:00:08. > :00:14.This is East Midlands Today. Our top story: the vulnerable people at
:00:14. > :00:20.the sharp end of council cuts. Family say they fear for the future
:00:20. > :00:27.if there day-care centres close. has been part of our lives for 35
:00:27. > :00:31.years. It makes me feel sad. Also tonight: Nottingham's workplace
:00:32. > :00:36.parking tax goes up before it is enforced.
:00:36. > :00:39.Plus I am in London where the British Museum has unveiled this.
:00:39. > :00:43.It has come all the way from Leicestershire and is more than
:00:44. > :00:53.2000 years old. I will find out about flowers and
:00:54. > :01:00.
:01:00. > :01:04.crops bursting into life much Good evening. First denied, they
:01:05. > :01:09.are some of society's Most Honourable. They relied on meeting
:01:09. > :01:13.up in places where they feel safe but now those centres us jet to
:01:13. > :01:17.shut. A council is planning to close 30 day centres affecting
:01:17. > :01:23.hundreds of people. Families fear it will leave their loved ones who
:01:23. > :01:26.have learning disabilities facing the lives of solitude. Jo Healey
:01:26. > :01:31.reports from one day-care centre in Grantham.
:01:31. > :01:36.This is the St John's Day Centre. It has been here for 10 years,
:01:36. > :01:41.around 60 people with learning disabilities come here and they can
:01:41. > :01:46.go was riding, swimming, in two town shopping, supervised by the
:01:46. > :01:50.staff. They were not allowed to talk to us to date, we were not
:01:50. > :01:55.allowed to film inside but the people who use this service say the
:01:55. > :01:59.staff are brilliant. People like Martin who had Down's syndrome.
:01:59. > :02:06.Martin get up every morning. He knows what activities he will do
:02:06. > :02:13.during the day. They always very. You like to meet your friends here?
:02:13. > :02:21.I do. Is that important? Yes. will you feel if this facility
:02:21. > :02:30.closes? Very downcast because it has been part of our life for 35
:02:30. > :02:35.years. They are being put out on a limb. What people in Grantham a
:02:35. > :02:40.struggle to accept it is St John's is said to shut. It is horrible
:02:40. > :02:47.because everyone here has a disability needs support. They have
:02:47. > :02:52.friends, they meet up, what will they do now? They are vulnerable so
:02:52. > :02:57.they need somewhere to go. Without them, they will lose contact with
:02:57. > :03:03.people together. The county council says it is planning to crows around
:03:03. > :03:10.30 centres. The families of people like Martin fear they could be come
:03:10. > :03:15.housebound facing lives of solitude. Jerry is with us now. Why are the
:03:15. > :03:20.council planning to do this? Of the proposals to shut the centres to
:03:20. > :03:23.have come about because of cuts. The council is introducing
:03:23. > :03:27.personalised budgets. People with learning disabilities will get
:03:27. > :03:34.their own personal budgets and they will choose how it is ban them.
:03:34. > :03:39.Here is what the council told us. If St John's Day Centre is really
:03:39. > :03:43.good and they want to keep running, they will be able to attract people
:03:43. > :03:48.back with personal budgets and that is how they will receive funding.
:03:48. > :03:51.We said clearly when we started this process that if there are
:03:51. > :03:56.staff and local groups or any organisation that would like to
:03:56. > :04:01.take over these buildings and encourage the people to keep going,
:04:01. > :04:06.we would support that wholeheartedly. The Howwood using
:04:06. > :04:11.your own budget work for Martin who featured in your report? Marketing
:04:11. > :04:15.has been assessed as having moderate needs so he does not get a
:04:15. > :04:20.personal budget and his father feels he will miss out. These plans
:04:20. > :04:24.have undergone a consultation period, that has just finished so
:04:24. > :04:29.the decision on the future of the centres will be known in the next
:04:29. > :04:34.few months. The the cost of Nottingham's
:04:34. > :04:37.controversial workplace parking levy has gone up again because of
:04:38. > :04:44.higher than expected inflation. The levy is being introduced in a few
:04:44. > :04:49.months, in April, and will now be �288 per space per year but it
:04:49. > :04:57.could increase by another �100 over the next three years. Mike
:04:57. > :05:02.O'Sullivan it is in Nottingham. Welcome to the business park in
:05:02. > :05:05.Nottingham, one organisation here that is liable for the workplace
:05:05. > :05:13.parking levy is the Chamber of Commerce which has been fighting
:05:13. > :05:17.the tax for more than a decade. The workplace parking levy is comping
:05:17. > :05:22.in April and now we finally know how much that charge will be in the
:05:22. > :05:28.first year at least. A workplace car park that is going to cost the
:05:28. > :05:33.company that owns it around �8,000. 28 spaces liable for Nottingham's
:05:33. > :05:36.workplace parking levy. The managing director of plumbing
:05:36. > :05:41.supply is GB will Bond found out about the latest increase in the
:05:41. > :05:46.lead be when we told him. The company has decided not to part on
:05:46. > :05:51.the levy to its staff. We could see that this would be very divisive
:05:51. > :05:55.and we -- if we pass this charge on, we would have disgruntled members
:05:55. > :06:01.of staff. We did not think we wanted to go into another tough
:06:01. > :06:05.year without all about him pulling together. The city council had
:06:05. > :06:13.estimated that the cost of the workplace parking levy would be
:06:13. > :06:19.�279 per year per space. Now it has acted in inflation of 5.2 % from
:06:19. > :06:23.the retail price index. That is putting up the cost to �288 when it
:06:23. > :06:29.is introduced in April for employees and organisations with 11
:06:29. > :06:32.or more liable spaces. In future years it could go up by 3% a year.
:06:32. > :06:39.Using forecast from the government's office for budget
:06:39. > :06:43.responsibility. By 2015, it could be �381. The effect at the plumbing
:06:43. > :06:48.company this year will mean there is no money to pay for a new
:06:48. > :06:54.apprentice. We ought to be able to encourage young people to come
:06:54. > :06:58.along and join our industry. Very sad. It is another young lad
:06:58. > :07:03.without a job, so directly affecting the unemployment
:07:03. > :07:07.statistics. The council says the levy is needed to pay for two new
:07:07. > :07:11.tramlines, for other public transport improvements and the
:07:11. > :07:17.revamp of the station. But it has left some firms accounting the cost
:07:17. > :07:21.of a bill they did not want. The city council says it is writing
:07:21. > :07:25.to businesses to tell them about the latest increase and it says the
:07:25. > :07:30.legislation for the levy requires them to link the charge to
:07:30. > :07:34.inflation. They were not available for interview but John Dowson from
:07:34. > :07:39.the Chamber of Commerce is here. How our businesses going to react
:07:39. > :07:43.to this increase at the time when the economy is on a downward trend?
:07:44. > :07:47.A lot will be surprised that the increase. Many would not have
:07:48. > :07:56.budgeted for it. You would like them to take another measure of
:07:56. > :08:00.inflation, CPI, rather than retail prices. Certainly, that is what
:08:00. > :08:04.Government's measure for inflation is. We heard in the report that one
:08:04. > :08:08.business is looking to not pass on the cost because it could cause
:08:08. > :08:15.problems with the workforce. Is that a dilemma that businesses are
:08:15. > :08:19.facing? The tears. If they parted on to their employees, they have to
:08:19. > :08:28.add VAT, if they absolve it themselves the could invest --
:08:28. > :08:33.affect investments. What will happen in terms of other cities?
:08:33. > :08:36.may well have done. Their government has said any other city
:08:36. > :08:42.looking to introduce the levy will have to demonstrate it has the
:08:42. > :08:45.support of the business community. It has not got that in Nottingham.
:08:45. > :08:52.The city council says 44,000 parking spots have now been
:08:52. > :08:56.registered. Still to come: those flowers wrong-
:08:56. > :08:59.footed by one of the warmest winters on record. But also a
:08:59. > :09:04.forecast that might herald the return of some proper seasonal
:09:04. > :09:08.weather. We have a cold snap on the way and
:09:08. > :09:18.these mild January temperatures are set to be slashed in half. I will
:09:18. > :09:19.
:09:19. > :09:24.give you the full details later. Police have denied revealed that a
:09:24. > :09:28.takeaway owner whose death is being treated as murder had been tied up.
:09:28. > :09:32.But they have been keen to quash a rumour that he was stabbed. The
:09:32. > :09:36.man's family have described him as a well liked and trusted member of
:09:36. > :09:41.the community in Leicester. They have appealed for the public's help
:09:41. > :09:47.to catch his killers. Leicestershire police have named
:09:47. > :09:56.the victim as 50-year-old dough can Bogan who ran two pizza takeaways
:09:56. > :10:00.in Leicestershire. I am joined by the local police inspector. What
:10:00. > :10:07.can you tell us about the circumstances that he was found in?
:10:07. > :10:12.He was found at 2:20pm on Sunday afternoon. He was found deceased
:10:12. > :10:17.and tied up. Hence the murder inquiry. Yes, we are awaiting the
:10:17. > :10:22.outcome of the post mortem but one of the rumours we want to discount
:10:22. > :10:27.is he was stabbed. A how can the public help? He must have been well
:10:27. > :10:32.known. He was well-known and popular with customers and we are
:10:32. > :10:35.anxious for people to come forward who knew his whereabouts between
:10:35. > :10:40.lunchtime on Saturday and when he was discovered the following
:10:40. > :10:45.afternoon. His business presumably generated some cash. Too early to
:10:45. > :10:50.say whether a robbery was a motive? We are looking at all motives. He
:10:50. > :10:55.was a family man. They have stressed he was very kind and a
:10:55. > :10:58.trusted member of the community. We are supporting them and working
:10:58. > :11:04.closely with them. They are encouraging people to come forward
:11:04. > :11:09.who may have seen anything. Leicestershire police wanting to
:11:09. > :11:18.hear from anybody that knows anything about the murder. If you
:11:18. > :11:22.get anything, call Leicestershire police.
:11:22. > :11:25.Detectives in Derby investigating an assault on a pensioner in his
:11:25. > :11:29.own home have released a picture of a man they want to trace. Officers
:11:29. > :11:35.want to talk to Maris Sickis about the incident at a house in
:11:35. > :11:40.Littleover last week. The 77-year- old was attacked after disturbing a
:11:40. > :11:45.burglars. One man has been charged. A glider pilot is recovering after
:11:45. > :11:51.this crash in Derbyshire yesterday. It happened yesterday afternoon
:11:51. > :11:57.near Abney in the Peak District. Rescue crews spent some time spent
:11:57. > :12:01.-- wrestling the 74-year-old he suffered two broken legs.
:12:01. > :12:05.A man who escaped from Syria's embattled regime has told us he is
:12:05. > :12:11.facing a stark choice - agree to go home where his life is in danger or
:12:11. > :12:16.stay here, homeless and penniless. Only today, a Syrian President
:12:16. > :12:26.Assad promised to maintain his regime in the face of mass protests
:12:26. > :12:27.
:12:27. > :12:32.and international criticism. The prison is in the mountains?
:12:32. > :12:36.Bestiary that is familiar to refugee workers like Jane. Sami
:12:36. > :12:40.says it is almost 20 years since he was first arrested and tortured at
:12:40. > :12:49.this Syrian doubt and he recounts the details are being beaten,
:12:49. > :12:54.burned and worse. A Sami is not his real name. We have agreed not to
:12:54. > :13:01.identify him because he is worried about his family. I do not go back
:13:02. > :13:05.because I know he will kill me. I am very scared. Now the Syrian
:13:05. > :13:10.government's brutality is making headlines. These pictures are being
:13:10. > :13:15.sent in from people there and the UN estimates that four end - a 400
:13:15. > :13:19.have been killed so last month. Sami has been told to go back to
:13:19. > :13:23.Syria because he could not convince immigration officials that he would
:13:23. > :13:29.be in danger there. That means he cannot work and cannot claim
:13:29. > :13:34.benefits. He if he went back to Syria, he would be killed. Looking
:13:34. > :13:38.at his experiences in prison there is no question about that. People
:13:38. > :13:42.who have fled their countries, places where they cannot return
:13:42. > :13:45.because they know their lives would be in danger of but they may not
:13:45. > :13:52.have documentation because when you fleet you cannot rush back for your
:13:52. > :13:56.passport. Whatever the truth, Sami is no in what is known as the
:13:56. > :14:06.destitution trap. He has spent time sleeping rough and now is staying
:14:06. > :14:07.
:14:07. > :14:10.with friends. It is not much of an Almost two weeks after an explosion
:14:10. > :14:16.at a former Nottinghamshire colliery, two security guards are
:14:16. > :14:19.still critically ill in hospital. The police are investigating what
:14:19. > :14:24.happened at the Welbeck Colliery site on New Year's Eve. It is in
:14:24. > :14:29.the process of being decommissioned. They severed injuries when an
:14:29. > :14:37.electricity sub-station exploded. Celebrations to mark the Queen's
:14:37. > :14:45.jubilee year started in Leicester this morning. The County Council is
:14:45. > :14:49.planning a series of events from street parties to community awards.
:14:49. > :14:54.It lay and touched a neck -- a Leicester Sheffield for 80,000
:14:54. > :14:57.years but after a decade of restoration, one of Britain's
:14:57. > :15:02.oldest helmets is being unveiled at the British Museum.
:15:02. > :15:06.It was in hundreds of pieces when it was found dead Market Harborough
:15:06. > :15:11.but it has been carefully reassembled.
:15:11. > :15:16.-- found at. The Romans have done a lot for us
:15:16. > :15:24.but they left behind a lot of their coins, weapons and armour for
:15:24. > :15:27.today's archaeologist to discover. If this was one of them. A unique
:15:27. > :15:33.Roman helmet but it looks more different now than when it was
:15:33. > :15:40.found 11 years ago. The you could see the iron flex, the purply
:15:40. > :15:45.silver flakes. It was like crushed cornflakes. It is astounding that
:15:45. > :15:48.somebody has put that thing together. Amazed. The Helmand may
:15:49. > :15:54.have been in pieces but it was still the only one to be discovered
:15:55. > :15:58.in Britain with most of its silver- gilt plate -- plating in tact. It
:15:58. > :16:07.was sent to the British Museum where the pieces were put back
:16:07. > :16:13.together. Be worked out what it would have looked like it back then.
:16:13. > :16:19.The helmet was quite eroded. It was quite a challenge. It is a
:16:19. > :16:24.fantastic object and to get it back on display after 2000 years is a
:16:25. > :16:28.marvellous experience. It may have spent a cabbage -- a decade in the
:16:28. > :16:36.capital but it still hasn't forgotten his roots. It will go on
:16:36. > :16:41.display here not far from where it was discovered. They are very rare
:16:41. > :16:46.and to have one that has been professionally excavated and put
:16:46. > :16:54.together, is incredible. To have them on display where they were
:16:54. > :17:00.found so local people who feel a strong sense of ownership, that is
:17:00. > :17:10.brilliant. The helmet was bought by Leicestershire County Council and
:17:10. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:14.will be unveiled at the museum on I love the way they peer at it like
:17:14. > :17:22.that. Coming up, the farmers that would
:17:22. > :17:29.like their crops to stop growing. These have been -- fields have been
:17:29. > :17:35.spurred into action by the mild weather and that is not good news.
:17:35. > :17:45.Time for the sport. 11 Leicester Tiger players have
:17:45. > :17:48.
:17:48. > :17:58.been named in the Six Nations squad. Geoff Parling is back-up for
:17:58. > :17:59.
:17:59. > :18:03.The players may look relaxed as they head out to training but
:18:03. > :18:09.behind the smiles lie is a team that mean business. They play in
:18:09. > :18:13.Heineken Cup on Friday with one result in mind. It is a winner
:18:13. > :18:18.takes all fixture. We are going away to Ulster whoever a good
:18:18. > :18:27.record. They were successful at Ravenhill. It will be a difficult
:18:28. > :18:31.game. If we don't get a win, it is all set for the European Cup.
:18:31. > :18:35.at all stand there chance of reaching the knockout stages will
:18:35. > :18:45.be on shaky ground. Aid losing bonus points will be something and
:18:45. > :18:49.that may be enough to get you somewhere in a second position. If
:18:49. > :18:53.we want to have any ambitions of going on to win the competition, we
:18:53. > :18:59.have to win. A host of injuries mean Tigers will once again be
:18:59. > :19:06.without key players like Toby Flood. His replacement didn't do a bad job
:19:06. > :19:11.last weekend. Billy Twelvetrees scored all 29 points against Wasps.
:19:11. > :19:17.The second time he has done at all this season. I didn't realise when
:19:17. > :19:23.people sell -- people told me I had done 29 points again. It is a weird
:19:23. > :19:27.one that doesn't happen very often. The team set off tomorrow. Packing
:19:27. > :19:32.can be a stressful job but the best of times. Imagine doing it for a
:19:32. > :19:38.whole will be team. One thing they won't forget to take with them his
:19:38. > :19:42.confidence. We have the players to go there and win. We have good
:19:42. > :19:48.Irish internationals and foreign players and an intimidating place.
:19:48. > :19:55.If there is one Cup -- club that can win, Leicester can. The match
:19:55. > :20:00.is on Friday 13th. Let's hope it is a lucky one for the Tigers.
:20:00. > :20:04.Live commentary is on Friday on BBC Radio 1 Leicester.
:20:04. > :20:08.Next week we have coverage of the replay between Leicester City and
:20:09. > :20:16.Nottingham Forest but that has been switched to Tuesday evening with a
:20:16. > :20:19.7:30pm kick-off. There is no news on transfers with the club.
:20:19. > :20:22.In any big news, three East Midlands gymnast would be fighting
:20:22. > :20:27.for places at the British men's team qualified for the London Games
:20:27. > :20:32.last night. There will be five in the team when it is announced in
:20:32. > :20:37.June. Leicestershire's West End Pamela Main off and Sam Hunter and
:20:37. > :20:41.Sam Oldham are in contention whilst in badminton, there is a battle
:20:41. > :20:46.between veteran Nathan Robertson and his county team-mate, Chris ADD
:20:47. > :20:52.Park. Robert son and his pet -- Chris Adcock.
:20:52. > :20:56.There is a battle for places in the British hockey team. The Leicester
:20:56. > :21:00.Ladies will provide the backbone for the squad. They are preparing
:21:00. > :21:04.for a big season and they are in the semi- finals of the National
:21:04. > :21:09.Indoor Championships. Olympic hope for Maddie Hinch
:21:09. > :21:15.padding up for training. She helped Leicester to a big win against
:21:15. > :21:20.Slough at the weekend. She is one of eight Leicester Ladies backing
:21:21. > :21:28.for a place in Team GB. If I keep improving up to his selection, I
:21:28. > :21:32.can't do any more. I am young being at 23 and the number one is 33.
:21:32. > :21:36.has been picked for the England squad in Denmark along with team-
:21:37. > :21:43.mate Hammersmith and Katie Long, called up for the first time after
:21:43. > :21:49.a hat-trick against slapdash Slough. It is the Olympics that are on
:21:49. > :21:52.everyone's mind. It is such a massive thing. We get mums and dads
:21:52. > :21:57.coming to watch us and to have thousands of people watching you
:21:57. > :22:02.and your sport will be incredible. Kerry Williams is so focused that
:22:02. > :22:07.she has opted not to play indoor for England after being left out at
:22:07. > :22:13.the latest GB squads and she will train with men to catch the eye of
:22:13. > :22:20.the Olympic selectors. I fully believe in my ability. I think the
:22:20. > :22:25.form I have shown and what I hope to prove will put me in that 16.
:22:25. > :22:29.Obviously, it is not me making my decision. The squad is announced
:22:29. > :22:35.until June when Ella bedrooms will either be realised or shattered.
:22:35. > :22:42.There is a long tip -- face a long time till the selection. You hope
:22:42. > :22:47.to be part of it. The best of luck to them.
:22:47. > :22:52.Sally has joined us because we are talking about the weather.
:22:52. > :22:56.Warm weather. It has felt like spring this past couple of weeks
:22:56. > :23:04.and the main reason for that is because we are getting these
:23:04. > :23:09.weather patterns with this westerly airflow. We have milder air. If we
:23:09. > :23:13.get the called a snap, it is from the easterly direction. We have had
:23:13. > :23:18.flowers that are coming out that shouldn't be.
:23:18. > :23:22.The weather is coming up. First of all, Simon Ward has been
:23:22. > :23:27.out taking the temperature of this warmest of winters.
:23:27. > :23:31.Bright sunshine in the middle of winter. Here on farmland at King's
:23:31. > :23:35.Norton in Leicestershire, the mild conditions are affecting growth.
:23:35. > :23:41.This is a field of wheat but normally it would be this lush, it
:23:41. > :23:46.wouldn't be this high at all. Andrew, what is happening?
:23:46. > :23:53.The crop has carried on growing. We haven't had the cold spell which
:23:53. > :24:00.puts the crop into its dormant winter stage. If this was in mid-
:24:00. > :24:05.March, I would be happy. There is a problem here. With the lush growth,
:24:05. > :24:09.some of these leaves have come to disease. Normally we would expect
:24:09. > :24:14.the cold weather to keep those in check. There is of weeds growing
:24:14. > :24:19.and by now, the weeds would have stopped growing. It is like
:24:19. > :24:24.springtime. A lack of rain is causing concern for the future.
:24:24. > :24:28.This pond is very low compared to what it usually looks like. There
:24:28. > :24:32.are pros and cons to the mild weather. The grass keeps growing so
:24:32. > :24:37.no need to feed the sheep and getting up early is not as much a
:24:37. > :24:42.chore when it is not bitter outside. Flowers are beginning here at
:24:42. > :24:48.Woodthorpe Grange Park in Nottingham. If this is a Quins
:24:48. > :24:53.Bausch. Normally you would have tiny buds showing. To to the lack
:24:53. > :24:58.of frost that we have had, it has managed to come out early and is
:24:58. > :25:05.going to give a really good supply. We should have a good display of
:25:05. > :25:09.this one. Staff are having to work at keeping the weeds down. You have
:25:09. > :25:19.been sending in your pictures showing how things are growing
:25:19. > :25:35.
:25:35. > :25:42.We filmed these daffodils at Risley in Derbyshire. So far it has been
:25:42. > :25:47.at an early and vibrant start in 2012.
:25:47. > :25:57.We saw all those gorgeous flowers that shouldn't be out. Is the cold
:25:57. > :25:58.
:25:58. > :26:03.You can see these temperatures are going to plummet and they are going
:26:03. > :26:09.to half than what we have seen it so far this January. First of all,
:26:09. > :26:19.this photo that Brian cent in of some of I race in Beeston. Proof
:26:19. > :26:21.
:26:21. > :26:26.Keep those photos coming in. You can see we have this cold front
:26:26. > :26:32.that will work his way and push its way down across the East Midlands
:26:32. > :26:36.during the course of tomorrow. Once it clears southwards, Calder air
:26:36. > :26:43.feeds in so it is a big change around during the course of
:26:43. > :26:49.tomorrow. -- called R. There is some drizzle coming out. We have
:26:49. > :26:59.that Pre's that will strengthen in places. We have gusts of up to 60
:26:59. > :26:59.
:26:59. > :27:08.miles per hour. A mild night ahead yet again. A mile start to Thursday.
:27:08. > :27:14.Those winds will stay strong for a time. -- a mild start to Thursday.
:27:14. > :27:21.Temperatures around 11 Celsius. As those clouds break, that cooler air
:27:21. > :27:27.feeds in. Allowing for a widespread frost on Thursday night. A frosty
:27:27. > :27:32.start to it Friday but it is going to be a gorgeous day with sunshine