05/09/2011 East Midlands Today

Dominic Heale and Anne Davies. Our top story tonight, losing benefit

and losing patience. Dave Hardwick is appealing against the loss of

his disability allowance but there's a huge backlog.

I have to wait 15 months for an appeal against a Government

decision, totally wrong. Also tonight, doing the rounds, the "do

not disturb" vests helping nurses to help patients.

Plus how the 9/11 attacks changed everything for this Nottinghamshire

fire fighter. It changed my life massively and it has taken hours

and hours of not only my life but my family's life as well.

summer goes out with a bang. The excitement, the ups and downs and

Good evening and welcome to East Midlands Today. First tonight, a

pensioner stripped of �100 per week in benefits says he's being forced

to wait 15 months to appeal against the decision. Dave Hardwick from

Derbyshire has written to the Prime Minister to complain about the

delay. But the Government admits there's now a backlog of 180,000

cases in the benefit appeals system. Pensioner Dave Hardwick has

arthritis, diabetes and other health problems but the Government

has stopped part of his Disability Living Allowance earlier this year.

He claims that has stripped him of around �100 per week. He is

appealing against the decision but has been told it will take 15

months to go to a tribunal. I am existing but I am just existing,

but people desperately need this money who are far worse off than me

and to wait 15 months for an appeal against a Government decision? It

is totally wrong. He has also written directly to the Prime

Minister to complain about the long wait for his tribunal to be heard.

He has not had a reply. He says he is now living on his state pension

of around �136 per week. Put money so tight that he has to limit the

amount of diesel he puts into his brand new mobility car. A car paid

for by the benefits system. I have to go to hospital in Derby four

times every few weeks and at the end of the day, that is the only

diesel I can afford so I can't use it for getting around and

socialising. The Government's tribunal services there has been a

large number of increases in tribunal cases going to appeal. The

backlog stands at around 180,000 cases. More than half of them are

the result of people being denied incapacity benefit. Something which

Dave Hardwick was not even claiming. He now wants more resources put

into the tribunal system to cut waiting times.

To discuss that case and the wider issues, I'm joined now by David

Jones, the East Midlands treasurer for the National Pensioners

Convention pressure group. That is a long title! How unusual is this

case, Dave Hardwick - a pensioner being caught up in a backlog of

tribunal cases, more than half of them to do with incapacity benefit,

a benefit that Dave Hardwick wasn't even claiming? It is not quite as

unusual as you think but I know of one in Gloucestershire and I known

nationally they have been picking up a lot around the country.

Sometimes they are connected to the disability side which is a real

problem. The upshot is that Dave is left with basically a state pension,

is that enough given that he needs help? Absolutely not. It is bad

enough for a normal pension are to be on the basic pension. Our

position is that the basic state pension should be above the poverty

level which is �178, that would get rid of means testing and that

catches people out because if you lose means testing you lose

everything. Is there anything that can be done about this 15 month

wait? The Government has brought people in because they were aware

that there would be so many people. The national pensions have been on

to the Government already and a few months ago, they got a standard

reply, they will look at it and they will come back at how they

will look at recruiting. My own personal view of this now thinking

about it, they need to separated from the tribunal and have a

separate way of dealing with it. It is actually going to get worse. It

really is. And people who have been denied their benefits, they will

have to wait all this time for an appeal and in the meantime, will

they get the money back if it is found in your favour? The big

question. Let's hope so that is not the problem, the real problem is

the fact they have not got things to live on and very often they need

care. To be able to have that money particularly if they have got a

personal budget, they have got a problem, where do they go? We will

leave at there, but Dave, thanks Three men have been sentenced for

their part in placing a pig's head near the site of a proposed mosque

in Nottinghamshire. Nottingham magistrates heard that the offence

was racially and religiously aggravated. All three defendants

today were fined, another defendant was given a suspended prison

sentence in July, for his part in On 23rd June this year, a woman and

her young daughter were walking around Collington way in West

Bridgford. As they passed this piece of land, earmarked for a

possible mosque they found a pig's head stuck on a pole with two

deeply offensive words written on the pig. On the ground was spray-

painted "no mosque here, EDL Nottinghamshire". 41-year-old Wayne

and 20 when -- 22-year-old seen here in light coloured coats and

20-year-old Robert seen here on the right with a tie. All three

admitted the role in racially and religiously aggravated harassment.

The judge said all three of you should be ashamed, very ashamed.

The court also heard on armed forces Day on Nottingham, two days

after the pigs had incident, Wayne also shouted highly insulting

phrases at some Muslims who set up a stall in Nottingham city centre.

For his part in both these incidents, the man with glasses was

given fines and costs. Nicholas Long was given fines and costs of

�300 as was Adam. In July, another defendant was given a suspended

prison sentence for his part in place in the pig's head.

Police have arrested a third person in connection with a stabbing in

Derby. A 22-year-old man was stabbed on Saturday night at

Sunnyhill Avenue outside an off- licence. Police say he is in a

serious but stable condition in hospital. A 15-year-old boy was

arrested last night. Two men are also being questioned.

Coming up later, the tenth anniversary of 9/11. We meet an

East Midlands fireman whose life was changed forever by the attack

It's an important week for Bombardier and its workforce in

Derby. On Wednesday MPs will begin an inquiry into why the firm missed

out on the �1.4 billion Thameslink contract. But ahead of that, it's

emerged that over 800 UK companies that supply Bombardier could also

be badly hit. Here's our chief news The effect of the Government's

decision to award the huge Thameslink contract to the German

firm Siemens has already been felt at Bombardier with the loss of

1,400 jobs at its Derby base. The Canadian owners are also reviewing

their UK operations. But the wider knock-on effects are still emerging.

According to the Unite union, the ripples from Derby have spread to

suppliers across the UK from as far apart as Edinburgh and London,

taking in major cities such as Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester

and Nottingham. Even places not usually associated with train-

making such as Weston-super-Mare in Somerset and Horsham in West Sussex

will be affected. The union estimates that around 830 firms

will be hit putting up to 10,000 jobs nationwide under potential

threat. Tomorrow the union will publish a survey of suppliers which

will show that a large percentage are laying off staff and fear for

the future. And Derby City Council says it's proposing to financially

support any judicial review brought by Unite. Despite mass protests,

the Prime Minister won't budge, insisting the contract was awarded

fairly in accordance with EU rules. 200 people will travel down on a

special train from Derby on Wednesday in the hope the Transport

Select Committee will disagree with the PM and recommend a retendering

of the contract. A man serving a life sentence for

murder has absconded from Sudbury Prison in Derbyshire. 41-year-old

Steven Blissett failed to return to the prison yesterday after being

released on a temporary licence. He was sentenced to life imprisonment

for murder in 1997. He's described as five-foot-eight with a slim

build. 36-year-old Mark Carter has also absconded. He's described as

five-foot-ten with a medium build and a Midlands accent.

Officers investigating a fire that broke out at a disused school in

Nottingham say it was started deliberately. Firefighters were

called to the Old Becket School in West Bridgford just after seven

last night. As this viewer's footage shows, the fire was started

in a wooden portable classroom. The building has been unused since the

school moved to a new site two years ago. No-one was hurt. The

Government has approved plans to close two walk-in centres for the

NHS despite local opposition. The Nottinghamshire NHS Trust announced

it wanted to close the care be in Ashfield and Stapleford centres

earlier this year but the county council referred the matter to

ministers. The Health Secretary says the centre's can close as long

as the local health services which remain offer the same quality or

possibly even better. Hospital managers say patient

safety has improved since nurses started wearing "do not disturb"

vests whilst doing drug rounds. Some patients groups have

criticised the idea. But anecdotal evidence in Derby suggests staff

have been able to focus better on delivering medication because of

fewer interruptions. Our health This might appeal to many workers,

the first version of what nurses walk on the Derby Hospital's drug

round. It was decided to keep the concept of "do not disturb" but

give an explanation. To put the programmes on there. Here's the

garment second version brought in. Patients do not see red, it is

aimed at them and deterring staff from interrupting. It reduces the

risk of mistakes. It has made a definite improvement. Not many

people interrupting us which is vital. Derby hospitals say it has

reduced errors by 10% but could not be specific on exact numbers.

Across the NHS in England and Wales, 133,000 drug mistakes were admitted

last year. That is an average of 364 per day. In Derby, people had

seen the sense of bringing in the garment. I know I would be

reassured that they are giving everything there for concentration.

Does this give the right message to patients? Surely nurses should be

able to multi- task. If we have got patients who require assistance

which is non urgent, there are always other people who are able to

assist the patient with that. Increasing numbers of hospitals are

using similar versions. In Leicester, it is used in selected

It does make you stop and not speak to them when they are doing the

drug grounds. Probably a good idea. School catchment areas in Leicester

are to be reviewed for the first time in more than a decade. The

move comes after a family were refused a place for their son at a

primary school on their street. Andy and Louise Cooper now have to

drive 75 miles a week to take their son Charlie to a school on the

other side of the city. Victoria The Coopers have their own tale to

tell when it comes to school catchment boundaries. This is

George, their eldest son Charlie has been at school today. But not

at the school on their Street. That is considered out of catchment.

spent hours and hours fight in the council, writing to them, trying to

get anybody to see sense but we are in an absurd situation. All the

children on the street walking past our house to the school, or

Charlie's friends and neighbours going to the school, and Charlie

Knott. I can show you why this is an absurd situation. You only have

to walk 100 metres down to the bottom of the street and there it

is, and entrance to the school. Montrose primary school. But this

street has a bizarre catchment area. That side is considered in

catchment, and the sad that the Coopers is considered out of

catchments of the school was not able to offer charlie Cooper a

place despite two appeals. Today, the Mayor of Leicester has ordered

a review of catchment areas in the City to stop a situation like this

happening again. Once the review is completed, we have an opportunity

to put it into place and to make sure of that by this time next year,

the situation which is frankly appalling, having neglected these

catchment areas, is put right and we are able to make sure that

children are able, particularly on the doorstep of a school, to attend.

It is shocking and disgusting how we have been treated. Thankfully

today, it seems that our hard work has paid off and this will affect

and benefit all families in Leicester and that, I am very

pleased about. Well this review may come too late for the Coopers, many

more families in the City could A new crackdown on metal theft in

Derbyshire has led to the arrest of eight people in the first 24 hours.

Derbyshire Police launched Operation Calanthia after a surge

in metal thefts from homes, churches and railway lines. Four

men were arrested on a disused train track in North Derbyshire on

Friday. Four teenagers were also arrested in Castle Gresley in South

Derbyshire, after lead was found to be missing from homes.

More than �6 million is to be spent trying to boost businesses in

Leicester. The city council's offering cash grants to

organisations that can support and advise fledgling firms. It comes

after the city secured European funding to help the local economy.

Another �2 million is to be spent improving city streets and public

It's ten years this weekend since the attacks on the Twin Towers in

New York and as we know it, 9/11, sent shockwaves right around the

world. This week we're meeting people here in the East Midlands

whose lives were changed forever. From terror attacks here in the UK

to troops serving abroad or even something as mundane as catching a

flight, we've all been affected by the security crackdown. For more,

let's join our social affairs correspondent, Jeremy Ball, who's

I was watching TV and it was an unbelievable sight. The guys were

going in and the towers were going down, you knew there would be fatal

it is. 2002 was the first anniversary of 9/11, I was

wondering what I could do myself. Down at Ground Zero we met a lot of

people from New York, firefighters and we got talking to each other,

exchanging gifts and T-shirts and caps and things like that. And I

managed to make a few friends and we kept in touch. Mark soon got

invited to help out with a firefighters' charity. It collects

used fire fighting equipment for countries where it is desperately

needed. I went to see the chief at that time and asked him if we could

help the foundation. Some of the kit has gone to the Philippines,

they used to fight fires in flip- flops and short. And we helped out

in the floods in New Orleans as well. 9/11 has changed my life

massively and it has taken hours and hours of not only my life but

my family's life as well. And as New York commemorates the twin

tower attacks this weekend, Mark's has been invited to join the

memorial services. It would be very emotional, to go to New York, we

have been there on numerous occasions and they look after us

like we are one of their own. I cannot put into words what 9/11 did

to me. It is a big part of our life now. Another story tomorrow from

someone else's life was changed by nine 9/11.

Still to come, a bit of a party at the palace of the peaks. We'll have

all the highlights of the three-day I wasn't there but I know somebody

who was. Yes, but I missed the Red Arrows, but it was terrific on

Saturday. We're in an international break so

Notts County stepped into the spotlight, and duly delivered a

command performance, dominating Bournemouth in a very enjoyable 3-1

win. And today - to take a closer look - I get to play with our

A fantastic win for Notts County at the weekend and with no

championship football, only one place for us to take our tactics

truck and I am delighted to say, Martin Allen, good afternoon.

I usually start the beginning with these things. But I am tempted to

start with this. This is a heck of belief and the confidence. I

believe it is a bit of a South American quality, Lombardo, that

sort of quality to him. That goal, the third for Notts County, was the

way it started very well. Lee Hughes had not trained for a week,

this was the first minute. That is what Lee Hughes has made a living

from all these years. He gets his body in behind, he has taken the

goalkeeper by surprised and it is rolling into the goal. Actually,

this match could have been much better than it ended up being.

lads practice and if they did practice, they don't stay out, and

they miss it. As a manager, you look at this and you say you have

not been doing this and that, but our lads have been a. Chances go

begging and Bournemouth equalised, the Magpies though had a response.

You did not quit though. No, they don't do it. And another South

American style goal. A trip to Juventus. Can you imagine what that

is like for me? I told them it is a Champions' League game. You do

Something to look forward to later in the week.

In rugby, the Leicester Tigers didn't have the start to the season

they would have liked but then they were without 11 internationals.

Tigers lost 30-28 to Exeter in their opening Premiership game at

Welford Road. The Chiefs were 23-15 in the lead at the break but in the

second half, Tigers fought back. They went close to snatching a win

in the dying minutes, but a drop goal attempt went wide.

Meanwhile Nottingham's first game of the season ended in a dramatic

defeat to Bedford at Meadow Lane. The Green and Whites trailed by 14

points midway in the second half. An impressive fightback saw them

leading 26-23 thanks to two tries from Martin Holford and great work

from David Jackson. He scored this try coming up. In the dying minutes

they could have won it but missed a Ice hockey, and on Saturday the

Nottingham Panthers attracted their biggest ever crowd for a season

opening fixture. 5,500 fans were there to see a seven-goal thriller.

The Panthers beat the Cardiff Devils 6-1 at the Ice Arena. They

did however lose by the same scoreline to Cardiff in a cup game

yesterday but we think the fans should be commended for coming in

great numbers on Saturday. What a We hope that support carries on

through the season. And better luck for the Green and Whites and the

As well as the regions' sporting teams, the East Midlands Today team

were busy this weekend as we took our mobile studios to the

Chatsworth Country Fair. The weather stayed fine and the crowds

flocked in for a taste of the countryside and we thought we'd

share with you some highlights of It is the biggest event we have all

the year. Very important. To see the sun shining, it is great.

It was extremely moving and more so than I thought it would be. The

# The heat of the summer sunshine, # I kiss you and nobody needs to

Just up the road in Manchester, came down to see what everything is

about really. It is great, I loved We never stop and we are already

thinking and preparing doing bits And they fab time was had by

everybody. The summer may be just about over but we have got one more

roadshow to come, will be at the Wian Du Preez -- at the East

Midlands Food and Drink Festival. They have got everything there. Hog

roast and everything. I am looking forward to it. You were at

I did and I had a lot of fun, talking about the weather with

young kids. Things are set to turn fairly unsettled over the next 12

hours. Wet and windy. If you have got any weather pictures, send them

into us on the e-mail address. Why is it turning unsettled? This

deepening area of low pressure is to blame, moving into the North of

Scotland and an active frontal system here. Rain moving in during

the early hours of Tuesday and you can see that those winds are going

to be strengthening. However, at the moment mostly dry at the moment.

Even some breaks the further east you are. We will quickly start to

see some patchy rain moving in but then the main patch of rain will

spread in persistently every Tuesday morning. The winds will be

picking up as well. Expecting gusts of 35 mph. Maybe even stronger than

that. The rain and the strong winds staying with us during rush hour

and then removes the rain but then the strong winds stay with us until

the afternoon. Many showers we get, maybe blustery but also a good deal

of dry weather and a high of 18 degrees. Steyn blustery into

Wednesday again with a chance of some showers at times and Thursday,

rain again. Still fairly windy but the rain pushing its way in and we

are expecting it to become drier towards Friday and also a bit on