:00:12. > :00:17.One of Britain's worst water poisoning incidents - 25 years on a
:00:17. > :00:20.new report has prompted claims of a cover up.
:00:20. > :00:25.Good evening. The report says the Camelford poisoning is unlikely to
:00:26. > :00:32.cause any long-term health effects, but that's angered campaigners.
:00:32. > :00:35.Also tonight: An inquest hears how a mother
:00:35. > :00:38.drowned trying to save her son. Alison Tooby died at Northcott
:00:38. > :00:41.Mouth, near Bude. Both of her sons survived.
:00:41. > :00:51.And a bed shortage means South West mental health patients have to
:00:51. > :01:10.
:01:10. > :01:13.travel hundreds of miles for treatment.
:01:13. > :01:16.An inquest today heard about frantic efforts made to try to save
:01:16. > :01:19.a woman who drowned whilst trying to rescue one of her sons from a
:01:19. > :01:22.rip current in Cornwall. 52-year- old Alison Tooby from Wellington
:01:22. > :01:24.died at Northcott Mouth beach, near Bude, last September. Her sons were
:01:24. > :01:27.still on school holidays, but lifeguard cover had stopped at the
:01:27. > :01:29.beach the previous day. The coroner described the only way to describe
:01:29. > :01:33.what happened on September 3rd last year as tragic. Alison Tooby knew
:01:33. > :01:37.the beach well. She had taken her sons there to enjoy some of the
:01:37. > :01:42.good weather, but the strong will rip currents claimed her life.
:01:43. > :01:47.Northcott Mouth is popular in high season, but with local schools back,
:01:48. > :01:55.there were only around 15 people on it last September. Alison Tooby
:01:55. > :02:00.went into the water after one of her son's got into trouble. The bit
:02:00. > :02:06.tight track her 100 metres out to sea. A series of witness statements
:02:06. > :02:11.were read to the inquest telling of the difficult situation. A woman
:02:11. > :02:16.said that even the lifeguards was struggling in the water. One man
:02:16. > :02:21.said he was exhausted as he tried to rescue Alison, who was face down
:02:21. > :02:31.in the water. Lifeguards from another beach eventually brought
:02:31. > :02:34.
:02:34. > :02:40.Alison out of the water. She was airlifted to hospital, but died
:02:40. > :02:46.from drowning. Lifeguard bosses say the number of people are using
:02:46. > :02:52.beaches are keep in deciding the level of cover. We provide
:02:52. > :02:56.lifeguard services based on local schools. We cannot cover all
:02:56. > :03:02.eventualities. The school holidays in Scotland are different from here
:03:02. > :03:07.in Cornwall. We have to provide a service based on a local need and I
:03:07. > :03:12.think we have got that right. Alison's family thanked those who
:03:12. > :03:18.went into the water, saying there were very brave. On returning a
:03:18. > :03:23.verdict of accidental death, the coroner said it was due to a set of
:03:23. > :03:30.unfortunate circumstances and reminded people they needed to
:03:30. > :03:32.respect the sea and be cautious on beaches that are not patrolled by
:03:32. > :03:34.lifeguards. Campaigners wanting answers to
:03:34. > :03:37.Britain's worst water poisoning incident say they're still
:03:37. > :03:39.convinced there's been a cover-up. 25 years after the Camelford
:03:39. > :03:42.poisoning and after numerous reports and inquires, a Government
:03:42. > :03:44.committee has concluded that it's unlikely to have caused long term
:03:44. > :03:47.effects. However, it wants more research into the development of
:03:47. > :03:57.babies at the time. Tonight the report has been slammed by
:03:57. > :03:57.
:03:57. > :04:04.campaigners, who say it's worthless. This treatment works in come off it
:04:04. > :04:11.today. Little son of the huge impact of the water pollution
:04:11. > :04:16.incidents 25 years ago. A tanker accidentally dumped aluminum
:04:16. > :04:21.sulphate into the wrong tank. It entered the water supply to 20,000
:04:21. > :04:26.local residents. Since then there have been concerns over the
:04:26. > :04:30.potential health problems. To date, an independent committee of experts
:04:30. > :04:37.published its review into the incident. In general, it is
:04:37. > :04:45.unlikely that there were any long- term health effects, but there were
:04:45. > :04:52.certain areas with the information was strong enough to suggest that
:04:52. > :05:02.further investigation should be carried out. Those key areas focus
:05:02. > :05:06.
:05:06. > :05:12.Last year a coroner said there was a very real possibility it was a
:05:12. > :05:18.factor into the death of 59-year- old Carroll crossed his brain
:05:18. > :05:25.contained high levels of aluminium. Hurt we do were recently resigned
:05:25. > :05:30.from the committee behind the report today. It is useless. It has
:05:30. > :05:40.just collected information from people as to how they felt at the
:05:40. > :05:42.
:05:42. > :05:46.time. People wanted their records looked out and they refused to do
:05:46. > :05:50.it. They recommendation for further research will go to the government
:05:50. > :05:53.to decide whether or not it goes ahead.
:05:53. > :05:56.Families of people who are mentally ill say too many have to travel
:05:56. > :06:00.hundreds of miles for treatment because of a shortage of beds close
:06:00. > :06:02.to home. Patients from Devon and Cornwall may be sent as far away as
:06:02. > :06:12.Southampton and Hertfordshire. Mental health trusts say they try
:06:12. > :06:16.
:06:16. > :06:21.to treat people close to home, but it's not always possible.
:06:21. > :06:26.This woman says her son is too far away for her and her husband, who
:06:26. > :06:31.both have disabilities, to visit. He was in a Devon psychiatric
:06:31. > :06:38.hospital, but became unwell and is now in the unit in Stevenage. We
:06:38. > :06:46.have changed her name and voiced to protect her son's privacy. If we
:06:46. > :06:50.don't see him, he thinks we don't care. That is not the case. It is a
:06:50. > :06:56.460 mile trip which is too much for us. My son is totally isolated
:06:56. > :07:02.there. Devon has no psychiatric intensive care unit and at any one
:07:02. > :07:08.time around eight people are in unit outside of the area. Often
:07:08. > :07:11.just over the border, but sometimes further afield. We understand it is
:07:11. > :07:16.distressing for them, their families and carers, for them to be
:07:16. > :07:21.treated away from home. We do everything we can to treat people
:07:21. > :07:26.as locally as possible. Over the last couple of years we have half
:07:26. > :07:31.the number of people who need to receive treatment away from home.
:07:31. > :07:41.She points out that trusts cannot provide all mental health needs
:07:41. > :07:49.locally, but Devon does have eating disorder units ants other units
:07:49. > :07:55.that some regions do not have. John contacted BBC Radio Cornwall when
:07:55. > :08:00.his wife was sent to Southampton recently. I was gutted for my wife
:08:00. > :08:06.and for myself and my daughter. We cannot go and see her unless I take
:08:06. > :08:13.special time off from work. I want my wife treated in Cornwall and
:08:13. > :08:17.given the best care. Cornwall Partnership Trust said it was
:08:17. > :08:22.funded for 52 acute beds and when they will fall, it found the next
:08:22. > :08:27.available bed out of county. It said it recognised it could be
:08:27. > :08:31.difficult for families and carers and the patient is always brought
:08:31. > :08:37.back to Cornwall as soon as possible. Other solutions are now
:08:37. > :08:41.being looked out. The mother of a teenager swept to
:08:41. > :08:43.her death during training for the Ten Tors will go without a penny in
:08:43. > :08:46.compensation, despite a judge's ruling that a teacher negligently
:08:46. > :08:49.got lost on the way to a checkpoint. Charlotte Shaw died in March 2007
:08:49. > :08:52.while trying to cross a swollen brook on Dartmoor. Her mother has
:08:52. > :08:54.been fighting for compensation from her daughter's school, but today
:08:55. > :08:57.suffered final defeat at the Court of Appeal.
:08:57. > :09:00.We're sorry that viewers in the Channel Islands are not receiving
:09:00. > :09:03.their usual programme tonight. Its due to a technical fault. We're
:09:03. > :09:05.working to fix the problem. Here are the main headlines for the
:09:05. > :09:08.channel islands tonight: The former Jersey Magistrate Ian
:09:08. > :09:12.Christmas has lost his appeal against his conviction and sentence
:09:12. > :09:15.for fraud. Christmas is serving 15 months in prison for his part in a
:09:15. > :09:20.property investment scheme. Last October the former judge was jailed
:09:20. > :09:23.for defrauding an islander out of �100,000. Three other men were also
:09:23. > :09:29.convicted and sent to prison - they have all lost their appeals at
:09:29. > :09:31.Jersey's Magistrates Court. Ten people could lose their jobs at
:09:31. > :09:37.Jersey's biggest security firm after bosses wrote to staff warning
:09:37. > :09:39.them of problems. G4S, which employs more than 500 people here,
:09:39. > :09:44.says two of it's departments have struggled since Jersey's building
:09:44. > :09:47.industry's shrunk. A spokesperson says G4S is doing all it can to
:09:47. > :09:56.avoid any jobs losses and is working with staff and unions to
:09:56. > :09:58.find an alternative. Later in the programme:
:09:58. > :10:00.The worrying decline in the butterfly population.
:10:00. > :10:05.Plus eavesdropping on everyday conversations - the new project
:10:05. > :10:15.recording life in the South West And fundraisers are go! The Fab
:10:15. > :10:19.
:10:19. > :10:22.Four on a special mission from A Cornish school says it's had to
:10:22. > :10:25.stop using the leisure centre next door after Cornwall Council asked
:10:25. > :10:28.it to start paying more than �40,000 a year. The head teacher at
:10:28. > :10:31.Wadebridge School says it's now being asked for a large sum of
:10:31. > :10:34.money it just doesn't have. The council though says the school was
:10:34. > :10:37.made aware of the financial implications when it left the local
:10:37. > :10:46.authority's control to become an academy. Our Political Editor
:10:46. > :10:52.Martyn Oates is here. Is it just a local row? That is a good question.
:10:52. > :10:57.The score says it can make some financial contribution, but what
:10:57. > :11:03.the council is asking for is too high. The council is making the
:11:03. > :11:08.general point that the school cannot become an Academy and at the
:11:08. > :11:13.same time carry on using local authority facilities in the way it
:11:13. > :11:19.did before. The local MP thinks this is all about the details of
:11:19. > :11:22.this particular case there. There has to be away for what that
:11:22. > :11:27.involves the council and the governors sitting down and coming
:11:27. > :11:34.to an agreement over affair that charge. But I have heard the
:11:34. > :11:42.council had been slow in getting back to the governors. The council
:11:42. > :11:47.insists negotiations are ongoing. But academies are one of the
:11:47. > :11:51.government's headline policies. They are, but Labour think an even
:11:51. > :11:58.bigger policy could play a role in this. I expect part of the drive
:11:58. > :12:07.behind this is that the council themselves are seen enormous cuts
:12:07. > :12:12.from central government and of putting charges on in various areas.
:12:12. > :12:16.The Conservative MP George used us says this does not represent a
:12:16. > :12:23.bigger flaw in the Academy programme. Every school that has
:12:23. > :12:28.become an academy has been given extra funding. Those schools that
:12:28. > :12:35.have become academies have not wanted to turn back. But
:12:35. > :12:38.occasionally, there are teething problems.
:12:38. > :12:46.Theoretically, more Cornish schools could find themselves in this
:12:46. > :12:49.position because at least half of its secondary schools are academies.
:12:49. > :12:51.It's potentially fatal, but despite that, experts say epilepsy is a
:12:51. > :12:54.much misunderstood condition. Now one Devon man who suffered from it
:12:54. > :12:57.for years without realising it is helping to raise awareness of the
:12:57. > :13:07.illness in the hope of changing public perceptions. Spotlight's
:13:07. > :13:07.
:13:07. > :13:12.Carole Madge has been to meet him. Tending his allotment on the edge
:13:12. > :13:16.of Dartmoor is a therapeutic pastime for David could win. For
:13:16. > :13:25.two decades he had no idea he had a serious condition, but 10 years ago
:13:25. > :13:32.he was diagnosed with epilepsy. He lost his job as his health
:13:32. > :13:40.deteriorated. It feels hideous. Imagine how you feel when you have
:13:40. > :13:45.a bad dose of flu. Multiply that by 10. You have headaches like you've
:13:45. > :13:50.never experienced before and you are absolutely shattered. You sleep
:13:51. > :13:55.a lot afterwards and every muscle in your body aches like mad. It is
:13:55. > :13:58.incredibly painful. New research has shown there is poor
:13:58. > :14:04.understanding of the condition and public awareness has not improved
:14:04. > :14:09.over the last decade. There are still some people who think that
:14:09. > :14:14.epilepsy is contagious, which it is not. There are also people who
:14:14. > :14:19.think it is caused by evil spirits which is ridiculous. But these
:14:19. > :14:24.beliefs are still out there. After undergoing an operation, Dave no
:14:24. > :14:30.longer suffers from seizures and the hopes that this campaign will
:14:30. > :14:33.help to make life easier for people like him.
:14:33. > :14:37.Some of the South West's rarest butterflies are at risk after one
:14:37. > :14:39.of the wettest years on record. Our region is of particular importance
:14:39. > :14:43.to some species, such as fritillaries. They bore the brunt
:14:43. > :14:45.of the bad weather and now face the real threat of extinction in some
:14:45. > :14:49.parts of the country. Our Environment Correspondent Adrian
:14:49. > :14:54.Campbell has been meeting those fighting for their survival.
:14:54. > :14:59.Burning some of the course back at this butterfly reserve in
:15:00. > :15:07.Dorchester is an effective way of helping the butterfly population.
:15:07. > :15:16.They need all the help they can get after be worse year on record for
:15:16. > :15:25.all species, including this Brown spotted fritillary. Our volunteers
:15:25. > :15:35.have been cutting back the scrub and vegetation. We have finally got
:15:35. > :15:38.
:15:38. > :15:44.some signs of spring. It has been a very cold spring. What you think
:15:44. > :15:48.about the issue of climate change? I think it is a real problem.
:15:48. > :15:53.Evidence is demonstrating that it is happening and for a number of
:15:53. > :16:03.species and all of our wildlife it is a problem. This chalk grassland
:16:03. > :16:05.
:16:05. > :16:08.act as an an important habitat for a work butterflies. They help to
:16:08. > :16:15.pollinate crops and they also provide a thing source for other
:16:15. > :16:25.species, such as bats. Today there was no sign of butterflies or their
:16:25. > :16:27.
:16:27. > :16:36.larvae, just this one Riga LEA caterpillar. -- just this one
:16:37. > :16:43.caterpillar. It has been muddy and wet for months and months. I cannot
:16:43. > :16:49.remember a lovely day out. Bankster volunteers, efforts are being made
:16:49. > :16:52.to help our butterflies, but what they really need is a hot summer.
:16:52. > :16:55.Are you ever tempted to listen into other peoples conversations? Well
:16:55. > :16:57.now you can with a new BBC Feature called the Listening Project. This
:16:57. > :17:01.week, BBC Radio Devon have been playing recorded conversations
:17:01. > :17:08.about a wide range of topics, all which will end up being part of the
:17:08. > :17:10.British Library's oral archive. Nicola and her son Jordan agreed to
:17:10. > :17:13.be recorded as Jordan's great-great grandfather did a similar project
:17:13. > :17:16.just after being a firefighter in the Second World War. Johnny
:17:16. > :17:26.Rutherford travelled to Torquay to earwig on a conversation about
:17:26. > :17:29.
:17:29. > :17:33.joining the army. So tell mum why you have collected this memorabilia.
:17:33. > :17:43.Because it was used in a real battle. One day I'd like to join
:17:43. > :17:49.the Army. What you think you like to do in on me? I'd like to be a
:17:49. > :17:55.sniper. You know it is not a game and you might be asked to take
:17:55. > :18:02.someone's life. It all comes with it. Do you think you could look
:18:02. > :18:09.someone in the eye and pulled the trigger? -- and pull the trigger? I
:18:09. > :18:14.know it is a hard one. It would take some thought, but yes. I know
:18:14. > :18:20.that you like guns and everything and you go to a gun club. You are
:18:20. > :18:25.good about being, but when you are just shooting at targets, they go
:18:25. > :18:31.down and come up. It is not the same with the person. What attracts
:18:31. > :18:39.you to it then, wanted to go into the forces? I just want to protect
:18:39. > :18:46.you guys and it's the routine and the lifestyle under opportunity --
:18:46. > :18:56.and the opportunities it gives you. I'd rather die saving someone's
:18:56. > :18:57.
:18:57. > :19:07.live and not taking someone's life. I don't know what to say. As a
:19:07. > :19:10.
:19:10. > :19:17.sniper, that is what you would be doing. I would be saving more lives,
:19:17. > :19:23.I don't want to say it, but for the greater good. For someone who is
:19:23. > :19:29.only 13, you have some heavy thoughts. When I was your age, I
:19:29. > :19:36.was playing with my Barbie dolls. But that is you. Used to watch
:19:36. > :19:38.Disney every day. Guilty as charged. And you can hear more of Nicola and
:19:38. > :19:42.Jordan's chat and other people's conversations on various topics on
:19:42. > :19:44.BBC Radio Devon over the next few weeks. Or if you want to join in on
:19:44. > :19:48.the listening project the website address is bbc.co.uk/thelistening
:19:48. > :19:51.project. Now, if you have been out and about
:19:51. > :19:54.today, you may have spotted a rather distinctive pink Rolls-Royce
:19:54. > :19:56.making its way from Cornwall through the South West. And inside
:19:56. > :20:02.four very well-known car enthusiasts - Chris Evans, James
:20:02. > :20:05.May, Gary Barlow and Professor Brian Cox. They are on their way
:20:05. > :20:08.from Lands End to John O'Groats to help raise a million pounds for a
:20:08. > :20:17.cancer charity. Eleanor Parkinson caught up with them just before
:20:17. > :20:21.they set off. Take for men, a pink Rolls-Royce
:20:21. > :20:28.and a fabulous number plate and you have the perfect way of raising
:20:28. > :20:35.money, and attracting a crowd. Chris Evans, James May, Gary Barlow
:20:35. > :20:39.and Professor Brian Cox are driving the car from Land's End to John
:20:39. > :20:46.o'Groats in one day. The whole idea has been cooked up by Chris Evans,
:20:46. > :20:51.whose mother has just been given the all-clear from breast cancer.
:20:51. > :20:56.People are affected by cancer in different ways. Breast Cancer Care
:20:57. > :21:02.is not but biggest charity, but they do a lot of work, so we want
:21:02. > :21:07.to raise their profile. Julian Maurice says the charity is a
:21:07. > :21:13.lifeline. When I was first diagnosed, I was supported by a
:21:13. > :21:19.group of nurses at my local hospital, so obviously, terrific
:21:19. > :21:24.support. They were there at the end of the phone when I needed them.
:21:24. > :21:32.a radio DJ, a famous singer, a scientist and a car enthusiast -
:21:32. > :21:37.what will they talk about on their 870 mile journey? Physics. I'm
:21:37. > :21:45.hoping to get to the last year of an undergraduate degree by John
:21:45. > :21:52.O'Groats. What will be your main topic? The charts this week.
:21:52. > :21:57.what about batka? It is a fantastic way to get around the country,
:21:57. > :22:02.especially if you are going from one end to the other and this
:22:02. > :22:07.particular charity stunt being is not difficult. It's not going to be
:22:08. > :22:11.one of the great human achievements - some men drove a car. The Faber
:22:11. > :22:15.list for set off just after 10 o'clock. They cannot hang about
:22:15. > :22:25.because a certain Mr Evans has a radio show to do in London tomorrow
:22:25. > :22:31.morning. Going in a Rolls Royce isn't too bad! Good luck to them.
:22:31. > :22:37.And now the weather. We have got some good weather to
:22:37. > :22:42.look forward to for a change. Lighter winds and we will see some
:22:42. > :22:48.sunshine. There is a big slot of clear sky down to the South West of
:22:48. > :22:52.ours. It is a big area of high pressure and it is heading away. We
:22:52. > :22:59.do see this weather system trickled past ask, so don't expect clear
:22:59. > :23:08.skies all night. They could be some patchy rain. It is moving steadily,
:23:08. > :23:13.so by the time you get up tomorrow, would have gone. By pressure is
:23:13. > :23:18.also with us for the weekend. The showers we have seen today have
:23:18. > :23:24.been lively, but almost all of them have gone and it is a lovely end
:23:24. > :23:34.two the day. This was Exeter earlier today where there was some
:23:34. > :23:38.
:23:38. > :23:44.sunshine and shelter from the blustery wind. It is very pleasant
:23:44. > :23:52.this evening, a quiet end to the day. Even the wind will ease off
:23:52. > :23:56.overnight. Tonight, here comes the patchy rain I mentioned. It would
:23:56. > :24:06.disappear soon after dawn and the winds will drop. Temperatures no
:24:06. > :24:08.
:24:08. > :24:13.lower than eight degrees at the start of the day. For the rest of
:24:13. > :24:18.the does some long spells of sunshine to enjoy. The winds on
:24:18. > :24:28.lighter, so it will feel warmer even if the temperatures are not
:24:28. > :24:29.
:24:29. > :24:39.that much different. 14 degrees the maximum. The overnight showers will
:24:39. > :24:41.
:24:41. > :24:47.disappear and and make way for -- and make way for sunshine. A good
:24:47. > :24:57.day in the Isle of Scilly with great visibility and lots of
:24:57. > :25:00.
:25:00. > :25:05.sunshine. Here are the times of high water. Expect the surf to ease
:25:05. > :25:11.off. There have been some big waves and the South West will have the
:25:11. > :25:21.best tomorrow, although it will be quite choppy. And here are the
:25:21. > :25:24.
:25:24. > :25:30.coastal waters. As we head into the weekend, we have got this area of
:25:30. > :25:34.high pressure which means settled weather on Saturday. This weather
:25:34. > :25:39.system will gradually moving during the course of the day on Sunday.
:25:39. > :25:44.Fairly slow progress on that. Bright and cold on Sunday morning
:25:44. > :25:49.and then increasingly cloudy with patchy rain, especially for Devon
:25:49. > :25:59.and Cornwall. Here is the summary. Pleasant weather for the next