:00:09. > :00:13.This Is East Midlands today. Learning lessons from the last
:00:13. > :00:18.harsh winter. Farmers will be paid to clear snow and there will be
:00:19. > :00:23.more help with frozen and burst pipes. Last year, Severn Trent
:00:23. > :00:27.admits it was caught on the hop with the big freeze. I am with one
:00:27. > :00:30.of the repair teams to say it will not happen again.
:00:30. > :00:35.Plus the prison where it is claimed inmates plotted to import tonnes of
:00:35. > :00:39.cocaine. Also, the white elephant, one of
:00:39. > :00:44.nine regional fire control centres which have wasted almost half a
:00:44. > :00:48.billion pounds of public money. And understanding the unreal. I am
:00:48. > :00:58.looking into the future with the scientists and manufacturers
:00:58. > :01:04.
:01:04. > :01:10.leading the way in the virtual Welcome back to the programme.
:01:10. > :01:15.First, the big freeze. According to independent forecasters, the snow
:01:15. > :01:20.and sub-zero temperatures we experienced last winter could be
:01:20. > :01:24.back, and as early as next month. Even if those forecasts turn out to
:01:24. > :01:28.be wildly inaccurate, and they may well do, the authorities say they
:01:28. > :01:33.are determined not to be caught out by any freezing weather. Tonight we
:01:33. > :01:38.will be looking at the preparations being made to keep our rates clear,
:01:38. > :01:43.to keep more of us clear of winter flu, and to tackle the scourge of
:01:43. > :01:46.frozen and burst pipes. For our first Report, our reporter has been
:01:46. > :01:51.out on the road with Severn Trent Water.
:01:51. > :01:56.Repairing burst pipes must seem like a never-ending job. Severn
:01:56. > :02:00.Trent is blaming a near 16 % rise in customer complaints one of the
:02:00. > :02:07.big freeze last year. Many people frustrated at the time it took to
:02:07. > :02:13.repair leaks. And a terrible time to be a repair workers. Christmas
:02:14. > :02:19.Day, a 15 inch burst main. The guys were out until 5am and 6am
:02:19. > :02:24.Christmas morning in all this now. It was a nightmare. The aftermath
:02:24. > :02:30.of the ice and snow meant Severn Trent failed to meet its leak
:02:30. > :02:34.reduction target. Last year it was supposed to reduce leaks to the
:02:34. > :02:41.equivalent of 193 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day. It missed the
:02:41. > :02:44.target by 3%. This year, the target is to reduce leaks to the
:02:44. > :02:50.equivalent of 190 Olympic-sized swimming pools a day. It is
:02:50. > :02:55.currently on course for that. Even now, the leaks did on coming, and
:02:55. > :03:00.as one is prepared in Upton in Nottinghamshire here, another is
:03:00. > :03:04.reported. There is a small manhole and they take water from there and
:03:04. > :03:09.it is leaking. But Severn Trent is already preparing for the winter.
:03:09. > :03:14.Those �2,000 alone is being spent at this depot in Nottingham. More
:03:14. > :03:18.access to 4x4 vehicles, and a specialist in digging machine to
:03:18. > :03:23.grit and two lighting equipment. were caught a little on the hop
:03:23. > :03:27.which we acknowledge now, which is why it this year we set a plan in
:03:27. > :03:32.place two months ago in the North East. Back in Upton, the new elite
:03:32. > :03:38.is identified at a problem fire hydrant. One less to worry about
:03:38. > :03:43.this winter. -- the new leak. Cold weather around the corner
:03:43. > :03:48.means the start of the seasonal flu campaign. Hundreds of thousands of
:03:48. > :03:53.people in the East Midlands qualify for jobs free on the NHS and once
:03:53. > :03:59.again, at the vaccine includes protection against swine flu. But
:03:59. > :04:03.some GPs are already booking patients into clinics. Stocks
:04:03. > :04:07.should be a rising in the next few days. Hospital intensive care units
:04:07. > :04:13.are hoping it will not be another very challenging winter.
:04:13. > :04:15.No one knows how bad flu or the weather will be this winter but at
:04:15. > :04:20.this Primary Care Centre in Nottinghamshire, they are taking no
:04:20. > :04:26.chances. When it comes to the most common strain of the fibres,
:04:26. > :04:30.pregnant women are especially eagle day. -- strain of the virus. The
:04:30. > :04:36.advises for them to have the injection. They have a lowered
:04:36. > :04:40.immunity and we know that they can have severe respiratory infections.
:04:40. > :04:45.The groups which can get the vaccine free on the NHS into the
:04:45. > :04:49.over 65, those with underlying health problems, and pregnant women.
:04:49. > :04:52.Last winter, this critical care unit was under a huge strain
:04:52. > :04:57.because of swine flu. You do not need to remind people here how
:04:57. > :05:05.serious it can be. Five patients admitted with the virus died.
:05:05. > :05:08.saw tremendous activity, 23 patients admitted. One was admitted
:05:08. > :05:13.just in the beginning of the year, just after New Year, and stayed
:05:13. > :05:18.until April. And here is the challenge, to improve on last
:05:18. > :05:26.year's flu jab uptake, highest in the over 65 at 73 % in the East
:05:26. > :05:29.Midlands. The lowest take-up is amongst NHS frontline workers.
:05:29. > :05:35.Derby hospitals did better than that and we'll be trying harder
:05:35. > :05:40.this time. We have ordered 3,000 vaccines. If we use all of those,
:05:40. > :05:44.which we are hoping to, we will have vaccinated 54 % of frontline
:05:44. > :05:49.staff. Getting people through the doors early for the job is a
:05:49. > :05:53.priority. Last winter there was a last-minute rush.
:05:53. > :05:57.As these preparations for winter it gathered pace, one council is
:05:57. > :06:01.planning to draft in extra help to clear the roads in the snowy
:06:01. > :06:05.weather. Councillors in Derbyshire at meet their gritters cannot get
:06:05. > :06:12.to every single road and lane so it is going to pay others to be on
:06:12. > :06:17.standby to do it. Meet the new official council
:06:17. > :06:22.machines for battling snow and ice. It is not a high-tech gritter but a
:06:22. > :06:26.rural tractor. These have now been put on standby on many of
:06:26. > :06:30.Derbyshire's smaller roads. The council plans to pay farmers to
:06:30. > :06:34.take on the new higher wages following last year's bitter winter
:06:34. > :06:38.for motorists. We have to be realistic and say we cannot get to
:06:38. > :06:45.those areas. We now in the past that those farmers have carried out
:06:45. > :06:48.very helpful work on a voluntary basis. We would like to formalise
:06:48. > :06:53.that so we can have a more comprehensive approach to tackling
:06:53. > :06:59.the issue. Neil Green knows all about doing snow. He has used his
:06:59. > :07:03.tractor several times before to get to fields and help neighbours. He
:07:03. > :07:11.says being paid �200 whether its nose or not is welcome, and it
:07:11. > :07:17.makes sense. The tractor and the four-wheel drive, big tyres, is
:07:17. > :07:22.just designed to grid and Paul heavy weights. It keeps the roads
:07:22. > :07:26.clear. So whatever the weather, the farmers will be winners, but the
:07:26. > :07:31.council says it is worth it to try to make sure the winter snow does
:07:31. > :07:37.not make -- mean the rest of us lose out.
:07:37. > :07:40.You may think any snow is months away, but not according to this
:07:40. > :07:46.front page. So should be begetting concern?
:07:46. > :07:50.Usually at this time of year we are thinking tip of an Indian summer
:07:50. > :07:53.but the Met Office will be issuing five-day forecasts to keep you are
:07:53. > :07:56.advised in advance if the weather is going to change but at the
:07:56. > :08:06.moment it looks like we might actually be getting warm up before
:08:06. > :08:06.
:08:07. > :08:10.we turn colder. The fall weather forecast is later.
:08:10. > :08:14.Next, the Government project condemned as a complete failure.
:08:14. > :08:20.The plan for nine regional fire control centres is estimated to
:08:20. > :08:26.have cost half a million pounds almost -- half a billion pounds and
:08:26. > :08:33.no one has been held to account. It is lying empty and unused but the
:08:33. > :08:37.annual rent is costing taxpayers more than �1 million.
:08:37. > :08:40.When we filmed inside the new regional control centre at Castle
:08:40. > :08:45.Donington, it was empty. More than three years on, that remains the
:08:45. > :08:48.case. The big idea of the last Labour Government was to replace 46
:08:48. > :08:53.centres across England with just nine, for a more ensure --
:08:53. > :08:57.efficient handling of major incidents. 35 operators should have
:08:57. > :09:02.been in place now doing the work of five is middens control centres in
:09:02. > :09:05.just one. Instead, the scheme was scrapped by the coalition
:09:05. > :09:09.Government and it has been calculated it has wasted almost
:09:09. > :09:13.half a billion pounds. The public accounts committee condemns the
:09:13. > :09:17.project as floor from the hazard and one of the worst cases of
:09:17. > :09:22.wasted public money. Millions were paid to consultants and the IT
:09:22. > :09:26.contract was awarded to a company without the relevant experience.
:09:26. > :09:33.Right from the start, the Government ministers never listened
:09:33. > :09:39.to us. We are the Professional Voice of the fire service. They
:09:39. > :09:43.never took one bit of notice. Midlands control centre is on a 25
:09:43. > :09:48.year lease. The annual rent of �1.2 million will be paid by central
:09:48. > :09:55.Government until a new tenant is found. We are absolutely disgusted.
:09:55. > :09:58.We are losing fire engines and Fryatt jobs. We even use the cooks
:09:58. > :10:03.at the station. That money would have kept us going for another five
:10:03. > :10:06.years. The Department for communities and local Government
:10:06. > :10:13.says it has learned from its mistakes. They have come with a
:10:13. > :10:16.multi-million-pound price tag. The Deputy Prime Minister Nick
:10:16. > :10:20.Clegg has given an upbeat assessment of the future for
:10:20. > :10:26.Britain's last remaining train maker. But in an interview for his
:10:26. > :10:30.Midlands today, the Lib Dem leader also acknowledged that barn Abadie
:10:30. > :10:33.Nick urgently needs new Government contract to keep going. Tomorrow
:10:33. > :10:39.Nick Clegg makes his big speech to his party conference in Birmingham.
:10:39. > :10:44.A short while ago, he spoke to our political editor.
:10:44. > :10:47.Should Britain's last remaining train makers, bombarding her in
:10:47. > :10:52.Derby, should they have first call when it comes to Government rail
:10:52. > :10:57.contracts? I was really frustrated that the Thames Link contract was
:10:57. > :11:02.designed, as you know, by the previous Government, our hands were
:11:02. > :11:06.tied, by all of the legal complexities of that, I can totally
:11:06. > :11:11.understand the anguish in Derby and what that means for the company. We
:11:11. > :11:15.are the working Government -- we are working in Government to make
:11:15. > :11:20.sure there is a level playing field in future for companies like bomb
:11:20. > :11:24.By DEA in Derby in the United Kingdom and also to work closely
:11:24. > :11:30.with them. I was talking to Vince Cable about this yesterday, to
:11:30. > :11:33.protect, even now, they innovation and design expertise, which has
:11:33. > :11:38.been so important to Derby. There will be lots of other rail
:11:38. > :11:43.contracts which I hope the company will bid for as well. A level
:11:43. > :11:46.playing field is no substitute for a contract. I do not think any
:11:46. > :11:51.Government can all would say, we will only ever prefer one company
:11:51. > :11:55.over another. That is unfair on taxpayers and workers for other
:11:55. > :12:00.companies, but I do understand the concerns raised about the returns
:12:00. > :12:03.of this particular tender. It was not something that we launched. The
:12:03. > :12:06.previous Government launched it. If we had had a free hand we would
:12:06. > :12:10.have looked at the terms of that ended differently but let's learn
:12:10. > :12:14.from that experience so we can move forward and make sure instead that
:12:14. > :12:19.we work closely with the company to do everything we can to support the
:12:19. > :12:23.economy of Derby. The consequences of that company pulling out of the
:12:23. > :12:28.UK, or what would be your reaction? That would be tragic for Derby and
:12:28. > :12:32.outlying areas and we're doing everything we can to encourage the
:12:32. > :12:36.company took look at other contracts. It has been tough and
:12:36. > :12:38.controversial but not all is lost. The Regional Growth Fund in the
:12:38. > :12:43.East Midlands, the Labour locally are saying that the funds available
:12:43. > :12:47.are a third of the funds available under the regional development
:12:47. > :12:50.agency. The big difference is we intend to use that money sensibly
:12:50. > :12:56.and properly so that it really goes to companies that produce jobs.
:12:56. > :12:58.What happened under Labour, �500 million wasted by the previous
:12:58. > :13:02.Government want fire service reorganisation that has not
:13:02. > :13:08.produced any benefits at all. They literally poured money down the
:13:08. > :13:15.drain. What we are saying is, yes, there is less money around, we are
:13:15. > :13:18.going to make taxpayers money go much further than they did before.
:13:18. > :13:22.More from the Lib Dem Conference on our late news.
:13:22. > :13:28.A court has been told that inmates at a Nottinghamshire jail tried to
:13:28. > :13:32.import vast amounts of cocaine from Colombia. The jury heard that the
:13:32. > :13:36.plot was being run by a convicted drug dealer called Russell Knaggs,
:13:36. > :13:40.who was serving a 16 year sentence. Our social affairs correspondent
:13:40. > :13:45.has been following the trial at Birmingham crown court and can tell
:13:45. > :13:50.us more. We had extraordinary allegations. The prosecution
:13:50. > :13:53.described a complex plot to smuggle five tons of cocaine into Britain,
:13:53. > :13:57.and they say it was all organised from behind the walls of a
:13:57. > :14:02.Nottinghamshire jail. These men are on trial, three were inmates at the
:14:02. > :14:08.time. Russell Knaggs was described in court as the mastermind and the
:14:08. > :14:12.prosecution say he used another prisoner to organise everything and
:14:12. > :14:16.spoke in code. Other members of the group pretended they were importing
:14:16. > :14:20.biofuel. The occasionally let their guard slip and spoke about cocaine.
:14:20. > :14:23.They were told it could make them hundreds of millions. The six men
:14:23. > :14:27.on trial have all denied involvement in the smuggling plot
:14:27. > :14:30.but the prosecution say it was organised here at Lowdham Grange
:14:30. > :14:34.Prison where Russell Knaggs made a deal with a Colombian drug
:14:34. > :14:37.trafficker who had been convicted over here and the police found a
:14:37. > :14:41.list of Colombian contacts in Russell Knaggs' SOC. We also heard
:14:42. > :14:46.that one of the other men on trial organised all the payments while
:14:46. > :14:50.another defendant also flew out to South America and communicated back
:14:50. > :14:55.by altering draft e-mails that everyone could access but which
:14:55. > :14:59.were never actually cent. For the prosecution said a lot of people
:14:59. > :15:05.were also involved in this plot. The plot was intercepted before any
:15:05. > :15:07.drugs were delivered. Thank you. In other news, Derby City Council
:15:07. > :15:13.is almost halving the amount of money it gives to charity and
:15:13. > :15:16.voluntary groups in the city. It is having to make further savings of
:15:16. > :15:23.�20 million next year and has already announced extra
:15:23. > :15:29.redundancies. The vulnerable people are among 20 organisations that
:15:29. > :15:32.have been told their bids for CAS - - cash work not successful.
:15:32. > :15:35.A Nottinghamshire MP has criticised council plans to sell off six care
:15:35. > :15:39.homes for just under �2 million. Nottinghamshire County Council
:15:39. > :15:44.announced the deal earlier this month with the Runwood Group. A
:15:44. > :15:48.Conservative MP for Barksdale, Anna Soubry, says the homes are being
:15:48. > :15:52.sold off at a bargain basement prices.
:15:52. > :15:56.A Derry in Leicestershire has got into the world record books by
:15:56. > :16:01.producing the largest slice of cheese, weighing in at over 100
:16:01. > :16:06.kilograms. The dairy near Melton may be extra large blue Stilton
:16:06. > :16:09.sliced to mark the company's centenary celebrations.
:16:09. > :16:17.The schoolchildren in Les Deux being deliberately exposed to the
:16:17. > :16:21.danger lurking on building sites. - - in a Leicester. Thankfully, the
:16:21. > :16:26.houses are all simulated, in what is called a warning zone, which is
:16:26. > :16:32.aimed at keeping youngsters safe. We went to find out more.
:16:32. > :16:36.A shocking lesson in safety. These year 6 pupils from Braunston are
:16:36. > :16:40.experiencing a new type of classroom and it is hoped this new
:16:40. > :16:44.approach will hit home. It is good to take them out of school, out of
:16:44. > :16:49.their comfort zone, to put them somewhere new in a Live Aid
:16:49. > :16:53.situation, and the teachers are saying, we cannot achieve this. --
:16:53. > :16:57.in a lifelike situation. experience that gives an extra
:16:57. > :17:01.dimension to Lenin, the extra curricular elements of it, the
:17:01. > :17:06.outdoor classroom is always beneficial. This high impact method
:17:06. > :17:12.of teaching children to be aware of dangers already seems to have had
:17:12. > :17:18.an effect. I have to be more careful not to go via electricity.
:17:18. > :17:23.I will be a lot more careful. are not sitting in a classroom. It
:17:23. > :17:28.is realistic. Talking to them about the age of criminal responsibility,
:17:28. > :17:33.peer pressure, consequences of actions. They are not getting this
:17:33. > :17:36.education anywhere else. Warning Zone is a unique experience in
:17:36. > :17:40.Leicester for youngsters to learn how to stay safe and keep out of
:17:41. > :17:50.trouble. After recent events, it is hoped it is a message they will not
:17:50. > :17:54.forget. Still to come, our reporter live at
:17:54. > :17:56.the City ground. Would it be all about Forest preparing for their
:17:56. > :18:01.Carling Cup clash with Newcastle, perhaps?
:18:01. > :18:06.Yes. Recriminations and frustrations at a Saturday's bitter
:18:06. > :18:10.defeat against rivals Derby County. And I will be assessing the state
:18:10. > :18:17.of things here and Nottingham Forest.
:18:17. > :18:23.-- at Nottingham Forest. A two-day conference has just
:18:23. > :18:28.opened in to the weird and wonderful world of virtual reality.
:18:28. > :18:33.The University of Nottingham is hosting the event, which aims to
:18:33. > :18:37.share how specialist a -- technology can improve our lives.
:18:37. > :18:39.It is the international conference where industry meets science.
:18:39. > :18:43.Representatives from around the world have travelled to the
:18:43. > :18:48.University of Nottingham to show off their latest technological
:18:48. > :18:52.developments for the virtual world. Their example, these systems could
:18:52. > :18:57.be used in hospitals to keep vulnerable patients in touch but
:18:57. > :19:01.not in direct physical contact with their visitors. We are both in a
:19:01. > :19:05.conference but in different rooms. Everyone coming together to share
:19:05. > :19:09.their experiences, exchange new and exciting technologies and research.
:19:09. > :19:18.Virtual reality always looks like burn but there is a serious side to
:19:18. > :19:23.the software on show. You can see an operator wearing a suit. We can
:19:23. > :19:27.prevent injuries such as back injuries, improve health and safety,
:19:27. > :19:31.improved living conditions, so they do not have to live from the ground.
:19:31. > :19:36.This handset and hence it allows me to operate a digger, which is very
:19:36. > :19:41.handy, because I am not actually qualified to actually operate or
:19:41. > :19:47.drive heavy machinery. It enables manufacturers of equipment to test
:19:47. > :19:52.out new designs, new ideas, and just nuns too old designs, without
:19:52. > :19:55.having to manufacture the item. Scientists are confident that much
:19:55. > :20:05.of the technology being demonstrated will improve the
:20:05. > :20:07.
:20:07. > :20:12.quality of our lives either in the Extraordinary stuff. Things are
:20:12. > :20:16.very real at Nottingham Forest. As you saw, it is Carling Cup night
:20:16. > :20:19.denied, with Forest hope Sue Premier League Newcastle but the
:20:19. > :20:24.Wigan defeat to Derby and other poor results have meant ticket
:20:24. > :20:29.sales are not great and the internet message board is full of
:20:29. > :20:33.messages from angry fans. Our reporter is at the ground tonight.
:20:33. > :20:36.The today is the seventh anniversary of the death of Brian
:20:36. > :20:40.Clough, who bought forest such success in this competition and
:20:40. > :20:45.raised the bar of expectation. It has now been more than a decade
:20:45. > :20:50.since Forest were in the top flight. Since Stan Collymore was banging in
:20:50. > :20:54.goals for the raids. In the last 11 years, owner Nigel Doughty has been
:20:54. > :21:01.trying to get them back there. He is a successful businessman, a
:21:01. > :21:06.Boris man, he has made his money act of great timing when he comes -
:21:06. > :21:09.- but when it comes to football, he has been less successful. Why do
:21:09. > :21:14.some fans actually want a new owner?
:21:14. > :21:19.REPORTER: Seems unfair because Nigel Doughty has invested �65
:21:19. > :21:24.million of his own money in 11 years. His fingers were burnt early
:21:24. > :21:30.on, one manager wasting �12 million on transfers, and since then they
:21:30. > :21:34.have had a prudent view -- Britain due on transfer acquisitions. Fans
:21:34. > :21:39.are frustrated that the gamble has not been taken at the right time.
:21:39. > :21:44.One of the Times that the fans believe is right now.
:21:44. > :21:48.Do you think the fans feel they may have fallen behind clubs like Derby
:21:48. > :21:52.and Leicester? There is a bit of a sense like that. The biggest
:21:52. > :21:59.difference between the three teams is the grounds. Derby County had
:21:59. > :22:04.the odd Baseball Ground. A decade ago they moved to Pride Park.
:22:04. > :22:10.Leicester City have Filbert Street. They moved to Walker stadium. But
:22:11. > :22:15.they went completely bust. Local businesses lost money. It needed
:22:15. > :22:20.investment which is exceptional to take them to where they off. Here
:22:20. > :22:24.at Nottingham Forest, they need a new stand. To get promoted they
:22:24. > :22:31.need success on the field. Some fans want a change in ownership but
:22:31. > :22:36.even that is no guarantee. The future much depends on the next few
:22:36. > :22:39.weeks. Do not forget, grit live coverage
:22:39. > :22:43.on BBC Radio Nottingham, and a report on our late bulletin at
:22:43. > :22:49.10:25pm. The departure of Derby's Stephen by
:22:49. > :22:53.water on loan to Sheffield Wednesday. He has been firmly
:22:53. > :22:55.sidelined at Pride Park bike two new arrivals. People stay with
:22:55. > :22:59.Wednesday until just before Christmas.
:22:59. > :23:04.In cricket, Leicestershire's Champions League T20 campaign has
:23:04. > :23:11.got off to a terrier -- terrible start, with a hammering from
:23:11. > :23:16.Trinidad and Tobago. The only bright spot was a half-century for
:23:16. > :23:22.James Taylor, nowhere near enough and leaving Leicestershire needed a
:23:22. > :23:26.huge win tomorrow to be any -- for any hope to get through to the
:23:26. > :23:30.Champions League draw. In rugby Leicester Tigers' director
:23:30. > :23:34.of rugby admits he is irritated by Thomas Waldrom's World Cup for
:23:34. > :23:39.England. He only found out last March he could qualify to play for
:23:39. > :23:44.England. He says he is annoyed to lose such a key player. A little
:23:44. > :23:47.bit. These things happen. I do not know if Thomas is at to be bright
:23:47. > :23:52.enough to have worked that out in the first place. It was a genuine
:23:52. > :23:56.error on his behalf. We signed him on the pretext that he could not
:23:56. > :24:03.qualify for England for three years. That will take him to 30 years of
:24:03. > :24:05.age. It is just one of those things. It is not looking great for Tigers
:24:05. > :24:10.at the moment. Thank you.
:24:10. > :24:15.Time for the weather, almost. I understand you have been getting to
:24:15. > :24:19.grips with fireman, or rather a challenge involving firemen.
:24:19. > :24:23.It was quite excited when they asked me if I would like to get
:24:23. > :24:26.behind the wheel of a fire engine and test my driving skills, all in
:24:26. > :24:30.aid of the good cause. At the age of 17 I could not wait
:24:30. > :24:38.to pass my driving test but until now I have not had a chance to
:24:38. > :24:43.trade in the car for one of these. Here we go! After a second attempt,
:24:43. > :24:46.I finally got it started. Today, Notts fire and rescue Service have
:24:46. > :24:53.invited me along to test my skills behind the wheel and with 1800
:24:53. > :24:57.metres of water on board, it is a big vehicle to handle. After a few
:24:57. > :25:03.minutes, my first challenge was the traffic cones, the idea being you
:25:03. > :25:07.leave them all standing. I have crushed a traffic cone! As he
:25:07. > :25:13.retrieved the cone, I took a break from driving, while they showed me
:25:13. > :25:17.what they have on board. You can see here equipment for dealing with
:25:17. > :25:21.road traffic collisions. We have spreaders and cutters to create
:25:21. > :25:25.space inside a vehicle. The charity supports injured firefighters. We
:25:25. > :25:29.have around 17,000 every year that we help. We have no Government
:25:29. > :25:33.funding at all, so it is very important to raise money for the
:25:33. > :25:38.firefighters. REPORTER: One final attempt at the
:25:38. > :25:43.traffic cones. This has been one of the most exhilarating days of my
:25:43. > :25:47.life and, girls, if you want to come and have a go it is 25th
:25:47. > :25:57.September. The proceeds go to the firefighters' charity. It is well
:25:57. > :26:01.
:26:01. > :26:05.worth it. I need to lie down! It was really good fun. Support
:26:05. > :26:10.them on Sunday at their new work showground. The weather forecast is
:26:10. > :26:13.too wet to be going fast on the roads. A lot of rain today. The
:26:13. > :26:17.band of rain has been sitting across most of the East Midlands
:26:17. > :26:21.this afternoon and at times the are heavy burst was enough to make your
:26:21. > :26:24.windscreen wipers seem pretty useless, too. It is gearing away
:26:24. > :26:28.towards the south-east corner and we have pretty clear skies coming
:26:28. > :26:31.in across the far north of the region. It will start to turn a
:26:32. > :26:37.little misty there. The chance of hill fog across the be districts
:26:37. > :26:40.and temperatures dropping to a minimum of ten Celsius. A breezy
:26:40. > :26:44.start tonight and a breezy start to the day tomorrow. The clowns
:26:44. > :26:50.starting to break in the early morning. Changing a little in the
:26:50. > :26:54.afternoon but still a few sunny spells around. It will stay quite
:26:54. > :26:58.blustery into the afternoon. Daytime temperatures will reach a
:26:58. > :27:02.maximum of 17 Celsius. We have a ridge of high pressure starting to
:27:02. > :27:06.build up from the south so it is going to keep us fairly settled for
:27:06. > :27:11.a percentage of this week. It will increase the cloud cover a little
:27:11. > :27:16.on Thursday but a many dry day and again for Friday as well, the cloud
:27:16. > :27:22.about, fluctuating as the day progresses. Rain starting to come
:27:22. > :27:27.in across Ireland as we get towards the weekend. Working its way in