South West, and across the generations, thousands
:00:46. > :00:49.stand in silence to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
:00:49. > :00:55.Also, the search continues for a new home for helicopter flights to
:00:55. > :01:02.the Isles of Scilly. And, the use of the whip, what
:01:02. > :01:06.local trainers think of the latest controversy in horse racing.
:01:06. > :01:09.More than 1100 troops have been marching through Plymouth city
:01:09. > :01:13.centre in one of the biggest military parades seen for
:01:13. > :01:23.generations. The parade combined the homecoming of 3 Commando
:01:23. > :01:31.
:01:31. > :01:34.Brigade from Afghanistan and The message was, welcome home. 1100
:01:34. > :01:41.military personnel based in Plymouth and North Devon were on
:01:41. > :01:46.parade. The weather ensured a contrast with the heat of
:01:46. > :01:54.Afghanistan, where seven Royal Marines from this Commando lost
:01:54. > :02:04.their lives. Members of 30 Commando, based in the City, perceived their
:02:04. > :02:10.Afghanistan campaign medals. Those who did not return well-remembered.
:02:10. > :02:14.42 Commando, Royal Marines... parade was timed to coincide with
:02:14. > :02:24.the commemorations to mark Armistice Day, including the two-
:02:24. > :02:32.
:02:32. > :02:35.Some say this was the biggest military parade through Plymouth
:02:35. > :02:40.since the Second World War. The crowds turned out in their
:02:40. > :02:44.thousands. In mixture of the general public, friends and family.
:02:45. > :02:51.We saw him when he came back from his last tour, this is his second,
:02:51. > :03:01.it is just as good. Just to cheer them all on, they have done a good
:03:01. > :03:01.
:03:01. > :03:09.job. I have lost a friend, so I am here to support. This afternoon,
:03:09. > :03:15.members of 42 Commando received their campaign medals. It feels
:03:15. > :03:19.pretty ecstatic. Emotions going through the town today. It is a
:03:19. > :03:25.pretty good experience. It has been lovely. He went away as a boy and
:03:25. > :03:31.he has come back a man. I am very proud of him. It is nice to see him
:03:31. > :03:37.home. We suffered seven men killed in action and a number of others
:03:37. > :03:44.injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends
:03:44. > :03:49.of them. But we will look after them and on a van and continually
:03:49. > :03:54.not forget their sacrifice. This will be the final time the brigade
:03:54. > :04:04.deploys to Afghanistan as a halt. The units are still likely to have
:04:04. > :04:08.
:04:08. > :04:13.an active role to play for years to What do events like today mean to
:04:13. > :04:17.you? It is Armistice Day, the day that we remember the 19 people who
:04:17. > :04:22.did not return from Helmand province with asked over the last
:04:22. > :04:26.six months. It is an opportunity for us to think about some of those
:04:26. > :04:31.people who were badly injured, with life-changing injuries, in some
:04:31. > :04:35.cases. And those who lost their lives in previous conflicts. But
:04:35. > :04:39.also, to think about the people of Plymouth and their warm welcome for
:04:39. > :04:44.us to our home city. It was a tremendous welcome in appalling
:04:44. > :04:49.weather. Very different from the heat that we have been enjoying in
:04:49. > :04:53.Helmand province. What did you achieve? We made the move from
:04:53. > :04:57.grabbing territory back from the insurgents to transferring that
:04:57. > :05:06.territory back to the Afghan national security forces. We can do
:05:06. > :05:11.to 41,000 patrols, 90 Combined Operations, 60 company level
:05:11. > :05:19.operations, 650 meetings with local people, and we recovered 7500 tons
:05:19. > :05:22.of explosive, which could have made explosive devices. What that meant
:05:22. > :05:28.for the people in Helmand province was that we could open 40 schools,
:05:28. > :05:32.eight clinics, 10 bazaars and build 57 kilometres of roads. A very
:05:32. > :05:38.successful time. You mentioned a loss of life and injury. Is it
:05:38. > :05:42.worth it? The operation is a very important operation for British
:05:42. > :05:47.national security. That is why we are in Helmand province, and why we
:05:47. > :05:52.will remain on operations until 2014, when the Prime Minister has
:05:52. > :05:58.directed it will cease. Our commitment will go beyond 2014, but
:05:58. > :06:03.in a different way. People have been marking Armistice
:06:03. > :06:07.Day with a two-minute silence. At the 11th hour on the 11th day of
:06:07. > :06:12.the 11th month, people fell silence to remember and were fallen
:06:12. > :06:22.servicemen and women. We have been out with the crowd two gathered to
:06:22. > :06:27.
:06:27. > :06:30.Different generations united in prayer. These children from
:06:31. > :06:33.Ladysmith school have been invited by the Royal Marines Association to
:06:34. > :06:42.help them on are those who have lost their lives fighting for their
:06:42. > :06:47.country. They fought for us to bring peace to everyone. It is a
:06:47. > :06:53.nice thing to remember everyone. put Mike Ross on a German one who
:06:53. > :06:57.got shot during the Blitz. Alongside the British, Polish
:06:57. > :07:01.servicemen, German pilots, Australians and Canadians. The
:07:01. > :07:08.Commonwealth War Graves section of the cemetery on us and respects all
:07:08. > :07:16.war dead. This started as a service of reconciliation, to reconcile all
:07:16. > :07:26.of those groups and countries, so that we do not go to war again.
:07:26. > :07:39.
:07:39. > :07:49.Several hundred people gathered At Torquay Town Hall, in the room
:07:49. > :07:54.
:07:54. > :07:58.was fired to mark the start and Yeovilton welcomed the Archbishop
:07:58. > :08:03.of Canterbury as their guest, while the community of Mawnan Smith
:08:03. > :08:13.welcomed Tony Hibbert. The more children were getting, the happier
:08:13. > :08:14.
:08:14. > :08:19.I shall be. Generally speaking, all military are anti-war. In Weymouth,
:08:19. > :08:29.this woman has been coming to the same service almost every year for
:08:29. > :08:29.
:08:29. > :08:39.90 years. Across the region, acts of remembrance have been reminding
:08:39. > :08:39.
:08:39. > :08:44.us might have been a reminder of those lost decades ago and days ago.
:08:44. > :08:49.Later, we will talk to a former marine commander, injured in
:08:49. > :08:53.Afghanistan, who has been inspiring youngsters at South Dartmoor
:08:53. > :08:57.Community College. British International helicopters
:08:57. > :09:01.has announced that it is withdrawing its plans to move its
:09:01. > :09:05.heliport from Penzance to nearby St earth. The decision follows months
:09:05. > :09:14.of campaigning by villagers, who say the heliport would ruin their
:09:14. > :09:17.car at -- their quality of life. Yes, they wanted to spend �2
:09:17. > :09:23.million building a new heliport for their helicopter link to the Isles
:09:23. > :09:26.of Scilly. They said the move was vital so they could sell their old,
:09:26. > :09:30.current site to raise money for new aircraft and future development,
:09:31. > :09:34.but the people here did not wanted here, they mounted a huge campaign
:09:34. > :09:38.of opposition, and tonight, they say they are celebrating with the
:09:38. > :09:43.news that they have withdrawn their plans.
:09:43. > :09:47.It is excellent news for the village. We said it was the wrong
:09:47. > :09:51.idea, the wrong place, and the disruption would have been enormous.
:09:51. > :09:57.People say, not in my backyard, but it would literally have been in
:09:57. > :10:02.their backyard. The heliport where it is now, that was their first,
:10:02. > :10:09.and the houses were built around it. What are the reasons for the plans
:10:09. > :10:12.being withdrawn? We have had a statement, the company says they
:10:13. > :10:16.have withdrawn their plans because of local opposition. Essentially,
:10:16. > :10:21.they say they want to be good neighbours, but it has left them
:10:21. > :10:28.with a dilemma as to what they do in the future. What is going to
:10:29. > :10:32.happen? Will there be a heliport? They say they can still run their
:10:32. > :10:37.helicopters from their old site until June 2012, but they say they
:10:37. > :10:40.will be looking for a new location in west Cornwall. They have been
:10:40. > :10:44.speaking to the operators of Newquay Airport, and they have told
:10:44. > :10:49.them that, if there is a problem, and they still have nowhere to go,
:10:49. > :10:53.they can run their flights from there. But they say they really
:10:53. > :10:56.want a heliport down here in West Cornwall, they will be doing
:10:56. > :10:59.everything they can to preserve what they described as a vital
:10:59. > :11:05.helicopter link to the Isles of Scilly, which they say is vital for
:11:06. > :11:10.the island's economy. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed
:11:10. > :11:16.about a story yesterday, Derriford hospital's consultation on plans to
:11:16. > :11:20.make disabled drivers pay for parking. We were inundated. One man
:11:20. > :11:23.said, I agree, being disabled should not give you automatic
:11:23. > :11:27.entitlement, but some disabled people feel that everything should
:11:27. > :11:31.be free. Several people said that Blue badge holders already have to
:11:31. > :11:35.pay at other hospitals in the region, including that the Royal
:11:35. > :11:40.Cornwall. One person said, people should appreciate they do not have
:11:40. > :11:45.to pay for their hospital treatment. One person said, insult to injury,
:11:45. > :11:50.management are seeking to offset their ineptitude by penalising the
:11:50. > :11:54.most vulnerable. One person said, if they did not pay so much for the
:11:54. > :11:58.parking consultation, which always costs an arm and a leg, they could
:11:58. > :12:02.use the money to subsidise the parking, instead of wasting it on
:12:02. > :12:10.quangos. One person said, many disabled people already get a great
:12:10. > :12:13.package of benefits, so why not make them pay? One person said, the
:12:13. > :12:18.parking cut was pathetic and a tax on the sick. Did you think people
:12:18. > :12:28.enjoy visiting hospital? Hand your heads in shame, Derriford
:12:28. > :12:30.
:12:30. > :12:35.Still ahead, the vigil to remember those killed in the M5 crash a week
:12:35. > :12:43.ago today. And, Prince Harry's he wrote
:12:43. > :12:49.A vote's taking place right now to decide to district councils and the
:12:49. > :12:52.south-west should continue to share chief executive. For the last two
:12:52. > :12:56.years, Nicola Burbeck has run both Torridge and Teignbridge councils,
:12:57. > :12:58.a move which has been saving both the authorities thousands of pounds.
:12:59. > :13:02.Philip Collins, whose an independent member of Torridge
:13:02. > :13:06.Council has called for a special motion to end the arrangement.
:13:06. > :13:08.A concert is being held at Truro Cathedral tonight to mark one year
:13:08. > :13:14.on from the major flood which struck parts of mid-Cornwall last
:13:14. > :13:16.November. All proceeds will go to the Cornwall Flood Fund. The
:13:17. > :13:20.concert is a partnership between the Cornwall Community Foundation,
:13:20. > :13:23.Truro Cathedral and the Eden Project.
:13:23. > :13:27.A South West Conservative MP today called for more grammar schools to
:13:27. > :13:30.open where parents want them. The Government's policy currently
:13:30. > :13:38.forbids the creation of new selective schools. Our political
:13:38. > :13:46.editor is here to tell us more. This is a controversial issue,
:13:46. > :13:49.isn't it? Extremely. For some people, these are beacons of
:13:49. > :13:52.education, and for others they say they are socially divisive.
:13:52. > :14:00.Government policy at its stance is lukewarm towards grammar schools.
:14:00. > :14:03.There is no threat towards the remaining grammar schools, but it
:14:03. > :14:08.is absolutely impossible for anyone to open new selective schools. It
:14:08. > :14:11.is possible to have a ballot of parents to close a grammar school
:14:11. > :14:17.down and that is something which the MP for Tiverton and Honiton
:14:17. > :14:22.says is unfair. That is what they believe is wrong. You cannot have a
:14:22. > :14:28.one way vote. Parents and governors should also be able to vote on
:14:28. > :14:33.whether they would like to create a selective grammar school as well.
:14:33. > :14:37.So a controversial issue generally, but a device of one in the
:14:37. > :14:43.Conservative Party? Yes, I'm sure the Labour Party will be remembered
:14:43. > :14:49.as having started this drive towards non-selective education,
:14:49. > :14:53.but the Conservatives did not do much to hold that process. In 1997,
:14:53. > :14:57.the Conservative poster a grammar school in every town and there are
:14:58. > :15:01.very tetanic issue for people in the Conservative Party. David
:15:01. > :15:04.Cameron scrapped that played when he became leader and made it clear
:15:04. > :15:07.that a Conservative government would not make any more selective
:15:07. > :15:14.schools. That rankled with the number of people and the party and
:15:14. > :15:18.it clearly still does. And more on that on the Politics Show on Sunday.
:15:18. > :15:21.A vigil is being held in Somerset tonight - exactly a week since one
:15:21. > :15:23.of Britain's worst motorway crashes. Seven people died and 51 were
:15:24. > :15:26.injured in the collision on the M5 near Taunton. Their relatives,
:15:27. > :15:34.along with members of the emergency services, have been invited to join
:15:34. > :15:38.together tonight to pay tribute. Here's our Somerset reporter.
:15:38. > :15:42.On this day of remembrance, tonight will be about remembering the
:15:42. > :15:45.victims of one of the worst motorway crashes in living memory.
:15:45. > :15:50.But it will also give an opportunity for those directly
:15:50. > :15:56.involved in the horror of last Friday to reflect. People who were
:15:56. > :16:01.there, people who helped, like the emergency services. People like
:16:02. > :16:06.this man, who says it was a night that no one will ever forget.
:16:06. > :16:11.initial crews that were there, they thought and they fought and they
:16:11. > :16:15.fought against impossible odds and we lost that night, seven members
:16:15. > :16:19.of the Somerset community, no matter where they were from. A big
:16:19. > :16:25.team came together, no matter what organisation, no matter what their
:16:25. > :16:29.business was on the M5, members of the public, and they saved and we
:16:29. > :16:35.saved 51 people. Our thoughts are with those who are not with us but
:16:35. > :16:41.there are 51 people we saved that night. To night's vigil, any
:16:41. > :16:48.business part right next to the and five, was going to be open to the
:16:48. > :16:55.public -- right next to the M5, until it was decided to restricted
:16:55. > :16:59.to invited guests. We listened to the media feed back and to social
:16:59. > :17:04.networks and discovered it would go far beyond the capacity of the
:17:04. > :17:13.retail park. One of the most poignant moments of tonight's vigil
:17:13. > :17:16.will be a minute's silence at 8:55pm, precisely a week on.
:17:16. > :17:22.Time for the Friday sport and Dave's been getting reaction to the
:17:22. > :17:26.big horse racing controversy. The excessive use of the whip is
:17:26. > :17:28.causing consternation in horse racing. Jockeys, trainers and
:17:28. > :17:33.owners are worried that the controversy is damaging the
:17:33. > :17:42.industry. As a result, the sport's governing body in this country has
:17:42. > :17:51.reduced the ban on offenders. Many jockeys have been unhappy since the
:17:51. > :17:54.new whip rules were introduced a month ago. A Grand National winner,
:17:54. > :17:57.Ruby Walsh was given a five day ban last month and Britain's champion
:17:57. > :18:00.jump jockey Tony McCoy was also suspended after he used his whip
:18:00. > :18:03.once more than the allotted eight times. They argued that the
:18:03. > :18:05.penalties were too severe and that each case should be judged on its
:18:05. > :18:12.merits. Many well-known jockeys were competing at Taunton's first
:18:12. > :18:16.National Hunt meeting of the season this week. It is a contentious
:18:16. > :18:20.issue and it has been tough for us all but you want what is best for
:18:20. > :18:25.the course and what is best for racing. Under the rules as they
:18:25. > :18:29.stand at the moment, I do not think anyone is getting a fair deal. The
:18:29. > :18:32.whip's main purpose is for safety. Last night, the British Horseracing
:18:32. > :18:35.Authority announced they will commute the suspensions to two days
:18:35. > :18:44.if jockeys go over the permitted eight in jump racing and seven on
:18:44. > :18:50.the flat. No jockey, trainer, owner wants to see a horse hit more times
:18:50. > :18:56.than is appropriate and if a young lad was to go close to that, then
:18:56. > :19:00.the older jockeys in the weighing room will have a word with them.
:19:00. > :19:04.They will put them in line. They will say, that is not appropriate.
:19:04. > :19:08.Owners, trainers and jockeys claim the whip is used to get the best
:19:08. > :19:12.out of the animal and remain competitive. Some see it as cruel
:19:12. > :19:15.and unnecessary. If only horses could talk.
:19:16. > :19:18.It is the first round of the FA Cup this weekend and Plymouth Argyle
:19:19. > :19:23.hope to avoid a shock exit at the hands of Midlands part-timers
:19:23. > :19:25.Stourbridge at Home Park. There have been signs of an improvement
:19:25. > :19:32.since Carl Fletcher became player- manager of the Pilgrims, but a
:19:33. > :19:35.warning. The bookies have put odds of 7-1 on Stourbridge to win.
:19:36. > :19:39.Exeter City look to repeat their League win over Walsall when the
:19:39. > :19:41.pair meet at St James Park. After three wins in a row, Torquay United
:19:41. > :19:44.could surprise League One Chesterfield in Derbyshire, while
:19:44. > :19:53.Yeovil Town will have to tread very carefully at League Two strugglers
:19:53. > :19:55.Hereford. It is also Cup weekend for our top
:19:55. > :20:00.rugby clubs. Exeter Chiefs have already started their European
:20:00. > :20:03.Challenge Cup campaign at French club, Perpignan. It is just about
:20:03. > :20:13.half-time in South West France and BBC Radio Devon's Nigel Walrond can
:20:13. > :20:13.
:20:13. > :20:23.bring us the latest news. Yes, the half-time score here is burping on
:20:23. > :20:27.
:20:27. > :20:34.It has been all about the Boots of the respective fly-halves. The
:20:34. > :20:40.Exeter Chiefs's by half has been on great form. He has kept nudging
:20:40. > :20:44.Exeter further ahead through the game. He kicked three penalties
:20:44. > :20:52.within the first 18 minutes, and then James Hook got a couple back
:20:52. > :20:55.for the home side. James Hook would be final kick of the first half,
:20:55. > :21:04.Exeter were penalised and he put it over from halfway. Exeter have done
:21:04. > :21:07.very well and they just need to There is second half commentary on
:21:07. > :21:09.BBC Radio Devon 95.8FM. Also playing this evening are the
:21:10. > :21:14.Cornish Pirates at Irish side, Munster, in the British and Irish
:21:14. > :21:23.Cup. That kicks off at 7pm. Tomorrow, it is Plymouth Albion's
:21:23. > :21:28.turn against Scottish Cup winners The Plymouth Raiders first
:21:28. > :21:32.basketball league game at his next Wednesday at 7:15pm. There will be
:21:32. > :21:36.a collection for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust and one of the
:21:36. > :21:41.Marines will be at sailing from the ceiling of the play area before the
:21:41. > :21:44.game. Well, as we've seen people across
:21:44. > :21:47.the region have been taking a moment today to pay tribute to
:21:47. > :21:51.those who serve in our Armed Forces. One former Royal Marine commando
:21:51. > :21:54.marked Armistice Day by inspiring students at a Devon college.
:21:54. > :21:58.Ben McBean, once described by Prince Harry as a real hero, lost
:21:58. > :21:59.an arm and a leg in an explosion in Afghanistan. Today, he led the
:21:59. > :22:09.assembly at South Dartmoor Community College. Spotlight's
:22:09. > :22:12.
:22:12. > :22:16.Johnny Rutherford was there. In the two-minute silence at South
:22:16. > :22:20.Dartmoor College, they were not just thinking about the fallen, but
:22:20. > :22:24.the inspiring lecture that the former Royal Marine had just give
:22:24. > :22:33.them. Ben McBean survived an explosion in Afghanistan 3 1/2
:22:33. > :22:38.years ago. Run, run, run and then, boom! That was it. I opened my eyes
:22:38. > :22:46.and I remember being upside down. I fell back down towards the ground
:22:46. > :22:50.and I was, like, arm's broke, leg, missing. I was like, great! I
:22:50. > :22:55.literally wanted to dive. I was 20 years old and I thought I will
:22:55. > :23:00.never meet the gar -- I will never meet a girl and then I thought, I
:23:00. > :23:04.am supposed to be a Royal Marines Commando. I will get up. The
:23:04. > :23:10.message is, you do not have to go through what I went through to wake
:23:10. > :23:16.up. Hopefully I can stand there and say it took this to happen to me
:23:16. > :23:20.for me to wake up. I am saying, listen to me and wake up now.
:23:20. > :23:26.some of the students, it seems to have stopped. It really brings it
:23:26. > :23:30.home that this happens now. It is nice to see someone rising up from
:23:30. > :23:33.the hard stuff and coming out of the end of the tunnel. It is
:23:33. > :23:40.amazing for him to come away smiling still. Massive respect for
:23:40. > :23:46.him. Ben always seems to have a smile on his face. It is broader
:23:46. > :23:54.now, as he recently got engaged. Congratulations to him. Time for
:23:54. > :24:03.the weather forecast. Will be rain carry on Borg? -- will be brain
:24:03. > :24:08.My heart goes out to everyone in the parades today, because it has
:24:09. > :24:14.been very wet. The weather is likely to improve, with the weekend
:24:14. > :24:21.looking mainly dry. If you are out this evening, there is an awful lot
:24:21. > :24:25.of water around. This great wave of cloud stretching from Scotland to
:24:25. > :24:31.France is an area of rain which has been rather slow-moving and giving
:24:31. > :24:34.some heavy rain. It will move overnight tonight. It links back to
:24:34. > :24:40.a low pressure off of France and Portugal and it will return across
:24:40. > :24:44.us at the end of the day tomorrow. A weaker affair, but the
:24:44. > :24:48.possibility of light showers into the evening. Drier conditions on
:24:48. > :24:54.Sunday, with brisk south-east winds. We should see some sunshine, which
:24:54. > :24:57.is good news for remembrance on Sunday. You can see the map is
:24:57. > :25:03.colourful in places. That is the heavier rain which has been coming
:25:03. > :25:06.and going over the last few hours. It will take its time, so you have
:25:07. > :25:15.another couple of hours of wet weather before it eventually Ms out
:25:15. > :25:21.of the way. All of us Cup becoming eventually drive. Fog patches, so
:25:21. > :25:26.tricky on the roads. Drizzle at dawn as well. Overnight, down as
:25:26. > :25:30.low as 10 degrees. Relatively mild for the time of year. Tomorrow, we
:25:30. > :25:34.will have a few morning showers, quite a misty and great to start
:25:34. > :25:38.with, but the sunshine will soon break through that and for a good
:25:38. > :25:43.part of the day, fine weather, before more cloud drifts up to end
:25:44. > :25:48.the day. Most of us getting away with a fine day tomorrow. Wince
:25:48. > :25:55.again from the south-east or the East and temperatures getting up to
:25:55. > :26:05.15, possibly 16 degrees. For the Isles of Scilly, I think a mainly
:26:05. > :26:15.
:26:15. > :26:25.fine day, but later in the day we Good news for our suppers on
:26:25. > :26:36.
:26:36. > :26:39.The breeze will stay with us throughout tomorrow. Mainly good
:26:40. > :26:46.conditions at sea with good visibility.
:26:46. > :26:52.Sunday, good visibility, Patti spells, and quite windy despite the
:26:52. > :27:02.high temperatures, so wrap up warm. Nice changes next week, as we have
:27:02. > :27:02.