13/12/2013 Spotlight


13/12/2013

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What next for Cornwall's out`of`hours GP service? Serco is

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giving up the contract more than a year early.

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Good evening. The company has been severely criticised for the way it

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runs the service. There are now calls for a complete rethink. In my

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view, patients should be put before profit and this system of

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contracting out important services will never work.

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Also tonight: Grounded. Dorset and Somerset's Air Ambulance is taken

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out of service for safety reasons. Flights were suspended after a

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technical fault was found on the aircraft.

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And not allowed home for Christmas. Three arrested Devon Greenpeace

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workers are told they must stay in Russia.

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The controversial private company which runs the out`of`hours GP

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service in Cornwall has announced it's handing back the contract more

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than a year earlier than planned. Serco has faced severe criticism for

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the way it's operated the service. The firm was accused of manipulating

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performance figures. Whistle`blowers raised concerns about staffing

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levels and the chairman of a parliamentary committee lambasted

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the company for "falling unacceptably short of essential

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standards of quality and safety". As Spotlight's Eleanor Parkinson

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reports, Serco will no longer run the service after May 2015.

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Over the seven Years Circle have run the out of hours service, the

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complaints have poured in. An investigation found performance data

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had been manipulated. They took on extra staff and circa are now

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providing a good service, but despite this, the contract is being

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terminated 17 months ahead of schedule. I think it's fair to say

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that they have historical difficulties in delivering this

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contract, however, they have been recently performing very well. But

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we have been looking for a way to bring the contract end date sooner

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and we are able to do that. Any future out of our service wants to

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be more integrated. Health campaigners have welcomed the news.

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Andrew George says ending the contract is right. I don't think

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that the NHS is best served by companies who put profits before

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patients and when it comes to important services like the out of

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hours GP contract, it is far better if we use the opportunity to

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reintegrate the NHS rather than salami slicer at and put it out to

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tender to private contractors. They said that running an out of hours GP

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service no longer fitted in with their health care strategy. In the

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past they have admitted they were running the servers at a loss but

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said they were committed to delivering a high level of service

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for the remainder of this contract in Cornwall.

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I'm joined by our political editor, Martyn Oates. This isn't the first

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problem Serco has faced, is it? No, and just yesterday, they lost

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another big public sector contract to provide electronic tags for

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criminals following revelations the company have overcharged the

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government. They are being investigated by the serious fraud

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office. The chairman apologised. But also, he also revealed the company

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had lost a third of its total value as a result of this episode. It's a

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diverse company. Absolutely. It's got contracts with the Ministry of

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Defence, Ministry of transport and even runs these borrowers bikes.

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During this hearing, Austin Mitchell asked whether a company which runs

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everything is essentially too big for its own good. Despite today's

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announcement, it's not retreating entirely from health care. Quite the

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opposite. At the same time, it says health care is a global growth

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area, and apparently, it has a recent contracts in the UK, the

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United States, the Middle East and Australia.

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The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance remains grounded tonight

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amid safety fears. The Eurocopter EC135 has been giving false readings

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on its fuel gauge. Grounded and not flying anywhere for

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a second successive day. A port with the fuel gauge has been diagnosed.

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Engineers have been preparing the machine to allow new parts, flown in

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from Germany, to be fitted. The fort was originally found on an air

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ambulance in the North of England. While helicopters were checked. Many

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didn't have the fold but don't. Late this afternoon, a solution was found

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and it is hoped all of the fleet will be airborne again by Sunday. I

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am hopeful of ours will be flying tomorrow. Aircraft has been stripped

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down. Although there is no known direct link with the crash of a

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police helicopter in Glasgow two weeks ago, that was also the same

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feed. Dorset and Somerset air ambulance flight 700 missions each

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ear and covers a large geared `` large geographical area. Land

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ambulances covered the jobs instead. If in a craft had been needed,

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emergency helicopter services could have been called in. Safety has to

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be your first concern. If you have a patient on broad, no one benefits.

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Help from other emergency services will remain available until a

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helicopter is back the F. The Russian authorities have today

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told three Greenpeace workers from Devon that they are not allowed to

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leave Russia. Alex Harris, Kieron Bryan and Iain Rogers were arrested

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during a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic more than two

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months ago. Released from prison with hopes they

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would be home for Christmas. Now, three weeks after being granted

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bail, Russian authorities have told the activists and journalists they

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cannot leave the country. I was heartbroken. I was trying to

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concentrate on different speakers yesterday, but at the back of my

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mind, I was waiting for a phone call and communication. But nothing

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happened. I was told it was a rumour and they might not be on the list

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and it has turned out to be true. Kieron, even an Alex were amongst a

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group of 30 arrested two months ago after the Russian authorities

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boarded their vessel during a protest. They had hoped to be

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allowed home after an international court ordered Russia to let them

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leave the country immediately. But Greenpeace claims Russia has now

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breached this ruling and should be held to account. A couple of weeks

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ago, a tribunal ruled that Russia must immediately release the Arctic

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30, but the Russian authorities have disregarded that ruling. Greenpeace

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believe the UK government should be at a very high level, stressing to

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Russia that they had to comply with this court ruling and release these

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people, who are guilty than nothing other than wishing to protect the

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Arctic. Families fear it could be as late as next spring is how they see

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their loved ones. Firefighters in the South West are

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out on strike tonight in a national dispute over pensions. Members of

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the Fire Brigades Union walked out at 6pm and will stay out until 10pm.

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There will be another strike at the same time tomorrow.

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Meanwhile, fire and rescue services in Wiltshire and Dorset could merge

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under plans outlined by the two fire authorities. It's in response to a

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cut in government funding. The merger could happen by 2016.

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Two lifeboat crews faced difficult conditions last night as they worked

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to rescue a Newlyn`based fishing boat after she broke down 33 miles

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off Lizard Point. The Joy of Ladram had suffered gear box failure and

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was assisted by the Lizard crew and then towed in by the Penlee

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lifeboat. A man who attempted to murder his

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former wife's new partner has had his minimum prison term increased.

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Raibeart Browne, who's 70 and from Penzance, was sentenced to serve at

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least seven years but the Court of Appeal has ruled that was unduly

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lenient and increased it to ten. Devon and Cornwall Police are urging

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people not to misuse the 101 and 999 numbers. Inappropriate calls are

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wasting vital police time. Officers say some callers have wanted to know

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how to cook a frozen turkey and others have asked which shops are

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open on Christmas Day. I have run out of toilet roll.

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Sorry, wrong number. Prank calls like bees come through to the polls

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enquiry Centre in Plymouth. Operators have to deal with drunk

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and abusive callers. It's not uncommon to have people calling to

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ask for a taxi or expecting the police because they have not been

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able to get home. Devon and Cornwall police receives over 1 million calls

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a year, and of that, 200,000 +909 calls. Only appropriate vocals must

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come in. Last New Year's Eve, Devon and Cornwall police received more

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than 500 909 course. On New Year's Day, the number of calls more than

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doubled and almost 1500 calls were received. Officers say the number of

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inappropriate calls may rise as a result of phones being given as

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presents. If you are buying a phone or tablet for your child, that's

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great. But what do you know about the gift you are giving them? Have

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you spoken about barring? Devon and Cornwall police are urging people to

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think before they cool, but it is a real emergency, to call 909.

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The region's biggest hospital is now treating cancer patients on time.

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Derriford had been failing to treat patients within 62 days of referral

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but the hospital has now hit the target for the last three months.

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The George House dental practice in Bodmin has closed and is filing for

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bankruptcy. More than 2,000 patients are affected. The NHS says those

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with appointments over the next three weeks will be contacted at the

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weekend. Many of us moved here because it was an NHS dentist and

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they were extremely good to us. I am gobsmacked. It's a resource we

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cannot afford to lose. There is only one other. It will be impossible to

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get into the other dentist. Researchers have discovered new

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information about the habits of one of our largest sharks. Basking

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sharks are often sighted around our coastline. Now a team at the

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University of Exeter have tracked them using satellite technology.

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Basking sharks fascinate holiday`makers and locals alike when

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they are spotted. But until recently, we knew very little about

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where they travelled and what they did. These were filmed of Scotland

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and thanks to researchers at Exeter University, we are starting to

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understand much more about what they get up to. Some are stay at home

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creatures, they don't go very far, they might pop out of the North

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Atlantic for the winter, but ultimately, they will come back into

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Scottish waters of Cornish waters. Satellite tracking and cameras have

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transformed the amount of information which can be gathered

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about the habits of basking sharks. Electronic tags are attached to the

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sharks and researchers wait for them to fall off the animal before

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floating ashore so they can retrieve the information they need. These are

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short trips out from this very dense area. They eat for a few days and

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then head back into the main area. The Scottish government is funding

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research to decide the best locations for new marine protected

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areas. Banking `` basking sharks seek out plankton to eat. Knowledge

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could prove useful here because the south`west will soon have its own

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wind and wave farms. There were emotional scenes in

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Plymouth today as HMS Bulwark arrived home from a four`month

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deployment in time for Christmas. The Devonport`based warship had

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sailed over 12,000 miles and visited 14 countries. Spotlight's Johnny

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Rutherford was onboard as she made her way into port.

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It was a mass exodus as the ship's crew rushed to their loved ones. It

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had been a long wait as early in the day the Royal Navy's fleet flagship

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tried to get the timing right. We joined them on the last few hours of

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what had been a very busy for months. We have been the flagship

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for the task force, which has taken us through the Mediterranean into

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the Middle East and as far as Pakistan. We have delivered maritime

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security, supported government objectives and worked with some of

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our key allies. The ship 's company of 350 visited 14 countries but with

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Christmas only 12 days away, home was the only place they wanted to

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be. Whilst on deployment, I had my second child. She is nearly four

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months old now, so I can't wait to get home and see how much she has

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changed. For one sailor, who flew his girlfriend out for a couple of

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days to getting gauged, the final journey seemed to take for ever.

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Can't wait to see her again and see our little girl who was born on the

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1st of August. I am swapping these duties straight for daddy duties!

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It's a little lame that my dad used to call me when I was younger.

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Finally, the waiting was over. If it feels like I waited ages. Amazing.

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So glad to be home. A motion. Lovely. The company now have 2`3

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weeks leave. Time for the sport and tonight, we

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reveal who's won the top BBC South West Sports Awards. Before that,

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Dave has the rest of the weekend action.

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If Exeter Chiefs fail to beat the European rugby champions tomorrow,

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they face an early exit from the competition. Captain Dean Mumm leads

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them to Toulon on the Cote D'Azur, knowing they came within five points

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of the powerful French team who are top of pool two. The Chiefs are

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third and desperately need a win there. BBC Radio Devon has full

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coverage from 1:35pm on Saturday. Yeovil Town go for a fourth

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Championship game without defeat when they visit bottom side

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Barnsley. After two wins and a draw, the Glovers are resurgent and a win

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at Oakwell could lift them out of the bottom three. Exeter City,

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who've dropped to mid`table in League Two, look for their first win

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in eight going to Accrington Stanley. Plymouth Argyle defender

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Neal Trotman and manager John Sheridan will be eager to do well at

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their former club Chesterfield, who are second in the standings. At

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Plainmoor, rock bottom Torquay United bid to beat the team who lie

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third in the table, Southend, who are managed by one`time Premier

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League boss Phil Brown. Time now to conclude the BBC South

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West Sports Awards. We've been showing different categories all

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this week and the culmination is the Sportswoman and Sportsman of the

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Year. Natalie and I had the honour of presenting the trophies, first to

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a familiar face who's had a wonderful 12 months.

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Whilst winning the World Championship for the first time this

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year and retaining the World Cup, Helen Glover has remained unbeaten

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throughout 2013. So, it is appropriate if you can pass me a

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rather good`looking Trophy here. For the third year running, you are the

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BBC south`west sportswoman of the year. Round of applause for you. We

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have always presented this at the Redgrave pence at Lake. Not bad, is

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it? It does mean a lot to me. Nobody anticipates or expects a year like I

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had. We have had some amazing sport from the whole team. How often do

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you manage to get to Penzance? Only a couple of times a year, but when I

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do, it's really special. Will you be spending Christmas and new year

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there? Yes. Another place on the mantelpiece bans to be found for

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this. Well done again. Completing a hat`trick. Who knows what will

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happen next year? And then I was off to Sandy Park to

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see the Exeter Chiefs to present one of them with our highest accolade.

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Our winner this year has has an amazing year and has been described

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as one of the most inspiring players of his generation. Let's see who it

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is. It is likely to be with you today.

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As you know, this week we have been presenting our sports award and a

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big wad of the week is the sports man of the year. This batsman of the

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year is amongst you lot. He's got a very distinctive hairstyle. He's

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quite young. He may have achieved quite marvellous things with England

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when they won the World Cup this year. And he's a Cornish boy. Our

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sports man of the year is Jack and all. Congratulations. It's a gold

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award. Sorry to spring this on you. A great honour. I am surrounded by a

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great bunch of boys. It's all down to this team that I have got this.

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An incredible year for you. I have been out in France and stuff them

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come back. I had a bit of time for the start of the season to get

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arrested up. What do you have the rest of the season? Just to keep

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playing as I have been playing. Chaps, our BBC south`west sports man

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of the year. Finally, Somerset bowler Jamie

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Overton has been included in the England Lions cricket tour of Sri

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Lanka in February and March. Now it seems an instrument which

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became very popular is the 1930s and 40s is experiencing something of a

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resurgence. It was a favourite of George Formby's but it seems to have

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found a growing following among a new generation of music lovers. Jo

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Irving has been to meet some of the people who have taken up the

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instrument to find out why it is becoming so popular again.

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Brass bands and choirs across the county are all churning up the

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Christmas, but here, a diverse group of musicians are strumming their

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stuff. In just a few months, Plymouth's ukelele players have

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grown in numbers. And they have gone from strength to strength. It's a

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chance for youngsters like Joseph to get to grips with a musical

:22:54.:22:59.

instrument. It's a really fun instrument to play and really easy

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to learn and not that much strings so you can remaster it quickly.

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Ukelele is for all ages, especially the young at heart. Seeing as I have

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arthritis, I thought the best thing to do was play a ukelele and keep my

:23:18.:23:24.

fingers moving. Harry is the main player behind this group. I have

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tried the guitar. Couldn't do it. Gave up. I have got a new guitar. I

:23:37.:23:47.

didn't even know ukelele was. But the guy said, it's only got four

:23:48.:23:51.

strings. I have been playing a sense! If you want to hit the right

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note this Christmas, you could always give this a try!

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So they say it's very easy. So we're going to give it a go.

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It is easy! I quite enjoyed that. Good evening. Let's have a look at

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the forecast for the weekend. Whatever you're doing, playing the

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ukelele or just enjoying a good view the stars. It's windy, mild and we

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will have reasonable mornings, but the afternoons look rather cloudy.

:25:16.:25:20.

We are between weather systems to night. Another big lump of cloud out

:25:21.:25:29.

here. Between those two, a strike of clearer skies arriving through the

:25:30.:25:35.

night. Settled weather for a time tonight but short lived because a

:25:36.:25:39.

new area of low pressure and another line of wet weather heading our way.

:25:40.:25:44.

Another quite windy afternoon tomorrow. Looking at the details on

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Sunday, the same weather system comes back across us. We will

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probably see a fine morning on Sunday. As that rain banter is

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cleared, it has cleared the skies, which is pretty good news. A last

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night. The breeze eases a little bit but enough to stir the air so not

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too much in the way of frost and enough clear sky to give us a good

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view of the peak of the meteor showers which happens to night. NASA

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predicts over 120 shooting stars per hour. Temperatures 3`4 degrees the

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lowest we are likely to see. Tomorrow, and I started the day with

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sunshine. Chile at first. The day and so does the cloud. By the end of

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the afternoon, quite wet. Despite temperatures similar to today, 12,

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13 degrees, but a windy day. That's the forecast for the Isles of

:26:55.:27:04.

Scilly. Times of high water here. Compared to earlier in the week, the

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surf is pretty messy tomorrow and big waves, too. Those of the coastal

:27:09.:27:19.

waters forecast. The outlook is a damp day on Sunday. Still some

:27:20.:27:24.

outbreaks of rain on Monday. Tuesday is a little bit drier and colder.

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Have a good evening. Go on, then. Play us out.

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Shall we play the spotlight theme tune? Let's give it a go. Only of

:27:35.:27:38.

David dancers, though.

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