:00:00. > :00:12.rest of the week. Thank you. That
:00:13. > :00:19.The moment a garage owner fought off armed attackers ` today two of them
:00:20. > :00:23.were found guilty of robbery. Good evening. Trude Mian has been praised
:00:24. > :00:32.for her bravery. Tonight she says pleased her attackers have been
:00:33. > :00:36.brought to justice. I was really shocked, it was completely
:00:37. > :00:45.unexpected what happened. Now I am just so relieved and I can't thank
:00:46. > :00:48.the police enough. Millions of pounds have been paid to former
:00:49. > :00:51.staff in compromise agreements. And keeping artists in the city `
:00:52. > :00:59.Plymouth's new studios creating 100 jobs.
:01:00. > :01:04.A grandmother who fought off masked robbers who were armed with a meat
:01:05. > :01:07.cleaver and a knife has told Spotlight of her relief that they've
:01:08. > :01:11.been brought to justice. 65`year`old Trude Mian was confronted by two men
:01:12. > :01:15.in the garage she runs in Braunton last year. She chased them out of
:01:16. > :01:18.the store. Today one of the raiders and the getaway driver were
:01:19. > :01:26.convicted. The other man had already pleaded guilty. Hamish Marshall
:01:27. > :01:30.reports. It was the most frightening moment
:01:31. > :01:37.of Trude Mian's life. Two masked men burst into her shop, but she wasn't
:01:38. > :01:44.willing to get them, no matter how much they intimidated her. I was
:01:45. > :01:56.really shocked, it was completely unexpected what happened. I think I
:01:57. > :02:12.am a fighter. I want to confront things when they happen, if that
:02:13. > :02:20.makes sense. The raid netted just ?60. Absolutely terrifying ordeal to
:02:21. > :02:24.be put through. She was alone and female, working in her own garage on
:02:25. > :02:28.that evening of the 10th of November. Just closing up, minding
:02:29. > :02:33.her own business, small service station, small village, to be
:02:34. > :02:38.confronted by these masked raiders must have been a terrifying ordeal.
:02:39. > :02:49.Masks and outer clothing were found in a nearby alley. There was an
:02:50. > :03:06.audible gasp from friends and family of the defendants as the verdicts
:03:07. > :03:11.were read out. Tonight, the 65`year`old grandmother welcomed the
:03:12. > :03:21.verdict is. I am so relieved and I can't thank the police enough. They
:03:22. > :03:26.kept on taking and digging. The three will be sentenced later this
:03:27. > :03:29.month. Councils in the south west have
:03:30. > :03:32.spent millions of pounds on confidential pay offs to former
:03:33. > :03:35.members of staff. The payments are known as compromise agreements, and
:03:36. > :03:39.they stop staff talking publicly about their jobs. Our correspondent
:03:40. > :03:46.Simon Hall has been examining the figures and joins us now. Simon, how
:03:47. > :03:50.widely are the agreements being used?
:03:51. > :03:54.We have details from three of the largest councils in the south`west.
:03:55. > :04:02.They were obtained using the Freedom of Information Act. In the past five
:04:03. > :04:15.years, Devon county council signed 236 agreements.
:04:16. > :04:24.The overall total, more than ?5 million.
:04:25. > :04:27.Why are the agreements so controversial?
:04:28. > :04:33.They come about when there is a dispute between an employee and
:04:34. > :04:40.members of staff, so CVS that the member of staff leaves. They're used
:04:41. > :04:46.in the NHS when the staff member is bringing something important to
:04:47. > :04:49.attention, but because of the agreement, they can't talk about it
:04:50. > :04:54.again and it may never come to light. The nature of the agreements
:04:55. > :05:00.mean we cannot say what these agreements are about and that is
:05:01. > :05:04.worrying MPs. The council taxpayer deserves a much more full
:05:05. > :05:09.explanation why these clauses have been used to reassure us that public
:05:10. > :05:13.money is being properly spent and people are not being shut up from
:05:14. > :05:19.revealing things that are going on in the public services. The council
:05:20. > :05:28.says there can be helpful in resolving issues. We will look at it
:05:29. > :05:32.as administration and find out more detail of what is happening, but in
:05:33. > :05:38.the past, I know they have been used successfully and it is to the mutual
:05:39. > :05:41.benefit of both parties. The government say these agreements
:05:42. > :05:44.should not be used to reward failure and they have asked councils to
:05:45. > :05:48.improve transparency and accountability.
:05:49. > :05:51.An East Devon village said by some residents to be under siege from
:05:52. > :05:54.developers is holding an emergency meeting this evening. Campaigners
:05:55. > :05:59.say Feniton near Honiton could grow by 40% if three developments get the
:06:00. > :06:02.go ahead. In January a super public inquiry will examine proposals to
:06:03. > :06:05.build 235 houses in fields surrounding the village. Our
:06:06. > :06:19.reporter John Henderson is there for us tonight.
:06:20. > :06:25.How often do we hear about the chronic housing shortage? In an
:06:26. > :06:29.hour's time, the villagers of Feniton will be coming into the
:06:30. > :06:34.school hall behind me, very anxious, very worried about a very large
:06:35. > :06:36.scale development, three developments which could have huge
:06:37. > :06:44.indications for the village and beyond. It looks like a typical
:06:45. > :06:47.village. 700 homes, a few shops, a pub in the school. But some feel the
:06:48. > :06:52.look and feel of Feniton could change dramatically. Three
:06:53. > :07:00.developers want to build and fields around the village, an extra 335
:07:01. > :07:08.homes, increasing Feniton by 40%. Feniton is prepared to shoulder the
:07:09. > :07:13.burden in part along with other communities. We think 5% growth is
:07:14. > :07:19.appropriate. 40%, that cannot be right. Feniton has a long history of
:07:20. > :07:27.flooding. Many are worried extra houses will increase the risks. This
:07:28. > :07:34.resident had to spend ?6,000 when her home was flooded several years
:07:35. > :07:39.ago. It is awful seeing all your house ripped to pieces. We were out
:07:40. > :07:44.for six months and all my things were in a skip and we just watched
:07:45. > :07:48.them go down the road. It is devastating. In January, planning
:07:49. > :07:53.enquiry will examine all the proposals. Tonight, parish council
:07:54. > :08:02.is marshalling protesters at a meeting. We want to make sure we get
:08:03. > :08:07.as many people as we can, not just put their of view, but to show the
:08:08. > :08:11.strength of feeling there is in this village against this very unwelcome
:08:12. > :08:15.development. One of the developers told us they hope the planning
:08:16. > :08:21.inspector would look favourably on their skin. Another refused to
:08:22. > :08:25.comment. And this is the reality, a separate development for 50 homes,
:08:26. > :08:34.started on the edge of Feniton. Some say a wake`up. What happens here
:08:35. > :08:39.could be happening anywhere, right across Devon, right across the
:08:40. > :08:44.country. The decision of the planning committee is expected in
:08:45. > :08:48.February. We have heard and bought recently about changes to the
:08:49. > :08:51.planning system, which is why a lot of people in Feniton are playing
:08:52. > :08:58.close attention to what happens here and beyond. Many feared changes to
:08:59. > :09:03.the planning system will make it easier for large`scale
:09:04. > :09:06.developments. Lots of people want the developments because of the
:09:07. > :09:09.housing shortage, but a lot of people are concerned. Not just a lot
:09:10. > :09:11.of people are concerned. Not just here, but elsewhere.
:09:12. > :09:14.14 residents at a care home in Cornwall have been given just four
:09:15. > :09:17.weeks to find alternative accommodation Cornwall Care is
:09:18. > :09:20.closing Althestan House in Bodmin saying the 40`bedroom home is no
:09:21. > :09:25.longer sustainable. Relatives of the residents say they feel extremely
:09:26. > :09:29.let down. The promenade in Ilfracombe has been
:09:30. > :09:33.closed because of a landslide. Severe weather over the weekend is
:09:34. > :09:35.being blamed for the damage to a concrete wall near the Landmark
:09:36. > :09:38.Theatre. Police say no`one was injured.
:09:39. > :09:44.Ex`offenders are helping to improve the flood defences in some of
:09:45. > :09:47.Cornwall's most at risk towns. Last Christmas many places were flooded
:09:48. > :09:49.including here in Lostwithiel. The probation service is working with
:09:50. > :09:52.the Cornwall Community Flood forum to remove tonnes of leaves from
:09:53. > :09:55.drains on hills surrounding Lostwithiel, Par and St Blazey. Two
:09:56. > :09:58.women from Dorset have set up a support group for people whose lives
:09:59. > :10:03.have been affected by pancreatic cancer. Susan Rostron survived after
:10:04. > :10:09.being initially told her condition was incurable. Her friend's
:10:10. > :10:19.granddaughter died of the disease. Simon Alexander reports.
:10:20. > :10:23.It is called the silent cancer. When Susan was diagnosed with the
:10:24. > :10:29.illness, her love of pottery was the only thing that kept going. I saw a
:10:30. > :10:35.different GP from usual and he thought I had a stomach ulcer and
:10:36. > :10:46.sent me for an investigation. I was told I had inoperable, in durable
:10:47. > :10:53.pancreatic cancer. I had had a tumour growing in me for up to 20
:10:54. > :11:00.years, my surgeon reckons. I am incredibly lucky. It is a killer.
:11:01. > :11:04.Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the
:11:05. > :11:11.UK. On thousand people a year die from the disease. Symptoms include
:11:12. > :11:19.abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss or the onset of diabetes
:11:20. > :11:24.not associated with weight gain. Treatments are surgery, chemotherapy
:11:25. > :11:28.and radiotherapy. Audrey is also supporting the awareness campaign.
:11:29. > :11:33.Disease killed her 27`year`old granddaughter. Because of her age,
:11:34. > :11:40.they dismiss the fact it could be anything too serious, but within the
:11:41. > :11:45.next few months, she had ten visits to the GP, complaining about
:11:46. > :11:50.nausea. They discovered an inoperable tumour on her pancreas.
:11:51. > :11:56.If personal experience is the driving force behind their awareness
:11:57. > :12:03.campaign. Two and have years ago, I hadn't heard of pancreatic cancer.
:12:04. > :12:07.And I want people to know about it. That is really what we're trying to
:12:08. > :12:11.do. Susan and Audrey started their support group to help others. They
:12:12. > :12:17.are doing as much as they can to make that known where they live.
:12:18. > :12:20.Coming up later in the programme ` delayed again by the weather. We'll
:12:21. > :12:23.hear from the local yachtsman still waiting for the start of the Transat
:12:24. > :12:36.race. And find out how Great Crested Newts
:12:37. > :12:40.are delaying rail improvements. More than 100 new jobs will be
:12:41. > :12:43.created in Plymouth with the development of artists studios and
:12:44. > :12:46.workshops. The scheme has secured more than ?2 million of European
:12:47. > :12:50.funding and as John Danks reports, it's hoped it will help to keep some
:12:51. > :12:54.of the most talented arts graduates in the city.
:12:55. > :13:00.Moulding a career from the arts can be a challenge for graduates. Jane
:13:01. > :13:04.completed her degree in contemporary Craft earlier this year. She moved
:13:05. > :13:09.away from Plymouth for a while, before finding a job back here in
:13:10. > :13:13.the College of art. She welcomes the boost to arts funding in the city.
:13:14. > :13:23.That's what Plymouth needs, graduate opportunities where you have
:13:24. > :13:29.excellent studio space. 32 new artists studios are to be built here
:13:30. > :13:36.at the Royal William Yard. Artists will be able to create and sell
:13:37. > :13:40.their work here. We tend to have an intubation space and business
:13:41. > :13:45.support with various network providers from the region. There
:13:46. > :13:51.will be workshop facilities, ceramics, jewellery, Prince, which
:13:52. > :13:55.ordinarily artists wouldn't be able to afford that kind of equipment.
:13:56. > :14:07.Work is due to start here soon, with the facility being ready by 2015.
:14:08. > :14:13.Ocean Studios secured the money. If you get a hundred jobs for ?800,000,
:14:14. > :14:20.that is greatly village of that will stand against any project. Good news
:14:21. > :14:23.perhaps for some of these arts graduates of tomorrow, but the
:14:24. > :14:28.demand for studio space is as high, with more than 200 artists already
:14:29. > :14:32.on the waiting list for the new development.
:14:33. > :14:39.Time for the sport now and Dave has news from a pretty good weekend for
:14:40. > :14:45.our teams. We start with their bad news. Yeovil
:14:46. > :14:49.Town's recent revival was halted at Leeds United in the Championship by
:14:50. > :14:52.two goals to nil. They were holding their own at half`time, but two
:14:53. > :14:55.second half finishes from Ross McCormack sent the Glovers back to
:14:56. > :14:59.the bottom of the table. Gary Johnson's team now face FA Cup
:15:00. > :15:08.holders Wigan Athletic at Huish Park next Sunday. It is a long way off
:15:09. > :15:11.yet and at the end of the season, it is 30 games. As long as we keep
:15:12. > :15:15.improving and I see an improvement in the labs, we're getting there and
:15:16. > :15:18.we're competing. Onto the rest of the football and rugby. Exeter
:15:19. > :15:21.Chiefs maintained their top four placing in the Premiership after a
:15:22. > :15:24.narrow win at Sale Sharks. The round ball game saw precious wins for
:15:25. > :15:26.Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United in League Two. Earlier, former
:15:27. > :15:37.professional players Chris Hargreaves and Andy Birkett joined
:15:38. > :15:46.me to take stock of the results. Another good result, they have
:15:47. > :15:57.beaten others at home. He is awesome with his boot. Great technique for
:15:58. > :16:03.any youngster playing sport. A couple of tackles, keen to get his
:16:04. > :16:15.shirt back. It is a tough team to get into at the moment. Plymouth
:16:16. > :16:29.Albion went down despite a brave fight against Bristol. Albion a bit
:16:30. > :16:36.disappointing. Better than some other teams, but still
:16:37. > :16:40.disappointing. Exeter city second successive defeat, this time at
:16:41. > :16:49.Portsmouth. They were 3`0 down at Fratton Park. Classic case of
:16:50. > :16:57.inconsistency. Frustrating for them. Defending crosses is really
:16:58. > :17:02.important. They scored two on the day, good headers. One crumb of
:17:03. > :17:10.comfort, a glimmer of hope was the mini fightback. A great striker's
:17:11. > :17:13.finish here. That will give him some confidence and the team some
:17:14. > :17:23.confidence, because they nearly did it. Why the sudden turnaround? Art
:17:24. > :17:33.work, training ground, solid shape, knocking goals away, usual stuff
:17:34. > :17:43.will stop a brilliant finish across the keeper. No better time to
:17:44. > :17:49.score, 90 minutes on the clock. Paul McCallum, what a difference as he
:17:50. > :17:57.made for Torquay? This first man coming up has made a big difference.
:17:58. > :18:02.But Blair comes back in. 26 days ago, he had surgery, that is a big
:18:03. > :18:09.mark of a man to do that. Come back in, please, scores the first balls
:18:10. > :18:18.and calms the nerves. There is his first. A great header, carbon copy
:18:19. > :18:34.of the first one. He scores a brilliant finish, he scores a great
:18:35. > :18:37.goal here. Nice to see you, thanks for the entertainment.
:18:38. > :18:40.Britain's top jump jockey AP McCoy needs two more victories to reach
:18:41. > :18:47.the 4,000 winners milestone and he could do it at Exeter racecourse
:18:48. > :18:51.tomorrow. McCoy has three rides at the Haldon track all on Jonjo
:18:52. > :18:55.O'Neill horses. It will be fitting if he manages the feat as he rode
:18:56. > :19:02.his first ever British winner at Exeter in 1994 on Chickabiddy.
:19:03. > :19:09.Racing starts at ten to two with the feature race, the Haldon Gold Cup,
:19:10. > :19:12.an hour later. Falmouth yachtsman Sam Goodchild
:19:13. > :19:15.will have to wait three more days before being able to start the
:19:16. > :19:19.Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race from France to Brazil. The start has
:19:20. > :19:31.been delayed for a second time due to bad weather. Spotlight's Andy
:19:32. > :19:37.Breare has the latest from Le Havre. After news of another delay, there
:19:38. > :19:41.has been a despondent moods in their race village. The skipper says while
:19:42. > :19:47.the postponement is frustrating, it is understandable. If we have an
:19:48. > :19:50.option to go in light winds, which might be an option on Thursday,
:19:51. > :19:56.definitely, let's take it. I want to race with everyone else. 45 knots
:19:57. > :20:00.doesn't normally allow that to happen. Last night, the skipper is
:20:01. > :20:04.here held an unofficial meeting, where the majority decided they
:20:05. > :20:09.weren't happy starting the race today because of the very high
:20:10. > :20:13.winds. They took that decision to the race director, who capitulated
:20:14. > :20:19.and promptly postponed the release until Thursday. 80% of us didn't
:20:20. > :20:29.want to leave. For us, it was the right decision. The last thing we
:20:30. > :20:33.want is to go in that weather. The frustrating game continues for the
:20:34. > :20:44.race fleet as they prepared to race to Brazil on Thursday.
:20:45. > :20:48.Finally, Guernsey's Heather Watson had to withdraw from the singles of
:20:49. > :20:52.the Barnstaple Tennis Open. She was feeling unwell, but did return for
:20:53. > :21:03.the doubles in which she and Jo Konta were eliminated in the
:21:04. > :21:06.semi`finals. Network Rail has been forced to
:21:07. > :21:11.delay improvement work to its track in Devon after rare Great Crested
:21:12. > :21:15.Newts were found near the site. The amphibians are protected by EU and
:21:16. > :21:19.UK law. The train company has put up several
:21:20. > :21:22.miles of special newt fencing so it can remove the creatures before it
:21:23. > :21:31.starts work at Whiteball tunnel at Burlescombe. Spotlight's Janine
:21:32. > :21:38.Jansen has the story. What is made of white plastic and
:21:39. > :21:42.goes on and on and on? It is new to fencing. Network rail wants to
:21:43. > :21:46.improve the track, but the trouble is, there is a pond nearby and in
:21:47. > :21:53.our prayer and protected Great Crested Newts. So network We'll have
:21:54. > :22:00.to remove them before they start work. Simon Williams has to check
:22:01. > :22:06.more than 200 buckets and mats for 60 days. So far, he has found 45.
:22:07. > :22:15.The day I met him, we weren't so lucky. A few frogs, but now Great
:22:16. > :22:23.Crested Newts. When was the last time you counted them? Day before
:22:24. > :22:30.yesterday. The local farmer is amazed. Never heard of them before.
:22:31. > :22:33.I couldn't believe that. I much fencing have they put up? I would've
:22:34. > :22:40.thought something like three miles of fencing, because it's all round
:22:41. > :22:45.my spots here and they have gone inside the railway to the end of the
:22:46. > :22:54.tunnel and then they have gone in this other field. They said the
:22:55. > :23:02.fencing alone has cost ?25,000. The traps are made as enticing as
:23:03. > :23:07.possible. A bit of foliage, bit of sponge, increase any mammals I'm in
:23:08. > :23:12.there and they can climb out if it gets waterlogged. Simon says the
:23:13. > :23:19.biggest number of Great Crested Newts years found here in one`day
:23:20. > :23:25.was 19. It is amazing what you learn. I
:23:26. > :23:28.never knew there was such a thing as Newt fencing. Time for the weather
:23:29. > :23:42.forecast. More to come this week, don't expect
:23:43. > :23:55.anything to settle down. We have had a lovely day today, but only for one
:23:56. > :23:58.day. If you were kept awake last night by the gusts of wind, these
:23:59. > :24:08.are the gusts of wind between midnight and three in the morning.
:24:09. > :24:12.It is a little bit quieter this evening. The winds to pick up in the
:24:13. > :24:17.second half of the night. The reason for the unsettled weather is the
:24:18. > :24:22.position of the Jetstream coming out of Canada, stealing low`pressure
:24:23. > :24:28.across the Atlantic and down across us. That doesn't change much for the
:24:29. > :24:46.next three to four days. That cloud will bring us rain overnight. This
:24:47. > :24:51.was a picture from earlier today. The cloud has increased from the
:24:52. > :24:56.farm waste, bringing drizzle. Earlier today in Plymouth, it wasn't
:24:57. > :25:01.that bad. We had blue sky and sunshine. It has felt warmer. With
:25:02. > :25:09.the clear skies, later on this evening, it could turn quite chilly.
:25:10. > :25:17.Eastern parts of the region could see temperatures well down. Today
:25:18. > :25:25.has been marked by that blue sky and excellent visibility. Overnight, we
:25:26. > :25:28.follow this cloud and rain as it goes through Cornwall, moves into
:25:29. > :25:37.Devon. Not a great deal of work where there, but big enough cloud to
:25:38. > :25:44.bring rain just about anywhere. Around 67 degrees, claiming up to
:25:45. > :25:50.nine or ten by Dawn this morning. Once the main band moves through, we
:25:51. > :25:57.should get some sunshine. Showers more frequent in the early evening.
:25:58. > :26:04.For most of us, the second half of the day promises some sunshine.
:26:05. > :26:24.Temperatures struggling a little, up to 13 degrees.
:26:25. > :26:42.The north coast is quite dangerous at the moment, with those big waves.
:26:43. > :26:50.Another belt of wet weather coming in, difficult to say where they
:26:51. > :27:00.really strong gusts of wind are likely to be. Showers on Thursday,
:27:01. > :27:05.staying unsettled, somewhat cooler into Friday.
:27:06. > :27:15.That's all for now, but there will be a news update at 8pm and the late
:27:16. > :27:16.news at 10:25pm. We will be back with you at 6am