:00:09. > :00:14.Taking on the banks - the local businesses who claim they're being
:00:15. > :00:18.badly treated by their lenders. Good evening. A campaign has been
:00:18. > :00:21.launched to get banks to pay back some of their charges. We'll hear
:00:21. > :00:24.from angry business owners and the bankers' association. Also tonight:
:00:24. > :00:29.a royal salute. The Duke of Edinburgh joins the crowds in North
:00:29. > :00:37.Devon to officially welcome home troops from Afghanistan. Afraid to
:00:37. > :00:43.go shopping - the blind woman calling for a better road crossing.
:00:43. > :00:46.I can run out of milk or bread, but I won't get it if I feel not
:00:46. > :00:54.confident enough on the crossing. And animal magic - the spectacular
:00:54. > :00:57.lanterns which lit up the city of Truro. Businesses in Cornwall have
:00:57. > :00:59.joined together to try to reclaim millions of pounds from the banks
:00:59. > :01:02.and help boost Britain's economy. The Cornwall Business Forum is
:01:02. > :01:06.beginning a campaign to lobby the Government to force banks to repay
:01:06. > :01:09.what they call a range of unfair fees and charges. They're writing
:01:09. > :01:11.to all of Britain's MPs and want to create a nationwide movement,
:01:11. > :01:14.arguing it could boost investment and help create much needed new
:01:14. > :01:24.jobs. Our correspondent Simon Hall has been talking to businesses
:01:24. > :01:28.
:01:28. > :01:34.about their experiences of the banks. Linda is bitter about her
:01:34. > :01:37.bank. It pressured her to sell her restaurant to pay off a loan, she
:01:37. > :01:41.says, although she was making a profit. The sign isn't in place yet,
:01:41. > :01:47.but she is selling. Bank charges have been increasing and Linda and
:01:47. > :01:53.her husband have used save togs keep going, but have now had enough.
:01:53. > :01:58.We felt devastated. You know, to the point of you are sort of losing
:01:58. > :02:04.your home and in these times, we're not youngsters, we have got to
:02:04. > :02:08.think about our pensions and this was our pension. We just felt we
:02:08. > :02:12.were sort of almost sold down the river by the bank. It is perhaps an
:02:12. > :02:17.insight into the strength of feeling among businesses that in
:02:17. > :02:24.the course of researching this story a large majority of those we
:02:24. > :02:29.spoke to had concern about the way they were being dealt with. Very
:02:29. > :02:33.few wanted to speak out. Now the Cornwall Business Forum have
:02:33. > :02:38.started a campaign to get money back. They want the Government to
:02:38. > :02:42.force them to repay extra charge and interest levied on business
:02:42. > :02:48.since 2008. They believe businesses on average could benefit by
:02:48. > :02:52.thousands of pounds each. There will be more money in circulation,
:02:52. > :02:57.more confidence, more jobs. And there will be a lot more businesss
:02:58. > :03:02.that will survive. That is what you believe the economy needs? Yes.
:03:03. > :03:07.we can support this campaign and get money put back into businesses'
:03:07. > :03:14.pockets that be used to grow or pay down debt elsewhere, it can only be
:03:14. > :03:20.to the benefit of all. Cornwall Business Forum has lunch launched...
:03:20. > :03:23.The forum has an online petition asking MPs to support it.
:03:23. > :03:28.Treasury said the Government has put in place measures to encourage
:03:28. > :03:33.the banks to lend to business as part of their project Merlin. They
:03:33. > :03:38.had helped to provide the finance to do so. Injebgtding hundreds of
:03:38. > :03:43.billions -- injecting billions into the economy under the quantitative
:03:43. > :03:46.easing programme. Earlier I put the points raised in that report to
:03:46. > :03:49.Eric Leenders, from the British Bankers' Association. I began by
:03:49. > :03:52.asking him if he accepted that there'd been a big increase in
:03:52. > :03:57.banking charges for businesses since 2008. Well that is correct,
:03:57. > :04:02.that is the case. That reflects the increased cost of capital. That was
:04:02. > :04:09.at the same time you were being bailed out by the tax pear payer.
:04:09. > :04:14.But still the industry has to carry higher capital which has its cost
:04:14. > :04:20.and that industry faces the same inflationary pressures on its costs
:04:20. > :04:24.as any other business does. And it is not every bank that was bailed
:04:24. > :04:29.out. In fact it was just one or two. Despite that, the national
:04:29. > :04:33.federation of master builders has published a survey showing that the
:04:33. > :04:37.majority of its members have reported difficulty in getting
:04:37. > :04:40.borrowing from their banks to help them expands. One example from a
:04:40. > :04:44.business in Cornwall that was profitable and she says the bank
:04:44. > :04:49.was telling them to sell the business, because they wanted their
:04:49. > :04:56.money back. It does not suggest the banks are lending fairly. Let's
:04:56. > :05:00.take a look at that case study. The first thing I would say is profit
:05:00. > :05:04.is absolutely essential as it demonstrates that there is a future
:05:04. > :05:10.viability in the business. The next question for me would be, where
:05:10. > :05:16.that profit actually shows up on the bank's balance sheet and it is
:05:16. > :05:22.-- I it generated sufficient cash to enable it to not only meet its
:05:22. > :05:27.current fixed and variable costs, but to meet the additional costs of
:05:27. > :05:33.any expansion. The business forum has a campaign to get the banks to
:05:33. > :05:39.hand back some of the charges, will the banks do that? Well clearly
:05:39. > :05:43.those banks have take an fee for a service that they provide. If an
:05:43. > :05:48.individual bank has a an individual customer has a particular issue
:05:48. > :05:55.with an individual bank, that is a matter for them to take up with the
:05:55. > :05:59.banks. Do I feel that necessarily if a business generally faces
:06:00. > :06:05.increased costs and passes them on they should discount the costs? I
:06:05. > :06:12.think that fundamentally that is not quite how I would expect to see
:06:12. > :06:19.business operating to ensure that it is sus stainable and that in a
:06:19. > :06:23.position to weather any future negatives that might face, that it
:06:23. > :06:26.might face. Thank you. Detectives investigating the crash on the M5
:06:26. > :06:29.in which seven people died appealed again today for anyone with video
:06:29. > :06:32.footage of a nearby firework display to send it to them. Avon
:06:32. > :06:34.and Somerset Police say they're still trying to piece together what
:06:34. > :06:37.happened before the accident near Taunton on November 4th. They've
:06:37. > :06:46.been investigating whether smoke from fireworks at Taunton Rugby
:06:46. > :06:49.Club may have been a factor. 87 jobs are going at the Western
:06:49. > :06:52.Morning News and Herald newspapers in Plymouth. Northcliffe Media is
:06:52. > :06:58.restructuring some behind the scenes jobs, affecting posts at its
:06:58. > :07:00.base in Derriford. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh took
:07:00. > :07:04.the salute in Devon today as Commandos from RMB Chivenor marched
:07:04. > :07:06.through Barnstaple in a homecoming parade. Crowds turned out to honour
:07:06. > :07:08.the Commando Logistic Regiment, back after six months in
:07:08. > :07:18.Afghanistan. Spotlight's Andrea Ormsby was given special access as
:07:18. > :07:23.
:07:23. > :07:29.the commandos got ready for their big day. 7.30 and the regiment is
:07:29. > :07:36.on the move. Morning, time to go. Polishing, shining, shaving.
:07:36. > :07:41.Everyone wants to look their best, because today is a big day.
:07:41. > :07:47.Mark Edmunds a medical assistant. All my family live in the area and
:07:47. > :07:52.it is an important day for myself and the community. These are the
:07:52. > :07:57.medics of this regiment, they spend all their time on the front line.
:07:57. > :08:01.Hard, really hard. Get up, there would be a morning patrol. You go
:08:01. > :08:07.on that, that could be anything between an hour to four or five
:08:07. > :08:14.hours long. And they got longer and longer. Being the only medic, you
:08:14. > :08:20.go on every patrol. Outside the families are gathering. Everything
:08:20. > :08:30.has been thought of, this is after all a military operation. Anyone
:08:30. > :08:31.
:08:31. > :08:38.for coach 9, please make your way to the coaches. 10.30 and the
:08:38. > :08:43.parade begins. The sun is out, the band is playing, the crowds are
:08:43. > :08:50.here and the boys are back home. was so proud to think that all
:08:50. > :08:58.these soldiers, what they do for us all. I just felt... Beyond words.
:08:58. > :09:07.Goodlads. I think they have gone a long way. I was in the Second World
:09:07. > :09:15.War. Very good. The Duke of Edinburgh took the salute. I was
:09:15. > :09:25.delighted to see him walk up with his troop. And yeah, lovely. He is
:09:25. > :09:29.my boyfriend, so proud. Back at base and prin Philip presented
:09:29. > :09:36.service medals. Entertainment too from choir of military wives based
:09:36. > :09:41.here at Chivenor. Now the troops are off home for a well-earned
:09:41. > :09:44.break. A woman who's registered blind is claiming that she's
:09:44. > :09:47.sometimes had to go without basic food and provisions because the
:09:47. > :09:50.road near her home is too dangerous to cross. Rose Hewitt has been
:09:50. > :09:53.campaigning for a new crossing in Goodrington in Paignton for four
:09:53. > :09:56.years. Today she's been addressing local councillors to get them to
:09:56. > :10:06.make it a priority. Spotlight's South Devon reporter John Ayres has
:10:06. > :10:08.
:10:08. > :10:12.more. Rose is helped by her guide dog to the shops. But this
:10:12. > :10:15.staggered crossing presents a problem. When I cross the first
:10:15. > :10:21.half, I can't hear what is happening on the second half,
:10:21. > :10:28.because of the noise of the traffic behind me. As you can hear, it is a
:10:28. > :10:34.very busy road and it's even worse when it is wet. The dog helps, but
:10:34. > :10:38.doesn't decide when she crosss the road. The council has considered
:10:38. > :10:44.providing traffic lights that beep, but some businesses and residents
:10:44. > :10:49.say they will lose parking spaces. It will kill trade for a start.
:10:49. > :10:54.Because nobody will be able to stop at all and there is very little
:10:54. > :10:59.parking there now. And traffic, well it is going to congest traffic.
:10:59. > :11:04.The council gets money from the Government for road safety schemes
:11:04. > :11:08.and this has been considered. But the local priorities change on a
:11:08. > :11:12.regular basis and Torbay has had accidents at other sites. We have
:11:12. > :11:17.drawn up proposals and consulted on changing it. It has been considered
:11:17. > :11:21.by our members as a potential road safety scheme. But at is in moment,
:11:21. > :11:27.we don't have the funding. But it will be considered again in the
:11:27. > :11:33.future. If I'm just not feeling confident, I just will stay at home.
:11:33. > :11:37.I can run out of milk and bread. But I won't come out and get it if
:11:37. > :11:41.I feel not confident enough on this crossing. The meeting with the
:11:41. > :11:48.council won't bring about any immediate changes. But rorz is
:11:48. > :11:51.trying to keep her campaign at the front of their minds. -- Rose.
:11:51. > :11:54.Exactly one year ago tonight, Spotlight was dominated by the
:11:54. > :11:56.flooding which had hit Cornwall. Forty millimetres of rain had
:11:56. > :12:00.fallen overnight and hundreds of homes had been flooded. 12 months
:12:00. > :12:08.on, Matt Pengelly has been back to one of the worst hit areas, St
:12:08. > :12:13.Blazey, where it seems people still dread a forecast of rain. 17Th
:12:13. > :12:19.November, 2010, rain leaves destruction through Cornwall. This
:12:19. > :12:26.was the river Freedom of information. The roads elsewhere
:12:26. > :12:31.awash. And St Blazey under water. Some 400 properties were swamped.
:12:31. > :12:36.Tony was one of those flooded out. Now he is back in his home, but
:12:36. > :12:43.still feeling the pain. From where we were two years ago, the house
:12:43. > :12:47.prices developed by �46,000. That puts in a position where we have
:12:47. > :12:52.negative equity and we're stuck in a place that we get nervous about
:12:52. > :12:57.when its rain. These are some of the people who it is hoped will
:12:57. > :13:01.make a difference if the floods return. Community wardens. Three
:13:01. > :13:07.quarters of a million pounds has been secured for flood prevention
:13:07. > :13:13.measure, but that money has not been spent yet. And this was the
:13:13. > :13:18.scene yesterday. It is like a... Captured on camera by an angry
:13:18. > :13:22.Debbie Evans. We lost a house last year to the floods and the car. We
:13:22. > :13:27.have been out of the house for eight months. We have only been
:13:27. > :13:33.back in for eight weeks and we have already had three flood alerts in
:13:33. > :13:37.four weeks. There is room for doing more and we are working quickly. So
:13:37. > :13:41.the individual property protection will help. That will help. That
:13:41. > :13:46.does not discriminate against where the water is coming from, but keeps
:13:46. > :13:54.it out. With more rain forecast, resident hope the floods of last
:13:54. > :13:57.The Government has announced it will appeal against the High Court
:13:57. > :14:01.decision to block plans for an incinerator at St Dennis in
:14:01. > :14:05.Cornwall. The move comes less than a month after campaigners against
:14:05. > :14:08.the plant celebrated their success in blocking the development. Work
:14:08. > :14:11.has already started in the village on access roads to a site where the
:14:11. > :14:20.proposed incinerator would go. Cornwall Council is welcoming the
:14:20. > :14:23.Secretary of State's decision. Police in Exeter say they have
:14:23. > :14:26.uncovered a drugs factory which had the capacity to grow cannabis with
:14:26. > :14:30.a street value running into tens of thousands of pounds. An officer
:14:30. > :14:38.came across the building in the Polsloe area of the city when he
:14:38. > :14:42.smelt the drug in the air last night. One man has been arrested.
:14:42. > :14:49.Whoever house - - is running this set-up, they have lost a lot of
:14:49. > :14:52.money. Again, I am very pleased at what we have achieved.
:14:52. > :14:55.Soldiers from across the South West have been marching through the
:14:55. > :14:57.Welsh town of Chepstow today. The 1st Battalion The Rifles, which
:14:57. > :15:00.recruits from Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, has been granted the
:15:00. > :15:03.Freedom of the Town after its six- month tour in Afghanistan. Hundreds
:15:03. > :15:08.of family and friends travelled to see them presented with their
:15:08. > :15:11.campaign medals. The 1st Rifles lost five soldiers
:15:11. > :15:14.on this latest deployment, and the battalion has lost 16 since the war
:15:14. > :15:18.began there. 23-year-old Plymouth student Private Jonathan Kitulagoda
:15:18. > :15:22.was the first to die when he was killed by a suicide bomber in
:15:22. > :15:26.Khabul in 2004. He was serving with the Territorial Army Rifle
:15:26. > :15:31.Volunteers. TA medic Sergeant David Jones, of Exeter-based 6 Rifles,
:15:31. > :15:33.lost an eye in the same blast. Seven years on he has spoken for
:15:33. > :15:43.the first time about the incident to our defence reporter Scott
:15:43. > :15:44.
:15:44. > :15:50.Bingham. Our first incident ending - - in
:15:50. > :15:57.Afghanistan was a suicide bomber. We had the first incident in
:15:57. > :16:05.Afghanistan and kept was the first- person to die. We were driving back
:16:05. > :16:11.to camp. Their vehicles were packed with explosives at the time, which
:16:12. > :16:20.we didn't know about. Initially I was blind. I have got some sight
:16:20. > :16:24.back in my right eye. I tried to help out kit, but to no avail. He
:16:24. > :16:32.was a good guy. He had just finished university and was saving
:16:32. > :16:42.up some money to go travelling. I accepted it from day one about my
:16:42. > :16:42.
:16:42. > :16:46.high. - - My ally. People at the heart of an incident tend to have
:16:46. > :16:51.no ill-effects. It is the people around you that want to help, but
:16:51. > :16:56.can't help, they are the ones that suffer. It is a part of my life
:16:56. > :17:06.that is over and I will just carry on. It does not affect me at all. I
:17:06. > :17:12.suppose I have changed a bit, but I think I am a lot more calm now. I
:17:12. > :17:17.respect life now. Life is too short. It's very short.
:17:17. > :17:20.Remember this? We showed it to you a couple of weeks ago when the
:17:20. > :17:22.photo won the public vote for the Countryfile Children in Need
:17:22. > :17:25.calendar competition. After that, the Tiverton Canal Company invited
:17:25. > :17:28.some very special guests along on their last trip of the season.
:17:28. > :17:31.Children in Need funds outings and holidays for Orchard Saturday Club
:17:31. > :17:35.in Newton Abbot and the Community Equality Action Club in Exeter.
:17:35. > :17:45.This is how Samuel and his friends got on when they went for a trip on
:17:45. > :17:50.
:17:50. > :18:00.the horse-drawn barge. Being on a real-life barge, how
:18:00. > :18:01.
:18:01. > :18:10.shall I put it? Amazing, old- fashioned. Dukinfield how it list
:18:10. > :18:20.to be like to ride on an old barge. Not many people like me get to have
:18:20. > :18:24.
:18:24. > :18:32.a ride on one of these barges. Well, how shall I say? I am a mild
:18:32. > :18:38.artistic. I don't show it often and pretend that I don't have it. I try
:18:38. > :18:43.to act like a normal gentleman. these children, this Saturday Club
:18:43. > :18:48.is vital. It gives them a valuable play experience and an opportunity
:18:48. > :18:58.to develop their play skills, which to develop later with these
:18:58. > :19:06.
:19:06. > :19:11.children. It is amazing. We get to meet new friends and 60 people with
:19:11. > :19:15.autism as an problems like this. People come to the Saturday Club
:19:15. > :19:20.for social interaction activities, and for parents and families to
:19:20. > :19:25.have a break, with siblings to spend time with their parents about
:19:25. > :19:28.coping with the high needs of their siblings. It is great because
:19:29. > :19:37.they're helping children like us to go on trips to people that we
:19:37. > :19:44.didn't know. It is quite fun. best bet about Saturday Club is
:19:44. > :19:50.meeting up with friends. I really think these people who give the
:19:50. > :20:00.money to us. It is a big help. They are always good trips and exciting
:20:00. > :20:06.
:20:06. > :20:16.things. I like Pudsey Bear so, so much! A I love Pudsey. By
:20:16. > :20:19.
:20:19. > :20:24.definitely love Pudsey. I would give Pudsey �300, if I was a nice
:20:24. > :20:27.young gentleman who had �10,000, I would donated right away so
:20:28. > :20:37.children and need - - Children In Need King David to the children who
:20:38. > :20:44.
:20:44. > :20:50.money makes. And if you'd like to give to Children in Need this year
:20:50. > :20:54.the number to call is: 03457 33 22 33. Standard geographic charges
:20:54. > :21:03.from landlines and mobiles apply. Every penny goes to help
:21:03. > :21:06.And to say thank you to all of you who're fundraising or supporting
:21:06. > :21:14.Pudsey this year the party is at the Eden Project tomorrow, where
:21:15. > :21:17.it's free to get in after 6.00pm. I hope lots of you will come along.
:21:18. > :21:21.Now, we promised you the pictures from last night's City of Lights
:21:21. > :21:23.festival in Truro and, as usual, the giant lanterns were a real hit
:21:24. > :21:33.with the crowds. Eleanor Parkinson joined the procession and has this
:21:34. > :21:35.
:21:35. > :21:40.report. This city of light always makes an
:21:40. > :21:45.impact on the crowd, and this year its larger-than-life man turns were
:21:45. > :21:48.no exceptions. The theme this year was one of light, celebrating 50
:21:49. > :21:54.years of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Some of these giant
:21:54. > :21:59.creatures are not often seen in Cornwall! A I think it's amazing.
:22:00. > :22:05.Does it look like a real giraffe? Yes! When its head comes down it is
:22:05. > :22:15.quite good. The this quid can be found in Cornish waters, but in the
:22:15. > :22:22.
:22:22. > :22:29.wild it is only two inches long. Although the lanterns are made from
:22:29. > :22:36.paper, willow and glue, there is quite a bit of Engineering. But it
:22:36. > :22:44.can take you by surprise! It has very fine a joint., so it is very
:22:44. > :22:49.fluid and you can keep that mobile. Both they'd look like they could
:22:49. > :22:53.cause some trouble. Yes, they are mitts - - mischievous. Hunt did so
:22:53. > :23:03.children take part in the event. These penguins are made at the
:23:03. > :23:07.
:23:07. > :23:16.school in Truro. The lanterns will Still, a big fund-raising nights
:23:16. > :23:22.tomorrow night with children and need. - - Children In Need. I have
:23:22. > :23:26.had a word with Pudsey, and he assures me it will be drive. Good
:23:26. > :23:31.evening. We have got some dry weather tomorrow, but before we get
:23:31. > :23:35.to tomorrow, there is every chance we will see some rain turning up.
:23:35. > :23:39.Maybe there will be drizzle in the morning, but it will become drier
:23:39. > :23:44.and brighter through the day and into the evening. Lots of cloud
:23:44. > :23:48.here. You can see this cloud marching steadily northwards. It
:23:48. > :23:51.isn't making much progress East, but a basket closer to us over
:23:51. > :23:59.night denied giving us a few outbreaks of rain, before moving
:23:59. > :24:04.away again tomorrow. Southerly wins again tomorrow. A-week weather
:24:04. > :24:10.front will straddle the south-west on Saturday. On one side some
:24:10. > :24:14.bright weather, and the other side some showers. Here is that band of
:24:14. > :24:18.cloud and rain. It is coming in Thailand and the north-west of
:24:18. > :24:22.Scotland with some heavy bursts of rain. For us some more cloud over
:24:22. > :24:27.night tonight. It will be relatively mild. There will be
:24:27. > :24:35.drizzle every now and then. It'll be quite misty and murky over the
:24:35. > :24:42.higher ground, with some hill fog. The winds will occasionally reach
:24:42. > :24:46.gale force in west Cornwall. Tomorrow we have got a lot of cloud
:24:46. > :24:49.giving some outbreaks of patchy rain, but that rain band will move
:24:49. > :24:53.out of the way and there is a chance for some brighter spells
:24:53. > :25:02.developing with a bit of sunshine coming through. Compared to today
:25:02. > :25:06.it will not be as sunny. We did have some sunshine today. A lovely
:25:06. > :25:10.day, really. The breeze has been steadily increasing throughout the
:25:10. > :25:19.day which has been churning up the sea. We have seen temperatures up
:25:19. > :25:24.to 14 degrees. Perhaps we will get some sunshine every now and then
:25:24. > :25:29.tomorrow, but the main thing will be a lot of cloud. The cloud will
:25:29. > :25:35.produce some spits and spots of rain. Before that, I think we will
:25:35. > :25:39.find some bricks. Temperatures will be what we have had recently, 14 or
:25:39. > :25:43.possibly 15. They will be quite a keen breeze from the site or south-
:25:43. > :25:53.east, but bubble slowly dropped throughout the day. Let's look at
:25:53. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :26:36.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 42 seconds
:26:36. > :26:41.The outlook into the weekend, bright and dry but quite a lot of
:26:41. > :26:45.cloud on Saturday and Sunday, but it will stay generally mild. The
:26:45. > :26:48.risk of more persistent rain by Monday.
:26:48. > :26:51.The top stories tonight: Cornish businesses are calling for the
:26:51. > :26:55.Government to force banks to repay millions of pounds in fees and
:26:55. > :26:59.charges. Huge crowds have turned out to
:26:59. > :27:06.honour Commandos from RMB Chivenor who have returned from Afghanistan.