:00:00. > :00:00.forces and protestors. That is all from BBC News. It is goodbye from
:00:00. > :00:09.This is East Midlands Today with Anne Davies and me, Dominic Heale.
:00:10. > :00:09.Tonight 0 Anne Davies and me, Dominic Heale.
:00:10. > :00:10.Tonight ` 0 Anne Davies and me, Dominic Heale.
:00:11. > :00:11.Tonight ` a 0 0 Anne Davies and me, Dominic Heale.
:00:12. > :00:23.Tonight ` a man's grief after his fiancee is knocked down and killed.
:00:24. > :00:35.Might in the future was them. That was my future. Church leaders say
:00:36. > :00:48.welfare reform has forced thousands into poverty. Plus the soldier bride
:00:49. > :00:53.planning her wedding in a war zone. And a tale of two winters, why is
:00:54. > :00:53.our 0 And a tale of two winters, why is
:00:54. > :01:06.our weather so 0 And a tale of two winters, why is
:01:07. > :01:07.our weather so wacky? The fiance of a 0
:01:08. > :01:10.our weather so wacky? The fiance of a pregnant woman who
:01:11. > :01:18.was knocked down and killed in Leicester says he's lost everything.
:01:19. > :01:23.Kane Johnson is appealing for anyone who may have seen the car which hit
:01:24. > :01:26.Paige Jackson to "have a heart and come forward". He says seeing his
:01:27. > :01:29.son and fiancee in hospital after they'd died was the hardest thing in
:01:30. > :01:34.his life. From Leicester, Helen Astle reports. Paige Jackson, 22
:01:35. > :01:37.years old and pregnant 0 Astle reports. Paige Jackson, 22
:01:38. > :01:41.years old and pregnant with her first child who was due to be born
:01:42. > :01:52.in May. She died after being hit by a car in Leicester. There is a giant
:01:53. > :02:01.hall. It was my entire future with them, that was my future. She
:02:02. > :02:09.touched a lot of lives and she was kind and loving and everyone seemed
:02:10. > :02:17.to love her and I cannot put it into words. Paige Jackson was taken to
:02:18. > :02:17.hospital where doctors tried to save her life 0
:02:18. > :02:24.hospital where doctors tried to save her life in the life of her baby but
:02:25. > :02:31.sadly they both died. I'm so glad I went to see them both so I could see
:02:32. > :02:31.my last goodbyes and hold my baby boy. 0
:02:32. > :02:41.my last goodbyes and hold my baby boy. He just looked like he was
:02:42. > :02:50.sleeping. There are dozens of tributes here. The police and the
:02:51. > :02:58.family are appealing for anyone who might have seen something at 6:50am
:02:59. > :02:58.on Saturday morning to come forward. For people 0 0
:02:59. > :03:03.on Saturday morning to come forward. For people who have not come
:03:04. > :03:06.forward, that is pretty heartless. She was an innocent girl with an
:03:07. > :03:12.unborn child and she was going to work. Have a heart and see what you
:03:13. > :03:13.have seen because if you do not, you will 0 0
:03:14. > :03:20.have seen because if you do not, you will have to live with that. It is
:03:21. > :03:24.disgusting. A 21`year`old man has been arrested and released on police
:03:25. > :03:26.bail. Kane Johnson is 0 been arrested and released on police
:03:27. > :03:27.bail. Kane Johnson is now 0 been arrested and released on police
:03:28. > :03:35.bail. Kane Johnson is now trying to focus on the funeral.
:03:36. > :03:37.Senior church leaders from the East Midlands claim the Government's cuts
:03:38. > :03:42.in welfare benefits are forcing thousands of people into poverty and
:03:43. > :03:46.hunger. The Anglican Bishops of Leicester, Derby and Sherwood have
:03:47. > :03:51.jointly sent a protest letter to the Prime Minister urging a change of
:03:52. > :03:54.policy. The intervention by the bishops coincides with a 40`day
:03:55. > :04:02.hunger fast by a Nottinghamshire parish priest in protest at the
:04:03. > :04:11.Government's welfare reforms. Here's our Political Editor, John Hess.
:04:12. > :04:17.This reverence sets off from his parish church too fast for 40 days
:04:18. > :04:24.in protest at government's cuts to welfare. Today he was helping out at
:04:25. > :04:28.a nearby community centre that distributes food to people who've
:04:29. > :04:33.lost benefits. We have patents missing meals to feed the children
:04:34. > :04:35.and reports of patents spending money on children as they come to
:04:36. > :04:36.school because they 0 money on children as they come to
:04:37. > :04:44.school because they have not got food. These food bags impact on the
:04:45. > :04:49.debate of the government's welfare reforms. The government claims it is
:04:50. > :04:51.liberating people 0 reforms. The government claims it is
:04:52. > :04:58.liberating people from a cycle of welfare dependency. Since the
:04:59. > :05:03.welfare changes came in last April, we have seen a massive increase in
:05:04. > :05:07.people with no income and to lack real basic needs. It has been quite
:05:08. > :05:13.a reality check for us because we have had to give food to people as
:05:14. > :05:17.well as advise. At this church hall, and anxious father waits 0
:05:18. > :05:19.well as advise. At this church hall, and anxious father waits to collect
:05:20. > :05:30.food donations for his daughter and her three children. It is a godsend
:05:31. > :05:41.because we can come here and get food to bring her children up with.
:05:42. > :05:48.They have to choose to spend money on food or pay rent or pay the gas
:05:49. > :05:52.bills. That is a difficult choice for people who cannot afford to get
:05:53. > :05:58.in here cut repair their shoes and cannot afford to eat either and not
:05:59. > :06:05.just a few people but hundreds of thousands. That is a national
:06:06. > :06:09.crisis. The Reverend starts his fast on Ash Wednesday and hopes that
:06:10. > :06:16.after 40 days, his protest may have some impact on government policy.
:06:17. > :06:20.With us now is Mark Spencer, the Conservative MP for Sherwood. These
:06:21. > :06:29.welfare reforms are punishing the poor ` that's what these church
:06:30. > :06:33.leaders are saying. I think they are on the wrong side of the argument
:06:34. > :06:37.and what government is trying to address is people trapped within the
:06:38. > :06:41.welfare system and we need to find a way to help people move from that
:06:42. > :06:46.welfare trap into employment and be better off because the old system
:06:47. > :06:50.meant that people phone they could not get out of benefits because of
:06:51. > :06:56.the try to get a job and got a job they were worse off financially. Is
:06:57. > :07:06.this not a case of the medicine killing the patient? We are talking
:07:07. > :07:08.about the symptom and not the disease in the challenge is 0
:07:09. > :07:10.about the symptom and not the disease in the challenge is to help
:07:11. > :07:16.people trapped in that position where they are stuck in the welfare
:07:17. > :07:22.state and to enable the system to move people into employment and be
:07:23. > :07:25.better off for doing that. But we're hearing that people turning up at
:07:26. > :07:39.food banks because they have knowing come. Of course, because the banks
:07:40. > :07:46.are nothing new. The increased ten times under the previous government
:07:47. > :07:47.which is a symptom of the economic crash the previous government
:07:48. > :07:49.created. We need to find a 0 crash the previous government
:07:50. > :07:54.created. We need to find a way to support people to move from the
:07:55. > :08:00.welfare state into employment and be better off. Do you think that
:08:01. > :08:07.cutting welfare benefits is popular with the voters? I had knowledge it
:08:08. > :08:11.is very challenging for people who find themselves in that trap which
:08:12. > :08:16.is why the government must do on can to help people escape from that
:08:17. > :08:35.welfare trap and it is not there to read people `` fear to leave people
:08:36. > :08:37.there. Still to come ` a night of incredible footballing drama.
:08:38. > :08:41.Nottingham Forest and Leicester City shared the points but the game kept
:08:42. > :08:45.25,000 on the edge of their seats. A full report coming up. It is
:08:46. > :09:00.remaining windy with blustery showers but there will be plenty of
:09:01. > :09:03.winter sunshine. More details later. People living in a Lincolnshire
:09:04. > :09:07.village are calling for a new road to be built ` because of long delays
:09:08. > :09:10.at the level crossing. Tallington, between Stamford and Market Deeping,
:09:11. > :09:14.sits on the East Coast Mainline and people living there are worried even
:09:15. > :09:19.more trains will use the line in years to come. Gemma Dawson reports.
:09:20. > :09:28.Every time these barriers come down, traffic builds up. I have to sit
:09:29. > :09:33.here and wait. In one hour, I counted that these barriers came
:09:34. > :09:39.down nine times. Campaigners claim this crossing can be closed for 45
:09:40. > :09:40.minutes an hour per day. They are worried that if more trains start to
:09:41. > :09:42.use the 0 worried that if more trains start to
:09:43. > :09:49.use the line, the crossing will be closed even longer. This man is
:09:50. > :09:57.campaigning for a link road to be built. It is pure quality of life
:09:58. > :10:03.and the bypass the North would solve everything. A number of options are
:10:04. > :10:13.being considered. Campaigners prefer this route but are concerned of an
:10:14. > :10:18.option that might cut through town. What we need is a proper solution
:10:19. > :10:30.which involves bypassing the village and taking people out of the village
:10:31. > :10:50.to a proper bridge. Network Rail say this: But people here hope a
:10:51. > :10:53.solution can be found soon. Police say two men linked to a
:10:54. > :10:55.Leicestershire theatre are being questioned on suspicion of
:10:56. > :10:59.possessing indecent images of children. The Concordia in Hinckley
:11:00. > :11:03.is at the centre of an investigation into alleged abuse. Two other men
:11:04. > :11:03.have been banned from the premises after 0 0
:11:04. > :11:03.have been banned from the premises after it 0 0
:11:04. > :11:15.have been banned from the premises after it was found they had previous
:11:16. > :11:17.convictions for child sex offences. A fifth man linked to the theatre
:11:18. > :11:18.was convicted 0 A fifth man linked to the theatre
:11:19. > :11:21.was convicted of serious sex offences against youngsters last
:11:22. > :11:24.year. The County Council says it won't now issue licences for
:11:25. > :11:26.children to take part in productions there. The Concordia hasn't
:11:27. > :11:32.commented. The RSPCA says preparations are being made to move
:11:33. > :11:35.horses from a field in Leicester. There have been public protests at
:11:36. > :11:39.the field near Fosse Park after one horse lying in water had to be put
:11:40. > :11:41.down when its condition deteriorated. The RSPCA says,
:11:42. > :11:45.following a visit with a specialist vet, it found a series of issues.
:11:46. > :11:48.It's now ordered the animals' owner to raise standards to what it calls
:11:49. > :11:51."an acceptable level". Officials say some younger horses will be moved
:11:52. > :11:59.first. The others are expected to follow. The RSPCA says it'll
:12:00. > :12:03.continue to monitor the situation. An 18`year`old man's been arrested
:12:04. > :12:05.on suspicion of posting a racist comment on Twitter ` ahead of last
:12:06. > :12:08.night's Nottingham Forest`Leicester City football match. The tweet is
:12:09. > :12:12.alleged to have been directed at Leicester City fans. Nottinghamshire
:12:13. > :12:12.Police say the man was held on suspicion of a 0
:12:13. > :12:14.Police say the man was held on suspicion of a racially aggravated
:12:15. > :12:22.public order offence. He's since been released on bail.
:12:23. > :12:27.Two soldiers are planning their wedding ` in a war zone. Kiri
:12:28. > :12:30.Bashford from Chesterfield in Derbyshire's been deployed to
:12:31. > :12:34.Afghanistan at the same time as her fiance, Christopher. And while he's
:12:35. > :12:38.out on front`line operations, she's keeping the regiment up and running
:12:39. > :12:39.from their base at Camp Bastion. Our Social Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy
:12:40. > :12:44.Ball, 0 Social Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy
:12:45. > :12:48.Ball, reports. Kiri is a woman any man's world
:12:49. > :12:57.because female soldiers are not allowed in fighting roles. She sorts
:12:58. > :13:02.flying to the bases and make sure is that they get paid. Now I have
:13:03. > :13:06.joined in and am part of the group and one of the lads. I teach
:13:07. > :13:07.physical training and I get some respect for 0
:13:08. > :13:17.physical training and I get some respect for that and I also pay
:13:18. > :13:26.them, so if the try to get me on the wrong side, they will not get paid.
:13:27. > :13:38.When Kiri is off duty at Camp Bastion, she is planning a wedding
:13:39. > :13:42.to Christopher. Initially we saw each other every week but we have no
:13:43. > :13:46.settled into a routine where we do not see John. They tried to sort out
:13:47. > :13:48.at the beginning of the two 0 not see John. They tried to sort out
:13:49. > :13:52.at the beginning of the two to have the mass of wedding here and then a
:13:53. > :13:57.blessing at all. Fortunately that was not allowed and I was happy
:13:58. > :14:05.about that because I was the one that did not want that. They will be
:14:06. > :14:11.well away by the time that they tie the knot and the wedding day is set
:14:12. > :14:20.for August, only weeks after the last of the regiment finish their
:14:21. > :14:26.duty. We wish them all the very best. A man's been found guilty of
:14:27. > :14:32.the manslaughter of a fellow bus passenger following a chance
:14:33. > :14:34.meeting. Nottingham Crown Court heard Leon Lockhart and his
:14:35. > :14:39.girlfriend Michaela Griffiths had spotted 32`year`old Daniel Baker on
:14:40. > :14:42.a bus last July. They spent the next day together before Mr Baker was
:14:43. > :14:43.stabbed to death on Mansfield Road in South Normanton. Lockhart 0
:14:44. > :14:43.stabbed to death on Mansfield Road in South Normanton. Lockhart and
:14:44. > :14:45.Griffiths 0 in South Normanton. Lockhart and
:14:46. > :14:47.Griffiths were spotted running away. Griffiths admitted perverting the
:14:48. > :14:53.course of justice. Both will be sentenced tomorrow.
:14:54. > :14:56.The Nottingham Playhouse could lose all its County Council funding as
:14:57. > :14:57.the authority prepares to make swingeing cuts. The 0
:14:58. > :14:59.the authority prepares to make swingeing cuts. The theatre
:15:00. > :15:02.currently receives ?95,000 a year from the Council, which says it
:15:03. > :15:09.needs to save ?80 million over the next three years. Councillors will
:15:10. > :15:12.discuss scrapping the donation next week and increasing Council Tax by
:15:13. > :15:17.almost 2%. The theatre says it's disappointed.
:15:18. > :15:20.The region's waterways are going to be checked by the Environment Agency
:15:21. > :15:24.to see how they've coped with the recent heavy rainfall. The
:15:25. > :15:25.Government says every watercourse in the country will be checked after
:15:26. > :15:26.the 0 the country will be checked after
:15:27. > :15:27.the severe flooding 0 the country will be checked after
:15:28. > :15:31.the severe flooding in the southwest of England. It's hoped that the
:15:32. > :15:38.survey of rivers and canals will be completed by the end of March.
:15:39. > :15:40.Well, later on in the programme we'll be looking at the 0
:15:41. > :15:43.Well, later on in the programme we'll be looking at the vagaries of
:15:44. > :15:47.the British weather. The last two winters couldn't have been more
:15:48. > :15:57.different ` or more extreme. So, is this a taste of things to come?
:15:58. > :16:06.Now, some news that we're thrilled to tell you about. Last night, BBC
:16:07. > :16:09.East Midlands Today was voted the best regional news programme in the
:16:10. > :16:12.whole country. The Royal Television Society presented us with this
:16:13. > :16:29.fantastic award at a ceremony in London last night. Sarah Teale has
:16:30. > :16:35.more details. It is the highest honour a regional news programme can
:16:36. > :16:37.achieve, to be voted the very best in the whole country by the Royal
:16:38. > :16:44.television Society. 0 in the whole country by the Royal
:16:45. > :16:51.television Society. The programme for the swimming was a special
:16:52. > :16:54.half`hour donated entirely to this. Tonight, 0 0
:16:55. > :17:00.half`hour donated entirely to this. Tonight, a tribute to the children
:17:01. > :17:08.killed in a fire here. Our reporter was granted access to the people
:17:09. > :17:13.behind the enquiry. It demonstrated an investment in local journalism
:17:14. > :17:22.over many months and shed new light in the behaviour and motives of the
:17:23. > :17:34.deaths of six children behind the house `` in a house fire. It shows
:17:35. > :17:42.that East Midlands Today is a real team effort. East Midlands Today is
:17:43. > :17:48.a fantastic place to work, thank you so much. The trophy is already
:17:49. > :18:00.taking pride of place back home in the East Midlands. It is a tribute
:18:01. > :18:02.to the whole team. Thank you so much for your support and your well
:18:03. > :18:05.wishes today and over all 0 for your support and your well
:18:06. > :18:11.wishes today and over all the years. We were all up rather late last
:18:12. > :18:21.night. Also I imagine some football fans will be feeling rather tired. .
:18:22. > :18:27.The game last night was exciting and full of drama. Nottingham Forest and
:18:28. > :18:33.Leicester City shared the points last night, it finished 2`2. But
:18:34. > :18:37.what a game! Four goals, two penalties, a player sent off and a
:18:38. > :18:40.manager sent to the stands. For our reporter Kirsty Edwards and the
:18:41. > :18:45.25,000 in the crowd it was far better than a night in watching the
:18:46. > :18:48.telly! It was a much better than any soap opera. 0
:18:49. > :18:53.telly! It was a much better than any soap opera. Both sides arrived
:18:54. > :19:00.knowing what was at stake. Behind the scene score, pre`match, the calm
:19:01. > :19:04.before the storm. Everyone was getting ready for what was brewing
:19:05. > :19:09.and as kick`off approached it was time to be focused. Two teams with
:19:10. > :19:19.big ambitions and the GM of promotion very much alive tonight.
:19:20. > :19:29.Tonight could be key. It was just before the half hour mark of that
:19:30. > :19:33.drama really began. This goal capitalised on some indecision in
:19:34. > :19:36.the Nottingham Forest defence but then minutes later a header made it
:19:37. > :19:42.all square. Then 0 0 then minutes later a header made it
:19:43. > :19:49.all square. Then Leicester gave away a penalty. He was a defender who
:19:50. > :19:59.spent ten years at Nottingham Forest. I love them and think he is
:20:00. > :20:14.a fantastic player but it should not have been on that pitch. The penalty
:20:15. > :20:22.was calmly slotted away. This tackle and a red card and I nearly walked
:20:23. > :20:26.to the dressing room. It is easy using going down to ten men as an
:20:27. > :20:34.excuse but I thought right to the end of players that what they could
:20:35. > :20:42.to when. Then there was another penalty awarded, the Leicester,
:20:43. > :20:53.which after being saved. Was converted into a goal from the
:20:54. > :21:00.rebound. A typical game of a local derby, full of tension and action. I
:21:01. > :21:03.think our players showed determination in getting something
:21:04. > :21:09.from the game in the face of adversity. It is good that given the
:21:10. > :21:19.players were missing, the boys are still competing well.
:21:20. > :21:22.So where does the result leave all three of our teams in the
:21:23. > :21:29.Championship table? This is how it looks tonight. Leicester are eight
:21:30. > :21:32.points clear at the top. Derby ten points behind Leicester in third
:21:33. > :21:43.spot and last night's draw sees Forest stay fifth, three points
:21:44. > :21:46.behind the Rams. At Derby, Head Coach Steve McClaren is looking at
:21:47. > :22:03.signing former Wolves, Celtic and Cardiff City left`back Lee Naylor on
:22:04. > :22:06.loan. Naylor, who is 33, is a free agent after leaving League Two
:22:07. > :22:11.Accrington and has been training with the Rams. Naylor started his
:22:12. > :22:15.career at Wolves, where he worked under academy manager Chris Evans.
:22:16. > :22:17.We have 0 under academy manager Chris Evans.
:22:18. > :22:23.We have invited him for a couple of weeks and he is doing very well. And
:22:24. > :22:27.in rugby, Boris Stankovich has been talking about leaving the Leicester
:22:28. > :22:29.Tigers at the end of the season.The 34`year`old has signed a two`year
:22:30. > :22:30.contract with the Newport Gwent Dragons after 0
:22:31. > :22:32.contract with the Newport Gwent Dragons after spending seven seasons
:22:33. > :22:41.at the Tigers. Still plenty to play for at the moment.
:22:42. > :22:50.Now, we all know it's been a pretty miserable start to 2014. Early
:22:51. > :22:54.figures are indicating that is has been the wettest winter on record.
:22:55. > :22:57.But last year some of us were knee`deep in snow. So why have the
:22:58. > :22:58.last two winters been so extreme, but yet so different? 0
:22:59. > :23:00.last two winters been so extreme, but yet so different? Our weather
:23:01. > :23:04.presenter Kaye Forster has been taking a look. Winter means short
:23:05. > :23:09.days and cold nights and ice and snow. Last year, we had that in
:23:10. > :23:16.abundance but this year it has been a very different picture with strong
:23:17. > :23:22.winds and rain. In some parts of the country, it caused chaos. The water
:23:23. > :23:28.has been in my house since January. It has been going on for the last
:23:29. > :23:32.six or seven weeks. Here, we have been quite lucky in terms of
:23:33. > :23:37.flooding but why has it been so dramatically different this year? We
:23:38. > :23:41.need to head back to the charts to answer that. We are 0
:23:42. > :23:47.need to head back to the charts to answer that. We are no strangers to
:23:48. > :23:57.cold weather here and without the influence of the warmer sea we can
:23:58. > :24:05.get the lowest temperatures in Great Britain. Last year, cold easterly
:24:06. > :24:12.winds became established over the UK and lowered the temperature is and
:24:13. > :24:18.areas in the Peak District got a particular battling. This year, a
:24:19. > :24:28.vigorous jet stream was stuck right across the UK. It meanders across
:24:29. > :24:40.the Atlantic and driving our weather systems in choosing `` and leading
:24:41. > :24:47.to the weather conditions we have had. This is consistent with the
:24:48. > :24:54.warmer world where we expect a wet of events and that windfall coming
:24:55. > :24:59.in stronger bursts. Winter can always throw challenges but what
:25:00. > :25:13.ever is in store for next year, one thing is for sure `` mother nature
:25:14. > :25:14.will keep us on our toes. Anything beyond five days of forecasting is
:25:15. > :25:24.witchcraft. I thought I would cheer things up
:25:25. > :25:42.with the beautiful for tall of snowdrops. `` photo of snowdrops.
:25:43. > :25:46.Today, we started with sunshine but the showers started to push through
:25:47. > :25:51.as we went through the afternoon and if you got caught on, you knew it.
:25:52. > :25:56.The showers will continue for a time this evening but will then start to
:25:57. > :25:59.die out in the skies start to clear with temperatures dropping quite
:26:00. > :26:09.quickly and the winds will be lighter. It should be frost free for
:26:10. > :26:14.most of us with just a few in more sheltered spots. There will be lots
:26:15. > :26:20.of dry weather first thing on Friday but as we go through the day, there
:26:21. > :26:24.will be more cloud and 12 sharp showers beginning to push through.
:26:25. > :26:30.It will be breezy as south`westerly winds pick up and attempt of seven
:26:31. > :26:34.degrees are eight Celsius. That is about average for this time of year.
:26:35. > :26:42.Saturday is the best day of the weekend is lot of sunshine but more
:26:43. > :26:48.cloud on the afternoon. It will be nine are 10 Celsius but on Sunday it
:26:49. > :26:52.will be quite dusty with a lot of cloud around. There will be quite a
:26:53. > :26:57.lot of dry weather first thing before this front of weather ends
:26:58. > :27:02.the day on Sunday. There will be some decent sunshine over the next
:27:03. > :27:08.few days so you could get out and about with your camera. It will
:27:09. > :27:09.return to wet and windy conditions Sunday but look forward to some
:27:10. > :27:21.decent sunshine. Hope you can join with the latest
:27:22. > :27:30.news. Goodbye.