12/08/2013 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Anne Davies and me, Dominic Heale.

Tonight: A deaf couple survive a devastating gas explosion at their

home. It is thought they owed their lives

to a special alarm system installed by the fire service. We fitted the

alarms to the premises not that long ago when we realised we had people

here with hearing impairments. type, a new twist in the Hannah

Smith bullying case. And the tale of two harvests.

And it is all aboard at the sailing club as they secure �15,000 from the

Welcome to Monday's programme. First tonight, a couple from

Leicestershire have had a remarkable escape after a gas explosion

destroyed most of their home. The blast happened in the village of

Burbage at around 3am and caused a fire that engulfed the bungalow. The

couple are deaf and were only saved by a special fire alarm.

We can go live now to our reporter Tom Brown. He is at the scene. Good

evening. Good evening. I am standing directly

in front of the bungalow. You can see some of the damage caused by

what was thought to be a gas explosion and fire. Round the back,

much of the roof has also been damaged. As this was going on, the

couple who are deaf were fast asleep. It could have had a tragic

end to the night. Thanks to the special smoke alarm system involving

a vibrating pad under the bed and a strobe light in the bedroom, the

couple woke up and escaped. They were very fortunate. The police

were reasonably fast in attendance and the occupants could not get out

of the bedroom because of the fire. I understand they tried to throw

some chairs at the window but failed to break it. I understand it was the

police officers that broke the window. What do you know about the

state of the couple now? I spoke to them this morning through a sign

language interpreter. They are fine. It was a horrific position at

that time of the morning but they have no ill effects from the smoke

and very happy to be the way they are. You must be delighted.We are

always delighted. We fitted the death alarms to this premise is not

that long ago when we realised that we had people here with hearing

impairments. To know that it works and I have spoken to the person who

fitted it and they are very pleased as well. The police have not named

the couple officially yet. Let us have a quick chat with their

neighbour. What did you see? I heard banging. Within minutes, the police

work back and said that we had to evacuate because of an explosion we

were really concerned about the couple because we did not know

whether they were out of the property -- the police came back.

What has been the feeling among the community? This is not the sort of

thing you expect to happen, and explosion. It is surreal. Thank you.

The couple ran a sign language class out of their home here so not only

have they lost where they live but where they work. Today the feeling

in the community is one of relief that the deaf couple were able to

walk away from the burning house. A teenage girl and a woman have been

arrested after allegedly making more than 400 hoax calls to the police in

the space of just six days - the same number received for the whole

of last year. The pair, aged 16 and 20 and both from the Osmaston area

of Derby, were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance after

making the calls in June. Both have been released pending further

enquiries. Derbyshire Police say nearly 800 hours were spent dealing

with hoax calls last year. It would result in delaying emergency

responses and somebody's life could be lost.

It's understood the Derby-based train maker Bombardier has submitted

its bid for the �1 billion Crossrail contract. Today is the deadline for

firms competing for the project - an order for 60 trains for a new route

across London. Bombardier missed out on the lucrative Thameslink deal

which was given to Siemens. But the German company's already withdrawn

from the running for Crossrail. Still to come: The Government

announces tough new measures to control TB in cattle.

Affected farmers say it'll be pointless without tackling the

disease in badgers first. There's a new twist in the tragic

death of Hannah Smith, the Leicestershire teenager found dead

at her home ten days ago. Her father has always said the 14-year-old

killed herself after being bullied online.

But now it's being reported that Hannah may have written the majority

of the abusive messages herself from anonymous accounts on the social

networking site Ask.fm. Eleanor Garnier reports.

Just 14 years old when she took her own life. Hannah Smith's father has

always claimed it was cyber bullying that drove his daughter to kill

herself. Now it is being reported that she may have written the

majority of the abusive messages herself from anonymous accounts on

the social networking site Ask.fm. The company has apparently analysed

the addresses of the computer and apparently 95% of the abuse came

from Hannah's IP address. You can view an IP address like a telephone

number for a landline. You do not know what person was using the

connection. It could be anyone in any machine in the house or it could

be Wi-Fi or a hacker. Today Ask.fm told the BBC that claims the

messages had been written by Hannah had come from an undisclosed source

and not from Ask.fm in an official capacity. Officers acting on behalf

of the coroner has secured a computer and mobile phone as part of

the investigation into the settlements at delete macro -- the

circumstances of her death. How easy would it be to work out who exactly

posted the abusive messages? This can be really difficult to find the

user from the IP address. Services can be paid for to change the IP

address. These are services that people use for downloading films and

music illegally. They can change the IP address to make it difficult to

track who you are. Clues but no answers as to what food drove -- as

to what drove Hannah Smith to take her own life as her family prepare

for her funeral. It's being claimed that up to 8,000

jobs could be created as a result of Nottingham's tram extension. Work on

two new lines is due to be completed next summer. The city council says

that already almost half of the construction jobs have gone to local

people. Mike O'Sullivan has this report.

It will stretch out for 17 kilometres across Nottingham. The

city's tram extension has already created around 1000 construction

jobs. I was unemployed for about five or six months. I was laid off

in January. Looking for work was very stressful. It is a big project.

To be part of this project, it is an honour. I was unemployed for a few

months. It was really difficult. They did not seem to be a lot of

work. They put me through a six-week college course to get a guaranteed

interview for the tram work. It is going to cost five and had a �70

million. The city council is asking me contractors to deliver as many

job opportunities as possible to local people -- it is going to cost

570 million jobs. 320 jobs have apparently gone to people in the

city. As well as the construction jobs on-site, there are claims the

tram extension will create 8000 jobs when it is completed. All of those

jobs will not be in construction. They will be as a result of the

economic benefit. That is proven in all sorts of cities all over the

world. Are people here convinced of the benefits of the tram? It is

causing chaos at the moment. We will see. I have not been on one yet but

I cannot wait for it to be up and running. I think it is a waste of

money. We have a perfectly good bus system. Here is a man who can see

both sides. He lives here and now works at the tram contractor's depot

after being out of work for 16 months. A lot of my friends were on

the trams. Without that, they would still be unemployed like I would be.

It is only a good thing in my eyes. But lots of people have different

views. Construction work is due to finish next summer. The first tram

is due to start running in winter, 2014.

And tomorrow Mike's looking at one of the biggest engineering

challenges facing the tram - lifting a massive bridge into place next to

the Queen's Medical Centre. Farmers in the East Midlands say new

plans to control TB in cattle will be pointless without tackling the

disease in wildlife first. Today the Department of Food,

Environment and Rural Affairs announced a raft of new regulations

aimed at farmers in ten counties, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire

and Nottinghamshire. James Roberson reports.

There have been cattle on this farm for decades but for the last nine

years they have been periodically affected by bovine TB. The farmer

says the TB has come from the spread of the disease in badgers which

mixed with cattle in Barnes and leave infected droppings in the

fields. The disease came in the badgers. There is no disputing that.

You know that because of the different kinds of TB that have been

identified. Most of the badgers died a horrible death with TB. Derbyshire

is at the wave of bovine TB spreading across the country.

important that we try to make sure that it does not spread any further.

That is going to impose some disciplines but I hope they will

realise that it is for the good not only of their own cattle but also of

their neighbours' in preventing the further spread. The farmers say it

is little use without tackling the TB infections in wildlife. All of

these measures are only against Catalan nobody has the political

will to tackle it in wildlife. This is a very dangerous disease -- only

against cattle. Nearly 40,000 cattle a year are being killed. Once it is

in the wildlife, you have a major problem to solve. We do not know

where the front edge is. There has been spreading eastwards for the

past few years. DEFRA say that money is available for badger vaccinations

and they say they are assessing TB infection rates in badgers from

those killed by traffic. Staying with rural life and the

harvest is in full swing, as you can hardly have failed to notice.

To quote a well-known harvest hymn, they're bringing in the sheaves. But

will farmers be rejoicing? Well, it depends. If they planted

rapeseed last autumn, probably not. I took a trip out to a 1,700-acre

arable farm south of Nottingham to find out more.

From afar, it looks like a bumper crop. As ever for farmers it is

about quality not quantity. This field is a perfect example of the

problems faced by some farmers. On the left of the field, the wheat

crop harvested this weekend, excellent quality. On the right,

this should have been rape seed oil but the quality was so patchy in the

spring they dug it up and replanted it with barley. This is the good

news. Quality wheat harvested this weekend at the rate of over three

tonnes per acre helped by the sunshine. We only started on

Saturday and we are about a third of the way through. Depending on the

weather and the rest of the quality, it remains to be seen. At

the moment, the quality is high and it will produce the best quality

flour. For rape seed being harvested today the opposite is the case. The

cold spring delayed growth, pigeons took the seat and weeds fill the

gaps. The end result, a poor crack that is costly to clean and process.

These are weeds and this is the rape. It has got to be cleaned and

served and we will get a small amount. It will cover the cost of

the combine harvester. It is a salvage operation rather than a

farming operation. Farmers like this one need a fortnight of fine weather

to finish the wheat harvest. For those whose rape seed has suffered,

there may not be a lot of profit on the balance sheet went always safely

gathered in. What a lovely colour, the gold.

Still to come, when recycling is music to the ears. We meet a man who

makes instruments out of everything from furniture rails to rusty

umbrellas. Sports clubs across the East

Midlands have won almost �2 million worth of funding.

It's part of a wider �40-million project from Sport England in the

bid to keep the Olympic legacy alive. Rebecca Sheeran reports from

one club in Rutland to benefit where the funding is proving a lifeline.

It might be over the years since the 2012 Olympics, but here at the

sailing club, the idea of sportsmanship is very much alive.

are supporting the two army bases in the area, as we have done with the

RAF. We are giving those families an opportunity to enjoy sport. It is a

sporting club that is their to improve people's lives. Now they

have caught the winds of good fortune, securing �50,000 of

National Lottery funding from Sport England to improve train -- improved

changing rooms. We wanted to be more family friendly. We want adults and

young people to be able to get changed separately. And

schoolteachers, we want them to feel like they are in a safe environment.

3000 people come here to use the club from schoolchildren to the

Army. The management say that the funding is going to be vital to make

sure it continues to thrive. It was all hands on deck today. Let us hope

thousands more will fail here in the future. -- will sail here.

Messing about on the water. I fancy the idea of learning to sail

there. Sport proper.

Lots to come, including Leicester at home and a proud day for Mansfield.

But let's start our round up with two away wins for Derby and Forest.

The Rams' victory at last season's play-off semi-finalists Brighton was

a particularly good performance. Natalie Jackson begins by the

seaside. Derby in their new kit were on top against Brighton who have

been totally out of sorts. When the home team went ahead, it came as a

bit of a shock. We started excellently. I think it was

Brighton's first meaningful attack. It led to a goal. We are

disappointed with that. To come back and win the game, brilliant

performance. This is how they did it. Two goals from Chris Martin. The

first was built on a smart turn, lots of persistent and a little

luck. The second was a goalkeeper's nightmare. Chris Martin arrived at

speed to bury it in the goal. Last season's waveform turned firmly on

its head. -- away form. Forrest worked hard

but left it late at Blackburn Rovers. We had some chances. You get

what you deserve in this business. What they deserved finally arrived

in injury time. They never came up. Open goal! He drives it in from 20

yards. He popped up, wonderful performance, wonderful goal.

Delighted for him and the substitutes who made the huge

difference. Two games and two wins in the championship for Forest.

Speaking of Forest, signs this afternoon of a resolution to the

crisis affecting the Nottingham Forest Ladies side. They had said

they were a week away from going bust. But officials at the men's

side say the ladies who are currently independent would be

welcome as part of one structure at Forest. We'll see how it develops.

At Leicester City, the first home game of the season. For the Foxes

faithful, a chance to see whether the team that came so close last

season can go one better. Angela joined an expectant crowd at the

King Power Stadium. Always a special atmosphere for the

first home game of the season. After the emotional roller-coaster of the

last campaign, what are the fans expecting this time? I think we are

going to do it this season. This is the first game, we want to win and

win well. I would like automatic promotion. Come on, Lester! High

expectations. Can this team fulfil them? They put plenty of pressure on

the defence and there was no lack of effort but no one could break the

the substitute Chris . Denied by the woodwork. It ended in a stalemate.

game of few chances, two disciplined side is out there. It was all is

going to be tough for one of the sides to win. Next up, Derby County.

In League One, Notts County had a bit of a shocker at Meadow Lane.

Peterborough, a Championship side last season, were never going to

easy opponents. Notts started really well, taking the lead through Dean

Leacock. But after that, the traffic was almost all one way. The visitors

dominating the match and scoring four times before Yoann Arquin put

the consolation penalty into the back of the net. Notts, a side that

still need to settle. As well as Leicester, we had another

nil-nil draw over the weekend. But the clean sheet could not possibly

have mattered more to Mansfield Town. It gave them their first

football-league point for five This is now the dressing room for

the footballing team again. It means so much to the players, the fans,

the town. It means that even though the manager provided Glory, the

pressure stays on. The nature of the beast, one minute you are a hero and

the next minute everybody hates you. It is important to look forward and

try and keep momentum going and keep winning. That is as simple as that.

In the end, the first home league game in five years was entertaining

but scoreless. Plenty to be optimistic about. They need to

believe in themselves a little bit more. We are not going to be bad.

for the fans, they are just pleased to be back.

In Cricket, the one-day YB40 competition is nearing its climax.

Remember, it all builds up to a big final at Lords. A comprehensive win

for Notts Outlaws over Northants yesterday means a home victory

tomorrow over Worcestershire might well see them safely into the

semi-finals from their group. Also yesterday, Leicestershire beat

Yorkshire with a ball to spare at Grace Road. A result which keeps

them in the semifinal race. Derbyshire on the fringes.

Finally, well done to Long Eaton's Will Sharman. The hurdler did

brilliantly to grab a place in the 110-metre hurdles final at the World

Championships in Moscow. He ran it just a few minutes ago. He finished

fifth. After a few years of injuries, he will be delighted.

What can you make from old furniture rails, rusty umbrellas and biscuit

tins? Well, a guitar it seems. Or a banjo, a violin or a double bass.

That's what David Blanchard makes from items he finds in junk and

antique shops. But as Carolyn Moses reports, there's one thing he admits

he can't yet turn his hand to. In a small loft in a small

Derbyshire village, work is under way creating a small string section.

While these might not suit a large orchestra, they would certainly suit

and unusual one. These are cookie tin instruments. Violins, guitars

and double basses he has made since February. It is an American idea

with a twist. I tried to make them appropriate to the ten, somehow. In

my head, anyway. This one because it is round like a banjo and I thought

the image... I don't know, she just looks like she might play a banjo. I

try to use salvaged things. This has got an old fork, silver-plated

nickel fork. Most of my instruments they have been using copper nails

for the fret not. -- nuts. I have used umbrellas, strimmer cables.

Makes it more interesting. With all of these strings to his bow, what is

next for David? Learning to play them, it seems. The natural thing to

do would be to give you a cheering, but unfortunately, I can't. That is

on my to do list. The music you could hear was done on

one of his instruments but not by him.

and showers again. The blustery westerly wind as well. Things are

coming down nicely now which is perfect timing. The peak of the

Perseids meteor shower is happening tonight. The skies of clearing up

for this. If your eyes to the skies tonight, you could see as many 60

shooting stars in the space of an hour. We have got a few showers to

get through first. They are starting to clear. They are being blown in on

the brisk north-westerly wind. They are fading away now. A dry night

with clear skies. Turning a little bit chilly with temperatures just

about holding into double figures in towns and cities. In the rural

spots, we will be down at seven or eight degrees by the morning.

Tomorrow morning, it starts fairly promising once again. We have rain

heading our way later on. If you are up early, you will get the best of

the sunshine. The clouds will increase and they will start to

thicken later. Like today, quite hit and miss. Northern parts of

Derbyshire may see dry weather all day long. A lot of cloud tomorrow.

Temperatures disappointing. If you get up to 20, you're doing well.

Similar story on Wednesday. Starting dry and bright. The cloud will

increase and patchy rain later on. If we get any breaks in the cloud on

Thursday, temperatures could go up into the mid-20s.