28/03/2012 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Anne Davies and me, Quentin Rayner.

Tonight, hundreds of jobs to go at British Gas.

300 staff are told their jobs are going overseas.

Also tonight, things are hotting up for Rangers with an earlier than

usual warning of fire. Buzz, the women caught up in the

breast implant scandal says the Government has acted too little too

late. The longer these implants are

inside us, the more damage they are doing.

And, helping students to fathom out their academic futures. Nowadays,

especially with the increased fees, it really is about the cause and

getting the right grades. -- course.

Good evening, our top story tonight: Hundreds of jobs are to go

at a company in Leicester. British Gas Business made the announcement

this morning. 300 posts will move overseas. The company say they need

to save money and stay competitive. Helen Astle reports.

The sunny skies at British Gas business were in short -- sharp

contrast to the atmosphere inside the company today, where employees

were given the grim news this morning. 300 jobs are to go, both

here and at the side in the city. The jobs will move overseas and

staff are shocked. It is upsetting because you have got colleagues who

had you have worked with for so many years. What is the mood like?

Not very good at the moment. But is to be expected, really. Many of the

people we spoke to did not want to talk to us on camera. They describe

the atmosphere inside as sombre. One woman who has worked here for

24 years said the way the situation has been handled is brittle. No one

This is a disappointment at for the families, and clearly British Gas

is a big employer, so it is a great shame. But, if you look at the

current employment market, there are a lot of jobs available now for

people with skills, and I'm sure that a lot of people come out of

British Gas the skills that other companies are looking for. A 90 day

consultation period has now begun with staff, but for many here,

tonight their future is uncertain. Staying with jobs and a company in

Derby is recruiting 300 new workers. AS-System is a French owned

engineering firm based at a number of locations in Derby. It works

closely with Rolls Royce. The company has already taken on more

than 70 new staff and expects the total to be 300 over the next three

years. It's keen to employ local engineers, who have transferable

skills and want to move into the aerospace industry.

You're watching East Midlands Today from the BBC, and there's plenty

more to settle down to, including the craftsman who's making a giant

throne from an ancient sweet chestnut to showcase

A woman who fears her health has been put at risk because of leaking

breast implants says the Government has done too little too late to --

too late. Jane Brown has been campaigning to get the NHS to offer

more choice is to women caught up in the breast implant scandal. In a

moment, we will hear from the East Midlands MP who heads the Commons

health select committee, but first, he is her story.

Jane told me at least one of her breast implants is leaking. Eight

years ago she had been put in because she was worried about the

way breast-beating had left that shape of her body. I was left with

very little breast tissue after that, and it just made me really

self-conscious. The operation boosted her confidence, but then

the problems started. About 2008 I first started noticing problems,

particularly with the left one - a deep rippling in them and lumps

forming under my arms. The implants were manufactured in France. Some

were filled with sub-standard silicon used as matches for love.

Jane's private clinic today scan for her, and she knows one of them

is leaking. It is really scary because we don't know the effects

of this stuff. The thought of that leaking in the is really

frightening. I have got it in my lymph nodes, I know because I can

feel the lumps there. Kind of like marbles under the armpits, and you

can feel them moving around. When I spoke to the NHS surgeon he said it

was the silicon that has leaked into the lymph nodes. Some people

say this is the price for being vain. I did not suddenly wake up

one morning and think I would have a breast job. It was a long and

hard decision to have them done. The NHS will remove implants.

Pressure mounted today for them also to offer the chance for

patients to have them replaced, but had -- perhaps with a top-up fees.

A whole year has been wasted, really, from when they were first

band to when we found out. The longer these implants are inside

Lee, the more damage they are doing. That is where I am keen to get them

out as soon as possible. Can Jane turned to the NHS before help about

her implants and she had to have her as removed next month. She is

not sure whether she wants new ones put in.

Earlier I spoke to the chairman of the Commons health select committee,

MP locally. I asked him why the committee objected to the end the -

- NHS only removing the implants and not replacing them as well.

is important to be clear about the principles here, which is that an

implantation was made which was faulty in the private sector, and

therefore the first responsibility for putting this right rests on the

private clinic that inserted the faulty implants. What the NHS has

said and the committee agrees with the Government about this is that

if the private clinic won't do that, then the woman should be able to

rely on a removal of a faulty implant by an NHS hospital when

that is clinically required. The NHS should send the bill to the

private sector that put that faulty implant in in the first prize. The

difficulty arises when a woman chooses to have a replacement

implant inserted and in those circumstances the Government is

currently saying that it needs to be done on a separate day - in

other words, the woman needs to go through two separate operations to

have that achieved. The committee things that is not only to find

common sense, to require a woman to go through to operations where only

one is necessary, it is also very bad medicine, to be putting a woman

through to procedures were only one is necessary. What are you

suggesting? That the woman pays for the replacement at the same time as

removal? Indeed. We think that, where a woman chooses to have a

replacement implant, it is clearly continuing to be a private

procedure -- no one is suggesting the NHS should pay for this

procedure, but it should be open to the woman to have it done while she

is in hospital, having the original implant removed. But the Government

says that this flies in the face of a founding principle of the NHS,

that nobody pays for treatment on the NHS. If you go down this road,

it will set an unwelcome precedent. I think that is to interpret the

rules, and I am very familiar with the rules and I am committed to the

principle that NHS care should be available to everyone for free. No

one is saying that there should be a purely cosmetic procedure

available on the NHS. But NHS hospitals, many -- they do many

private sector procedures. All we are saying is that in these

circumstances, a woman should not be expected to go through to

operations where only one is necessary, and that the private

insertion of a new implant should be available at the same time as

the removal of the old implant, the cost of which everyone accepts,

including the Government, should be charged to the clinic that inserted

the faulty implant. Two men have been found guilty of the murder of

a former policeman from Leicester. The body of Paul Fyfe, who was 47,

was found at a house in Rowlatts Hill in the city last June. He died

from a single stab wound to the chest. Mohammed Adnam Hirsi and

Ameen Hassan Jogee have been jailed for a total of 42 years.

Next tonight, a court's heard the former president of the UDM has

been accused of false accounting, of being "palpably dishonest" and a

liar. Neil Greatrex repeatedly denied the allegations. He, along

with fellow mining union leader Mick Stevens, are both charged with

stealing almost �150,000 from a charity. They controlled the money

which was meant to care for sick and elderly miners. Nottingham

Crown's court's been told they used it instead, to carry out

improvements to their own homes. Mick Stevens, who also denies the

charges, is due to appear in court tomorrow.

Extra patrols are being mounted in the Derbyshire Peak District as

concern grows about the threat of moorland fires. Rangers said they

had never issued this kind of warning this early, but the dry

weather and warm temperatures are ideal conditions for fires to break

out. Visitors are also being advised about the dangers. We can

just see you there, Carolyn. Blair, I am in the Derbyshire Peak

District on what looks like a glorious summer's evening. In fact,

it has been a day of short sleeves, shades, and unbroken sunshine. And

this is march! Combine that with an unseasonally dry winter, and

impending school holidays when there are lots of visitors expected

here, and you will understand why Rangers are particularly worried

about this tinder-dry bracken. They are signs usually seen in

summer, but this year, fire season has come early, and with it, the

warnings. The dry winter means a warm, sunny spring could be even

riskier than mid- July. Even a simple cigarette could start a

wildfire. There is so much dead grass and bracken. All sorts of

things that can just burn very easily, potentially the peat and

her the catching fire. Once that is a light it can burn underground for

periods of days or even weeks. year there were a number of fires

in April, but Rangers admit warnings this early are unusual.

is certainly showing stress from lack of water. They say if a fire

happens now, the results could be far-reaching. We have

internationally important species that breed on the moorland, and

they are all ground-nesting birds. And also, the animals are starting

to have their young, so the Lambs was to be out. Any fires are a

potential threat to them. And, it is not just wildlife. Walkers, too,

said they have been thrown by the timing of the warnings. I am really

shocked about that. I can't even remember that we have had one. To

be getting one now is really bad. It is really like a tinderbox up

there. It is really very dry. after any fire receding the burnt

areas of the Peak District can also be a major operation. With hotter,

drier summers and springs been forecast for coming years, it is

work that is not going to go away as the risks increase.

Just to reiterate, they are asking for no naked flames, cigarettes, a

barbecue. To show just how seriously they are taking this risk

of fires, they have been training all week here in the Peak District

- Rangers, fire officers, gamekeepers, coming together to

practise their fire-fighting skills. The hopers, with proper care, they

won't need to put them into It is a double worry for young

people, rising tuition fees and high unemployment. Teenager's face

tough choices when deciding whether to go to university or enter the

world of work. So universities from across the

country came together as today for a fair to highlight what students

would get for their money. They came in their thousands. Mind

and a half 1000 to be precise over the course of today and tomorrow.

Teenagers from across the region, at the end of their school career

and now wondering whether to embark on a new one at university. People

don't want to go because these are high. A lot of people want to go to

college but the fees are high. INDISTINCT.

With tuition fees now costing up to �9,000 a year, or respect its --

prospective students are asking questions about the quality of

courses on offer and what sort of Careers they could lead to in the

future. Nationally, university applications

are down three per cent. He in Derby they -- there have been eight

per cent fewer. A sign of the so- called rush tradition with more

established universities seen as a better investment for many

prospective students and their parents. We are looking for the

complete package, to get the right course with good employment

prospects after that. We have noticed people are looking at

traditional subjects a bit more, maybe not vocational ones as much,

and we would say if you want a job in media or fashion, though is our

traditional Careers and still require those courses. People are

looking at how to pay accommodation fees. Derby is hoping hosting the

event will hope to sell its courses to others who may decide to stay a

little closer to home. Simon Hare, East Midlands Today, Derby.

Now something you may not be aware of, there are apparently now more

herons nesting at the Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire

than ever before. I thought you were going from Monty

Python joke? There are now 14 s compared to 25 in previous years.

Tom Brown has more. Hunting for herons, something that

this year seems particularly easy. So far 41 nests have been found at

Attenborough Nature Reserve, which now makes it the largest heronry in

the county. Once we got beyond 25 and knew we still have more we

started getting excited, then we once cut -- once we got be on 30

and into the port is we were really excited and knew we were on to

record for the site -- into the Forties. Why this increase? The

mild winter has certainly helped but the Wildlife Trust has also put

it down to the Prime wetland habitat on offer here, including

good quality water for of the brain needed to feed the and heron chicks.

-- full of the prey needed. The Wild Life Trust says this could

lead to even more Herren nests in future. It is great for people

visiting the reserve to see the behaviours of herons which they may

be wouldn't have seen in the past before at such close quarters. If

the increase in numbers will be great news but we are lucky enough

to have her heronry of this size here at Attenborough. It is big,

you can see it easily and it doesn't hide. Unlike a lot of those

little grey or brown things it is easy to see, you don't need a

telescope or binoculars or an expensive camera, you can just look

here and see quite clearly, it is not difficult to see. With the

number of Heron's now creeping into triple figures, it could be more

than just the unseasonable weather but helps drawing the crowds. --

that helps. From the countryside to the town,

Grantham is bidding for a share of funds from the scheme promoted by

the retail expert Mary Portas. The government has a �1 million pot of

cash to boost town centres. Business leaders in Grantham want

to improve the look of the town and attract more shoppers. Market

Harborough in Leicestershire has also confirmed it has applied for

funding from the scheme. What you do with the 350-year-old

tree that has blown down in the wind?

Do you have a great big bonfire? No. One man's answer is to make it into

a giant throne, of course, as Peter Snow reports, it is all about

showcasing Nottinghamshire's skills in Italy.

Patrick Turk has worked with would all his life, but his latest

commission is a chair, or rather a throne, with a difference. This

thing is huge, it is 8 ft high, to the top the seat is just under 3 ft,

and the arms of 50 of inches of the ground, so it is huge. -- 50 of

inches. Not a normal chair. wood has come from a giant tree,

which Patrick named the restoration tree. The so called Restoration

tree was planted here in Sherwood Forest by William Cavendish first

Duke of Newcastle. 350 years later when it blew down in a gale it

provided the wood and the inspiration for some furniture.

fact that Patrick works with trees that grow in Sherwood Forest is

incredibly inspiring. It is unique, incredibly, and I think the world

will want it once they get to know about it as well, and also the fact

that he is using traditional craftsmanship. The machine couldn't

make a thrown out of these pictures are -- pieces of wood because it is

twisted, particularly at the back, where it came off the trunk and was

milled, there for every single rail on the side is a different length.

The finished Rome will be taken to the International Design Festival

in Milan in two weeks -- finished throne. Meanwhile, the first

finished panel has returned to the forest. I like to bring some of it

back to the woodland it came from, and when the throne is finished her

plea of the weather was nice we will bring it here and put it in

front of the tree -- hopefully if the weather is nice. The tree is

not dead. New buds have appeared and in 350 years' time it could be

back to its original height. How fabulous!

Beautiful. Good use of an old tree. I would love a throne!

And we are all in the pink today. Pretty pink faced as well today in

the heat, but is there more to come?

Yes, it will last for another glorious day across the East

Midlands tomorrow, but advice from me, keep your coats and scarves

It is cricketing weather, I would say.

Need to. We could be playing it now.

There is cricket to come, but we will start with football, and while

we have been spoiled for the sunshine so far, Notts bowled four

goals last night I am afraid. Leicester's pygmies -- East

Midlands derby ended goalless. -- not spoilt for goals. The foxes

have edged just a little closer to the play-off places.

These lads were certainly dreaming of scoring for Leicester before the

game, and both sets of fans were arriving confident of seeing lots

of goals. Death and at Leicester win, 3-nil. -- definite Leicester

win. Confident, 3-0. Easy win for Nottingham Forest. Leicester are

going to win for definite. 3-1. Come on you reds!

So expectations were high, in the end, though, neither keeper was

trouble too much, both sides with the odd chance to grab all three

points, forest with some early pressure, without any real cutting

edge. Leicester's best chance is probably fell to the two plays it -

- players who scored in Saturday's win. Ben Marshall phantoms of in

some space with the crowd urging him to shoot -- found himself in

some space. He obliged but it missed the goal. Then Lloyd Dyer

had a chance to get on the scoresheet and leasing a shot that

went narrowly wide -- unleashing. In the second half the Reds had a

great chance to break the debt -- deadlock with Dexter backstop's

header hitting the bar. But a. Leaves the foxes four points of the

play-offs and the reds are away from danger, an important point for

them then. All in all we are pleased with the point. We knew it

would be a tough game, and it is a measure of how far we have come

since last time, which wasn't very good at all. Many sides are

slipping up, so a two point drop for as in some ways, but we still

believe we have a fighting chance. News from Derby County, Captain

Shaun Barker has been under the surgeon's knife today having an

operation on the knee he injured during the match against Nottingham

Forest. It was a really nasty injury. He dislocated his kneecap

and ruptured his medial and cruciate ligaments. He is expected

to be out for a year. He has been unlucky in a sense as he has

already had injuries, so he knows what to expect. He is a strong

enough character to know what he is coming towards, and he will work

hard and come better -- come back a better player. In ice hockey, there

was a shock defeat for Nottingham Panthers in Glasgow last night.

Their hopes of a second trophy so that a major setback as they lost

their first play-off match 3-0 at Braehead Clan. It means they will

really have to pull something out of the back for Saturday's return

leg at the National Ice Centre. In rugby now, Leicester Tigers have

suspended Ben Youngs for a week after an internal disciplinary

where he was cited for striking an opponent in the win over London

Irish. In cricket, Nottinghamshire's Graeme Swann took

six second innings wickets for England against Sri Lanka, but they

will have to make history tomorrow to win. England need a record 340

runs on the final day. Closer to home, and the domestic

cricket season starts next week, but Derbyshire are also planning

well beyond this season, they are hunting for future young talent

within the county and getting the first team players to help by

taking coaching sessions. Jeremy Nicholas has more.

A under the new scheme, Derbyshire players now have written into their

contract that they must give up some of their time to coach

youngsters, and it seems they are only too happy to help. Having come

through the system myself, it seems like five minutes and so was he the

Academy doing these sessions, so for me personally it is great to be

here helping out every way I can, and these lads in the first-team

squad at the moment feel the same, I know. It is important for asked

to come back and talk to the young guys because it was only a few

years ago we were in their position being coached off guys we looked up

to playing first-team cricket, so it is definitely important for us

to come down and pass on our knowledge. With limited resources

to attract top players to the county, Derbyshire had to discover

local talent and develop it. -- hope to discover. It is vital. The

academy will provide us with the life blood of the future teams. It

is going back to how things were when you and I grew up, really,

when we saw local Gap -- lads playing from local county side, the

likes of Bob Taylor, Geoff Miller, Mike Hendrick, local lads, great

for Derbyshire, who represented England. They is nothing better.

The players enjoy seeing the youngsters prosper but owners of

warning about them progressing too quickly. -- there are warnings.

need to keep your eye open to make sure they are not trying to steal

my place! -- I need to keep an eye open.

It will probably pour with rain next week when the season starts!

It will last into tomorrow when we have high pressures and high

temperatures for the time of the year. However, at this time of the

we have chilly night, which is on the cards tonight. Firstly, Jamie,

thank you very much for this picture. He took it yesterday at

Loughborough University with his brand new camera and needed lots of

patience to get a shot, so thanks for that. E-mail us, the addresses

on the screen. We started the week with high pressure in the North Sea

which stayed with us for the last couple of days, gradually moving

across the UK and slowly today out into the Atlantic. It will cling on

for the next 24 hours to bring another beautiful day tomorrow, but

will then move away into the end of the week when temperatures will

come down quite considerably, you will notice. This evening we have

clear skies, lovely early evening sunshine before it gets dark, and

then with clearer skies overnight tonight it might get cold enough in

rural spots to see frost to start the morning, a little bit of Mr in

places, but mostly minivans of four Celsius -- mist in places. Tomorrow

morning we will have a chilly start, clear skies and yet again another

glorious day right across the East Midlands. A couple of degrees

cooler tomorrow, around about 21 Celsius, 70 Fahrenheit. You will

notice it is lower, of course, there, but still doing nicely

across this time of the year on the coast. High pressure still on

Friday but we are in for a decent day, plenty of sunshine but

temperatures starting to come down on Friday, 16 Celsius your high,