28/02/2017 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight: for the news you are.

"The only protection they had was each other":

The words of Suzy Evans, whose son, brother and father

This top 5-star hotel was chosen by a terrorist cell

The coroner at the inquest into the deaths of 30 British

tourists condemned the police in Tunisia as shambolic

A shocking worsening in standards: the Chief Inspector of Prisons

verdict on Featherstone jail near Wolverhampton.

I absolutely hated it and I couldn't wait to see the back of the place.

The eight-year-old with autism who refuses virtually all food,

after Birds Eye change their recipe for chicken nuggets.

Found in a field, I'll be discussing why these items of jewellery are one

of the most important iron age find ever discovered in Britain.

And if the snow-capped peaks of Staffordshire don't exactly fill

you with the joys of spring, we're going to struggling this week

Join me later for a changeable forecast.

"The only protection they had was each other" -

that's how Suzy Evans describes the last moments of the lives

of her son Joel, brother Adrian and dad Patrick as they were gunned

Her youngest son Owen survived the terror attack.

Today the coroner recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquests

into the 30 British holiday makers who died in Sousse in June 2015.

The coroner also criticised the Tunisian police,

describing their response to the attack by an Islamist

militant, as "at best shambolic, and at worst cowardly".

Suzy Evans and her son, Owen, from Wednesbury,

arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice for the last

But, as she said afterwards, their ordeal is far from final.

For many now, going on holiday will never go the same.

My family placed their trust in their tour operator to provide

But it's clear, I believe, that security was not priority.

Owen was the only survivor of the terror attacks that

killed his brother Joel Richards, grandfather Pat Evans

and uncle Adrian Evans, on a holiday to celebrate the end

Sitting behind Cheryl Stollery from Retford, who lost her husband,

I say, well, I'm still a mum, and I am thankful for that.

Suzy wept in court as the coroner concluded that her son,

dad and brother were among 30 Britons unlawfully killed

at the hands of Islamic gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.

But Judge Nicolas Lorraine Smith rejected a finding of neglect

against travel firm TUI and the hotel, which many

They clearly did not put safety before a sale.

This top 5-star hotel was chosen by terrorists

A lawyer representing 22 of them spoke afterwards.

Following the terrifying events at the Bardo Museum at March 2015,

the Tunisian Minister of Tourism issued a letter requiring hotels

Tragically, these steps were not implemented

TUI, the tour operator, who organised the holidays

for the victims, has stated that it was unaware of the letter

TUI said changes had been made since the attacks.

As an industry we have adapted and we will need

This terrorist incident left its mark on all of us,

and its impact will always be remembered.

The coroner described the local police response

as at best shambolic, and at worst cowardly.

It took an hour for Rezgui to be shot dead by police.

In a chilling conclusion, the coroner read out the names

Joel Richards and his grandfather, Pat Evans, shot in the head

His uncle, Ade Evans, wounded in the neck near to them.

Suzanne Davey and mum of three from Tamworth, and her partner,

Scott Chalkley from Derby, both killed on the beach.

Former Birmingham City football Denis Thwaites and his wife Elaine,

who later moved to Blackpool, were also shot dead on the beach.

For Suzy and Owen, their pain continues.

Well, Joanne Writtle has spent the day at the courts of justice.

I spoke to her a short while ago and began by asking her how

Well it's been a huge day for the families who have had

to listen to horrific accounts of what happened to their loved

And they have listened to that over the last six weeks.

In fact, the coroner today paid tribute to them.

He spoke directly to them today saying, you have shown quiet dignity

of which your loved ones would be extremely proud.

And some families are planning legal action?

Yes, 22 of the families, including Suzy Evans from Wednesbury,

now say they will sue the tour operator TUI.

Their solicitor Kylie Hutchinson said it was crucial

that the travel industry learn what happened in Sousse.

But TUI maintains there was insufficient evidence

Connor Fulford, who lost his mum Suzanne Davey from Tamworth,

posted a message on social media saying that he blames so-called

Islamic State for the terror attacks across the world.

Everybody has their own opinion, he said, but that is mine.

And you can read more about the inquests into the Tunisia

Inmates at Featherstone prison near Wolverhampton are choosing

to stay in their cells all day to avoid the violence of other

prisoners, according to government inspectors.

A report says there has been a shocking worsening

in standards at the jail, with levels of violence

They say a shortage of staff and poor leadership

Sian Grzeszczyk has more on this report, how much detail does

the report go into about conditions for prisoners?

Well inspectors say that some inmates are "living in fear"

and choosing to stay in their cells 24 hours a day.

The abuse some prisoners suffered included other prisoners urinating

The report follows an unannounced inspection in October which was held

two months after inmates started fires during a week of disturbances.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons is also very critical

It describes the present that is the set with drugs, far too much

violence, some prisoners isolating themselves in their selves through

fear of other prisoners. And I'm afraid to say, a leadership of the

prison that has not got a grip on what is happening there.

Have we heard any accounts of this from inmates themselves?

Yes, we've been speaking to a former prisoner Reece Chisholm

who was an inmate there in 2016, he was serving time for drug

offences and told us he was one of those who feared

It's a shambles, it is filthy. It's disgusting in there. I absolutely

hated it and I couldn't wait to be seeing the back of the place, to be

honest with you. And the report says the backdrop

to the decline at Featherstone was "clear evidence of poor

industrial relations, staff shortages and some

significant prisoner unrest." Reacting to the report,

the Chief Executive of the National Offender maangement

service Michael Spurr said "The Government have set out a clear

plan for reform in the Prison and Courts Bill laid before

Parliament last week, and went on to say he was "confident

that the Governor and management team at Featherstone can turn

things round and achieve A group of people from Telford have

been sentenced to almost 80 years in prison, after they spent days

"systematically torturing" Six young men, two of whom can't be

identified, and a young woman all pleaded guilty to causing

grevious bodily harm with intent. One defendant also pleaded guilty

to false imprisonment. The judge at Stafford Crown Court

said they'd all played a part in an "appalling" campaign

of torture, which left the victim It's one of the most serious

offences that we've dealt with. The level of the offending

and the way in which the offending A West Mercia Police dog

has been been removed from her former handler,

despite a petition calling on the force to let

them stay together. Sergeant David Evans had asked

to keep 4-year-old Ivy But the force said Ivy had many

years of service ahead of her - and would be passed

onto another handler. A breast surgeon, who worked

at hospitals around the Midlands, has gone on trial accused of causing

grievous bodily harm to patients. 59-year-old Ian Paterson is accused

of 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man,

between 1997 and 2011. Our Health Correspondent Michele

Paduano joins us now Michele, the prosecution opened

their case today, what did they say? They said that this was an

outrageous and extraordinary case. Essentially, they suggested that Mr

Paterson either invented camps are or exaggerated the symptoms

figure-macro invented cancer or exaggerated the symptoms to perform

operation. Why did he do that. They were private patients and he could

make money, perhaps. Patients could spent many years believing they were

ill and could have operations, some had many serious mental health

issues as a result. Do you have details on specific cases? It's

difficult to pick out a couple. There was Leanne Joseph who had the

milk ducts removed. This meant she couldn't breast-feed any future

children. When she fell pregnant, Ian Paterson had the operation. He

didn't tell her that fact. Another died of breast cancer in her 40s. He

was terrified of both breast cancer and the operation. He had a panic

attack. How will it tomorrow? They will continue with the case of

Frances Perks. There are three cases related to lumps and vasectomy. Ian

Paterson has pleaded not guilty and the case is likely to last, the last

ten weeks. An 8-year-old by from Worcestershire

who has autism, is refusing to eat almost any food after Birds-Eye

changed the recipe William Stocker, from Malvern,

used to eat 150 nuggets a week, His parents are appealing

for the company to go back It's lunch time in

the Stocker household. For Amanda, that means cooking

another portion of Birds Eye chicken William, who's eight

and suffers with autism, has refused to eat anything other

than Birds Eye's nuggets The only exception

being cake and jelly. That's why when, last Friday,

his parents discovered Birds Eye had changed its nugget recipe,

they were beside themselves. It's literally thrown everything up

in the air so now William will not eat any other type of nugget,

so it's become pretty stressful for both of us because obviously

we have got a crying child who can't understand why he can't have that

nugget that he's been The new nuggets are darker and,

I'm told, taste slightly different. William's autism means

he can't cope with change. His parents are trying

to replicate the old version. The only thing I like

is my normal nugget. Normally a lot of nuggets haven't

got the proper stuff inside. So, these are the two

different types of nugget. This is the old packet

and this is the new packet and they don't look very different

from outside, do they? But to William,

they are worlds apart. His parents have scoured the shops

in Herefordshire and Worcestershire to find the old type of Birds Eye

chicken nuggets, but with no luck. Friends have come to the rescue

in the short term by donating the original flavour nuggets,

but time is now running out. Tomorrow we haven't got any,

so what we're going to do for a lunchbox and what we're

going to do for dinner, But in the last hour,

some good news. Birds Eye have got in touch to say

they'll provide the family with a supply of the original

nuggets so William has a bit longer Tom Turrell, BBC

Midlands Today, Malvern. Thanks for joining us

on Midlands Today, this "The only protection

they had was each other" - Suzy Evans describes

the last moments of three generations of her family,

killed in Tunisia. Your detailed weather

forecast to come shortly. Also in tonight's programme,

the power of the coffee shop generation - helping

to revive our high streets. And the wheels are in motion

for a return of elite women cyclists One of the most important Iron Age

finds ever made in Britain - that's how experts have described

the discovery of gold jewellery The items were discovered

by two friends, who had only recently restarted

their metal detecting hobby. Our reporter Ben Sidwell

is at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, where the items

will go display - Ben what is it I know, eight years ago we were

talking about the Staffordshire hoard and now we are talking about

this. There are four items, Iron Age gold, all jewellery and they

believed to be about 1000 years old, which is why I am wearing these

protective gloves and as you can imagine, a find like this has caused

a lot of excitement in stature today. -- in Staffordshire today.

It's been buried underground for almost 2,500 years,

but this morning the oldest hoard of Iron Age gold ever found

in Britain was unveiled at the Potteries Museum in

Watching on, the two friends from Leek who made the discovery

last December while out metal detecting in the

When I dug it up I knew it was gold straightaway, you know,

you know, I just had a feeling, you know.

I had to pick myself up off the floor.

He said come on, I'll show you, the hole is still open.

The pair found another three items and the next day took them

to show Teresa Gilmore, Staffordshire's Finds

He rummaged in his bag, dug out an old duster,

put it on the table and went "you need to see this."

He opened it up and I went to guess I do.

That's quite a significant find, well done.

What they'd found were four pieces of jewellery dating

A find so significant, it will change how we think

What this is telling us is that 2,500 years ago,

so before the Roman conquest, people in Staffordshire had contact

with communities on the continent, so maybe we need to reframe a little

bit how we think all of those connections worked and rethink

about Staffordshire being a very important, dynamic centre

Along with archaeologists, Joe and Mark have spent the past two

months searching the rest of the area near to Leek and are now

Once in a lifetime, probably once in five lifetimes find,

you know, like I say, it is only just sinking

in now really with all of this today of how significant the find was.

Today, the Staffordshire coroner declared the hoard treasure.

It will go on display from tomorrow for three weeks

at the Potteries Museum before being valued.

The reward money will be split between Joe

Ben Sidwell, BBC Midlands Today, Stoke-on-Trent.

Well, with me are two macro people who know a lot more about this bind

than I do. Percival is even, the principal archaeologist of

Staffordshire County Council. -- first of all is Stephen. What is it

about this county? I don't think we have the monopoly on fines like

this, they are to be found elsewhere. What we see is this is

such an important find, they catch the public's attention, so there is

a lot more behind these. We have seen these, internationally

important finds, are you worried you're going to get an influx of

metal detector if now? We do worry. Provided that they do follow the

code of practice, we can work with them, so provided they report them,

I think everything is fine. Let's speak to Debra, the principal

curator here at the museum. For you it must be hugely exciting but the

big question is, what will happen to these? We would love to keep them.

We will show them for three weeks from tomorrow. They go away to be

valued and then we attempt to raise the money to save them for this

region. That is what I hope we will do. Do you expect big views? I hope

we will but who knows, let's wait and see at ten o'clock tomorrow

morning but happens. They will be on show from three weeks tomorrow. This

is the only place you will be able to see this new fine. I should think

those queues are guaranteed. Thank you very much for that.

It's an industry worth more than ?8 billion

a year nationally and the Midlands is reaping

the benefits of the continuing trend of coffee shops in our high streets.

According to the latest figures, we're turning our backs

And the coffee culture appears to be growing in some

Our business Correspondent, Peter Plisner reports.

Roasting coffee beans in Staffordshire.

It's a fine art where timing is everything and the smell is,

Here, they supply to both home consumers and high

According the company's MD, the retail side is expanding fast.

We're now starting to see normal people drink coffee,

people that wouldn't necessarily have known about the country

of origin of coffee starting to want that and as that market

And here's some of the evidence - this new coffee shop

has recently opened in Northfield near Birmingham.

Not exactly one of the most affluent areas of the region, but even here,

according to the owner, there's an emerging market.

Our bread-and-butter is retired people who need to get out

of the house in the daytime and pubs are a bit too much of an event

so a coffee shop's lovely, you can pop on the high street,

The coffee busniess is now worth around ?7.8 billion per year

with 55 million cups of coffee drunk everyday in the UK.

The caf culture has continued to boom with 80% of the people

who visit coffee shops doing so at least once a week.

There's evidence that coffee shops like this can help boost an area's

economy by increasing the number of shoppers who come

here and if their's somewhere for them to stop and have a drink

they'll stay longer, visit more shops and,

Experts are worried about too much expansion.

There is a fear that we are in what you might call a food

and beverage bubble, that actually you can push this too

far, we have one coffee shop too many and actually that virtuous

circle will begin to work against us the other way.

But there are no signs of that at this Birmingham firm that makes

many of the coffees machines that end up in the high street.

Here, they've doubled their workforce in the last five years.

As the coffee companies and the coffee shop chains have

We have multiplied enormously, particularly since the crash

in 2008, 2009 when the bank problem arose, we haven't seen any

negativity in growth at all since that period.

So clearly a frothy market that despite continued economic worries

News of some postponed matches tonight.

In League One, Port Vale's away fixture against Rochdale is off

because of a waterlogged pitch, as is Walsall's match

And in the Vanarama National League, Solihull Moors game

against Torquay United has been postponed because of the weather.

Cycling fans are in for a treat, when the Women's Tour

More than 100 of the world's top riders from 22 countries

And that'll be very familiar territory for

She's one of Britain's best on a racing bike and Ciraa Horne

has a personal motto - happy head, fast legs.

But last summer in Rio, Ciara was far from happy.

She was devastated to be left out of the women's team pursuit who went

How long did it take you to get over the disappointment of Rio?

It was very, very difficult for a good few months

but I think someone said to me create your own story and that kind

of just suddenly made me think yet, you're right and I'm 100% don't

But Tokyo is three years away whilst there's only three months to wait

for the Women's Tour and the Warwickshire

stage from Atherston to Leamington on June 9th.

The International Cycling Union have just changed regulations to allow

them to race up to 150 kilometres, so they're going to be racing over

100 miles over very hilly terrain and finishing

in Royal Leamington Spa is the dream ticket.

There's very, very few part which are actually flat to rain,

so it's going to be very, very challenging, but I'm sure

the women are going to handle it incredibly well and embrace it.

The Women's Tour is now in its fourth year and it's enjoying

a huge surge in popularity thanks partly to the outstanding

Last June, Stratford-upon-Avon was the final destination

on the Warwickshire stage and that's got a lot of good memories

She's studying to become a physiotherapist at the University

of Birmingham and is also competing in international events

Everybody says that the Women's Tour in the UK is the most spectacular

and has the best atmosphere so it makes us really proud

The Women's Tour also wants to encourage more girls to play

sport and that's why Ciara and Hannah are such important

role models for any aspiring young athlete.

Ian Winter, BBC Midlands Today, at the University of Warwick.

It's a tradition that's been going for more than 800 years

Hundreds of people gathered in Atherstone, to take part

in the annual Ball Game, which is a Shrove Tuesday ritual.

Residents fight over the ball and one of them has to be

the last one holding it when the horn sounds.

What a fantastic thing to celebrate, every year, Shrove Tuesday,

one of two towns who do the Shrove Tuesday Ball Game

and what an event, the whole town's alive and ready for action.

Some very wintery showers around today - isn't it supposed to be

the last day of winter, Shefali?

It is, according to the meteorologist, but no sign of spring

certainly from our Weather Watchers' 's perspective. Apart from the

sunshine we had this morning, that is before the rain and the showers

began to pile in once again during the course of the morning and into

the afternoon but we had quite a bit of snow across the northern half of

the region. Here at Staffordshire and also in Shropshire. But it did

look pretty although wintry as we head into March and the start of the

meteorological spring, which is tomorrow. This was the range of

temperatures we had across the region was up the coldest spot was

in Staffordshire across the North and then we had highs of around

eight Celsius in the South. We have still got some showers toppling in

from the North West through this evening and during the first part of

the night but they will gradually die away and there could be a wintry

mix in some of these again. During the early hours clearer skies,

temperatures will dip to two or three Celsius and nearing freezing

in the countryside, so here we could have an ice risk once again into the

morning tomorrow. This time without warnings and we could get some frost

as well. That is how we start the day on a clear, sunny note. Quite

chilly as well. A flurry of light showers to the north of the region

but it is the north that will hold on to the best of any brightness and

dry weather during the course of the day. The North, South split. We have

cloud from the South during the course of the morning into the

afternoon. That will bring light outbreaks of rain the southern and

western parts of the region. Top temperatures of eight or nine

Celsius with light to moderate wind string much of the day. This is the

frontal system bringing in that cloud and that rain. You can see the

isobars tighten towards the south of the country and those stronger winds

will reach us during the course of tomorrow evening and night. Quite

wet start to night tomorrow with some heavy rain and the cold air

cutting it with snow on the cards are 12 stop not very springlike!

Join us tomorrow for a special behind the scenes look

at Royal Shakespeare Company's latest production of

Antony and Cleopatra, which has enlisted the musical

talents of Birmingham singer-songwriter Laura Mvula.

She has been added to the RSC's distinguished list of composers-

and we've been invited to watch Laura rehearse with the musicians.

I'll be back with your late news at 10.30pm.

MUSIC: Another Day Of Sun by the La La Land Cast