04/04/2014 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today with Geeta Pendse and me, Dominic Heale.

Tonight ` an upsurge in cases of scarlet fever. Can we have heard

more than 700 cases since September, more than London. The last time it

was bad was in 2008, so we are due another bad winter, and this has

been it. Also tonight, employability. We have come a

considerable way. Plus, why one council is considering getting tough

on motorists who park on the pavement. Leicester City could put

themselves on the edge of the Premier league tonight. Good

evening. Welcome to Friday's programme. First tonight ` an

upsurge in scarlet fever. This region now has the highest number of

cases in the country. More than 700 reported cases since September ` a

higher total than for the whole of London.

Across the country it's becoming a big issue. Last week alone,

according to Public Health England, almost 900 new cases were reported `

that's the highest weekly total for more than three decades. Amy Harris

has been looking at the figures. It is the red trash that gives

scarlet fever at its name. Latest figures show 778 cases have been

reported in the East Midlands since last September. It is the most in

the country, beating the number in much larger places like the West

Midlands and even London. We were the first part of England to

recognise this, so we wrote to GPs saying there is scarlet fever about,

please tell us about it. We are working with GPs to make sure the

treatment is right, working with schools and nurseries to make sure

affected children are excluded until the antibiotics have worked. These

figures give an indication of where the cases in our region are.

Derbyshire has the most confirmed cases and Leicester has the least.

Scarlet diva is a bacterial illness and symptoms generally take three to

five days to peer. It is most common in children aged between two and

eight and most cases can be treated with antibiotics. The main thing is,

if you think your child has scarlet fever, take them to the GP, get the

antibiotics. The good news is children with the disease make a

quick recovery. They can be back in the playground soon after starting

treatment. Before antibiotics, they were put in isolation for many weeks

or months. The police say they are becoming

increasingly concerned for the safety of a young Polish man, who

disappeared near his home in Nottingham almost three months ago.

Today the sister of 22`year`old Bogdan Navrotski made an emotional

appeal for him to get in touch. Officers say despite extensive

inquiries across the Midlands and in Poland itself, Bogdan's simply

vanished. James Roberson reports. At a Nottinghamshire police press

conference today, Monica came to make an appeal in Polish for her

missing brother, about him pictures and posters have been made in

English and Polish. The very last sighting of Bogdan was

that about 830 a.m. From this house, setting off for the shops.

But after leaving the house, he vanished utterly. Police enquiries

have spanned the whole Midlands and Poland, but given Bogdan had no

money and spoke no English, police fear the worst. I believe there is a

possibility Bogdan has come to serious and significant harm, so

we're here today to make an appeal to the public of Nottingham and in

particular the Polish community, to help us find where Bogdan is. Local

officers have been scouring the area, talking to the Polish

community. Now they want the wider public to help. Our appeal is for

local people to check their sheds and outbuildings. Please let's have

a look for someone who is rough sleeping. Police have a special

number for Polish speaking people to ring. And videos with information

can ring Nottinghamshire police or Crimestoppers.

Still to come ` the weekend weather. And the Atlantic's back in charge.

It certainly is. It is helping to clear the pollution so you can wash

your car, but it is also bringing us some rain.

Business leaders are warning that growth in the East Midlands' economy

is in danger of being choked off, because of a serious shortage of

skilled workers. They say some school leavers may not

even qualify for apprenticeships because they lack basic reading and

maths skills. So what can be done? Well, one scheme backed by the

Government is aiming to match expanding businesses with young

workers who DO have the right training and skills. Here's our

Political Editor John Hess. These are Derby's very own boys from

the black stuff, preparing cracked pavements and filling and potholes.

It is unglamorous but essential work and for a 19`year`old Adrian, it is

a job opportunity through a new city council run apprenticeship scheme.

It gives me a new set of skills and hopefully I will get a career out of

this. The rate of youth unemployment in the East Midlands now stands at

just over 20%, but what is more significant is the number of young

people neither in employment, education or training, that now

stands at 74000 and that has gone up by 3000 since the core mission came

into power. This bit of kit is for oil. They're making cultivation

equipment clean`up fuel. Business plans to expand, but a lack of

engineering schools in the local jobs market, especially basic maths

and science, is becoming a headache. It is tricky, people are out there,

but it can be hard work. That is a cross the piece, from cereals or

design to the engineering work. A government backed programme is

creating an alternative job centre for firms needing those skilled

staff. It is a cliff edge, if you don't do the right thing to engage

young people now. As the region's economy hots up, the worry now is if

we have enough skilled workers ready for the revival.

Well, the Education Secretary was in Leicestershire today and he's

acknowledged the skills gap is a big problem.

Michael Gove also reiterated his claim that there's a toxic lack of

ambition in the leadership of schools in Nottingham. Here's our

Chief News reporter Quentin Rayner. For a man who is used to making

sparks fly, you might think the lesser`known city was appropriate

for Michael Gove. They Education Secretary was visiting a of schools

today, including this one in Loughborough. He is acutely aware of

the concerns of business leaders over the shortfall in skills. I had

the opportunity to speak to the Chambers of commerce this week and I

explain to them that eradicating lack of numerous illiteracy was my

number one priority. There is still a gap between where we should be

aware we are, but we have, suitable way and the quality of schools is

much better. `` we have come a considerable way. In an open

letter, the city council we picked him for logical flaws in his

argument and called on him to work with them to improve the schools,

rather than criticising from the sidelines. It is not just a matter

of talking, it is a matter of doing. The people carping from the

sidelines are the councillors who have been responsible for poor

educational standards for too long. It is a pity that there are some

people in the local authority who simply want to shoot the messenger.

But further strike action threatened by teachers this summer, the

Education Secretary is bracing himself for further resistance to

his reforms. And the Sunday Politics for the East

Midlands is taking a closer look at our skills shortage. That's from 11

o'clock this Sunday with Marie Ashby, on BBC One. Gunshots were

fired early this morning in a street in Leicester. A property was damaged

` armed officers responded, but detectives say nobody has been

injured. Forensic officers are working out what happened on Saxby

Street in the Highfields area of Leicester. Police are appealing for

information. It is a multicultural area, everybody gets on nicely. All

of a sudden, something like this, it is just not nice. Whoever it was was

not actually aiming to hurt anyone. Police have confirmed that a body

found in Nottinghamshire earlier this week is that of a grandmother

who went missing four months ago. 59`year`old Elaine Harrison

disappeared from her houseboat at Castle Marina in Nottingham in

December. Underwater search teams made the discovery on Tuesday

morning close to Colwick Park. Nottinghamshire Police thanked the

public for their support in trying to find her.

A member of a Nottingham`based gang who fled the country has been

captured in the Czech Republic and returned to the UK to start a five

year jail term. Magdalena Ferkova from St Ann's became one of

Britain's most wanted fugitives when she fled to her homeland during her

trial. Her gang brought foreign nationals to the UK to illegally

claim over a million pounds in benefits. Four other gang members

were sentenced last year. A hospital is to stop doing hip and

knee operations because it's thought it's not safe enough.

Newark Hospital in Nottinghamshire doesn't have intensive care

facilities or specialist surgical back up on site 24 hours a day. Our

Health Correspondent Rob Sissons reports.

Major surgery was halted here in Newark last summer. The boss of the

trust that runs Newark means the decision will give them more of a

chance to do more do surgery. We are moving in patients surgery and

expanding our daycare surgery in Newark. Newark is already a

significant site for a daycare surgery. We treated something like

1600 patients there last year, but the inpatient work was very small by

comparison, so we're moving the inpatients and expanding our

daycare. Campaigners are unimpressed. It no longer says

accident and emergency here and the removal of other patients is a

further blow. For a hospital to be a hospital, it needs to have a

significant level of urgent care. It is financial saving for keeping

Kingsmill operational, and it is a lack of commitment from the trust.

Managers say in creased day case procedures would include cataract

surgery, removal of skin lesions and more in DOS could be work.

New figures suggest the East Midlands is the best region outside

London at finding new tenants for empty high street shops.

A study of stores affected by recent high profile closures found just 16

per cent of those shops here are still empty. The study, by Deloitte,

suggests the high street recovery is out`performing shopping centres and

retail parks. We have got tyrants and cities who are very keen to

enhance and preserve their towns and city centres. We have actually got

more people in this region wanting to open shops, and you have the

great East Midlands shopper, who wants about their credit card and

use these facilities. Coming together, that means we have vibrant

town centres and high streets. If you're pushing a buggy or you use

a wheelchair ` parked cars on a pavement can turn a simple trip to

the shops into an obstacle course. Now authorities in Leicester are

considering getting tough on motorists and may start handing out

more fines. As part of a review they're asking

people to take photographs of offending vehicles and send them in

to the council. Simon Ward reports. Parking in tight streets is often

frustrating for drivers, and can cause problems for pedestrians and

people with disabilities. Leicester City Council is considering

introducing ?70 fines for people caught parking on pavements. Jolly

good idea. We have so many problems in the street, because it is so

narrow and parking on the pavement is the answer to one of the

problems, but pedestrians and people with Bush years have problems

getting by. Where will they put their car is? I don't think it is a

good idea. If you need to go to a shop just round the corner and pull

upon a double yellow line. The council is asking people to e`mail

in photographs of cars that parked on the pavement. Not at this stage

to find drivers, but to gather evidence for the review. In some

cases, when cars are not on the pavement, that can also cause

problems. Four years ago, we filmed Leicestershire Fire and rescue

service having problems striving down arose when cars are parked. But

the moment, wardens can find drivers parking in restricted areas. The

council has already had more than 100 responses from the public. The

consultation closes at the end of the month.

There is a big debate on that on our Facebook page. Still to come ` we

take a peek inside Bolsover Castle after its painstaking one million

pound make over. The castle was built as a weekend

getaway for one William Cavendish ` complete with ornate training rooms

for his beloved horses. Time now for sport. You're excited,

aren't you? I am excited.

It could be a huge night for Leicester.

Yes, it is a huge night. We will start with Leicester City. If they

win tonight and results over the weekend go their way, they could be

promoted to the Premier League is soon as tomorrow, which is frankly

astonishing. Our sports editor is with us. It is not complicated, but

taken through the permutations. But it simply, two more wins and

Leicester are promoted. It is slightly, dated this weekend,

because they went this evening against Sheffield Wednesday and

Queens Park Rangers lose tomorrow and Derby field to win at

Middlesbrough, Ben Leicester are up. So it did mean the fans are home

sipping beer champagne and watching the results come in when most of our

promoted. The manager was nominated for the manager of the month award

today. He just wants the team to do what. It is a recognition of the

hard work so many people have put into achieving success for the

football club, so yes, nice for me to pick up the award, but it

reflects a solidarity within the club, which underpins everything we

do. It is only the beginning of April, things like this shouldn't

happen. More on Leicester in a moment, but first let's take a look

at the other football stories this weekend. Derby County Head Coach

Steve McClaren goes back to his old club Middlesbrough. A win could put

the Rams back into third place. Meanwhile Nottingham Forest play`off

push continues against Millwall at the City Ground tomorrow. In League

One the Great Escape is still on for Notts County. Mansfield are off to

Morecambe in League Two. Now onto rugby and while the Foxes have gone

an impressive 20 games unbeaten it's nothing compared to the opposition

facing Leicester Tigers tomorrow. They're in France for their biggest

game of the season. A Heineken Cup quarter final at Clermont Auvergne.

A side who are so good they haven't been beaten in their last 74 games

at home. Here's Kirsty Edwards. The Tigers are about to go into the lion

's den. It will be intimidating, it'll be tough, but will be under

pressure, with lots of noises. It is an unbelievable atmosphere, but we

have to try and keep them quiet. They are rarely described as

underdogs, but tomorrow, that is exactly what Tigers will be. As

sportsmen, you look forward to the biggest games. The shackles are off,

it is a win`win situation. If we win, everyone will call it a miracle

and if we don't, everyone will see the expected us to lose. An

intimidating prospect, but this is a chance to make themselves heroes. If

you looked at Clermont Auvergne, it is up there with some of the biggest

results this club has had, but there's a real players has the

opportunity to put a marker down. Given the achievements Tigers have

had, but seeing something that this is big one. Well, the cricket season

starts this weekend. Leicestershire take on Derbyshire while Notts start

against Lancashire. In hockey Beeston Hockey Club take on hosts

Reading as they battle to be crowned English Champions for the second

year in a row. And congratulations to the Leicester Ladies hockey club

who are being given the Freedom of the City tonight. They are one of

the first women's sport club to receive the honour.

You mentioned the rugby, we have mentioned Leicester City and behind

me, you can see a group this could be even bigger for Leicester sport.

This lot are Saint Andrews football club. They are in eight semifinal,

the second leg tomorrow at home. It could lead to big things. What sort

of achievements would this be? Tigers and City going up as well?

Big night for the boys tonight. And even bigger data model for St

Andrews. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they are going

somewhere that a lot of pressure visuals would never get to and

hopefully it is Wembley. `` a lot of repression olds. `` a lot of

professionals. You are from the Northern league, which traditionally

supplies the winners. Yes, we have been in this situation before, but I

have every faith in the lads. We have beat for top sides in the last

four rounds. We have gone my moans and conceded six calls, which shows

you everything about our spirit. We are more than up for it tomorrow.

Just a stones throw away from here tomorrow. Worth going. How much

would you like to make it all a promotion priority? We're not over

the line yet. A little bit of work to do. All right, we're over the

line! Were not exhumation Mike that is still work to do, but it is

exciting times for the football club and have fantastic would it be, the

Tigers, Saint Andrews and City getting what we want. It is going to

be a great weekend and we look forward to seeing all these sides go

up. Give us a cheer. I am going to be very distracted

this weekend, keeping It's one of the jewels in our region's crown. An

eye on that. And this week Bolsover Castle in North Derbyshire reopened

for the summer, after a million pound make over. English Heritage

has restored the little castle in the centre of the grounds and

rebuilt a raised walkway. James Vincent has been for a look

round. English Heritage is hoping the work

it has done here that Bolsover Castle will not only increase

visitor numbers but unlock secrets of the past. William Cavendish built

it as his weekend getaway and somewhere to train horses. Use known

as the father of dressage. `` he is known. The way he contributed as a

great patron of the arts as well as a playboy and lover of pleasure and

delightful company. ?1.3 million has helped restore the high walk around

the castle gardens. It is great to know nobody has walked around here

for a 250 years. Absolutely, it is the first time we have been able to

open it to the public. The views here are incredible. William

Cavendish didn't actually live here. He built Bolsover Castle Julie for

pleasure. One of those pleasures will supply is. The original

17th`century gardens were researched for the restoration and they have

tried to recreate them. The plants at the time work called outlandish,

because they came from different lands and this revolutionised Spring

Gardens. This is a story we can tell at Bolsover. This place was the

cutting edge of 17th`century fashion and culture.

That is what I call a weekend getaway.

Very blue skies there, I guess that wasn't filmed today.

Probably not, because the cloud has been stubborn. Clean air is coming

from the Atlantic, but it is going to be a cloudy weekend and you do

need to allow for some rain, particularly on Sunday. There were

102 sunny spells, but the cloud has been stubborn. It will start to

break up as we go through this evening, to give some clear skies

for a time. The cloud will be back with us by dawn. Temperatures

tonight, seven is degrees Celsius is your minimum. Some patchy rain in

the morning, but it looks like it will ease for a time to give a dry

morning. Try interludes and temperatures not doing too well. But

south`westerly wind is bringing in milder air. 13 or 14 Celsius.

Outbreaks of rain on Sunday, so it is the wet day out of the two.

Further rain on Monday, so if you are planning to the outside this

weekend, Saturday is the best day before the rain on Sunday.

Don't forget your umbrella. Before we go, we want to wish the best of

luck to Sally Barker from Lutterworth in Leicestershire.

Yes, the mother`of`two is one of four contestants performing in the

live final of The Voice tomorrow night. She's been mentored by Tom

Jones in the this year's series of the BBC singing competition. This

week, the programme filmed her as she returned to her home town to

meet friends and family. I am amazed and really pleased to

see so much support, and they want me to win, so I would like to win it

for them as well. There is great aspiration in the county. I think

Leicestershire is expecting me to win, and I will try and do that. We

hope you have a great weekend. Goodbye.

Tonight, Hollywood legends in the studio, we live at Aintree, learning

facts about slinkies and Chris will spend a whole programme auditioning

for Bruce's old job.