21/02/2012 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today, with Nick Owen and Suzanne Virdee.

The headlines tonight: Computer hackers signed up by

defence chiefs to fight crime in cyberspace. People really need to

be a lot more aware of what they're doing with information and what

they're putting out on the web. Jail for the car-clampers who

conned motorists out of half a million pounds. They caused a lot

of misery, much like drug dealers, and I think they got off very

lightly with their sentences. Beleaguered emergency services urge

people to think twice before calling 999 or going to A&E.

And why pupils from 100 schools are taking it in turns to canoe along

Good evening and welcome to Tuesday's Midlands Today, from the

BBC. Tonight, the computer hackers being employed to fight cyber crime.

They're working in a so-called dirty lab, the first of its kind in

the country, which has been set up at the request of the Government

and its listening service, GCHQ. Their job is to infect computer

systems in a controlled environment to find out how better to protect

the public. The growing internet crimewave is costing the country an

estimated �27 billion a year. In this exclusive report, Cath Mackie

examines how cyber crime, once a work of fiction, is now a dangerous

reality. Sherlock Holmes, face-to-face with

his nemesis and arch cyber criminal Moriarty. I can open any door

anywhere with a few tiny lines of computer code. No such thing as a

private bank account now. I own secrecy! Moriarty's boast is part

of the BBC drama, but the threat he portrays is a reality. And this is

the place where fiction meets fact. Malvern in Worcestershire where, 75

years ago, scientists invented radar to fight the Nazis. But in

the 21st century, we have a new battle. And in this room in Malvern

Science Park they are fighting the cyber war. This is the frontline. A

dirty lab, the first of its kind in the country. So-called ethical

hackers like Ruari Douglas break into computer systems to work out

how businesses can be better protected. So, legally you hatch

into systems? Yes. How easy is it? It depends. It can be as simple as

three lines of code. That is very shocking? It is. The first time I

came across it, I was gobsmacked. Six cyber security firms from

Worcestershire and Herefordshire have joined forces to build the lab

at the request of the Government and its listening service, GCHQ, in

Cheltenham. We can make it look like your office or the Office of

somebody else with the image of your service. -- server. We can

then attacked it as a hostile agency might do, or a hacker.

fear is that not enough small businesses in particular take the

threat of cyber crime seriously, or believe they're immune. The

statistics refute that belief. The Government estimates cyber crime is

costing the UK �27 billion a year in lost revenue, while two thirds

of businesses that fall victim to hackers go bust in the same year.

So how do you find the hackers prepared to work for the good guys?

On our website, you have to do a fairly simple hack but we won't

talk to you unless you do that. If you do that, we give you a unique

reference number and it is, give us a clue that you have the right Thai

mindset. Is it tempting to go to the dockside? No. But can you

understand why people do? Yes. It is a world of the permission freely

available that people think is a cure but isn't. -- world of

information. People need to be very aware of the have the measure and

they are putting out there on to the web. The dirty lab consolidates

Malvern's place at the centre of a growing cyber valley - an area of

expertise in online security. Their job will be to stay one step ahead

of the cyber criminals. Joining us now from our Westminster

studio is the MP for West Worcestershire, Harriet Baldwin.

How important is it for an area like Malvern to be chosen as the

location for this lab? Of course, it was Winston Churchill back in

the Second World War who moved the Ministry of Defence secret service

to Malvern. Many of these firms specialise in a side of defence and

it is a great location to be located. -- specialise in cyber

defence. We have these brilliant brains who know a lot about cyber

security. But these small businesses aren't exactly created

thousands of jobs? It is a growth area and I think it is very

exciting to see both the Government is spending a lot of money in this

area, but as your report highlighted, it is also small

businesses needing to protect themselves more and more in terms

of the business they do online. It is estimated that two-thirds of

those businesses hacked go out of business. If you have an online

platform and you don't think you are at risk, then you really need

to have another good, long hard look at that. Do you think we are

behind? I think we are at the cutting edge. What you have seen

there shows how the area is leading the way in this and I think it is

something we will see grow very rapidly. And we need to be at the

cutting edge because if you are not, the bad guys are! Thank you very

much. And you can hear more about the

work at this special cyber lab and what it means for the area on BBC

Hereford and Worcester from 7am tomorrow morning.

Still to come this evening... Shame! Shame on you! Protesters

tackle farming delegates over Five members of a rogue car-

clamping company have been jailed. The judge at Worcester Crown Court

said they'd milked the public out of at least �500,000. The court was

told that the scam targeted vulnerable motorists across the

Midlands, from Nuneaton to Cheltenham, and became a licence to

print money. The problem was first uncovered during an investigation

by BBC Inside Out in the Midlands, as Joan Cummins reports.

Redditch-based Midlands Parking Contracts was investigated on a

number of occassions by the BBC's Inside Out programme. Between 2006

and 2009, the operators developed an unsympathetic and aggressive

approach to vulnerable motorists. Often obscuring signage, they'd

wait for someone to park, clamp them and demand a �125 release fee.

Then they'd demand a cancellation fee for the tow truck of another

�175. Total amount - �300 in cash to the clampers. Worcester Crown

Court heard how legitimate campaign businesses are regarded as a

necessary evil, just like the taxman, however, in this case, GCHQ

started to milk the public, ripping off motorists for cash. -- n c p

started to melt the public. Hundreds of motorists complained to

police and Trading Standards about their treatment at the hands of MCP.

Helen Mays' experience was typical. The money was snatched from my hand,

thumbed through and counted on the bonnet. Very rude, very aggressive

and very intimidating. You know, I was just traumatised. Andrew

Minshull was the main man of the operation. His then partner, Debbie

Worton, used an alias to fob off motorists when they tried to

complain. Simon Barry was the firm's negotitaor and Christopher

Cartwright and Faisal Qadeer were the frontline operatives who

targeted the vulnerable. Some people have had to walk out because

they still feel very aggrieved at how they were treated and how

things turned out for them. And they do feel that they were "as if

somebody had put on a mask and rob them". They are one step down from

drug dealers. That is my view. They cause misery in their own way, as

drug dealers to. All the defendents pleaded guility to conspiracy to

defraud and received prison sentences of between 12 and 32

months each. This case has highlighed calls for a change in

the law on legislating clampers. shouldn't be allowed. Most cities

have their own traffic wardens. It should be done properly through

those people and not this hugely extortionate way of dealing with

this issue. A sixth man will be sentenced within the next few weeks,

whilst all those convicted face paying thousands of pounds back

under the proceeds of crime. The son of a teacher who was killed

in a coach crash in France has thanked people for their kind

tributes. Peter Rippington died after the bus carrying pupils from

Alvechurch Middle School in Worcestershire crashed as it

returned from a skiing trip. In a statement, Max Rippington also said

he was delighted to be reunited with his mother and sister, who

survived the accident. The coach driver, 47-year-old Derek Thompson,

has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Police have been given another 36 hours to question a man being held

on suspicion of murdering the retired Worcestershire teacher

Betty Yates. She was found dead at her cottage near Bewdley last month.

47-year-old Stephen Farrow was arrested on Friday. He's also being

questioned in connection with the murder of the Reverend John

Suddards, who was found stabbed at his vicarage in Thornbury in

Gloucestershire last week. Angry scenes at the National

Farmers' Union meeting in Birmingham today, as delegates were

confronted by protesters against plans for a badger cull here in the

Midlands. Farmers say the move is essential to control the spread of

bovine TB, a disease that now costs millions of pounds a year to

control, as our environment correspondent, David Gregory,

reports. Pro-badger, anti-cull and very

angry. We are here to make the Government listen to the majority

of people who want an alternative to culling. There are one of our

best-loved animals and we think it's wrong to just shoot them.

do you hope to achieve here today? Well, to alert the public to this

outrageous action that is proposed by the union. Inside the conference,

NFU President Peter Kendall welcomed the decision to go ahead

with a cull. Meriden MP and DEFRA minister Caroline Spelman told the

1,100 farmers in the audience they need to keep explaining why the

cull is necessary. Just the other side of the motorway, literally

every other farm is shut down with TB at the moment, which has massive

logistical and financial implications. There is a lot of

pressure on both sides of the argument. You have to take tough

decisions and now is the time to do that. That decision is the right

one, which is to get an eradication plan, which includes controlling

badgers and the disuse of cattle. There was much else for farmers and

politicians to discuss today at the conference, but the badger cull

remains an important issue for many outside this hall. There on legal

challenge is underway but if the Wes goes ahead this autumn, it will

take place this year and every four years. Neither side of the debate

sees much room for compromise. And David joins us now from the NFU

Conference at the ICC. Was it just about the badger cull today, David?

No. There was plenty going on, and with us to talk about it is Peter

Kendall. Drought was a big issue coming up? Yes. It is one of those

issues that, in spite of the farming industry being positive

about, we need water to grow our crops. We are looking to the

Government to make sure they prioritise farming and the drought

is a good example to show that you can make some policies to make sure

farmers have priorities for water when there is no rain. But we also

have to invest on the long term. Because this is going to get worse.

So we won the farmers to work with government to make sure they have a

better supply of affordable food. - - so we want. And what about the

red tape in farming? We are trying to dig through the proposals. It is

very good of government to say they're going to reduce the

regulatory burden on small businesses but it is a very

different to make a -- difficult to make a real difference to farmers.

We all farmers -- we want farmers to be able to farm rather than sit

in officers -- offices and do paperwork. So, you hear it here

first. They want to be farming, not filling in paper.

Every ambulance and fast-response vehicle available has been on the

road today as West Midlands Ambulance Service fought to cope

with a third more calls than would be expected on typical day in

February. The job has been made harder, with some ambulances stuck

outside Accident and Emergency departments for up to three hours.

The delays in getting to the next 999 call could put patients' lives

at risk. Here's our health correspondent, Michele Paduano.

Everything was out on the road today, dealing with emergency calls.

There's normally an increase following cold weather but this has

gone on for longer than usual. just concerned. Very, very busy at

the moment, so I haven't shaved! Are very busy and tired! The red on

this board shows that they can't meet demand. We say it every time,

but genuinely now, the system is under huge pressure and we are

asking people to make sure that before they dial 999, it is a life-

threatening emergency. There has long been a problem with getting

ambulances out of hospital quickly. Many have been waiting for more

than an hour. Coventry is the worst, with one ambulance being stuck

outside for three hours. That was because one paramedic was left at

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire to deal with a number

of patients. 12 ambulances were delayed for an hour. We have two

managers working at that particular site and what we have tried to do

is work with our ambulance crews as they have come in, to try to

support the crews, but also working with the executive team at the

hospital. The Trust accepted that ambulances had to wait longer than

it would like. But it said that it was working with West Midlands

Ambulance Service to address this and no patients were put at risk.

In Stoke-on-Trent, they took in more patients but turn-around times

were quicker. Even here, ambulances eventually were diverted to other

hospitals. Coming up later, are Stoke City

heading for a Valencia victory? Potters fans prepare to head out to

sunny Spain for their Europa League match.

And it might be football they're heading to Spain for, but if it was

the weather they were after, they needn't have bothered because it

could soon be just as warm back Thousands of blood cancer patients

could be saved if pioneering drugs developed and tested in the West

Midlands were available on the NHS. That's the message at the heart of

a new appeal being run by BBC WM to fund research nurses who would give

these drugs to patients on a trial basis. Our reporter Joanne Writtle

is in Victoria Square in Birmingham now, where the launch is being

promoted. Tell us more, Joanne. town hall behind me is illuminated

blood red to highlight the theme to help blood cancer patients. It is

called Red Alert Appeal and the radio station is backing the

leukaemia charity, based at the hospital in Birmingham. Currently

there are 7,000 adults and the West Midlands with leukaemia and I have

been speaking to one of them. Kris Griffin, from Kidderminster,

wondered if he would survive four years ago when he was diagnosed

with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Now he has a five-month-old son and is

in remission. He's backing the appeal to fund research nurses in

West Midlands hospitals. I don't think anybody would be as bold to

save his, but this is about a cure for cancer. If we can cure

leukaemia and fires ways into this to reverse it, there is no reason

we couldn't use the research methods on other forms of cancer.

These guys are pioneers. They are absolutely amazing. They are

keeping people alive and we must not ever forget that. Research

nurses trial new drugs on blood cancer patients. Successful

clinical trials mean ground- breaking medication could

eventually be available on the NHS. And that led to a new world record

in Birmingham's Victoria Square this afternoon for the most people

dressed as nurses in one place. 201 of them, including WM presenter

Joanne Malin, who started the Red Alert Appeal live on air. People

came out of offices, they put on nurses' uniforms, they launched Red

Alert Appeal with us and we are record-breakers! Cure Leukaemia

patron and Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell also dressed up.

think a when this is the thing that has been missing with leukaemia and

now we are doing this, it will bring more awareness and we can

start using some of these advanced drugs that are available, so it is

so positive. Kris Griffin says he's lucky. But if his anti-cancer drugs

stop working, he could have to rely on clinical trials.

I am joined now by Professor John Caldwell, a blood cancer specialist

and pioneer of Cure Leukaemia. What do the nurses do? Not only do they

deliver a potentially life-saving therapy, but they become the friend

and counsellor and advocate for these patients at this most

difficult and challenging time in their lives. Who of the drugs aimed

at? We are extending potentially curative treatments to patients who

had exhausted standard NHS care. And we are able to offer to them

treatments that made either cure or significantly prolong their lives,

when previously they had no chance of this. How successful do you

think this will be? We have seen one before responses for treatments

that have gone on to become standard means of care in the NHS.

But we can accelerate access to these life-saving therapies for

patients are in our region. Thank you. In a nutshell, a �1 donation

acquits to �10 worth of drugs. And if you want to help BBC WM's

Red Alert Appeal for Cure Leukaemia, you can go to the website and

Dan's here now, with the sport. Football, and Birmingham City can

climb up to third place in the Championship if they win at

Barnsley tonight. The teams drew 1- 1 when they met in September thanks

to a late equaliser from Chris Burke. Tonight's game was postponed

ten days ago because of a frozen pitch at Barnsley. But the

Birmingham manager Chris Hughton says they're used to playing catch-

Stoke City have won their appeal against Rory Delap's red card,

picked up during Sunday's FA Cup tie against Crawley. That means his

three-match ban has been cancelled. Tomorrow, Stoke fly out to Valencia

for the second leg of their Europa League match, and they could be

joined in Spain by up to 5,000 travelling fans. Ian Winter has

been to meet three of them. Viva Espana! Never before have

Stoke City fans been able to sing "this year we're off to sunny

Spain"... Until now. So far, they've ticked off Turkey. And Tel

Aviv. They've crossed off Kiev. And now, it's time to say "hola" to

Football commenator Nigel Johnson is the voice of BBC Radio Stoke.

Journalist Angela Smith lives in the Canaries and often flies 2,000

miles from Tenerife to support the Potters. But they didn't get a

dazzling seaview of the sun-soaked Mediterranean from this tapas bar.

Because Hector Garcia's is on the High Street in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Valencia are an outstanding football team. They gave our team a

lesson last week. Stoke have to meet that. Hand on heart, it will

be difficult, but I am not going to write them off. They think they can

do it and I think the 5,000 Stoke fans that will be there Loring them

on also believe they can do it. -- roaring them on. OK, so Valencia

has 320 sunny days a year. I can't believe how much interest it has

generated. It seems there will be thousands of Stoke fans going there

and I hope we can turn them over. If they have never been before,

they are in for a treat. This is probably my favourite Spanish city.

But only 50 of their fans made the trip last week. The weather in

Stoke isn't quite as good. But 5,000 Potters will enjoy a good old

sing-song in Spain on Thursday They are having fun! Good luck to

them on Thursday. Now, Dan what's the latest on a new

Wolves manager? Well, it's still unclear who's taking over. The

Reading manager Brian McDermott is reported to have been in

Wolverhampton this week. But some claim he's just after a new deal at

Reading. Gus Poyet at Brighton was also linked to the job this week

but Wolves have dismissed that claim. But the former Birmingham

City boss, Steve Bruce, is still among the bookmakers' favourites.

Wolves want the new manager in place by the weekend, so we should

Hundreds of schoolchildren will be taking to canals and rivers through

the region in canoes as part of a relay event. It's been organised as

part of Get Set, the London 2012 Olympics education programme for

schools. The relay starts on Thursday, and our reporter Amy

Harris went to see how the training was coming along.

Paddle practice on the River Avon. These are among hundreds of

schoolchildren taking part in a four-month relay through Midlands

waterways in these bell boats, a twin canoe. But it's a journey that

begins much further afield. The relay route starts 300 miles away

in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and ends here in Evesham, a journey

spanning seven counties and involving a lot of muscle power.

And that's why these pupils from the Vale of Evesham Special Needs

School are training hard. In just a few hours, they're kicking the

relay off near Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympics.

I am feeling absolutely excited and I am really looking forward to it.

Very good exercise for building your muscles. And I really like it

because it is really good fun. looking forward to it and it will

be a fantastic day out for us. relay has been organised by their

teacher, Andy Train, as part of Get Set - the London 2012 education

scheme. And Andy knows a thing or two about the Olympics. He's

competed in five in sprint-canoeing, and was once the best in the world

in marathon canoeing. The symbolism behind the journey is the fact that

we're bringing the values of the Paralympics and the Olympics from

their homes back to Worcestershire, and by doing that we can talk to

the children of Worcestershire about friendship and determination.

More than 100 schools are taking part in the relay. Andy hopes it

will make Midlands pupils feel involved with the Olympic Games and

bring London 2012 a lot closer to They looked like they were having

fun! We need to know what the Thank you. Temperatures will be

rising bit by bit, when, by Thursday, they will hopefully reach

their maximum. The magic number is 16 degrees Celsius. Better than

most temperatures across mainland Europe, and just about on a par

with Spain. That will be great for those Stoke City fans heading that

way for the match. Even Spain could be cooler with a coastal breeze. A

change in the weather over the next 36 hours and tonight is really

quite quiet. Cloudy but also very mild. Temperatures tonight a

matching daytime temperatures for this time of year, solos of around

five to a degree Celsius. The cloud will continue to thicken through

the night. The breeze will be picking up as well, so by the time

we get to tomorrow morning, quite a blustery start. Cloudy but dry,

with a bit of sunshine located to the south of the region, but then

we see this morning in from the North, says some fairly heavy rain

up towards Staffordshire. Although temperatures up to 10, 13 degrees,

which is very good for the time of year, we are looking at gusts of

wind of 40 miles an hour. That will take the edge off those valleys.

Then we have this transition of the rain clearing away. By Thursday cob

we are looking at highs of 16 degrees and dry and sunny!

A look at tonight's main headlines: Nearly ten years of austerity - the

price Greeks will pay for the latest eurozone bail out.

And computer hackers have been signed up by defence chiefs to

fight crime in cyber space. That is about it for now. But