07/08/2013 Spotlight

number of seagulls and other animals were shot dead in South Devon.

Hello welcome to Spotlight. Police say whoever's carrying out

the shootings is putting the public at risk. Meanwhile elsewhere in the

region seagulls are attacking the rubbish. There now are calls for

every house in Cornwall to be given a wheelie bin.

It comes after 25 pit bull-types seized in a series of police raids

were returned to their owners. And unearthed after more than 70 years -

the huge world war two bomb discovered at a disused airfield in

Cornwall. The police are tonight warning that

whoever has been shooting animals in towns in South Devon is putting the

public at risk. In the last month ten seagulls have been found shot in

Starcross and Dawlish Warren along with a fox. This report from John

Ayres does contain some pictures of the dead birds.

Love them or loathe them, seagulls divide opinion. But whatever you may

think of the birds, you are not allowed to kill them without a

licence. In recent weeks police have had reports of ten bone -- ten birds

being found dead, which they believe have been shot. They have also found

a fox which they believe was killed in the same way. One of the

neighbours reported to me that she did hear shots. From what type of

guy and I do not know. Many people love to feed the

seagulls, they hang around our times for that very reason, looking for

what scraps the can get. The latest development is concerning animal

wolf -- animal welfare campaigners. A lot of people do find a nuisance

and all like them. It is a large step to shoot them and take the law

into your own hands. The police do not know who has been killing the

birds are wide. It could be someone who has a serious dislike for

seagulls or a teenager who has received an air rifle as a gift and

is trying it out. But whatever the case, it does pose a risk to public

safety. You have got the corpses of the birds floating around the

villages. It is a highly populated area at this time of year and very

popular. These birds carry diseases and you have to be careful of that.

Police are looking at evidence of others birds being shot.

Well elsewhere in the region seagulls are proving to be a problem

for different reasons. Residents in the seaside resort of Newquay are so

fed up with gulls rifling through their rubbish bags that they're

calling on Cornwall Council to provide them with wheelie bins. But

the council says that would cost millions of pounds, money it simply

doesn't have. Spotlight's Andy Breare reports.

When it has is bin day in Newquay, this is a familiar sight. Seagulls

scavenging your bin bags. To stop them, some residents have taken to

wrapping their black bags in blankets to stop the seagulls

getting to them. But residents in this street have had enough and have

launched a campaign to get the council to supply them with wheelie

bins. Bin bags to accessible to seagulls and cats, foxes and

badgers. Even they are covered up for a length of time, by the time

the bin lorries come round in the afternoon, they are ripped open,

even if they are covered in blankets. This is the current

council solution. Seagull proof rubbish sacks. The council says they

are aware of the problem in UK but to supply everyone with a wheelie

bin would be just too expensive. Even it cost price to supply the

whole county, it is going to be somewhere in the region of six

million pounds to �7 million. That would equate to about the third of

the fire brigade budget for the year. We're talking about a lot of

money and in cash-strapped times, that not viable. Residents say they

will continue to campaign for a wheelie bins as a solution to the

birds going through their beanbags. The council where my dad lives,

provide three wheelie bins per household. So I do not see why our

council cannot provide at least one our household. The residents group

is holding a meeting with councillors this evening with a hope

to find a solution to an unsightly ongoing problem.

The legislation to control dangerous dogs is being questioned tonight,

after 25 pit bull types, seized in a series of police raids, were

returned to their owners. Campaigners say the law needs to be

toughened and the government has begun a review. The animals were

seized across much of Cornwall and Devon, following the conviction of a

couple in Barnstaple for breeding dangerous dogs. Our home affairs

correspondent Simon Hall reports from north Devon.

Dangerous dogs kill an average three dogs a year in Britain. But the way

the legislation to control such dogs work is being questioned by

campaigners. An operation against pit bull types resulted in the

seizure of 26. These are some. One has been put down by 25 return their

owners. It has been a success. Some of these dogs were known to be pit

bull types. Those owners are now aware, they are now subject to

orders which subject owners to strict orders. Under the

legislation, the police must sees a dog if it is a pit bull type. It is

then up to the port to decide whether the dog is put down. If an

order is imposed, the dog must be muzzled and kept on a lead in

public. This woman was attacked by a pit bull type dog which was subject

of a control order. Her solicitor believes legislation needs to be

looked at. I think all dogs are the responsibility of their owners. Dogs

should be kept on a lead in that instance. Any dog that has any type

of temperament as we kept on a muscle. Perhaps the owners must

undergo some kind of training courses. -- muscle. The government

announced it is beginning a review of the dangerous dogs legislation.

Ministers are asking the public on their views on whether an owner

whose dog attacks and kill someone should be subject to a potential

prison sentence of life. The consultation period runs until the

end of the month. Cattle breeders in Devon say they're

worried that the South West could end up being officially labelled a

TB hotspot. They say that could effectively cut off valuable trade

with the rest of the country, and indeed the world. Many farmers are

impatient for the pilot badger culls to start, although animal welfare

groups insist they're misguided. Today the Prime Minister and the

Secretary of State for the Environment were with farmers at the

North Devon Show, from where our Environment Correspondent Adrian

Campbell reports. Today the Prime Minister went on a

walkabout, meeting the farmers and livestock of North Devon. When you

are judging this, you are looking at... ? But it was bovine TB and the

proposed badger cull is which many farmers wanted to talk about. The

secretary of state for the environment to accompany the Prime

Minister insisted those calls will happen soon. They will go ahead and

we are looking to do a further ten next year. Unless we do address this

disease -- this disease as they have done in Australia and America, we

will end up with direct cattle industry and Bill to the taxpayer of

�1 billion. The Southwest's pedigree cattle are in demand around the

world. There are some concerns that the continued instance of bovine TV

-- TB could affect trade. Zoning the country into areas of high risk

which would include the whole of the South West of England and lower risk

areas. What they want to do is discourage trade between the two.

That meet -- may make sense on one hand but... Unions a calling must

happen soon. The Devon wildlife trust says Coles cannot work.

believe about cull is the wrong policy to attack bovine to Virgil as

is. The sign shows that it could make it worse. -- tuberculosis.

Prime Minister is likely to hear much more about bovine TB before he

reaches Westminster. The moment a world war to bomb was

blown up. We will find out how the Axminster is recovering from a

difficult six months. And the view from here. BBC Radio Devon's Matt

Woodley explores part of the region he has never visited before.

A bomb believed to have been dropped on Cornwall in 1941 was finally

blown up today. It was discovered on the edge of a disused airfield at St

Eval near Newquay. Roads in the area were closed as a two mile exclusion

zone was set up and a warning was sent out to aircraft using the

nearby Newquay Cornwall airport. Spotlight's David George reports on

how the day ended with a bang. The 50 K Ballmer is under all those

sandbags. It was phoned by contractors laying a new water main.

-- 50 K Ballmer. They took the camera into the hold to show us what

it looks like. It is a technical bomb shape. -- typical. Dangerous?

Very dangerous. I can see the date stamp on it, it is stamped 1940. It

is in perfect condition. airfield was targeted in 1941. This

picture taken in June of that year shows the very spot where the

unexploded bomb was found. You can see bomb craters in the surrounding

fields. The Royal Navy team used two kilos of plastic explosive to as

they quaintly put it make the German bomb function. The bomb is about a

mile away. This is as close as we are about to get. They are about to

you? It was good. A good job and it worked perfectly. It is tempting

here to say there is a big hole in the ground and workmen are looking

into it, although I won't. This is what the new 180 millimetres means

water pipe should like. Just take it look at what the bomb has done.

- that's the verdict of the town's Mayor.

It's nearly six months since 300 jobs were lost at Axminster Carpets,

which is now back on its feet and taking on new staff.

Yes, and other traders in the town say land sold off when the company

went into administration is helping to regenerate Axminster. Spotlight's

Andrea Ormsby has the story. It started in one shop in Axminster

in 1972. Today, axed Minister tool centre turns over four... We have

five stores, soon-to-be six across the country. We have 70,000 active

product lines. We export probably 15%, to 20% of our sales overseas.

Big on Britain this family prisoners brought high-tech manufacturing from

China to hear. The warehouse is high-tech, too. Forklifts with iPad

switch now where every item is. These drivers need to learn how to

abseil just in case. Axminster Carpets was always going through a

difficult time when losing that number of jobs. The benefits have

been that it has released an area which was undeveloped. Land that

will bring 50 new jobs to the town and new employment of virginity is.

And you �2 million project for pumps for the petrochemical industry.

is a hopeful sign and welcomed after months focusing on the negatives.

are more than a one trick pony. There are lots of businesses in

towns. I think the town is looking forward with hope and expectation.

But we mustn't let go, we mustn't lose concentration and neither must

we be complacent. No complacency here. The tool centre has taken on

four new apprentices and set up a management training programme.

part of the aspire programme which is new this year. It is the first

time they have put it together. We are being put through a management

programme, the business coaching has been invaluable. It has taught me a

lot about my job and how to do well. I think that is help me progress

onto special sales which I will be starting next month. I think that is

helped me progress. Kelly was born and brought up here in Axminster and

when she got her degree she never thought she would get a good job

back home. She thinks that owners on the up and is glad to be part it. --

that the town. Well Axminster Tool Centre isn't the

only company feeling positive - Axminster Carpets itself says things

are going from strength to strength and we're planning to visit the

company to see how it's fairing in the next few weeks.

Yeovil Town were the only South West team to make it to the second round

of the Football League Cup last night. They won at Southend - but

Exeter City, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United all lost to higher

league opposition. Here's Spotlight's Dave Gibbins.

It was one nil at the weekend and the same for your full-time last

night. This time the winner came courtesy of Kevin Dawson who helped

push the championship side to round two. The goalkeeper had to be it is

best again to prevent extra time. Plymouth Argyle gave Birmingham city

are mighty scare at St Andrews. The twice wiped out leads. When

Birmingham scored a third, Arguelles could not respond and went out. A

goal after two minutes deflated Exeter city against Queens Park

Rangers. It came via their �4 million signing. Another came early

in the second half through another new recruit. It was a good effort by

city. We can enter into the next round which we have not done. After

tonight's nice game of football we cannot take much more. Does that get

in the way? No. It is a good challenge for any players. A late

Now how well do you know the South West - and if you were given the

chance to visit somewhere you've never been, where would it be? -

that's the question we posed to some of our presenters from BBC Radio

Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall and our very own colleagues here on

Spotlight. Where did you end up? I was lucky, I always visit the

Isles of Scilly if I can. I have not been to the uninhabited island of

Sampson. I get to explore Sampson, hopefully next week you will get to

see that on the programme will stop tonight we start with Matt Woodley

visiting another island, the island hundreds of holiday-makers who are

coming out for a day trip. -- on board. It is a vital lifeline for

the 20 people who permanently live on Lundy Island. It is absolutely

beautiful, lots of supplies being This is a daily routine for you.

Yes. What first attracted you to Lundy Island? It came originally on

a day trip in 1954. It is the sort of place that grabs you. There is

something addictive about it. are people waiting for your post.

place. Absolutely fantastic. The sheer size of the church compared to

the population, the collection cannot be very great at the end. You

have quite a lot in the bottle after holy Communion. The collection is

again, it is the congregation, the people who come to visit Lundy who

put money in the box. We actually do better than if we just had a Sunday

service. I love it, it is brilliant. You are welcome. Of course, Lundy

Island is synonymous with its natural surroundings and its

spectacular wildlife. Tell us a bit about how this is so special?

isolated from the mainland over there. Everything is here. Things

can come and go, particularly the birds. But what stays -- is here

stays here. Listen to that silence. Just the noise of the wind. No

traffic noise. Just sounds of nature. Voices of the birds and the

wind. And just the fact that we are able to look out to the horizon.

Have I brought some mainstream life to you today? Definitely. Today lots

of people wandering about an island. I feel we are on top of the world.

What is it like looking across the island that you manage? From here,

you have got a spectacular view. You can see to the south and to the

south-east corner, we can see the village, the church. We have a

magnificent view across all of the island's 420 hectares. Is this what

we try and escape to? It is a place you can get away from everything. We

call it a world apart and it is very much that. Our job is to conserve

that way of life and to make sure people come here and totally relax.

It is like stepping back in time. how has made a bean like on Lundy

Island? It is difficult to put into words, hopefully the pictures speak

for themselves. I think it is time, one of the day-trippers, leave the

island to those who love at most. The next time I come back, I want to

are off to Allsop 's of places. -- where the colours not beautiful. --

we are often all sorts of places. And tomorrow Natalie goes to the

North Cornwall fishing village of Port Isaac for the very first time.

weather but some pleasant sunshine today across the south-west England

and very good visibility. There have been one or two showers around,

perhaps showers later on. This lump of cloud out here is a developing

area of low pressure. That is edging towards us over the next couple of

days, it will bring patchy rain overnight tomorrow night. Before

that happens it is dry. Light and patchy rain, freshening winds and

waking it cooler by the time we get into Friday. There is a closer look

at the picture we have seen today. Everywhere has been dry with one

exception. We have seen showers develop over the Channel Islands. We

have seen downpours in the region close to St Austell. The rest of us

have had lovely, clear skies. The cloud associated with that has also

affected Plymouth. Some Sunnis bells but quite a bit of quiet developing

in the skies. Some great shots of the wheel and some great shots of

the famous tower. That looming cloud in the background has threatened a

few showers this afternoon. Most of that will feed a day -- fade away

overnight tonight. The detail in that forecast, a few showers left

behind will fade away then drive. Missed by the morning, particularly

our river valleys. Tomorrow is a lovely start to the day,

temperatures starting at 10 degrees inland. Tomorrow we have a lovely

morning to enjoy, with plenty of warm sunshine. As we move into the

afternoon, particularly towards the end of the day, rain will produce --

coming from the West. Temperatures are good, up to 20. A few places

getting 23, even 24 degrees. More of a breeze developing in the second

half of the day. Here is the forecast for the Isles of Scilly.

Showers developing into the early evening. And on to the times of high

further surfing, the surfing Championships taking place in UK,

slightly more choppy surf through the afternoon. The winds are merely

from the West. -- mainly. Here is the outlook, not looking too bad as

we head into the weekend. Cooler through Saturday and Sunday.

North-west winds will bring the temperatures down a few degrees.

Saturday night into Sunday, some rain. The rain quite widespread and

in places quite heavy. That will be replaced with showers on Sunday.

replaced with showers on Sunday. Have a good evening. A few comments