21/03/2014 East Midlands Today

That's all from us. Don't forget a first look at the papers over on

And now the news for the East Midlands, I'm Maurice Flynn. Parents

are being advised to look out for the symptoms of scarlet fever after

a big increase in the spread of the infection. In just a matter of

weeks, 350 cases have now been confirmed across the East Midlands.

That's the highest it's been in 24 years. Our health correspondent Rob

Sissons has more. It is the red crash that gives

scarlet fever its name. The cross East Midlands, there have been 350

confirmed cases this year, compared to 75 in the first 11 weeks of last

year. Derbyshire has the most cases. At this school in

Nottingham, they have had a number of suspected scarlet fever cases and

have written to parents. We have had three cases of what we think might

be scarlet fever. They have been to the doctor and been prescribed

antibiotics. Symptoms take up to five days to appear after infection.

The rash comes 12 to 48 hours later. Red blotches turn into a fine pink

rash that feels like sandpaper, looks like sunburn and maybe it's

you. It is really important if you think your child has scarlet fever,

that you go to the doctor and get treatment, partly because we want

these bugs treated and taken out of circulation. Antibiotics were hard

to come by when Bill Maynard got scarlet fever. The 85`year`old was

eight at the time. He spent 16 weeks in isolation and says in some ways,

it kick`started his show business career. While I was in there, I

learned to play the ukelele. I learned some songs that I knew

because I was a big George Formby fan as a boy, as I think most kids

while. And when I came out, after 16 weeks, I was ready to be launched on

the unsuspecting British public. These days, parents are being asked

to keep an eye out for those symptoms.

A terrorism trial has been shown more home`made videos of a

Leicestershire teenager. Michael Piggin has denied preparing plans

and weapons for a Columbine High School`style attack. The jury at the

Old Bailey saw this clip of him spraying "No More Mosques" onto

Loughborough leisure centre. Jurors were told the local mosque was top

of his list of potential targets. And today they were also shown more

video footage of Michael Piggin testing petrol bombs. This is

Michael. Here we go. Here we go. The daughter and son`in`law of a

couple whose remains were found in a garden have admitted burying them

nearly 16 years ago. The bodies of William and Patricia Wycherley were

discovered at a house in Forest Town in Mansfield last October. Susan and

Christopher Edwards have denied murdering the couple. But today at

Nottingham Crown Court both admitted obstructing a coroner in the

execution of his duty by burying the bodies.

It's been revealed a theatre failed to carry out background checks on

volunteers working with child performers. The Concordia Theatre in

Hinckley has been at the centre of child sex abuse allegations. Geeta

Pendse reports. It was last October when police

received information about to members of staff at the Concordia

Theatre, who were thought to have a sexual interest in children. They

were arrested and released on police bail, but the investigation raised

more concerns with the police. One of the areas of concern is the fact

there was not a robust system for criminal checks at the theatre. Two

men who were volunteers here had previous convictions relating to

sexual misconduct with children. At the checks been in place, this

would've been revealed. If there had been an effective system for

conducting checks, then potentially, these people might not have been

allowed to remain within the theatre, but investigation has

identified these men and the theatre have been proactive in removing them

from the theatre. The Concordia Theatre says it is working with the

authorities to Britain plays a more robust vet of child protection

measures. As a result, police have put off the review of their licence

for the time being. Officers are still investigating whether any

children came to harm. The leader of the Green Party has

been on a two day visit to the East Midlands ahead of the European

elections. Natalie Bennett was canvassing in Nottingham. The Greens

polled 7% of the vote in the last euro elections. She said voters were

concerned about the Government's energy policy. Any gas obtained

through fracking in Britain will not be cheap gas. What we need to do is

invest in renewables, create the jobs in Britain, develop new

technologies and make sure we have one, comfortable homes. `` warm.

An inventor has come up with an idea to help rural communities that have

lost their village shop. It's a giant vending machine full of

essential groceries. The first one has just been installed in a pub car

park at Clifton, near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. There are already plans

to place them in other villages in the area.

Sport ` and disappoinment on a big night of ice hockey for Nottingham

Panthers. They've lost the first leg of their Challenge Cup final in

Northern Ireland, going down 5`2 to Belfast. That's your news and sport.

So, it's goodbye from me ` but with your weather now, here's Anna

Church. Feeling quite chilly as those

temperatures drop. We have had some showers already this evening, more

intense showers pushing through at the moment. Maybe some hail and fund

our mixed in. It is a cold night, temperatures down to 203 Celsius.

There may be ice around first thing in Derbyshire in the morning. He

cold on bright start in the morning, then a scattering of showers with

the risk of hail and thunder. Feeling cold, highs of just eight

Celsius are not held by the strengthening south`westerly wind.

In a few moments, a full you with our summary, but now, the

National forecast. Good evening. If you can cast your

mind back to this time last week, we were looking forward to sunshine and

warmth, we got temperatures of 20 Celsius. This weekend, it will be

cold and windy, with showers. We saw quite a few earlier on today, then

this organised band of cloud, containing gusty wind, rain, sleet

and snow. Some gusty wind and blustery Wayne moving east, clearing

out to the North Sea, and further wintry showers coming in overnight.

It will turn quite cold, with icy conditions expected in parts of

Wales, and into Scotland. Do not be surprised to see a dusting of snow

in the south-west of England, but apart from that, it is a windy

morning with a bit of sunshine