The Ministry of Defence confirms new nuclear-capable war planes are coming to RAF Marham in Norfolk We find out what the base’s neighbours think.
In the second of our special reports looking at “A Word’s Worth”, The National Literacy Trust calls for an end of the “cycle of poor literacy” that’s being passed through generations – and is twice as likely to affect people in disadvantaged households.
There is a warning from optometrists that children’s eyes are being put at risk because parents can’t convince them to keep their sunglasses on.
And as the Royal Norfolk Show kicks off for another year, farmers hope to show the younger generation that it’s not all doom and gloom in the industry.
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[Music] now the latest ITV news in the Anglia region [Music] Hello good evening and welcome to ITV News Anglia
Here’s a look at tonight’s main stories
The Ministry of Defense confirms new nuclear capable war plananes are coming to Marum What do the base’s neighbors think I’m not sort of bothered about the noise and everything Just just the consequences There’s nothing I can do about it It’s it’s a risk I’m willing to take
I’m not 100% pleased about it but the world is in a very dodgy place at the moment People were interested in my story
Calls to end the cycle of poor literacy that’s being passed through generations and is twice as likely to affect people in disadvantaged households Low literacy in adulthood is a huge impact If you don’t have the literacy skills to do a good application you’re not getting that job The sun’s out the cream’s applied but how important is it to make sure children wear sunglasses as well [Music] And they’re off But the Royal Norfolk Show 2025 we’ll have the Ham National and loads more farming fun later in the program [Music] Hello from David and me Welcome to the program First tonight the West Norvik Air Base is set to be at the forefront of the UK’s expanded nuclear deterrent The government has announced it plans to buy 12 new fighter jets to be based at RAF Marram near Kings Linn which are capable of carrying the weapons It comes as the prime minister meets other NATO leaders at a summit in the Hague where he said the UK can no longer take peace for granted Well in a moment we’ll speak to our political correspondent Emma Hutchinson who’s in Westminster But first Andy Ward is at RAF Marm Andy good evening So what do we know about these new jets so far Well David as you can see it says home of the Lightning Force here and RAF Marm has been home of the F35B fighter jets since 2018 Uh but today it’s been confirmed it will also become the new base of a new and improved version of that aircraft the F35A Now the key difference between the old jets which hopefully you can see on the screen now and the new ones is that the F35s uh will have the capability to carry nuclear bombs Now this is a big deal because currently the UK’s only nuclear weapons are submarine-based which is why the government wants to buy 12 of these jets to increase its options Well as you’d expect today’s news has angered anti-uclear campaigners including Sue Wright from Norwich Absolute horror I was so angry and and scared Nuclear weapons can destroy the world And just the thought of you know one nuclear weapon being set off it wouldn’t be one It would be a series once one is fired um or one is exploded there would be a succession of others which could lead to Armageddon So Andy we know the jets are going to be based at RAF Mar but how about the weapons themselves Uh well David that’s something we don’t know and it’s also something we’re unlikely to find out either Uh we did ask the Ministry of Defense but it’s long been their policy to neither confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location But what we do know is that the bombs on board will be American and that means the UK would need permission from America and NATO if they were going to fire them Now it’s an anxious time for villages surrounding Marm including Sheldon and people I spoke to there today were pretty philosophical really about what it could mean for them It’s something that has to happen I guess um moving forward and the world is in a very um a very dodgy place at the moment
There’s nothing I can do about it It’s it’s a risk I’m willing to take you know
I suppose it’s selfish to say I don’t I’m not sort of bothered about the noise and everything just just the consequences Locals realistic about the future then and uh people I spoke to earlier including one counselor believe this is a show of faith in Maram and the people who work here I welcome any investment in Maram as an air base to secure it sustainability and its future It’s a very important part of the local area and uh you know it provides a great boost to the economy If I remember correctly uh we get 149 million pounds into the local economy just from having that air base here So it is an important part of uh you know life here We’re used to it We value it and we value having it here Well critics argue this will strengthen the UK’s nuclear deterrent but critics argue it will just make this place even more of a target Okay Andy thank you very much Well let’s speak now to our political correspondent Emma Hutchinson Good evening Emma So a big investment then in our defense Why now And how are they going to pay for it then
Well why now Politicians say we live in a more dangerous more unpredictable world And these jets with their capacity to carry nuclear weapons will sit alongside our own nuclear deterrent They will be part of the NATO nuclear mission though they would only ever be used in collaboration with in agreement with other NATO countries The prime minister says this is primarily about our safety and security But for MPs in Norfolk this is also about jobs and investment It marks the return of the RAF to nuclear deterrence for the first time in three decades representing the biggest strengthening of our deterrence posture in a generation We’re talking about 20,000 jobs that will be supported around the country but particularly for us here in Norolk That’s over 100 businesses supported This is good for the local economy but also good for our country in terms of national security As for how this is all going to be paid for we already know the government is committed to increasing defense spending Today the prime minister Saki Dharma went further saying that in 10 years time he promises to be spending 5% of GDP on national security So the money will come from savings in other departments So we already know there will be a cut to the foreign aid budget We can also expect spending in other departments perhaps other public services spending to be squeezed
Okay Emma thank you very much
Some more days news now Families of children with special educational needs have held a protest outside Suffach County Council They say too many Sen pupils have been left without a suitable school place for September The council says it’s continuing to have conversations with affected families but children like Tula are worried My struggles in school is like how many people in the class and um I need to be in an autistic school because I’m autistic and um and um in an autistic school there’d be like 10 children in a class The last four years have been awful trying to fight for her to get the help she needs The teachers pretty much didn’t know how to deal with her and the school said they couldn’t do any more for her which isn’t good enough Two illegal cannabis farmers who grew 4.5 million pounds worth of the drug in Norfolk have been jailed for 2 years each 26-year-old Rock Jash and 30-year-old Chefkin Kra Niki were arrested during a warehouse raid on the West Car Road Industrial Estate in Great Ellingham Police seized 154 kg of dried cannabis and more than 1,700 plants Next tonight a call to end the cycle of poor literacy that’s being passed through the generations According to the National Literacy Trust in deprived areas more than one in three adults struggle with reading which can impact employment and finances
It can also lead to a lack of confidence in supporting their child’s learning affecting their future opportunities as well As Victoria Lampard found out in the second of our special reports looking at a word’s worth PIP Yeah So what’s the So PIP would be without the E So
pipe perfect
Tony is one of two million adults in this country who struggle with their reading As a child his family traveled and he never received the support he needed Scared to pick up a book and then later in life relying on the help of others to get a job
The application form I can fill out some of it but not all of it So I took it away either family or friends mainly friends anyway help me fill it out
So what word do you think we’re getting there
At the age of 59 Tony has turned to Read Easy Norfolk for help He spends an hour a week with his coach Helena She’s one of the volunteers using a phonics based program to support adults on their reading journey It
might be environmentally they didn’t have access to books or literature They may have had generational um kind of ongoing literacy issues I guess with parents or grandparents having similar um challenges and difficulties It might be um a learning disability that wasn’t well supported at school So there can be a whole host of different reasons why people get to adulthood without that confidence and without that literacy skills that can see them you know reaching their full potential And not being able to read seriously impacts the type of job someone can get and what they earn According to the National Literacy Trust it’s a cycle because the impact on literacy for children living in disadvantaged households is striking In the East one in five pupils not eligible for free school meals left primary school without the expected level of reading But for pupils who are eligible for free school meals it was two in five meaning twice as many children from disadvantaged homes left primary school without a decent level of reading
Breaking the cycle of intergenerational low literacy is critical It not only means that children are more likely to do well in school and their future life but actually as well as earning more they’re going to be healthier they’re going to be happier Low literacy in adulthood is a huge impact in the in the job market I mean the number of applicants per job you know in the tens in the hundreds If you don’t have the literacy skills to do a good application you’re not getting that job
Here at the Salvation Army in Harage they’re also helping to turn the tide across the country Their employment plus scheme supports individuals to overcome obstacles and fulfill their ambitions We had a gentleman who came in who was uh very stressed out because um he had a team’s interview with a a local warehouse company Um and he couldn’t read actually read the invite or see the times Um and so we actually did the team’s interview together Um and I sort of helped prompt him and um he got offered the job at the end of the interview
Shall we have a look and see what we’re going to choose next
Yes
Back in Norwich and Tony’s reading journey is going very well The words that I got stuck on I just flew by I’m really I’m proud of myself
He now wants others to know there is hope and it’s never too late for change Victoria Lampard ITV News
And we can have the book
Well you can catch up on our series on literacy in schools on our streaming service ITVX and read more about the reading crisis on our website Just head to itv.com/anglia The third and final report looking at literacy in prisons will be on tomorrow’s program Okay you’re watching ITV News in the Anglia region Thank you for joining us this evening Still to come
Yeah as always we’re covering all the major angles on the top stories as the pig takes on Pikachu Pikachu in the lead there Snoop Hog and Albert Swinstein Come bring it up the rear And a hot humid night to come with the possibility of the odd rumble of thunder I’ll have all the details coming up shortly The heat’s getting to you
I think it is Yeah Well we don’t know what happened there Uh it wasn’t me Uh well we kind of go from that to veganism There we go Uh the subline to the ridiculous It’s veganism on the decline Uh one recent market research study claims that there has been a drop of more than a third in those saying they live a vegan lifestyle in the last 5 years Well the Vegan Society rejects that claim and instead insists even more non-vegans are embracing plant-based foods Nick Smith reports Whether it’s for health lifestyle or ethical reasons veganism encompasses all things plant-based But a study of 40,000 people by a consumer insights group estimates the share of those following a vegan diet has dropped by 40% since 2021 Although there has been a 30% rise in flexitarians people cutting down on meat rather than giving it up entirely At this vegan cafe in Hston in Norfolk the owner says she hasn’t seen a customer drop off as those coming through the door are happy to try the recipes It’s surprisingly okay because 95% of my customers are non-vegans So and they just like the whole food homemade So my business comes through them and it’s been it’s been good I have some vegans as well that come in but the majority are non-vegans
But other vegan eeries have suffered For instance Neat a plant-based burger chain backed by Lewis Hamilton shut down its remaining UK sites last month Those of the Vegan Society say it’s a sign of shifting trends in veganism away from imitation meats which can be expensive to produce We don’t think that there’s a decline that we think this kind of continuing uplift and perhaps veganism has just become a bit more mainstream a bit more normal and kind of less remarkable for people It definitely seems to us that there’s been an increase in vegetarians And I would credit that to the much broader range of options now You’ll be able to find lots of things you can eat and that was just not the case you know 10 years ago This vegan restaurant was on the brink of closure in January but a social media appeal saw many clients return and bring their friends meaning it has enjoyed a resurgence We advertised that we were closing down and it was your last chance to come in and we had a huge response from the community Um they came in and helped us reopen So we’ve actually now been open again for 2 months now For our clientele base I would say it’s about onethird vegans and then it’s about onethird of people coming in with their vegan friend to try veganism And then we have one-third of people who walk in the doors and don’t even know it’s vegan
The popularity of veganism itself may be down to personal definitions But meat consumption is certainly on a downward trend falling to its lowest levels for 50 years according to UK government data So our overall diets might be slowly shifting to embrace more plant-based Nick Smith ITV News
I think they got a good point there because people just don’t go on about it anymore Just kind of have it because it’s healthy food and people enjoy it
Absolutely
Nice broad range of things
indeed Right the ITV Evening News is at 6:30 Here are the headlines with Lucretzia Coming up on tonight’s ITV Evening News a man is found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Andurin during a samurai sword rampage in Hano last year ITV News uncovers a startling rise of ketamine addiction amongst children as young as 12 And arise sareth the former England boss gets a nighthood Join me for those stories and more at 6:30 [Music] Well summer is here and the recent heatwave has had parents reaching for their children’s hats and sun cream but many are forgetting something we’re told is equally important Sunglasses
Yeah The College of Optometrists is concerned about the large number of children not wearing them warning it could damage eyes and have long-term effects on their vision Lauren Hall has this
The sun’s out and sunglasses are on at Dover Court Beach in Essex Whether they stay on is another matter
I have tried to keep my children in sunglasses ever since they were probably a year old Uh the practicality of it and them getting forgotten or chewed or broken means that we’re constantly replacing them I do think it is important
but not everyone realizes how important In a new survey more than half of parents in the Anglia region say their child doesn’t wear sunglasses And half admit they’re not fully aware of the dangers of exposing their child’s eyes to UV rays That’s despite children here spending on average almost 4 hours a day outside during the summer holidays The problem is children’s eyes are more vulnerable to sunlight Even small amounts over time increases their risk of developing cataracts and other vision problems later in life So with children particularly their pupils tend to be a lot bigger than those of adults And the lens inside their eye are a lot clearer which means a lot more UV light can go through the eye into the back of the eye And that’s why it’s so important that wearing good quality sunglasses which have the um adequate UV protection can protect those eyes
Good choice Well done Parents are being advised to only buy sunglasses from reputable places and take extra care online watching out for fakes or anything that could be poor quality
They look really nice
Ala who’s three is trying some on at her local optitionians and seems to be enjoying herself
I just think it’s really important to protect their eyes from such a young age and I also think they look really good
And can you show me your favorite ones
Can you put them on What do you think A must-h have accessory that experts say every child should be wearing this summer
Lauren Hall ITV News Join the sun Uh now time for some A47 tailbacks occasionally Uh prizewinning Norfolk horns and the always hotly contested pig race the ham national Those are of course just a smattering of the ingredients of a typical Royal Norfolk show the annual feast of all things food and farming which got underway this morning
Yeah 80,000 are expected over the next two days And uh one key ingredient I think to the Norfolk show is always Rob Settle cuz Rob if you don’t get this gig there’s I know there’s uproar So you’ve got it and you and you always love being there don’t you mate How could anyone resist this event David When what are we 20 6 still events going on here in the Grand Ring In the last hour we’ve gone from pony racing to a steam engine rally to something a bit more high-flying that’s setting up at the minute We’ve got the motorcycle display team preparing for their second show of the day Now at its heart this is still very much a county show a crucial opportunity for farmers to get together to discuss issues to share the best of what they do and also to inspire the next generation Jamie got his first sheep when he was three He loves animals so he loves the Royal Norfolk Show
My auntie um was a vet and she she was like doing all vetty stuff and then we got into sheep and then we bought some sheep and then eventually we got into showing
What do you love about it I like that it’s a challenge and it’s not really easy So you don’t just come first every time Well you can’t really be a farmer if you don’t love a challenge Whether it’s climate change or tax change the issues in agriculture at the moment are well documented So there’s a feeling shows like this one are even more vital to show the next generation that farming can also be fun And what could be more fun than this the Ham National Pig Racing This year’s favorite Streaky You might just be able to see him here He’s got a camera on him for a pig’s eye view [Music] We think that doing things like this and getting kids involved and getting them involved in us messing around with exercises getting them racing the pigs with us just brings a fun element to it and just shows everyone but the younger generation as well that you can have a lot of fun with farming [Music] [Applause] [Music] This is the largest two-day agricultural show in the country And it’s swept in this morning with its normal fusion of food farming and falcons That’s the RAF display team who like to make an entrance And just like the parachutists it seemed to go down well
Best thing so far probably the pig saying the animals We went to the STEM 10 Um and uh I we got keychains and lots of stickers Learning about engineering and robotics I ate an ice cream
Will took on the running of his family farm near Long Stratton in 2017 He says it is tough but it is also amazing
The next generation are obviously going to look at the stress that their parents are going through and they’re going to obviously worry But I truly believe that there’s a quite a positive outlook for farming and um there’s an awful lot of opportunity out there if you know where to find it Every little kid loves a tractor at age six You know my my four-year-old you ask him “Are you going to be a farmer?” And he says “I am a farmer.” And after a day of sunshine and show jumping pig racing and parachuting hot competition and cool dogs tonight a few more youngsters might just be saying they’d like to be farmers too Now obviously the Ham National was a pretty difficult act to follow but these guys are giving it a good go the motorcycle display team And we’ve got Mark Nicholas joining us Mark Long the voice of this show How’s the show done this year Rob We’ve had a fantastic day and I think we’re on course for our strongest show uh since uh co so that’s 5 years ago now just looking across the board at record attendance record trade stands businesses organizations here the show’s been absolutely packed and the perfect family day out
it’s a huge boost to Norfolk isn’t it if you get a good show economically
it is and we know that the show is worth uh over20 million pounds a year as a positive economic hit to uh the city and the county so there’s plenty of good economic reasons to be holding the show I can’t help but feel like we’re missing our own show here by having this discussion But it’s also themed this year around food and drink isn’t it
Yeah that’s right And what the show is able to do is to directly connect 80,000 consumers with primary producers in the hope that people can learn a little bit more about where their food comes from And
what I want to know though I just want to know what you had for lunch
I can tell you exactly what I had for lunch I had a a beautiful piece of beef and a little bit of Norfolk wine
Oh beautiful Just book me in for next year Look if you’ve got the appetite if you’ve got the energy they’ll do it all again tomorrow
A cracken Rob Thanks ever so much Always great to be at the show We’ve had so many great things in our program tonight Rob thank you
That was incredible that display And I tell you what they’ve had some warm weather for it haven’t they Warm warm What is going on there though So I’ I’ve asked some of you today how you’re coping with the heat at night And this picture has been around for actually a number of you these types of pictures have been around It’s called heat dumping or pancaking And it’s about trying to cool off This is what the squirrels do to do it Okay
Just I know so much about the weather about heat I know when it’s coming I know the hottest nights And I am struggling in the heat But I did ask you for some of your tips today We know
Should have asked a squirrel obviously
Interesting Yeah Interesting People say they try and fall asleep with the fan but it wakes them up Some people have portable air conditioning units A damp towel an ice cold uh hot water bottle lots of things to do But it’s just it’s hot And you know the reason I mention it is tonight is going to be exceptionally hot The humidity is building overnight Tomorrow morning temperatures only dropping back to around 19° C It’s a tow forecast Here’s the details [Music] Greater Anglia sponsors ITV Anglia weather Yes Another warm humid feeling day Always a little bit of sunshine out there Skies like this for most of us this morning This was taken in St Ives but equally there’s been a good deal of cloud around but it hasn’t stopped it feeling quite warm and quite humid Now as we head through the next 12 hours there’s going to be a push of even more humid air But let’s just take a look at the air mass and the jetream The jetream briefly sinks south across the UK and it’s going to introduce something a little bit fresher by tomorrow afternoon As we head into Thursday evening however this jetream is going to push its way northwards And with that we see the return of some fairly humid air As we head through the rest of this evening then always a little bit of cloud around and the possibility of one or two showers and the odd rumble of thunder as well But all the while with this push of air from the south that’s coming from France there’s a push of humidity as well This is how temperatures are looking at 5:00 a.m in the morning Astonishingly warm Temperatures around 19° C So quite an uncomfortable night’s sleep I think for many of us Now as we head through Thursday bright and sunny spells always breezy and always the chance of one or two showers around as well But into the afternoon very briefly and suddenly there’s going to be something a little bit fresher on the way Temperatures though still well above average highs of 25 degrees Normally we’d expect temperatures to be around 20 or 21 degrees C Now here your times of high water Chromemer is at 20 to 8 in the morning and then again 20 8 tomorrow evening Let’s briefly take a look then at Friday Dry fine day Lots of sunshine around Some very high humidity levels as well and temperatures easily getting up to around 27° C And then into the outlook It stays warm It stays breezy It stays humid as well with highs of 27 over the weekend Greater Anglia sponsors ITV Anglia weather [Music] Making the most of summer Perry sponsors ITV pollen count So many of us suffering from hay fever at the moment The main source of hay fever and pollen is coming from grass and it’s going to be high as we head through Thursday Friday and into Saturday as well Okay we’re going to end on this If we’re going to see a stunt before No they’re finished It’s a typical isn’t it Typical Typical
You should have seen what we just saw It was great
Have a lovely evening Bye
They’re done [Music]