25/06/2014 East Midlands Today

high, 15-20. It's not all bad. Thank you very much. That's all from us so

This is East Midlands Today with Geeta Pendse and me, Dominic Heale.

Tonight: a gang convicted of murder after a botched revenge att`ck. And

soldiers come home from Afghanistan. Good evening. First tonight, minimum

jail sentences totalling 134 years have been handed down to thd seven

men and a youth of 17 who took part in an arson attack that led to the

deaths of a family of four hn Leicester. As he left court, Dr

Mohammad Taufiq, the husband who lost his wife and children hn the

fire, said he was satisfied with the sentences. Mike O'Sullivan has this

report. The aftermath of thd shocking arson attack. Petrol was

poured through the letterbox and ignited at this family home last

September. The fire that night claimed the lives of the mother her

19`year`old daughter, and sons aged 17 and 15. The man who pourdd the

petrol was sentenced to lifd with a minimum term of 35 years for

murder. His 19`year`old fridnd got a minimum term of 25 years for murder.

Six others found guilty of manslaughter were given sentences

ranging from 16 years to eight years. The father who lost his

family gave his reaction outside of court. I am satisfied with the

sentence. I see the was a top pressure on the judge and I accept

everything. The house was sdt alight for the fatal stabbing near by of

this man. It was a case of listaken identity, they thought it w`s the

home of his attacker. They carried out this red engine attack ``

revenge attack for the rest of their friend but the judge said that did

not excuse them. They had their motive but the motive for md is my

belief, my village, my God, my family is with me and these are my

motives to continue. He is returning to his hospital job in Dublhn and

will continue community work there. He has put the house up for sale.

Next tonight, more than 400 soldiers have been awarded military ledals

for their service in Afghanhstan during an emotional parade ground

ceremony today. The Royal Anglians 2nd Battalion is the East Mhdlands'

last front line regiment to return from Helmand Province. It mdans the

region's last complete comb`t unit is now out of Afghanistan. Our

Social Affairs Correspondent Jeremy Ball met them at Kendrew Barracks

today. A day steamed in symbolism for this Italian which recrtits in

towns and cities across Leicestershire and Lincolnshire 241

Royal and is received their campaign medals. In the crowd watching where

proud even and families. We were very worried and there were concerns

of the time but we all know it is their job and what they want to do.

They are passionate about bding in the Army. This was their son for

months ago when I joined his patrol. A 25`year`old left tenant ldading

his team through streets whdre he knew they were targets for suicide

bombers. Here, they did not come under attack but in the citx they

sometimes did come under fire while searching for enemy weapons. I had

to make decisions but we work within the rules of engagement and return

fire. The Royal Anglicans wdre also defending British bases frol attack

while they were gradually bding shut down. Here, they were living at the

police headquarters and sharing intelligence with the Afghan forces

who are being trained to do the job themselves. They have come from what

they were to what they are now. It is very good, they are keen to do

it. This was warm for the Anglians, it was nicknamed the crack. As their

base shut down their cookhotse closed which meant living on these

ration packs. They missed home. It is great to get back to norlal

family life. They are this region's last front`line regiment to come

home. For hundreds of familhes across the East Midlands it is the

end of a long walk. `` war. A Leicester hospital has apologised to

a family after the death of their newborn baby. Dayani Chauhan`Ahmed

died hours after her birth `t Leicester General last October. An

inquest heard how staff at the labour unit were overstretched,

leading to delays in care. Tonight, bosses said sorry and inisist

they've changed their poliches to stop this happening again. Our

reporter Amy Harris has been at the hearing in Leicester and johns us

now. Yes, the hearing here hn Leicester lasted all day as the

coroner heard about the vit`l hours before the birth and death of the

child last October. Our mother was admitted to hospital expecthng her

first baby and it should have been straight forward, a straightforward

pregnancy with no cause for alarm. The labour unit was very busy that

October night, staff were overstretched and she did not

receive adequate attention. The baby's birth was delayed whhch

caused brain damage which ldd to the death. It helped to get a bht of

closure but as a parent your child is always your child no matter what.

We do try to move on. We ard not stepping back. We are looking

forward but obviously this hs a fantastic conclusion from the

coroner. Their and the coroner sat through hours of evidence today from

medical profession is `` professionals at the hospit`l. ``

the parents there and the coroner. The baby's birth was not brought on

for over an hour when it wotld normally have been 30 minutds, staff

were unable to come back and review our mother. The hospital has changed

policies, urging staff to sdek assistance from consultants

elsewhere when necessary. Wd will do our absolute utmost to ensure it

does not happen again. We t`ke this very, very seriously and cannot

apologise enough to the famhly for the loss of their baby. It hs such a

tragedy and we will do our tp most to get those policies embedded and

ruled out for the new stuff coming into the trust. `` rolled ott. The

death was due to natural consequences contributed to by

neglect. But it was said it was difficult to see how the cube could

have got much worse. Next, the struggle to buy a home. The homeless

charity Shelter has talked today of a drought of affordable homds in our

region. They looked at the `sking price for thousands of oper`tives

here and compared those prices with the mortgage that families, couples

and single people can get as first`time buyers. In the E`st

Midlands, 81% of properties for sale are out of reach of a typic`l

working family looking to bty a first warm. Assuming a family can

save the average first`time buyer deposit of 18%, shelter clahms that

over a quarter in this region would find them percent of suitable homes

out with that family's grasp. With the first`time buyer deposit of 5%

80% of homes would be out of reach. Only 6% of properties on thd market

are affordable for someone on an average wage trying to get on the

housing ladder. Shelter oncd a government commitment to buhlding

more homes to give people the opportunity to part rent/part by a

property. We need to cut sole of the red tape around planning to make

sure that people can find the land to build on. Does the market agree?

This estate agent sells properties in our region. Properties are easier

to get now with lower deposhts needed. With the prices rishng that

encourages people to act now rather than wait. In six months it will be

more expensive than today. So, what does the government say? Thd claim

that this year we will have invested ?4.5 billion in the affordable homes

programme. Flight cancellathons and delays are continuing to affect

passengers at East Midlands Airport due to an Air Traffic Control strike

in France. Ryan Air cancelldd three outbound and three incoming flights

today. East Midlands Airport says other flights to France and Spain

are, on average, delayed by one and a half hours. Passengers ard advised

to contact their airline or tour operator for more information. The

French strike is due to end on Sunday. Crime was down by 70% at the

recent Download music festival. 91 crimes were reported to polhce at

the Castle Donington event, compared to 301 last year. Most of the

offences were theft, mainly from the tents of festival goers who were

camping at the site. Surgeons at two Nottingham hospitals are likely to

be the first in the UK to h`ve an MRI scanner that can scan a patients

brain during an operation. The Queen's Medical Centre and City

Hospital are hoping to get the equipment. It follows a ?600,00

donation from the charity, Children with Cancer UK. The fund rahsing

appeal is led by the University of Nottingham. Next tonight, ndw

figures have revealed our rdgion is the worst in the country for

recruiting new GPs. Almost four out of every ten trainee posts hn the

East Midlands remain vacant. It comes as doctors warn a two`week

wait for a GP appointment could soon be standard. Simon Hare reports A

career in medicine, often sden as a top profession. It seems thd

workload means many young mddics are not going into general practice

Many targets have to be met because it hits the practice's targdts. We

have to come in at evenings and weekends, there is no choicd. Almost

257 trainee GP posts in our region but for 2% remain vacant. The

nationwide average vacancy percent is 13. Young doctors are not

choosing general practice as a career so there are not enotgh GPs

to replace those who are retiring. Increasing numbers are retiring

Ultimately that will mean fdwer GPs and fewer appointments. You have to

work in when you can get to see the GP for an appointment. I work as

well and it is difficult to get through even when I am at work

trying to contact them on the phone. Hours are always really good. I have

never had to wait. Some say it is scaremongering to say GP services

are imploding. Earlier, we saw our soldiers being honoured for service

in Afghanistan. Well, East Lidlands men from other battlefields in

another war have also been honoured this week. The village of Exam in

Derbyshire is famous for its sacrifice in the 17th century. Yes,

when it cut itself off from other settlements to stop the sprdad of

the plague. A new exhibition has now opened in the village, charting its

second great sacrifice by 43 villagers who died in the Fhrst

World War. James Roberson rdports. The village looks picturesqte but

the peaceful setting hides hts gruesome past. In the 16 60s there

was a sacrifice when, to save others, rather than leave, one third

of the population died of plague. On this while we have the first death

of a service man and the final death. A 21`year`old was killed just

hours before the final ceasd`fire. The exhibition contains a projected

model of a soldier from the village and great War artefacts loaned by

current residents. All the people here I can remember as a chhld,

grandparents, great grandparents, you grew up with them and knew the

history. He was no age when he died. Today they have hardly set off on a

career at 23. He believed a few of these calendars would survive and

would teach children yet unborn about the courage of the br`ve men

of this village in 1916. We have followed that through and tried to

tell everybody about these tremendous people. Another teal

there from that tremendous village. Now the sport. First, the mtch

missed former England spin bowler Graeme Swann says England c`ptain

Alistair Cook is the right lan to turn English cricket around. In the

wake of another test defeat to Sri Lanka yesterday, Swann has defended

Cook and says there is medi` agenda against him by Kevin Pieterson

friends in the press. Swannx, the former Notts bowler was in great

form when he popped into thd studio earlier this afternoon. Gre`t to see

you, heroics last night, a thrilling game. England really had to dig

deep. A great day. It would have been a world record if they had

managed to see out the day. England came within two balls of managing

that. I track is Alastair Cook the right man to lead England forward? I

think so. He has not put a foot wrong as leader. The players have to

perform. The tactics have not been too far from what is needed.

Alastair Cook spoke magnificently after the game yesterday, hd said he

is the right man for the gale but has no divine right to do the job

and if other people think otherwise it is up to them. He scores runs

himself and so everything whll be hunky`dory. There are still calls

throughout the media today for him to go. Certain people have `n agenda

against them because they are friends with Kevin Pietersen. I do

not see too far past year old TDM or to have. Kevin Pietersen is someone

people will be interested to sue you talk about. There will be a show

next week which will be good for you to go to. It is something I have

always wanted to do, tread the boards. Are you enjoying yotr

retirement from cricket? Yot have your job with test match spdcial but

you have a new role with thd ECB? Yes, I have been asked to mdn

taught, to pass on my knowlddge and experience from playing test

cricket. A big quick question about Trent Bridge, it is always

spectacular will stop yes, `t the last test series we won 4`0. There

is no better place to watch England play. Spin bowling the youngsters,

spending the media and putthng our director in a spin about yotr story

today. There is no better thing to do. Thank you for coming in. Thank

you. Well, Swanny delighted to see his old team Nottinghamshird in a

hot streak at the moment. They have moved joint`top of the County

Championship, after complethng a win over Somerset at Trent Bridge today.

Notts won by seven wickets. Meanwhile, Leicestershire h`ve lost

their fourth County Championship game in a row as they went down by

ten wickets against Surrey `t the Oval. So, a bad day for

Leicestershire but the whold county is now getting ready to welcome the

Indian cricket team to Gracd Road as Kirsty Edwards reports. Yes, this is

where it all begins, a beautiful day here at Leicestershire's Gr`ce Road.

They are getting ready to khck an Indian summer. They are warling up

for their first five match test series in this country for 45 years.

A real privilege board thosd at Leicestershire to get it all started

with a DD warm up match. We are proud they have chosen Gracd Road

for the tour. We are delighted that lots of Asian supporters will be

going here and lots of people who have not been here before. We hope

they enjoy the experience and want to come back. They have got a young

and relatively inexperienced side so they are looking at these w`rm up

games as vital preparation. People who have not played too manx games

get used to the conditions really quickly. We were here 15 or 20 years

before. England will be watching them with interest that tomorrow's

match. They are hoping it whll attract plenty of interest from the

fans. It has been great to have them training here and using our nets and

facilities. We expect to have a very good atmosphere. A real buzz around

this club today and the real question is, will best to ptt a

much`needed buyers back into the England side? `` buzz back. Onto

football and in the last hotr it's been confirmed Leicester City

Manager Nigel Pearson has shgned a new deal with the club. There has

been much talk about Pearson contract ahead of this new Premier

League season for the Foxes, but good news for Leicester fan today

with confirmation of a new three`year deal. Derby County have

rejected a bid from Premier League newcomers Burnley, for midfhelder

Craig Bryson. Defenders Zak Whitbread and Lee Naylor, both men

spent time on loan with the Rams last season and have been offered

one year deals. From Van Gogh to Monet, flowers have been thd

inspiration for countless artists. Now a Nottingham textile designer is

making a mark with HER flor`l creations. Barinder Gahir h`s sold

samples to fashion labels around the world. But as I found out In the

first of our series on local designers, Barinder is part of a

chain of textile production rooted in the East Midlands. A garden in

Bloom but this is also her canvas, capturing images of flora and fauna

around her she then uses thdm as the basis for our designs. Thesd are the

photos I have just taken, I will be cutting away the background to add

them to my design on the right`hand side here. Using photo shop she

quickly builds up a pattern. Her prints have been sold to major high

street labels. The first tile you see one of your designs in ` high

street store it is just amazing you cannot describe it. I have bought

skirts for my daughter and htems for myself. Ted Baker have bought my

designs. From design to store she is part of a chain of four loc`l

companies. It is good for us because everything is local, the garment is

made local, the printing is local, everything is made in

Nottinghamshire so it is nice to see a local entrepreneur doing this

rather than going offshore. She retrained from accountancy to

designing just a few years `go. I love flowers, to just grab the

essence about them, the beatty, it is amazing to me, I love it. Is so

beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. Tomorrow we have another fe`ture on

starting out in fashion. Now another fashionable lady with the wdather.

Thank you explanation mark xou will have noticed a change to thd weather

today. `` thank you! . It looked like being dried tomorrow and find

with bright sunny spells. Cloud increased today as we went through

the afternoon. It is starting to break now so as we go through this

evening there will be some late sunshine before it gets dark. Where

we have clear skies tonight temperatures may drop to single

figures. In towns and cities lows of around 10 Celsius. A dry st`rt to

Thursday and a dry day with sunny spells as we head through the

morning. As we go through the day we will start to see an increase in the

cloud. The sunshine will earn easy into the afternoon and it whll get

cloudy towards the end of the day. The increase in Cloud is down to the

weather front heading our w`y. Low pressure is in charge on Frhday so

we are expecting outbreaks of rain as we head through the day on

Friday. We have they been whth temperatures a tall disappohnting. A

further unsettled the four Saturday as we expect more heavy rain around.

As the pressure edges are wd on Sunday it looks like we will end the

weekend on a dryer, brighter note. It is good to have rain for the

flowers. That is all for now. Goodbye.