:00:11. > :00:11.Good evening. BBC News Channel.
:00:12. > :00:13.Devon and Cornwall Police stand accused tonight of failing
:00:14. > :00:16.the victims of crime after it emerged that it had failed
:00:17. > :00:21.to record 17,000 serious offences, including rape.
:00:22. > :00:24.But, as John Danks reports, the group that represents serving
:00:25. > :00:30.rank and file officers has defended the performance.
:00:31. > :00:35.Call the police to report a crime but, in too many cases,
:00:36. > :00:38.staff don't treat the information they are given as they should,
:00:39. > :00:41.not officially recording an offence straightaway,
:00:42. > :00:45.A victim may benefit from getting immediate help,
:00:46. > :00:48.or they could potentially find themselves in more danger
:00:49. > :00:53.It all depends on how officers view claims being made,
:00:54. > :00:58.but inspectors say the current situation is wholly unacceptable.
:00:59. > :01:00.The report estimated that more than 17,000 crimes are not
:01:01. > :01:04.They include rape, sexual offences and violent attacks.
:01:05. > :01:10.A survey found that crime reporting processes are convoluted and staff
:01:11. > :01:13.don't understand the basic crime reporting principles.
:01:14. > :01:16.Inspectors believe it to be a systemic failure and have rated
:01:17. > :01:19.Devon and Cornwall Police inadequate,
:01:20. > :01:23.saying many victims are being let down.
:01:24. > :01:25.We don't believe that we've let victims down.
:01:26. > :01:30.Victims of serious offences such as rape and sexual offences can have
:01:31. > :01:32.every confidence and step forward to Devon and Cornwall Police.
:01:33. > :01:35.We will take their allegations very seriously.
:01:36. > :01:39.We will ensure that they are safe and we will conduct thorough
:01:40. > :01:42.investigations and where appropriate bring prosecutions.
:01:43. > :01:45.How those matters are recorded in the background
:01:46. > :01:51.We need to address those, they need to be accurate
:01:52. > :01:53.so that we provide an accurate picture of the true level
:01:54. > :01:59.But victims remain at the heart of what we do here in Devon
:02:00. > :02:02.and Cornwall and victims can have the utmost confidence to step
:02:03. > :02:04.forward as they have been doing in increasing numbers over
:02:05. > :02:09.Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner,
:02:10. > :02:12.Alison Hernandez, says she takes the report very seriously
:02:13. > :02:15.and has already set up a new group to look at ways
:02:16. > :02:24.Research by the BBC shows it took 342 days for one patient to be
:02:25. > :02:29.discharged from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to a care home.
:02:30. > :02:32.In all, five patients were delayed for over 100 days.
:02:33. > :02:35.All were linked to a lack of social care.
:02:36. > :02:39.A hospital spokesman said many had complex conditions
:02:40. > :02:43.And you can read more about that research,
:02:44. > :02:45.together with the hospital's detailed response and its plans
:02:46. > :02:51.on how to ease the problems, on the BBC News website.
:02:52. > :02:55.The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership
:02:56. > :02:59.has tonight welcomed a new ?10 million Government scheme
:03:00. > :03:02.to support the creation of the UK's first Spaceport by 2020.
:03:03. > :03:06.The Partnership is hoping Newquay Airport will be chosen.
:03:07. > :03:09.There will be grants towards a project offering
:03:10. > :03:11.commercial space flights and providing both a launch base
:03:12. > :03:16.for satellites and facilities promoting science.
:03:17. > :03:18.Dorset's fire authority has agreed a budget
:03:19. > :03:25.It will mean a council tax rise of 2.6 pence per week
:03:26. > :03:30.The authority has one of the lowest operating budgets in the country.
:03:31. > :03:33.Fire prevention work will increase under the plans,
:03:34. > :03:45.although the authority had its Government grant cut by 12%.
:03:46. > :03:47.A little bit of Westminster came to Cornwall today,
:03:48. > :03:49.as the cross party committee on exiting the EU
:03:50. > :03:53.It's all part of an inquiry into how the UK negotiates its position
:03:54. > :03:58.Spotlight's Tamsin Melville explains.
:03:59. > :04:00.Cornwall was just the latest place that this committee of MPs
:04:01. > :04:03.are visiting on a tour around the country getting opinions
:04:04. > :04:09.There is still a lot of uncertainty out there but here in Cornwall
:04:10. > :04:11.the various sectors have got together and come up with this
:04:12. > :04:15.glossy document talking about both the risks
:04:16. > :04:20.The MPs said they were very impressed with this can-do attitude.
:04:21. > :04:23.The way in which Cornwall has said, right, that's the decision,
:04:24. > :04:29.How do we get on with it? What are the challenges?
:04:30. > :04:36.And I think it was informed partly by the importance of that funding
:04:37. > :04:41.If it is not going to be there any more from that source,
:04:42. > :04:44.what is going to replace it? How do we want that to work?
:04:45. > :04:46.Can we have more devolution so we can take more
:04:47. > :04:50.The MPs heard opinions on a wide range of topics
:04:51. > :04:52.including fishing, tourism, migration and agriculture.
:04:53. > :04:58.But, unsurprisingly, a key theme emerged and that was that Cornwall
:04:59. > :05:01.voted to leave despite all the EU millions it's received in recent
:05:02. > :05:04.years and what could or should replace that in the future.
:05:05. > :05:07.There was a message that most of those giving evidence
:05:08. > :05:12.It is not about us being a grant-dependent economy.
:05:13. > :05:16.It is about making sure that we've got the right access to investment
:05:17. > :05:20.to unlock the potential that we have here, whether that's loans
:05:21. > :05:23.or impact bonds, so that we can continue to deliver
:05:24. > :05:29.So, Cornwall would like Westminster to keep stumping up some cash.
:05:30. > :05:33.Other themes were the importance of being able to access labour
:05:34. > :05:36.from the EU and continued support for farmers.
:05:37. > :05:38.There's going to be a transition period.
:05:39. > :05:40.We know where we are now but we don't necessarily
:05:41. > :05:46.We don't want to fall off a cliff so transition money is key.
:05:47. > :05:49.Quite what happens further out we don't know because we don't know
:05:50. > :05:54.the trade deal so we don't know what we're contending with.
:05:55. > :05:57.The committee says it is clear on what findings it will now report
:05:58. > :06:05.What impact any of this will have is less clear.
:06:06. > :06:09.A service was held today to mark one of the most courageous actions
:06:10. > :06:12.in the history of Royal Navy aircrew.
:06:13. > :06:15.Forces personnel and relatives gathered at the Fleet Air Arm Church
:06:16. > :06:18.in Yeovilton to honour the airmen who took on
:06:19. > :06:21.the German Battle Fleet 75 years ago.
:06:22. > :06:25.Six planes were shot down and 13 aircrew were killed in the battle.
:06:26. > :06:39.They came today to remember the extraordinary actions of 18 men.
:06:40. > :06:41.In a hushed stillness of this Yeovilton church,
:06:42. > :06:46.the story of a desperate, hellish mission was retold.
:06:47. > :06:48.In 1942, three huge German battleships made a dash for home
:06:49. > :06:54.to Germany through the English Channel.
:06:55. > :06:57.They expected to be targets so a screen of German destroyers,
:06:58. > :07:02.E-boats and minesweepers plus 200 fighter aircraft went with them.
:07:03. > :07:05.Here through enemy eyes is how the Fleet Air Arm, under
:07:06. > :07:09.the command of Lieutenant Commander Esmond VC, went against them.
:07:10. > :07:12.One of the finest exhibitions of self sacrifice and devotion
:07:13. > :07:17.Towards that fearsome assembly flew six Fleet Air Arm Swordfish
:07:18. > :07:27.They never got close enough to drop their bombs.
:07:28. > :07:30.Shells and bullets ripped through the canvas-covered
:07:31. > :07:42.Today meant an awful lot to relatives, who will never forget.
:07:43. > :07:46.Our lives today really was shaped by what these folks did for us.
:07:47. > :07:50.Our men and other men and other wives, husbands...
:07:51. > :07:55.And for future generations of any war that has happened,
:07:56. > :07:57.be it further back into history or anything unfortunately that might
:07:58. > :08:00.happen in the future, we have to thank people
:08:01. > :08:06.Today's 825 Naval Air Squadron paid tribute in its own way to those
:08:07. > :08:16.They knew their chances of coming back where minimum and yet
:08:17. > :08:19.they still pressed on their attack against vastly superior force.
:08:20. > :08:23.Bravery is even more commendable when it is in the face
:08:24. > :08:27.Anybody can be brave when you're winning but to be
:08:28. > :08:30.brave when you're losing, that's impressive and that's
:08:31. > :08:35.All 18 aircrew were heroes that day and it was a heroism made
:08:36. > :08:37.all the more extraordinary in the face of
:08:38. > :09:01.A very cold winter day and more to come. Finally next week we will
:09:02. > :09:06.start to warm up but we have two or three days of low temperatures. It
:09:07. > :09:10.will feel pretty raw for all of us. The combination of low temperatures
:09:11. > :09:15.and the strength of the wind coming in from the east. Tomorrow will be
:09:16. > :09:21.colder than it felt today. A few showers around, most of which will
:09:22. > :09:26.be rain but in some parts of East Devon and Somerset and Dorset there
:09:27. > :09:30.may be some snowflakes and wintry flurries in the wind but nothing
:09:31. > :09:36.that will settle. High pressure to the north of the United Kingdom
:09:37. > :09:42.keeps these easterly winds going. That is going to happen until
:09:43. > :09:45.Sunday. Temperatures are close to freezing tonight so quite a
:09:46. > :09:51.widespread frost pretty much everywhere. Along the south coast
:09:52. > :09:56.first thing tomorrow morning, the risk of a few showers. Most of those
:09:57. > :10:03.will be rain, as I say. Some sunny spells tomorrow but bands of clouds
:10:04. > :10:12.creeping in from the east that will keep things rather grey. It will be
:10:13. > :10:16.a brisk east or not easterly wind and that is with us again on
:10:17. > :10:21.Saturday. Another frost then another call today with the risk of a few
:10:22. > :10:27.wintry showers but also some sunshine from time to time so not
:10:28. > :10:31.too bad. Into next week we start to draw up some slightly less cold air
:10:32. > :10:40.from Spain and Portugal and noticed there is some yellow starting to
:10:41. > :10:45.show on Western France. Until next week it will be cold. Fingers
:10:46. > :10:47.crossed it gets warmer on Monday and Tuesday. Have a good night.
:10:48. > :10:52.Join us on Spotlight tomorrow to find out why almost two thirds
:10:53. > :10:54.of children in Devon could lose out under plans to change
:10:55. > :11:09.will turn a bit less cold again. All the way up seven Celsius.
:11:10. > :11:15.At this time of year we can often get the weather stories that reflect