11/08/2011 Midlands Today

Hello, welcome to Midlands Today with Suzanne Virdee and Michael

Collie. The headlines tonight: Praise from

the Prime Minister and a Chief Constable for the calming words of

a grieving father, desperate his son's murder doesn't lead to more

violence and rioting. Those words were so powerful, so

heartfelt, so spontaneous and generous.

A quiet night on the streets, but a busy one for the courts - they sat

all night to bring those accused of looting and violence to justice.

A calmer night on the region's streets, but some stores still

close early again. It is a bit eerie walking round and seen for

shots like this. That seemed the shots. -- and seen that the shots

like this. And after the riots, the Home

Office considers banning an EDL protest in Shropshire this weekend.

Good evening, welcome to Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight: It was

a "powerful and generous appeal for calm." That's how the West Midlands

Chief Constable described a grieving father's appeal for an end

to the violence, following the killing of his son. He also said he

believed Tariq Jahan's dignified call for calm had stopped the

tensions escalating. Haroon Jahan was killed in a hit

and run along with brothers Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir in Winson

Green in Birmingham early yesterday morning. It was feared their

murders - as they tried to protect businesses and properties from

looters - could ignite more violence and rioting. Mary Rhodes

reports. The tributes keep coming. Members

of the community and people from outside the area continue to pay

their respects to the three men who lost their lives on Wednesday

morning. I feel it bad. Very emotional? I am. We just hope that

everybody unites together, it does not matter what colour, whatever.

Because this cyst a loss for no reason. Three innocent people, it

is amazing this is happening. We have come to show our respect for

the family. Two brothers, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir, and 21-year-

old Haroon Jahan were killed after they were hit by a car. The Chief

Constable of West Midlands Police, Chris Sims, met with Haroon's

father this lunchtime. Yesterday, Tariq Jahan had appealed

for calm. Today, at we stand here to breed

with all the youths to remain calm for our communities to stand united

-- to plead with a. Those words were so powerful, so hot felt, so

spontaneous and generous that I think anyone that occurred them

must have been moved it -- so heartfelt. And anyone who thought

there was any mileage from continuing his cycle of violence in

the name of those young men that died I think we'll have thought

twice about it. It seems the call has, so far, been listened to. A

vigil held late last night passed off peacefully. Sikhs and Muslims

have been branded for many years at extremists and terrorists, yet

there were more than 500 people and not one stone throne. The hooligans

are no -- the hooliganism and extremism was around the UK. What

did you ask the Chief Constable today? I said, how many more people

have to die before this hooliganism has to come to an end? He said, we

are working hard at this and soon it will come to an end. A brother

this afternoon was left grieving. have only -- I am the only some

left now, the backbone of the family, so I have to be strong in

myself and not break in pieces. I have to clear the pieces there are

broken back together again. sense of shock is still very raw in

Winson Green, a community united in grief.

And we'll be hearing from Chief Constable Chris Sims when he joins

us live later in the programme. First though, Mary Rhodes is in

Winson Green. Mary, what's the scene there tonight?

Yes, detectives investigating the deaths of the three men killed here

have today arrested three more men on suspicion of murder. And the 32-

year-old man previously arrested has been bailed pending further

enquiries. The mood all day has been of sorrow and grief and more

people have been coming too late weeds and pay their respects.

Family members have been down here this afternoon and gathering a lot

of support from members of the community. Today, and was struck

people were coming from outside Winson Green. And that sense of

shock and grief and wanting to unite as a community. And it seems

that call for calm from Tariq Jahan has been heeded and the hope here

and in the wider community is that will also be apparent tonight, and

there will be a second night of calm. The community is still deeply

united in grief. Thank you from Winson Green.

A quiet night on our streets, but a busy one in court. Magistrates sat

throughout the night to deal with dozens of people accused of looting

and violence during two nights of rioting across Birmingham and the

Black Country. Almost a quarter of the cases involved children. Some

offenders have already been jailed and sentenced. Let's go live now to

Ben Godfrey at Solihull Magistrates Court, where the all-night sessions

were held. Ben, this is very unusual to have an all-night

sitting like this, isn't it? It is, what we saw overnight last

night started at about 7:30pm and finishing at 6am today was a

conveyor-belt of alleged criminality come -- or, at some

admitted it and some did not. 20 people have been remanded in

custody and some sentenced and some two told to come back. We are

talking about burglary, theft, arson, between the ages of 14 and

Tell us about some of those people that have been dealt with.

Some of the cases include that of a 24-year-old man from Newtown in

Birmingham who admitted handling stolen goods almost �5,000 worth of

perfume from House of Fraser. He is awaiting sentence.

Next, a man jailed for six months for looting a Birmingham newsagent

of more than �3,500 worth of cigarettes. And a 15-year-old boy

who cannot be identified for legal reasons charged with burglary, at

items worth �20, he has been remanded in customer -- in custody.

And I understand a 14-year-old girl has been arrested by police in

Wolverhampton, she is being questioned and has been escorted by

a family member to the police station he suspected her of

stealing clothes. David Cameron once tough sentences,

are magistrates responding? -- he wants. I have been to a

number of cases where teenagers have been sent away with probation

orders. One remanded in custody today. It is not just young people

involved, through the courts over the last day, a 44-year-old man was

charged with possession of a gas spray. Another look special court

is sitting this evening in Birmingham, it is under way now and

should finish by 9:30pm. Thank you very much indeed.

On the day MPs were recalled to Westminster to debate the riots,

politicians from our worst-affected areas have clashed over the

Government's plans to cut police budgets. Our political editor,

Patrick Burns, joins us from Westminster. Patrick, a lot of

people saying tonight that it seems like madness to cut police numbers

after these riots. Mr Cameron's reply is that if the

police were thin on the ground, it's because they began by treating

it as a public order issue rather than one of criminality. He

promised the Commons that even after these economies, the police

would be able to muster the sort of surge in numbers which we saw on

the streets last night. But I put it to one of his Cabinet colleagues

that this is a funny time to be cutting the police.

The chief constable in them West Midlands has made it clear that he

has adequate resources for policing -- the West Midlands. And there is

no question, the Prime Minister has made clear he will reopen this

issue. The key point here is to catch and prosecute those who have

been involved in outrageous and discussed in the offences in

Birmingham and across Britain. is the sort of strength of feeling

on the opposition benches? Very strong indeed.

Six local MPs - David Winnick, Richard Burden, Tom Watson, Pat

McFadden and Rob Flello - lined up behind Labour's demands for the

Government to reverse the cuts. And one MP whose constituency saw some

of the most serious disorder told me Government promises to transfer

police officers from the back office to the front line would be

counter-productive. I think that is just absolutely

unbelievable. And indeed, there has been a memorandum from the

Warwickshire police League today inviting backroom staff to take

voluntary redundancies with the clear indication that they will be

replaced by police there are currently on frontline duties -- a

leak. That to me demonstrates the fallacious nest of the Prime

Minister's position. Is this one of those issues that

could drive a wedge between the Coalition partners?

No sign of any great splits on this so far. Most Liberal Democrats

challenging Labour to spell out what they'd cut instead to stave

off cuts to the police. There is a question of deployment. We have two

statements today, one is about the finances. We know the government

plan to have about 40% of the GDP spent on public services, more than

in the first Tony Blair government. If you do not get your deficit

under control, you have a higher deficit and more cuts. Labour have

to have more cuts or they have to tell us whether money is coming

from. -- where the money. And such is the demand for MPs to

speak in this debate that it's been extended by an extra hour and will

now continue until 8 o'clock. Back to you.

Well, we're joined now by the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police,

Chris Sims. Good evening. Thankfully, a quiet night last

night. Monday and Tuesday, sickening scenes of the violence

and looting, are do not worried as we have heard MPs are that if these

police cuts are planned and, you will not cope with future

situations like this? -- are you not worried. I am not here to talk

about cuts and budgets, I do not think the people of West Midlands

would want me talking about that sort of thing when we are still in

the middle of dealing with an operational set of challenges.

she would not be able to cope. have come to talk about the

operational challenges we face now. It is the politicians who would

think about budgets. We saw breathtaking scenes on Monday and

Tuesday, people looting brazenly and police seemed to be holding

back. No, what you have seen is almost 400 people arrested in those

two days. More arrested, that will follow. My officers doing fantastic

work. Brave work, in order to bring the situation under control to get

a climate of deterrents back so people do not think they can commit

offences with impunity and to get control back on the streets, and

that is what you are seeing now and what she will continue to see.

Monday night, pictures were very different. You have to understand

that ordinary law-abiding members of the public cannot understand why

you did not just moved in and arrest people. There were lines of

police and people walking off with TV's. I have been all day receiving

support from political leaders, members of the community, I think

with respect they seem to have a better understanding of what

officers were dealing with then you seem to have from your desk in the

studio. Interesting to say that, I have spoken to a Westminster -- a

West Midlands police officer and they say that police tactics were

pink and fluffy policing. They say officers on the ground know what

needs to be done but high-ranking officers do not let them, what do

you say? I say 400 people are facing prosecution as a result of

the tactics we used. We have gone in the most robust way to protect

people in the West Midlands, we will continue to do that. I do not

know who that officer is, at a suspect he was probably a long way

from the action -- I suspect. And his or her colleagues were probably

facing real danger and making snap decisions to do the right thing to

protect people in the West Midlands. Nobody is saying your officers were

not brave, but I would also like to talk about, you have been to see

Tariq Jahan today, the father of one of the men, one of the three

men killed in the early hours of yesterday morning. What he had to

say was incredibly powerful and she said that, humbling to hear a man

grieving coming out with that kind of speech. I was honoured to be

invited to the house. It was a private conversation, I wanted to

pay my condolences to the family. I wanted to say on behalf of my

colleagues and the wider community that we were all astounded at the

bravery and frankness of the intervention that he made. At the

time that he was suffering as a father, he found it within himself

to come forward, it to represent the wishes of the community, and I

told him in my view, he made the difference between last night

becoming an issue of violence between sections of the community

and instead we had a-night of relative calm. And hopefully again

tonight. You have six officers on the street, am I correct? Around

10pm, we had 6,000 and have a similar pattern tonight. So the

people of the West Midlands are safe tonight? With support from

colleagues in Scotland and across the region, we will do everything

we can to not only make the streets safe but to offer a deterrent to

people who want to cause trouble. And you very much indeed for coming

to see me. -- thank you. There was no major trouble on the

streets of the region last night after two nights of lawlessness,

looting and rioting. Birmingham and the Black Country were starting to

return to something like normal today, although boarded-up shops

and windows betrayed the fact that it's not yet quite business as

usual, with trade down by millions Birmingham City centre and West

Bromwich were welcoming shoppers back today.

In Birmingham, many we spoke to were shocked by the aftermath of

the riots. We were not meant to meet -- I came to meet a friend and

we were meant to meet on Tuesday and delayed it till today because

we feel safer. I am shocked looking around. You carry on, what can you

do? Let them stop quite complete the? No! As calm returned to

Birmingham city centre, this newsagent, who's spent 26 years

building up her business, said she would not be deterred. We have got

to compensate losses and pay my staff and pay the bills. Somebody

has to pay for that. Business as usual for a dry cleaners, refusing

to close early. We cannot let these people win, we have to make a stand

and carry on as normal. gleaming office blocks in the city

centre may not be boarded up, but there's a hidden cost. The Chamber

of Commerce estimates that sending staff home early in financial and

legal firms could have cost �3.5 million. And there's a global

reputation to protect too. I do not think it will take as long to

forget the riots. It might take a bit longer to recover some of that

reputation will damage, pictures that have gone not just across this

country but probably more worryingly in overseas markets in

China, India, Brazil, Russia. Countries we want to invest in

Birmingham because it is a brilliant City to invest in.

Bullring said initially it would stay open until 8pm, it has been

revised until 6:00pm. A spokeswoman for the Bullring said additional

security measures had been put in place, adding that the primary

concern is for the safety of shoppers and retailers, and they

continue to work closely with the police. In West Bromwich, a vibrant

scene. All a far cry from the terror it's suffered. This needs to

stop and we are a community, a multicultural community, and people

need to work together. They should be dealt with really severely.

Birmingham tonight, at a quiet scene outside the usually busy

restaurants. Birmingham and West Bromwich is slowly returning to

normal, but memories of the last few days are still vivid.

So what is the situation now? Much, and more peaceful as people

make their way home from work and shopping -- much more, and more

peaceful. The newsagents behind me is still open having closed early.

It will stay open until 9pm. West Midlands police have the same had

the presence, about 1,000 public order trained officers. In the

jewellery Quarter, one bar owner said on his Facebook page he is

determined it is business as usual tonight and he will not be deterred

by the troublemakers. So an air of normality returning to

the streets of Birmingham tonight - a huge relief for all those who

live, work and care about the city. And joining us now is the Leader of

Birmingham City Council, Councillor Mike Whitby. First of all, your

reaction to the events of the past few days?

It has been terrible and it has been very sad, and something we do

not want to experience again it's a black as simple as that? It is a

terrible experience and has harmed our reputation. It has dented

people's prosperity and has frightened many people. And while

we all want normality, we are creeping towards it. So what do we

do about it from the City council's point of view? Salford, Greenwich

and Nottingham said those found guilty of criminality will be

evicted if they are in council houses, is Birmingham doing that?

am not sure, but we are working in conjunction with the police and

anybody caught will be published. And the you process carried out.

Would you be tempted to do that? have seen terrible scenes in

Birmingham, at we have three councils acting robustly against

people found guilty. What robust action will the council here take?

At the moment, we will certainly make sure those people intimidating

people utilising our services, there has to be a relationship

between that and a penalty. Meaning what? People using it your

services... We have not made a decision and I do not want to make

that here. We now have the power to affect people, but there are social

consequences of course. If you evict people, where do they go? We

do not want to just immediate the respond to it. But they should be

some fought of punishment and I know viewers are quite rightly

saying the action we have taken, the moronic idiocy and criminality

needs to be punished, and we will do all we can see. To what extent

do you hold with the argument that people are reacting to what they

see around, the court and sew one, the difficulties they are facing? -

- the cuts and so on. The City council is making cuts in areas

where people say it matters. walked a deadly road the morning

after the sad death of the three young men and I spoke to a range of

people, Muslims, Christians, black, wide, Brown, from all over the

world, and every person said those looting and rioting were

fundamentally criminals and it was not related to that. But we now see

empty streets, this is the office - - this is the image going around

the world of Birmingham, is that a problem for you? I have gone to the

cricket and it is good, we are winning and doing well. We are

carrying out as much as we can in normal conditions. There is a

healing process and we have to review what we have learnt, liaise

with the police and the community. A lot of work, this is the healing

process. Thank you very much indeed. The Home Office is considering

banning a demonstration by the English Defence League in Telford

on Saturday. The local council has made an application to stop it

taking place. It's come too late for Telford

United Football Club though - their game against Luton Town has been

called off. Ben Sidwell reports. Businesses in Wellington, in

Telford, are preparing for the worst on Saturday. Nearly all are

closing, many are also boarding up windows for the arrival of the

English Defence League. It is a waste of resources and a waste of

time, I hated. It is causing us so much heartache wondering if we even

have a shock to come back to. would be foolish not to realise the

strength of feeling of people around here who do not want this

March. If there is nothing good about it. We will just say to them,

please leave the March this time? Following the rioting around the

country over the past few days, police have asked Telford & Wrekin

Council to try and get Saturday's march banned. The police think it

is the right thing to do, so do the council and the Muslim business

community also stock Mac -- also. At AFC Telford United, that ban

will come too late to save their opening game of the season.

Everything was ready for the arrival of Luton Town and a crowd

of around 5,000 were expected to see the club's first game back in

the Football Conference. The court had already moved the fixture twice

from its original 3pm start. First took a lunchtime kick-off and then

to 7:45pm -- first to a lunch time. But West Murcia Police asked them

to call the game off altogether leaving them no choice but to

postpone the match. Banning the march does not stop people from

gathering on Saturday, but people here hope it will be enough of a

deterrent to keep them away. The owner of Birmingham City has

been banned from leaving Chinese territory after appearing in a Hong

Kong court on money laundering charges. Carson Yeung's defence

team offered to increase his bail payments to almost a quarter-of-a-

million pounds so that he could fly to Birmingham for this weekend's

home game. But a magistrate ruled that he's got to remain in China

ready for another court appearance later this month.

Profits at the Midlands car maker Jaguar Land Rover are up following

strong sales in China and Russia. The firm made pre-tax profits of

�248 million in the second quarter of the year. That's a rise of nine

million on the same time last year. Sales of vehicles are up 50% to

62,000. We're seeing signs of it clearing

up now, so for cricket, the weather doesn't pose too many problems.

There's probably a greater risk of being caught out during the weekend.

A showery one - and with the nature of showers - you either get them or

you don't, and it's difficult to pinpoint where they'll strike. But

as far as tonight goes, the showers are quite regimented towards the

South, but on their way out now. There's just this area of rain to

the North that could just clip parts of Staffordshire. But all

other areas looking mainly dry overnight and cloudy, but warm and

humid, with lows of 15-16 Celsius. The winds are calming right down

too tonight. A bit of mistiness over the hills tonight. A bit murky

and grey tomorrow morning, but there'll be some sunnier spells

breaking through during the afternoon. It's a mainly dry

picture tomorrow, but you can just see the threat of rain to the West

of us, and we could see a few spots of rain from that at some point

during the day, but nothing disruptive. A warm and humid day,

with a top temperature of 21 Celsius, with light-to-moderate

south-westerly winds. And then tomorrow night looks wetter, as

this band of rain starts to move eastwards, but it's tending to

break up now, so there'll be pockets of heavier rain, but it's

mostly patchy in nature. Warm and muggy once more. Showers for the

A look at tonight's main headlines: Hunting down the rioters one by one

- police make more arrests, as David Cameron pledges whatever it

takes to restore law and order. And here - a Chief Constable pays

tribute to a grieving father's appeal for an end to the violence.

That's all from us this evening, but on tomorrow's programme, we'll

be looking more at the challenge Birmingham now faces marketing