09/12/2013 Spotlight

the north and west. That's all from the BBC news at six. Goodbye

The worst response times in the country. The region's ambulance

service is failing to reach national targets.

Good evening. There's concern about the possible impact on patients. One

health watchdog has called for improvements. We deserve the same

service that other parts of the country are getting. I do think it

needs to be improved and we need to be seeing work done by the ambulance

service to improve their response times.

Also tonight: Investigations after an alleged stabbing at a Plymouth

school. A 14`year`old boy is arrested on suspicion of causing

grievous bodily harm to a fellow pupil.

And ?500 each to help 15 traveller families move from their current

camp, to a new one just along the road.

The ambulance service in the South West has the worst response times in

the country. In October, only 68% of ambulances responded to the most

urgent calls within eight minutes. The target is 75%. Meanwhile, it's

emerged that some patients in the region have had to wait more than

three hours in an ambulance, before paramedics have been able to hand

them over to A staff. Response times for 999 ambulance

callouts have worsened across the country but performance in the

south`west has fallen more sharply than most. Recent figures show the

region 's ambulance service at the bottom of the table. In October,

only 68.4% of ambulances responded to the most serious emergency calls,

arrived within eight minutes. The target is 75% and the national

average for all ambulance services is 74.6%. Health watchdogs in

Cornwall say they want to assess the impact those response times are

having on patients. We want to monitor the situation and want to

know real issues. If this has affected you or a relative, we would

like to know that so we can take it to the trust. Hard cases could make

a lot of difference to people that provide these services. If they can

see the human impact of these delays, they are more likely to make

a difference. The South West and Abingdon 's service said, like all

ambulance trusts, it was facing an ongoing increase in demand for its

services. An additional challenge is it is predominantly a rule community

and has the highest percentage of elderly people, who are more likely

to access the services. The trust said providing high`quality services

was its top priority. Meanwhile, new figures show patients are being kept

waiting too long in ambulances outside a and E. In a 12 week period

this year, some patients in the south`west waited more than three

hours to be handed over to hospital staff. In the past, the Royal

Cornwall Hospital has paid fines for delays. The ambulance trust said

when vehicles had to queue at hospitals, it meant they were

delayed getting back on the road to respond to new calls. They say it

was working with hospitals to minimise hand over times and reduce

the number of people who had to be taken to departments, by treating

more at the scene of incidents and referring patients elsewhere.

A 14`year`old boy is in police custody after it was alleged a

fellow pupil was stabbed at a Plymouth school. Police were called

to Eggbuckland Community College this morning. Jenny Walrond is

outside the school for us this evening. Jenny, what can you tell us

about the incident? Good evening. Police were called

just before 8:40am, to reports that a 15`year`old boy had allegedly been

stabbed at this community college. He was taken to hospital in

Plymouth, without back injury. The school tells us he has since been

discharged and is back in with his family.

What about the boy who is alleged to have done this?

We are told he is 14. We are told he was also a pupil at the school.

Police say he has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily

harm with intent and taken into police custody. The police say they

are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident. They are

keen to stress that no 1's in any danger. They say they have seized

the alleged weapon. What is the school saying?

The community college is a reasonably large school with well

over 1000 pupils. It has above average GCSE results. Nobody from

the school was available to speak to us today but they did issue a

statement, in which they confirmed that an incident had taken place

between two peoples. School says that all staff were alerted

immediately, that the college principal has been in regular

contact with parents throughout the day. They say that the parents of

any pupil which has witnessed the incident has been contacted and

those pupils have been given appropriate professional support.

The Government has allocated more than ?20 million to tackle flooding

in Devon and Cornwall, as part of its new national infrastructure

plan. The move has been welcomed in communities which have been blighted

by floods. Our correspondent Simon Hall reports from one, the village

of Stoke Canon, in the River Exe valley.

Stoke can perceived a most unwelcome Christmas presents last year. They

are now pleased the government is investing in defence work in Devon

and Cornwall as part of the national infrastructure plan. We don't want

to go through that hassle again. We were out for six months. It's a long

time. You have a family as well and just before children. Yes, two

children and a wife. It's not very good. It's important that flooding

is tackled. Absolutely, yes. Even now, almost a year on, workers still

going on to repair the from flooding. Every time it happens,

they fix it, they say. They say it is never going to happen again. And

then it does. As you get older, it gets worse and worse, because you

can do this for yourself and to help yourself. Under the government 's

plan, more than ?4 million will be spent on protecting areas in Devon

and Cornwall which were disrupted by summer flooding. Many of the

communities which have recently suffered flooding in Devon and

Cornwall are to small for full`scale flood defence schemes like this one.

Instead, they are likely to see small improvements such as improving

the ditches and culverts. Exeter has an historical problem with flooding.

The new upgraded flood defence scheme for the city also features in

the national infrastructure plan. ?18 million is allocated.

A council in Devon is planning to give traveller families up to ?500

each to spend on their vans, caravans and wagons. Funds are being

made available to 15 families who're moving from an unauthorised site at

Haldon near Exeter, to a new official one next door. The cash is

designed to help all vehicles on the new site meet certain standards. But

as Leigh Rundle reports, the move has attracted criticism from local

residents and the travellers themselves.

From the window of her old trailer, now can see the new site. As yet

unoccupied, it is designed to provide a permanent home for some

other families displaced when this site is cleared next year. They have

been offered ?500 to make their vehicles roadworthy and bring them

up to the required standard the move. I don't think anyone want that

?500. There are more deserving people in the community than us,

that need money at the moment. What would you rather? I would like to

see the situation to have been taken back a year or two, two when the

council were consulting with us then, to have carried on having that

consultation, instead of pushing through a scheme without talking to

people here. There is a lot of prejudice... Critics argue that if

the council wants to make payments, money should be defined from the

existing budget. The project should cost 1.1 million pounds. We are now

starting to hear that there are additional costs which will have to

be borne by the taxpayer. 15 families have been offered help to

get their vehicles adapted to meet regulations on the new site next

door. The cost to the taxpayer works out at an extra ?7,500. I think we

need to bear in mind, it's one of the many government initiatives that

are out there at the moment. For example, the Green Deal. People can

apply to have a ?2000 boiler installed in their own home. I think

at the end of the day, ?500, up to ?500, ?7,500 in total, is a modest

stump. The council hopes that families moving next door will do so

by July of next year. But bringing many of the vehicles up to the

required standard may prove more problematic than anyone is prepared

to admit. An ex`Royal Marines says he is

shocked and stunned that one of his former colleagues has been jailed

for murdering an insurgent in Afghanistan. Alexander Blackman was

jailed on Friday by a military court. Already, a petition has

generated over 31,000 signatures calling for him to be released.

Speaking anonymously, in an exclusive interview.

Speaking anonymously, in an I served with Marine a at 42

commando. We had been patrolling that they and we were nearby at a

checkpoint, about 1000 beaters away. What is the reaction to the

sentence? I was stunned and disappointed. Everyone I have spoken

to, there is an air of shark, even when I've spoken to people not

associated with the Marines. There is a feeling this was harsh. As the

ten year jail sentence starts, his ex`comrades says it is not just him

but his family who will also cover. Financially, they will have lost a

great deal. They will not be eligible for pension. His family

will not receive any financial support. Some lawyers have said the

sentence sends out a clear message that there is a line and if it is

crossed, there will be consequences. A lot of people have said it was

harsh but murder is murder. I agree it was murder. However, I think

you've got to consider there are mitigating circumstances and they

were not many people that were directly involved in that area that

can comment on whether there was a threat or not at the time when that

shot was taken. I would suggest that there is no sanctuary in Afghanistan

and the only time you are safe is when you are on an aircraft, flying

out. Three Greenpeace workers from Devon

could be freed under an amnesty brushed ` drafted by Vladimir Putin.

RX Harris... They are among 30 people arrested by the Russian

authorities after a Greenpeace protest in the Arctic. Russian media

say they could be released under his amnesty bill which is being

submitted to parliament on Thursday. One of Cornwall's largest Cornwall `

tourist attraction has been sold. The new owner of the theme park is a

company called Livingston leisure. It says the attraction will close

for the winter, for refurbishment and open at Easter. It has no

immediate plans to change the existing facilities.

Hundreds of new homes could be built in Ilfracombe on land owned by

Damien Hirst. Last year the artist donated a giant bronze statue of a

pregnant woman to the town. Now land bought by Hirst ten years ago, is

near the centre of a proposed development, although four other

landowners are also involved. The application for the 187 acre site

also includes plans for a primary school, shops, business units and a

health centre. Still to come in Spotlight tonight:

the massive effort to repair potholes. And later, find out who

has won our sports team of the year award. And dubbed Britain's most

ferocious feline, but is he just a pussycat?

A major programme to repair potholes in Plymouth has been completed

today. The Council says 8,000 have been fixed across the city in the

last six months, using the equivalent of 11 miles of tarmac.

Across the South West local authorities say they've repaired

nearly 130,000 potholes this year. The final touches are being made to

the six`month resurfacing programme today. The contractor says it has

laid the equivalent of 14 football pitches of tarmac. We've undertaken

a thousand permanent repairs which is a huge number. They are not going

to come back again. That has been reflected in the response from

members of the public. As well as Plymouth's announcement today it has

fixed 8000 potholes in the last six months, Devon county council says,

with the biggest highways network in the country, so far this year it has

fixed 87,000. Cornwall has repaired just over 5000 since April. Somerset

has fixed more than 15,000 in the same time. In Torbay, the council

said it prepared 2000 in the last six months. Dorset county council

says it fixes 20,000 a year. Plymouth City Council has committed

to spending an extra ?20 million on road repairs over the next decade.

The state of the roads in Plymouth is a major, major, major issue for

the residents of the city. We deem it a really important issue which we

invest in. We have done it over a 10`year period. We have got the

money and we can do that. People want us to do it. It is the right

thing to do. The Department for transport says it is increasing

funding for road and pavement repairs, giving ?3 billion to local

authorities in this Parliament. Time for the sport now and we are

announcing our team and coach of the year. That is in a moment.

That is coming up. Exeter Chiefs look forward to meeting the European

Cup holders Toulon again, despite losing out to them at Sandy Park by

14`9. There was only one try and that came very early on after the

Toulon forwards gathered momentum and went over. Three penalties

pushed Exeter in front, before England's World Cup hero Jonny

Wilkinson placed a late drop goal to secure the winning points. The sides

meet again on the Cote D'Azur next Saturday.

The draw for the third round of the FA Cup was a damp squib for Yeovil

Town and Plymouth Argyle. The Pilgrims' reward for beating

Conference team Welling United 3`1 is an away trip to League One club

Port Vale. Argyle were three up in the first 20 minutes at Home Park

through Andres Gurriei, Curtis Nelson and Lewis Alessandra to

effectively end the non`leaguers hopes. But Port Vale will be an

entirely different proposition on January fourth next year.

Yeovil Town face their former manager Russell Slade in round three

when his League One table`toppers Leyton Orient come to Huish Park.

The Glovers remain third from the bottom of the Championship, despite

rescuing a point in a 2`2 draw with Charlton Athletic in Somerset. Two

goals down, Joel Grant was heavily involved in the revival. First, his

cross went in off a Charlton defender and then Grant was fouled

for Ishmael Miller to convert the penalty. Sometimes you need to be

behind to get going. I was really pleased for their own confidence,

they got it back. We could have won it in the end when we had it but we

lost control. Two wins and a draw in one week is still a very good

return. Two sabre fencers from Truro Fencing

Club have become British champions after winning their titles in the UK

nationals in Sheffield. 22`year`old James Honeybone successfully

defended his crown by a narrow 15`14 margin. Sophie Williams, also 22,

triumphed 15`10, having eliminated the British number one on her way to

the final. Both fencers made their Olympic debuts for Great Britain in

the London Games. The BBC Sports Personality of the

Year will be decided this Sunday and this week on Spotlight, we'll be

handing out some of our own Sports Awards. Tonight, we start with Team

and Coach of the Year. Both categories were vigorously contested

by our panel and Natalie went to do the honours at Sandy Park ` the home

of Exeter Chiefs. Another brilliant here for you. Well

done for holding your head is high in the premiership and the Heineken

cup. Thank you for putting and keeping the south`west on the rugby

map. We really are proud of you, all of the Southwest and we would like

to say you are now the team of the year. Can a captain please come and

receive the award? Thank you very much. Congratulations. Is there

anything you would like to say? Thank you. It is always an honour to

represent the south`west. The Chiefs are one of the few teams that play

on a national level. I think we want to be up there towards the top at

the end of the season. We've been doing reasonably well so far. We

will keep striving to be the best. We don't normally put a label on

where we want to end up. Are you proud of your team? Absolutely. Very

well done. Of course, that is the team award but we couldn't really do

it without a bit of guidance, could you? You need that steady, firm hand

on the tiller and I'm delighted to say that your coach, Rob Baxter, has

had a fantastic year. These broken into the England coaching setup and

continues to steer your careers. You are coach of the you words. Yes.

Obviously looking at the guys, it's an easy job. The truth of it is, and

we talk about coaches, but what makes a successful coaches good

players. We've got a lot of successful guys here who not only

worked very hard but are very good guys as well. It's a very nice job

to have and I'm very fortunate. I've got good coaching staff around me.

You will not leave Exeter, will you? No. Of got a lot of emotional

involvement with Exeter. ` I have got. I will be staying. Well done on

a great year. Well done, guys. Thank you.

Tomorrow in Spotlight, we'll be announcing the Disabled Sportsperson

of the Year. Something to look forward to.

His neighbours have branded him Britain's most ferocious feline, so

no one psychologist has been to see Shiny that cat in Cornwall.

Villagers in the place where he lives say he has attacked animals

and pets. The cat's owners say that he is a lot calmer now he has been

neutered. When you own the most ferocious cat

in Britain, it is time to call in the cat psychologist. Hello. This is

Shiny. Would you like to see him? I certainly would. Shiny has been a

very bad boy. How dangerous is it? I don't think he is dangerous at all.

Not everyone agrees. Shiny has been branded the Devil cat. He has

attacked other cats and humans. This woman was left needing antibiotics

after he launched himself at. He is a friendly pet cat and yet is

Britain's most violent cat. So, which is he? Excuse me. Is this hand

to your high standards? Shiny's owners say he is a changed character

since he was neutered at the end of the summer. That was the carrot, the

friendship maker. This is the stick. I'm not going to use it on him but

if he had gone for me, I'm not completely stupid, I would have

protected myself with this hiss. It's the same hiss that cats make

naturally. I'm very relieved that we making friends very easily. I think

we have an understanding. Outside, it is clear to see Shiny is top cat.

Even when the dog arrives, Shiny still stands his ground. I am

beginning to like Shiny more and more. He is a great cat. He is a cat

with character. The woman who was attacked before he was neutered told

me she didn't want to be interviewed on TV. Shiny is innocent. He is a

good cat and people should make friends with him and not spray him

with hosepipes. He will be a lot better. And two`year`old Poppy

agrees. Nice to see that happy ending.

Good evening. We have some fairly good news this week. Nothing too

dramatic happening in our weather pattern. If anything, it is slightly

less cold. Milder air is coming our way. Breezy at times. Mainly dry. We

will see if you like showers. Most of us will get away with a decent

week ahead. Even though there is the risk of some overnight frost, it

will be fairly limited. Tonight, some frost briefly. A lot more cloud

coming our way this evening and overnight. We've had high pressure

for quite a while. It has moved into the near continent. It's across the

Alps at the moment. It allows the winds from the south to develop.

Those winds are coming from a long way south, from Spain and Portugal,

through the Bay of Biscay and to us. It means they are relatively mild.

The problems with the temperatures. Eventually, those weather systems

will come closer, as we move towards the end of the week. Until that

happens, southerly winds which refresh at times. This was the

picture from earlier today. There has been some sunshine today, both

at the start of the day and the end of the day. We start with Exmouth,

where our cameraman, Greg, got a lovely shot this morning was calm

seas. You could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at the

Algarve. How about that for a shot at the end of the day? All that

clear sky briefly tonight will allow a frost to form here and there.

Later, the cloud will win. Briefly, some clear skies. The cloud will

turn up and it might just be thick enough for if few light showers. I

don't think it will be to dump overnight to night. Some mist

patches will form here and there. Overnight temperatures will probably

be four or five degrees. No lower than that. Climbing up to seven or

eight degrees by dawn tomorrow morning. The southerly winds will be

a feature of the weather tomorrow. Briefly, cloudy with some wind in

the morning but sunshine developing in the afternoon. Northern parts of

Devon and Somerset could have a nice afternoon with some pleasant

sunshine to enjoy. A bit breezy for southern coasts, especially

Cornwall, and across the Isles of Scilly. A top temperature tomorrow

off 12 degrees. That's quite a bit above the average for the time of

year. Quite a breeze over the Isles of Scilly. The cloud will break up

during the afternoon. Here are the times of high water. And for our

servers... `` surfers. The cleanest surf will be along the north coast,

up to five feet by the end of the day. A southerly force four to five

and mainly fair, in terms of the coastal waters forecast. The

outlook, quite a good one. Wednesday, some mist first thing and

then pleasant sunshine to enjoy. Temperatures will be 13, possibly 14

degrees. Rather thicker cloud turning up on Friday. That is that

weather front finally making progress towards us. I don't think

it would be too heavy. It remains relatively mild. Have a good

evening. With the countdown to Chris was well

and truly underway, two weeks before the big day, so we thought we would

look at how the region is getting ready. From all of us on the

programme, good night. Bye`bye.