27/10/2011 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight, two

teenagers die in a canal in what is called -- thought to be a tragic

accident. Friends and relatives pay their tributes and remember.

They were the last moments of his life.

First the riots, now a bill of �5 million that the police say is

unfair. In my view, I think these are costs

that should be borne by insurance companies and taken that way.

I am inside and experiments to make something happen much more easily.

And we need to the Wildlife photographer who was ahead of his

time, filming birds of prey in Good evening. A welcome to Midlands

Today from the BBC. Tonight, tragedy has two teenagers die in a

Black Country canal. Fyaz Uddin, who was 18, and Sara

Rylance was 17. They were pulled unconscious from the water by fire

crews and pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

If tonight, it was said that the tragedy at Smethwick Locks was an

accident. But investigation has been launched into how the pair

came to fall into the canal. Fyaz Uddin and Sara Rylance, or

friends who died together in the most terrible circumstances. Both

were caught -- Butler pulled that off Smethwick Locks. Friends and

their family have been visiting the scene all day.

He was a nice young man. If he just wanted to go out for five minutes,

and I was around. The five minutes was the last of his life. It is a

sad, sad loss. The for our family and first and foremost, his parents.

A the locks are used by teenagers at a meeting place. It is

understood a friend of the pair raised the alarm. Fire crews were

on the scene in six minutes. 4th we came in with a flotation

device, or manage to travel -- carry the female a long, and one of

us went into the water and rescues the second person. Our thoughts are

with the families at the moment, it is a very tragic accident that has

happened here. The police are still investigating

what happened, but on not treating the deaths as suspicious. Nearby

residents say they neighbourhood had been celebrating Diwali with

fireworks until news spread of the tragedy.

The officers were still trying to resuscitate them, the paramedics

were try to resuscitate them. And then what seems like about 10

minutes later, I cannot tell you exactly the Times, and then they

were working on the other person involved. They were resuscitating

as they were going. Canals are commonplace in the West

Midlands, but following this tragedy, the emergency services are

warning that they can be deceptive be dangerous. Besides are protected,

had particularly at this time of year, the water can be extremely

cold. The results of post-mortem

examinations on Fyaz and Sara are yet to be released. An inquest is

expected to open in the next few days.

And West Midlands police are urging any witnesses to the incident last

night to come forward. Still ahead on tonight's programme,

the youngsters spreading an anti- gang message on the streets of

Birmingham. Now, West Midlands Police Authority

is calling for a change in the law as it faces claims of more than �5

million after the August riots. Under the Riot Damages Act of 1886,

the police are liable to pay compensation after a riot to anyone

Originally, the Home Office said it would take care of riot related

claims, but it has since backtracked, and the West Midlands

Police Authority is now dealing with more than 300 applications for

compensation. It has been a tough 18 months for

Kuldip and Iqbal Chana. He was attacked and stabbed four times in

his shop last year, then in August they were victims of the Birmingham

riot. CCTV footage shows a mob of looters forcing the shutters from

the front of the shop, and then smashing their way inside. They

caused thousands of pounds worth of damage, as well as dealing more

than �5,000 in cash. But the couple's insurance has a 500 pound

cap on cash, so would not pay out. And this means the Chanas have

struggled to keep their shops -- shelves full.

I am about 40% down, if not more. It is not here for the customers to

buy, and sometimes I have not got it. But I am losing the customers,

they will go somewhere else. The riot has caused problems for

many. Now, as permitted by the Riot Damages Act, more than 300 people

have filed claims with the police. A total of �5.1 million, which

traders say is badly needed. -- �5.4 million.

It can only be a positive. At its meeting today, the police

authority had a grant from the Home Office would help pay. If not, it

will have to pack --, told police reserves and could have knock-on

effects. Both they are calling for the 1886 Riot Damages Act to be

consigned to the history books. In my view I think these are costs

that should be borne by insurance companies and taken that way. The

Act needs to be repealed, and we will be working with our MPs within

a locality to try and see if we can address this situation.

So a lot of money being paid out in compensation, but West Midlands

police have also spent between �10 million and �12 million policing

the riot. So far, there have been six and and 44 arrests and had and

68 people have been charged. Both and in a further 250 cases, charges

are about to be brought. A more than 80 staff are still

working full-time on the investigation, and others on these

compensation claims. We are joined now by Conservative

MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, James Morris. Cannot be right that

the West Midlands police are facing a bill for �5 million because of an

act that date back to 1886? I have got some sympathy from the

police authority, at that is because it does -- the act goes

back to 1886. Many people would recognise that the insurance market

has moved on. We have got an issue where the police authority does the

to make a special grant application to the Home Office, which I know

that they are making, and we need to know that they make that grant

application, and we keep pressure on the Home Office, because I think

I agree that we do not want to be in a position where it can be

avoided, the authority has to tap into reserves in order to

compensate these businesses. The Home Office are visually said

it would pick up the tab, and now it has backed down.

We have to draw a distinction between insured and uninsured

claims. Both for insured claims, this does at -- it does go back to

this archaic piece of legislation, which the Africa which is being

looked into. I think we have to make a distinction between the two,

but the police authority has to go through the process of making his

application, and given the scale of the issue which has been identified,

as a local member of parliament representing an area of the West

Midlands, I will be helping to put pressure on the Home Office. The

this sounds great time consuming. We heard from West -- from one

business owner that their insurers had not paid up the full amount.

They are really struggling to run their businesses.

It is also true that in response to the riots, the government put into

place a government -- the government put into place a series

of measures to help people get through difficulties that came out

of the riots in terms of business interruption, so it is not just

focusing on insurance claims. They rather funds around in order for

them to get through these difficulties.

Thank you. Bosses at the Warwickshire Hospital

have set up an external review into its own mortality rate after a

report today showed that they had the highest rating in England.

The George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton recorded 1024 deaths in

the year ending March 2011. Only 143 had been expected. We are live

now to our reporter Joan Cummins, has this report just come out of

the blue, or has it been linked in any way be the concern of death

rates at a our hospitals? Thi this is a direct result as to

the appalling events that happened at Mid-Staffordshire Hospital. The

big government said they wanted to ensure that those mistakes never

happened again. Interestingly, under this data, Mid-Staffordshire

came out quite well, almost 2% under the expected mortality rate.

But one Department of Health spokesman said to me that you

should not judge a hospital just on one set of results, they say it is

like buying a car. You would not just buy it on fuel consumption.

So the hospital is excepting the findings?

Earlier today I spent to the medical director at as the George

Eliot Hospital, and he was very quick to say that he wanted to be

as transparent as possible, and he did not feel that there was

anything wrong with the care in Nuneaton.

I think the quality of care is good, and I think the safety of patients

is good. It is paramount at -- to the decisions we make. We ensure

that quality and safety is at the centre of everything we provide.

Something is going wrong. Something is going wrong, and what

our external review will determine his by their it is initial quality,

which I do not think it is, whether it is an issue of recording, an

issue of external factors. Interestingly, the Department of

Health say that this data does not come with any sanctions. Nobody has

been named and shamed. The Department of Health said it was

like a smoke alarm, it prompted further investigation. But one that

Inspector... One watchdog for the hospital said to me it was all very

well, but surely if your toaster is burning up that is simply

difference to your house being on fire. These results will be coming

out every quarter, and all the hospitals will be looking at them

with great care. Two other news, and unions

representing bin men in Birmingham have voted in favour of strike

action for the second time this year. These were the scenes in the

city during the last walk out, today the GMB said its members plan

to strike again over changes to their contracts. They claim that

some staff could lose �4,000 a year. A strike date has not been set.

Amazon has become the gritting 1500 temporary staff to work at his new

depot in * Staffordshire. They opened a 7000 square foot warehouse

in Rugeley last month. They are now Could eating more slowly make use

Laura? It is a theory that scientists in Coventry are trying

to prove and a hi-tech unit nicknamed the Flab Lab.

They it has been set up to get at - - an idea of what is causing the

world's obesity problems. This is no ordinary day for this

woman. She is being sealed in a chamber and closely monitored for

eight hours. There will be exact measurement of how much energy C

Burns. It is part of an experiment to test whether eating faster make

should put on weight. -- how much energy she Bunce.

Weight is due to how many calories you taking and expend. If you find

that meal duration can affect those parameters it is important for

public health. She has had nothing to read today

and it is exactly mid-day. She has lunch passed -- passed into are, a

sand which and yoghurt. She must eat the portions slowly, one every

five minutes, and her appetite is assessed throughout the afternoon.

It is all happening in Coventry hospital and Warwick University's

Flab Lab. The most advanced of its kind in Europe. Before our

experiment gets under way, patients are tested in this extraordinary

looking instrument that measures how much the way, their body volume

at how much fat they have. Scientists will test the

relationship between weight and things like sleep levels, exercise

and dogs. For conditions like infectious

diseases and cancer, we are beginning to make process. However,

it is frustrating that a condition like obesity, which is very common,

we still have not manage -- managed to get a treatment. That is what

we're hoping to do. After eight hours, she is allowed

out. Fresh air!

What did she think? You never think about how you eat,

it is something you do. When you have good time you saw for pace

yourself, I think it affects the way you take your food. -- when you

have good time yourself. Finally, she assesses her hunger by

eating what she likes from us that -- selection of food. The results

will take time, but they're hoping to find some answers about the

obesity and it -- obesity epidemic. Watching that makes you hungry,

that is the problem. You can find out more about that

obesity report on the Midlands Today Facebook page.

Still to come tonight... Are the little owl part of a big

archive - I Shropshire baronet gives us a bird's-eye view.

And rain at last. It has not been the wettest October so far, but it

Three of the Black Country's best- known tourist attractions today

received a �4.5 million boost which is hoped will double visitor

numbers. Dudley Zoo, the Black Country

Living Museum and Dudley Canal Trust hold the investment will draw

more than one million tourists to the town that each year. Our

correspondent is high above the town at Dudley Castle. Great news.

It is, today it has not been perfect weather for tourism, but

you can see the castle, 1,000 years old, standing behind me imposingly.

That is one of the attractions that brings visitors to the town, but

now it is hoped this investment from Europe will be able to build a

big new centre, which will give people access to all three of the

town's biggest tourist attractions. Let's speak to the chief executive

of Dudley Zoo, one of those attractions. You fought long and

hard for this money, you must be delighted, what will it do?

It is fantastic news. We have been trying to get investment for ten

years. �4.5 million will provide infrastructure to -- for access to

the museum in a different way. We will have a new car parks so that

people can transfers between the three attractions. -- transfer

between. They will also be a new attraction within the castle so

that conservation and education work associate with the zoo can

take place. I have been to three of the major

attractions today. Can it actually work that you have one centre for

three very different attractions? Yes, we think it can. We're

different attractions, and you can come for a weekend to the Black

Country Museum and the Canal Trust, whereas previously they were seen

as quite separate entities. The views taken by the local

authorities are that this is the way to develop the tourism centre.

Currently, 600,000 people visit these three attractions. The hope

is when the work is finished in about five years' time they can

increase that number to one million people. There has increased numbers

are also point to help boost the town, as well.

Hopefully we should see people coming into Dudley very soon.

Especially when it is not raining. Thank you very much.

Premier League footballers are backing a new video which carriages

young people to adopt a zero- tolerance to going for -- to gang

warfare. The film also has the support of chart-topping music acts.

Today they were in Birmingham to showcase their creative talents in

an attempt to put across a positive image of young people, as a our

arch reporter reports. -- as a Mac Arts reporter reports.

No Postcodes - No Gangs, a clear message from those affected by gang

culture. I am not educated, not from a very

wealthy family, I am from the bottom of the chain. It is easy for

people to close the door on me. The gangs gave me a way out, they gave

me money, they gave me life. Headed a you get out?

My brother motivated me. My brother said to me, I am saving money for

your funeral. That scared me. The campaign is the brainchild of

young people from Bromford Support. The idea is to urge other people to

be citizens of Birmingham and not be did -- not be defined by their

postcode, something gangs have been defined by in their past.

The many have had first-hand dealings with gangs.

I just said I was not going to get over my stuff and they stabbed me

with a screwdriver. I had someone to see me with a knife. I was on a

bike and as I was pedalling away the scratch my back, it was an open

wind. The No Postcodes - No Gangs video

is now online for anyone to view. It is a sign that there is an

alternative to gangs for young people.

We know there were some local footballers involved in that from

the Premier League. Talking of which, Wolves were applauded off

last eight, despite losing five had -- 5-22 Manchester City in the

Carling Cup. Mick McCarthy had called some

supporters mindless idiots after he was jeered during their previous

game. Only 12,000 fans were at Molineux,

but left the manager in no doubt whose side they were on. The

whose side they were on. The players responded, too, and took

the lead through Nenad Milijas. Mick McCarthy's reaction Das

understated delight. In five restless first half minutes the

visitors rammed their superiority home. Astonishingly, a 1-0 lead

became a 3-1 deficit in the blink of an eye. Two further goals at the

start of the second half threatened a demoralising wrote, but once more

Wall's revealed their backbone and Wall's revealed their backbone and

Jamie O'Hara scored the only other goal the game.

We were still chasing them, still creating chances. The desire to

play is just quality. Stoke City are also out, but they

Stoke City are also out, but they went down fighting, too. They had

already had a goal disallowed for obstructing the goalkeeper Glenn

Jon Walters power and pace set up the opera for Kenwyne Jones. But

Liverpool have a player with magic in his boots - Luis Suarez pit in a

delightful equaliser early in the second half. His second was more

prosaic but was enough to win the prosaic but was enough to win the

game. It has to be even Stevens. We

played tonight and we do not think it was even Stevens, in respect of

some of the decisions. When you look at it, you will have to ask

him why, we do not know why. So after two consecutive years with a

Midlands Today and the final, they will be no repeat at Wembley this

time. Better news for Birmingham City, at the Blues made it six wins

out of six after beating Leeds 1-0 in the champion jump. Nikola Zigic

scored the game's only goal. It was his first goal since February. It

left them to aid than the table, just one -- just one point outside

the play-offs. You only have until Sunday to

nominate your BBC Sports Midlands unsung hero.

Further details, call to our I am wondering if we will pop one

in the post of the closing date is Sunday and today is Thursday.

The weather is threatening outside, but our Autumnwatch series should

have died in things up. Sir Michael Leighton is a cameraman

who has dedicated much of his time filming a unique record of wildlife

in the Midlands. This estate is one of the jewels of

Shropshire. It is also an important wildlife record, because for more

than 30 years the man in charge has been filming pretty much anything

that moves. Leighton Parker has been the seat of the Leightons

since 1931. Few Giddings have stayed here, but some visitors have

been less regal, and Sir Michael Leighton got many on camera.

These are young buzzards. They are a bit naive.

It is so easy to forget in these days of high-definition cameras how

unusual Sir Michael's passion was, but he was years ahead of its time.

He used the latest technology to film the wildlife on the estate.

So you call this area little owl Avenue, why is that?

Yes, because a lot of the sites were here. They picked between 1974

and 1982. -- they peaked between. In 1985 or 1986 they were down to

about three pairs. Now I don't think there is a sight in the park.

The little owls may have gone, but we have the pictures and films,

some taken using early motion detector technology.

The animals would go on heat and added capture them when they went

to feed their young ones. I had some exciting stuff.

What were you doing when the little filming was going on? -- when the

little owl filming. Playing cricket!

Given the extraordinary amount of the cage, literally give you a

taste of it, but what is his favourite moment?

There was a sparrowhawk on a branch. What was special about that?

It was very rare. Sir Michael has recorded almost

every British bird on the estate over the years and has captured

many on film, creating a vital record of Shropshire Wildlife.

Fabulous footage, and more from David tomorrow, looking at

hedgehogs. Sunshine over there and rain over

Yes, but the rain has been much needed. The Met Office have

released provisional figures for October showing the Midlands has

had only just have its usual rainfall. Even though it has been

raining for pretty much the whole day, amounts have been fairly

unimpressive. Hereford was the wettest with 7 mm. This should

silence people grumbling about the cold, because October has been one

of the warmest on record. These figures include the entire country,

so temperatures have reached a maximum of 29.9 Celsius at the

beginning of the mud, averaging out at 12.2 Celsius. That will only be

supported by the next few days. -- the beginning of the month. And if

you are was the whole region should be much more dry, and some clear

spells developing overnight. Some dent fog patches and places.

Temperatures overnight dropping to a minimum of four Celsius, possibly

three in rural spots. At chilly start tomorrow, but we have some

sunshine once the fog lifts. A complete transformation,

temperatures up to around 12-14 Celsius. It will be milder than

today with hardly any breeze at all. The weekend is looking largely dry

The weekend is looking largely dry and mild.

Finally, a look at tonight's main headlines. European leaders stuck -

- strike a last-minute deal, the rescue fund will be doubled at half

of grease's debt will be written off.