07/03/2017 Midlands Today

An investigation's underway after an eight year old boy died

just hours after being discharged from hospital.

Health campaigners say it raises questions about safety. I can't help

thinking my local hospital can't save my child if they really ill.

We'll be speaking live to Worcestershire hospital's interim

Jail for the Shropshire man who deliberately

Birmingham University reveals its latest recruit

in the battle against air pollution: the humble pigeon.

Back in the Midlands as a rising star: the Black Country

boy playing the lead in Billy Elliott the Musical.

It's, like, scary and exciting and, like, just... I get really hyped up

and get loads of energy inside and then just release it all in the

dance. And soaking up the rays

to soaking up the rain. From sunshine to cloudier skies

by tomorrow but at least An investigation's been

launched into the death of an eight year old boy,

who died less than 24 hours after he was sent home

from the Worcestershire Callum Cartlidge then

suffered a cardiac arrest But when an ambulance was called it

had to take him back to Worcester because the children's ward

at the Alexandra Callum lived just two minutes

from the Redditch Hospital. In a moment, I'll be speaking

to the Chief Interim Medical Officer from Worcestershire Hospitals NHS

Trust, but first here's our Health Callum Cartlidge was

supposed to have had He was sent home from

the Worcestershire Royal Hospital Those who campaigned to keep

children's and maternity services in Callum's home town

of Redditch were shocked. We were constantly assured

this would never happen Now, I just can't help thinking

that my local hospital can't save my child,

if they're really, really ill. West Midlands Ambulance

Service arrived on scene Having done advanced life support,

at 3:42pm, they left for Worcester. 23 minutes later, at

4:05pm, they arrived. The Ambulance Service

said it did everything Callum Cartlidge's family live just

a mile down this road, that's two minutes by ambulance

from the hospital. I understand that a request

was put in to bring him So paramedics spent

23 minutes, at speed performing chest

compressions, but he died. In September, a paramedic

voiced his concerns that this If I had a child in cardiac arrest,

I would want to get I wouldn't want to drive past

an A department to get Because, obviously, we're talking,

from Redditch to Wocester, Today, a consultant who used to work

at the Alexandra Hospital said the changes in Worcestershire

did put lives at risk. There will be cases cropping up

where there will be a question of whether the delay could have

contributed to a problem, Sometimes, it might be the case,

sometimes it might not be the case. But it does seem a pity

to have the availability of an A department, and it doesn't

take a lot more to be able to take children,

if you like. And you need the services anyway,

because there isn't enough capacity elsewhere, even

for children's services. A postmortem is being carried out

to find the cause of Callum's death. Michele Paduano, BBC

Mids Today, Redditch. Joining us now from the

Worcestershire NHS Hospitals Trust is Chief Interim Medical Officer Dr.

Andrew Short good evening. Such a tragic case, what can you

tell us about what happened? The first thing I would like to say is

any death of a child is a tragedy. My sincerest condolences go to the

family and our thoughts are with them. And also with the members of

our staff and other NHS staff who were involved in the events of last

Friday. We know that Callum was being treated by his GP and he was

referred into our services to be assessed on Thursday evening. He was

seen by our trained children's nurses and doctors. He was observed

for several hours and thought to be well enough to be discharged home on

the Thursday evening. Tragically, on the Friday afternoon, a cardiac

arrest call went out for the ambulance crew and rapid response

team. They responded very quickly. They commenced resuscitation. They

transferred Callum over to A where the full team of anaesthetists and

consultants and paediatricians were on stand-by. Resuscitation continued

but despite everyone's efforts, sadly, Callum didn't response. --

didn't respond. The fact that he couldn't go to Redditch seems crazy,

two minutes away. The evidence is very clear that what is important is

that you get highly trained paramedics onto the scene to

commenced resuscitation as soon as possible. You then need to take the

patient to where they have the greatest chance of survival. That is

the hospital where you have the expertise present on-site. As a

result of staff shortages, we have made the decision to centralise

paediatric services on the Worcestershire Royal site and we

have done that in the interest the interest of our patients. To provide

the safest possible care for them. Save the Alex campaigners and

paramedics had warned last September that lives could be at risk under

the new arrangements. Do you feel their worst fears have now been

realised? I don't. It is absolutely wrong to link Callum Cartlidge's

death to the centralisation of services. As with any unexpected

death in children, there will be a full investigation. We will do an

internal investigation. We have reported this death externally to

the corner. When we find more information, we will share that with

the family and make it clear to them exactly what has happened. Are there

enough beds in Worcester for children? There are enough beds.

That was absolutely nothing to do with the decision to send Callum

home on Thursday evening. He was assessed in the assessment unit. Had

he needed to have been admitted there were beds available. We have

had beds available since the decision to centralise, in autumn

last year. Thank you for talking to us.

And there'll be more on this on BBC Hereford and Worcester's breakfast

A "Walter Mitty character" who poisoned his wife with laxatives

has been jailed for three and a half years.

David Smith from Telford, who was described as a fantasist

and claimed he was an ex-SAS hero, made Elizabeth Smith so ill

Elizabeth Smith left court shaken, but satisfied.

She had just seen her husband jailed.

This man, David Smith, claimed to be an SAS war hero and a

In reality, he was a poisoner, a liar and a thief.

When I first met Dave, he was the kindest...

They were married, but he lived in England.

They saw each other every couple of weeks.

The plan was to buy a place together, eventually.

He told her he'd been in the SAS and involved in the siege

He seemed loving and attentive, making spaghetti

One day, while at work at her hairdressing business,

I would be working away and chatting and all of a sudden I would feel

really dizzy and think, "oh no, God", thinking it was my head.

This will supposedly him with cancer.

He was finally caught after faking a break-in at Elizabeth's home.

Thousands of pounds of her money was found in his car.

For me, there were no signs of anything.

I mean, even about the SAS, and everything, that part

of his life, the only time at one point I did say to him,

"Dave, I haven't seen anything about your past"...

On sentencing him to three and a half years in prison,

Sheriff Montgomery told David Smith he'd embarked on a prolonged,

That caused mental and physical anguish to his victim.

Suzanne Allen, BBC Midlands Today, Ayr.

A man accused of murdering his ex partner and hiding her body today

told a jury he didn't kill the mother of his two children.

Osmond Bell claimed he'd been assaulted and racially abused

by the police when questioned about the killing in 1981.

Nova Welsh was 24 years old when she went

Her body was eventually discovered in a cupboard

Her former partner said he felt broken and numb

Police are treating the death of a man who fell

from the window of a flat in Birmingham as unexplained.

Emergency services were called to an address on the Stratford Road,

in Sparkbrook, last night, but the man, who was in his 50s,

Officers are examining CCTV footage and carrying out house-to-house

enquiries to try to work out what happened.

Investigation are underway after the recovery of a man's body

Emergency services went to Spring Lane around seven-thirty

after a passer-by reported seeing a body in the water.

West Mercia Police are asking anyone who saw anything

More than a dozen sheds have been destroyed by arsonists

Police say they're planning extra patrols in the area after the spate

of attacks on the Brownshill Green allotments in the Kersley

Some people have started dismantling their sheds to avoid

attacks and others say they're considering moving.

You come up here, you, sort of, work for five years and get it

for some idiots to come and do this is...

Beggars, cyclists, buskers and street traders escaped

an outright ban today, as Coventry City Council

try to make the city centre a better place for shoppers.

But they'll have to watch their step as officials can punish

More than 300,000 people live in Coventry.

Now, the city centre has become one of the first areas in the

region to introduce a public spaces protection order, designed to

encourage all of us to share the streets respectfully with each

It's an answer to issues that residents and shoppers have raised

with cyclists going too fast, skateboarders causing problems and

making a lot of noise by residential properties within the ring road.

Not leaving people alone, standing at car park payment machines,

demanding money. Begging is already a punishable

offence in the law but now The council say they'll ask people

to move on and offer them help rather than fine them immediately

but for some forced to beg it's I got a fine two weeks ago. I was in

court. It's nothing new, really. Yeah, how much was that fine for? 30

quid. I paid it that why they find me...

Council officials and police will enforce the order

which includes asking speeding cyclists and skateboarders to show

consideration to those around them before they're issued with a fine

but today there was a mixed response to the changes.

If they are begging for food Wall a bit of money, how are they going to

pay the fine? -- or a bit of money. They were back at fines. The council

are trying to make the city a better place. The council say they don't

want to criminalise people and say cyclists are welcome in the city

centre but what they are asking for is a little bit of respect for all

members of the community. Joan Cummins, BBC

Midlands Today, Coventry. Well this has certainly got you

talking on our facebook page today Yes, it's a pain being hassled

for cash, but it's worse when you're starving and people turn their nose

up because they think they're Rea Verdon asked "Will

they be offered help and support or just chased

out of town?" And Jacqueline Johnson points out

that London licensed buskers many years ago and now the Underground

is alive with talented Thanks to all of you for getting in

touch, we always like to hear from you.

Four people have been arrested in simultaneous raids in London this

morning in connection with the supply of class A drugs

The arrests, in Lewisham and Peckham, were part

of an operation to target dangerous drugs networks working

This is the culmination of a long investigation.

30 police officers from Gloucestershire carry out

simultaneous strikes on four buildings, to arrest four people

they believe are heavily involved in supplying drugs into the county.

Within minutes, all four targets are arrested,

all on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

All, apart from one of them, are also suspected

With suspects in custody, specialist search teams and scenes

of crimes officers then moved in, looking in every nook

At the moment, we've seized a quantity of cash

various mobile phones, documentation regarding

We will arrest them and we will search...

These arrests were part of Operation Side Swipe,

aimed at targeting so-called Dangerous Drugs Networks.

Effectively, gangs who prey on vulnerable users

They'll often take over someone's house to deal from,

so called cuckooing, all under threat

This is one of the most significant operations launched

by Gloucestershire constabulary in recent years.

It's the result of many months of gathering intelligence

and analysing that intelligence and detectives say it

proves their determination to show that Gloucestershire isn't an easy

target for those who want to deal drugs, wherever they come from.

These people think they can come in to Gloucester and commit

the crimes they're doing, selling drugs to our

young vulnerable people, and exploiting people,

you know, there's a consequence in that.

This is why it's important that we do take the fight back to them.

So, we're not anonymous, they know who we are,

and we look at arresting them and seizing their assets that

are obtained through their criminal activity.

All four arrested today are still in custody

as the investigation into serious drug dealing in Gloucestershire

continues in and away from the county.

Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today.

Another sunny day across the region and I'm getting to like it.

Shefali here shortly with the forecast.

Also in tonight's programme: We meet the Sky Blue's latest

manager Mark Robbins, can he turn the tide

And back on home turf as a rising star: 12-year-old Lewis

from West Bromwich takes the lead in Billy Elliott the Musical.

When you think of reducing air pollution, you probably think

of electric cars and energy efficient light bulbs, but academics

at Birmingham University believe pigeons are the answer.

City Flocks is a new project which sends pigeons

with sensors strapped to their backs off into the sky to record more

Graham Satchell went to watch their maiden flight.

Can pigeons help us in the battle against air pollution?

Brilliant, I think this is going to work really well, today.

It sounds far-fetched, but academics from Birmingham University

It's sort of, first given me the look that maybe you're

giving me where, sort of, "is this real, is this

We have a superfast temperature sensor.

Climate specialist Rick Thomas is planning to strap

these tiny sensor packs to the backs of pigeons.

If we know the temperature above the rooftops, then we can test

Fitting the sensors is a delicate operation.

They are tiny, just 5% of the pigeon's weight,

We didn't see the devices fall off when they flew off,

They looked happy enough, they looked like pigeons flying to me.

The pigeons will fly just over a mile.

This, the rather disorientating view from pigeon-cam but what exactly

is it the scientists are trying to discover?

They already know that nitrous oxide, the pollution that comes

out of diesel engines, rises with the heat coming

from roads and buildings to rooftop level.

But what happens to the pollution next?

To model it, they need accurate temperature measurements

I kind of thought, well, birds, they fly everywhere.

If they could carry our sensors and they could be tiny

and accurate enough, we could start to understand

the dispersion of air pollution around the city.

Just six minutes after taking off, the pigeons are back.

There is an anxious wait as the sensor is retrieved.

This is what the data shows, the route taken by the pigeons

and critically the temperature just above the rooftops.

It's not a particularly heroic name but pigeon number 80,

we salute you and your contribution to the fight against air pollution.

Graham Satchell BBC Midlands Today, near Tewkesbury.

And now the team you saw there want to fit pollution monitors

So if you own racing pigeons and think you could help,

then the researchers would love to hear from you.

You can find all the contact details on our facebook page at

The new Coventry City manager Mark Robins has admitted today

he faces a much tougher task in his second spell at the club.

Robins first joined Coventry in September 2012 and steered them

This time he finds the Sky Blues bottom,

they're 13 points from safety with just 11 games to play.

And plenty of managers have tried and failed to stop the slide.

Think you've seen this before? I reckon you're right. And I don't

just mean Mark Robins. There's been a sky-blue sliding door under the

current owners. Chris Coleman was their first managerial appointment

in February 2008 and there's been a steady stream since. In the nine

years and three months since SISU bought the club, they've given the

job to nine different managers and now Mark Robins is coming back for

more. It wasn't a case of desperation to come back at any

cost, it was desperate to come and help this club. Having seen what's

been going on for the length of time it has been going on, we've got to

try to turn it round. If they sign of how much was the plight is for

Mark Robins this time that today's press conference at the training

ground. At least, last time the first one was in the Ricoh Arena.

The stadium is now four match days only. In 15 months' time, they must

find somewhere else. No plush office like last time and no plan for the

future. This has happened really quickly so I've had brief, sort of,

dialogue. My primary concern and interest was the fact that I have

been given the tools to be able to do the job. There remains one source

of comfort for sky blues' fans, next month they play at Wembley for just

the first time in their history. There are 12 cup finals for us. One

of those happens to be at Wembley. It is a day out for everybody to try

and enjoy. The key focus for me is trying to get things right on the

pitch. Have a real good go at staying in League 1.

Pressley to Slade - they've all tried to turn

We wish him well. Coventry not playing tonight although a lot of

games on. And Mark Robbins first match

in charge is on Saturday, when the Sky Blues take

on Bradford City at the Ricoh. Gloucestershire's double

Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin has picked up

another glittering medal. The Newent-based rider

was at Buckingham Palace today to receive her CBE from the Queen

for services to equestrianism. Miss Dujardin, with her horse,

Valegro, won two gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London

and retained her individual title in Rio last year,

to add to the eight gold medals It's a massive honour and a huge

privilege to be receiving this award, today. And to be here amongst

so many other incredible people as well. It's a really amazing day.

Even though Valegro's retired, it's not the end of me. I have 11 up and

coming horses. I'm currently really busy training and seeing which one I

can have as another future star. Congratulations, Charlotte.

Billy Elliot, the hit film which told the story of young boy's

fight to become a ballet dancer, against the backdrop

of the miners strike, made a star of actor Jamie Bell.

Now the stage musical is on tour and local lad Lewis Smallman

from West Bromwich is bringing Billy Elliot to the Midlands.

Our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana has been to meet him.

It's 16 years since Billy Elliot the film was released

and on the back of that success came the musical version.

Dancing his way onto stage as Billy Elliot, local lad

Sometimes get butterflies if, like, there is, like,

a new step in the dance or new notes or something.

But it's, like, scary and exciting, like, I get really

hyped up and get loads of energy inside.

And then just release it all in the dance.

At the hippodrome in Birmingham today, his former dance teacher

A woman he says encouraged him to audition for this role.

He does credit you as an inspiration, so, you're

It's very flattering, but he's done all the hard work.

But, yeah, it's wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

Lewis is one of four child actors taking on the role, but for him,

this part of the tour is extra special.

I feel, like, a bit more, like, energetic.

Because, like, in the other places I wasn't really near to home.

I was a bit, like, people can't really get to see me

but in Birmingham, loads of people are coming to see me.

This is one 12-year-old who is flying high and loving

Another beautiful sunny morning and another good walk today.

Felt like a breath of fresh air - in fact,

There is indeed not immediately. I'm glad you took my advice didn't

wasted. Keeping up these sorts

of standards is not easy when you have a number of weather

fronts But for much of the region,

there was no shortage of sunshine perfect weather for ramblers

but this is the system that's It's a warm sector so oncethis

rain has cleared it'll leave us with a legacy

of warmer air and as we lap it up, temperatures are going to be boosted

to even higher values than these Here is the rain in technicolour

onto night's chart. Dry at the moment. The cloud thickening up from

the west but here it comes. Moving in later on tonight and heavy bursts

across the region but it will break up in places as the night goes on.

Temperatures down to six, seven Celsius, falling to their lowest

values were spent a night before the rain. A bit of Mr Mac. Damp start of

the day, particularly in Central and southern parts. -- a bit of mist.

Some early morning sunshine. In the afternoon, that rain will move away

to the east and we will see much drier conditions. Sunshine to the

north, cloudy conditions to the south and central parts.

Temperatures in the warmer air mass will rise to around 10-12 tomorrow.

Tomorrow evening and overnight, we will see the cloudy conditions

persist. More cloud starting to gather from the west with a new bout

of rain heading into that direction. It doesn't amount to much, just a

sprinkling. A dry end to the night. Temperatures are rising even

further, falling just to seven, eight Celsius. Further ahead,

Thursday is a decent day. One for ramblers. Sunny spells, dry weather

and highs of 13 Celsius. Still mild for Friday but cloudy with outbreaks

of light rain. Tomorrow on Midlands Today,

we'll be finding out what impact the Chancellor's spring

budget has here. Will it rev up the Midlands

engine, or will it stall I'll be back 10:30pm

with your late update, including