01/11/2016 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight... it. Now on BBC One we

The so-called Halloween ridd-out was the latest in a series

of incidents in Birmingham in recent months.

Seven arrested and motorbikds eased. They are menaced to rose... Road

users. -- they are a menace to road users.

Things that go bang in the night - residents left shaken

after old chemicals at a school are destroyed

It was a very loud bang. It shook the windows.

Ending a ten-month goal drotght - Wilfried Bony scores twice to help

Stoke to a much-needed win over Swansea.

Forget your toy train set for Christmas, how about owning

And a change of month brings a change of temperature and for some,

Hear all about it in the forecast later.

That's how police have described a gang of up to 200 bikers

who caused chaos on the strdets of Solihull and

Seven people have been arrested and ten motorbikes seized,

but the so-called Halloween ride-out was just the latest in a series

of incidents in the area in the last few months.

These are the 200 bikers police are describing as "a menace".

Riding scramblers, quad bikds and mopeds, the gang hijackdd

the road in Kings Norton just after 9pm last night.

The group wasn't just out for an evening ride.

A police van was attacked and there are reports fireworks

Hundreds, loads of them. I thought, oh, what is going on here? @bout

150, really loud, skidding `cross the road, doing wheelies. It was

mad. It is ridiculous. Why were they even doing it? Are they causing

danger to people on the roads and things like that?

Many of the riders had their faces covered as they sped along roads,

jumped red lights, weaved through traffic and "pulled

Officers say their actions were illegal and they're looking

These people do pose a thre`t to ordinary members of the public. I

have a lot of sympathy for lembers of the public going about their

normal business and then encountering this lot on thd roads.

Utterly disgraceful. We havd described them as a menace `nd that

is what they are, a menace to other road users.

In Leeds, similar scenes filmed last night.

All part of what's being called a Halloween ride-out,

and it seems to have been organised and choreographed

This was shot two weeks ago in Kings Norton.

It has been like this now on and off for about two months. They ride

round with no helmets on our number plates, no lights, sort is getting

out of hand. This event scared locals,

but at least one biker was hurt too, suffering chest injurids

after colliding with a car. Tom is at the scene

of those dramatic pictures A lot calmer now but it must

have been a frightening So what can police do

to stop it happening again? Well, seven arrests have already

been made since last night. Five of those were men. Two of them have

been described as youth malds by officers. They have also sehzed ten

bikes, three were reported stolen. They will also be doing what a lot

of us have been doing today and that is scouring social media to try and

identify who it was that drove through cottage and other p`rts of

Birmingham last night on bo`rd those bikes.

This has happened there before. How worried are local people?

You saw in the footage that only a couple of weeks ago, hikers go

through the area. -- bikers. People are worried and concerned bdcause

last night a fire engine cotld not get to a 999 call-out. Officers were

surrounded by 100 bikers who try to kick in the windows and smash wing

mirrors. This evening, people here are very worried but officers

themselves will have a bit of extra pointed self interest to sed they

can find those responsible. Tom, thank you.

You might associate things that go bump in the night with Halloween,

but people living near a Shropshire school had quite a fright l`st night

when the bomb squad had to blow up a bottle of chemicals

The Thomas Adams School in Wem has apologised for the loud explosion,

but insist they were only following official advice.

They say they didn't have thme to warn their neighbours because

It was the noise that got the Shropshire town of Wem talking.

For those living nearby, last night's explosion came

And they didn't expect it to make such a big bang!

I walked to the school to sde what it was about,

because everyone said it was a bomb that had gone off.

So I went to see what it was, but it wasn't.

The answer to that can be found at the Thomas Adams School.

Over half-term, they receivdd an e-mail warning them

about a chemical used by A-level students, which stated...

This chemical is an orange to red powder that if it becomes dry,

can become explosive on the friction turn.

So, with the container, if the lid was to be opened

The school checked and found it did have an old bottle of the chemical,

so they called the police, who called the bomb squad.

The bomb disposal team came from Tewkesbury.

They got the chemical and btried it about one foot in the ground.

And then, at six minutes to eight, they detonated the substancd.

And now this is all that relains from the Wem explosion.

Wem is a quiet market town and people aren't used

Certainly having a bomb disposal squad, as seen around the town,

probably sparked a little bit of interest.

But I think people have perhaps panicked slightly

With all the school's stock of the chemical disposed of, things

West Midlands Police have confirmed they attended two other inchdents to

dispose of old chemicals in the last few days at schools in

Worcestershire. Plans for a new multi-million pound

railway station in Wolverhalpton have been approved by the Chty

Council. It's all part of a ?120 million

interchange project which whll also include the Metro tram line

being extended to the station. Building work is expected

to start next year. A video has emerged which appears

to show a football fan being pushed over by a West Midlands polhce

officer at Sunday's game between The video was posted

online earlier today. The force's Professional St`ndards

Department says the highest standards are expected from officers

and anyone who's acted Search parties have spent the day

trying to locate a missing It's been a week since 27-ydar-old

Joshua Smith was reported mhssing. He was last seen crossing r`ilway

lines near his home in Stond. Today, his mother wanted to alert

motorists on the A51, where it's believed he may have

crossed and walked along thd canal. It's thought he was planning

to take his own life. He will have had to have cole

up onto the A51 here, and then either he has walkdd back

down onto the canal, slightly further along the @51,

or he has gone across the road and that would take him somdwhere

over towards Stafford Way, And we are desperately lookhng

for sightings from anybody, A former firefighter who's spent

the past year helping refugde children in the Calais Jungle wants

to create a drop-in centre for those Liz Clegg says more needs to be done

to help the children, many of whom are traumatised

by the violence of war and If he has just arrived, he has to go

to the police or social services. An SOS from a desperate young Afghan

refugee in the UK. Liz Clegg gets calls like this

at home in Birmingham The mum of two and former

firefighter spent over a ye`r in the Calais Jungle,

trying to help children. To see this in Northern France,

about an hour away from London, 15-year-old girls who've

been raped so often, And young boys abused

by traffickers. He was forced into the back of

the car head down by the smtgglers. He was panicking when he was put

in the boot, but they beat him Put the other people

in the boot and shut it. It's all a far cry from the peace

and love of Glastonbury, where, as a litter picker,

Liz read of the Jungle Then I went back to work

and realised I was stood in a field with thousands

of tents, sleeping bags, camping equipment,

and it was exactly what the article I thought I would do

my cheeky little bit. Bring a few sleeping bags,

you know, a couple Yeah, that is what I thought

I was going to do. In the end, she set up a wolen

and children's centre becamd surrogate mum to hundreds

of frightened youngsters. Now, with the camp destroyed

and many of the children living in containers,

she's still fighting and shd wants to build a drop in centre

for children here in Birmingham We need to pick up where our local

authorities finished their role Around trauma, about long-tdrm

psychological effects Zivi Sainsbury married

into the famous supermarket dynasty She heard Liz speaking

on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hotr I want to help as much

as she does, I think. I actually feel I am in a privileged

position to be able to help her and I am lucky to be able to get

straight to her and work Earlier this month, Liz won

The Woman of the Year Courage Award and used the opportunity to put

pressure on Theresa May to do more - handing her a list of 52 yotng girls

who qualified for refuge here. Assaults on police officers

are on the increase. New figures show nearly 600 officers

from the West Midlands forcd were assaulted on duty in the first

nine months of this year. It's a growing trend,

with violent crime also on the rise. On the day the figures

were released, West Midlands Police announced it's introducing

new technology to help officers Our special correspondent,

Peter Wilson, has the details. Fireworks used like missiles,

launched at a police van last month. This year alone, nearly 600 officers

have been hurt in the line of duty. I only spoke to an individu`l this

morning who was assaulted a couple of days ago in Sandwell,

who received a fractured cheekbone as a result

of being hit in the face. That individual will be

off work never several And, ultimately, that is ond more

officer off the streets who should be out there protecting the public

of the West Midlands. Today at the new-look Lloyd House,

the West Midlands Police HQ, news about yet more

change at the force. New technology for the cops

of the future - body But how will that protect the public

and the police? They will have new mobile kht that

will enable them to deal with crime effectively without coming back

to the station so much. They have new batons which help them

to protect themselves from some of the threats

they face on a daily basis. Fundamentally, this

is about as modernising the way that we deliver policing

so that we can be as The police have already

undergone massive change. 3000 police officers and st`ff

have lost their jobs. Last year, 17 police station

front offices were closed And this one here in

Steelhouse Lane is the only police station in the whole

of the West Midlands open 24/7. We've already seen the forcd

stretched this week with big Last year, the Crime Commissioner

warned of a funding crisis We are certainly facing problems

with our budget and I have said quite clearly to the Chancellor

that there should be no further cuts We have taken the biggest hht of any

force in the whole country. What we're looking at today

is partly our response to that, Technology can make a difference

and drive real change, but without police numbers,

the safety of officers and the public will continud to be

a cause for concern. The Government's come under further

pressure to give financial support to the families of the victhms

of the Birmingham pub bombings. Fresh inquests are due to bd held

into the 21 victims of the `ttack in 1974 - relatives want

the same sort of funding provided for families

for the Hillsborough inquests. Labour's Justice spokesman

Richard Burgon raised the issue in the Commons earlier which drew

this response from I made it clear that this ddbate

that the Home Office and justice officer working on that, looking at

the precedence of what happdned in Hillsborough and looking at all the

matters which have been discussed in that debate.

Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this

Seven arrested and motorbikds seized after a dangerous night riddout

Let's see if November is gohng to cheer up a bit. Also...

Stoke pull off a Halloween victory over their fellow

The team at Severn Valley R`ilway are hoping to protect the ftture

of Bridgnorth station - and they're looking for our help.

a growing number of young people who're winning over

millions of fans online and earning thousands of potnds

Peter Plisner has been to mdet the digital entrepreneurs -

a young gamer who gets paid to test video games and a young wom`n

who has fashion blogging and a new clothing line all sewn up.

Meet the new chip generation. Young people are arming thousands and

building a huge online fan base So many dumb jokes --

Professional YouTuber Fred Pye making his latest video

He's a big fan of the video game Grand Theft Auto and millions

of people log in to see how he tests out the game.

He spends most of the day m`king videos, and they're

This one, pitting a tram against a series of tanks,

has been seen by more than a million people.

And that means that what was once a hobby for Fred

I told my friend I wanted to earn enough to pay rent

But that was three or four years ago.

YouTubers like Fred earn thdir money from adverts placed

It is thought they receive on average around $2 for every 100

people who view them. Fred's YouTube channel

gets on average around ten million views each month,

with an estimated income And some YouTubers make thehr money

thorough sponsorship deals. And blogger Habiba Da

Silva does just that. Around a million a month

watch her makeup videos, recording For her, YouTube provides

an ideal medium. They relate to me because I am just

like anyone else, I am not an actress, I am not on a TV channel

pretending to be someone else, I am being myself,

and the genuineness on soci`l media really attracts people a lot

more than TV nowadays. Howdy, blog into a successftl

business? Nowadays, anyone can have a successful business. One shall

find your niche and what yot enjoy doing, and people trust what you're

saying, your audience will come And for Habiba, YouTube poptlarity

has also helped her launch It's proof that you don't nded

expensive studios and big Stoke City are up to 12th

in the Premier League after beating Swansea City

3-1 last night. And striker Wilfried Bony also

scored his first goals for the club Stoke City started Halloween just

one place above the Premier So defeat to struggling Swansea City

and the sleepless nights wotld last The tension was eased

after just 3 minutes. Wilfried Bony scoring his fhrst goal

for Stoke - although his celebration was muted as he was scoring

against his former club. Wayne Routledge heading

an equaliser six minutes later. But the second half

was dominated by Stoke. Starting with a trick and a treat

from Ramadan Sobhi. The Egyptian's shot was turned

into his own net by the Swansea Goal number three was

entirely Stoke's making. Joe Allen - another former Swan -

was the provider, Bony the scorer The amount of times an all boy comes

back and haunts his previous club... It was always likely to happen. I

think it was in the stars tonight. And we're grateful. Wilfried has

been doing really well for ts. He needed the goal, clearly, and his

overall performance was good. So as the nights close in,

Stoke City climb up. This win lifted the Potters five

places to 12th in Their slow start to the season

is now a distant nightmare. If you've ever fancied owning a part

of Midlands history, Shares in the Severn Valley Railway

are again up for grabs. It's to help fund improvements

to the line in the Shropshire town of Bridgnorth, where Rebecc` Wood

is this evening. Well, it is very popular here, that

is for certain. It is quiet at the moment and very chilly. There are no

trains running but the pub hs quite busy at the moment. Walking along

platform one of the station is like taking a step back to the 1840s

There are some things here that need a little bit of TLC and mondy. The

team here hope to raise that through selling as a little slice of Severn

Valley history. It is one of the region's top

tourist attractions, welcoming around

250,000 people a year. But it is not cheap to run

and the team at Severn Valldy If you purchase shares in the share

offer and become a shareholder, you are buying a part of thd history

and heritage of the railway and you will see that,

specifically for this share offer, the money raised through

the purchase will be spent `lmost This is not the first time

Severn Valley Railway have offered people the opportunity to bty shares

in the organisation. But this time, all of the money

is going to Bridgnorth We're going to build a new cafe

and toilet facility on platform one and it will be done in completely

authentic Great Western style. Then the main building itself,

the station building, which is a grade two listed

building, is going to be conserved and restored

to its Victorian splendour. Thousands lined the platforls

in September as the Flying Scotsman rolled into town on a

tour of the country. With events like that and a lot

of steam engines growing, the team are convinced

they are having better facilities For many years, we wanted to provide

a new refreshment room up to modern standards and we struggled

to firstly get planning for it and then we are now having

to fund it. But it is a careful balance

between old and new and protecting What we designed is a buildhng

to give more modern facilithes to the passengers that

are using the station, using traditional Great Western R`ilway

design techniques of around 190 . With ?2.5 million worth

of shares up for sale, there are plenty of opportunities

to own a slice of history and protect Bridgnorth

station for the future. Welcome to the pub, one of the most

popular spots on the station. I don't blame them because it is

rather chilly out there. Thhs is one part of the station that will

benefit from the possible ?2.59 Nick is the general manager of the

Severn Valley Railway. Wider use shares as a way to raise money for

this organisation? -- of thd possible ?2.5 million.

It is a way to raise funds for specific projects. The really

benefits because the funds `re ring-fenced for this one project.

And the individual that is laking the share offer purchasers buying

into the history and heritage of this wonderful Railway. It hs

something which is really close to a lot of people's hearts. We saw the

crowds of people coming to see the Flying Scotsman. Do you expdct the

shares to fly? I hope so. Wd have had a lot of applications already

and a lot of interest prior to the launch today. Over 1000 people who

are not shareholders at the moment have expressed interest in our share

offer. And I think, regionally and nationally, the railway is held in

high regard as a place to love and cherish. Very quickly, what does

being a shareholder of the Severn Valley Railway get you? The travel?

There are benefits. If you have 100 shares or more, you get levdls of

travel benefit through the xear which you will get you after year,

as long as you hold the shares. Fantastic. You never know, xou might

also be able to comment herd and get a pint! You never know.

A bit of a grey start to November - let's see if Shefali can brhng us

Yes, sunny days and frosty nights sums it up for this week, apart from

the odd exception. A change in the month has brought a change hn

temperatures. Des temperatures were 5 degrees lower than yesterday's. --

the temperatures today. Milder October temperatures have ldd to

spots in fungi. As the so from that photograph them a lovely photograph

of a young stag in mist. -- and here is a lovely photograph of a young

stag in mist. You can see the weather front to the

south. Building in behind is high pressure. That will settle things

down and lead to temperaturds plunging before this next sxstem

moves in from the West. This will be judging the course of Thursday. For

this evening and overnight, now that it is dark and the front is out of

the way, the skies clearing quickly. Temperatures falling very r`pidly.

In the countryside, they cotld fall to just below freezing. In towns and

cities, the coldest spot in Southwest Herefordshire and

Worcestershire with lows of two Celsius. We will get a bit of Mr

Ness but not follow that we saw last night. That takes us into the

morning tomorrow. It is a mhsty start to the day but largelx clear.

Cracking day with lots of stnshine developing very early on and lasting

right through until dark. Temperatures lasting at arotnd

9-11dC tomorrow. On the cold side. Even colder tomorrow night. The

skies will clear first thing and temperatures fall away to freezing

for the south-west. Just below freezing in the countryside. Like

tonight, we will see a Prost. Quite widespread. That will take ts into

the start of Thursday. Sunnx start to frosty but as I said, thd frontal

system moving in from the Wdst will bring in rain through Thursday,

showers on Friday. Thank you. Love the pictures from

the Weather Watchers. That hs all from me. I will

He's a scientist, brilliant apparently.

But you may be bringing people over here who did things during the war.

I will not work for you. I will not work for the British Government

Let us not let the past haunt all of our actions.

You've got to do something! It's only you that can!