24/04/2014 East Midlands Today

This is East Midlands Today. First serious

This is East Midlands Today. First tonight: Fears youngsters here are

being drawn into Syria's civil war. While some are volunteering to

fight, community leaders warned disreputable charities are loving

people in. People are being brainwashed. Lots of people are

being killed. Juries are shown CCTV of the fire

that killed four members of the same family.

We on the road to the European elections.

The town where time stood still for three months get its famous clock up

and running. Good evening and welcome to

Thursday's programme. First tonight, worried mothers are

backing a campaign to stop young men travelling to Syria to fight in the

civil war. Today, police and Muslim charities

in Nottingham warned that, while some of these men are volunteering

to fight, others who go to support victims end up being radicalised.

But a Leicester MP who deals with terrorist policing says he doesn't

believe this campaign. Young men from going to war. Our Social

Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy Ball, reports.

An appeal to mothers and sisters in Nottingham, an appeal to use their

powers of persuasion to stop British Muslim men from joining a civil war

that is happening thousands of miles away. I am worried. People have been

brainwashed. Lots of Britons have been killed. Going there to fight is

not an option. It will just add to the problems. Getting involved in a

conflict that is brutal and has already cost thousands of lives.

Maybe feel they are under an obligation. I am dealing with a boy

in Nottinghamshire who has ideas about travelling to Syria and I am

going through a process of talking to them. I am worried about him

getting himself killed. Going out there is not what we are

recommending. Police have appealed to women for help. They warned that

people make it back alive could be arrested for terrorism. One

Leicester MP says the strategy won't work. All the evidence suggests

that... The people you need to go to our peer groups. Today's campaign is

being supported by two leading charities. They are sending aid

supplies to Syria. They say that is the most effective way to help

victims. You need to make sure which area you are going to and which

groups are working there. Sometimes people can get misused. It is about

spreading a message. They are hoping it can save lives.

A murder trial jury's been shown CCTV footage of the moment a fire

was started at the house in which a mum and her three children died.

Nottingham Crown Court heard the blaze was deliberately started by a

gang of men who'd wanted to avenge the death of their friend just hours

earlier. But they'd targeted the wrong house. Sarah Teale reports

from Nottingham Crown Court. The house was set alight in the

early hours of September 13 last year. The mother and her three

children. They all died. Their father and husband who was in Dublin

at the time sat in court watching the CCTV being played to the jury.

The footage first shows two cars driving past the house on Woodhill

with their lights switched off. The vehicles parked around the corner

and eight figures are seen walking back towards the house. Then CCTV is

shown on monitors around the court, frames can clearly been seen

flickering at the family home at the fire takes hold. Three figures are

then spotted walking away from `` running away from the scene. The QC

described how a neighbour heard panicking noises coming from the

house, crying noises, and calls for help. It is alleged seven men were

responsible. The jury heard it was revenge for the murder of a

20`year`old man who had been stabbed near by. The gang had targeting the

wrong house, the court was told. The jury was shown CCTV that the man the

prosecution say was the defendants. They say he got out of the car and

dispose of it in a hedge. The court heard how DNA from another defendant

was found on a red cigarette lighter which police officers discovered in

rubble. All the men deny four separate counts of murder.

Seven o'clock is fast approaching, but plenty

two Labour MPs have waded into the debate over a specific type of

mango. As we were telling you last night, Alphonso mangos from India

will no longer be available in the UK from next month. It's after a

fruit fly was found in some imports. East Midlands businesses say they'll

lose thousands of pounds. The Leicester East MP Keith Vaz wants

the European Commission to defer the ban, while Leicester South MP Jon

Ashworth has raised concerns with the Environment Secretary.

A court's been hearing how dead animals were recovered from an

animal sanctuary in Derbyshire. The centre kept dozens of rescued

animals including goats and pigs. It was run by 27`year`old Lindsay

Newell. She's on trial at Stafford Magistrates Court accused of 31

charges of animal neglect. Today, RSPCA inspectors said they found a

dead sheep and pig at the centre in November 2012.

The number of women who are missing vital tests for cervical cancer is

growing faster in the East Midlands than anywhere else in the country.

There's been a 17% rise in missed appointments, according to figures

released today by the Labour Party. Four years ago, there were almost

232,000 women who failed to turn up for the test.

That's now grown to 270,000, an increase of just over 38,500. So

what are the reasons why more women are missing the test?

Here to explain more is our Health Correspondent Rob Sissons. There

could be many reasons for this couldn't there?

That's right. You get a letter inviting you for a test and it goes

to the side and it stays there and you forget about it. Easy to do. We

also know that people are sometimes put off by the test itself. Not the

most pleasant thing in the world. It takes a few minutes and is a test

for abnormal cells. It can reveal whether or not there are changes

that can lead to cancer and has been credited with saving thousands of

lives every year since the screening was introduced. Here are the slides

that they analyse that can pick up abnormalities and leads to more

surveillance, surgery that could go on to save your life. Today,

Labour's Shadow Health Minister was clear about what she thought was the

reason behind it, she says problems accessing primary care.

One in three women who missed or delayed their smear test say it is

because they could not get a convenient appointment. We have to

increase public awareness and make those appointments convenient for

women so they don't have to choose between their work and their health.

That is what I would like to see the Government do.

What's been the reaction to Labour's claims? Something of a war of words

today between the political parties. The Department of Health told us and

the work they use is that it is disingenuous to suggest that more

women are unable to access GP appointments for these tests. The

Government stresses they are improving access to primary care,

something labour dispute. Something that everyone agrees with is the

need for more awareness. It is sometime since the high`profile case

of Jade Goody led to a surge in the take`up of these tests.

We should remember how lucky we are to have them.

A trial has been told that a bull is being wrongly accused of killing a

man who walked across a field near Loughborough. The farmer who owns

the animal claims it's a case of mistaken identity. Paul Waterfall is

in court accused of manslaughter by gross negligence for allegedly

allowing the bull to attack 63`year`old Roger Freeman three

years ago. James Roberson reports. Today, Paul waterfall and his wife

arrived at Crown Court. Also there... In 2010, she and her

husband started walking a public footpath across a field. Halfway

across, they were attacked by the prosecution claim able called Zak.

Mr Freeman was killed, Mrs Freeman was seriously injured. Today, Paul

Waterfall told the jury he considered Zak docile. Mr Waterfall

was axed by his barrister whether he saw Zack being nastier. No. Did you

ever have a problem with him? No. Did you ever see any aggression in

him? No. The jury has already heard that not only did Zack attacked the

Freemans, but also three electricity engineers. Mrs Freeman and two of

the engineers said the poll had longhorns, but Zak had no horns. The

defence believes Zak is not the attacker. The jury was told this

defendant could only have been negligent if he knew that Zak was

not safe. It is my contention that Mr Waterfall had no such knowledge.

The trial continues. Traders in a Nottinghamshire town

say they're fighting back after months of chaos caused by the

building of a new tram line. Businesses in Beeston near

Nottingham have been struggling to keep going during the construction

work. But today a new shop opened bringing 20 jobs. Simon Ward is

there now. After months of despair, are the traders more optimistic

tonight? They are. The Government and others

tell us the economy is moving in the right direction, so perhaps this is

a good example of that. Behind me, the work to extreme # extend the

tram network is... It has affected trade. Now people say business is

doing well here. If you go down any High Street, you are likely to see

vacant shops, including here. But with today's opening of a new shop,

business leaders say it is assigned the town is improving. This unit has

been vacant for a while. To have a national retailer wanting to invest

into the town in a time where it is getting a bit of a bad reputation, I

think it is fantastic. It is the opportunities here. It helps people

not have to go to the city centre. It gives people more understanding

of where we are going and we are trying to expand. We are opening all

the time. The ongoing work to extend the

network has caused problems for traders.

This shop has relied on customers who enjoy using an independent

business that started here in 1908. It is now run by a fourth`generation

of same family. On a fine day like today, but when it is raining people

don't want to come because of the roadworks and traffic problems. But

on a sunny day, people make efforts. It is very whether orientated.

With extra shoppers coming year, let's hope the cash will stay on the

High Street. A local MP is leading a campaign for

compensation for local traders who have been disrupted by all this work

that is going on, but interestingly the independent grocer you just saw

said will not be applying for it. The

traders will be happier once the work is finished later in the year.

There's just a month to go until we get the chance to vote for the five

MEPs that will represent the East Midlands in the European Parliament.

But with the Euro constituency so huge, will we even notice there's an

election on? Yes, 400 million people across

Europe will have the chance to vote for the politicians who are having a

greater say over decisions taken in Brussels.

With more, here's our Political Editor John Hess.

A date for your diary ` Thursday May 22nd. Polling day for the elections

to the Europe Parliament. But what powers do our MEPs actually have?

They can vote down the EU's annual ?720billion budget, scrutinise and

propose EU laws. You may have heard of Jose Manuel Barroso. Well, for

the first time, MEPs will elect the next president of EU's government,

the Commission. With a Tintin lookalike and a range

of continental beers, it is hard to believe that this cafe is actually

in the heart of Leicester. Its owner came to Leicester from Turkey. While

he loves Brussels, mention the European Union and he gets all the

Eurosceptic. The way it's going, I don't think the majority are happy

with it. Especially people in England. In contrast, his assistant

wants us to embrace the EU. I think if it could just get friendlier,

more together again... So what will these elections be about? The

economy, jobs, immigration, the environment, even our very

membership of the EU itself. Yet with only a third of us actually

bothering to vote last time, how many will take any notice? I feel

that Brussels rules us almost. But I don't feel that we can make a

difference by voting. We ought to come out of the EU. No, we don't

want to come out, then we'll lose business. Listen... And, Imean, the

shop that I work in, hardly anyone there knows what it's about. Will

you be voting in these elections? Yes. I'm not telling you I'm voting

for. `` who I'm voting for. We have five MEPs:

The system of voting is different. Believe it or not, this is me from

15 years ago in the potting shed attempting to explain proportional

representation. And the Liberal Democrats attracting

14% of the electorate would make the breakthrough.

These elections have not exactly fired the voters' enthusiasm in the

past. If more than a third of us vote, it will be regarded as a

success. And here's the list of all the

parties standing for the European elections in the East Midlands.

Nominations closed at four o'clock this afternoon. UKIP will be unhappy

that a breakaway faction called An Alternative From Europe, UK

Independence Now is fielding a full slate of candidates, and gets to be

at the top of the ballot form. There's another new one ` The

Harmony Party. It's also anti`EU. And with nine parties in total on

the ballot form, we're certainly not spoilt for choice.

Colin is just around the corner, both time`wise and literally with

tonight's sport. And we visit the town where time is

finally moving on after being stuck at tea`time for months!

First, Nottingham Forest. Before Easter, they were 12 league games

without a win, out of the playoff places and looked like going

nowhere. But what a difference two games can make. After successive

wins, they're back in the chase for the Premier League. Angela Rafferty

reports. It has been a remarkable recovery.

Just when it looked like they had run out of time, Forest finally

found some form. Could they still make it to the play`offs?

There isn't really pressure on us. The pressure is on clubs above us to

make sure they stay in the play`off places. Our job is to get there. We

have to concentrate on our own performance. Their fate may lie in

this man's hands. He has played just six games this campaign. He could be

in goal for the games that incorporates the season. We gave

ourselves a chance. We picked up two great results, it may become an

exciting end to the season. That is something you want as a player, you

want to stay involved. Don't give up, no matter what happens. One man

who never gave up hope, believes they can still do it. We're looking

at players and we will give it... We want to put 11 players out there

that fans are proud of and give a performance that a football club of

this size should do. Two points off the play`offs with just two games to

go. If they dare to dream, the time is now.

Leicester City's manager Nigel Pearson says he's confident his new

contract with the club will be sorted out soon. He's out of

contract in the summer, but says the team's success should mean it will

sort itself out. I'm not too concerned about the

situation. I've enjoyed doing my job here and I look forward to hopefully

keeping that going. A Nottingham fitness instructor

wants to see pole dancing became an Olympic sport. Kat Humphrey gave up

her steady job as a psychology lecturer at Nottingham Trent

University to compete in the sport she loves. She now runs a successful

business teaching pole dancing at gyms across the region. Jeremy

Nicholas reports. Nottingham's Albert Hall at the

weekend and a predominantly female audience watching competitive pole

dancing. Kat Humphrey is one of the best in the country and she wants to

see it in the Olympics. It is another gymnastic art. You've got

the parallel bars, and the uneven bars, it's just another bar, it's a

vertical bar. I would like to show you some of my moves, but, sadly,

Kat has a group coming in. Beautiful. This mother and daughter

have just taken it up. Basically, for my general fitness. I started in

August and I have never looked back. It's great fun. Beautiful. Eight

months ago, I could barely move and thanks to her, it's been amazing

ever since. Squeeze those thighs, straight in the legs. I get quite a

lot of mother`daughter couples. I get older people, young people,

little people and large people. It is fun, we do spend a lot of time

laughing, don't we? There is still a stereotype. It is

unfortunate. It has come a long way since I started. She is on a mission

to improve the image of her sport. She even takes the pole up

mountains. Yes, I was the first person to pole dance on Ben Nevis. I

carried a freestanding pole eight hours. I then danced at the top. I

performed some tricks, I got quite a crowd.

We have had St George's Day, but now it is all about the poles. Either

way, let's salute the flag. And now to the town where time no

longer stands still. For the past three months, Chesterfield's most

famous clock has been stuck at five past six. But the dials on the

crooked spire tower are working again after some lofty repairs to

the 85`year`old mechanism. At 1045, they decided it was high

time Chesterfield got its clock back. A team from the clockmakers

dangled from 90 feet up to attend the hands. Each of the copper hands

that are being reattached way about ?10 and each are covered in 23.5

carat gold leaf. Not having their clock working left the locals in a

spin. It always through us. It would be great to have it back. It looks

really odd without the fingers on. we have stopped looking for so

long. The clock packed up because 85`year`old brass bearings well worn

out. They will last another 85 years on the work we have just done. We

cannot guarantee that something else might go wrong within the next 85

years, but the work we have done, guaranteed for 85 years as a

minimum. The bill could lose ?10,000, but the council say it is

money well spent. People appreciate the clock. People want to see a

working clock on the crooked spire. I think it is worthwhile. Folklore

would have us believe that the crooked spire was formed by a virgin

marrying in the church. Unseasoned wood is a better explanation.

We are expecting April showers to end of the week. Today has not been

bad. We have had 17 Celsius. Thank you to David, this was taken at

Colombo Park. Tomorrow, it is all change. A cloudy story and we are

expecting outbreaks of rain and maybe even some thunder. This

evening, still clear skies around, but as we go through the evening we

starts to see low cloud feeding in from the North Sea. Also some

missed. A cloudy night. The cloud holds temperatures up, lows of eight

Celsius. Cloudy, misty, murky start to Friday, but a dry start. As we go

through the morning, we start to see rain arrived from the south.

Outbreaks potentially becoming heavily towards the end of the

afternoon with a risk of some thunder in rush hour. A real change

in the field to things tomorrow with only a high of 13 Celsius. Looking

at your weekend, here is the low pressure coming in from the West

giving us a spell of rain through Saturday morning. Once it clears

away, it is an improving story. Some sunshine around and they are

scattered shower. On Sunday, typical for the time of the year, sunshine

and April showers. Temperatures aren't too bad. Saturday improves in

the afternoon. Proper spring weather, really.

Afternoon dog walking, not in the morning.

We'll have the latest at 10:25pm. All across the country,

millions of families are waking up to a Britain in which they

find it harder to get on. Whilst the Government keeps

telling people everything is fixed, no longer stops the pound

in their pocket getting smaller or the bills getting

harder to afford. gas and electricity bills have

increased by more than ?300 whilst the energy companies

are making huge profits. not a luxury but an essential

for millions of working families -