13/04/2012 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Anne Davies and Quentin Rayner.

Tonight, stealing from right underneath you. Metal thieves are

now ripping out catalytic converters costing motorists

thousands. They come in and they're mortified when they see what's been

hacked off. Also tonight, dangerous play, the

children at risk on a derelict site. Plus this holiday park is

celebrating 25 years of being in Sherwood Forest. I'll be finding

out how much benefit it brings to the region's economy.

And memories of the Titanic from Britain's oldest man. $CYAN My

I received it, but I was too young Good evening. First tonight, the

rise of a new wave of metal thefts that's costing motorists in the

East Midlands thousands of pounds. Police say there's been a huge

increase in the number of catalytic converters being stolen from

people's cars. They can fetch a couple of hundred pounds if sold as

scrap, but drivers face a much higher cost to get them replaced.

On the rise - the metal thieves have a new target. This garage in

Swadlincote in Derbyshire has already fitted eight new catalytic

converters in the last week. Today, this was their ninth. In this

section here, that was where the customer's catalytic converter was.

People at the moment are crawling under these hire vehicles, 4x4 and

Vans. They are then taking them to scrap dealers for money. Some

people think they have just got an exhaust pipe and they bring it in

and they are mortified when they have seen what cracked off. This is

what the thieves will walk away with. The catalytic converter

contains valuable metals but the prize signed one for scrap is

nothing compared to the cost of getting one replaced -- the price.

A one gentleman unfortunately had a nearly new range of pick-up from

Ford, the park was genuine and it was over �2,000 to buy the part

alone. For someone getting �100 for scrapping it in, the customer is

left with a massive bill. Police say there have been 36

reported thefts in the area in the last two weeks. A rise that's

sparked concern amongst local residents and businesses. We are a

24 hour operation so there is somebody inside but that does not

stop anybody coming in and tampering with the vans if you like.

It is a concern. I am retired, I can't afford that sort of money.

The biggest concern that we have had his that we appreciate it is

costing a lot of money for people to have these catalytic converters

replaced and we are determined to prevent the offences happening.

The police have put on extra patrols and are advising motorists

to keep their cars locked away where possible. All in the hope

they solve what's proving to be a very expensive problem for

Talks between managers and trade unions are underway to try and

prevent hundreds of job losses at the Castle Donington-based airline,

BMI. It's feared even the company's headquarters at Donington Hall

could be at risk, with plans to lose 400 staff there and a further

150 at East Midlands Airport. MPs and business leaders say they'll

fight to try to keep the company in Under cloudy skies, PMI staff

arrived at work today, the jobs literally up in the air. The new

owner British Airways wants to shed around 1,200 jobs nationwide,

almost half here at the company's headquarters and at nearby

maintenance buildings. Hopefully it won't have a knock-on effect to

local work. But that is the worry here in Castle Donington. While it

still has the airport nearby, there are fears that new jobs will be

hard to find. If I lost my job, the only place I can realistically look

for one is Donington. Not many are going. On a family worked up there

and they have got mortgages and they may have to move down south.

Probably the air crew jobs will be there. It is with companies coming

together, always surplus when that happens. It is thought the slots

are what made PMI so attractive. It was losing money but business

leaders feel the company could be swallowed by its bigger company and

shipped away. We all hoped that with the takeover of British

Airways, we might see some strengthening of our Midland

airline and what we are actually seeing is the opposite of that, the

resource training away from here down to London. Nor good news for

the area but the facility here is an amazing facility, the house and

offices are there and there are opportunities there if it is not

the headquarters of PMI. Rolls- Royce is among the companies being

approached to take on redundant workers. But it is clear that some

Imperial Tobacco, which employs 750 people in Nottingham, has sharply

criticised Government plans to force firms to sell cigarettes in

plain packaging. The company says the move would encourage

counterfeiting. But the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, believes

the Government has a responsibility to stop young people smoking.

Marketing experts say that tobacco firms will simply find others ways

of promoting their brands. I think if this does go ahead, the tobacco

industry will look for clever ways to try to reach people. Through e-

mail campaigns, viral marketing, product placement. There's a lot of

other options besides point of sale. Plenty on the way for you here on

East Midlands Today, including headline news from 100 years ago.

But is it the genuine Titanic article? I am in the shop where the

first winning ticket was bought and the amazing run of what we look for

the area, can it happen again tonight? A �43 million EuroMillions

People living near a derelict factory say they fear for the

safety of children seen playing in there over the past few weeks. The

old Donisthorpe and Co textile factory in Leicester was abandoned

10 years ago, and it's not clear who owns it. Drug addicts and the

homeless use the factory to shelter in but they're not the only ones.

Local people are worried it's also There's been a factory here since

the 18th century. A proud landmark of Leicester's industrial heritage

but now the site lies open to the elements and to abuse. The -- site

is easy to access. You are able to approach the site and it has become

a magnet. I cycled past and spotted people playing on the side. Came in

and warned them about it and the dangers about being on here. Gas

bottles located in all sorts of locations, asbestos piled up.

even a war memorial dedicated to factory workers killed in conflict

has had to be covered. It is bad that we cannot see it but again, it

is covered up to hope fully protected from what is happening

around us. There's nothing but weeds and bricks. It is appalling.

One of the buildings has become a refuge for a number of homeless

people being helped by a local charity. This is what we call a

squat, this is where the guys love because they have got no

accommodation so we come here and give them blanket. And give them

food which is most probably sandwiches and so on. Hot drinks

and try to make it a stable home for them. While it is unclear who

currently owns the property, Leicester City Council says any

planning applications that may have existed have now expired. It is

hoped that this Grade two listed building can be preserved for the

future and made safe for the The company which owns luxury flats

by the River Trent in Nottingham has called in administrators. The

award-winning complex was once home to Sven-Goran Eriksson, during his

brief tenure as manager of Notts County football club. The site

includes the first million-pound penthouse to be sold in Nottingham.

Riley Holdings has blamed its financial difficulties on the

prolonged downturn in the property market.

There's a new twist in the war of words over whether Nottingham

should have a directly elected mayor to run the city. The leader

of the Labour-run council Jon Collins says it would be stupid to

vote for the role. He was responding to criticism made on

this programme by Lord Heseltine that his leadership was remote and

unaccountable. Nottingham is one of ten cities holding a referendum

next month on whether or not it wants an all-powerful mayor. Here's

This is the politician who won't be taken for a ride. But is his

leadership facing his biggest challenge? What if the voters vote

"yet"? -- yes. They are allowed to, that is democracy.

Next month, the voters of Nottingham will decide on whether

to replace his style of leadership with a directly-elected mayor. Jon

Collins wants Nottingham to vote a resounding "no". The case for a no

boat is that this is an experiment and if you look around the country,

there are plenty of examples where it is a failing experiment as well.

He used to facing down his critics, right and left. He believes he'll

see off the referendum threat. not think we should just make a

stupid decision because a lot of people are making decisions that

don't work, we must make a decision best for Nottingham.

He's taken to Twitter to get that message across. The "Yes" campaign

is making its case through newspaper adverts and this week's

intervention of Lord Heseltine. great English cities want to

reverse the north-south divide and they need powerful, identifiable

and accountable leaders. People want to see politicians doing

things and delivering. I do not think that most people are

interested in the personality side of things.

Jon Collins enjoys cycling. This is from his charity ride to Paris. But

could the Government's support for city mayors puncture his ambitions

for Nottingham? The idea that somehow, it is a Labour city

council and a Conservative Government, but things are not

being agreed and approved is not borne out by the fact.

Jon Collins has led Nottingham for 10 years. He says the city's on the

up. That's why he's voting "no" to a city mayor.

Parents across Nottinghamshire have been finding out if their children

have secured places at their first choice primary school.

Nottinghamshire County Council say 90% of five-year-olds are going to

their first choice. Whilst the city council says 84% have got their

preferred place. Last year, schools in parts of Rushcliffe were

oversubscribed, but staff say they've worked to improve the

situation. What we are doing is building an additional building to

the Hayman school but we are also building another classroom to be

Jessie grey school and what we are doing is getting parents there

their best choices and we are confident the quality of education

will not be affected. One of the East Midlands' biggest

tourist attractions is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Center Parcs,

located in the heart of Sherwood Forest, was the first of its kind

in the UK. Figures show that it's still proving very popular with

visitors, but how much benefit does it bring to the region's economy?

This was the construction scene before opening in 1987. Don

Camilleri was here right from the start. We had to run down to

Nottingham and grab almost every bike they had.

Running out of bikes was one of very few teething problems. The

centre now draws in a wide range of people. Our catchment is around a

three away drive so we are bringing people in to spend money in the

East Midlands to do not necessarily live here. That is a huge boost to

the local tourism economy here. The most prominent feature is the

swimming pool dome. It's very warm inside, but you can swim into the

outside and back again. Most staff live locally so the economy

benefits with �11 million worth of pay. 400,000 visitors come here

each year and they have a continuous 96% occupancy.

In the heart of Sherwood Forest, it's a good place to have a go at

being Robin Hood. 13 of the staff have been here for

all the 25 years. One of those thinking back to the first days is

Claire. It was an example of just another employee, we still have the

factories and the mines but this was another concept. There are no

plans for expansion and up to 25 years it wants to keep things as

This weekend sees the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the

world's most famous ship, the Titanic. The event has brought to

light memorabilia and even memories, here in the East Midlands. One

woman believes she may have unearthed a newspaper published at

the time in 1912. But even more remarkably, Britain's oldest man,

from Derbyshire, actually remembers hearing the news of the sinking as

At their house in Ripley in Derbyshire, Susan Waldron and her

daughter Chelsey sit down to re- read a copy of the Daily Mirror

that may actually have been printed a few days after the Titanic sank

in 1912. Susan knows the paper was used for years as a drawer liner,

but thinks it could have been owned by her great grandmother.

The paper shows pictures of anxious relatives and the shocked public.

The crew including Captain Smith. There's even a retraction of an

earlier story that he shot himself as the ship foundered and a photo

of J Bruce Ismay, White Star's chairman who became notorious for

leaving the sinking ship. It is not mentally see the old photos and you

read some of the stories in the paper that it really brings it home

to you -- it is not until you see the photos.

Susan's paper is just one Titanic memento in Derbyshire. John Siggins

has spent years amassing an entire collection, mainly from Titanic's

sister ship, Olympic. Derby Museum is showing this piece of wood

recovered after Titanic's sinking that came from the ship's first

class dining room, for which Royal Crown Derby produced china.

Replicas like these will be taken by submersible to the wreck this

weekend. But perhaps the most unusual memories are those of Reg

Dean from Wirksworth - Britain's oldest man - who was nine when

Titanic sank. My father gave me the news and I received it but I was

too young to make very much of it. I can picture the ship as an

immense vessel with four funnels. Experts are unsure if Susan's paper

is genuine, or a modern replica. She says it doesn't matter which.

They said it was hard to authenticated but to us, really, we

have got a piece of history and we will keep it anyway.

The story continues to fascinate each generation. Clutching their

special glasses, Susan, Chelsey and two friends were off - yes, to see

No escaping it at all. Didn't he looked fantastic for 109? We are

actually experiencing the same kind of weather to 100 years ago. We now

know that because Anna told us. pressure was in charge just like

this week but I will have the It is surprising there is still

would be on. Hard to overstate the importance of that game.

A look ahead to all the weekend's sport from me. And there's a lot on

- but we'll start with Leicester City because for them it's been the

Back-to-back wins has pushed them right up into contention for the

play-offs. Just three points off the top six with just four games to

go. The big question is, can they Saturday is the big match. If we

win, we will be there. You never know what to expect. If we do make

the play-offs, we will go on. Typical Lester, leaving it right to

the end. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is life-changing for

a lot of people. We just want to Always tough to get back to back

results in this league. Our form has been up and down. You get the

momentum at the right time, it could work well for you. You must

We have got lots of players to have been in play-offs before. We are

still with an outside chance. If we can take to the end of the season,

we will have done pretty well. It's not just Leicester with

something to play for tomorrow. Three points would be very welcome

for Derby, Forest and Notts County too. Kirsty Edwards looks ahead to

The Rams get set to replace Middlesbrough and are not out of

the race yet but with four games left, it will be a big demand to

make the top six. We will keep going, we are playing well. It is a

shame the season finishes when it does. We are in it for a sharp but

we have got to play Cardiff and Middlesbrough so it will be a tough

test in Portsmouth away, we will keep going and see where it takes

Nottingham Forest have a tough game against promotion hopefuls,

Blackpool but surely the Reds are just about safe now. Seven points

clear of danger and looking up rather than down. I think Darren

Ferguson said before, we play Peterborough at Christmas, that if

they won, they could go 10 points ahead of us. Millwall, Barnsley, so

17th place is up for grabs. Why not aim for that?

Notts County at Brentford, one of their big rivals for the League One

play-off places so is it a make-or- break game for them then? People

keep asking us if our season is over. No, we are still up three

other games and that is where we must look at it. We are just

seeking to extend the opportunity. And all those games are on your BBC

Local Radio station, the place to get the best coverage of your club.

And your first look at the goals this weekend here on BBC One.

Away from football, it's a massive game for Leicester Tigers. The

derby at Northampton Saints is always special. But this time,

Tigers are battling for a top-two finish - and the home play-off

semi-final that would bring. Northampton? Well, they're just

Northampton is always a difficult place to go, a good team, a

difficult team to break down so I don't think it really matters, I

think we can take a bit of confidence from the El the final

but that is gone, a totally different game no -- the Liverpool

Victoria final. We need to win and they need to win. We have got a

tough run, Harlequins after that so it is a tough game.

Nottingham Rugby Club are in the Last Chance Saloon this weekend -

they need a bonus point win at Doncaster tomorrow to stand any

chance of staying in the play-off contest.

Nottingham Panthers have responded to their historic double-double

triumph by announcing that player- coach Corey Neilsen and goaltender

Craig Kowalski have both re-signed for the new season. Neilsen's deal

will see him gradually stop playing to concentrate on coaching.

A fantastic start for Nottingham canoeist David Florence in the

campaign for Olympic selection. It's a straight best-of-three this

weekend and today, Florence won the first races, both on his own and as

part of a pair. One more tomorrow or on Sunday in either discipline,

and he's off to London. Campbell Walsh, though, has work to do. He

was third in the K1 today. Cricket now, and Notts batsmen have

stepped things up against Durham. New boy Michael Lumb getting

himself a century as Notts built a substantial lead. The bowlers are

still well on top at Cardiff, though. Lots of wickets falling

again. I suspect they may be inspecting the Saphia Gardens

wicket. With an eye to a final or penalty for Glamorgan.

The jackpot of the Euro-Lottery has tipped over the 40 million mark

again. So knowing the recent success for people from the East

Midlands, is it time for lucky Nottingham to cash in again? On a

traditionally unlikely date in the diary, Mike O'Sullivan has been

meeting people willing to take a Yes, they have. Good evening, this

is where it started. The amazing run of lottery luck in Nottingham

and Nottinghamshire. In January, Gareth from Mansfield popped into

this shop in Broxtowe, bought a EuroMillions ticket from that

machine and won �41 million. Then a couple from Stapleford be won �45

million. Followed by a couple from Nottingham who won 4.5 million on

the National Lottery. I have been asking people round here if they

think time is right for another big win because �43 million up for

grabs in the EuroMillions rollover. I don't think it will happen again.

I don't think lightning can strike twice. I will try my luck though.

think we can all dream. Nothing wrong with having a dream.

million tonight, have you made a mistake by not buying a ticket?

going back to get one. Definitely, yeah. Whoever wins it, good luck to

them. Have you got a ticket? You will not be winning it then.

but somebody well. My winning numbers for tonight, that is. No

more work. Stephen, very quickly the manager. This is regarded as a

lucky shop? Yes, I feel like it because it is the sales going up,

more people coming in. We planned to sell the shop before but now we

have change our mind. Stephen is doing well, as if the place wasn't

lucky enough, two big unclaimed prizes, �307,000, a ticket bought

in Rushcliffe in November and �1 million on the EuroMillions bought

in Nottingham in March. If I were you, Quentin and Anna, I would

check your pockets. I will check down the bottom of the

sofa! It is not raining cash but Yes, process -- precipitation is

the term. We can expect a main theme over the weekend feeling

noticeably cooler. More on that in a moment. Yesterday evening, we had

a spectacular hailstorm and this was Hazlewood and thank-you to Kris

to -- Christopher for sending this in. Low pressure has been driving

in the showers over the past few days. Over the next 24 hours, we

will see Sunday setting up for a chilly feel because the northerly

airflow from the low pressure -- high pressure. Showers will die out

tonight giving us a dry night and in places, you will notice the

cloud braking to give some clear skies and temperatures falling down

to freezing, possibly lower in some rural spots where you will get a

touch of frost. A chilly start to Saturday and the best of the day's

weather will be in the morning but quite quickly we will see cloud

increasing with a scattering of light showers, might be some dry

interludes in between and the high temperature of nine Celsius. Sunday

with a brief ridge of high pressure meaning it is dry and settled with

the odd shower possible but generally staying dry and sunny.

Further into next week, this area of low pressure is a real deepening

area and it will turn wet and windy from Monday evening onwards and

looking at Tusa, more wet and windy conditions to come. Although

Saturday has got a few showers, we are looking at it improving on

We have to finish tonight on a sad note for us all here at East

Midlands Today. The funeral took place this morning of our colleague

Peter Snow who many of you will know for his work as a video

journalist. He was also an outstanding picture editor. Peter