:00:00. > :00:00.rest of the week. Thank you.
:00:00. > :00:10.This is East Midlands Today with Dominic Heale and me, Anne Davies.
:00:11. > :00:20.Tonight: Jailed ` the Czech family guilty of benefit fraud on an
:00:21. > :00:23.industrial scale. The gang flew in scores of East Europeans to claim
:00:24. > :00:27.tax credits worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. It was very
:00:28. > :00:32.sophisticated and ruthless. They were very successful for a short
:00:33. > :00:35.period of time. Also, the campaign to prevent more young people like
:00:36. > :00:45.Joe from dying from heart conditions. SADS is twice the number
:00:46. > :00:51.of cot deaths. We cannot afford to lose people's lives. And we will be
:00:52. > :01:06.visiting this 1930s cinema. Good evening and welcome to the
:01:07. > :01:09.start of a new week here on East Midlands Today. First tonight, a
:01:10. > :01:12.family from the Czech Republic has been given jail sentences totalling
:01:13. > :01:19.14 years after stealing ?750,000 in tax and benefit fraud. They were
:01:20. > :01:23.stopped from stealing a further ?500,000.
:01:24. > :01:27.The gang brought people in from Europe to stay in Nottingham, and
:01:28. > :01:32.then controlled their bank accounts to make the fraudulent claims. The
:01:33. > :01:35.court heard that all the proceeds of the fraud have either been
:01:36. > :01:40.transferred abroad or gambled away. Here's our chief news reporter,
:01:41. > :01:43.Quentin Rayner. Alena Lackova was the only member of
:01:44. > :01:51.the gang not jailed today. She received a two year suspended
:01:52. > :01:55.sentence. How do you justify this huge benefit fraud? Do you think you
:01:56. > :01:59.should apologise to the British taxpayer? Do you have anything to
:02:00. > :02:02.say? She's pictured here with her husband, Jan Lacko from the Czech
:02:03. > :02:06.Republic. Also convicted are Lackova's nieces Iveta Ferkova and
:02:07. > :02:09.Magdalena Ferkova. She, along with her former partner Julius Ziga, were
:02:10. > :02:13.those leading the scam. Over two years the gang arranged for people
:02:14. > :02:16.to travel from the EU states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia to
:02:17. > :02:20.Nottingham, with the promise of legal employment. They'd be
:02:21. > :02:23.temporarily put up in one of a dozen houses rented by the gang, who'd
:02:24. > :02:28.then act as interpreters to get them a national insurance number and open
:02:29. > :02:30.a bank account. Claims for tax credits and child benefits were
:02:31. > :02:35.made, which were channelled into bank accounts controlled by the
:02:36. > :02:43.fraudsters. The foreign nationals were then told there was no work and
:02:44. > :02:46.sent back home after a few days. It is only a two`bedroom house and
:02:47. > :02:52.there were up to 30 people at any one time inside. There was a group
:02:53. > :02:57.of them outside. A woman took a lot of money out of her bag and put the
:02:58. > :03:03.rest in. They had a different brand`new car every week, we were
:03:04. > :03:09.living next door to them. Bthey were very determined. Talk about the
:03:10. > :03:12.number of people involved. Whenever they were questioned or challenged,
:03:13. > :03:16.they would drive people back over here to answer questions to
:03:17. > :03:19.effectively fill HMRC into believing them. Surveillance pictures caught
:03:20. > :03:22.the gang at tax offices accompanying people to make fraudulent credit
:03:23. > :03:29.claims. Lists of PIN numbers were seized which controlled scores of
:03:30. > :03:38.accounts. This bank in Mapperley was one of those used by the family. In
:03:39. > :03:41.all, 124 bank accounts were set up to receive cash from 77 false tax
:03:42. > :03:44.credit claims totalling over ?500,000. The gang was stopped from
:03:45. > :03:48.stealing a further half a million pounds. The family was withdrawing
:03:49. > :03:52.over ?30,000 a month and spending it in casinos and on luxury cars. But
:03:53. > :03:58.how were they able to exploit the benefits system for so long? It
:03:59. > :04:01.didn't take two years to catch them, it took a while to identify
:04:02. > :04:05.that the claims were being made fraudulently. Once that was
:04:06. > :04:11.identified, we acted quickly and dealt with it effectively. I can't
:04:12. > :04:14.believe it has taken so long. You have people around here who actually
:04:15. > :04:16.need that money and a few have people like that bringing people
:04:17. > :04:20.into the country, it is not right and not fair. Sentencing the gang,
:04:21. > :04:23.the judge said he was now satisfied they'd stolen at least ?750,000 in
:04:24. > :04:28.tax credits by cynically and greedily exploiting the system.
:04:29. > :04:33.Magdalena Ferkova, who was described as a brazen liar, wasn't sentenced
:04:34. > :04:36.today ` she's currently on the run. The judge ruled that the three sent
:04:37. > :04:48.to prison will face eventual deportation.
:04:49. > :04:51.The daughter and son`in`law of an elderly Nottinghamshire couple have
:04:52. > :04:53.made their first Crown Court appearance charged with their
:04:54. > :04:59.murders. Susan and Christopher Edwards are accused of killing
:05:00. > :05:02.William and Patricia Wycherley. Human remains were found in the back
:05:03. > :05:05.garden of their former home near Mansfield last month. The police say
:05:06. > :05:09.the couple had been shot. The Wycherleys had been missing since
:05:10. > :05:13.1998. A trial is expected to start next June.
:05:14. > :05:16.Firefighters staged another two`hour strike across the East Midlands
:05:17. > :05:19.earlier today. The walk`out from six until eight o'clock this morning was
:05:20. > :05:23.the third in recent weeks by members of the Fire Brigades Union. It's
:05:24. > :05:29.part of a dispute with the Government over pensions and changes
:05:30. > :05:31.to the retirement age. During this morning's strike, only crews in
:05:32. > :05:40.Leicestershire attended any incidents. We simply cannot carry on
:05:41. > :05:44.doing our job in our late 50s because we will not be fit enough.
:05:45. > :05:48.Two thirds of firefighters face the sack. We cannot accept it and we
:05:49. > :05:50.have got nothing left that we can do to demonstrate to the government
:05:51. > :05:55.that we are not going to accept these proposals.
:05:56. > :05:57.Still to come ` bus passengers fight plans to cut services to cut
:05:58. > :06:01.services across Leicestershire. The proposals could save three
:06:02. > :06:11.quarters of a million pounds a year ` but villagers fear it'll leave
:06:12. > :06:14.them feeling isolated and alone. Tens of thousands of workers will
:06:15. > :06:17.see an increase in earnings after it was announced that the so`called
:06:18. > :06:20."living wage" will be going up. The national announcement was made
:06:21. > :06:26.in Nottingham this morning, increasing the hourly rate by 20p to
:06:27. > :06:29.?7.65. Nottinghamshire Police is now the first force in the country to
:06:30. > :06:44.commit to the wage. Sarah Teale reports.
:06:45. > :06:44.The new living wage figure is ?7.65. A 0
:06:45. > :06:47.The new living wage figure is ?7.65. A welcome announcement for
:06:48. > :06:50.supporters of the living wage. It's not enforced by law like the minimum
:06:51. > :06:54.wage of ?6.31, but campaigners say employers should feel a moral duty
:06:55. > :06:57.to pay it to staff. Academics at Loughborough University have worked
:06:58. > :07:00.out the increase based on the real rising cost of living. The East
:07:01. > :07:03.Midlands has the highest number of people earning under the living wage
:07:04. > :07:07.than any other government region in England. That's around 300,000
:07:08. > :07:13.people. The majority are women in retail, hospitality and catering. A
:07:14. > :07:22.strong supporter of the living wage is 18`year`old Jhudari Scholar from
:07:23. > :07:26.Sherwood. Family life is really hard and difficult for us growing up. One
:07:27. > :07:30.of seven, his mother had three jobs. He says the living wage would have
:07:31. > :07:35.made a huge difference to their lives. Things like being able to
:07:36. > :07:39.come along to my parents evenings, being able to help out with my
:07:40. > :07:41.homework, being around to help my sisters when we needed her. More
:07:42. > :07:44.East Midlands employers are supporting the living wage. Many
:07:45. > :07:47.councils have already committed to it. Nottinghamshire County Council
:07:48. > :07:49.says 2,000 staff will get the living wage from April. And today,
:07:50. > :07:59.Nottinghamshire Police announced it would be the first force in the
:08:00. > :08:02.country to sign up. There are 4500 people who work for Nottinghamshire
:08:03. > :08:06.but I don't want to stop there. We have listened to all of our
:08:07. > :08:10.contractors and we say when we put our services out in the future, we
:08:11. > :08:14.want you to pay their living wage to. Many employers say they can't
:08:15. > :08:16.afford to pay the living wage, but campaigners argue it makes strong
:08:17. > :08:18.business sense, improving staff retention and motivation. Sarah
:08:19. > :08:24.Teale, BBC East Midlands Today, Nottingham.
:08:25. > :08:26.A short time ago I spoke to George Cowcher of the Derbyshire and
:08:27. > :08:30.Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce. I asked him if paying the living
:08:31. > :08:39.wage would be an unwelcome burden for business. We think it is up to
:08:40. > :08:43.individual companies to decide how much they wish to pay their
:08:44. > :08:46.employees. A national minimum wage is very important and we have always
:08:47. > :08:52.supported that, whether people go above that is up to them. Many
:08:53. > :08:56.different companies Rob Ward there are workers in different ways, some
:08:57. > :09:00.pay more on training and some give other forms of support. `` many
:09:01. > :09:07.different companies reward their workers. You don't want to seek
:09:08. > :09:15.where urgent? That always had an effect on the market. And that will
:09:16. > :09:20.be not necessarily helpful in terms of employing more people. You are
:09:21. > :09:23.being diplomatic. I wonder whether what we might see is a two tier
:09:24. > :09:26.system developing where some companies offer the living wage and
:09:27. > :09:33.others don't and those others will have problems recruiting. We are
:09:34. > :09:37.going to move into a tightening labour market and employment levels
:09:38. > :09:42.rise. So all employers are going to have to look at ways in which they
:09:43. > :09:46.can ensure that the source the right number of employees, of the right
:09:47. > :09:57.quality, and therefore they will be looking very much at the way in
:09:58. > :10:00.which they pay them. Thank you. More than 600 young people die
:10:01. > :10:04.unexpectedly each year from it in the UK. Rare heart conditions they
:10:05. > :10:05.didn't know they had. It's known as Sudden Arythmic Death Syndrome, or
:10:06. > :10:08.SADS. Well, today in Leicester a grieving
:10:09. > :10:12.family, a high`profile sports star, as well as doctors and nurses from
:10:13. > :10:17.across the country, came together with one aim ` to save more lives.
:10:18. > :10:22.Our health correspondent Rob Sissons was there and is here now. Rob, a
:10:23. > :10:29.lot of this work is being done in memory one of East Midlands teenager
:10:30. > :10:34.in particular. That's right. Our viewers may remember this case. It
:10:35. > :10:38.is basically Joe Humphreys, he was only 14 and had been out jogging
:10:39. > :10:42.near his home in Leicestershire when two minutes from home he collapsed
:10:43. > :10:47.and died. He had a heart condition, there he is with everything to live
:10:48. > :10:52.for and his dad, a huge hole in his life but he has thrown himself into
:10:53. > :10:55.this campaign. He was at a conference today and told me that
:10:56. > :10:58.what he wants to do is get Doctor together at the hospital and from
:10:59. > :11:04.around the UK to raise awareness about the symptoms and he had
:11:05. > :11:08.recruited Martin Johnson, the former England rugby captain, who is the
:11:09. > :11:17.patron of that charity and is helping raise awareness of what is
:11:18. > :11:24.going on. SADS is twice the number of cot deaths. We cannot afford to
:11:25. > :11:28.lose the John people. We can do something. `` lose these are young
:11:29. > :11:35.people. Every child can now CPR and save a life. There are hundreds of
:11:36. > :11:38.kids playing all over the place. It is going to happen somewhere, in
:11:39. > :11:41.Leicestershire or the East Midlands at some point. It is incredibly sad.
:11:42. > :11:41.Rob, what are the warning signs people 0
:11:42. > :11:46.Rob, what are the warning signs people need to look out for? We
:11:47. > :11:48.heard today at that conference at the Glenfield Hospital that
:11:49. > :11:52.sometimes there are no warning signs. Sometimes when families look
:11:53. > :11:56.back they think, yes, there was something going on, contains it can
:11:57. > :12:03.be pains, unexplained pains, or perhaps painting without any proper
:12:04. > :12:07.explanation. We heard from one of the experts today who works at the
:12:08. > :12:15.accident and emergency unit. Everyone knows what causes a faint.
:12:16. > :12:18.If you think for no reason or if it happens during exercise, you need to
:12:19. > :12:24.take that seriously and go and see your GP. If people thought you
:12:25. > :12:30.looked ill when you fainted, you should go to accident and emergency.
:12:31. > :12:35.You will perhaps the subtle signs of these diseases. No`one is pretending
:12:36. > :12:38.this is easy but they are saying to look out for those warning signs and
:12:39. > :12:42.also the message going out to the medical profession to have this on
:12:43. > :12:50.their radar so that more lives can be saved. Thank you very much, Rob.
:12:51. > :12:54.Leicestershire Police say they've made almost 100 arrests in the last
:12:55. > :12:57.week as part of a new campaign focusing on crimes such as drug
:12:58. > :13:00.dealing and anti`social behaviour. Officers working on Operation Tiger
:13:01. > :13:04.have held 65 people on suspicion of a whole range of crimes. More than
:13:05. > :13:07.30 others for not paying fines after previous convictions. The force says
:13:08. > :13:15.it shows the crackdown is proving effective.
:13:16. > :13:18.Nottinghamshire Police are pledging ?20,000 to give pensions to retired
:13:19. > :13:21.police dogs. The money will be available from next month and will
:13:22. > :13:25.ensure any medical expenses, related to work injuries, will be paid by
:13:26. > :13:29.the fund for the first three years of a dog's retirement. Police dogs
:13:30. > :13:38.normally retire at the age of seven or eight and often become pets for
:13:39. > :13:41.the police dog handlers. "We'll be left isolated and alone."
:13:42. > :13:44.That's the fear from bus passengers in Leicestershire if proposed cuts
:13:45. > :13:47.and alterations to routes go ahead. The County Council's consulting on
:13:48. > :13:54.proposed changes which, if approved, would save ?750,000 a year. But
:13:55. > :14:01.passengers are determined to fight the plans. A petition has already
:14:02. > :14:06.been started in one village. Helen Astle reports.
:14:07. > :14:09.This village might look sleepy but locals here are busy campaigning
:14:10. > :14:13.against proposed cuts and alterations to their bus service.
:14:14. > :14:18.Rosemary Johnson is spearheading a campaign against the proposals. A
:14:19. > :14:22.couple of elderly ladies have told me they will give up on life. And
:14:23. > :14:25.there will be nothing for them to live for any more if they cannot get
:14:26. > :14:27.out and meet the people on the buses, that is their way of
:14:28. > :14:31.communicating with the outside world. Leicestershire County Council
:14:32. > :14:37.claim that some of the routes are subsidised at a cost of ?14 per
:14:38. > :14:40.passenger per journey. People who I have been speaking to said that is
:14:41. > :14:45.money well spent and without a bus route they would be isolated. And am
:14:46. > :14:52.visually impaired and I have to get out to my social groups. I would
:14:53. > :14:55.find it most difficult. It is the elderly people. They cannot get
:14:56. > :15:00.anywhere. Now doctors, no opticians, no dentists. Nothing.
:15:01. > :15:08.They are absolutely stuck. It is disgusting. We need this service. I
:15:09. > :15:10.have a 90 minute walk. Leicestershire County Council is
:15:11. > :15:14.proposing cuts or alterations to a number of routes. For some people,
:15:15. > :15:19.instead of getting a bus, they could be offered a guy in a ride service
:15:20. > :15:24.which they would have to book 24 hours in advance. If the plans are
:15:25. > :15:31.approved it could save the authority ?750,000 per year. `` a dial a bus
:15:32. > :15:37.service. People want to go into Loughborough. We want to keep that.
:15:38. > :15:41.The money is not the be all and end all but it is exceptionally
:15:42. > :15:45.important. It will have a big impact on the shops down in Loughborough.
:15:46. > :15:49.The bus is quite full most days. And I think we need to keep it. The
:15:50. > :15:49.consultation will run until the middle of 0
:15:50. > :16:02.consultation will run until the middle of December. Time now for
:16:03. > :16:05.sport. I have a special guest. The man on the inside at Leicester City,
:16:06. > :16:09.it is the club ambassador Alan Birch. His association with the club
:16:10. > :16:15.goes back 40 years. That makes him the perfect person to is the about
:16:16. > :16:20.the Foxes' superb start to the season. What is the secret?
:16:21. > :16:28.Different mentality. From previous years. The boys are just so solid.
:16:29. > :16:31.On Saturday at Watford, three players were not available at that
:16:32. > :16:34.normally are available, three players came in and there was no
:16:35. > :16:40.difference. Let's talk about that game on Saturday and watch the
:16:41. > :16:44.goals. After the heartbreak of the playoffs, how good was it to go back
:16:45. > :16:48.to Watford and dominate like this? Tremendous. We buried a few Demons.
:16:49. > :16:51.We were apprehensive before the game but the boys put in a tremendous
:16:52. > :17:00.performance. Anthony Knockaert missed that penalty in the play`off
:17:01. > :17:05.game so his goal was great. But I want to talk about the first one
:17:06. > :17:11.some more. How often do you see something like this? You have got to
:17:12. > :17:16.give Chris Woods the credit. For any young boy that sees this, in a
:17:17. > :17:19.football match probably about ten or 20 back classes back to the
:17:20. > :17:20.goalkeeper during a game but what he did for that once, 0
:17:21. > :17:27.goalkeeper during a game but what he did for that once, and you normally
:17:28. > :17:30.get a goalkeeper from one. Out of 20 he gets on and Chris Woods picked
:17:31. > :17:34.that one out. He didn't know anything about it, but it was good.
:17:35. > :17:40.I was talking to him this morning and he said the ball was put right
:17:41. > :17:44.on my face and I knew where it was going. It was a very funny moment. I
:17:45. > :17:50.mentioned this great start ` but we've been here before. Are we in
:17:51. > :17:54.danger of getting over`excited? No. I can see that because I think it is
:17:55. > :17:58.the best art we have ever had as a football club. Really going well.
:17:59. > :18:01.But I sent around the training ground there is a different
:18:02. > :18:06.mentality. It harks back to the Martin O'Neill days. It is that sort
:18:07. > :18:11.of togetherness in the dressing room, the guys that are playing are
:18:12. > :18:16.there week in and week out, the lads on the sidelines. Nigel keeps them
:18:17. > :18:21.on his toes. There is a strong mentality about the side this year.
:18:22. > :18:25.The fans will be happy to hear you invoke the name of Martin O'Neill.
:18:26. > :18:30.The manager looks very relaxed. He should be. We are playing well.
:18:31. > :18:35.There is a blend of youth and experience for the first time. Nigel
:18:36. > :18:38.has got guys on the bench that he can call upon that are as good as
:18:39. > :18:43.the guys who are playing. His biggest dilemma this season has been
:18:44. > :18:50.leaving players out. What a nice position to be in. Absolutely. Thank
:18:51. > :18:57.you very much for coming in to talk about it with us.
:18:58. > :19:00.Nottingham Forest will be without defenders Kelvin Wilson and Danny
:19:01. > :19:03.Collins for at least ten weeks. Wilson is undergoing an operation
:19:04. > :19:06.today and Collins has ligament damage. It comes as Forest are
:19:07. > :19:10.stuttering a little ` just one point from three games. But I was there to
:19:11. > :19:19.speak to Billy Davies, as he laid some of the blame at the official's
:19:20. > :19:20.door. I have just spoke to directory and the officials with regards to
:19:21. > :19:24.three major incidents. Billy Davies had a clear message to
:19:25. > :19:28.deliver after defeat by Blackpool ` that he wanted to lose games fairly.
:19:29. > :19:32.Take, in his view, the decision not to award a penalty to Darius
:19:33. > :19:38.Henderson. We have all agreed that there was contact. We have all
:19:39. > :19:42.agreed that because there was no yellow card given to Henderson, it
:19:43. > :19:46.was because of the contact but the big question is, did Henderson six
:19:47. > :19:49.yards out intentionally make contact with the defender? That compounded
:19:50. > :19:52.by what happened at the other end ten minutes before half time.
:19:53. > :19:56.Although here, the focus is on Forest's Djamal Abdoun. To go and
:19:57. > :19:59.use a player because of that stupidity could have knocked him
:20:00. > :20:03.back to goalkeeper, could have cleared his lines, he tried to be
:20:04. > :20:06.too clever and he has cost his team that three points today. With Abdoun
:20:07. > :20:08.sent off, keeper Karl Darlow pulled off a mini`miracle to keep things
:20:09. > :20:10.level. And for another 0 off a mini`miracle to keep things
:20:11. > :20:13.level. And for another 57 minutes, ten`man Forest were able to keep
:20:14. > :20:18.Blackpool at bay ` and even create the odd chance. Then it all went
:20:19. > :20:25.wrong. But in Davies' view, it was the officials who failed. There is
:20:26. > :20:32.no doubt that we claimed for the offside. The linesman's line of
:20:33. > :20:35.vision is wrong. He cannot see what he is supposed to see. All we are
:20:36. > :20:38.asking for is that the rules are applied. We are not asking for
:20:39. > :20:42.anything else. He has more than a point. But to be honest, 11 v 11,
:20:43. > :20:47.Forest weren't great. And they're still searching for a player to give
:20:48. > :20:50.them a cutting edge. Derby County are still in the
:20:51. > :20:53.process of trying to appoint a Technical Director to work alongside
:20:54. > :20:57.Head Coach Steve McClaren. The Rams lost 2`1 at Queen's Park Rangers at
:20:58. > :21:00.the weekend. Jermaine Jenas put the home team ahead. And even though QPR
:21:01. > :21:07.are promotion favourites, Derby gave them a good game. Simon Dawkins got
:21:08. > :21:10.the Rams back in it. But Clint Hill scored the winner for Harry
:21:11. > :21:16.Redknapp's team, to seal the first defeat under new boss Steve
:21:17. > :21:20.McClaren. In League One, Notts County are
:21:21. > :21:23.still in the hunt for a new manager after Chris Kiwomya's sacking eight
:21:24. > :21:27.days ago. Temporary boss Steve Hodge was in charge as Notts lost 3`0 at
:21:28. > :21:31.Coventry City at the weekend. It was 0`0 for much of the first half but
:21:32. > :21:34.then a very high foot from Danny Haynes put County down to ten men
:21:35. > :21:39.and Coventry scored a few minutes later. City added two more goals in
:21:40. > :21:48.the second half to return the Magpies back to the bottom of the
:21:49. > :21:51.table. Well, it's not all about the
:21:52. > :21:55.football ` it was a busy sporting weekend. Jessica Creighton has the
:21:56. > :21:57.round`up of the best of the rest of the weekend's sports news.
:21:58. > :22:01.In rugby, Leicester Tigers struggled at home to Harlequins, who fully
:22:02. > :22:05.deserved the try that gave them the lead on the stroke of half time.
:22:06. > :22:08.Tigers worked hard and a last`minute penalty try brought them a losing
:22:09. > :22:11.bonus point ` which could be crucial at the end of the season.
:22:12. > :22:15.In ice hockey, Nottingham Panthers made it two wins from two over the
:22:16. > :22:18.weekend with victories over Dundee and then Fife. It was goals galore
:22:19. > :22:21.for the Panthers against Fife yesterday in a 7`1 victory at the
:22:22. > :22:24.Nottingham Arena. Brandon Benedict scored in the first period before
:22:25. > :22:28.notching up a hat trick and the man`of`the`match award. The two wins
:22:29. > :22:31.put the Panthers four places and six points off league leaders Belfast
:22:32. > :22:34.Giants, but with four games in hand. And in squash, Nick Matthew become
:22:35. > :22:36.world champion for the third time last night. Matthew, who is part of
:22:37. > :22:37.Duffield Squash and 0 last night. Matthew, who is part of
:22:38. > :22:40.Duffield Squash and Racketball Club in Derbyshire, beat Frenchman
:22:41. > :22:43.Gregory Gaultier 3`2. In a dramatic final, Matthew powered to a two`game
:22:44. > :22:47.lead before Gaultier clawed it back to 2`2. But 33`year`old Matthew held
:22:48. > :22:51.on to win the third and final game in front of the Manchester crowd.
:22:52. > :23:05.It's his third world title in four years.
:23:06. > :23:08.Fantastic stuff from Nick Matthew. Well done to Lester Riders
:23:09. > :23:12.basketball team. Thank you.
:23:13. > :23:16.From Sir David Attenborough's musical childhood to a young poet `
:23:17. > :23:19.our Made in Leicester series has heard from an array of creative
:23:20. > :23:21.people who have been inspired by their surroundings.
:23:22. > :23:24.Now it's your turn to get involved. All this week we're collecting
:23:25. > :23:27.photos that sum up culture in Leicester and Leicestershire. So to
:23:28. > :23:29.get your creative juices flowing, I've been to one of my favourite
:23:30. > :23:51.places. The writer Billy Ivory once
:23:52. > :23:55.described in the Regal Cinema in Nottingham as the finest cinema in
:23:56. > :23:59.England and I am inclined to agree with him. I have been coming here
:24:00. > :24:02.for years. It has recently had a bit of a make over so it is even nicer
:24:03. > :24:10.than before. Which is why I have chosen it is my `` why I have chosen
:24:11. > :24:16.it as my favourite place. Built in the 1930s, it is a throwback to the
:24:17. > :24:21.golden age of cinema, full of Art Deco furnishings and nods to the
:24:22. > :24:26.past. The cinema almost face closure when the previous owner died, but it
:24:27. > :24:28.has now been lovingly restored back to its former glory. I 0
:24:29. > :24:32.has now been lovingly restored back to its former glory. I first used to
:24:33. > :24:39.come here, they used to have those little pull`down seats and this is
:24:40. > :24:47.how ideas to save my chair. That is my picture question. What is yours?
:24:48. > :24:50.What sums up culture for you in Leicester and Leicestershire? Send
:24:51. > :24:55.your pictures to madeinleicester@bbc.co.uk. You might
:24:56. > :25:03.even get to see some of them on East Midlands Today. Don't just stand
:25:04. > :25:05.there. Get snapping. And that address again is
:25:06. > :25:09.madeinleicester@bbc.co.uk. Remember to put your name and the story
:25:10. > :25:12.behind the photo and a selection will be on East Midlands Today later
:25:13. > :25:13.in the week. Remember to put your name and 0
:25:14. > :25:16.in the week. Remember to put your name and the story behind the photo
:25:17. > :25:20.and a selection will be on East Midlands Today later in the week.
:25:21. > :25:25.Anything counts. Happy New Year if you are marking Diwali last night.
:25:26. > :25:28.Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Leicester last night to
:25:29. > :25:32.celebrate the start of Diwali. 6,5000 lights lit up the Golden
:25:33. > :25:35.Mile. Visitors also saw a huge fireworks display. It's thought to
:25:36. > :25:40.have been one of the biggest Diwali events outside India. It marks the
:25:41. > :25:46.start of the Hindu New Year. That is a brilliant display. Was the
:25:47. > :25:52.weather good last night? I have gone blank.
:25:53. > :25:55.At least the wind it did ease compared to the gusts we had on
:25:56. > :26:00.Saturday night if you are trying to have a bonfire party and if you're
:26:01. > :26:05.planning thing `` planning anything for tomorrow night, it will be more
:26:06. > :26:07.windy, blustery conditions but the majority of the showers across the
:26:08. > :26:12.West, so hopefully the East Midlands will fare better with the dry
:26:13. > :26:17.weather. The wind is the main issue. We have a cold night in store
:26:18. > :26:20.tonight, it is certainly going to drop in temperature, through the
:26:21. > :26:23.early part of the evening, but the cloud will increase again through
:26:24. > :26:28.the south`west, so that it be a touch of air frost before the cloud
:26:29. > :26:34.starts to rise and the rain started coming. The rain comes in tomorrow
:26:35. > :26:34.morning. Judy will be a wet start initially, 0
:26:35. > :26:37.morning. Judy will be a wet start initially, this band of rain slowly
:26:38. > :26:43.tracking its way towards the north`east. `` it will be a wet
:26:44. > :26:46.start initially. The sky certainly starting to break and into the
:26:47. > :26:48.afternoon and the daytime temperature tomorrow will be
:26:49. > :26:52.tendencies but the wind will be quite strong at times. There will
:26:53. > :26:54.still be a few showers across Derbyshire for a time through the
:26:55. > :26:58.early part of the evening and we have also got a band of rain moving
:26:59. > :27:01.up later in the night but it is the bit in between that he will
:27:02. > :27:06.hopefully manage to see, a few bonfires lit safely and a few
:27:07. > :27:08.fireworks. Wednesday will certainly be a very wet day again, this band
:27:09. > :27:14.of rain pushing northwards through the daytime, the wind remaining
:27:15. > :27:17.strong again through Wednesday. A slightly better day in store for
:27:18. > :27:20.Thursday, still a breezy day but it should be mainly dry, again there is
:27:21. > :27:24.more rain on the way, starting to come in behind me here so by the
:27:25. > :27:29.time we get to Friday, a cloudy started a day there is more rain
:27:30. > :27:32.likely later in the day on Friday. It will feel cooler this week,
:27:33. > :27:38.temperatures getting back to what they should be for this time of year
:27:39. > :27:42.but by the weekend, it will change. Pick your day. There is one good one
:27:43. > :27:44.out of that bunch. I think it was Thursday. Make a note of that. See
:27:45. > :27:54.you later tonight. A family memoir that captured
:27:55. > :27:59.the hearts of millions. A potter telling stories
:28:00. > :28:02.out of porcelain