07/03/2014 East Midlands Today

And now the news for the East Midlands. Good evening, I'm Simon

Ward. First tonight, the families left

bereaved by two accidents at a level crossing in Nottinghamshire say an

unreserved apology by Network Rail has come too late. The apology comes

after MPs have condemned thd company for showing a callous disregard for

the families whose loved onds were killed or seriously injured. Quentin

Rayner reports. Lawrence Hoggart was one of those

who gave evidence to the tr`nsport select committee. On a dark evening

in November 2008, his wife Jean was walking over the crossing whth their

seven`year`old grandson Mikdy when they were hit by a train. Mr Hoggard

received a settlement but no apology.

I never received any letter of apology from them, of any

description. I was not even invited to the bridge opening in 2003.

He says safety warnings werd not heeded from 14 years ago. They knew

all about the crossing in 2004, and still ignored it. Tragicallx people

have been killed. My wife would still be here, and the

grandchildren. Four years after these deaths,

13`year`old Lindsey was killed by a tram which is the crossing. This is

Lindsey's room. She painted all this herself.

Her family also feel badly treated by the company.

We are glad the bridge was there, but I would sooner have my daughter.

If they had done what they were supposed to have done, my d`ughter

would still be here. I have had no apologies, no letters to sax, we are

so sorry. And that's it, never have nothing else from them.

As for the unreserved apology.. It is too late. It is like somdbody

sending you a Christmas card for years later. They started to

apologise because they had to, not because they wanted to.

Both families are trying to rebuild their lives. Lawrence Hoggart has

moved and remarried. Marlend says Network Rail is not left with the

painful memories. Network Rail has offered a full and

unreserved apology. They have promised to change the culttre of

the company, away from blamhng users of crossings and more towards what

it can do to reduce the risk of accidents.

A grieving daughter says shd will fight on for better regulathon of

care homes, after an inquest heard about a catalogue of problels

leading up to her mother's death. Kathleen Reid was in a mouldy, damp

bedroom ` and her weight wasn't properly monitored at a card home

where staff struggled to medt residents' needs. Our health

correspondent Rob Sissons w`s at today's hearing into the

92`year`old's death. In her younger days, she was in the

Land Army. Then, a loving grandma. In her final year she was in a damp,

smelly room in a Leicestershire care home, with Alzheimer's dise`se.

There were not enough hands on deck to cope with the number of

residents, and `` that is another thing that needs to be lookdd at,

training and staffing levels. The family it seemed intelldct, The

Poplars in Mountsorrel in the Leicestershire countryside. But here

they did not keep a close enough la `` I on her weight. There w`s poor

record`keeping. Social Services concluded K`thleen

Reid suffered neglect, the owner told the inquest she would have done

more had she been told. She left the inquest without comment.

What have you got to say about Mrs Reid's Beth? Why was the not `` Mrs

Reid's death? The most disturbing aspect hs I

think what little we know that goes on behind walls. We need more robust

monitoring. I think families and friends going into the home have a

responsibility as well. If they see things they are not

comfortable with, they should not be slow in telling others, and may be

going along to the Care Quality Commission or another agencx that

has an involvement with the home, and expressing their concerns.

Home now has a new manager, and the Care Quality Commission's l`test

report has shown improvements. `` the home.

Mrs Reid died 14 days after leaving the home to go into Loughborough

hospital. Her family heard today from the coroner that he accepted

many of the criticisms of the home. He recorded a verdict of de`th by

natural causes. As lambing time approaches, five

organisations working in thd Peak District have joined forces to urge

dog walkers to keep their pdts on leads if they're anywhere ndar

sheep. It follows a spate of incidents where pet dogs have chased

sheep onto busy main roads ` and even attacked and killed thdm, as

this distressing picture shows. Because we are coming up towards

lambing time, if sheep are chased, it can cause them to abort, and also

when they have got lambs with them, it can separate the use frol the

lambs, and the lambs can did from Harper `` hypothermia. `` ewes.

A pensioner who dresses as Dlvis has beaten a Liberal Democrat c`ndidate

in a Nottingham by`election. David Bishop, who stood for the Bus

Pass Elvis Party in the Clifton North by`election, came fourth,

pushing the Lib Dems into l`st place. Whilst Labour secured the

seat, the 69`year old said he was pleased with the result. He's hoping

to stand in the next General Election.

I'll be back with the if you enjoyed this afternoon's

sunshine, tonight's forecast comes with the promise of more. The

weekend is looking really qtite stunning. There will be a lot of dry

weather, and plenty of sunshine We have clear skies at the momdnt, that

has allowed those to butchers to take an early drop. We may get early

frost in places. `` those temperatures. Maybe a bit of mist

and hill fog, and butchers start to recover as that cloud moves in. It

is a cloudy, misty start to your Saturday, the cloud may produce a

little bit of light rain and drizzle into the Derbyshire Peak District,

but then just like today thd cloud clears away and the sun comds out. A

beautiful afternoon, lots of long, sunny spells. A strengthening

breeze, but still a high of 14 degrees. Sunday, a great me`l of

sunshine. I will leave you with the outlook, followed

that in just a few minutes with the National forecast. London's outlook,

plenty of sunshine. Hello. You have got to love the

British weather. For a time this afternoon, it felt like we had

skipped ahead a couple of months as temperatures reached 17 degrees

across parts of southern England. That is