:00:13. > :00:18.Aid that to survive: How the region's High Streets will have to
:00:18. > :00:24.change to deal with a bleak outlook. Good evening. We have a special
:00:24. > :00:27.report on how our changing shopping habits are effective in town
:00:27. > :00:36.centres. An historic pub has been badly
:00:36. > :00:39.damaged by fire. It was a major fire. I drove up the A38 and Agassi
:00:39. > :00:45.the flames and smoke coming from Chudleigh.
:00:45. > :00:50.A warning that a further 300 jobs may need to go at Dorset Police.
:00:50. > :00:55.A new dean at Exeter Cathedral. Outside, anti-capitalist protesters
:00:55. > :00:59.vow to stay for as long as it takes. When we have a achieved a fairer
:00:59. > :01:04.system for everyone to live in, then we will clear off.
:01:04. > :01:09.And a warning of flooding overnight it's followed by snow in some areas
:01:10. > :01:14.tomorrow morning. We will have the latest on the stormy weather.
:01:14. > :01:18.New figures out today show the region's High Streets could be
:01:18. > :01:27.facing a bleak Christmas and New Year. Latest sales figures released
:01:27. > :01:36.this morning showed a bigger fall than expected. Sales fell by 0.4%
:01:36. > :01:44.last month, bringing to an end two months of growth. Consumers are
:01:44. > :01:49.buying fewer luxury items like computers. Jewellery sales are also
:01:49. > :01:52.down. Our correspondent looks at the way town and city centres are
:01:52. > :01:58.suffering. High Streets are doing their best
:01:58. > :02:03.to turn customers -- tempt customers. But competition from the
:02:03. > :02:06.internet and out of town retailers is making it tough. If the
:02:06. > :02:13.inhabitants of Rainbow Toys look and happy, it may be Fourie good
:02:13. > :02:20.reason. The shop is closing next cheek -- week after 15 years.
:02:20. > :02:24.have put all our resources into building his business and offering
:02:24. > :02:29.the products and services we have over the years to some very loyal
:02:29. > :02:33.customers. We are set to go and SAT to let them down.
:02:33. > :02:36.Exeter saw today an interesting example of how the high street is
:02:37. > :02:42.changing. But just a couple of doors at the street from Rainbow
:02:42. > :02:46.Toys, the opening of a new and sizable charity shop. It is the
:02:46. > :02:51.flagship store for Hospiscare in a prominent city centre location.
:02:51. > :02:55.is better to have a shop which is open. It looks good that the high
:02:55. > :03:02.street looks busy and it gives our supporters something to do. Their
:03:02. > :03:07.money goes towards our hospice. Analysts say that town and city
:03:07. > :03:12.centres need to broaden their appeal to thrive. No longer should
:03:12. > :03:16.they rely on shopping, but instead make themselves destinations by
:03:16. > :03:22.bringing in leisure facilities and visitor attractions. We need to
:03:23. > :03:28.make sure it is more than shopping. That is part of our strategy. For
:03:28. > :03:32.example, we need to strengthen cafe culture, ensuring that people come
:03:32. > :03:37.here for a complete experience, a total day out. New government
:03:37. > :03:41.figures found that sales fell by 0.4% last month, suggesting that
:03:41. > :03:47.Christmas may be difficult for the High Streets. Within being such an
:03:47. > :03:52.important trading time, many other shops rate -- risk suffering the
:03:52. > :03:56.same fate as Rainbow Toys. As for the future, most forecasts predict
:03:56. > :04:02.several more years of austerity, so retailers look like they will be
:04:02. > :04:06.struggling with plenty of difficult times to come.
:04:06. > :04:11.It is not only the city centres where times are tough this
:04:11. > :04:16.Christmas. There is a real squeeze in the wholesale cess -- sector.
:04:16. > :04:23.The owner of a catering Buchers in Ilfracombe e-mailed saying that he
:04:23. > :04:28.had never had to work for so little so hard in his life.
:04:28. > :04:33.Ivan Clarke's working life began when he was 11 years old,
:04:33. > :04:40.delivering need as an Ilfracombe Bucher's boy on his bike. Now he
:04:40. > :04:45.has his own business and says the last 12 months has been hard.
:04:46. > :04:52.We are working hard for the same amount. We do not have the same
:04:52. > :05:01.spending. We're doing smaller stakes. It costs the same to pack
:05:01. > :05:06.and deliver for 20% less. Ivan cannot sell the Big portions of
:05:06. > :05:11.meat because pubs and restaurants are not buying them. We went to the
:05:11. > :05:19.manor house into find out why. The team at the pub had to rethink
:05:19. > :05:26.their menus. We offer a two meals for �12 during the week and try to
:05:26. > :05:36.offer specials over the weekend as cheaper cuts of meat. We're looking
:05:36. > :05:38.
:05:38. > :05:42.at changing our menu to include a small stake. Why are Helen and Ivan
:05:42. > :05:47.jumping through unfamiliar hoops? Customers can provide an answer.
:05:47. > :05:52.You have got to count the pennies these days. You have got bigger
:05:52. > :05:58.priorities. You have got mortgages and bills. Socialising and eating
:05:58. > :06:02.out is different. It depends how much money I have left after rent.
:06:02. > :06:08.Because they have the deal on, I usually come down and have that.
:06:08. > :06:12.Something else makes life hard. Not only our customers paying less, but
:06:12. > :06:19.costs for businesses keep rising. Power overheads and wage bills are
:06:19. > :06:24.increasing because of women wage -- minimum wage. There is less profit
:06:24. > :06:29.on the bottom line for everyone. You have to make sure they are the
:06:29. > :06:33.same thickness. Item reckons he is paying 10% more than he was a year
:06:33. > :06:37.ago to buy meat. We cannot pass it all on to the customers or else
:06:37. > :06:42.they will not be up to sell it on to their customers. We have had to
:06:42. > :06:48.absorb a substantial amount of that increase. From one end of the
:06:49. > :06:53.supply chain to the other, these are lean times.
:06:53. > :06:57.The A38 was closed for several hours today after a car overturned.
:06:57. > :07:06.Five people were taken to hospital after the accident on the westbound
:07:06. > :07:08.carriageway near lean will -- Lee Mill. Devon and Cornwall Police say
:07:08. > :07:13.none of those being treated in hospital has life-threatening
:07:13. > :07:17.injuries. Diva's nightclub on Plymouth's
:07:17. > :07:21.Union Street has been closed. Its licence has been suspended by the
:07:21. > :07:26.council after concerns that people using the premises could become
:07:26. > :07:31.victims of crime. The club has not been available for comment.
:07:31. > :07:36.Police are appealing for witnesses after a robbery at an Esso garage
:07:36. > :07:41.in Portland. Four men armed with an axe, a knife and a baseball
:07:41. > :07:44.backstroke on Monday night. One man of knife -- staff was kicked and
:07:44. > :07:48.punched. People had to be moved from their
:07:48. > :07:54.homes last night when a fire broke out in the centre of a Devon town.
:07:54. > :07:59.The blaze damaged a historic pub in Chudleigh. 30 firefighters spent 12
:07:59. > :08:07.hours fighting the flames at Old Coaching House. An investigation
:08:07. > :08:11.into the causes under way. When firefighters got to the Old
:08:11. > :08:20.Coaching House in Fore Street, they found flames leaping 30 ft into the
:08:20. > :08:26.air. The roof and the top story were well alight. When I arrived, I
:08:27. > :08:31.could see the roof was alight. It was starting to spread to the floor
:08:31. > :08:38.beneath the roof. Flames were reaching out into the sky some 10
:08:38. > :08:42.metres above the river. As I approached com -- from the A38, I
:08:42. > :08:47.could see the flames and smoke. People were evacuated from nearby
:08:47. > :08:52.homes while the blaze was tackled on two funds. Our plan was to do
:08:52. > :08:56.what we are doing now. We have got to work on the roof. We have got
:08:56. > :09:03.teams on the inside and we are alternating those. We are hitting
:09:03. > :09:07.it from the outsize -- outside. Fire crews have been at the scene
:09:07. > :09:14.for most of the day. An investigation is under way to find
:09:14. > :09:18.out how it started. The building is one of the oldest in Chudleigh. It
:09:18. > :09:26.survived the great fire of 18 07 which destroyed much of the town.
:09:26. > :09:30.Much of the old coaching house is a burnt-out shell.
:09:30. > :09:39.The met Office's warning of more severe weather over the South West
:09:39. > :09:45.are tonight. Heavy rain and when Max -- winds are expected. It is
:09:45. > :09:49.already looking wet. How bad we get?
:09:49. > :09:53.We have been tracking the low pressure for a couple of days. It
:09:53. > :09:58.has now arrived. The rain is coming down in Plymouth, because we are
:09:58. > :10:02.right in the centre of the area of low pressure. The strongest wins
:10:02. > :10:08.back on the other side of the English Channel, in France. It is
:10:08. > :10:12.here we will see the strongest gusts of wind. We will see a change
:10:12. > :10:16.in the wind direction. The rain continues overnight and by the time
:10:16. > :10:20.we get to midnight, the winds will become northerly and then north-
:10:20. > :10:28.westerly. On the other side of the area of low pressure, we will start
:10:28. > :10:33.to see strong winds. They will be 50, 60 mph, and as the rain clears,
:10:33. > :10:38.some of that will turn to snow. That will BAA is in North Devon and
:10:38. > :10:45.in particular Exmoor. If you're heading towards Bristol, some of
:10:45. > :10:50.that snow will be at low levels. I will have a forecast later on.
:10:50. > :10:55.Dorset Police say 300 staff and officers could lose their jobs.
:10:55. > :10:59.Cuts on needed to help cope with a �20 million shortfall in the Budget.
:10:59. > :11:08.A report was presented to the Police Authority today saying that
:11:08. > :11:12.an ongoing freeze in recruitment is likely to continue for two years.
:11:12. > :11:18.The latest report says that the financial challenge facing Dorset
:11:18. > :11:28.Police should not be underestimated. They are facing a shortfall of �20
:11:28. > :11:29.
:11:29. > :11:34.million. The shortfall for this year is nearly 8 million. 300 jobs
:11:34. > :11:40.have to go in the next four tears. There is a freeze on recruitment.
:11:40. > :11:45.That will continue for a further two years.
:11:45. > :11:51.How will they reassure the public they can continually -- continued
:11:51. > :11:57.to effectually -- effectively police Dorset? Recorded crime has
:11:57. > :12:02.gone up by 0.5% due to a rise in theft hands shoplifting. Burglaries
:12:02. > :12:06.and violent crimes are down. Serious sexual violence is down.
:12:06. > :12:12.What are the ideas of a looking at? Different ways of improving ways
:12:12. > :12:19.they operate. They have improved a single streamlined system to you
:12:19. > :12:26.integrate criminal intelligence. They are looking at cutting back on
:12:27. > :12:36.marine police in -- policing. you very much.
:12:37. > :12:37.
:12:37. > :12:42.You are watching Spotlight. Still ahead in the programme: A museum in
:12:43. > :12:52.Exeter reopens after four years. Limbering up for the big day.
:12:52. > :12:56.Sanders are under starter's orders. A senior church leader has tonight
:12:56. > :13:00.told Spotlight that anti-capitalist protesters occupying a camp at
:13:00. > :13:04.Exeter Cathedral should give it up and do more in the community.
:13:04. > :13:10.Campaigners from Occupy Exeter say they have no intention of
:13:10. > :13:15.abandoning their action. They say they are here for the long run.
:13:15. > :13:21.They pitched up in Exeter four weeks ago to join other occupied
:13:21. > :13:24.groups across the world campaigning against a -- economic inequalities.
:13:24. > :13:28.Church are thought to raise -- authorities have taken any good --
:13:28. > :13:32.lenient stance. Today they were called to refocus their priorities.
:13:32. > :13:38.I still do not see what turning a beautiful green into a muddy patch
:13:38. > :13:43.is doing to help the poor. I would rather they got on board with us
:13:43. > :13:53.with things like raising issues about sustainability of banking and
:13:53. > :13:55.
:13:55. > :14:00.investment. We work with the poor. I want to say, Packer and join in
:14:00. > :14:03.with the action. There are more than 30 tents on the green. They
:14:03. > :14:07.say it is a cause they believe in and they won the bishop to
:14:07. > :14:12.understand they are prepared for the long haul. I guess we will have
:14:12. > :14:20.to send them some more leaflets. We have been doing direct action for
:14:20. > :14:30.the past week in the town. He probably just needs to come down
:14:30. > :14:41.
:14:41. > :14:45.The focus was highlighted by the new Dean today. I introduced myself
:14:45. > :14:50.and said I was good to be their new neighbour. I said that my hope was
:14:50. > :14:55.that that when I arrive, that there would be a proper dialogue about
:14:55. > :15:02.how we make the issues they have raised continue to be important in
:15:02. > :15:06.a sustainable way. We have no problem with the agenda. Meanwhile
:15:06. > :15:10.in a separate protest in Plymouth, those who have taken over the
:15:10. > :15:15.city's former Jobcentre said they intend to stay there for as long as
:15:15. > :15:25.they can. I would like to see this working rather than a squat. We are
:15:25. > :15:27.
:15:27. > :15:33.trying to be in dialogue. We have ended dialogue to see if we can
:15:33. > :15:37.have caretaker ownership of a place for six months or so. It is unclear
:15:37. > :15:42.how long the goodwill and spirit of tolerance shown by the of parties
:15:42. > :15:47.will continue. Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial
:15:47. > :15:51.Museum has opened its doors to the public again today after a �24
:15:51. > :15:56.million makeover. It had to close for four years while a
:15:57. > :16:01.refurbishment took place. There were various problems, do they is,
:16:01. > :16:08.and eight �9 million overspend. -- delays.
:16:08. > :16:11.After 10 years of planning, four years of closure and eight �22
:16:12. > :16:17.million bill, the museum is ready to show off its splendour to the
:16:17. > :16:24.public. The changes are fast. The Victorian building has been
:16:24. > :16:27.refurbished and extended and boasts state-of-the-art galleries.
:16:27. > :16:33.Although �10 million came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the City
:16:33. > :16:39.Council had to fight �9 million in overspend. If you look around the
:16:39. > :16:43.iconic things in the world, it is always a very expensive when they
:16:43. > :16:49.are building it. Everyone is always glad they went ahead with it. What
:16:49. > :16:53.has been delivered to the people of Exeter is well worth it. When they
:16:53. > :17:00.come here they will be gobsmacked. Despite the changes in the cost,
:17:00. > :17:07.entry is still free and it is open six days a week. This represents
:17:07. > :17:12.just 0.01 % of the entire collection in the museum. The Royal
:17:12. > :17:18.Collection have kindly lent us this collection of photographs. It
:17:18. > :17:21.includes images of Victoria and Albert. We have been given special
:17:21. > :17:29.permission to hang up and sold at first because of our connection
:17:29. > :17:38.with him. They are now facing each other. The old favourites are still
:17:38. > :17:47.on display. The giraffe's move was not the easiest. Gerald is now with
:17:47. > :17:50.his friends! Chris Sterling, a high performance
:17:50. > :17:55.manager of the Cornish Pirates, has announced he is leaving at the end
:17:55. > :17:59.of the season. The pirates will be staying at the Mennaye Field
:17:59. > :18:02.Stadium for another year, so they cannot be promoted to the
:18:02. > :18:07.Premiership, even if they win the Championship. They will stay in
:18:07. > :18:11.Penzance after delays to their proposed new stadium. A move to
:18:11. > :18:18.Home Park is also off. That was an interim measure while the new
:18:19. > :18:23.stadium was built. That is now planned for the 2013/14 season.
:18:23. > :18:27.To their next of our sports awards and it is the special award. This
:18:27. > :18:31.is given to a person or group of people who do panel considers have
:18:31. > :18:36.done something outstanding. This year it went to the staff of
:18:36. > :18:43.Plymouth Argyle. For 12 months they went unpaid. Many of them lost
:18:43. > :18:49.their homes and their cars but they put their club first. Last week, we
:18:49. > :18:53.took their award to Home Park. There's a number of individuals who
:18:53. > :18:59.have taken plaudits for saving Plymouth Argyle Football Club but
:18:59. > :19:03.none has ever francs more than the people in this room. In the darkest
:19:03. > :19:07.hour, you were there. You stood up and did not let that happen. I
:19:07. > :19:12.could stand here all day on behalf of the supporters and say what you
:19:12. > :19:21.mean to us. What you have done will never be forgotten by Plymouth
:19:21. > :19:27.Argyle fans. We are proud they you are our staff. We thank you on
:19:27. > :19:33.behalf of all Argyle fans for saving the club. It has been really
:19:33. > :19:42.tough the last few months but they are due to the supporters,
:19:42. > :19:48.especially Mark Russell and Gary McGuire. Also to the rest of the
:19:48. > :19:53.supporters, our families, and Peter Ridsdale and James Brennan, without
:19:54. > :19:58.whom there would not be a club here today. We went through a hard time.
:19:58. > :20:04.The staff deserve more credit than anyone. They were there day-in day-
:20:04. > :20:10.out. They work for the club for no money. It is great that they get
:20:10. > :20:16.this award and they can be very proud of what they have done. The
:20:16. > :20:23.bond between everyone, the players and the staff, we have all touched
:20:23. > :20:30.rock bottom and got through it. just did not want the club to fold.
:20:30. > :20:36.That was the main thing, but most people stayed working for. I had to
:20:36. > :20:46.move back to my parents' house. Things were tough but we are
:20:46. > :20:47.
:20:47. > :20:52.getting sorted now, getting there. I am glad we succeeded. We could
:20:53. > :20:58.not that this football club dive. - - we could not let this football
:20:58. > :21:03.club die. The you have space for an exotic
:21:03. > :21:07.animal? A giant rhino is looking for a home. It is perfectly safe
:21:07. > :21:12.because this animal is made from paper and willow. He was part of
:21:13. > :21:17.the annual City of Light Festival and now the organisers say he needs
:21:18. > :21:21.somewhere to rest his hooves. We like the lanterns to have some
:21:21. > :21:28.more of life after the night so people can't see them close up.
:21:28. > :21:33.This chart was too big to fit in any of the doors! -- this rhino.
:21:33. > :21:39.Where can he go. We were like him to go somewhere people can see him,
:21:40. > :21:47.somewhere that has a big space. Something different perhaps, to
:21:47. > :21:52.show people over Christmas. would be an imperative Christmas
:21:52. > :21:57.decoration! Spectators at Exeter racecourse saw
:21:57. > :22:04.an unusual sight today. More than two dozen Santas ran down the home
:22:04. > :22:07.straight to raise money for Children's Hospice South West.
:22:07. > :22:16.Donning their colours for the big race, these plucky competitors were
:22:16. > :22:25.champing at their bit. -- at their bits. We have done lots of training
:22:25. > :22:35.and so forth. It begins sandwich! After some warm-up exercises, the
:22:35. > :22:39.
:22:39. > :22:43.race got under way. Trying to commentate on a race like
:22:43. > :22:50.that is pretty difficult considering all 30 runners look
:22:50. > :22:56.exactly the same. It was all for a good cause. It is a nice gesture. I
:22:56. > :23:06.think some of them were getting tired! It was a to Xander race in
:23:06. > :23:07.
:23:07. > :23:17.the end. -- it was a two Santa Claus race in the end. I let him
:23:17. > :23:21.win. Not perfect running conditions but it was a lot of fun!
:23:21. > :23:26.runners have been fantastic. They will have gathered sponsorship. I
:23:26. > :23:28.hope it has made people realise there is fun stuff going on for the
:23:28. > :23:35.children's hospice and to get involved with that because it is
:23:35. > :23:42.wonderful. The cold weather kept some punters away but they hope to
:23:42. > :23:46.hold the event again next year. And of course they had all the
:23:46. > :23:56.grace and elegance of Black Beauty! I've been there might have been too
:23:56. > :23:59.
:23:59. > :24:04.-- I think. Let's get the weather forecast.
:24:04. > :24:09.Welcome to a very wet night here in Devon, as it is across the hall of
:24:09. > :24:16.the south-west. The main story for this evening and overnight, low
:24:16. > :24:26.pressure moving across us. The win will pick up later on. -- In the
:24:26. > :24:26.
:24:27. > :24:32.wind. It will be wet and later on it becomes a windy. The wind is a
:24:32. > :24:37.concern because of the frequent heavy showers we have had. There is
:24:37. > :24:46.a word of warning for the next few hours, in fact for a good part of a
:24:46. > :24:54.night. Numerous rivers are on flood alert. If you want more information,
:24:55. > :24:59.contact the Environment Agency. There is cloud to the south-west of
:24:59. > :25:09.Britain at the minute. That is the low pressure, developing as it
:25:09. > :25:09.
:25:09. > :25:13.moves. You can see where it is. We can track its progress along the
:25:13. > :25:18.English Channel and moving away towards the low Land's End far
:25:18. > :25:25.south-east of England, developing as it goes. -- to be alone man's,
:25:25. > :25:33.and far south-east of England. As it moves away week will get north-
:25:33. > :25:37.westerly winds following it. Let's look at the satellite sequence. You
:25:37. > :25:43.can see across the south-west, brighter colours and heavier bursts
:25:43. > :25:50.of rain. There is no were escaping the rain. That will continue to
:25:50. > :25:56.move eastwards overnight. Tonight's forecast, wet, and as the rain
:25:56. > :25:59.clears, the wind picks up becoming northerly and then north-westerly.
:25:59. > :26:09.There is also some snow appealing, particular over higher parts of
:26:09. > :26:10.
:26:11. > :26:15.Exmoor and Dartmoor and towards the Bristol area. Temperatures close to
:26:15. > :26:25.freezing the further east you are. In windy start tomorrow with
:26:25. > :26:26.
:26:26. > :26:30.frequent showers, some of them wintry. Not a very warm day. By the
:26:30. > :26:40.afternoon, sunshine with frequent showers and a strong wind and
:26:40. > :27:11.
:27:11. > :27:17.Into the weekend, we are expecting more showers on Saturday, some on
:27:17. > :27:24.Sunday and then it quietens down. The wing will drop through the
:27:24. > :27:31.weekend but overnight temperatures will be very low. -- the wind will