23/03/2017 Spotlight

Tonight on Spotlight: Security stepped up across the South-West.

Devon and Cornwall Police than shoulder to shoulder with both

counties and the Alex of Skye please send only by standing together or we

ultimately defeat the threat that is posed from the groups and

individuals responsible for this kind of behaviour.

Railway stations, airports, military bases and ports -

extra patrols are deployed in the wake of yesterday's

We'll also be speaking to MP Kevin Foster, back

on home turf tonight about being in lockdown

Also tonight: The children from Somerset who found themselves

They were on school trip to Parliament and were rushed

to a safe area where they sang songs to pass the time.

The support being offered to foster carers and the appeal

It doesn't quite go to plan when teams from BBC South West get

Railway stations, airports, military bases and ports -

extra patrols are deployed in the wake of yesterday's

They stress it's just a precaution, designed to reassure the community.

The police have also thanked members of the public for their messages

of support and say they will do all they can to keep people safe.

More from our Home Affairs Correspondent Simon Hall.

British Transport Police are working increased hours to provide security

and public reassurance at the South-West's

I think it's important for a number of reasons.

For ourselves, obviously, our job is to be out

there to reassure the public, make everybody feel safe.

I think, more importantly as a member of the public,

someone who lives in this country and has resided in it

all their life, I think it is important that we are able

to carry on, be as resilient as possible and show these

people that, you know, we can live our lives

And we will live our lives quite normally.

Managers told us that stations were as busy

Those travelling to London were defiant.

I'm going to visit my daughter and she is in Suffolk and I'm not

If everyone sort of gave in and didn't do anything it

We planned to go and we're not having any terrorist affecting us.

Our lives will not be affected by it.

I think you've got to carry on as you are.

You can't let things like this slow you down and stop what you're doing.

The key message here is that we stand together.

Devon and Cornwall Police stands shoulder to shoulder

with the communities of both our counties

Only by standing together will we ultimately defeat the threat

that is posed from the groups and individuals responsible

As investigations continued into yesterday's attack,

one South-West terrorism expert told us it was important that people

They should, of course, always be alert in public places,

But, basically, don't get worried, don't get panicky.

The threat for this part of the world is very low.

In an open letter, Avon and Somerset police said: We are very grateful

to everyone who has sent in messages of support.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Metropolitan Police

We will do everything we can to keep people safe.

As well as stations, there will be extra police patrols

at the South-West airports and military bases and large public

All this is not in response to any specific threat to the region,

senior officers say, but a precaution.

It's designed to reassure the public and to ensure that life can go

on as normal in defiance of attacks which are intended to spread fear.

Well, around 50 children from a Somerset school

were on a trip to Parliament yesterday and found themselves

trapped inside Westminster for two hours as the terror attack

They kept their spirits up by singing.

As Scott Ellis reports, the parents of the pupils are now

calling for the teachers to be recognised for their bravery.

For some of these ten and 11-year-olds, a very

But shortly after these photos were taken, thy were trapped

But shortly after these photos were taken, they were trapped

inside the Palace of Westminster as carnage unfolded.

Today, a parent of one of those children still visibly upset.

It's the first time I have ever let my son go anywhere

He was very cuddly when he saw me first last night.

Yesterday, the 53 children and seven staff were ushered

to the Central Lobby at Westminster - a safe place, but still within 50

metres of where the police officer was stabbed.

The deputy head kept spirits up by singing hymns.

Yeah, we had a lovely ripple of applause at the end and,

beautifully, lots of people, lots of MPs on the way out

congratulated our children on how well they sang and how

they lightened the mood, so that was lovely to hear.

Meanwhile, back at the School at Bridgwater, text messages

And then we said to parents that they could come

We had teas and coffees and the Salvation Army

were here and our local vicar helping parents to process

At the school today, we are told that everyone is well,

the hymns having helped to drown out the gunshots.

Parents want staff rewarded and, back in the Commons,

the Prime Minister was also impressed by everyone's bravery.

It must have particularly difficult for those children

who were here and being caught up in this.

We should commend the work of their teachers in offering them

He thinks it was a team effort - safety in numbers

There may have been some horrific things happening outside,

We were completely unaffected by it and it certainly won't stop

us from doing things that we want to do.

A valuable lesson learnt then, but in the very

Traditionally, Thursday is the day MP's return

to their constituencies and, despite yesterday's events,

But it's been decades since MPs have returned home following a terrorist

Well, the MP for Torbay is Kevin Foster and he joins us this

Welcome home. We spoke yesterday on BBC Radio Kent and as events were

unfolding and you described the mood. What was it like in

Westminster this morning? It was very much a mood of unity. On a day

like today there isn't a Conservative, Labour or SNP

politician, only those who believe in democracy standing of defiance

against those who don't. Inevitably, questions are being raised about the

security surrounding Westminster, but it is a vast area. How can you

ever really secure that area when a lot of it is public? Parliament

cannot be a fortress. It can't be a place were only a handful of people

can go into. It must remain appears people can come in, their MPs,

listen to debate and see the history. There is tight security.

Yesterday we saw that only a few metres in beyond the gates that the

attacker was shot dead. There is extensive security and there will be

reviewed but we need to keep in mind this is a democratic parliament that

must be open for the people it represents.

You were amongst 400 MPs are not dying. You had two of your

constituents would you yesterday. How were they? One of my team was

with them throughout. They were in the Central lobby with my researcher

when the lockdown started. We made sure they were OK. My first concern

was to check the May staff and visitors were safe. They were. At

the end of the day, we are grateful to the security services and the

police who were doing so much to make sure we were safe when we were.

Will anything be done differently do you think from now on? Obviously,

there will need to be a review by the police and Parliamentary

authorities, but the key thing that I hope stays the same as that we

stay in open Parliament. In the past we have had a ragtag of terrorists,

fastest and Nazis trying to use violence to destroy Westminster and

the democratic process it represents. Modern-day terrorist

must not be able to succeed for Adolf Hitler and his cronies field.

Onto some other news now and offers of help have poured in to keep

the Isles of Scilly's only care home open.

The council, which runs Park House, says it's had a number

of inquiries about carers jobs, as well as offers of

Earlier this week it was announced the home would have to close in June

The council says it will continue to review the situation.

They just need someone to care" - the words of a foster parent who has

been providing a home for children for more than a decade.

She was speaking as renewed efforts are being made to encourage more

Plymouth City Council is increasing the financial and professional

support it offers in a bid to attract more carers.

Johnny Rutherford has been speaking to one foster mum and her daughter.

Do you remember when you very first came? You were only meant to be

coming for a few days and you just liked it so much, you said, can they

stay here? Sky has been with foster mum, Madge, for four years. You

never know what will come through your front door. When the sky first

arrived she had black hair, thick black make-up and didn't have a lot

to say. Slowly, over the weeks and months that have now turned into

years, she has grown up, mature. It is a delight to have her. It is a

delight to look after a lot of these children. They just need to be

loved, they need support, they need someone just the care. That is the

sort of care of that Plymouth City Council are looking for, a foster

parent who is looking to help change a vulnerable child or young person's

life. We want carers from Plymouth to come forward so we don't have to

place children died of the city. We know that children are best placed

around their family and their connections so we really want carers

to come forward. There are people out there who would potentially give

up their job to foster. We have increased our financial offer to

encourage people who would want to do that. Also within the new support

packages specialised training, 20 47 professional help and mentors. It is

about the commitment, taking someone into your home who is broken, maybe

feeling very unloved, and it is about giving them a family

environment there are not used to have the chance to feel better about

themselves and excel in life and go somewhere. There may be trouble at

first, they could be cheeky or very quiet but there will come out of

their shell in the wrong time. Yeah, go for it. Night 18, sky is the

longer fostered by Madge, but she is still family.

A Torquay explorer whose adventures are at the heart of a new Hollywood

blockbuster film is being celebrated at a South-West museum

Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett disappeared in the Amazon in 1925

They were searching for an ancient lost city, which is the story behind

Ahead of the film being released this weekend, our South Devon

reporter John Ayres has been taking a look.

What you seek is far greater than you ever imagined.

The film may be typically Hollywood, but the main character

It's the story of Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett,

who was born in Torquay and schooled in Newton Abbot.

He was a former soldier, cartographer, spy and explorer -

some might argue the inspiration for that well-known film

The photos we have of Fawcett, they almost evoke that

Indiana Jones-type image, but also, he has been linked

to other famous characters and he was a definite inspiration

for a character in Arthur Conan Doyle's Lost World novel,

because Fawcett and Conan Doyle became close friends

and Conan Doyle effectively wrote the Professor Challenger character

This film is based on a true story where Percy Fawcett,

played by Charley Hunnman, went off in search of the lost

city of Z with his son and son's best friend,

Torquay Museum has various artefacts relating to Fawcett,

including his school cap, false teeth and his diary

from the film, based on the diaries they have.

The production company came to the museum and,

during that research process, they decided that they needed

to reconstruct their own diary that Charley Hunnam could use.

They made it a little bit bigger, as well, because on the screen

they wanted to make it nice and visible.

He even, during the film, used a diary to block an arrow

Percy Fawcett has featured in Torquay Museum's ongoing

Explorers' collection, but they are hoping

to have an exhibit dedicated to him later in the year.

The film The Lost City Of Z comes out on Friday.

Now it won't have escaped your notice that tomorrow

is Red Nose Day, when people will be taking part in all sorts

of events to raise a smile and money for Comic Relief.

Here at BBC South-West there is much talk of the Great British Bake-Off

style Cake-Off challenge when presenters from radio

and television went head to head in the kitchens of City College

Their challenge was to bake a Victoria sponge,

decorate it and sell it, with the winner being the one

Simple, you'd have thought, but there were a few surprises.

Radio Devon's David Fitzgerald was there to compere the event.

Big mistake having a husband-and-wife team here.

There's no way you need that much butter.

My wife wife packed me off with a little box of stuff,

a recipe to follow and even the teddy, for extra comfort.

I quite like cooking, but I've never baked a cake.

I've got no sort of technical hinterland or anything to draw on,

so I'm literally just going to follow these instructions

I'm doing mini Victoria sandwiches today.

My thinking was that what would you prefer to have?

I'm actually mixing it up and I'm going for a chocolate

You've been on one, two, three, four rows now.

I can move around as I wish, I've been told.

If you put them all in at once, they go all squiffy.

Well, I'm not sure that's right, now.

Is the shell supposed to be in there like that?

I tell you, I'm making double the amount here.

I'm not sure what, but it's got something.

Victoria sponge or Victoria cocktail?

Well, I concede that my offering is looser than any of my rivals.

I've had a quick peek around the room.

A pint and a half of cake isn't going to work!

Larry, I'm sorry, where it says tablespoons of milk, can you show me

She has split milk in their to weigh up to two tablespoons.

I think you and I should start again at this point in time.

Tomorrow, on Red Nose Day itself, we will find out whether any of them

actually managed to bake a cake and sell it, and if

Did you really have eggshells in viewers, David? And how you cheat,

as well. It looks like good fun. A big important weather day-to-day.

Today, we celebrate World Met Day and this year s theme is clouds .

We asked you for your photos and here they are.

Thank you to everyone who has been sending in your photographs.

Tomorrow it will still be a great day. It is been pretty miserable

today with the brain, wind and cold. Tomorrow will be cloudy, patchy rain

beginning to clear but also quite breezy. The promised the moral of

brighter skies and even some sunshine yet in the day. We have an

area of low pressure at the moment but it is on the move and it is

moving away from us. That is high pressure and it is coming at the end

of the weekend. For the weekend, that is the good news. The bad news

is that we are on the edge of it so there will be a keen wind to look

forward to on Saturday and Sunday, particularly on the south coast. At

the time you get the Sunday that wind will begin to drop. Cold at

night for the weekend, with some pretty good daytime temperatures.

That was the rain we saw earlier today. It is moving away but still

the risk of showers left behind. That will continue for this evening

and overnight tonight. It is rather misty grey, spots of light rain and

drizzle on the south coast. Any breaks in the cloud will be in the

North Devon and the northern part of Somerset. Some of that rain will

come back before dawn tomorrow morning. There will be a keen wind

tonight, temperatures will not be as low as last night. A mild night, 5

degrees the minimum. Tomorrow will be warmer but still quite damp

through the morning. Gradually, a lot of that patchy rain will fizzle

out by the time you get to the afternoon there will be breaks

developing in the cloud, sunshine and North Devon, fine weather

drifting into parts of Somerset and Dorset. Hopefully we will see more

in the way of sunshine. It will feel warmer despite the fact that is

quite windy. Many others inland, not a bad second half to the day. At top

temperature of 11 degrees. The forecast as we head into the weekend

has a strong wind developing. For the Isles of Scilly, it is a

blustery day tomorrow, a few showers around but also sunny spells. For

all of us the wind will be a feature on Saturday. Times of high water.

Small waves on the coastline tomorrow for our surfers. Usable,

but only two or three feet. The coastal water forecast has the winds

from the ether north-east, occasionally seven. Patchy rain,

becoming merely fair with good visibility. Those winds will be

strong on Saturday, possibly reaching gale force through the

English Channel. Saturday is a blustery day, but a fine day. Not a

cloud in the sky on Saturday, a maximum of 14 degrees. Sunday, more

in the way of cloud, windy conditions. Similar conditions on

Monday. So, at last, some fine weather, and awarded the weekend as

well. My mum got several that taught us

out today. He is 70. He likes the warm weather. Thanks for joining us.

Join us again tomorrow, good night.