20/04/2017 Spotlight

In the south-west tonight - the speeding on Dartmoor,

which has been described as horrific.

They go down here hell for leather and it is a complete cross-section

of people, lots of old sports cars of people, lots of old sports cars

and motorbikes anything but they do drive incredibly fast.

Some drivers have been clocked at more than twice the limit.

Also tonight - the grass is greener together.

The thinking behind the electoral pact to try to defeat

We'll take a look at the region's most marginal seats.

A court hear claims this woman's body was dumped

in a suitcase near rail tracks - her ex partner denies murder.

And made for movies - the Valley of Rocks film set

bringing a boost to business in North Devon.

Speeds driven by some motorists on Dartmoor have been described

as horrific, with some stretches of road becoming racetracks.

An electronic warning sign, which also records speeds,

reveals that a quarter of motorists were exceeding

It showed drivers travelling at 80, 90 and 100mph.

The highest speed clocked was 117mph.

The Dartmoor National Park says the findings are frightening warning

The Dartmoor National Park says the findings are frightening,

warning that livestock are often roaming

In a moment, we'll hear from the Dartmoor Livestock

First, this report from Kirk England.

Somewhere to enjoy a slower pace of life, but not everyone visiting

Dartmoor is taking things quite so easily.

The sort of driving we see down here, particularly down

the straight past the pub, is like a racetrack.

And it's a complete cross-section of people.

Lots of old sports cars, motorbikes, everything.

But they do drive down there incredibly fast.

This new speed warning sign measures how fast people are driving.

The highest we've had so far, in the last six weeks, is 117mph.

To think that people are driving at those sorts of speeds

across Dartmoor on unfinished roads, where we've got ponies,

sheep and cattle wandering across the road, is quite horrific.

The data shows that a quarter of drivers

around Dartmoor are breaking the 40 mph speed limit.

These visitors couldn't believe some of the high speeds

Well, I think it's really irresponsible and why

would you want to drive at that speed when you're in

Surely the whole reason for being here is to see the view?

Why would you want to go at those speeds?

It's not known whether the person recorded driving at 117mph

The National Park says police patrols are being stepped up.

Well, this is one of the roads on Dartmoor where people have been

clocked going at speeds which would be against the law even on a

motorway. It's a particularly long, straight section of road between

post-bridge and Morten Hampstead. The speed sign is up there and will

flashes when people are going too fast, one of several put in place by

Dartmoor Livestock Preservation Society and parlour is from the

organisation. 170 mph, what do you think about that? It is madness, I

am shocked people are driving at these speeds when animals are

grazing at the side of the road. We have seen on the drive over, lambs

right across the roadway. Absolutely, I came up the hill and

lambs were skipping on the road and unless motorists slow down, they

will be knocked over. What are the implications for livestock with

people driving at these speeds? Bashir, we had a animals killed, we

are up to 25 last year. They will be obliterated, won't they? Unless you

are witness to an RTA involving livestock you don't understand the

injuries they suffered. I am often called out in the night and deal

with an injured animal or have to put an animal down. Do you think the

message on speed is getting across the people on Dartmoor? I think we

need to keep on with the public education, awareness, publicity but

overall, it is really simple. When entering Dartmoor, please slow down.

Thank you. These signs only hold data on speed, not on registrations

or driver, so people will not be prosecuted but we are told the

police are increasing patrols here on Dartmoor.

The body of a missing Bulgarian woman was found dumped in a suitcase

near the railway line in Exeter, a jury has heard.

Gergana Prodanova had only been in the UK for eight months,

when she was allegedly murdered by her violent former partner

Scott Bingham reports from Exeter Crown Court.

Gergana Prodanova was reported missing by colleagues

at the Great Western Hotel in Exeter on the 8th of August last year.

Police conducted searches and door-to-door enquiries

in the Mount Pleasant Road area of the city, where the couple

The body was discovered in a suitcase dumped

The jury were told that Gergana was killed by her former partner

and the father of their three children, 43-year-old

Kostadin Kostov, who had followed her to the UK

Prosecuting, Simon Laws QC said the defendant's motive

It was, he said, old-fashioned jealousy.

The court heard Gergana was in a new relationship,

but still shared a flat with Kostadin Kostov.

The jury was shown images from CCTV footage of Gergana making her way

back to the flat at 8:16pm on the 4th of August,

And of Kostadin Kostov heading back to the flat two hours earlier.

After she went to that flat, the flat with just him in it,

said Mr Laws, Gergana Prodanova was never seen alive again.

Kostadin Kostov claimed Gergana had flown back to Bulgaria

after receiving a phone call saying her mother had died.

Gergana had no reason to disappear, said Mr Laws.

She disappeared because she had been murdered.

Kostadin Kostov denies murder, the case continues.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson

It follows a fire at a house in Boslowick Road in

Police in Somerset are warning that drug dealers from big cities

are targeting vulnerable people in rural areas to set up

The force says it dealt with around 20 cases in and around

Weston-super-Mare and Yeovil last year alone.

Police in Dorset are appealing for information after a Roman

sarcophagus was vandalised in Poundbury.

The artefact was damaged sometime between 11 o'clock on Saturday

night and the early hours of Sunday morning.

The lid has been removed and is damaged beyond repair.

The Green Party is proposing electoral pacts with other parties

in order to defeat south-west Conservative MPs in

The Greens have offered not to put forward a candidate in the region's

most marginal seat - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport -

to help the Labour challenger to Conservative incumbent Oliver

It's offering the same arrangement to Anne-Marie Morris'

Liberal Democrat challenger in Newton Abbot.

And there's speculation the move could be offered in St Ives -

another Conservative/Lib Dem contest.

Here's our Political Editor Martyn Oates.

And I hereby declare that Oliver Colvile is duly elected

to serve as the member of Parliament for the said constituency.

The 2015 general election result in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

handed defending Conservative MP Oliver Colvile a second victory,

but by just 523 votes, with Labour snapping at his heels.

This time, the Green Party is offering not to contest the seat,

hoping that will make it easier for Labour to unseat Mr Colvile.

I think the whole of the Green party is looking at it and in Cornwall,

as well as across the rest of the south-west, there

is an interest in how we can work together to make sure

that the Conservatives are not the dominant party

A similar deal is being offered to the Liberal Democrat candidate

opposing Tory Anne-Marie Morris in Newton Abbott.

opposing Tory Anne-Marie Morris in Newton Abbot.

The ideal seat for such an arrangement could be St Ives.

The Liberal Democrat Andrew George would have held the seat last time

if he'd received all the Green votes as well.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, he's keen on the idea this time.

I think that people understand that you have the vote intelligently,

you have to kind of compromise and have to consider how you can

use your vote most effectively and across much of Cornwall,

and indeed across the south-west as well, the Liberal Democrats

are in a very strong second position to incumbent Conservatives.

But help could also be at hand for the Tories -

in Cornwall, at least, where it looks as if Ukip

might not oppose three Brexit-backing Conservative MPs.

If we were to stand in Camborne, Redruth Hale, like where I stood,

and took 6,000 votes, I would not like to think

that we would let a federalist in instead of George Eustice.

One thing the Greens and Ukip have in common is campaigning for a more

With no obvious prospect of that being delivered,

it looks as if they are finding creative ways to deal

with the system they feel they are lumbered with at the moment.

And Martyn Oates is with me now. We are very early in the election

campaign and this is already an interesting development. Yes, there

has been talk of this so-called progressive Alliance, some of all

elements, the Greens, Labour Party and Lib Dems deciding they have much

more in common than they do with the Tories and having some sort of

combination to oust Tories. We saw this in action in the recent

Richmond Park by-election in London, where the Greens didn't stand a

candidate and the Lib Dems went on to win. I talked to the green leader

Caroline Lucas, she said that this will apply to a handful of seats but

listening to Doctor Greene, the South Devon party chairman there, he

is implying we could hear more announcements locally and I think

the striking thing, as you say, we are only a couple of days into the

campaign. Just a quick off the mark they are in targeting the specific

seats and getting on with it. What you think the likelihood is that

deals will be struck? Clearly what the Green Party would like is an

equivalent exchange, so for instance, in Devon, that would be

Labour not standing a candidate in Totnes, a constituency where the

Greens have quite a groundswell of support. Now, it seems clear,

though, that up to a point that doesn't matter. In other words, the

candidates, I think, anyway, whether candidates, I think, anyway, whether

or not they get something back from the other parties. Labour have said

they are not interested in something formal, Joe Micawber in saying

Jeremy Corbyn saying that but Jeremy Corbyn saying that but

although income, they have said there are informal talks. The

pivotal says the are not standing -- pivotal says the are not standing --

in topless, they say it And Martyn will be here with more

reaction and analysis on this and all the election news so far

on the Sunday Politics this weekend, at the later time

of 3:15pm on BBC One. Still to come in

tonight's programme: An education in construction -

the competition providing lessons And these were the conditions

on the River Dart today. How long will the dry

weather continue? To walk for the very first time

after being in a wheelchair for six years is a dream come true

in itself, but to complete a marathon - well, it's

almost unbelievable. But for Spencer Watts,

a Devon motocross rider who was paralysed in an accident six

years ago, that's the plan. He's hoping to complete next year's

London Marathon and, as he explained to Janine Jansen,

it's all thanks to a new Spencer Watts was paralysed

from the waist down in a motocross When I had my accident,

surgeons were telling me you will never ride again and I just

wanted to prove them all wrong. His solution was to tuck his legs

behind special bars It was nerve-racking at first,

but the most important thing with motocross is you have

to put your leg out Obviously, I'm not able to do that,

so that was a real big thing to take on and not knowing how I would be

able to react to that, and just rely on my upper body,

it really was hard. Recently, he was demonstrating these

robotic legs at a charity evening. Suddenly, the auctioneer started

getting people to bid for Spencer. I was lost for words,

I was all evening. Never for one minute did I think

that that sort of money would be Spencer says the first time

he walked was incredible. It was really strange and it felt

like I was going to fall over. It is like my whole body is floating

in the air because obviously It is a real strange

feeling but each time, You've got a watch, and you tell

the watch what you want to cause you simply tell the watch

if you want to stand To be up at that height again

and walking alongside my children, it's great to be able to walk

to the park with them. Really strange, just a climb down

stairs again is amazing. Nothing seems to stop

this young man. Since his accident, he's got married

and had two children and now that he can walk

at three miles per hour, Well, he wants to complete next

year's London Marathon. Good luck to Spencer

and in Spotlight tomorrow, we'll be hearing from some

of the south-west runners taking part in this year's London Marathon

taking place on Sunday. Some sports news and four

Exeter Chiefs players have been named in the England squad

which will tour Argentina this year. It's a first call up for 20-year-old

scrum half Jack Maunder Jack only made his Chiefs

debut this season. They're among 15 uncapped players

who've been selected. They join Henry Slade

and Luke Cowan Dickie and will head Some pictures proving very popular

on the spotlight Facebook page, baby giraffe has been born at Paignton

zoo. The new arrival came into the world yesterday morning and staff

don't know if it is a boy or a girl. The giraffe house is likely to be

closed for a few days but visitors may just be able to see the baby

this weekend. You can see why those pictures are

proving popular. We're often hearing about the need

to build more houses, but will there be enough

construction workers Well, efforts are underway to find

the next generation of builders and, today, some of the region's most

talented trainees went head to head in a bid to reach the national

finals of a competition. They were joined by hundreds

of school children who also got to have a go at some of the skills

needed in the building trade, Spotlight's John Danks reports from

South Devon College in Paignton. Year five pupils from Roseland's

primary school in Paignton get On hand to help are tradesmen

Chris and Julian from At that age, they might take

a liking to it and start pursuing it, so we think it is a very good

idea to get them going that young, And if they are very unlucky,

they might get to work When you are trying to scrape it in,

it gets stuck to the side of the wall and you have to get it in the

centre. You think might be interested in construction? Maybe.

But the real focus is the regional heat of the Skillbuild competition.

Around 100 construction trainees from colleges across the south-west

are competing for a place in the national finals.

Win or lose, if you can get it on the CV, it is fantastic and just

taking part is quite fun as well, so it's very good.

Looking at the joints, the craftsmanship, the way

they work, if they are working in a safe manner, so we cover

Six traits were being contested and for the trainees, the chance to

build the foundations for a successful career.

It's a massive kick start of their careers, so from here,

they can go on to the regional final and the national final,

which will be held later in the year in Birmingham.

If that goes well, there will be Euro skills and then World skills,

which will be in Russia and the winner of that comes back

to the UK and has a fabulous future ahead of them.

When it comes to plastering, it looks like these kids have it

covered. The south-west has provided

incredible backdrops to film over the years,

and there's about to be another. This latest production coming out

later this year could provide a big It's a psychological thriller called

Winter Ridge and it's being shot entirely on location around

Lynton and Lynmouth. Spotlight's North Devon reporter,

Andrea Ormsby, has been on set. Tense and emotional,

two of the main characters in a scene near the end

of the movie, but the location, can't help being the star

of the show. What an incredible location

Valley of the Rocks is. Just has that kind of cinematic look

that you get in North America, It doesn't really feel

like it is a really small town, it has that grander scale to it,

so as soon as we came I knew it was where it had

to culminate and end. They scoured all over the UK, Wales,

Norfolk, the Peak District, all rejected the minute they set

eyes on Lynton and Lynemouth. And it was the perfect

location for us to do a film like a psychological thriller

in this area, it is quite ominous, it is quite dark, gritty at night

and shiny in the day, so it has got nice

contrasting landscape. Adjust your radio mic and then

we will be able to shoot! The movie centres around Matt's

character Ryan Barnes, He is joined by Game of Thrones

star Hannah Waddingham. The thing that always strikes me

about Game of Thrones is the crew are so gung-ho and have such passion

for it and these guys do. From the writers on this,

to the directors, if you do a low-budget film and the script

is good enough, you all join and have the same passion,

so it is not ready that dissimilar, and have the same passion,

so it is not really that dissimilar, except we are just trying to do it

on a tighter budget. Keep rolling, guys,

keep quiet, everyone. Having the film set here

is a real coup the locals. Having the film set here

is a real coup for locals. The whole community is,

because everybody's been involved. Everybody I speak to are either

an extra or their property is being used in some way

or their garden, or their view. And it's just created quite a buzz

and a film like this, I mean, it really could mean the most

wonderful bookings coming in for our bed and breakfast hotels

and our restaurants. And not only are locals playing

extras, one is officially listed I seem to have found myself

as acting location manager. I don't know why, but I guess

that'll teach me to pick up I mean, he rang me and asked

if I could think of some locations that the film company had asked

for and I came up with some answers and the next thing I know,

I'm included in the crew. Work experience is also on offer

for local youngsters. I've been on set watch, which is

looking at the equipment outside. I've been helping with the actors

and seeing that they are OK in between the takes and I've been

helping with backgrounds Filming has just started

and the crew will be here With a worldwide release later this

year, everyone here is hoping Well, from beautiful scenes in North

Devon to another one now. No better way, David.

I will clear off, look! That nose.

Sorry to spoil it. Good evening. Yes, you have been taking smashing

pictures again. The last few days, some of the photographs we have been

receiving have been brilliant, this is one of our weather watchers.

Rather more cloud in Somerset, Kingsbury Episcopi whether cloud is

pretty extensive and produced a spot of drizzle in the afternoon but no

visible rain and Bluebell starting to come out in Dorset, fantastic

pictures. Tomorrow is very similar, lots of cloud around at times but

also some sunshine and still fine and dry. The setup hasn't changed

very much, we still have high pressure in charge. Some subtle

changes in the amount of cloud, there are weather friends travelling

down from the north over the next two or three days. They will change

think somewhat. Not tomorrow, that is very similar to today, variable

cloud at times and then some sunshine and then a front comes

towards us on Saturday, that will keep a lot of cloud for the rest of

the day but still dry and by Sunday, that will have moved away so Sunday

is also Brighton dry but this weather system coming in on Monday

and into Tuesday, quite a bit change associated with that. Not only a

drop in the temperatures but finally, some appreciable rain. This

evening is a fine evening, the cloud patchy in nature. This was earlier

today in Dartmouth, where our cameraman Jeff took the slow journey

across the river. Some lovely weather here, it has been more

cloudy today that the South coast but the Sun has come back out and it

has been pleasantly dry and mild today, with temperatures even a bit

higher than we have seen today for tomorrow, so tomorrow similar with

patchy cloud around, enough clear skies overnight to allow

temperatures back into single figures, so not as cold as it has

been but certainly low enough, six or 7 degrees the minimum

temperature. For tomorrow, another very similar day, patchy cloud

coming and going, largely dry, some decent spells of sunshine and

temperatures climbing up a little bit higher than they have been

recently, up to 15, possibly even 16 degrees, 61 in Fahrenheit. For the

Isles of Scilly, a quiet day, gentle winds and a fine and dry spells of

sunshine. The times of high water... And for those surfing, it has been

disappointing this week, the ways haven't been very big but they do

pick up as we head for the weekend and into the early part of next

week. The coastal waters forecast, variable winds, no more than a force

two or three, fair with good visibility and slight seas. This is

the forecast as we head through the weekend and into next week. Nothing

too tricky at the moment. Monday, the winds pick up a little bit and

some point through the day, some light spots of rain out of a weather

front coming in from the north. What will show you tomorrow is choose a's

forecast and it will be a bit of a shock because there will be some

rain on the forecast. Have a good evening. We had to have

some rain eventually, I suppose, didn't we? That is all from us

tonight, thank you for joining us. Our late users at 10:30pm and we are

back again at 6:30am tomorrow. Good night.