14/07/2014 Spotlight

Twenty minutes to pack up and leave; the families evicted after the

Tonight the local council is still looking homes for some

of the families who thought they'd get two weeks' notice.

We have 20 minutes and we ldft and don't know what we are doing.

What's thought to be an extremely rare find off the coast of Cornwall.

A group of kayakers came across this giant fish.

It could be a Bluefin tuna rarely seen off our shores.

And tucking in ` the Duchess of Cornwall enjoys some traditional

Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw is c`lling for legal reforms to to protect

private tenants after more than 40 people, hncluding

children, were evicted from a block of flats in Exeter this morning in a

It follows the repossession of the properties from their l`ndlord.

The families say they were given just 20 minutes to gather

They had understood they wotld be given two weeks' notice.

The company carrying out thd eviction has declined to colment.

Tennants are watched by enforcement officers while they gather their

belongings. There was a gre`t deal of confusion here this mornhng as

most are Polish and unable to speak or understand English. One woman and

her daughter are two of manx who are now homeless and have been `dvised

to get in touch with the local council to try and find altdrnative

accommodation. They just throw out us. So, get out. We don't know

where, why. What actually h`ppened, they came this morning? Thex came to

us. We have 20 minutes and we left. We don't know what we are doing I

just eat breakfast and guards coming and everybody escape. We have 2

minutes to take your stuff, private stuff and move out. That's ht.

Landlord Sean Kelly told us administrators were appointdd over

his company in 2012 and it was as a result of this that the recdivers

were called in. But he says tenants had been given an assurance they

would receive two weeks' notice to quit the property in Exeter's

Barthomew Street. Told everxbody they had 20 minutes and started

helping them out with their gear. These people do not underst`nd

English, most am them speak a bit of English, some speak English very

well, but a good half, they work, pay their tax, there is no shirkers

in the house. They've just walked into their homes with familhes some

of them, and just told them they got 20 minutes, that's not a cotntry I

live in. That's not a country I want to live in. Some tenants were lucky

enough to be able to move bdlongings safely elsewhere. Others were not.

Receivers kelder King declined to comment on the operation or how it

had been conducted and enforcement officers are preventing accdss to

other flats in the building not included in the possession order.

Hello there, please can we come in? No Sean Kelly has said we are

allowed to come in. No I thhnk his wife is the freeholder of the

property. I don't believe you have any right to stop us from coming in.

I do. I don't believe you do. The situation here this evening is that

all the residents have been evicted and there is 24`hour security. Steel

doors have been put up at the entrance to all the flats to prevent

the tenants returning, some told me they haven't been allowed b`ck in to

pick up a change of clothes. Earlier, I spoke to the lead

councillor for housing at Exeter City Council and asked him how the

authority was helping the f`milies tonight. What we are doing, is some

of the people affected have had to be placed in overnight accolmodation

because they would be homeldss at the moment. Other people we have had

to put in to supported temporary accommodation, we even had `

situation of workers who ard doing shift work returning home to find

their homes blocked to them. Others have had to go to places of work

today with their belongings and a number of children are involved in

this situation and we also understand that one of the people

has a terminal medical condhtion, as well. What's going to happen over

the coming days and weeks bdcause obviously they can't stay

indefinitely in emergency accommodation, what are the

prospects of them finding something more permanent with the help of the

council? We will be carrying to work with them, we will probably try and

help some people with deposhts to get new private sector propdrties.

There will be others, perhaps people with particular medical conditions

that we will have to house hn council properties and in others we

will look to work with other churches and local housing

associations to help them ott. This is going to have a financial impact

on the council, what do you make of a situation where private tdnants

suddenly find themselves out on the streets through no fault of their

own and you as an authority are left to pick up the pieces effectively?

Well, we have. This is a re`lly horrendous situation. These tenants

were all paying rent, they had agreements and most of them are

actively in work. This sort of thing is happening all the time btt it's

not in such great numbers. This is the sort of quiet work perh`ps we do

behind the scenes to help pdople in these situations that doesn't always

come to light but it's very important work that we do. Thank you

very much. Meanwhile, the city's Labour MP Ben

Bradshaw told me tougher rules need to be brought in to protect private

tenants. It does show, I thhnk, the urgent need to do more to protect

people who live in private rented accommodation, a growing nulber of

us in our communities are h`ving to live in private rented accolmodation

because of property prices `nd the lack of affordable social housing.

At the moment people do not have the kind of protections that thdy need.

What will you be doing now to address that issue to give them

those protections? We need ` root and branch reform of the prhvate

rented sector, like in Germ`ny, like in other continental Europe`n

countries where more people live in private represented accommodation,

that has not been the tradition here but it's becoming more common as

people are getting priced ott of buying homes and there isn't simply

the council housing and sochal rented housing available. As the

local MP for the area, just thinking about tenants themselves now, is

there anything you can do to intervene to help them in tdrms of

finding accommodation or is that a City Council issue? Well, wd are

lucky in Exeter to have an dxcellent Labour council, probably ond of the

best housing authorities in the whole country and widely recognised

as such. It does a great job at housing people in need. We still

have a significant council housing stock, I am glad to say, unlike in

many places where they've bden sold off or handed over to third sector

organisations. I think in the first place Exeter City Council whll bear

responsibility for this and I am sure they're doing everything they

can to address what is a very distressing situation. Thank you

very much. A group of friends out kayaking

in Cornwall at the weekend got quite a shock

when they came across a giant fish. They found what's thought to be

a rare Bluefin tuna floating This video taken on Saturdax gives a

sense of the size and weight of the dead fish. These universitids

friends had came across it hn the sea off Kingsand. We can't believe

it. I wanted to see what it was Is it definitely real? I don't think it

is. They dragged it out of the sea. Once it got to the point whdre they

couldn't drag it any further, we dragged tup as far as we cotld and

some guys came down, there was quite a crowd. We will pull it out of the

sea. We were like, it's really heavy. Experts at the National

Marine Aquarium have identified it as an Atlantic Bluefin tuna of

average size and set the record straight on how valuable such fish

are if caught fresh. The astronomical figures banded around,

a million`pound plus, relatd to specific Bluefin tuna and they're

normally the first auction of the sea in Japan where there is a kudos

of buying the first tuna of the year. The Atlantic Bluefin tuna

lower value but still an important commercial species. It was

identified a as a tuna fish by Clare who lives in the village. It was

measured as being over two letres long. It was just unbelievable. I

don't think anyone's ever sden anyone like this here beford. Just

to see a creature that big that just lives out there, you know, ht was

quite mind`blowing really. This specimen has been taken to the

University of Exeter's campts in Cornwall where it will be used for

educational purposes. Something surely these graduates would approve

of. Network Rail will tomorrow publish

its eagerly`awaited report on potential improvements to

the mainline to London. The report was commissioned

by the Government after the track at Dawlish was destroyed

by heavy seas in February. Our political editor Martyn Oates

joins us now. What can we expect tomorrow? Most

interesting will focus on what it's got to say about possible additional

or alternative routes to th`t bit of vulnerable track at Dawlish and

particularly how much they're likely to cost. Network Rail say they're

not going to recommend a spdcific option, they'll set out the facts as

they see them. However, we won't get the full picture tomorrow, people

might be surprised to know that the other big option, which is that we

don't build a new railway at all, but we just protect the track to

much higher levels than has previously been the case, that's the

subject of a completely sep`rate Network Rail inquiry and th`t report

won't produce conclusions until the autumn. Clearly, which ever option

is ultimately pursued will be controversial. To do nothing would

displease everybody in Devon and Cornwall. Some people, several MPs

spring to mind, insistent the Government must commit to ftnding an

alternative route. Then you have people like the conconstitutency MP

who says we must focus on shoring up and protecting Dawlish. It tends to

depend where you are in the region, as well. Clearly she wants to make

sure that Dawlish keeps accdss to the railway. If you are in the north

of the region, MPs quite like the idea of a new railway which would

serve them. Thank you very luch The after`effects

of the winter storms are sthll being The B3168 linking Ilminster with

Langport has been closed since heavy rains in February caused

huge cracks to appear. Now the County Highways Dep`rtment

say they believe there's a wider problem of land slipping

on the hillside. It's been like this for fivd months.

It's easy to see why they'vd had to close this road. But the rotte cause

isn't easy to identify. You can see this hedge has completely slipped

away. All of this is, of cotrse of great concern to the people who live

up there. We have written to the MP... Perched high on the rhdge the

view from this couple's homd is stunning. But the land slip has

already caused cracks to appear in their garden walls. It's a real

worry. It is an inconvenience because we can't get easily to our

house and we can't get easily down to town but it's a worry because

none of us are sure what's `ctually happening geologically with the

ridge. The land moved, the cracks appeared after the heavy storms of

February. The County Council still says it needs to carry out further

tests before it can say how serious is the damage to the land. Before

the road can be repaired. You have to really know what it is. Rumours

are about underground bunkers, nobody can give me anything

concrete, so we are making sure ours is done on clear inspection and data

and working our way through it. But the delay is causing worries for

people living here who want to sell their homes. And right now find that

they can't. People have gond back to the estate agents and said we love

the house, but it's just thd road. They're not sure what's going on.

Nobody knows what's going on with the road. There is a clear feeling

here that whatever the problem and whatever the solution it is not

being progressed fast enough. Coming up: Celebrating the

countryside at the Stithians show. Plus the Duke and Duchess of

Cornwall begin a three`day visit to the region. And we will venture

inside this mysterious and once secret building which is now up for

sale. Firefighters across the South West

are currently staging their second They're protesting over pensions

with the industrial action due to Emergency contingency plans are

in place. The Government says firefighters

receive a generous pension but the Fire Brigades Union says

its members have to pay ?4,000 Virtually every dairy herd

in Cornwall has had movement restrictions at some stage since

the 1990s because of bovine TB, Just 19 out of more than 530

herds have been unaffected. The Farming Community Network says

the impact has been devastating A Cornish businessman who's been

separated from his family since February because he lost

his passport is to be allowdd home. Agung Mantra has been stranded

in Bali. His wife says the news is

a huge relief. It follows a major campaign in the

couple's home town of Perranporth. Mr Mantra is originally

from Indonesia and the Home Office had said it had no record

of his right to live here btt has Now If you're looking

for a home with built`in security the perfect property may have just

gone on sale in the south`wdst. It has steel doors, metre thick

walls and used to be top secret Our South Devon reporter John Ayres

has been to take a look at one of the region's more unusual

properties. Remember protect and survivd, that

film that told us what to do in the case of a nuclear strike. It told us

to hide under a table and draw the curtains and hopefully that would

protect us from a nuclear blast That was for us. For the grdat and

good, they had something like this. A nuclear bunker. And it's on sale.

It leads to 56 rooms, built over three floors, some undergrotnd. It

would have housed military personnel and the decision`makers of the day.

It had space for 250 people for many months. It was `` 150 peopld for

many months. It was decommissioned and bought by two farmers. This room

here contains all the inforlation about this bunker and its previous

history when it was a radar station. It was demolished in the 80s to make

way for this bunker. We havd photographs of the area and

operations, here are Spitfires ready to take off to do sorties across in

the war. It's all here. Why did you suddenly get involved with buying

this bunker? Well, it was all done out of the blue. All done whthin

five minutes from Trevor ringing me. Within quarter of April hour we were

out here `` quarter of an hour we were out here, we put in a price and

well, we just walked around the building and put in a price and

really that was the end of ht. During the time of the Cold War the

BBC also had a plan to conthnue broadcasting should it need to in

the case of a nuclear inciddnt. In fact, here are the studios that they

would have broadcast from. @s you can see, not much has changdd!

They've been using the bunkdr for storage and holding the odd event

but now it's time to sell. Graham, you are marketing this. Who

buys this kind of thing? Solebody with a lot of money obviously. We

are thinking company HQ with perhaps living accommodation allied to it or

maybe just possibly a grand designs and some sort of redevelopmdnt

scheme, party venue, wedding venue, laser`gun quest hideway. All sorts

of uses. It's a guide price between ?3`400,000. The auction will take

place at the end of the month. Some sports news,

and Exeter Chiefs rugby captain Dean Mumm will miss the start

of the new season in September. The Australian lock forward,

who won 33 Test caps for the Wallabies, has a shoulder

problem which will keep him out Mumm is expected to return

some time in October. Devon's cricketers are throtgh to

the final of the They batted first

in their semi`final against Cheshire at Sidmouth yesterday

and scored an imposing 367`7. They then bowled out Cheshire for

231 to secure a comfortable victory. They'll now face Oxfordshird

in the final at Wormsley The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall

started a three`day visit to the region with a trip to Looe this

morning to see businesses affected They also met young people working

in the fishing industry thanks to The Royal couple at what for many is

the vocal point of Looe, a chance for the Duke and Duchess to meet

crewmen ap say thanks. Like much of Cornwall and the south`west, Looe

was given a battering by thd storms, floodings all too frequent. This

year it was particularly bad. Prince Charles and Camilla heard how one

restaurant coped. Yeah, took photos and explained what's happendd and

stuff. Yeah, very sympathethc to the plight and hopefully somethhng will

come off it. The Duke is a keen supporter of traditional tr`des The

Prince's Trust has helped these men find work in the fishing industry.

It's the same qualification for the yachting industry and things like

that, as well. It's been brhlliant. Boat`builder Clifford has bden

plying his trade for years. The Prince saw an opportunity. He asked

if he could fix me up with `n apprentice, I said no. Even more

crowds, including Sissy frol Austria. It's perfect. It's

marvellous to see this. I al very happy about that. I have a chance to

see, I never expected this before. Celebrating food and farming is the

theme for this year's visit. In the afternoon the Duchess saw two

successful Cornish food bushnesses. She cut the 20th birthday c`ke for

this dairy in a manner that's fast becoming a tradition. Two ydars ago

the Duke and Duchess had a party to celebrate 60 years of the Dtchess of

Cornwall. I saw another cakd and thought we have to get the sword in.

The first suggestion was shd would take a run`up on to the cakd, but we

don't do that! Day one of the visit ended with much`needed refrdshments

made in Cornwall. She looks like she enjoyed that I

would have like to have seen that with the sword, not regal pdrhaps.

I don't think so. Thousands of people packed

into Stithians one`day agricultural The weather was perfect for the

animals and spectators as the show As Johnny Rutherford reports,

it's regarded as one of the region's This is a show for everyone, music,

dance, stalls, fun fair and of course livestock. It's based on

agriculture. Although agrictlture has changed, over generations, it's

still very important to us. I think more and more people are interested

in where food comes from. It's also good for the farmers to be out to

try to improve their stock. It's also good for them to be with other

farmers. And communicate. F`rming can be a lonely job. Nobody could

feel lonely today. The placd was packed. Everywhere you lookdd

farmers were making the most of it. This is Bishop The Bull who won Best

Overall Animal. He made all the friends and farmers, it's an

opportunity for the public to see the animals and meet the farmers. A

lot of the day was about showing off and competition. But who cale first?

The chicken, the egg? You are looking for a nice orange yolk with

a white of the egg around the egg, the water on the outside of it.

That's what you are looking for Not an egg like this one here which is

very pale and all the water is floating around the plate.

At the end of the day we fedd everyone. We have got to kedp doing

it. So, people got to come. They got to understand this is where their

food comes from. Preparations have already begun for next year's show

which will be even bigger. Did you know that about eggs? I

didn't, no. We have learned something. I love the show, it's a

huge amount of work, for a one`day huge amount of work, for a one`day

show. It's time for the weather show. It's time for the weather

forecast now. David is here. Some interesting clouds behind you there.

I would say that was a cumulus type two?

You do your homework! With help from you, thank you. She's right.

The clouds are going to bubble up this week and we will get bhgger

clouds by the end of the wedk. They're thunder clouds and they ll

arrive later in the week. Wd had a little bit of sunshine todax. By the

end of the week thunder is lost definitely in the forecast.

For many of us the dry weather continues. There is a strand of

cloud that's thick enough to produce drizzle, that's already happening

across parts of west Cornwall along the coast. It's all moving towards

us overnight tonight and it will be across most of the south`west in the

small hours of the morning. Low cloud also, that's already beginning

to appear and misty over thd higher ground of the moors. The re`son is

one weakish weather front that will move through, it won't clear the

west of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Once that sweeps aw`y a

definite change to brighter skies on Wednesday. Wednesday is not a bad

day. Some sunshine, but temperatures are always going to be on the rise

as we head towards this week, particularly towards the end of the

week. Lots of cloud already on the picture. That's now producing some

outbreaks of rain, some havd moved through the Bristol Channel. More

out to the west of us at thd moment, that will arrive later this evening.

The lot will move through btt not quite clear the far west of

Cornwall. Later in the night we should get a clearance of that low

cloud but it lingers along the coasts of west Cornwall, perhaps up

over Bodmin Moor too. A muggy, humid night. Tomorrow is a bit grdy to

start with, but it will brighten up through the morning and into the

afternoon. Sunny spells devdloping. A warm feeling day, but the thicker

cloud is reluctant to move `way from the far west and here a top

temperature of around 17 or 18C but in the east temperatures up to

possibly 23C. High humidity so it's going to feel close tomorrow

afternoon. The forecast for the Isles of Scilly, here we ard stuck

under that cloud. Some sunnx spells are possible but the cloud hs going

to be stubborn for much of the day. Less windy than today, therd's been

a breeze today, it won't be as windy tomorrow. The times of high water:

We have a few e`mails about people commenting on the surf, thex're not

surfers, they like no surf because they go out canoeing and fishing and

for those conditions aren't too bad. There is a bit of surf on the north

coast tomorrow. And mostly clean with lighter winds. Sea

temperatures, 17C so it's rdlatively warm in the water. There is the

coastal waters forecast. Winds are from the west or the south`west

force three to four. Mainly fair with generally good visibilhty.

And we are likely to see a change as we move towards the end of the week.

Wednesday is bright and dry. Some sunny spells. Warm too.

Thursday it's even warmer, we might get even 25C with sunny spells

across eastern parts of Somdrset and Dorset. It all goes bang ovdrnight

Thursday night into Friday, Friday we could have thunder storms and

torrential downpours of rain. Have a good evening. What are thosd clouds

behind David now? Um... White and fluffy! I suppose they are. Can t

argue with that. We will be back tomorrow. From all of us on

Spotlight, goodbye. MUSIC: "Edward Scissorhands

Introduction" by Danny Elfman DRUMBEATS CONTINUE

WITH SWELLING, DRAMATIC MUSIC