30/04/2012 Midlands Today

Headlines: so staff and pupils are run-down still say they are to wait

a month until they find that the days rebuild. We will have to look

into these findings, will have to make sure that the funding is

allocated to the school's most in need. Flooding warnings are in

force across the region are the days of incessant rain. A family

course answers, wider if Barbara to die after being detained by police.

Well West Brom's and Roy Hodgson become the next England manager.

The news came on, I was gutted. I shout of the television. -- I

shouted., Good evening, welcome to Monday's

Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight ; a Government Minister's

told staff and pupils at a dilapidated school they will have

to wait until the end of May to find out if it's to be rebuilt.

Richard Lee Primary in Coventry made headlines last year when

children had to be taught in corridors, after a worn out heating

system flooded classrooms. The Minister's visit came after the

school took their campaign to Downing Street.

The schools Minister Nick Gibb at Richard Lee Primary School today -

and his first impressions. It is very bad. I saw some damp. There is

no question the school isn't a bad way. -- is in a bad way.

structure of the school is so poor they can't keep on top of the

repairs for example these ceiling tiles behind me have become stained

over the last few weeks and that's in spite of the roof being repaired

during the school holidays. It's this and other problems which led

to a campaign culminating in a 3,000 signature petition being

handed in to Downing street by pupils Georgie and Harvey, and

today they too met the Minister. asked me what it would be like to

have a new school, it would be nice for children to get more education,

they would be able to do more things in life. That goes for

children. -- for all children. in spite of the visit the minister

couldn't say whether Richard Lee will be rebuilt, instead he said it

was now being fully assessed. decision to allocate money is done

in a scientific way. I hope it's not a PR exercise. I'm not so for,

I would hope that -- I am not a fall, he said he saw some bad

conditions there, hopefully we will be on that list. It is a PFI scheme,

that is the whole country. We are in their we have probably, although

the minister went to last, thousands of other schools. --

Minister won't tell us. So after 18 months campaigning the school and

it's 550 pupils will soon know their fate.

And we'll keep you posted on the outcome of the decision about

whether the school can be rebuilt next month.

River levels in parts of Warwickshire and Worcestershire

remain precariously high, following a weekend of strong winds and

incessant rain. There are currently flood warnings for the River Leam

in Leamington Spa, River Teme near Stanford Bridge in Worcestershire

and for the River Severn through Tewkesbury. Some fields and paths

next to rivers are already submerged. Our reporter Andy Newman

is in Upton-upon-Severn for us this evening - what's the situation

there, Andy? Actually, it's been rather a

pleasant day here. The bigger concern is that this could be the

calm before the next storm. The water level is high, it has not

been causing many problems, the weather has been good.

Gloucestershire Fire Service took advantage of the service to launch

a major exercise. Preparing for the next flood

emergency. Gloucestershire Fire Service mounted a full-scale water

rescue exercise amongst the swollen waters. It was arranged at short

notice, and was taking advantage of conditions that would provide a

flood advantage, but I'm not yet causing problems. For 24 hours we

have a period where the River is in flood, but it's not too angry four

and a cruise to operate. We are grabbing the opportunity. Elsewhere

this was the scene. A recently installed floodgates does his job.

It is sheltering in the town -- the town of the worst excesses of the

River Severn. There is a flood defence wall, that was due to be

completed in May, they are plugging the last few gaps, it should be

ready to do its jobs if the weather continues to rise. Back in

Tewkesbury, the dress-rehearsal continued throughout the afternoon.

They prepared for the worse, but hope for the best.

It is a case of so far so good. We have got through atrocious weather,

today provided something of a breathing space. The $64,000

question is how much more rain is their game to be, and how much more

flooding is they are going to be? With us in the studio is our

Environment Correspondent David Gregory, who's currently putting

together a special programme on the drought. How can there still be a

drought, David? We have just had the figures for this month, we have

had to wonder and 27% the average rainfall. I can see why you have

been confused. -- we have had 227 %. One heavy rainfall is not enough to

make a difference. If it is almost the wrong type of rain. What we

want is persistent a dull English drizzle. These big heavy downpours

are not the answer. Surely this rain will help a bit? It will help

some farmers. There is no hosepipe ban here. If a farmer has a storage

facility, it will be good news. Overall, it is too much rain in one

place, it causes flooding. We are still in drought. This exposes

problems of who has rights into water, that is what we are looking

at. -- who has rights in water. And you can see more from David on

an Inside Out special on the Drought, on wednesday night, 7:30pm,

here on BBC 1. I'm filming that tomorrow.

But is it shaping up to be one of the wettest Aprils on record?

Shefali has the answers Well that's the rumour - couldn't

confirm it yet as the figures for the month haven't been officially

released but what I can say it that up until 25th April we had around

91 mm of rain and the wettest April on record produced around 137 mm.

Yesterday will probably contribute quite heavily to the final figure

as Pennerley in Shropshire saw almost 36mm of rain which is over

half the month's rainfall in a day. And May doesn't put an end to it.

It goes on this week. I'll have more for you later

Diplomats are trying to secure the release of an aid worker from the

Midlands who's being held by soldiers in Africa. John Sorbo was

one of four men detained amid clashes along the border between

Sudan and its newly-formed neighbour South Sudan. It's

believed the four are being held in a military compound. Family and

friends are anxiously awaiting news. Arriving in the Sudanese capital

Khartoum four aid workers detained by the military, among them John

Sorbo, an expert in mine clearance. He lives south of Hereford but he's

spent seven years off and on in Sudan, doing a job his wife had

learnt to accept. I didn't imagine my husband being in danger,

considering the area he worked in, helping the Sudanese live their

life normally. It's believed the four were held near Sudan's border

with the newly independent South Sudan close to the town of Heglig.

The oil-producing region's seen a series of clashes and the two

countries are on the verge of war. John, a Norwegian national, works

for a charity based in Oslo. Their staff and Norwegian diplomats are

struggling to get access to him. can't say where he was when he was

arrested. The border there is not very clear, so where he was at the

exact time, we can't say for certain. You can never prepare

yourself for this kind of thing, although maybe you expected to

happen, or whatever. It is human nature that you are going to be

shocked. One of the other aid workers is said to be a Briton.

Latest reports say they're in a military compound and are in good

health - but no-one's been permitted to visit them.

A post-mortem examination into the death of a disabled man from

Birmingham has revealed he died of natural causes. 46 year old Colin

Bird died in the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital last Tuesday.

West Midlands police were called in to make enquiries into the

circumstances of Mr Bird's death following allegations of neglect.

This has now been ruled out as a contributing factor.

Police have charged the Stoke City player Jermaine Pennant with drink-

driving and driving while disqualified after a car crash near

his home in Cheshire. The 29-year- old winger's BMW collided with an

Audi in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaving the driver of the

other vehicle in hospital with a minor back injury. Pennant's due to

appear in court on Wednesday. Two sisters who were killed in a

car crash on Friday have been named by police. 38-year-old Parveen

Kauser and Raheela Altaf, who was 37, died after a collision on the

A38 near Burton-upon-Trent. Three children, aged between 11 and 17

who were travelling with them were taken to hospital with serious

injuries. A man and woman in another car were also injured,

along with a four-year-old girl. A Shropshire railway station has

reopened today after mum so repairs and �2 million worth of work. The

project, which was managed by Network rail, was due to be

completed a month ago. The family of a man, who died after

being detained by West Midlands Police, say they're still waiting

for his body to be released to them. Kingsley Brown was detained under

the Mental Health Act in March last year, after officers went to an

incident in Birmingham. He died four days later in hospital. An

inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission has yet to

report back, leaving the family with many unanswered questions.

Kingsley Browne was a father, a brother, and to his mother, a

loving son, she is struggling to cope with his sudden death. He was

my only son, he was a lovely father to his own kids, and his sisters,

he was one in a million. When he passed away, you know, it really

broke my heart. Last March, the father of two was detained after

the Mental Health Act, after calling 999. A few days later

officers were called to a disturbance involving him, he died

the following day. The IPCC began investigating. We want answers. We

want to know how he died. We have brought these questions are

previously, we -- we had brought these questions up, we are still

waiting. We have to wait for them to complete their investigations

until we know how we died. And IPCC spokesman said the investigation is

nearing a conclusion. Investigators have interviewed four officers

under caution. Earlier this year Dorset police were asked to

investigate the actions of non police personnel. So, why hasn't he

been buried, Dorset police say they cannot have until the investigation

Last summer, his family and friends marched through Birmingham, calling

for answers. I feel as if the system had led him

down. They are there to serve its interests, and the way I saw it,

they let him down. He has suffered enough. Come on, it has been a year.

At least release his body. family now say if they don't get

the answer they need, they will march again. The Independent Police

Complaints Commission say the change in the lead investigator

will not affect the inquiry, and that the forces pursuing inquiries

to allow Mr Burrell's body to be released at the earliest

opportunity. Thank you for being with us. Still

to come: The haunting strains from Doctor Who, just one example of the

great music created over the years in Coventry and is now being

What a time it is for football in the region. We have had winners and

losers already. Still more to come. And then there's Roy Hodgson.

It was not the news that West Brom fans wanted to hear. But today,

many said they were not surprised to hear that Roy Hodgson was wanted

by England. This evening, he is talking to the FA at Wembley. The

hunt is on for the right man to fill his big shoes at the Hawthorns.

West Brom or England? What do you think? Don't know, gaffer. You are

the boss. Nothing surprises Barbara Higgins. But even she could not

believe it when she saw last night's late bulletin.

The news came on. I was gutted. I shouted, no, you can't have him!

I assume a manager would love to manage his country. Fair play to

him. I wish him all the best. 24 hours earlier, the future

England manager had been his usual self-, kicking every ball from the

dug-out during Albion's goalless draw. Last night the Baggies

announce they have given permission for the FA to talk to Roy Hodgson,

and this morning he woke up to five he was not exactly top of the pubs

with the national press. -- Top Of The Pops.

Those headlines will not worry Roy Hodgson, who has always fancied the

top job in English football. His departure will give a twist to the

Midlands managerial merry-go-round. When he takes charge of England,

the Birmingham City this -- boss Chris Hughton is the favourite to

replace him. Mallett McLeish is close to the revolving door at

Villa Park. -- Alex McLeish. And there could be a vacancy at

Molineux as well. If Chris Hughton is not to be the

next occupant of the manager's office, who else would the fans

favour? Roberto Di Matteo is doing all right at Chelsea!

I have had not had a chance to think about it.

I think the Barcelona manager might be out of a leak!

From West Brom to Wembley, where this afternoon Roy Hodgson swept

past two complete the formalities with the FA. If it goes to plan,

his first game will be England against Norway, just 13 days after

Albion's last Premier League match, against Arsenal.

If he does go, Albion fans are going to be devastated. There seems

to be a lot of people who are not thrilled about him becoming England

manager. A lot of papers were on the attack

this morning. But actually, Roy Hodgson has got a lot of trophies.

In the cold light of day, they wanted an exciting name, but Roy

Hodgson as head coach was looking after the reserves. That is what

the FA want for their new centre in Burton.

So he has the coaching credentials. And he is usually respected among

the fans and players at the Hawthorns. There's a worry that

many players may leave. Who else might be in the frame?

Chris Hughton was installed this morning as the favourite. But

actually, Alan Curbishley took over this afternoon. We thought he might

get the Wolves job at one point. Maybe Michael Appleton, well

respected at the club. It is wide open at the moment. The timing is

good, though. Briefly, back to the Blues and

things on the pitch. The next thing is there play-off game.

They have already played 60 games this season. Remarkable. Watch this

space as to what is going to happen. The season never ends! Let's get

back to the action. There was joy and relief, and all the emotions in

between us four teams grappled with promotion and relegation this week.

When the dust settled, it was the fans of Shrewsbury and Walsall who

were cheering the loudest. A warning, this report contains some

flash photography of. I travelled all the way from

Yorkshire. We are going up! I'm glad he was complained, because

after three failures in five years, missing out again would have broken

the hearts of Shrewsbury fans. Of course it was nervous, but as

half-time approached, James Collins put them in front and the

supporters could start a party. When the final whistle blew, or the

energy exploded in a wave of delight.

It is a terrific feeling. There's nothing better in football. It is

to say there and enjoy it. It is amazing, too finally get it.

After the near-misses we have had, it is amazing.

I was only a teenager when this last happened. Absolutely immense.

I can't believe it. Instead it will be Cheltenham Town

trying to make it through the piles. Jimmy Spencer scored twice as they

beat Bradford to stretch their season into extra-time. Staying in

the division is Hereford United's ambition, and they have taken it to

the final day after Yoann Arquin scored twice. There will be no last

a nurse for Walsall, though. Another season of League One

football was guaranteed when they scored against Huddersfield. But it

is the pure joy of the Shrewsbury fans, who have waited 15 years to

get back to League One, which will be the abiding memory of this

weekend. And Shrewsbury Town's motion is

among the highlights of tonight's show. There's more interviews and

scenes of celebration on our Facebook page. Can't get enough of

The creator of an iconic television theme tune, the man behind the

legendary Two Tone that would label and an influential soul singer have

all been celebrated in their home city. They have a -- they are the

latest to be inducted into a hall of fame for musicians from Coventry.

There's more flash photography in this report.

One of the most famous songs to come out of Coventry. Among the

band members on the back seat in this video is Jeremy balance --

Jerry Dammers. He is one of the people who made a Two Tone happen.

It is great to get recognition in Coventry. Those were the best days.

We were rehearsing in pubs. We were chopping up chairlift to make a

fire to keep ourselves warm. -- chair legs.

Jerry Dammers was joined by a Ray King, also honoured for a career

stretching back to the '60s. He toured the world, playing with Otis

Redding, and is credited with giving many Two Tone artists their

first break. I used to give people a break. When

they said, do you want to break, I said, no.

It is not just about pop music. The Doctor Who theme, which will send a

shiver down the spine of millions. It was written by Delia Derbyshire

at the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop. She died in 2001. Her partner was

at the ceremony to see her inducted into the Hall of fame.

Most of the public have not heard of her at all. The music was not

released in her own name. It was under the BBC. I'm just glad she

has got some recognition. It is fantastic.

Music from across the decades has been celebrated here today, and

although a lot of it was created a long time ago, it still holds a

special place in the hearts of those dallied here.

-- gathered here. That brings back some childhood

memories! You know what is coming memories! You know what is coming

this. Is there going to be more rain?

Yes, you might get soaked tomorrow morning. It has transformed since

yesterday. Shropshire got a 35mm of rain yesterday, which is half a

month's in a day. Today we saw sunshine and highs of 17 Celsius.

These were the best temperatures across the region. It is nice to be

reminded of what we would like spring to be once in a while. But

unfortunately we have stormy weather returning tonight, for

which the Met Office has issued a warning. This is for the south of

the region. We could see difficult driving conditions and further

flooding in those areas that are already sensitive. We have got some

sunshine out shied at the moment. - - outside. The rain should arrive

during the early hours and the South East. It is going to be quite

heavy in the south of the region. It might not quite reach the

extreme north of the region. But you can see, under all of that, it

is quite mild. Temperatures of seven or eight Celsius. If you are

up early enough, it is going to be wet and windy to start. Gradually

through the morning, there's rain and wind. It will not be quite as

warm as today. Highs of 13 and 14 Celsius. We may see some rain, but

Celsius. We may see some rain, but elsewhere it is dry, light -- lows

of eight or nine. Oh, well, we had one half-decent

day. Tonight's headlines: More than 170

flood alerts across England, and more rain to come.

Staff and pupils at a run-down school are told they will have to

wait at least a month before finding out if it will be rebuilt.

That is all from us this evening. Tomorrow we will be spot lighting

the big contest in this year's local elections as the battle for