28/01/2014 East Midlands Today

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

Tonight: The disabled twin girls who've missed months of schooling.

One option is a school a mile away but they would have to get there by

wheelchair. We would have to do this every day in the cold and the

brain, it is not a solution. Also tonight, the murder of Rosie May

Storrie, her killer loses his final appeal.

Plus, no new cash for a railway built in the 1940s, the 1840s.

And, why Paul Smith thinks dyslexia is a plus point on a CV.

We are very curious, we don't follow the crowd. Anyone who is looking for

a creative member of staff, here we are!

Good evening. First, tonight, the ten`year`old

twins who, their parents say, have missed out on months of schooling.

The girls both have disabilities, and need to be assessed by the

council. The family have been waiting since last June for some

kind of decision, but they're still waiting. There may be places at a

mainstream school over a mile from home, but the girls would have to

travel there in their wheelchairs, because the council won't fund

special transport. Jo Healey reports.

Their first day yesterday, ten years marked by surgery. Two years ago,

the underwent a pioneering operation on their spines. Last June, they

moved from Birmingham to Derby. Since then, that concern has not

been just their health but their education. My favourite subject is

maths and English at school. And my friends. I miss going back to

school. They are highly dependent. We have been struggling throughout

and haven't been able to get any schooling, home education, it has

been uphill. Derby City Council has a school in mind. The family say it

is a mile from their home. The council will not give them special

transport. Their wheelchairs won't fit 0

transport. Their wheelchairs won't fit in a 0

transport. Their wheelchairs won't fit in a car. They are prone to

infection, they are very weak anyway. We are worried they will end

up in hospital again and if we have to do this every day in the cold and

rain... He said the council doesn't want them to have their electric

chairs at school. How much do you need your wheelchairs with you? We

need our school `` our chairs. I can't stand, my legs hurt. If you

walk, your legs hurt. We can walk a little bit but we have to get back

into our chairs. I am really worried in terms of safety for my daughters.

I am frustrated as to why they have been out of school for so long.

Today, they set off to school for their first assessment. Before

long, they had to turn back, one of the chairs have broken down.

Jo Healey is with us now. Jo, what are Derby City Council saying about

this tonight? In the past hour, we have finally

had a statement from the council, from the Director of learning and

inclusion. She says since the family moved to Derby, they have worked to

secure a school place and have found a good local school to provide for

the needs of the children. She said the family have been encouraged to

apply for help with travel, transport, but that will begin with

being reimbursed for fuel. Those heavy wheelchairs can't fit into

their car. The council says it puts the needs of children first and

works with parents to ensure their needs are met consistently and

fairly. What they are not giving is a date for when the girls can

finally start school. The father of a Lincolnshire man who

murdered 10`year`old Rosie May Storrie has vowed to fight on to

clear his son's name. Paul Smith was found guilty of suffocating Rosie

May at a Christmas party in Leicestershire in 2003. High He's

now lost his latest appeal against his conviction and sentence. Amy

Harris reports. Rosie May Storrie, age nine, filmed

at home in 2002, with her pet rabbit. A year later, she would be

dead. Rosie Mabe was killed at a Christmas party at this house in

Normanton near Grantham by another guest. 17`year`old Paul Smith. He

was convicted of suffocating her, and sentenced to 14 years in jail.

He has always denied murder, and he has previously attempted to change

the verdict. Today, it was announced the Court of Appeal refused an

appeal against his conviction. It is welcome news for Rosie May's family.

Finally, it means we can get on with our lives and go forward in a

positive way. This man is quite clearly dangerous. We hope that he

will be dealt with in the right way going forward. A decision that can't

be reversed. But Paul Smith's father says the fight to clear his son's

name will go on. One of the thoughts was to go back to the criminal cases

review commission to look at the case again. My son is innocent. This

is a huge miscarriage of justice. I will continue 0

is a huge miscarriage of justice. I will continue to fight it. Rosie May

was a born performer. This year, she would have been 21. Her family are

coping with their loss by putting their 0

coping with their loss by putting their energy and efforts into a

dance Academy and a children's home in Sri Lanka, set up in her name.

Their way of giving other young people the future that Rosie May was

denied. A 71`year old`woman was airlifted to

hospital, after a bus and tractor crash in a Leicestershire village.

Witnesses say a single`decker bus collided with a tractor, before

smashing into a wall on North Street in Rothley this morning. Three other

people were taken to hospital as a precaution. The road had to be

closed, while emergency services rescued the woman, who had serious

leg injuries. The bus was quite well lodged in the

wall. 0 0 The bus was quite well lodged in the

wall. The driver's side was large, the tractor, the door, as you

stepped onto the bus, the bus was in a good mess.

There's been a sharp rise in the number of homeless women in

Nottinghamshire. A two`week long survey, carried out last year, found

617 homeless people in the county, which included 250 women. That's a

rise of 10% in three years. The survey also found one in five people

had been asked to leave home by their parents, with the same number

suffering from mental health problems.

A school that was forced to close today, after pupils came down with

what's thought to be norovirus, will open again tomorrow. Diseworth

Primary in Leicestershire was shut so staff could give the school a

deep clean. 14 of its 40 children now have the illness. Parents have

been told to keep children away from school for 0

been told to keep children away from school for the 48 0

been told to keep children away from school for the 48 hours after

they've stopped being ill. Still to come tonight: The weather

forecast. And there are warnings of a wintry

blast. We are in for the coldest day of the

winter this week. The big question is, will we finally be seeing some

of this? All the details later. We get a sneak preview of what will be

inside Kim Richard III's visitor Centre in Leicester.

The government has rejected calls for more cash to improve one of the

region's main east`west rail links. A transport minister says there

isn't a business case to justify it. That's despite lobbying by regional

MPs and local councils. They claim the Castle Railway Line from

Nottingham to Lincoln, via Newark, should be a top priority. Here's our

political editor John Hess. Good evening. I have some railway

figures. Ten years ago, the Newark Castle

line carried 650,000 passengers. That's a lot.

Last year, that figure had fallen to 350,000, almost half.

So, is the Castle Line really a suitable case for investment when

it's got a faster rival? The East Coast Main Line from Newark

gets passengers into London in just over one hour and 22 minutes. It

would take you just as long on the Castle Line from Newark to

Nottingham, a third of the distance. The government is talking

about North`South high speed rail, but it is cross country we need

help. There are always too many people on it. If 0

help. There are always too many people on it. If the trend was more

frequent it would be better. The Castle Line opened in 1846 and is

regarded as an important railway. Local politicians want new

investment to cut journey times. We all want this to succeed, as far

west as Nottingham. Last month, councillors lobbied MPs

to upgrade the Castle Line. It has emerged that message has yet to

reach a transport minister. The Trans `` the department has received

no comment from the councils. We haven't seen a business case for

proposed improvements. The councils say they are disappointed. The

business case has been made. Maybe on the Castle Line, these things

take much longer to arrive. John, how much money are we talking

about? East Midlands councils, an umbrella

organisation which punches its weight in Whitehall on behalf of the

region, it reckons an investment of ?700,000 a year over three years,

would help. To start cutting journey times. A big chunk of initially come

from regional transport budgets, with the Department For Transport

picking up the tab. There is a big problem. As we know, we have

high`speed rail coming through, the electrification of the Midland Main

line. As far as the department is concerned, the Castle Line is 0

line. As far as the department is concerned, the Castle Line is not a

priority. Which is where this political lobbying will have to go

from here. Governors at a Leicester school will

vote next week on whether to become the city's first secondary to

convert to an academy. An application by Rushey Mead School

has already been approved in principle by the government. If the

plans go ahead, it would mean the school would move out of local

authority control. The authorities in Nottinghamshire

are trying to decide how to deal with waste in the future. A new deal

could see 60,000 tonnes of rubbish sent to Yorkshire. More

Nottinghamshire waste could also be sent to the Eastcroft incinerator in

Nottingham. It will have spare capacity until 2017. Proposals

suggest other rubbish may be taken to a processing plant in Sheffield.

After eight years of planning, developers have submitted proposals

to build 4,500 homes on farm land to the north east of Leicester. The

?445 million project would see houses, schools, health care

services and shops built here, near Hamilton and Thurmaston. The

developers, Commercial Estates Group, say thousands of construction

jobs will be created. But a local action group is campaigning to halve

the number of homes planned for the area.

This whole area, a beautiful corner of rural England, could be

completely concreted over. It will be a 0

completely concreted over. It will be a huge 0

completely concreted over. It will be a huge shame, a loss of

agricultural land, and for the people who live here, we think

transport problems will be huge because the infrastructure cannot

really cope with it. Next: Don't let dyslexia hold you

back. That was 0 Next: Don't let dyslexia hold you

back. That was the message today from the world famous fashion

designer Sir Paul Smith. At a special awareness`raising event at

the University of Derby, Sir Paul told us his dyslexia had made him

more creative. Signing one of his own designs in

aid of a cause close to his heart. Sir Paul Smith is known for his

fashion brand. Closer to home, he is patron of the Nottingham `based

dyslexia Association. I wish it was called something else... Instead of

concentrating on the difficulties dyslexia can bring comic he believes

it helped him become a designer and sufferers are often more creative.

We are 0 0 sufferers are often more creative.

We are very 0 sufferers are often more creative.

We are very curious, inventive, we don't follow the crowd.

Anyone looking for a creative member of staff, here we are. That was the

message to employees at the event at the University of Derby, organised

pike undergraduates. Sarah has gone on to higher

education despite being expelled from school. I was aggressive and

unhappy but, finding out it was because I had dyslexia, it gave

meaning and I knew why I was behaving like that.

Since then, I have gone from strength to strength.

It was a stigma for many children, because of the teachers, possible

employers 0 0 because of the teachers, possible

employers didn't understand what was wrong.

At two`day's event, dyslexic students were offered help. Sir Paul

Smith said his biggest regret is his lack of education. He left school

without qualifications. But it hasn't prevented him enjoying the

sweet smell of success. He is great.

Still to come: The five`year`old taking TV stardom in her stride.

After battling ill health from birth, Gretel can now be seen in a

new ad for the British Heart Foundation.

In sport, a sendoff to the Winter Olympics, our speed skaters are

setting off. It's almost a year to the day that a

skeleton in a car park in Leicester was confirmed as the remains of King

Richard III. So, how appropriate to be given a glimpse today of what

will be 0 0 be given a glimpse today of what

will be inside the multi`million pound visitor centre dedicated to

him. It's being developed just a stone's throw from where it is hoped

the King will be buried, in the heart of Leicester's Cathedral

Quarter. Victoria Hicks has more. In 1485, Richard assembled his

troops here. He led them to Bosworth. He was slain there.

Brought back and buried. From death, the birth of a visitor

centre fit for a king. Today, the first glimpse of what will be

inside. We take visitors on an exciting journey of his life and

times. We tell stories of the amazing science behind establishing

the fact these bones are those of Richard III. We reproduce the

skeleton. We use an MRI scanner. Without a shadow of doubt, people

will come worldwide. Was about the judicial review in March, what will

happen if the remains of reinterred in York?

The visitor 0 0 in York?

The visitor centre will still go ahead.

It will have a fantastic story to tell. They will still be able to

visit the grave. It can't be anywhere else. Yes, there will be a

bit missing. An important bit. But a fantastic story. Even if the remains

aren't interred here, it won't affect plans for this ?4 million

centre, and building work should be finished by summer.

Summer seems a long way away. Time now for the sport.

Leicester City are hoping to rewrite their history book tonight. If they

win at Birmingham it'll be the first time in 129 years that they've had

eight successive 0 time in 129 years that they've had

eight successive league victories. It's been quite a month for the

Championship leaders, as Mark Shardlow reports.

For a man whose job was in doubt more than once last year, there is

some satisfaction. HM ship table with Leicester at the top. By eight

clear points. The papers are making good reading. It is nice. But there

is a long way to go. We are fully aware of the situation we have put

ourselves into. But we are equally aware of the fact there is still a

long way to go. A lot of good teams in the division. Their history

equalling run began over Christmas at QPR. Over the holidays, their

three successes followed. And victories over Derby, 0

three successes followed. And victories over Derby, Leeds and

Middlesbrough, taking the tally to seven, one of the club record. It is

not the case of breaking records but making sure we are right for the

next game. It is nice 0 making sure we are right for the

next game. It is nice to be in that position where we have been on a

really good run. And we would like it to continue. But we will have to

earn it. As pragmatic as ever but they have their best chance for

automatic promotion to the Premiership 0

automatic promotion to the Premiership in a decade.

While Leicester are looking very good at 0

While Leicester are looking very good at the 0 0

While Leicester are looking very good at the top, Derby have their

own Premier League ambitions. An automatic promotion place is

certainly not out of their reach. Tonight, they're at home to

Championship strugglers Yeovil. And Kirsty Edwards is at the Ipro

Stadium. Derby fans have been treated to

exciting and attacking football under Steve McClaren, although after

such a good December and `` December, January has seen only one

win. 0 0 December, January has seen only one

win. They will be looking to double back tally tonight and on paper they

will be favourites. Derby are comfortably in the play`off

positions, four points of an automatic promotion place. Yeovil

are 0 0 automatic promotion place. Yeovil

are second 0 0 automatic promotion place. Yeovil

are second from bottom of the table. The Rams certainly do not think

today will be easy against a side they say are strong, physical and

hard`working. I have worked under Gary Johnson. I know what 0

hard`working. I have worked under Gary Johnson. I know what teams he

likes, how he likes to play football. I know their strengths. It

is down to what we do at home. As we say in most games, we respect the

opponent. If you are not going to be at the iPro Stadium to see how Derby

get on tonight, your local radio commentary team are in place to

bring you all the action. Mansfield had been due to play

tonight, but their home match with Bury has been called off because of

a waterlogged pitch at Field Mill. A mention of Leicester Tigers who

have added two more key players to their long injury list. Niall Morris

and Miles Benjamin have both had operations, and will be out for

weeks. A nightmare for Tigers. Finally, our short track speed

skaters have set off for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, with very real

hopes of medals. A little earlier, the team, including European

Champion Elise 0 the team, including European

Champion Elise Christie and the experienced Jon Eley, were waved off

by friends, family, school children, staff at the National Ice Centre.

And me. There is more enthusiasm and

expectation 0 There is more enthusiasm and

expectation around 0 There is more enthusiasm and

expectation around this Winter Olympics from British fans than most

of us can remember. We have not staged a sendoff like this before.

This is our training environment. They have made a great effort to

send the team off, quite exciting. These are the special moments the

athletes remember. The affection is real. The speed skating team is

based in the Midlands. This is where they have nurtured the team with

prospects. We have the strongest team we have ever had. 0

team we have ever had. 0 A 0

team we have ever had. 0 A couple of medal opportunities. The

level of condition we will face is the toughest ever. There are

brothers and sisters, husbands and wives all part of it. Some must stay

and watch things from here. Do you get the feeling he is hungry for it?

Definitely, it hasn't been a great season but his focus is like a one

track mind. He is raring to go. This is the departure. Imagine the

reception if one or two medals on this bus when comes back.

Our best wishes go with them. In cricket, too, good luck to

Nottinghamshire openers Alex Hales and Michael Lumb, as they go into

T20 action against Australia tomorrow. All captained by our own

Stuart Broad. From potential sporting stars to

brand new television stars. Meet this little five year old from

Nottinghamshire. Gretel Lambert was born with a congenital heart

problem. She had to have open heart surgery when she was just seven

weeks old. But it seems nothing can stop her. Now, she's appearing in

the British Heart Foundation's new TV advert, and Angelina Socci has

been to meet her. My name is Mark Lambert, this is

quite old. The face of the latest charity campaign.

The five`year`old recently filmed to TV adverts. While in the room, she

was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. She had to undergo

life`saving surgery. She has several heart defects. It affects the main

aorta and pulmonary artery. Life`threatening. We did not know if

she would survive. The charity has supported the family since she was

born. They say this is their way of giving something back. A 0

born. They say this is their way of giving something back. A fantastic

experience, it has turned what was a dark and traumatic journey with

Gretel when she was born, into one that is very positive and unique

that we didn't think we would be involved in.

I have two cry like that. Having Gretel on the advert, and realising

heart disease has no boundaries, it is important for 0

heart disease has no boundaries, it is important for us to keep our work

going and people to get involved. As part of the campaign, the family are

planning a number of fundraising events next week. For now, Gretel is

enjoying her new`found stardom. We will be looking out for her.

Earlier, there was a tantalising view of snow. Time now for the

weather. There could be a little bit of snow.

It has been pretty grim so far. Bands of showers spiralling around

an area of low pressure. Showers after showers. In some areas, you

may have not seen anything at all. Low pressure is starting to fill

in, sinking south tomorrow. As it does so, we will finally open the

floodgates to that cold air in the east. It is certainly getting colder

for the next couple of days. The showers will diminish tomorrow. As

they do, I would not rule out the odd flurry later in the day. For the

time being, tonight, showers across the East, becoming more widespread

tonight. There could be a little bit of wintry weather over the Peak

District. 0 of wintry weather over the Peak

District. Cloudy, damp, breezy once again, but relatively mild. Down to

four Celsius. Tomorrow morning, a grim start. A lot of cloud, showers

to start, merging to give a longer spell of rain. Later in the day, as

we start to get that cold air, it could turn wintry. Some wet snow. It

is feeling cold. Four Celsius. Colder still on Thursday, we may

wake up to icy conditions. Mostly dry again, the odd flurry of sleet

or wet snow on Thursday. Wet, windy and mild again 0

or wet snow on Thursday. Wet, windy and mild again on Friday. 0

That's all from us. Join us again after the Ten O'Clock News on BBC