11/05/2017 Spotlight

Hello. so it's goodbye from me -

On Spotlight tonight: the political party which has pulled

Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for Cornish independence,

has announced it won't be fielding any candidates.

When we are told when the election will be and it is suddenly moved

forward three years with hardly any notice and we are fighting local

contests it just makes it a nonsense of democracy from local cashback for

smaller parties. Also tonight, a man admits drink

driving when he smashed into a teenager at about 60

miles an hour. Ruby Tuesday Hobbs was seriously

injured when she was hit The multi million pound flood

defences which have been criticised And going under the hammer -

the scores of tractors that lay A clearer picture is emerging

tonight of which parties will be fielding candidates

in the South West for Nominations closed just over an hour

ago, but one party won't be Yes, the Cornish political party

Mebyon Kernow is out of the race already after deciding not to stand

in any of the seats in Cornwall The party campaigns

for a Cornish Assembly, but says the short notice

of the campaign and exhaustion after the local elections means it

won't putting up any Our political reporter

Tamsin Melville has been talking Approaching 70 years in business,

back in its early days as a pressure group signing up to Mebyon Kernow

was apparently seen as the thing to do, attracting means like Daphne du

Maurier. But for -- but any electoral success has only been a

local council level. Since 1970s the party for Cornwall has been fielding

parties for Westminster seats. Not this time, a decision based on the

snap election, exhaustion and lack of cash. It is extremely

frustrating, we want to put our message out there for the people of

Cornwall but do it in our fairway and when we are told when the

election will be and it is suddenly moved forward three years with no

notice, it makes a nonsense of democracy for smaller parties. This

is the heart of Cornwall 's Clay country where Mebyon Kernow won the

popular vote at the local elections and returned to that of its

forecourt rush -- Cornwall councillors, but at the general

election it has been a far more gloomy picture. It fielded a full

slate of six candidates had lost all of its deposits. In 2015 it only

garnered 6000 votes. What is the point in standing in the general

election anyway? Just because people don't vote for as general elections

does not mean they do not like what we stand for, but this time it just

wasn't practical for us to put forward a really strong campaign in

such a short period. It is not just Mebyon Kernow stepping away, here in

Cornwall UK buyer only fielding one candidate and that is intro in

Falmouth where there was a remain Conservative MP and the Greens are

only fielding in some places, and not in St Ives when it is the most

marginal seat in the battle between the Conservatives and Lib Dems. What

do voters think about having less choice at the ballot box? It is good

to have a strong opposition and the only way to get the strong

opposition as if it is one of the major parties and I don't think that

the major parties should lose votes to the very small parties. There are

a lot of important issues at stake, so it is better just to have the

main parties standing. Especially going through Brexit. It is a pity

that some people had fought for the people they would like to vote for.

Mebyon Kernow's leader said it is not the end of the party contesting

seats in general elections and the aim is to keep the other parties on

their toes in the meantime. Our political editor is with me now.

And much of a surprise visit to see Mebyon Kernow bowing out? It is a

surprise and it will be unusual not having them play some role in the

election. Tamsin pointed out that in the last two elections pasted a full

slate of candidates, and that was a bit of a high water mark for them.

They had stayed in general elections previously but not in every seat. We

also saw some memorabilia from the early days of a party. It is the

case that MK members was -- where elected to Parliament but standing

for other parties. To begin with it was a very broad movement and you

could be a prominent conservative or liberal and a member of MK and

people wear. I'd like interesting to see other parties making strategic

withdrawals in some places. This is one of the big stories of the

election campaign so far, to come back to MK defray the have made it

clear that in withdrawing the not implicitly or explicitly endorsing

either party, the opposite is the case when it comes to you kept in

the greens. Both mentioned by Kansan. In Ukip's case they are

clearly hoping to help Conservative candidates and they are choosing

candidates who supported the leave campaign in EU referendum. They

don't want to hinder their successes. But they are standing

candidates against former Conservative MPs who campaign for

remain. The opposite for the Greens, they look at seats like St Ives

where the Conservatives won by a narrow margin, they want to minimise

the opposition to the Conservatives now. This is what the parties want

to happen. Whether the voters will do that of course cannot be given

for granted. One Conservative candidate said he wanted the Ukip

candidates to stand because he was worried if he didn't then a lot of

those votes will go back to the Lib Dems would he did not want to see.

Ready to keep an eye on. And don't forget, there's a BBC

Spotlight Election debate coming up and we're looking for people to be

in the audience The programme will be

on Tuesday 30th of May take part, please email spotlight

at bbc.co.uk and we'll send A man accused of killing his ex

partner's two-year-old son has told A Bulgarian man accused

of murdering his former partner in Exeter says he accidentally

searched online to find out how long 43-year-old Kostadin Kostov,

denies murdering hotel worker Gergana Prodanova last August

and packing her body in a suitcase before dumping it

on a railway embankment. Hamish Marshall reports

from Exeter Crown Court. Gergana, just before she died. Today

her former partner claimed she was part of Ukraine that the setting up

to commit a murder. -- for committing a murder. Mr Kostov was

asked about the following set of his iPhone, how long does it take for

human body to decompose. He said he was trying to find out how long this

takes drugs to decompose in the human body but he had missed out.

There was a large search for the housekeeper, who had started a

relationship with another Bulgarian man. The prosecution began the cross

examination with a series of forthright questions. You killed

Kostov, the defendant answered no. You cut her clothing from her body,

again the answer was no. You played on that clothing. Maybe, said Mr

Kostov. You put the clothing had with other rubbish. No. You took our

money. No. You kept her phone. Though I didn't. It was the railway

embankment here on land of Blackall Road where every Mac's body was

found packed in a suitcase. He caught were shown CCTV pictures of a

man wearing a baseball cap cracking a case from the area where Kostov

lived towards this direction. His barrister asked him, the prosecution

see you at the man in the baseball cap, he said not true. She then said

to you know who the man in the baseball cap is? He replied zero.

Kostov denied using Gergana's phone for media posts to make it look as

though she was still alive. A man accused of killing his ex

partner's two-year-old son has told a court he loved him and was never

violent towards him. Joseph Eke, from Weymouth, denies

murdering Harry House last May. 22-year-old Joseph each is accused

of punching or clicking treaty -year-old Harry house at the home

they shared in Dorset. He is also accused of wounding Harry's face at

Easter and causing fractured ribs in the week before his death. Today he

told the court he was ahead in -- a heroin and crack addict but he did

love the toddler. The QC who is defending Joseph asked them if you

take care of him, if he fed him or take the boy out. Replied by saying

yes, I enjoyed doing it. I did love him, he said. Under

cross-examination the version of events was different to what he had

given in police interviews. He told the prosecutor, I got muddled up.

When asked why he told the father 's mother not to call the ambulance he

said I thought he was just going to be sick or something. When it was

put to him it is because he did not want anyone to know what he had

done, he said no. The jury were shown CCTV of justice and Harry's

mother in July two months after Harry's death. His excavation for

assaulting Harry's mother was I was a heroin addict, crackhead. That is

what my life revolved around, he said. She would not give me money to

score heroin. Harry's face and body were covered in bruises. He suffered

serious internal injuries and bleeding. Eke said Harry called him

daddy JoJo and he would not harm him.

A teenager who was severely injured by a drunk driver has become a

prisoner in her own home according to her aunt. Ruby Tuesday hold was

stopped at high speed and spent Christmas in hospital. Today Ashley

God will walk free from court after pleading guilty to dangerous

driving. He was given bail and will be sentenced later this month.

Outside Plymouth Magistrates' Court where he admitted causing serious

injury by dangerous driving. At about 630 on Christmas Eve the blue

BMW he was driving crashed through the central reservation by

Plymouth's main shopping centre. A speeding car -- a speeding car hit

Ruby Tuesday Hobbs who had to be cut free from railings. Both of her legs

were broken. To see photos of she was crushed, the railings on her

leg, she was lucky to be alive. She has been in her bedroom for five

months. She has lost so much weight and is in horrific pain. The court

heard that 27-year-old God but was twice over the legal drink-drive

limit had a previous conviction for drink-driving. Ruby has been a

prisoner in her own bedroom and he has been allowed to go out and work

and drink and have a social life, why -- whereas she doesn't have a

social life any more. Is lawyer said he was extremely remorseful and

deeply regret his actions, he was remanded on unconditional bail for

sentencing at Crown Court later this month.

Now a brief roundup of other stories making the news in the South West.

A Somerset Council has set up its own housing company and plans

But they won't be building council homes, instead they plan to sell

on the open market and use the profits to pay for other

Plymouth scientists have been awarded almost three million pounds

to look at how new technology could improve healthcare

Ideas include using robots to provide comfort and drones

to deliver medical supplies to rural areas.

An investigation into the collapse of a crane in Falmouth

is continuing today, overseen by the docks' management

The crane crashed to the ground yesterday morning and one

A full health and safety investigation will now take place.

One of the driest winters in recent memory is causing nesting problems

The RSPB is urging people to make damp mud

available for summer migrating birds that need it to build

If you've been into Exeter recently you might have noticed some

big walls being put up along sections of the River Exe.

They're new flood defences and they should protect

the city for years to come, but some people are worried

about the way they look, even though the Environment Agency

Exeter's new flood defences are taking shape.

Work on the multi-million pound scheme is forging ahead,

and however you look at it either from the air or right

down on on the ground, this is a big undertaking which some

see as a potential eyesore in the making.

32 and half million pounds is buying an awful lot of civil engineering,

along a seven and a half kilometre stretch of the River Exe.

Here at Exe bridges you might be forgiven for thinking that things

look a little bit like Berlin before the fall of the wall,

however we are assured that in time all of this area will be landscaped

and things will look much more attractive.

I don't really like them, I think the of the river

and we are obviously used to coming down here and seeing everything

It blocks the view, you can see it from that side.

I think it looks half finished at the moment.

Exeter has flooded before, in 1960, after which the flood

There has been minor flooding more recently.

The existing defences worked well before, but climate change has

required new investment by the Environment Agency.

Some people along the Exe think the word is necessary,

It is really important that even though we will not be able

to see the river it is clearly as we were with the previous flood

defences, being able to prevent that water coming over the top

and flooding somewhere like this shop is really important to us.

Our climate is changing, we need to work to ameliorate that

and prevent businesses being affected badly.

At sites along the Exe, the Environment Agency has looked

for ways to combat flooding for years to come.

That has sometimes meant major engineering works.

On the edge of the city the existing flood plain is being transformed.

When it is finished here, probably by the end of the year

will be finished, it will be landscaped, finished off,

all the pretty bits to put in if you like and then giving

nature a year, because that is all it takes with nature,

There is no doubt about it, these works are quite striking

to look at at the moment but the Environment Agency has

assured us that over time everything will be landscaped and things should

look quite good by the time the finished.

We have already had lots of comments about that, John from Dorset size

for those who claim the flood water is ugly perhaps Banksy or some

street artist should paint a flood scene with water flooding down the

backside, vendors who are unhappy will have second thoughts. David

from Exeter told us, I remember the floods that hit Saint Thomas in

1963. I helped of the dead cattle and sheep. People's homes and lives

around. If people don't like the new defences they should explain why the

stupidity and expose others to such flooding and pay for the damage. You

can join the debate on Facebook. E-mail us or Twitter. Now that

interesting auction lot coming up in just a moment.

More than 90 tractors found on a farm in Devon are ready to be

And we have not seen much colour on our radar rainfall charts recently,

but there is some now. Some of the brighter colours there, the heavier

rain moving north over the next few hours.

Now many of us don't like injections or blood tests,

but for children it can be particularly daunting,

so a number of hospitals have adopted an idea to help make it

Children with serious illnesses are being given the chance

to be scientists for a few hours to see how their blood is analysed.

Our Health Correspondent Jenny Walrond joined Idara who has

leukeamia as she donned her lab coat at Musgrove Park

Blood tests and other invasive treatments are a fact of life for

eight-year-old Idara mirror. She has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia but

today she is finding out what happened to her body doubles. This

is the laboratory! This is my friend Idara. Hello, nice to meet you.

Let's get you in a white coat. She is becoming a mad scientist for a

few hours. Every minute of every day, even Christmas Day or your

birthday there is someone in here working on your blood. What? Why do

you think we have less be positive in all positive? Do you know?

Because Be positive is a red blood grip. It is a benefit for our staff

because it provides an opportunity for them to engage with a patient

when normally the laboratory does not, even though they are directly

involved with patient care. This visit has been organised to a

charity called Harvey 's gang, named after Harvey Buster Baldwin who had

leukaemia and wanted to know where his body weight. Sadly, Harvey died

in 2014 -- and wanted to know where his blood went. We can ensure that

they carry on with the treatment. In here there are lots of cells and

then I sales and white cells. This is so amazing. What is that wriggly

thing? My best bit was interesting about the cells, that is because it

was really good, and my next interesting bit was the blood around

here. And when she next has her blood taken, Idara knows exactly

where it is going. Isn't she adorable? She is asked da.

-- she is a star. Would you be any good

at doing up an old tractor? Well if you are then

you may want to head to Ashwater in Devon this weekend for what's

been dubbed as the tractor It may look like a graveyard for

tractors, but to the trained hideout is called in these fields. There are

more than 90 all the vehicles here, some of them dating back 60 years.

The collection was put together by a farmer John facially, it was his

passion. He and his wife would buy them and do them up and send -- and

then sell them off to Africa. We used to bring them home and put them

in the shed and he would get me cleaning them, pressure washing them

and there was code on all over some. -- there was countdown all over

some. I would free them and get them sprayed and ready to resell. John

died 14 years ago and it has taken his wife that long to be able to get

-- to let them go of a she admits she has let the grass grow under the

wheels. Many of these old tractors literally had to be pulled from the

hedgerow and ironically all of the Ivy and moss and lichen has actually

protected the vital machinery from rusting. So does this mean that some

of them could work again? Because they look pretty rusty. They do but

many, many clever people live in Devon and Cornwall and we have had

all sorts of interest in the UK and outside. Many of these will be

restored to their former glory. I am delighted to hear that. How many

people do you expect to do -- to turn up to this option? Hundreds and

hundreds, we have several staying in hotels this evening and there will

be people bidding online. I would expect five or 600 people, maybe

1000. Though most will be sold, Tricia admits she will keep a few

back herself. She enjoys restoration. I am not a mechanic,

that I can well, I went on a welding course. That helped. I have gotten

to the stage I do not need quite so much of it around me. Do any of

these characters actually work? We found one that does, after quite a

of encouragement. Fabulous sound! Some oil and that

will be fine. Some in his eyes lit up watching

that report, he is with us in the studio.

That was a David Brent tractor, by the way.

Tractors will be doing a lot of stuff in the field at this time of

year, and it looks like they will see some rain at times and that is

welcoming for all those but at the moment there is a line of showers

travelling northward, revealing a little bit of blue sky here and

there. This is Lyme Regis, a bit of a chaotic sky, blue sky with

sunshine nonetheless. We go probably as bad as we can get from Lyme

Regis, up to Ilfracombe where this afternoon you can see there is a lot

more cloud around. There is a line of showers heading towards North

Devon at the moment and that line of showers quite heavy and places.

Washer was to come tomorrow, sunny spells especially in the afternoon.

Also quite a humid muddy field, low cloud developing and hill fog

overnight tonight as well. We have an area of low pressure, at the

moment it is coming to the western side of France and it will continue

its journey northwards through the night to come in through the day

tomorrow. Eventually sitting across the southern half of Britain.

South-west winds across the -- associated with that will pick up a

little bit and also a scattering of showers, hopefully some sunshine in

between those showers. As we head into the weekend we was the first

area of low pressure, there is another one, but between that and

the new area of low pressure there is a fair amount of dry weather for

Saturday, and then we see some more persistent rain turn up later in the

day what the end of the afternoon and into the evening. Sunday is not

too bad, we are between weather systems and hopefully on Sunday with

the fresher feel to the air there should also be a lot of rights try

whether around. This evening we have a scattering of showers, the first

line of showers is travelling up towards the North and it has

revealed some late sunshine. Later on tonight those showers will return

in some of them turning up to be -- turning out to be quite heavy so not

dry by any stretch of the imagination but it is showery, this

patch of rain. At that mistake in places and a mild night, two, 11

degrees the minimum temperatures for most of us. Tomorrow we wake up to a

lot of cloud, scattering the showers and hopefully by the end of the

morning and into the afternoon a bit brighter, briefly some sunshine here

and there and again quite a warm feel. Some dry weather, the end of

the afternoon and temperatures of 16 or 17 degrees. 63,000 eight. For the

Isles of Scilly quite a bit of cloud around with the chance of high tide.

Tides of -- these are the times of high water. And for our surfers the

waves are not big but the slightly bigger than they have been, up to

two ABC feet and a bit choppy, because the winter developing into a

south westerly force for or possibly pick it up to force five at some

point through the day. The outlook is for some fine weather on Saturday

for half the day and later in the day we say -- we see some rain. It

will be mild and mistaken on Monday. And thank you all for it in as the

Andy is here with an update and we will all be back at 630 tomorrow.

Good night. Ukip created history

and won us all Brexit.