25/01/2017 East Midlands Today

It's almost 6.30pm, you're watching East Midlands Today.

Tonight - Prince Charles wows the crowds in Leicester

He stops traffic and turns a few heads in Leicester's Narborough

Road. And coming down the track, a warm welcome at a Heritage Railway.

Also tonight, it taxi driver is fined for his refusal to take eight

guide dog. I was confused because I was scared of the dog. I didn't know

the difference between normal dog and eight guide dog.

Protest of Leicester City Council over school support staff.

In sport, what is happening at Nottingham Forest? We talked to

owner Fawaz Al Hasawi. Welcome to Wednesday's

programme with Anne Davies First tonight - a rapturous welcome

for his royal highness the Prince of Wales

in Leicester and Leicestershire. He's had a busy day

chatting with teenagers who benefit from his charities,

dropping in on the Army and topping it all off

with a trip on a steam train. He also took time out to do some

shopping and visit a few eateries. Jo Healey is at one

of the restaurants he went to on the Narborough

Road. It was named the most multi cultural

street in the country. It has 200 shops representing

at least 23 nationalities. The vast majority of shopkeepers

speak two languages, I'm in the Istanbul

restaurant, one of the places I have just graduated and seen

Prince Charles, fantastic. I am so happy that I am

part of Great Britain. The royal family, you feel

as if they are part of our family. And one of the family took a stroll

today down their street. It was amazing, you know,

I can't believe he came in. He is gorgeous and I

think he's kind. He's got a very good

sense of humour. I adore Her Majesty

and the Royal family. It is great to see somebody

who is so interested in what we do, how we do it

and also with all the staff. He had the chat with

everybody, it was just like The girls made this cake

and decorated it in He said to the girls,

you are genius. Earlier he had been

at Leicester College where it was all about the teenagers

at the heart of the charity he set up for them through the Prince's

Trust. Next up, a lesson in work being done

by the army to strengthen relationships with minority

and faith groups. Meanwhile, back at

Narborough Road, and the gift stuffy hamper of ethnic delicacies

at the local library. He wants to keep

the libraries open. No cuts there then but maybe

a haircut here, Sir? You started this business through

the Prince's Trust, didn't you? Did you ever expect when you set up

the business that he Even the chances of winning

the lottery are similar. A feeling shared today

by many here in Leicester. You saw his car driving away there.

He was heading to the Mountsorrel railway. They have been doing

incredible work there over the years. We will have the report on

that visit later on in the programme.

An inquest into the deaths of 30 British tourists in Tunisia has been

told one of the victims, a Derby man, was shot in the chest,

42-year-old Scott Chalkley from Chaddesden was relaxing

on the sunloungers with his partner Suzanne Davey when a gunman

Speaking at the inquest, her son said Scott was a good guy,

who brought his mother a lot of happiness.

More than a quarter of a million people have signed petitions

opposing proposals to begin fracking in Nottinghamshire.

The petitions were handed over to Environment Minister Andrea Leadsom

Earlier this month chemical giant, INEOS Shale confirmed

it was in negotiations to begin surveys in Sherwood Forest but

A mother speaks for the first time about the loss of her son

who was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend in

A taxi driver from Leicester who told a man with a guide dog

it was against his religion to let the animal in his car has been

44-year-old Abandi Kassim, a Muslim, was filmed refusing to let the

Kassim today admitted breaking the law by refusing

July last year and Charles Block is trying to take it taxi he ordered

for himself, his guide dog and his girlfriend who started filming the

exchange when it became clear the driver might refuse them. I am not

taking the dog. Why? It is illegal for taxi drivers to

refuse assistance dogs unless they have an approved medical exemption.

Today, Abandi Kassim was fined ?600 including costs after he admitted

breaking the equality law. What have you got to say? I apologise to him.

I didn't have a chance to apologise to him. You said it is because of

your religion. I was confused because I was scared

of the dog. I did not know the difference between a normal dog and

guide dog. The majesties save today it is your duty to comply with the

law and to be aware of this, you have to take assistance dogs. Now I

learn. It is the mistake. I made the mistake but for me it was out of

lack training. This afternoon, Charles bloggers

take that gave his reaction. I always look up the ability not the

disability, that is how I have been brought up. I tried not make it

affect life. Instances like this make me feel I am the majority --

minority, the person who is not given as much respect and courtesy

as somebody else. Fawaz Al Abandi Kassim says he has learned

about guidebooks and will take them in his taxi in future.

Parents and teaching assistants protested

inside Derby City Council's offices this afternoon against

the authority's ongoing dispute with school support staff.

An equal pay review last year saw many teaching

assistants' salaries cut and they've gone on strike repeatedly.

The city council has made offers to end the dispute

but they've been rejected by union members.

Bells and whistles. As the disputes between Derby City Council and

school support staff took the noisier turn today as parents join

the debate. We support the teaching assistants in what they are doing

but it is important to focus on the children who are losing out on their

education. They were not going to stay outside the council house for

their protest, which was also supported by teaching assistants.

The parents are backing the teaching assistants, many of whom have seen

their pay cut by 25% due to changes to the terms and conditions of their

contracts brought about by the equal pay review last year. But their main

concern is that children's education which they say is suffering because

of the strikes. We don't know if we are coming or going. We have had so

many days off, I can't count. His behaviour has got worse. It is clear

who the protesters wanted to speak to, the leader of the council. They

may not have got the chance to speak to him both ten parents were invited

for the meeting with the Cabinet member for jobs and employment,

Councillor Lisa Eldridge. How did it go? I feel we're going round in

circles. They have agreed to meet again in two months' time. Can you

see an end to this? Hopefully, but no.

Well, earlier in the day our reporter Navtej Johal interviewed

Councillor Lisa Eldret and began by asking her whether she had any

regrets about how the council has handled this dispute.

Nobody wants to be in this situation and we are very unhappy about the

disruption that has been caused to schools and to children's

We really want Unison to end the strikes so they can come back

to the table and talk about the resolution.

What is the reason behind the dispute?

Why can't you meet the demands that have been put

The reality is these workers were being paid a full-time wage

If we carry on with that situation it could have wider

implications for the authority in terms of other groups of workers

The risk of that and the potential cost to the

authority could be huge and essentially could bankrupt the

So we have to look at the bigger picture when we are looking

We can't look at the teaching assistants in isolation.

I don't want to under estimate the impact on that

very small number of workers within schools, on that 40 who have

We do recognise that impact but that is why we have been

working with schools to try and find a solution and that is why we have

put a significant offer on the table to Unison, ?1.1 million, to mitigate

What will it take to bring an end to this dispute?

The only way we can end this dispute is by Unison

Continuing industrial action is not going to resolve this dispute.

A 90-year-old man has gone on trial accused of historical

sex crimes at an approved school, while he was a

Nottingham Crown Court heard that Dennis Young repeatedly abused

a young boy who was in his care at Skegby Hall near Mansfield.

Our Social Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy Ball, reports.

Dennis Young watched intently from the dock as a police video

interview with his accuser was played to the jury.

In it he gave a graphic and detailed account

of abuse that began, he said, when he was only ten years old.

He said he was interfered with repeatedly for around three years,

sometimes in the bath, sometimes in his own bed.

The jury has been told Dennis Young has denied seven charges of indecent

assault, crimes he is accused of committing whilst he was a teacher

He was eventually arrested as part of

Operation Xeres, the police inquiry into historical abuse in

We heard his accuser was sent to Skegby Hall for committing

He said he used to lie in bed at night in fear of Dennis Young,

he was bribed to keep quiet with sweets, he said,

and threatened that if he said anything he would be

We also heard he complained to the approved school's head

but he was told "not to be a silly boy".

That police interview also showed a detective

asking him why he came forward after more than 50 years.

He said, "to get it off my chest, I am ashamed.

"I feel guilty as though it is my fault".

He also said, "the slightest thing can set me off.

We heard that Dennis Young told the police the man's allegations

were impossible and his trial here is due to last

A mother has been speaking for the first time about the loss

of her son, who was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend

A murder trial heard that after Emma Jayne-Magson

stabbed James Knight, she delayed making a call

Mr Knight's mother says she can't understand how someone

But she's told us she's determined that some good will come

In the early hours of Easter Sunday last March, neighbours on Sylvan

Street in Leicester were awoken by a drunken row between a couple.

It ended with 26-year-old James Knight being stabbed in the

His girlfriend, Emma-Jayne Magson, claimed he

had been fighting with bouncers but she had murdered him

with a steak knife, and then over half an hour later calmly phoned

My boyfriend James is making weird noises.

James, I've got the ambulance on the phone.

Please, just turn around so I know what is up with you.

That call still haunts James's mother.

They said in court that you can hear James's last breath

That is half an hour after it had happened.

She is just so calm, she doesn't mention he has been stabbed.

The paramedics says to her there will be a delay and she just said,

It might take a while so I do apologise.

Don't worry, that is fine, dont' worry about it.

The fact that I can't comprehend how somebody can

not call for help when something's happened, not call for help.

I can't get that into my head that you can actually, to me,

Trish is determined that James, who had two young daughters from

a previous relationship, is not forgotten.

She is backing the Leicester anti-knife project and

along with family and friends is helping put on a football

tournament next month to raise money for a cause dear to them.

We want to do something good in his name.

We have gone for the neonatal unit this year.

James himself was born prematurely and was cared for by the unit.

His mother says her son's death is like a dream she

just wants to wake up from but one that will never end.

He was a rogue, he was lovable, he was James.

The Prince now standing on platform two.

We continue our coverage of the visit by Prince Charles

to Leicestershire which built up a bit of a head of steam

It is sport now. We have got bit of an exclusive coming up again. We

like to bring you those. We start tonight with an exclusive

interview with the Nottingham Forest It's his first since the collapse

of the planned takeover by an American consortium

two weeks ago. That breakdown sparked a large

protest amongst fans at the weekend. But tonight Al Hasawi has told our

sports editor Natalie Jackson that the deal is dead

and he doesn't want to sell. He's been speaking at his home

in Mayfair in London. First of all, we heard the Americans

would still like to do a deal with you. Is the deal dead with the

Americans? Yes, it is. The deal is finished. Why?

I cannot say why because that is the confidentiality between us. I cannot

say anything about the deal. But the deal is over between us. You have

tried to sell the club twice in the last year. Do you still want to sell

its? At the moment, I am not going to sell the club. I would like to

focus on the club and I would like to build a structure for this club

and I would like to put the right people in the club. People will

think that I am lying or just saying things, it is not going to happen.

We have heard this before. I agree. I will let action talk better than

words. By trying to sell the club, you have left the club as a shell.

Hardly any people are working there at the moment, there is no chief

executive, no chief scout. There is an interim manager at the moment. It

is MS. Why have you left the club get like this? I have told you, are

you wriggle out was committed to eight by and I cannot do anything.

Every time I was talking to the buyer, I was telling them the club

needs a structure. You have been at the club four and half years, you

have sacked seven managers. There is too dramatic sales which have fallen

through. There's talk about the manager. Will

you sort out the situation at the club? Of course I will. Where are

the managers now? Putting that aside, you are now near the

relegation zone. You are now in trouble, you have no structure in

the club. You have fans protesting in the car park. How are you going

to win their trust? I don't blame them. As I told you,

that is no structure. One year, my hand is tight. Now I can tell them

and they promised them that I will do the right thing for Nottingham

Forest. I don't want them to say, you are always talking like this and

nothing happened. It will happen and you will see action soon.

That happened this afternoon. I am watching that for the first time

this afternoon. Well, Forest do play that

match with Leeds tonight and Matchnight will start at 7.00pm

on BBC Radio Nottingham featuring a longer version of that

interview with Fawaz Al Hasawi. And if you miss it there, or just

want to see and hear it again, it'll soon be there in full

on the BBC Nottingham Derby County's David Nugent

is facing a race to be fit to face his former club

Leicester City in the FA Cup The game is live here on BBC1

and Derby's manager, Steve McClaren, says despite the dip in form

the Premier League team have But they still are, in cup

competitions as we saw in the Champions League,

a formidable opponent on that day. We have to make sure on Friday

it is not their day or night. Derby County have signed young

winger Kyle McAlistair from St Mirren, whilst Jamie Hanson

leaves the club to go Meanwhile Leicester's Matty James

has joined Barnsley on loan. And speaking of Leicester

and that game against Derby today I had the pleasure of

meeting the Foxes' A great lad and really looking

forward to Friday's match. In rugby, the Leicester Tigers have

made a loan signing to help The French back Maxime Mermoz

joins from Toulon until While in ice hockey, Nottingham

Panther's defence of their Challenge Cup title continues this

evening with a semi-final first leg against arch rivals

Sheffield Steelers. And back to football finally

because Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has picked

up another award today. He's been given an honorary

doctorate by De Montfort University, after leading the Foxes

to an unlikely Premier League I think you will agree he is facing

another test this season. Certainly is. What great sport

action. Now, returning to today's visit

by Prince Charles to Leicestershire Only in this case, the train

in question was "royal" by reason of its driver,

the Prince himself! Yes, Prince Charles

was delighted to have a go on the Mountsorrel Railway,

and meet volunteers at the Community Centre,

who've laboured long and hard to bring this branch

line back to life. Two and enthusiastic welcome, Prince

Charles arrives chauffeur driven at the halt on the one mile railway.

But for once the Prince was about to turn chauffeur himself. He took the

control on the short trip to see the hand is more assembled. Among them,

volunteer Kevin who comes over from his home in Paris to work on the

line. I come over every ski weeks and work on the great Central and I

have worked on this project. Obviously, helping to make something

like this work, it is worth the trip. The Prince also met more of

the 120 volunteers who have worked for ten years to restore the line,

build the station Satka bikes and the Heritage Centre and tearooms.

The Prince sank the visitors book and then unveiled eight track. Lost

for words. He to rove the steam train. The volunteers are made up.

It is the sort of best thank you for their hard work. I met him and they

shook his hand. What is that like? Eight pleasure. I shook his hand it

is really exciting to stop when he drove past he looked at me and I

think he smiled. That was so cool. You can feel the excitement coming

through the TV! And you can see more

on our Facebook page. I thought is was cold today but

apparently there is If you thought today was cold

tomorrow is definitely going to feel that bit colder. Today we saw some

blue skies further north. This beautiful photo sent in by the

weather watcher in Nottinghamshire but there was the mist and fog

around to as well. We have got high pressure out of the east and low

pressure to the west and then as the battle going on between those. It

does mean over the next few days we are starting to draw air in from the

continent so it will be cold. We are cloudy through the night night and

mostly dry although we could see spots of drizzle and the odd flurry

of snow. Falling to minus two Celsius. We will see widespread

frost and the chance of seeing a few patches ice. Because that the day

tomorrow and eight cloudy when. We have got plenty of cloud are bit of

hill fog. They might be a few breaks but it largely cloudy day with

temperatures reaching maximum two Celsius. But when we add that breeze

it will feel colder. We're looking at of around minus 4 degrees. As he

moved into Friday we start to draw in some air from the south silly

slight shift with those winds that it will make the difference. It

bitter brightness -- eight bit of brightness. We see the temperature

recovering, maximum of six Celsius. They will rise as we go into the

weekend but a chilly day on the way tomorrow. Fine is like minus four

Celsius. Minus for! Crikey. Lots of reaction

on social media with the interview with Fawaz Al Hasawi. Natalie

reflecting their fans. I will be back with the late news. Goodbye.