question, but who'd shoot a cat? hopefully none of us. but there are people out there who would — and have. we are a nation of cat lovers, but our feline friends face a surprising menace — airguns. and they can leave cats maimed, or even dead. what pleasure can anyone possibly get from going out, and shooting an animal? i can't believe that someone would actually physically do it, you know, attack someone else's pet. i want to find out what compels anyone to shoot a cat. and what can be done to stop it. georgie! people just see you as a cat, but you're mummy‘s special baby boy, aren't you? this is george the cat at home near gloucester, after spending the last week in intensive care. george went out on boxing day morning, for his usual runaround. after about 15 minutes, he came back in, he was crying quite a lot. when he didn't improve, his owner, helen, took him to the vet. they gave him a shave, and that's when they saw that he had been injured. reseller, has he been bitten by something? they said, it's a pellet. so, the vet tells you your cat's been shot? we werejust gobsmacked, we were like, sorry? it was just... it was such a shock, we just couldn't believe it. george had a perforated gall bladder, a hole in his diaphragm, and a tear in his liver. he was rushed in for emergency surgery. it was a very long night waiting up for that call. it was three and a bit hours, but it seemed like a lifetime, just sat there waiting for the phone to ring. we felt sick, it was tearful, you just didn't know what to do with yourself. so, we've never got through so many tea bags in one evening! now back home, george is still very poorly. his belly held together with metal staples, and the pellets still lodged in his side. so, does helen have any idea who shot her cat? maybe someone got given a new toy for christmas, saw him and shot him. but the fact that the vets have said it was close—range is... i mean it's heartbreaking enough, but to hear that made me feel physically sick, that somebody got that close to him. yes, it's been the worst probably two weeks of my life. it's been absolutely horrendous, not just knowing who's notjust knowing if he was going to make it or not. in the forest of dean, i've come to meet a cat coming to terms with life—changing injuries. lily was shot last september, just a few streets from home. the pellet missed her heart by millimetres, but she lost her leg. how did you feel about what happened ? these are the pellets? pellets, pieces. where they shattered. there's quite a few of them. there is. they are quite big chunks. that a large piece, yeah. that was in my cat. can't believe that someone would actually physically do it. actually locally, as well. you know, attack someone else's pet. across england and wales, almost 2,000 cats have been shot in the last five years. but, that's just what gets reported. prosecution in relation to airgun offences, especially against cats, is really, really difficult. we more or less have to catch the people in the act. we can, nowadays, with forensics, match pellets up to air rifles, but, because there's no certification at the moment, we don't know who in certain areas actually owns those rifles. what the rspca wants is air rifle licensing, like they have in scotland. but, maybe the answer isn't legislation, but education. i've come to a pub in nailsea, in somerset, to see a gun club entirely for children, some, as young as eight. always keep the gun pointing in a safe direction, down—range. which way is downrange? that way! numberfour — never point a gun at anything new do not wish to destroy. so if i said to you, you are in your garden, shooting with an air rifle, shooting some cans, no. the f5 tesl! as; it will not work it here, it's unpoliceable. 0ur firearms departments are already overwhelmed with work. and they're on demand. adding this to licensing, it would actually inhibit the training and teaching and the education of the children. would you ever shoot a cat? no. why? because it's animal cruelty. what do you think you'll get from learning to shoot well, like as well as rob does? you can have good skills. we can teach our children not to kill things. explain to them not to shoot them, otherwise they will face a lot of not so nice consequences. and they'll have to suffer them. a couple of weeks on from his shooting, george is back at the vet. could you just lift up his front legs so i can have a look at the wound, first of all...? has he made the recovery helen so desperately wants? well done, that looks perfect. good boy. no reason why we can't take the staples out today. who is a brave boy, hey? number one. the wound runs almost the full length of his stomach. with no less than 11! staples holding it together. there's multiple ways he could have been killed by this, and he didn't, so, yes, he's pretty lucky to be alive, to be honest. it's such a relief, and he was so good in there, ijust can't believe how well he sat. it was amazing, it was quite tearful, because obviously, he's been through so much, and to see him well again,... ijust don't know what to say. i feel quite emotional, actually. glad to see george on the road to recovery, but tell us what you think. e—mail me at... when you've got to go, you've got to go. but where? this one is safe, but public toilets are disappearing fast. bbc radio bristol's emma britton is on the case. come on, then. wee—wee? good boy! my billy can go for a wee anywhere, but for us humans, we need to find a loo. ah, phew, this looks promising! let's go round the back. oh, it stinks around here. i wonder why! come on, billy. all of bristol's 18 roadside public toilets are due to close permanently, all at once, and in two days' time. the city's council does have a plan b, though — a community toilet scheme. local businesses are being asked to volunteer to open up their toilets to anyone and everyone. well, here's a cafe, let's see how i get on. 0h, billy! sorry! we've found very little evidence that the new scheme is ready to take over. come on. you've just come out of the cafe, what were you doing in there? well, i hadn't planned on going into the cafe. i only wanted to go to the ladies, but unfortunately, the good old toilets which we've relied on for years are locked, we had to end up buying coffee and a cake in order to go to the loo. unless you use the cafe, where are you going to go? way over on the other side, by the gorge, the thousands of people who enjoy the downs can still visit the toilets near the viewing point, but they, too, are on the council's list of closures. the toilets by the clifton suspension bridge are also due to be shut, even though they're used by streams of people every year! we visited one of the toilets due for closure, and have so far found none of the promised signs directing people to the nearest community toilet. over at st george park, these toilets have already shut. we discover there's some foul play going on, and the public are facing a health hazard. what has been causing you problems? lot of poo. dog poo? no, we have a big human poo problem. so, what kind of areas have you found the human poo in? everywhere. bottom of trees, side of paths... it's too far for the kids to walk, so they go wherever. people having barbecues, and parties, they go where they can go. this is a destination park, and people don't know where the nearest toilets are. giving us a map saying, go to the nearest pub, isn't go to help. so, can these community schemes were? schemes work? my next loo—cation is a converted toilet block in sea mills, which has operated for six years as a community cafe and toilet. i am here to meet professor clare, who is a world—renowned expert on public toilets. she's not impressed by the council's plans. as far as i can understand, there is no actual financial returns on this. there is no contribution from the council, which has occurred in some other local authorities. so, why would they want to do this? who would this impact the most? it would impact everyone, but some groups more than others. it affects tourists coming to the city. it affects commuters stuck in traffic for ages. people with incontinence problems. it particularly affects women more than men, because women have more reasons to use the toilet then men. women who are menstruating need the toilet more. women who are pregnant. look at small children and babies, they need the toilet, they have to have it pretty quick. lots and lots of people for years have depended on these toilets, and now they are suddenly going to find that they don't exist. so, this is a very real issue, and the council has not thought this through. here in shirehampton, i'm meeting two of the local residents personally affected by the toilet closures. i have inflammatory bowel disease, and i tend to have this with me, which i'm lucky to have. all i need to do is show this card and say, sadly i've got crohn's disease, can i use your loo, please? and the only time i have used it is because there hasn't been a public toilet or a cafe around. so, i've been lucky so far, but who knows in the future? ruth, tell me about your walking group? we basicallyjust walk and set the world to rights as we walk and go along. but, the walk leaders have to recce the walks, and they always know where the toilets are. we are all 55—plus. fresh air makes you want to go! yes, and you can't expect a small cafe to expect a dozen of people to come in and say, can we use your toilets? they're going to say no. do think that local businesses will sign up to be scheme that bristol city council are proposing? there are health and safety issues and the security issues. a lot of the toilets will be up the stairs, or at the back. so, i think the answer is going to be no. to find out for myself, i go across the road to the village cafe. mustafa, if someone came in to use job toilets, and they weren't a customer, what would you say to them? sorry, no, you can't use the toilet. why? because it's a customer's toilet. you wouldn't want anyone who isn't a customer to use it? no. what can i do? can't do anything, you know. time to head over to city hall. the toilets here are available to the public, just like they are in other council buildings, like the city museum. by closing the 18 street toilets, the council are saving £400,000. we have not invested in our toilets over many years, so a lot of them are in various states of disrepair. there is a lot of anti—social behaviour going on in them, and the alternative was to look at bringing in a community and business toilet scheme. in the cabinet papers it says... "a smooth transition from the existing arrangement to the new one, is very important." yep, it is. how many community businesses have signed up to the toilet scheme? we have got 12 businesses and community organisation signed up. we have over 20 pending. does that include bristol city council—owned buildings? it does. so, if you take them out of the equation, that doesn't sound like many. and the ones we visited, that are closing on 31st january, there is no signage, a) that they are closing, and b), where the nearest toilet is. people are quite literally going to be caught short? not necessarily. we still have a week to go. would it not be better to delay the closure, when you've got a viable community toilet nscheme up and running? it is simple to say that, but i am feeling confident that we will have a viable community scheme, and is one that is only going to grow and grow. is it all right if i use your loo? you can use the loo, go on! there is some late news. the committee that looks after the downs have agreed to look after the toilets there. but, elsewhere around the city, there are no signs of a reprieve. we are drinking more of somerset‘s finest every year, but how does it get from this to this? we've spent the last year on a legendary cider farm with a celebrity following. tucked away down a small muddy road near glastonbury lives a cider maker to the stars. and this year is a very special year. the farm is 100 years old. it's the start of a new season. lands end farm is in full colour, and the signs are, this year's crop is going to be a good one. i've been cider making cider now for over 50 years. i've never known two bumper crops of apples. and, at the moment, the way the blossom is looking, there's going to be another good crop again now. but two good harvests mean that roger is flooded with cider. i got 33,000 gallons. normally i only sell about 20,000 a year, but because we've had two bumper crops, we got the actual stock has built up! all this is cider, out here. really, we want a bad crop, this year, not too many! unless i can get some cider drinkers in to drink it! roger also has 120 head of cattle, but cider has always been the agricultural lubricant at the heart of the family farm. we've traditionally made cider on the farm since my grandfather came here in 1917. years ago, if you didn't have cider on the farm, you wouldn't get any workers, because workers would go around and try the cider, and who had the best cider, that's where they would go to work, because they got paid virtually in cider, cheese and potatoes years ago. that was the wages. by mid—july, the blossom has turned to apples, and it's the peak season for customs. roger has become a legendary figure in the somerset landscape, and visitors come from all over the world to drink his cider, and have a good chat. and, for some, this has been their local for decades. according to roger, 40 years, he's got a better memory than me! it's the same as it is now, when i first started coming here. except, roger's dad was around. but roger used to do all the running about! he was younger than! he has also had if you famous faces in to buy his cider. there is jamie oliver, there. that was about eight years ago, when he came in. i had johnny rotten in here. joe strummer used to come in here regularly, from the clash. lovely man. lily allen. he even had a visit from a mysterious graffiti artist. the people who came in, asked me to turn everybody out at eight o'clock at night, asked me if they can put a painting on the wall. it is supposed to be me! i shall never take it off, anyway. well, we have kept the prices down, we haven't put them up for three years, but there's such a glut of cider out there, at the end of the day you've got to be able to sell it. no good making it and not sell it. years ago, proper cider, you could sell no trouble at all, but unfortunately, now... now, they all want it clear and fizzy and sweet and weak. a0 years ago, all the old boys would not have looked at all this factory cider, they would have tipped it down the drain. the apple season has started now, beginning of september. i don't aim to shake any apples at all. the good lord put them up there, and the good lord will let them down. when the apples drop, that's when they're right. this is a hell of an orchard, we have got to pick them up by hand. i used to pick—up apples when i left school, 18, 19 years old. that was the big hessian bags then. years ago, i used to carry them all down on my shoulder, bloody hard work. a lot of people walk away, they don't want work do ‘em? they say, he's out there picking up those apples, i couldn't do that. i would rather be up there, then sat in an office on a bloody computer, isaid. the harvest takes three months, but it's not all sunshine, as roger will be working away in his noisy barn. we cut the bags of apples, we tip them into this hopper. at the top of the elevator, there is a high—speed crusher. the apple pulp comes down through this stainless steel hopper, and into these... into these nylon cloths. that is roughly 100 weight of apple pulp on each layer. when we've built up the 12 layers, we put it on the trolley, put it up under the press. the press actually presses it 3,500lb a square inch. it's called a 100 tonne press. about 20 minutes, he's pressed out dry. good stuff. this year, roger also celebrates his 70th birthday, but how many years will he keep making cider? i'm hoping that my grandson will keep doing it. i shall keep doing it until i die. as long as i am fit, i will work. when i die, that'll be up to they. he's taking an interest, and that, now. so i'm hoping he's going to take over. we feed all the apple pulp to the beef cattle so there's nothing wasted. it's sweet as a nut, and the cows absolutely love it. it'll be mad later here, when they all get in there and start dancing and singing! it's mid—january, and the night of roger's famous wassail. it's an old tradition that's supposed to be to get all the evil spirit away. spirit away and to get a good apple crop. leading the facilities this year, is a new old father time. you're not here to have fun, you're here to make sure that we get a good harvest next year. if the apple trees fail, we all have no cider next year. then we'll have to start doing all sorts of things like burning virgins in wickerman and all sorts of stuff. to refresh the soil! 0ur queen will pour this cider from last year's labours around the base of the tree! to welcome back the birds and small creatures to our orchard! the big finale to ward off those evil spirits. as the dust settles on the wassail, the question is, has this year been a success? record crowd this time i think. more than we've ever had before. i have come from selby, 260 miles. it is quite a long round—trip. it is quite unlike any where you'll find in the west country. it is amazing. i think roger is an institution in somerset. it is what somerset is all about. well, that's it for tonight. thank you for watching. we'll see you next week. cheers! ina pub in a pub next to a fire wassail there are worst places to be this afternoon! it is cold and damp across much of the uk, with some snow in the higher parts of england and into scotland. there are some heavy showers in parts of west wales and the south—west of england. northern ireland and western scotland, brightening up a bit. there will be some breaks in the cloud developing elsewhere overnight, as the rain, sleet and hill snow starts to peter out, leading to a touch of frost and some iced, particularly in eastern england just on sunday, nine o'clock in the morning, there will be some cloud around in scotland. starting off with some sunny spells to the west in northern ireland. you may just find there is drizzle and sleep and like snow on the higher hills. wintry showers coming into eastern parts of england on a cold north—easterly wind. further west, some sunny north—easterly wind. further west, some sunny spells coming through. very able cloud and sunshine on what isa very able cloud and sunshine on what is a much drier and brighter sunday to come for most of us. —— variable. 0n to come for most of us. —— variable. on this cold, north—easterly wind, it will have an impact on the feel of the weather. factoring in the wind, parts of east anglia will feel close to freezing. we need to watch these showers on sunday night and into monday in south—east england, because they will turn to snow in places. the risk of ice on monday morning, and many places are starting cold and frosty on monday. but it will be a mostly fine winter's day. looking to the north—west for the next weather system going into tuesday, bringing rain and increasingly sleet and snow at weakening as it does so. another weather system to watch in the week ahead, which is shaping up to be another cold week, with frosty nights and as the weather systems move in, that risk of some sleet and snow. there are met office warnings for snow and ice in parts of the uk, and you can find details of those on our website. ina this is bbc news. i'm rebecca jones. the headlines at 3.00pm. the head of the fbi has defended its work, after a classified memo was released accusing it of bias against president trump — and abuse of power. i think it's terrible — you want to know the truth, i think it's a disgrace what's going on in this country. i think it's a disgrace. after getting caught in a scuffle with protesters last night, conservative mpjacob rees—mogg accuses the treasury of ‘fiddling' its figures on brexit. six migrants have been injured after a gunman opened fire from a car in the central italian city of macerata. the gunman has been arrested. northamptonshire council has imposed emergency spending controls because of what it describes as severe financial challenges. bad news for fans and papa—papa—razzi as illness forces lady gaga to cancel the last ten dates of the european

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