18/11/2013 Spotlight

The M5 crash which claimed seven lives. Smoke from a fireworks

display will fly to paint on the windscreen.

The trial of Geoffrey Counsell was told there were serious weaknesses

in his planning. Also, an inquest hears how a family

was left devastated after a crash in Torquay last summer. A Polish taxi

driver and a 16`month`old baby boy died in the accident. One of the

drivers have less `` had left a suicide note.

A man has gone on trial today accused of causing one of the worst

motorway crashes in Britain. Seven people died in the accident on the

M5 in Taunton. Geoffrey Counsell, who organised a nearby fireworks

display is charged with failing to protect the safety of others. The

prosecution argued that smoke from the fireworks caused an impenetrable

fog which closed sections of the motorway.

Arriving for day one of his trial, the man accused of causing one of

the worst motorway crashes. It was two years ago this month that 34

vehicles, lorries, vans and cars, careered into each other on the M5

outside Taunton. The resulting fireball left seven dead and 51

others at. Some with life changing injuries. The question is whether a

fireworks display staged at Taunton Rugby Club next to the motorway,

organised by Geoffrey Counsell, caused the crash. Peter Blair QC

said that the prosecution would prove that smoke from the fireworks

mixed with fog to make it impossible for drivers to see. One driver said

it was like having paint on your windscreen. Drivers, he said, had no

chance. Collisions were inevitable. The jury was shown various pieces of

amateur video of the display. Pictures, said the prosecution,

which show how much smoke was created. Many of the families of

those who died were in court to hear the case start. Some were in tears.

Tomorrow, the prosecution will continue their opening of this case

and then the first witnesses will be called. On Wednesday, the jury will

be taken to the scene of the crash and Taunton Rugby Club, where the

fireworks display was held. A mother, whose young son, husband

and unborn child hold tight in a crash was in court today to hear

evidence. The driver of the vehicle which caused the crash was being

followed by police because he was suicidal and when asked to pull over

and he veered into the family's cover.

The inquest heard that this accident was not an accident. On the 6th of

July last year, the family were on the last day of their holiday. Their

16`month`old son died. Her husband died later from severe injuries. She

was pregnant but lost her baby daughter. The 26`year`old Polish

taxi driver was driving a black Vauxhall. He was not wearing a seat

belt. He was having marital problems and had left a suicide note. Police

considered high risk. When the police spotted his car, they turned

on their sirens to catch up. They gestured for the car to move over

and initially he slowed down but then suddenly he accelerated and

crashed into the oncoming car. Eyewitnesses said he was not driving

erratically but when the police car was behind him they said something

went wrong. The car took off across the road. They said it would

deliberate. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said a police

vehicle is only interested in a driver has no intention of stopping.

There was no pursuit here, they said.

Dorset County Council is defending a bill which could reach ?40,000 this

year to bus pupils just 800 yards to school. Parents at Salway Ash

Primary near Bridport have been calling for a footpath for 20 years.

But the council hasn't found a way to get land to build one. But, as

Hamish Marshall reports, it's introduced the costly bus, after

admitting the road is unsafe for youngsters to walk to school.

Despite appearances, this isn't your normal school bus. It is not taking

youngsters many miles home. Its journey is just 800 metres. It has

operated since September, at a cost of ?250 per day. The majority of the

houses in the village are here and the school is half a mile down this

busy road. The council says it is too dangerous for youngsters to

walk. Parents have been campaigning for a footpath for more than 20

years. They said the road is too narrow, twisting and cars go too

fast. The council has said the cars go at an average of 40 miles an

hour. The children want to walk. The council has said it has money set

aside for a footpath but it hasn't built one. The bus is not a

solution. We would like a footpath, not a bus. 25 children use the bus

but now parents have found out the cost and see the council should get

on with making the route safe for walking. It is ridiculous and an

embarrassment to all those services, vital services they are

having to get rid of, but adding on the cost of an unnecessary bus. The

council said it is working on a new footpath. Any statement, it said...

If the boss stays for the school year it will cost around ?40,000.

Parents hope that will focus minds to get a safe walking route to

school. A huge missed opportunity. That is

how we must council has described how the authority has lost out

post`Olympics. They said TV pictures of last year's spectacle should have

been used to promote tourism. The Olympics was said to be a gift

to Weymouth and Portland, a part of Dorset which is used to a seaside

present. But are the Olympics to gift that keeps on giving? We get a

lot more cruise ships now. Because of the Olympics? Possibly. And the

organisation of the port. Advertising is working? Yes. This

was perhaps the ultimate TV advert. Last summer, in different languages

to different countries, the story of the Olympics was told to a global

audience. This was the backdrop. As they came here, their friends back

home were taking in all the Dorset coast has to offer. The council says

National tourism advertising is not making use of the images captured.

As they try to drive visitors out of season, it is no help. It is a

missed opportunity. These images will not have a long sell by date.

They should be being used now in order to promote Britain and the

south`west and Weymouth and Portland in particular. Press trips were

organised in the run`up to the Olympics and the number of visits

this year is up, as is the amount being spent. There was criticism,

though. The home to the athletes last summer says while there is no

interest in further events, funding cannot be found. We had to take in

the changing events formats in the Olympics. It says the results so far

as being hailed as a blueprint for the future. How much of a gift well,

like any legacy, take time to emerge. One community hit by

flooding has been describing how a protection scheme is helping to

minimise the risk. The Environment Minister and North Cornwall MP Dan

Rogerson has been hearing about the scheme today amid ongoing concerns

about flood insurance. John Danks reports.

This stream runs off Dartmoor and through this village. It may be

relatively tame but the large catchment area means the water level

can rise quickly. Now, the community is ready. If levels reach a certain

point, the floodwater and receives an alert automatically. We have a

level when we know we might be flooding and within 30 minutes we

can defend the area. The environment minister visited the community to

see how small`scale projects can work successfully. For those unlucky

enough to be flooded, there is hope that getting insurance after which

could be made easier. There will be a few details to sort out but the

fundamental principle is there will be insurance for people who at the

moment can't get access to it. While the new legislation is unlikely to

be in place before 2015, the flood protection schemes here has made an

immediate impact. Coming up, a cruel twist to a

wartime tragedy. We'll easier from the family affected by the loss of

courageous and Plymouth. I'll have all the details of the

weather later. Well, it was a weekend to forget for

most of our teams. Plymouth Argyle were the only one of our League Two

sides to avoid defeat and our rugby clubs didn't fare any better either,

with the Exeter Chiefs again losing out to their bogey side in the LV

Cup. Andy Birkett rounds up the weekend's action.

We should start with football this evening. Torquay are in the

relegation zone. I was at the game and it wasn't pretty. Defensively,

they were all over the place. A good finish but leading up to that the

play was sloppy. They take full advantage, no doubt. But the

recovery isn't good enough. Defending wasn't enough. Not a nice

position. And the fans weren't happy. No, they were not. A lot of

fans today have been calling for Alan Mill to go. It is a tough job.

He doesn't want to be in that position and neither do the players

or fans. But they need some wins. Do you think they're looking for anyone

else? Not as far as I know. But something has to change on the

training ground or field. Saturday wasn't good enough. Exeter. Again,

not good enough. Their third straight defeat. Yes, it was

frustrating because they were looking really good at times. There

were only 20 million watching against Manchester United. Our only

goal from any of our teams. I made my debut at York. They went for a

good set piece here with a good delivery. A bit scrappy but he

scores the goal and it is a huge point. Looking good for them. Rugby,

now. Nothing brilliant they're either. I'm the only one not wearing

pink, too. Exeter went to Bath and they have never beaten them. It was

sloppy. This isn't typical of Exeter. Their defence is something

they pride themselves on. On a brighter note, one of their players

was back playing again. 37`15 this game ended. They have got Bath again

in a fortnight and have still never beaten them. They will want to put

that right. Briefly, the championship as well. No good news

there either. Pirates will be disappointed to lose. Plymouth

Albion also seventh at the moment. Plymouth College will be providing a

third of the England team in the World Schools Swimming Championships

in Brazil at the end of the month. John Rudd will be taking eight

swimmers from the school to Brasilia, including Olympic champion

Ruta Meilutyte. She'll be looking to add to the nine gold medals she's

already won this year and will be representing England for the first

time. Now, you may remember back in March

we told the story of the first bomb that fell on Plymouth in the Second

World War. The housewife who was killed was called Blanch Ellnor. Her

family contacted us to tell her that her sister is still alive. Phyllis,

who is now 96, tells her story for the first time.

She put the children in the air raid shelter and then went back to make

sure that the dinner was cooking. It was a straight plane which had got

lost so it dropped it bombs and about was dreadful, really. But you

had to get on with it. Phyllis lost her sister on July 30 six 1940. She

also lost her husband in the first British warship to be a lost in the

war. Phyllis waved goodbye to her husband on HMS courageous.

Courageous. Left to patrol the Irish Sea. Then she was torpedoed.

The heaviest loss is in men. Our sympathy goes to all those who are

bereaved. The men were lost in a worthy task and although they did

not return, they served their country well.

518 servicemen were lost. I kept saying he was a good swimmer so

he'll be back. There were more than 700 survivors but Phyllis's husband

was not amongst them. I still thought he would come back. I kept

saying it but it was no good. We had a telegram on the Wednesday and it

was dreadful. She wanted to put her head in the gas oven and it took

three of them to hold her. Being one of the first to lose a husband

through the war like that, you're full of sympathy for everyone else.

You know what they're going through. Despite losing her husband on the

first warship sunk and her sister in the first Plymouth bombing raid, she

soldiered on. She survived the war and kept the generations going. I'm

Phyllis. I'm Hazel the daughter. I'm her great`granddaughter. And, since

Johnny filmed his report, Phyllis's great`great`granddaughter Alissia

has been been born. It has been an eventful few days for

you, hasn't it? But it has a happy ending. You have two dogs. One of

them went missing but resurfaced in Newton Abbot on Saturday night. A

massive thanks for everyone who helped to look for. The power of

social media helped as his picture was spotted on Facebook.

Yes, and a huge thank you to everyone who went out to look for

him. Thank you so much. Now, the weather.

The weather is getting colder. It is Frosty later tonight and that is the

theme for the rest of this week. Cold air is coming in from the North

West. We will see lower temperatures and a risk of trust. `` frost. Also

the risk of some wintry showers. Combined with the lower

temperatures, there is a risk of ice. There could be a coating of ice

early on so be careful. The clearer skies across Ireland and the Irish

Sea are heading towards us. There are some showers amongst that so it

won't be completely drive tonight. The high pressure will dominate the

weather for the rest of the week. Over the next two days, it won't

dominate as much. On Wednesday, we have two weather systems. So,

perhaps some slightly less cold air before the weather front comes in

late on Wednesday. This rain is not really the change to the colder

conditions. It is the show was just coming through parts of Wales at the

moment that will introduce that colder area. This was earlier today

in the team Valley where it was called. `` cooled. After the

Sunset, very much colder air setting in. For most of us, it will be

called tonight with a risk of frost and ice. Some showers dotted around

and in the early hours of the morning some will turn wintry.

Mostly for high ground, though. Temperatures are getting fairly low.

Some places will be down to zero, hence the risk of frost and ice.

Tomorrow, a few wintry showers around. But they will start to turn

back to rain. Winds are strong from the north and north`west. We will

need to wrap up warm. It will be a cold day. He was the forecast for

the Isles of Scilly. Probably one of the warmest places in the UK,

tomorrow. Heroes of the coastal waters

forecast. Wednesday is cloudy with less cold

air. Windy, though. A cold night again on Wednesday night with the

risk of wintry showers. Thursday and Friday both days with

high`pressure. Fine but on the cold side.

Now, we have to say a huge thank you to the thousands of you who helped

raise money for Children in Need. Here in the South West you raised

more than ?800,000. to the thousands of you who helped

raise Here's a little look back at what made Children in Need 2013 one

to remember. # there is a place, there is a

time, in this life, where you say what you are feeling. # Don't you

see the world as listening to what we say? # Sing it louder, sing it

clearer, knowing everyone will hear you. # Sing stronger, sing together,

make it last for ever. # words they can't be spoken, only

son. # You hear 1000 voices shouting loud.

# Just si`i`i`ing. # Just si`i`i`ing. # Hear 1000

voices shouting loud. #. 'We wanna do

a science fiction series.' CS Lewis meets HG Wells meets

Father Christmas, that's the Doctor. Can't we have Doctor Who

without Doctor Who? Travel back to the birth

of a phenomenon.