04/06/2013 Midlands Today

with Mary Rhodes and Nick Owen. The headlines tonight: An inquest hears

Shropshire teenager Georgia Williams was strangled.

22-year-old Jamie Reynolds appears in court charged with murdering her

Also tonight: A jury hears about a little boy reduced to stealing food

at school - his mother and stepfather are accused of starving

him to death. A good time to be an elver,

critically endangered a year ago the baby eels are making a comeback.

Bus wars, two Midlands cities vying for the title of longest urban route

in Europe. It is up to Birmingham to come

forward with proposals we will consider but at this moment in time

Coventry holds the crown. And as the sun continues to shine the

temperatures continue to rise. How high did we get today? I'll tell you

later. Good evening. Police have revealed

that a Shropshire teenager who was found dead in woodland last week,

had been strangled. Today a man appeared in crown court accused of

murdering 17-year-old Georgia Williams. In her home town of

Telford, the tributes continue to grow and the sixth form college she

attended has opened a special book of memory. Joanne Writtle reports.

Jamie Reynolds made a ten minute appearance at Stafford Crown Court

over a video link from prison. He spoke briefly to confirm his name.

He is accused of murdering 17-year-old Georgia Williams. Police

later confirmed a body found in woodland near Wrexham on Friday was

that of Georgia. A post-mortem revealed she was strangled.

Meanwhile, acquaintances have expressed sympathy to family.

four o'clock we had a memorial thing in Wellington. I saw her mum, it

broke my heart seeing her mum in bits. It should not have happened to

her and her family. It has broken the family apart. Their world is

demolished. She was bubbly and cheerful. There was nothing horrible

about her. A police officer told the inquest that detectives believe she

died at a house in Wellington sometime tween eight and 9pm a week

ago. The same day she went missing from her parents home. George was

studying in Telford where many of those close to her have been leaving

tributes. Students have been offered counselling. The college principal

said students were writing condolences in a special book.

students club together and came up with a number of ideas and

initiatives to continue to celebrate her life. As a result we have opened

a book of memories and the students celebrated her time at the college

yesterday with heartfelt memories and stories and music. Jamie

Reynolds will appear in court on September six. The inquest into the

death was adjourned. And Joanne joins us now from All Saints Church

in the centre of Wellington, Georgia's home town. Friends still

coming forward in numbers to express their sense of loss?

Yes, they really are. The town is still in mourning. There are more

flowers here in the church. The flowers are all over this town at

various places remembering Georgia. She had so many friends and many of

them have spent time here at the church over the last few days

remembering her. Police are still looking for some of her personal

possessions? Yes, this is an ongoing investigation and they are looking

for her missing items, they have issued photographs. A distinctive

leather satchel they want to find that, they also want to find her

white Samsung Galaxy smart phone and they are particularly keen to find a

black leather jacket which she was wearing when she went missing from

her parents home in Wellington a week last Sunday. Anyone with

information is asked to contact West Mercia Police or Crimestoppers.

Coming up later in the programme: With thousands of supermarket

trolleys being abandoned every year, the new phone app that'll track them

The trial of a mother and stepfather accused of starving and killing

their four year old son has been told by the boy's teacher that he

would regularly steal food. Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz

Krezolek deny murdering Daniel Pelka and causing or allowing his death.

His body was found by paramedics who were called to the family's home in

Coventry in March last year. Earlier, I spoke to our reporter

Phil Mackie at Birmingham Crown Court and asked him what Daniel's

teachers had to add. Well, we had from two of them, Lisa

Godfrey, the reception teacher where he went in Coventry and the

classroom assistant. Both talked about how desperate for food he was

and the fact he kept stealing from other children, even when they

locked their lunch boxes away, he found his way in to steal food. The

system broke down when she described a pancake race when he was so

desperate for food he was picking up the pancakes out of the dirt. They

talked about his decline before his death as he became more and more

emaciated. Lisa Godfrey said he or a resemblance to a child with

leukaemia. What else did the prosecution say?

Well, they have said that although Daniel was emaciated when he died,

the cause of death was a severe head injury and they allege his mother

and stepfather administered that blow. The couple that together

listening intently to the evidence with Polish translators. They deny

murder, the court will resume tomorrow.

There's been criticism of a decision to allow the controversial private

security firm G4S to take over the running of two specialist centres

for victims of rape and sexual assault in the West Midlands. The

union Unison has said such sensitive services should never have been sold

off. But G4S has given assurances that victims will get a better

service. Cath Mackie reports. An anonymous house in Walsall. Jo

runs this sexual assault referral centre as well as another one in

Birmingham. The two centres help hundreds of victims of sexual

violence...which they'll continue to do, but under new management. G4S is

in charge - the same firm which was widely criticised for its failings

in the Olympics security contract. Unions are incensed. If you expect

people to go to these centres and use them, they have to feel

confident and I think the brand G4S is tarnished at the moment. Before

now these centres were in effect run by the police in conjunction with

the NHS and local councils, but a Government investigation said it was

failing to maintain minimum standards. Access to care and the

quality of care on offer were criticised. Question is will G4S do

any better. Well they've told us, they're confident they will. There

are adequate measures in place, we know what we are doing. We are

delighted to be doing this. Their confidence is backed by the local

NHS commissioners who awarded them the contract. G4S have lots of

experience of dealing with sensitive areas and doing that well. They had

a track record in this area as well so we were confident they could do

this and do it well. In future victims can self refer rather than

through the police, but there's a word of caution from one counselling

expert. What we have seen in the press about G4S before will people

think, they will not go there so they will never report and tell us

what is going on. NHS England have said they'll monitor the new regime

and if it's failing the G4S contract will be terminated. Police are

looking for a gunman after a man was shot at a block of flats in

Coventry. Police were called to Faseman Avenue in the Tile Hill area

of the city just after two o'clock this afternoon. A 34-year-old man

was found with a gun shot wound to his lower arm. His injuries are not

life threatening. Police say it was a targeted shooting and not a random

attack. The parents of a 19-month-old boy

who lost his legs and fingers to meningitis B are campaigning for a

vaccination to be made available to all children. Tommy Brown from

Walsall was only given a five per cent chance of survival when he

contracted the disease. Since then a new preventative vaccine has been

developed and it's hoped it'll be made available from December.

Nobody should go through what we have been three. It can affect

anybody. Older people and we think there should be no questions asked.

They should be introduced into the vaccine. The burden that cases like

this put on the NHS and the lifelong support he will require, it is worth

us putting the vaccine into place. Also, if we save one life then that

is what we want to do. For many years, the number of baby

eels in rivers such as the Severn has dropped to the point where they

were officially classed as critically endangered. But this

spring there's been a "once in a lifetime" explosion in the eel

population. Which is good news for fishermen and also conservationists.

Our Rural Affairs Correspondent David Gregory-Kumar has the latest

report in our Springwatch series. This was going to be a story about

how the eels and elder population is crashing and the environment agency

go on patrol to stop fishermen taking them from the River Severn.

In the start of May, that changed. When it gets dark, we will show you

what we mean. These are elver fishermen. They have a long

historical rights to be here. grandfather, his grandfather before

him. And this is what they are fishing for. Right now, millions of

them have returned from the sea and made their way to the River Severn

as to Tewkesbury. This is the moment of migration, millions and millions

floating across the Atlantic. Right now we have a tailback of 50 miles

worth of elvers from Tewkesbury to sharpness. There are properly tens

of millions in the river system coming up now. They are surfing on

the currents. That may sound like a lot of eels

but numbers have actually been declining. But this year, it will

buck the trend and in a spectacular way. The tide came through, we took

the net and there was a bucket. All I can explain it as is the river

turned white. It looked like grass covering the river. It was all

elvers. Once-in-a-lifetime site. This glut is something the group

want to capitalise on. Where we are on the River Severn, this is the

greatest problem. We have a series of navigation with matching spree

and very few elvers can get past the barriers. What we are wanting to do

on the River Severn is to locate them, pick them up and move them

over the barrier and release them the other side. These days we do not

need many elvers in this country but that might change with this glut.

am quite sure elvers have been enjoyed on toast in Gloucestershire

which is something that hasn't happened for many years. Not all of

the locals like them. I don't like them. An acquired taste! These

little fellas would not be ending up in a Spanish tap at spa. They will

be relocated and transferred and they will go to a place where they

can grow to adult eels and they will boost the population as a whole.

I hope you are enjoying your tea! They've been a feature of

supermarkets since they were invented in America in 1937. But far

too often we see them like this. Of the two million trolleys in Britain,

it's estimated a staggering one million are abandoned every year.

And only half that number are returned to the store. But that

could be about to change, as our Business Correspondent Peter Plisner

reports. Supermarket trolleys end up getting

dumped in some of the strangest places. While many are recovered

others never get reported and often this one in Leamington Spa - here

they reckon they lose hundreds of a monthly. Although many are returned

- it's still a big problem. Very frustrating. We have had a few

customers this has happened to numerous occasion and it is local

residents coming in, doing shopping and rather than carrying a shopping

home, or getting a taxi from the store, they simply take trolleys

home and abandon them in the local roads. Now a new Smartphone software

developed for a could dramatically improve the situation. You download

the softer -- software and take a picture of the trolley, it works out

where it is using satellite technology and then you send the

signal and it is sent to a retrieval crew. Chris Burton is one of those

receiving the messages. It comes up with a picture of the trolley, the

address and we can access the trolley and we retrieve it. It's the

brainchild of Warwick based Trollywise which has been set up by

one of the worlds leading trolley manufacturers. At the moment we

circulate in the area finding the trolleys. We will now know exactly

where they are and that will make us more efficient. Back at the

supermarket it's plaudits all round from shoppers. A very good idea.

Nobody wants to see trolleys everywhere. It is a good idea.

Ultimately, it could all mean fewer sites like this in the future. This

is our top story tonight: An inquest hears 17-year-old Georgia Williams

was strangled. Your detailed weather forecast to

come shortly also in tonight's programme: 12 months on, we catch up

with the children of Ladywood who have added a new string to their

bow. And find out why the people of

Wolverhampton simply love where they Hundreds of primary school children

have taken to the stage in Birmingham today for a very special

concert. The pupils are part of a project which aims to improve

learning and confidence through music. This afternoon they got to

show off their new found skills in front of a packed audience at the

Symphony Hall and Ben Sidwell was there to see how they got on.

Just a year ago these children had never picked up an instrument, let

alone played one, but this afternoon they were performing at one the best

concert halls in the world. I feel excited because my parents will be

here watching me. It's been an amazing experience. It is a new

thing to do and it can be something for when you get older, playing a

violin. It's the culmination of generation Ladywood and more than

5000 children would have either been taught how to play an instrument or

have learnt how to sing. And every single child will get the chance to

perform on the stage. The children here today come from Birmingham's

inner city primary schools, many of them in Ladywood, one of the most

deprived areas in the country. gives them opportunities they have

never had before. Playing a violin or a cello and performing at

Symphony Hall is an experience they will remember for the rest of their

lives. Hosting today's concert, Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood.

is difficult to make friends anyway and when you have 16 schools here

today with one universal topic, music. It has brought them together

and they are making noise and enjoying themselves. It was

absolutely fantastic. Everyone was here. It was really fantastic.This

is our first time coming here. hope is now they've had a taste of

music, these children will continue to play for many years to come.

They make a fantastic sound. A "Groundforce" type operation swung

into action today to create a new community allotment in the Black

Country. Students from the local secondary school will take over half

the plotsand what they grow will be turned into soup for a homeless

hostel. BBC West Midlands have been getting their hands dirty, helping

to transform the patch of wasteland, as part of their 'Loving Where you

Live' tour around Wolverhampton this week.

Making soup at Wednesfield High School is on an industrial scale.

Stock. Sweet potato. They have been making 50 litres of vegetable soup

every week for two years. The soup is for the Salvation Army in

Birmingham. We had a surplus in the school allotment and it gave the

students a sense of social purpose and pride in helping the local

community. Soon, the school be able to make much more soup, more cheaply

that's because of what's happening here in a once overgrown patch of

land in the middle of a housing estate. It is an operation where we

are doing this over here, making it civic grow crops and vegetables.

organic allotment will be for both the school and the community. BBC

WM's "Loving Where you Live" project has been helping spread the word.

has been amazing, so many people want to get involved and they have

offered so many things, donating plants, we have laws and fences and

what we need is hands feet and people to get stuck in. Back at

school and students are being told about the impact their soup is

having. Ian found himself staying in a Salvation Army hostel for six

months when a relationship broke down. The fact that children have

taken time to make it, it is something they will think how

lovely. It's very nice. It is just nice. You cannot beat home-cooked

food. And once the new allotment is up and running, production can step

up a gear. And BBC WM will be back, live in Wednesfield, tomorrow

morning with the Pete Morgan breakfast show. Speaking to MPs on

the Commons health select committee, the chair of the ambulance service

said it will not happen again. have reinforced the values of the

ambulance service locally and more widely and I'm confident it was an

isolated incident as sad as it was and we have taken measures to

prepare -- prevent a recurrence. Protesters have been surveying

badger sets near Tewkesbury several months. Anti-Aja Cole groups plan to

disrupt shooting by any means possible to bring it to a halt.

were concerned they were shooting badgers. We were concerned it had

started. We are checking in the same area to see if it has happened. The

estate is our main point in the farm zone they own for % of the badger

cull zone. Buses aren't usually the type of subject that gets people

excited ...but now a record busting bus war has broken out between two

Midlands Cities. For decades Birmingham has held the honour of

having the longest urban bus route in Europe, but now contender

Coventry has snatched the title. Joan Cummins reports. Top speed 90

miles an hour. Capable of 11 mpg but it is not what is going on in the

engine that's important. More where it is going. The 360 which launches

officially at the weekend orbits the outer circle of Coventry connecting

landmarks in the city in a record breaking 31 and a half mile route

..Five and a half miles more than the previous record holder

a tourist attraction in its own right? We certainly hope so. It can

be a main attraction and we feel it is time for Coventry to be in the

limelight. Have you done this to have a go at Birmingham? No, but it

helps. On a rehearsal run for the 360, the boss of the transport

authority hopped on board but refused to talk of rivalry between

neighbouring cities. It is up to Birmingham to come forward with

proposals which we will look at and consider but at this moment in time

Coventry holds the crown for the longest bus route in Europe.

Coventrian bus users though were delighted at the prospect of a 31

mile trip for just �2.30. Well done to Coventry. We have had a bad press

for Coventry but it is nice to have something that is record-breaking

for the city. It will be nice to see where it goes. Would you stay on for

the whole journey? I don't see why not. Other toilets? But Birmingham's

number 11 has admirers. More than 20,000 calendars celebrating its 26

miles have been made and today the memorabilia creator admitted to

being upset at the Coventry record breaking takeover. It is like a

dagger to my heart. It is awful what they have done overnight. Jealousy,

I am envious of Coventry. Records aside, the most important thing to

most passengers though is will the bus be on time.

Who knew buses could raise so much passion? This is what you have been

waiting for. A calf that got its head stuck in a tree in Shrewsbury

had to be rescued by firefighters and a crane. It was wedged in the

tree and unable to move in Coseley Field, Monkmoor. Firefighters tried

to free the calf using various pieces of equipment but were unable

to. It was eventually freed by a crew using a large animal harness

and a crane. The operation took over an hour and the animal appeared to

be uninjured. Extraordinary. Another glorious day. Just as Shefali Oza

said it would be. How is it looking? It is looking promising. Slight

variations in the weather as the week goes on but they are only

cosmetic and unlikely to enjoy -- spoil the enjoyment. Cloudy

conditions tomorrow and breezy by Friday but apart from that

temperatures were ideal. Tempered only by the breeze, reports of it

being quite fierce in places. There were three places that shared the

top spot for temperatures. Stoke, Hereford and Worcester with highs of

20 Celsius. Elsewhere, anything from the high teens to 20 Celsius. It has

been glorious. The beautiful weather does have drawbacks, this is the

first lengthy spell of dry sunny warm weather the beginning of the

year, the pollen counts are coming into focus and they have been high

today and will be high again on Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow there

is additional cloud but UV levels will be very high. They were today

and will be on Thursday and Friday. Take those precautions. If we look

at the region now, hardly a wisp of cloud. That changes as the night

goes on. A bank of cloud in the East will gradually worked its way in

from that direction as the night goes on. Some cloud cover, a breeze

as well through the night holding temperatures up. Temperatures around

nine or 10 Celsius. It is not as cool as last night. However, because

of the cloud, we do not start with dazzling sunshine we had today,

tomorrow a dull start, the sunshine will burn through layers of cloud in

the morning producing sunny spells. Because of the sunshine, cloud

bubbling up. It stays dry, at temperatures will be knocked on the

head. In the north, highs of 16, in the south, 18 with less breeze. The

weather front is trying to get into the Northeast on Thursday but it

will be killed off by the prevailing high pressure. The isobars are

tightening up. Thursday and Friday, the breeze picks up and it will be

sunny and warm. 60 years on - the Queen marks her

decades as monarch in a special service at Westminster Abbey. And an

inquest hears 17-year-old Georgia Williams from Shropshire was

strangled. I'll be back at ten, with an