:00:13. > :00:15.Concerns for our wildlife as river levels continue to fall. Whilst
:00:15. > :00:20.there aren't any drought restrictions here at the momment,
:00:20. > :00:24.it's not to say our wildlife isn't in trouble. Good evening. Experts
:00:24. > :00:27.say fish and animals are at risk. Also on Spotlight tonight,
:00:27. > :00:29.continuing to lead the way in marine technology. The tests off
:00:29. > :00:36.Cornwall which could generate electricity and future business
:00:36. > :00:45.across the south west. And the young miner who died on the Titanic.
:00:45. > :00:47.One local story from an event which Wildlife Trusts are growing
:00:47. > :00:51.increasingly concerned about falling river levels as the South
:00:51. > :00:55.West is hit by an environmental drought. They're warning low river
:00:55. > :00:58.levels mean salmon are unable to get upstream and water voles are
:00:58. > :01:02.struggling. Figures from the Environment Agency show that for
:01:02. > :01:07.this time of year four major rivers in our region are suffering low
:01:07. > :01:12.flow rates. The rivers Tamar and Exe are described as having
:01:12. > :01:16."exceptionally'"low flows. But it's the rivers Tone and Frome that have
:01:16. > :01:20.the lowest in the region. They are described as having "extremely" low
:01:20. > :01:22.flow rates. If you take the River Tone as an example, this morning,
:01:22. > :01:25.just outside Taunton at Bishops Hull, the Environment Agency
:01:25. > :01:29.recorded the river level as 0.12 metres, when the typical level
:01:29. > :01:36.range for this location can go from 0.09 metres to 1.07 metres for this
:01:36. > :01:45.time of year. Adrian Campbell is at a tributary of the River Tone in
:01:45. > :01:50.Dorset, where it's a similar story. The catchment area here has not
:01:50. > :01:55.seem much rainfall for the past couple of years, like much of the
:01:55. > :01:59.south-west, and it has had a big impact on the ecosystem. Low water
:01:59. > :02:05.levels affecting the fish and in the water meadows there are fewer
:02:05. > :02:09.invertebrates. Quiet Life Trust are concerned and are asking us all to
:02:09. > :02:13.take it very seriously -- at the Wildlife Trust.
:02:13. > :02:16.Appearances can be very deceptive during what is called an
:02:16. > :02:20.environmental tried. In this part of Dorset, some stretches of river
:02:20. > :02:27.look almost normal today but groundwater levels of very low and
:02:27. > :02:33.that worries the Dorset Wildlife Trust. This is the main channel, I
:02:33. > :02:37.can see that the gravel is quite high, what other concerns? Normally,
:02:37. > :02:43.the high winter flows are important for keeping the oxygen levels high
:02:43. > :02:47.for diluting pollutants and also just keeping the water levels high
:02:47. > :02:52.to allow for the passage of fish. As a trustee have been tried to
:02:52. > :02:56.help, what have you been doing? Dorset Wildlife Trust is run in the
:02:56. > :03:01.Dorset wild rivers project across the county to restore our rivers
:03:01. > :03:06.back into their natural state. have had to dry years. The
:03:06. > :03:11.Environment Agency says we are nearing the end of the typical
:03:11. > :03:18.recharge period. Rivers in parts of East Devon and Dorset which depend
:03:18. > :03:22.on groundwater of bomb rubble. Aquifers need to be recharged with
:03:22. > :03:30.demands of gentle rain which was sink into the ground. This man runs
:03:30. > :03:35.a consultancy Business on the river at Frome. The Frome is running
:03:35. > :03:38.about a foot below summer level, so very low for the time of year. This
:03:39. > :03:45.water should be running about two feet above what it is running at
:03:45. > :03:50.the moment. Wessex Water is already recharging rivers from boreholes.
:03:50. > :03:54.We plan for dry weather, we have invested for dry weather over many
:03:54. > :04:00.years and what you see today is one of the powers of the teas we have
:04:00. > :04:04.put in place, one of 18 Streams support services, to make sure that
:04:04. > :04:09.we can alleviate the impact of dry weather by topping up by
:04:09. > :04:13.maintaining stream flows in reverse. Reverse helped to top up reservoirs
:04:13. > :04:17.with water draw in the winter months and the water can be saved a
:04:17. > :04:22.man is that well. But the Environment Agency and the Wildlife
:04:22. > :04:25.trusts say that by being bought a wise we can all help.
:04:25. > :04:29.The Environment Agency had been looking at the whole situation very
:04:29. > :04:33.closely and it could be as early as next week when we can expect some
:04:33. > :04:41.kind of announcement about some kind of restrictions, possibly for
:04:41. > :04:47.farmers. It is important to stress we're not talking about domestic
:04:47. > :04:50.supplies. South West Water says it is, then
:04:50. > :04:59.there will be no need for restrictions, even if the drought
:04:59. > :05:02.is a fish leap required. So what is Drought Status? If it's announced
:05:02. > :05:05.by the Environment Agency this relates to the implications of a
:05:05. > :05:09.long-term lack of rainfall on the water environment. So that includes
:05:09. > :05:13.rivers, ponds and wetlands. But South West Water say this does not
:05:13. > :05:16.refer to the state of public water supplies. At the moment, its total
:05:16. > :05:21.reservoir storage is 84%, that's just 1% lower than this time last
:05:21. > :05:24.year. Similarly, Wessex Water say their reservoir storage is at 85%.
:05:24. > :05:27.Its below average for this time of year but still much healthier than
:05:27. > :05:30.other parts of the UK. Dorset relies partly on water from
:05:30. > :05:33.underground aquifers. These ground water levels are also below average.
:05:33. > :05:42.But the company is moving its supply around their region from
:05:42. > :05:45.areas of surplus to areas of deficit. Any rain will be very
:05:45. > :05:51.welcome, particularly for the agricultural communities. The
:05:51. > :05:55.ground is pretty dry. If you dig down a foot or so, it is very dry
:05:55. > :05:59.as it will take a lot more rain for to get through that soil. It is the
:05:59. > :06:03.rain getting through the soil there we need get into the equity fires,
:06:03. > :06:09.the underground storage of water. How much rain do we need to see an
:06:09. > :06:13.improvement? In summary, we need a lot of rain, and a lot of rain over
:06:13. > :06:17.a lengthy period of time. We are 50% down over what we should have
:06:17. > :06:27.seen over the last 12 months. We will need to see rain for several
:06:27. > :06:42.
:06:42. > :06:45.months before things get back to normal. Beautiful Falmouth Bay.
:06:45. > :06:48.Protected from southwesterly gales by the Lizard peninsula, it's a
:06:48. > :06:52.well known haven for shipping. We head out in the harbourmaster
:06:52. > :06:55.launch to the test area - three miles offshore. It's this
:06:55. > :06:58.location's relatively calm waters that make it the perfect place for
:06:58. > :07:04.initial tests on wave energy devices - machines which convert
:07:04. > :07:07.the movement of the sea into electricity. From here they'll be
:07:07. > :07:17.moved to Cornwall's wavehub site off Hayle, where conditions are
:07:17. > :07:18.
:07:18. > :07:22.much rougher. The industry is still at a relatively early stage. What
:07:22. > :07:30.was required in order to give developers confidence was in effect
:07:30. > :07:34.and nursery site. That is what this provides. The first machine to be
:07:34. > :07:38.moored here is known as Bolt Two - it's been built as a joint project
:07:38. > :07:47.between a number of companies lead by an offshoot of the Fred Olsen
:07:47. > :07:52.ferry line. This device is a real collaboration. The company from
:07:52. > :07:55.Orkney worked on the moorings and Exeter University are carrying out
:07:55. > :07:59.the environmental monitoring. is a fantastic thing that does
:07:59. > :08:04.happen today because it is the first time we see real kit in the
:08:04. > :08:08.water as part of a big ambition for marine energy. In the long term we
:08:08. > :08:12.should have good jobs, good business opportunities as well.
:08:12. > :08:15.This is literally the first step in the water. Falmouth's harbour
:08:15. > :08:19.authority say the triangular test area has room for three devices at
:08:19. > :08:29.any one time. It insists they will be well marked and lit, and will
:08:29. > :08:33.
:08:33. > :08:37.not be a hazard to shipping. More than �30 million has been
:08:37. > :08:40.saved by a two-year job freeze at Devon County Council. The authority
:08:40. > :08:43.says it's saved the money by not replacing many of the 2,000 people
:08:43. > :08:46.who've left over that time. The unions claim it's left some
:08:46. > :08:48.departments without enough staff which means they struggle to
:08:48. > :08:51.deliver services. Meanwhile, people working at Exeter
:08:51. > :08:54.City Council are being invited to apply for voluntary redundancy
:08:54. > :08:56.between now and the end of May. The council says it's offering
:08:56. > :09:00.redundancy because it's under huge financial pressure.
:09:00. > :09:03.Later in the programme, a special link up with the memorial cruise
:09:03. > :09:07.marking the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Plus
:09:07. > :09:11.the story of one Cornish miner who went down with the ill-fated ship.
:09:11. > :09:18.And is this the work of Banksy? Find out why some believe it's an
:09:18. > :09:20.act of revenge against the local mayor.
:09:20. > :09:25.The Conservatives are targeting taking outright control of Weymouth
:09:25. > :09:29.and Portland Borough Council in the upcoming local elections. The party
:09:29. > :09:32.is currently three seats short of its target. But as Hamish Marshall
:09:32. > :09:39.reports, it's hoping to make gains which give it outright control for
:09:39. > :09:43.the first time since 1979 - the year Mrs Thatcher came to power.
:09:43. > :09:48.Soon ten Olympic gold medals will be awarded here. First there's
:09:48. > :09:50.another race - the one for local power. Making the most of the
:09:50. > :09:54.Olympics, jobs, the future of the borough's cross-Channel ferry
:09:54. > :09:58.service and what to do about the Pavilion are among the local issues
:09:59. > :10:02.on which candidates are looking to win votes. Currently no party has
:10:02. > :10:06.overall control. The Conservatives are the largest group with 16
:10:06. > :10:11.councillors - three short of a majority. The Liberal Democrats
:10:11. > :10:15.have ten seats, Labour has seven and there are three Independents.
:10:15. > :10:19.On May 3rd, the Conservatives and Labour are standing in all 12 seats
:10:19. > :10:21.being contested. The Lib Dems have eight candidates, the Greens four,
:10:21. > :10:27.there are three independents and one candidate from the United
:10:27. > :10:37.People's Party. The Conservatives are banking on a good showing to
:10:37. > :10:41.take the seats they need to taken control of the Council. Because we
:10:41. > :10:47.have been a hung council almost since I can remember, we cannot
:10:47. > :10:50.take the difficult decisions, or rather when the difficult decisions,
:10:50. > :10:54.long there is always somebody able to say I didn't want to do that and
:10:54. > :10:59.then the decision is usually not made for they make on decision and
:10:59. > :11:03.then decide to do something else later. The Lib Dems have six seats
:11:03. > :11:11.to defend - when they were last fought in 2008, the party was doing
:11:11. > :11:15.better in the national opinion polls than it is today. We have to
:11:15. > :11:19.invest in the town. We have to make sure we take the inward investment
:11:19. > :11:24.coming on from the Olympics and from the fact that we're not the
:11:24. > :11:29.end of the railway line, we are the essential lifeline for the Channel
:11:29. > :11:33.Islands and hopefully through to France as well. We have to x the
:11:33. > :11:37.take the opportunity, which means that we have to look for partners
:11:37. > :11:40.who were prepared to invest with the council. The last set of
:11:40. > :11:44.elections here left Labour as the third party. It has two members on
:11:44. > :11:52.the ten-member board which runs the council - it wants to win more
:11:52. > :11:59.seats so it can have more say on decisions. There has been no money
:11:59. > :12:07.spent on maintenance of our major assets. What that has meant is that
:12:07. > :12:14.we know we are at a point where we have to do work on those major
:12:14. > :12:21.items and that is going to cost our council tax payers over the next 20
:12:22. > :12:25.to 40 years. There are many sides to Weymouth. Tourism, jobs are
:12:25. > :12:30.required, it is retirement haven but there are pockets of poverty as
:12:30. > :12:38.well. Each of the candidates standing in the selection police
:12:38. > :12:41.they had the plans to move the poorer for it. The sinking of the
:12:41. > :12:44.Titanic 100 years ago affected communities across the region.
:12:44. > :12:47.There were dozens of passengers and crew from the South West on the
:12:47. > :12:51.ship's ill-fated voyage./ Among them was a young copper miner from
:12:51. > :12:58.Cornwall on his way to join his two brothers in America. John Danks
:12:58. > :13:02.takes up the story. This is Barnoon cemetery near St
:13:02. > :13:09.Ives. It was here in May 1912 that hundreds of people came to pay
:13:09. > :13:15.their respects to a young victim of the Titanic disaster. William
:13:15. > :13:18.Carbines was just 19. But, unlike so many victims of the sinking, his
:13:18. > :13:25.body was not only found, but transported all the way back to be
:13:25. > :13:29.buried in Cornwall. William Carbines, like many Cornishmen at
:13:29. > :13:34.the time, was a miner. According to the passenger list he was one of 14
:13:34. > :13:36.miners heading to America. And of that number most were from Cornwall.
:13:36. > :13:40.The Cornish Global Migration Programme, based in Redruth, aims
:13:40. > :13:44.to trace the movements of people who migrated from Cornwall. They
:13:44. > :13:47.have around 60,000 names on their database. Volunteer Mike Kiernan
:13:47. > :13:57.thinks he knows why miners from Cornwall were heading to North
:13:57. > :13:59.
:13:59. > :14:03.America in 1912. In Cornwall, the value of minerals produced was one
:14:03. > :14:10.of the highest on record, which you would want to why mind is needed to
:14:10. > :14:14.leave cocaine the to find work. The answer is simple. There were very
:14:14. > :14:18.few minds at that time still left in production and new technology
:14:18. > :14:25.meant less people were being employed. Willy Carbines boarded
:14:25. > :14:29.Titanic in Southampton as a second class passenger bound for a new job.
:14:29. > :14:33.He was to join his brothers at a copper mine in Calumet in Michigan.
:14:33. > :14:36.But when the ship was holed by an iceberg, Willy, like most men on
:14:36. > :14:40.board, had no means of escape. This water-damaged portrait of him was
:14:40. > :14:43.found among his belongings when his body was pulled from the sea a few
:14:43. > :14:46.days after Titanic had sunk. John and Robert Carbines now had the
:14:46. > :14:50.grim task of identifying their brother's body. This document from
:14:50. > :14:54.the time details what else Willy had on him - a watch and chain, a
:14:54. > :15:02.pipe, a knife and some money. The two Carbines brothers signed in
:15:03. > :15:06.receipt of the items from the White Star Line. The tragedy shocked the
:15:06. > :15:10.people of St Ives, indeed others from the town had also been on
:15:10. > :15:13.board Titanic. Among the many wreaths laid at his funeral, one
:15:13. > :15:23.from his parents, brothers and sisters which simply read, "To dear
:15:23. > :15:24.
:15:24. > :15:27.Willie with heartfelt sorrow." A memorial cruise to mark the
:15:27. > :15:31.centenary of the sinking of the Titanic is continuing its journey
:15:31. > :15:34.to the mid-Atlantic, where, on April 14th, a service will be held
:15:34. > :15:39.on board in remembrance of those who died that fateful night.
:15:40. > :15:42.Earlier today I spoke to the BBC's John Kay. Who's onboard the MS
:15:42. > :15:50.Balmoral, who explained how this journey was extremely emotional for
:15:50. > :15:53.many of the passengers. I think it is getting more
:15:53. > :15:56.emotional for people, every mile there with travel closer to the
:15:56. > :16:02.right side. When we left Southampton on Sunday there was
:16:02. > :16:06.lots of glitz and glamour and fancy dress costumes, smiles and
:16:06. > :16:10.celebrations. I think that is because the passengers, some of
:16:10. > :16:16.them books District two or three years ago, and for them it was the
:16:16. > :16:21.relief that it was happening. Since then, as we're headed out into open
:16:21. > :16:25.seas, I think people have started to reflect more on the actual
:16:25. > :16:29.centenary and working out how they are going to Mark that when we get
:16:29. > :16:33.to the wreck site. Of course, up the stories that you must be
:16:33. > :16:38.hearing must be fascinating, and some stories from people here in
:16:38. > :16:45.the south-west. That is right. A lot of people on the strip of what
:16:45. > :16:50.are called -- are people who are obsessed with the ship and what
:16:50. > :16:54.happened to it. But I would say there are about 100 people on board
:16:54. > :16:58.to have a direct connection with the Titanic. Two of them are
:16:58. > :17:04.joining me now, Jayne Anne Frank Allen, who live near Ashburton in
:17:04. > :17:09.Devon. It is mainly because it is your great uncle Tom who died on
:17:09. > :17:14.the Titanic. Great Uncle Tom died on the Titanic though his wife
:17:14. > :17:20.survived. They were privets, they were tracking first class, but is
:17:20. > :17:24.still not take away the trauma. had to stay on board, it was women
:17:24. > :17:29.and children first, so Edith went away in her life card and they were
:17:29. > :17:34.separated. As a married couple here it is impossible to imagine that
:17:34. > :17:38.sort of dilemma. He cannot imagine it and in the board of inquiry been
:17:38. > :17:41.mentioned how Tom did say goodbye to eat it, bearing in mind that
:17:41. > :17:48.they were quite recently married and it must be very upsetting for
:17:48. > :17:53.them both. Also for her, going away not know what could happen to him.
:17:53. > :17:57.What is like for you now, as we get nearer to that centenary?
:17:57. > :18:03.centenary to me is very important. I come here not just for myself,
:18:03. > :18:06.but for the rest of the family and my grandfather. When you come out
:18:06. > :18:11.here and see the a la indication realise what a vast space cities
:18:11. > :18:17.and you can never imagine what went on that night. We are in relatively
:18:17. > :18:22.calm conditions right now. It is important any just realise how low
:18:22. > :18:25.they must have been out there. Frank, you do not have a direct
:18:25. > :18:28.funding per you have come from Guernsey and you're here to
:18:28. > :18:32.remember the surprisingly large number of people on the Titanic
:18:32. > :18:38.cocaine from Guernsey and the Channel Islands. Yes, there were
:18:38. > :18:43.about 60 or 70, mostly second class and third class, and some crew as
:18:43. > :18:48.well. I haven't got any connection with them but I do have some
:18:48. > :18:51.privilege of being from Guernsey and on the night, on we are
:18:51. > :18:57.remembering everybody, I shall be thinking of the people from Kent
:18:57. > :19:01.see, that lovely little island that I know so well. -- Guernsey. They
:19:01. > :19:10.will be remembered, and the story has been largely forgotten and
:19:10. > :19:15.untold. Thank you for reminding all of us about it this evening. On
:19:15. > :19:18.Sunday, Joan and Frank will be on the deck in the early as when the
:19:18. > :19:27.special centenary service takes place. Some people planning to
:19:27. > :19:30.scatter wreaths and petals into the water to remember those who died.
:19:31. > :19:34.There's more on the miners from Cornwall who were aboard the
:19:34. > :19:37.Titanic on our website, bbc.co.uk/cornwall. And in
:19:37. > :19:45.Spotlight tomorrow we report on the ship's surviving crew who were
:19:45. > :19:49.brought ashore in Plymouth. A wounded serviceman who lost his
:19:49. > :19:53.arm and leg after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan four years ago
:19:53. > :19:56.is determined to show that there is life after disaster. Ben McBean
:19:56. > :19:59.from Plymouth is also fundraising to help injured soldiers. He has
:19:59. > :20:02.received a Rotary Young Citizen Award in recognition of his
:20:02. > :20:12.inspirational work - chosen from nominations put forward by Rotary
:20:12. > :20:17.Clubs across Britain and Ireland. am always trying to help lead. If I
:20:17. > :20:23.can raise litters say that �1,000 for running a mile, then that will
:20:23. > :20:29.get a small wheelchair or a workroom, so it is well worth doing.
:20:29. > :20:36.I like to help charities and to avert hurls, to give something back.
:20:36. > :20:43.He will receive his award in a live programme on the BBC News Channel
:20:43. > :20:47.at 11:30am on Saturday. There's a big question in Somerset
:20:47. > :20:51.tonight - is it a Banksy or not? A piece of work which has suddenly
:20:51. > :20:54.appeared beneath a bridge in the centre of Taunton is said to be the
:20:54. > :20:58.work of the world famous Bristol- based graffiti artist. And what's
:20:58. > :21:02.more, the word is that it's revenge for the local mayor's criticism of
:21:02. > :21:03.graffiti - and also Banksy himself! Clinton Rogers has been to take a
:21:03. > :21:07.look. It appeared overnight and it's
:21:07. > :21:17.raising quite a few eyebrows in Taunton - even among those who've
:21:17. > :21:26.
:21:26. > :21:33.never even heard of Banksy. wouldn't think it is at Banksy
:21:33. > :21:37.because his work is usually a because scale. The rat is very much
:21:37. > :21:45.a Banksy trade mark and it was not very long ago that a local mayor
:21:45. > :21:48.was being rather critical of the world's most famous graffiti artist.
:21:49. > :21:52.It was after a blitz of graffiti attacks on the centre of Taunton
:21:52. > :22:02.that the mayor spoke his mind, and pointed the finger of blame at one
:22:02. > :22:05.man. I think Banksy has got a lot answer for. He has some green
:22:05. > :22:09.pitches and I think people are taking off after him and thinking
:22:09. > :22:12.they can get away with it. Do you think anybody should of done that?
:22:12. > :22:22.But today the mayor, who brought his grandson to see Taunton's
:22:22. > :22:23.
:22:23. > :22:26.latest maverick artwork, Was sticking to his view. Once again,
:22:26. > :22:36.Banksy, you are teaching young children that they can put it back
:22:36. > :22:37.
:22:37. > :22:40.anywhere that they want to. That is not correct. People close to Banksy
:22:40. > :22:47.insisted it wasn't his work. But such is the enigmatic nature of the
:22:47. > :22:51.man, the chances are you'll never know for sure.
:22:51. > :23:00.Time for the weather forecast and I hear ticketing very cold at the
:23:00. > :23:04.We have had some fault today but we have also had their showers. One or
:23:05. > :23:10.two of those have been quite heavy just in the last couple of hours.
:23:10. > :23:15.Tonight, almost all do showers will die away, Pete skies will clear,
:23:15. > :23:21.and it'll turn frosty again. The structure of the cloud at the
:23:21. > :23:25.moment shows shoot that we had some very large pieces of cloud. There
:23:25. > :23:30.is generally a lot of cloud out here and eventually we will see
:23:30. > :23:34.some more persistent rain, but probably not until Monday. In
:23:34. > :23:38.between we have Calder air coming in from the north. Expect some
:23:38. > :23:43.showers to fade away tonight and then it turns frosty. Tomorrow we
:23:43. > :23:49.will have more frequent showers but they may not be as potent as today.
:23:49. > :23:52.By Saturday, we have genuine the Northern League wins. Tempered by
:23:52. > :23:58.the sea temperatures but nonetheless the cold blast on
:23:58. > :24:02.Saturday. A widespread overnight frost on such tonight in to Sunday.
:24:02. > :24:10.This was the picture earlier today. You could see where the showers
:24:10. > :24:15.have been. Then they are moving away from us now. In north Devon,
:24:15. > :24:20.there was a lot of fine weather but you can see there cloud in the
:24:20. > :24:26.distance. When the sunshine come said, with a bit to shelter from
:24:26. > :24:30.the breeze, it feels quite pleasant. The showers are never too far away.
:24:30. > :24:36.They will be slow-moving showers tomorrow so perhaps it will not
:24:36. > :24:41.look quite the same, with larger cloud developing. The showers will
:24:41. > :24:51.fade away tonight and will be a lot of clear sky so that means we will
:24:51. > :24:51.
:24:51. > :24:58.see frost. We will start to see the frost appear as the CROWD: Moves
:24:58. > :25:07.away. Temperatures anywhere from zero to three or four degrees above
:25:07. > :25:11.freezing. A fine, sunny start. We get showers bubbling up at the same
:25:11. > :25:16.time and they will be fairly slow- moving so were they to happen we
:25:16. > :25:21.could have quite a hefty downpour. But the nature of showers that
:25:21. > :25:26.means that just down that road he may stay in sunshine. And range of
:25:26. > :25:36.temperatures from 10 to possibly 13 degrees. Much lighter winds, from
:25:36. > :26:01.
:26:01. > :26:06.The winds are much lighter now. The drop in the temperatures will
:26:06. > :26:13.happen not only because we see temperatures fall but there will be