:00:00. > 3:59:59end of the week? No. Had Russia heading our way and wet and windy
:00:00. > :00:15.again. That is The South West hit by the full force
:00:16. > :00:19.of nature from the coast of Dorset to the ravaged rail line in Dawlish.
:00:20. > :00:25.It has caused damage to buildings and sent huge waves crashing into
:00:26. > :00:28.West Cornwall. Good evening. On Spotlight tonight, we'll report on
:00:29. > :00:33.the damage left in the wake of this latest storm. This is the scene live
:00:34. > :00:38.in Kingsand in Cornwall where there are renewed concerns about the
:00:39. > :00:43.safety of this historic building. Also tonight. Going nowhere. The
:00:44. > :00:47.crew of a cargo ship are stuck in port after the vessel was detained
:00:48. > :00:49.over safety concerns. Love letters straight from the heart. How to pen
:00:50. > :00:58.the perfect Valentine's message. The South West has again been
:00:59. > :01:01.battered by winds of more than 80 miles per hour, affecting homes and
:01:02. > :01:05.businesses already damaged by previous storms. On Berry Head in
:01:06. > :01:10.South Devon, gusts of 85 miles per hour were recorded. The gales
:01:11. > :01:13.brought down trees, power lines and roof tiles causing road closures in
:01:14. > :01:17.many places A number of flood warnings and flood alerts were in
:01:18. > :01:21.place for coasts and rivers. In Porthleven in Cornwall, the wind was
:01:22. > :01:26.strong enough to lift the backs of cars. In Lyme Regis, the Cobb was
:01:27. > :01:29.battered by high waves. In Dawlish, work to repair the rail line was
:01:30. > :01:32.severely hampered. Some South West attractions including Dartmoor Zoo
:01:33. > :01:36.and Haldon Forest were closed because of the weather and transport
:01:37. > :01:41.links such as the Tamar Bridge were also affected. In a moment we'll be
:01:42. > :01:43.reporting from some of the worst`hit areas, but first live to our
:01:44. > :01:58.reporter Janine Jansen. You can see the famous clock tower
:01:59. > :02:03.behind me being battered by the storms. Engineers have placed
:02:04. > :02:10.special props around the foundations to stop it getting further damage.
:02:11. > :02:18.They have removed a balcony off the top because it about hanging on by
:02:19. > :02:23.just one bolt. The committee are holding a meeting tonight to decide
:02:24. > :02:27.what to do about the tower. David Cameron promised to talk to English
:02:28. > :02:32.Heritage and they are coming here tomorrow to assess the damage done
:02:33. > :02:42.to the tower to seek what could be done to repeal it `` repair it. The
:02:43. > :02:52.highest wind recorded was 85 mph at Berry Head. We have had the power
:02:53. > :02:58.lines down. Western Power say more than 8000 homes are currently
:02:59. > :03:03.without power. We have had flying tiles off the roofs in Torquay. Many
:03:04. > :03:10.roads have been closed. We had a fire Tavistock in the substation. It
:03:11. > :03:19.also affected the traffic lights. The next morning is plummeting
:03:20. > :03:23.temperatures and ice. If we have not had enough problems, tomorrow
:03:24. > :03:26.morning, drivers are being warned to beware of ice.
:03:27. > :03:30.In West Cornwall, the coast has been battered by winds gusting up to 80
:03:31. > :03:33.miles an hour. The waves have been hitting ports and harbours already
:03:34. > :03:41.damaged by weeks of storms. Eleanor Parkinson reports from Land's End.
:03:42. > :03:46.The recent storms have generated some of the most spectacular
:03:47. > :03:51.pictures of the last few weeks. People were out again with their
:03:52. > :04:01.cameras to capture those shots. It is fantastic to watch. If we can
:04:02. > :04:08.stand still long enough! We have lived here 25 years. The coastguards
:04:09. > :04:19.have recorded that Harry Kane force winds have been recorded out to sea.
:04:20. > :04:35.`` Harry Kane `` hurricane force winds. Part of this historic pier
:04:36. > :04:42.has been washed away. Devastating. We used to fish off it as kids. We
:04:43. > :04:49.have had damaged periodically which we tried to maintain that this is
:04:50. > :04:55.way beyond anything we can do. This is what happened to the beach cafe
:04:56. > :05:05.after waves crashed over the roof. It took the roof down. We have
:05:06. > :05:09.cleaned up now but it is a mess. At high tide, the waves get even
:05:10. > :05:14.bigger. This is just a prelate for another storm on Friday. `` a
:05:15. > :05:18.prelude. Once again, the south coast of
:05:19. > :05:21.Cornwall, Devon and Dorset bore the brunt of the high winds and huge
:05:22. > :05:31.waves. It his several communities still clearing up the damage from
:05:32. > :05:37.last week's storms. `` it hit. This was the scene this morning as winds
:05:38. > :05:43.began to whip in from the Atlantic. He winds are gusting at around 80
:05:44. > :05:50.mph. Despite warnings to stay away from the rough seas, people still
:05:51. > :06:00.took risks. Conditions were quite challenging to reporting. They are
:06:01. > :06:04.predicting guests have up to 80 mph. In Plymouth, businesses affected by
:06:05. > :06:12.the large waves last week were now boarded up. The front features took
:06:13. > :06:19.another hit. The flags outside the Met office in Exeter gave the
:06:20. > :06:25.forecasters inside a measure of how powerful the storm was. Waves and
:06:26. > :06:29.stay whole in the sea wall at Dawlish. Despite the extreme
:06:30. > :06:37.weather, work to reconnect the south`west carried on.
:06:38. > :06:41.Further along the coast, there were dramatic scenes as the historic Cobb
:06:42. > :06:43.in Lyme Regis was overwhelmed by mountainous seas. It attracted
:06:44. > :06:46.scores of spectators to the Dorset resort.
:06:47. > :06:49.On the edge of Dartmoor, people are adjusting to the idea that one of
:06:50. > :06:51.the options for a future alternative inland railway would go through
:06:52. > :07:00.Oakhampton and Tavistock. Network Rail told us they have already done
:07:01. > :07:07.an outline study of this. This is a peaceful time capsule and a home. It
:07:08. > :07:14.came as a little bit of a shock to us having been told it would not be
:07:15. > :07:25.used again. Not everyone in the area feels the same. It was cut in half
:07:26. > :07:32.when the line came in. The farmhouse is within 20 metres which will be
:07:33. > :07:40.very intrusive. The long`term prospect of bringing trains back
:07:41. > :07:50.here hinges on ringing trains from Plymouth to Tavistock. I think the
:07:51. > :08:02.route would be a fantastic idea. I would hope this has gone up by about
:08:03. > :08:06.20% in terms of probability. That is even now a campaign by the Liberal
:08:07. > :08:12.Democrats to restore links to North Cornwall. Dawlish fears it could be
:08:13. > :08:21.the beginning of the end for the coast route. The roads would not be
:08:22. > :08:28.able to take the influx of traffic. We will just disappear off the face
:08:29. > :08:33.of the earth. Many people are determined the coastal route should
:08:34. > :08:37.never be lost. I wanted to see what the other options are. That is more
:08:38. > :08:44.long`term foot up in the immediate term, we have to do the repair and
:08:45. > :08:47.look at the long`term resilience. They may be other engineering things
:08:48. > :08:55.we could do to help that particular vulnerable bit. The length of track
:08:56. > :08:59.which started this will soon be lost to view.
:09:00. > :09:03.The issue of rail services in the South West was raised by no fewer
:09:04. > :09:06.than four of the region's MPs at Prime Minister's Questions this
:09:07. > :09:09.lunchtime. Our Political Editor Martyn Oates joins us now. There was
:09:10. > :09:19.one announcement that people have been pressing for? Labour MPs have
:09:20. > :09:23.been demanding confirmation of a payment for a rail upgrade in the
:09:24. > :09:27.region. They say it was promised after the storm damage last year
:09:28. > :09:37.which had not been delivered. Liberal Democrat MPs from the region
:09:38. > :09:45.joined them. In terms of the specific question he asked, we are
:09:46. > :09:56.finding ?51 million to fund ten projects to improve resilience to
:09:57. > :10:09.flooding . The Government describes all of this money as being for the
:10:10. > :10:11.South West. Meanwhile, the play minister was tantalising people in
:10:12. > :10:21.the far South West with faster trains. I understand his concern.
:10:22. > :10:26.The gap created IP Dawlish disaster will take time to deal with. Above
:10:27. > :10:31.and beyond that, I know what he and people in Plymouth went is a
:10:32. > :10:34.timetable to getting a three hour service to Plymouth. We have a
:10:35. > :10:41.longer term programme and we are looking at rail alternatives.
:10:42. > :10:47.Speaking generally, the Labour leader ask the play minister whether
:10:48. > :10:55.if money is no object in the flood relief exercise, the will be making
:10:56. > :11:03.500 environment agency staff redundant? My question is a simple
:11:04. > :11:07.one. Given the promised yesterday to make sure we have a resilient
:11:08. > :11:11.country for the future and spend whatever it takes, is he committing
:11:12. > :11:19.now to reconsider these redundancies and reconsider the amount of money
:11:20. > :11:26.we spend on flood defences? The play minister had nothing to say that the
:11:27. > :11:32.Prime Minister had nothing to say on that.
:11:33. > :11:36.The Prime Minister has said money is no object when it comes to helping
:11:37. > :11:39.people affected by the storms. BBC Radio Devon's Bill Buckley will
:11:40. > :11:44.interview David Cameron tomorrow at midday.
:11:45. > :11:48.As Somerset residents battle to protect their homes from the latest
:11:49. > :11:52.bad weather, hundreds of farmers on the Levels are still fighting to
:11:53. > :12:01.save their livelihoods. Spotlight took wildlife expert Mike Dilger to
:12:02. > :12:07.meet some of them. In the Valley behind, this is a farm with field
:12:08. > :12:14.upon field of nothing but water. This is higher than it has ever been
:12:15. > :12:19.recorded. You have some high land and you have been able to take your
:12:20. > :12:26.cattle further afield. You are one of the lucky ones. The farm
:12:27. > :12:37.buildings are high and that is great. We have been able to take
:12:38. > :12:42.stock from other farmers as well. Water may be the immediate problem
:12:43. > :12:52.but nobody knows what condition the sign will be in when it is gone. We
:12:53. > :13:01.have never seen our land like that. Tony Davis 's whole world is
:13:02. > :13:06.underwater. If we do not have a good spring and summer, we will struggle.
:13:07. > :13:12.It makes you wonder about giving up farming. You put your heart and soul
:13:13. > :13:19.into it and at the end of the day, it breaks you. Tony thinks it might
:13:20. > :13:23.be two months before he can return to his farm for top it may take
:13:24. > :13:29.longer to find out the quality of the site. We have been hearing about
:13:30. > :13:43.the weather damage across the region. There were dramatic scenes
:13:44. > :13:48.at the Cobb in Lyme Regis. High winds and heavy seas. The Cobb
:13:49. > :13:56.bearing the brunt of the latest battering. Whether there are storms,
:13:57. > :14:06.there are storm tourists. This woman came to see the spectacle from North
:14:07. > :14:11.Devon. In a way, it is frightening. Even for residents, this is
:14:12. > :14:20.something else. I have never seen it in the 26 years I have been living
:14:21. > :14:31.here. It is like white sea horses. The sea defences standing strong and
:14:32. > :14:36.the Cobb is removable. `` immovable. It is April and structure. The
:14:37. > :14:41.engineering behind it is incredible. It deflects the waves
:14:42. > :14:49.and sends them rolling off along its length and minimises the damage. The
:14:50. > :14:56.harbour is quite calm. I think the wind has died down just a bit. They
:14:57. > :15:02.see is bubbling behind me so that is still plenty for the storm tourists
:15:03. > :15:07.to enjoy. The temptation is to get too close. Never a good idea. But
:15:08. > :15:18.there was someone who could not resist the Ely were of the waves. ``
:15:19. > :15:27.the lure of the waves. As long as I can back in one piece, that is OK.
:15:28. > :15:31.Sea defences new and old are being fully tested once again.
:15:32. > :15:35.The crew of a cargo ship are stuck in a Cornish port after the Maritime
:15:36. > :15:39.and Coastguard Agency detained their vessel over safety and welfare
:15:40. > :15:42.concerns. Express One was towed into Fowey after suffering engine
:15:43. > :15:46.failure. When immigration officials went on board, they were so shocked
:15:47. > :15:59.at the conditions, they called in safety inspectors. The 7000 tonne
:16:00. > :16:10.livestock carrier is alongside number five dock. It is usually
:16:11. > :16:16.occupied by China Clay ships. The MCA said deficiencies including
:16:17. > :16:21.emergency training and fire detection system and substandard
:16:22. > :16:25.clue accommodation put up the harbour master is responsible for
:16:26. > :16:33.the safety of vessels in the port. The shortcomings for the queue are
:16:34. > :16:42.specifically no heating and no heart water `` hot water. It is not clean.
:16:43. > :16:48.I am delighted the MCA and UK government is taking this tough
:16:49. > :16:53.stance to make sure the standards are set so that they are safe to
:16:54. > :17:10.transit around our coastline and that it is a fit standard for the
:17:11. > :17:16.queue. `` clue. `` crew. It was only when inspectors went on board but
:17:17. > :17:32.they discovered the conditions the people working in. The mission has
:17:33. > :17:38.provided them with warm clothing and wireless papers to make sure they
:17:39. > :17:50.can contact family so that they know they are safe. We have given them
:17:51. > :17:55.sweets and cake. We did contact the owners and they did not want to make
:17:56. > :17:59.a comment. We do understand that work is underway to repair the
:18:00. > :18:05.engines. In a statement to the BBC, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
:18:06. > :18:12.said it would be prevented from sailing and would be `` would
:18:13. > :18:15.continue to be detained and it could take a week.
:18:16. > :18:21.Tomorrow, Torquay Council is due to vote on a package of cuts aimed at
:18:22. > :18:24.saving ?22 million. One of its most controversial plans is to scrap the
:18:25. > :18:28.area's mobile library service. Users say it will hurt the vulnerable and
:18:29. > :18:32.isolated. The council says losing the service will be regrettable but
:18:33. > :18:37.it is preferable to cutting opening hours at mainstream libraries.
:18:38. > :18:54.Services to help homeless people and drug addicts are also at risk from
:18:55. > :18:59.Torbay's cuts. Mark is a recovering drink and drug addict. He came to
:19:00. > :19:05.the project to sort his life out. It provided him with a roof over his
:19:06. > :19:11.head. I had a problem which was ongoing for years. I wanted a chance
:19:12. > :19:18.to get help and to sort my life out. The council has to make millions of
:19:19. > :19:27.pounds of cuts. The project was set to lose the lot. The council has
:19:28. > :19:34.revised its plans. The director is planning to make up some of the
:19:35. > :19:38.shortfall with his own salary. We will operate at full capacity and
:19:39. > :19:50.have the same staff. We can do that on 15% cuts. The council has found
:19:51. > :19:54.?135,000 to support another project in the short`term . Without support
:19:55. > :20:00.this, it is feared vulnerable people will end up requiring emergency care
:20:01. > :20:10.in accident and emergency departments. We need to reach them
:20:11. > :20:17.before they become ill. Local church groups held a vigil about the cats.
:20:18. > :20:21.Torbay Council has so far not commented but long`term, logics will
:20:22. > :20:29.have to find money from elsewhere to survive. That project. `` projects
:20:30. > :20:32.will have to find money. Some sports news and Yeovil Town,
:20:33. > :20:35.along with Torquay United, remain in serious trouble after last night's
:20:36. > :20:37.football. At Huish Park, Joe Ralls put the Somerset team ahead against
:20:38. > :20:41.fellow Championship strugglers Millwall, only for Ian Holloway's
:20:42. > :20:44.side to wipe that out and earn a 1`1 draw. The result keeps Yeovil bottom
:20:45. > :20:47.of the table. Torquay stay next`to`the`bottom of League Two
:20:48. > :20:51.following a 2`1 home defeat to the club just below them, Northampton.
:20:52. > :20:54.Two goals in the first 16 minutes put United on the back foot from
:20:55. > :21:00.which they never fully recovered, despite replying just before
:21:01. > :21:06.half`time. How romantic are you? Have you ever
:21:07. > :21:13.written a love letter to your sweetheart? I am not telling you. Or
:21:14. > :21:15.has modern technology such as Facebook, Twitter and texting
:21:16. > :21:20.changed how you communicate your love for someone? Well, with just
:21:21. > :21:23.enough time to get a card in the post for this Friday's Valentine's
:21:24. > :21:25.Day, Johnny Rutherford has been getting top tips on how to write the
:21:26. > :21:50.perfect love letter. Dear Anna, how I long for your debt
:21:51. > :21:58.was `` such `` touch. I have been practising writing a special letter
:21:59. > :22:04.for my life `` wife. We are here to talk about love and how to express
:22:05. > :22:09.it and get it. This is a class to learn how to write a love letter. It
:22:10. > :22:23.is a one`off evening lecture at Exeter University. Doing something
:22:24. > :22:31.like this makes you come across as an old romantic but I want to write
:22:32. > :22:39.a meaningful letter. The letter means you, not all these other
:22:40. > :22:51.people. It means going for it and putting down how you feel on paper.
:22:52. > :22:58.Since meeting you, I can only smile. That technology can also be
:22:59. > :23:07.romantic. We use a lot more images in digital culture. You can express
:23:08. > :23:14.what literally cannot be expressed. Everyone else in the world is just
:23:15. > :23:20.in black and white. Even now, in this digital age, the pack things
:23:21. > :23:27.away for later also letters provide the ability to do that. Have to hold
:23:28. > :23:34.onto. We may begin to lose the edge to send valentines that we will
:23:35. > :23:42.never lose the urge to receive them. `` but we will never lose the urge.
:23:43. > :23:45.Lovely stuff. We can return now to our top story. Western Power
:23:46. > :23:51.distribution have told us 5000 homes are without power cut Devon,
:23:52. > :23:56.Somerset and Cornwall. David is here with the forecast.
:23:57. > :24:02.The winds are beginning to drop. Tomorrow is a quieter day and we
:24:03. > :24:10.should see a few showers dotted around. The possibility of some snow
:24:11. > :24:13.on higher ground. We will not see the strength of wind we saw today.
:24:14. > :24:26.The highest gust was that Eddie head. `` at Berry Head. They are now
:24:27. > :24:34.lower and continue to drop. We still have the saturated ground and more
:24:35. > :24:39.rain. It is likely to return in the form of showers tomorrow for top
:24:40. > :24:51.Friday will bring in a new area of low pressure. The curl of cloud here
:24:52. > :24:56.is a lovely book of cloud. The highest winds are between Ireland
:24:57. > :25:01.and the South of Scotland. That pressure will move out of the way.
:25:02. > :25:06.Notice how much further apart the isobars are for midday tomorrow.
:25:07. > :25:13.Another area of low pressure races in from the Atlantic to bring more
:25:14. > :25:29.of the same. More rain, wind and gusts of wind could be up to 70 mph
:25:30. > :25:34.on Friday. That is the rain we saw earlier today. It is now gone. Those
:25:35. > :25:45.showers could be heavy throughout the night. They will turn
:25:46. > :25:51.increasingly wintry. High areas could wake up to a dusting of snow
:25:52. > :25:59.tomorrow morning. Most likely over Exmoor and Dartmoor. A cold night to
:26:00. > :26:09.come with overnight temperatures along the coastline at four or five
:26:10. > :26:22.Celsius. Inland, closer to serial Celsius. `` 0 Celsius. S have a look
:26:23. > :26:26.at the forecast for tomorrow. We have some sunshine and a few
:26:27. > :26:32.scattered showers. Wrap up warm there is a cold wind tomorrow.
:26:33. > :26:37.Temperatures struggling up to six or seven Celsius. With the wind chill,
:26:38. > :26:55.it will feel colder. Quite a list read they for the Isles of Scilly.
:26:56. > :27:11.Surfing conditions will be hundreds that horrendous tomorrow. ``
:27:12. > :27:18.horrendous tomorrow. For the coastal waters forecast, this is easier on
:27:19. > :27:29.the eye. Very rough but the policing `` that decreasing. Saturday will be
:27:30. > :27:34.a windy and blustery day. Next week, a lot less stormy.
:27:35. > :27:42.Snow and ice. That is all we need! We will be back with an update after
:27:43. > :27:44.the ten o'clock news.