05/04/2017 East Midlands Today

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

Tonight - one of Derby's longest running industrial

After all the strikes, protests and marches, Derby's teaching assistants

are finally going back to school after accepting the council's latest

offer. Also tonight, not guilty. The retired teacher accused of raping a

girl almost 30 years ago. Plus, the women offenders given an alternative

to prison. If I didn't have this, I'd be in prison and this has given

me a chance to turn my life around. And join me at the best cafe in

Leicester where they serve the most delicious... Cake!

Did evening to you. Welcome to the programme.

It's taken ten months of industrial action which has seen schools closed

and children missing lessons, but the long running dispute

between Derby's school support staff and the city council

The row began after the authority imposed new contracts on

teaching assistants and other staff, which meant they lost up

They've now voted to accept the terms of the council's latest offer.

Strikes, protests, and demonstrations. This long, bitter

dispute has been conducted with the volume raised. The council leader

hasn't held back. But today both sides were singing from the same

hymn sheet. I'm delighted as an individual and on behalf of the

council and the city. We can put that behind us and school support

staff and teaching assistants can go back to school. Absolutely delighted

for our members. We never wanted to take industrial action but felt we

had to. They have stuck together and it has ultimately resulted in this

offer. The offer includes a ?2 million package paid using council

reserves. It will include one-off payments to the worst affected staff

and the reinstatement of 52 week contracts. Parents we spoke to had

mixed feelings about the news. I understand they got quite a good

offer. Why put is through 60 days of strikes if they are going to give

them what they wanted anyway. I'm pleased both sides are happy. We are

happy. Hopefully it is not going to happen again. I ended up leaving my

job because of the strike because I had no child care. Does the council

over an apology because of the disruption caused? I apologise to

anyone impacted by this. It's not something we take lightly. Some

details are still to be agreed but we are unlikely to see these scenes

again. Still to come this evening -

an alternative to prison. The classroom sessions helping women

turn their lives around. Plus, why we are being urged to swap

the high-fat takeaway A retired teacher from

Nottinghamshire has been found not guilty of three historical

child sex offences. Three women accused

Christopher Metcalfe of targeting them while they were girls

in his care. Our Social Affairs

Correspondent, Jeremy Ball, The trial's finished today,

so what happened to the other Well, the jury here

failed to reach verdicts. On two counts of indecently

assaulting different girls, Because of that, the jury has been

discharged this evening. But Mr Metcalfe left court,

knowing he's been cleared, on all the other charges

he was facing. They included an allegation

that he raped a teenager, from the old Skegby Hall children's

home, where he was working. She claimed he attacked her

in his front room, on this street But he said they simply

dropped his dogs off there, as he gave her a lift

to college So what else did

the jury decide today? They also returned not guilty

verdicts on two further counts One woman said

she was only nine or ten when she claimed she was

touched inappropriately. While Mr Metcalfe

read a story to his primary school

class near Mansfield. The jury also cleared him

of indecently assaulting another young girl, on a farm

where he lived in South Normanton. And the prosecution's been given

three weeks to decide whether to pursue

those two outstanding charges. Nottinghamshire Police say they've

received "a lot of information" following yesterdays appeal

to missing mum Samantha Baldwin. Samantha from Newark

went missing last Monday. It's believed she's with her

two boys, six-year-old Louis Her disappearance comes

after a family court removed the children from Samantha's care

and made them wards of court. they're pursuing many

lines of enquiry. There is a lot of different types of

investigation ongoing with regard to this enquiry. Some of which we can't

speak about but the biggest thing is about keeping this widely open so

people are aware they are still missing and it is really important

she gets in contact or anyone who knows her get in contact.

Leicester Prison is to become the first in the UK to broadcast

an event where volunteers speak to inmates.

Ted X is an international movement, where people from all kinds

An event was held at Leicester's Curve theatre last year.

The talk next month will be about how to stop re-offending.

Two years ago inspectors rated the prison as one

It's now ranked 40th after being placed at 101st.

Two youths have been staging a protest on the roof of a house

in Nottingham for more than ten hours.

Police with riot shields were called to Cloister Street

near the Queen's Medical Centre when the youths began

Officers were in the area as part of an investigation into a burglary.

A number of residents have been moved from their homes

People are being advised to stay away from the area.

Next tonight we give a rare voice to a group of women

They've avoided prison because they've agreed to take part

Instead of being locked up, they go back to the classroom

where they learn how not to re-offend.

Many of them are themselves victims having suffered abuse.

It's being run by the Probation Service who say, although there's no

excuse for offending, hundreds of women are now

When they was passing sentence, I just couldn't take anything in.

As I was in the dock, the judges came out and they passed

the sentence and, at first, I thought they was going to sentence

I've been sent here through the courts to do this,

Here, they learn ways to avoid reoffending.

Do you remember how we looked at challenging some

We spend a couple of hours a week thinking about,

Does that make me happy and, if not, how can I change that?

So far, it's helped around 300 women across the East Midlands.

Because they have children, we've agreed to protect

Their offences range from drugs to common assault.

If I didn't have this, I'd be in prison and this has just

It's made me feel better, my behaviour's better,

The vast majority of women are in prison for a nonviolent offence.

Nearly half of them suffer anxiety and depression.

Just over half were abused as children and a similar number

When women go to prison, it might just be for a couple

of weeks but in that time, they may lose their home,

they may lose their children, they probably lose their jobs.

Doing these programmes, are not about losing

things they are about, saying, OK, how can

how can I make sure I don't end up in this situation ever again?

I'm not doing the things I was doing.

I'm meeting new people, getting out. So, yeah, it's helped me loads.

Do you think, crucially, it will stop you reoffending?

Yeah. Yeah.

Why? Just with the help and support.

I feel a lot better. It's like a family.

And the probation service that started the training say it seems

to be keeping many more people out of trouble and out of prison.

Jo Healy, BBC East Midlands today at Nottingham women's centre.

With us now is Paula Whelan, from the Community

You work on behalf of the government to help women to avoid re-offending.

Among women, they have been going up. How confident are you that this

scheme will work? Very confident. We have feedback from women saying they

have changed their lives around for the better and many women who finish

the programme have done peer mentoring training to help support

other women to stay out of trouble as well. Many of these women are

from very vulnerable places themselves. Absolutely. Many have

experienced child sex abuse or domestic abuse as adults. They've

had very difficult experiences, trauma, that needs to be handled

very carefully in the work that is done with them. In terms of this

scheme, people might say this is women getting special treatment? It

is absolutely not a case of specialist treatment. We have

programmes aimed towards men and historically because of the smaller

number of women in custody and the criminal justice system, most of the

work has been designed to help men and women have been forgotten along

the way. This is to counteract that and give them the support they need.

Does this continue in their lives so cases of reoffending don't come

back? Absolutely. Once they finish the programmes we commission they

can continue attending the centre and access what is there. Also, we

provide support with employment, training, education with other

partners that we work with. It sounds like a great scheme. Thank

you very much indeed. Still to come this evening -

an alternative to prison. And the cafe serving up tea and cake

with a nice hot brew. One in five people in

the East Midlands could be risking potentially fatal health problems

due to their love of takeaways. That's according to

a national charity partnership. It's warning that regularly eating

fast-food, increases the chances of developing conditions like type 2

diabetes and heart disease. So - it's urging us

to swap the "takeaway" Carolyn Moses has been

finding out more. Paying for a takeaway? It seems our

obsession with fast food could risk that happening. The high salt, high

fat content in many meals is worsening our health. In the world

of choice, this is the firm favourite with a quarter of others

preferring the Chinese takeaway. An average portion of spring rolls and

a sweet and sour chicken and rice is an astonishing 2200 calories. That

according to health campaigners is the problem. Takeaway foods tend to

be high in fat, calories and assault. We know that these

nutrients in excess are likely to cause health problems such as type

two diabetes and heart and circulatory disease. That is why we

are trying to support people to create healthy versions of takeaway

is. Alongside traditional fish and chips, this offers fish in light

flour, salad and fish cooked in rapeseed oil. We felt we had a moral

obligation to customers to not necessarily make them think they are

coming in for healthier fish and chips but just giving them healthier

dish in chips and slowly educating them that there is a healthier

option for a fish and chip takeaway. But how many people would choose a

takeaway over a home-cooked version or fake-away? Takeaway, it's easier.

We need to make it ourselves because of money, we are students. Takeaway,

it's quicker. Takeaway to save messing about. Did you realise it

had 2200 calories? I didn't realise that. That is a lot of calories! A

lot of work to do before most of others bring home a healthier

outlook. We are all a bit hungry in here now.

A man who dumped muck on the steps of Derby Crown Court has been

ordered to pay more than twelve hundred pounds in fines

Charles Hirons used a tractor and muck spreader outside

The 49-year-old, who's from Draycott, pleaded guilty

at Derby Magistrates Court to a charge of causing

Two Islamic leaders from Leicester met Pope Francis in Rome today.

Head Imam at Leicester central Mosque, Muhammad Shahid Raza

and Shayk Ibrahim Mogra were part of a delegation led by

the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

It was part of an effort to improve interfaith dialogue between Islam

The Queen has paid tribute to a cavalry regiment which recruits

Her Majesty handed over a heraldic banner, or guidon, as it's known,

to the the Royal Lancers in a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

She said the Lancers were a "force without match" and their loyalty

and devotion had never found to be wanting over more than 300 years.

Derby City Council is to build a 33 million pound leisure complex

on the site of the old Moorways pool which was controversially

The new facility will have three pools - one will be

It's hoped that'll attract international

The complex will open in three years time as Carol Hinds reports.

There are no artist impressions yet of the new facility that will

replace Moorways but Derbyshire City Council has a clear vision.

50 metre, ten lane swimming pool, a separate learning pool and then

also we'll have leisure water which will

have lots of play equipment for younger children, as well as that

there will be 150 stations in the gymnasium and a cafeteria.

The team behind the city of Derby swimming

club are bouyant about the new facility.

In terms of the training facilities it will offer but also

the wider opportunities in Derby for swimming,

developing swimming, encouraging swimming in Derby and

bringing the swimming world to Derby with the competition potential of

But the new complex will come at a price.

Around ?15 million over the original allocated

We will look at potentially borrowing more,

grants which we may be able to draw down and we'll look at, maybe,

partner organisations who may want to join us.

This will be the home of the swimming club where Olympic gold

Members are currently travelling out of the city to find a training pool.

If we do get the access that we are proposed

ability to produce better swimmers would be there.

City councillors will meet next Wednesday.

They are expected to approve plans for

Sounds like good news for Derby, eventually. Adam Peaty there,

swimming. Leeds is neatly into sport.

The goals from the Championship coming up - but there's no

Craig Shakespeare made it six wins from six games since he took over

A week tonight - they'll be in Madrid for the Champions League.

But for now - a chance to reflect on yet another victory.

So Craig Shakespeare had another good night.

Sunderland's manager David Moyes another bad one.

He's been caught up this week in a sexism

His team can't score, can't win, and are bottom of the

It was a double substitution in the second half which changed

Both the subs paired up for the first goal.

Albrighton with the cross, Slimani with the header.

From then on, Leicester started to dominate.

Albrighton was again key to the second.

He provided the hard work and the setup.

Vardy scored his fifth in five games, clinical.

As Leicester's we surgeons continues,

and Craig Shakespeare earns more praise.

Not just only for me, I think for the owners, for the fans,

but also, most importantly, the players because, you know, we're

here to try and win football matches and that's what it's about and

that's what we're doing at the moment.

Leicester may make changes for Sunday's game against Everton

with the Champions League quarterfinal in Madrid

A good win for the Foxes, but the game of the night

Six goals, a hat-trick for David Nugent, and Gary Rowett's

Fulham arrived at pride Park hoping to tighten their grip on a

championship way off place. But Derby and David Nugent had other

ideas. His first goal arrived after eight minutes. The pass was good,

the finish better. Full equalised, a reward for their response after

going behind before Nugent had the chance to restore Derby's lead. His

effort was saved. He made amends from the resulting corner. A smart

finish over the shoulder for number two. He didn't need any help from

his team-mates on this one. His endeavour rewarded with his first

match ball for five years and just his second career trouble. A mistake

from the Fulham goalkeeper paved the way for Johnny Russell to fire home.

Even a second for the visitors didn't take the shine of the win.

Derby seven points off the play-offs with six games to go.

It was another frustrating night for Nottingham Forest.

They played well again at Wolves - but ended up losing.

Thankfully for them, their relegation rivals also lost -

leaving Forest two points above the drop zone.

Forest had again been impressive - and might well have taken

the lead on the hour as the Wolves defence struggled.

And within a minute had scored the only goal of the night -

that leaves Forest uncomfortably close to the drop zone.

Tennis and Nottingham-based Dan Evans will be a key member

of Britain's Davis Cup team to play France in

Andy Murray's injured, so Evans is likely to play

And Derby teenager Jay Clarke is also with the team

He's been drafted in to train with the squad.

It's great being with these guys every day. My level is improving.

You can't beat this experience. There are not many things that can

beat it, really. That's it for tonight. Tomorrow, the start of the

cricket season is upon us. No way! What wonderful news. It is lovely

and summary. There aren't many things in life

that beat the simple pleasures And now at one school in Leicester,

this Great British past-time is helping to teach new skills

to young people with profound That's because Nether Hall School

in the city has opened a caf , which also caters for residents

from a local residential home. A pop-up cafe with a difference

at Nether Hall school in Leicester. every fortnight, students

here welcome residents from a residential home to eat

the cakes they've baked and then Students, have you all said

good afternoon to everyone? Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. It just gives the children

the chance to develop their life skills and their working skills

so that they can get employment when they're older,

learning basic kitchen hygiene and learning how to deal

with members of the public and it's really about skilling them for life

so that they've got more opportunities

when they leave school. It's a new idea which is working

well, students are happy and so it It's nice to get out and meet

people, different people. The children are absolutely

brilliant, aren't they? Very, very nice because the students

are students, that's enough. Running the cafe teaches pupils

new skills, from concentrating I learned to make a hot

drink of tea and coffee. I mean, look at the faces

of the students and the residents. They're so happy

that the main thing. That's the reason we're

doing it every week. They get so much out of it

and we're very grateful that they have this opportunity

to work together. By this summer, the cafe hopes

to have made enough money to take all the students out

for afternoon tea. Here, they are happy to work

and every shift ends with a reward. What a great way to end the working

day because the wages It's good. Victoria Hicks with a

Victoria sponge. There's been so much food on this programme. We've

had fish and chips, we've had cake. And now Mel with another treat. You

are very kind. Where the cloud has broken, we've had some spring

sunshine. Lots of blue sky around this morning before cloud started to

spill in from the North West. Not quite as extensive as we'd initially

thought. It was quite fragmented allowing decent spells of sunshine

to peep through. High pressure remains in charge over the next few

days. Its finance settled. We'll be chasing the cloud. Plenty of breaks

allowing for spells of spring sunshine to peep through. For most

others, a fair amount of cloud throughout the night. Any lengthy

clear spells through the night will mean temperatures drop down close to

freezing in the sheltered wrought spots. On the whole, lows of seven

or eight Celsius. Tomorrow, little changes. The cloud will lift and

break to allow a few brighter spells. The wind will be lighter.

Temperatures not doing badly. Highs of around 11 Celsius. A repeat

performance into Friday. The cloud will break a little more readily so

most of us seeing sunshine from time to time. Then, change on the cards.

The high-pressure drifts down to the continent allowing warm air in from

the continent. Temperatures will be on the rise. On the end of Sunday,

temperatures of around 18 Celsius. Some extra sport news.

If you were watching last night we bought

you the story of Travis Hackett, the young Leicester City fan

from America, who got the chance to see his team play up close.

Travis, is a cancer patient who has been watching the Leicester City

Well last night he was at the King Power Stadium.

Not only that, he was a team mascot and showed off his own

And of course, to make the night even more special,

Leicester beat Sunderland by two goals to nil.

I reckon he could pass on some of those skills. Remember the Harlem

globetrotter is? They could do that. I've always wanted

CHILD: This is a major scientific breakthrough.

Hello. It's All Round to Mrs Brown's, where my guests will be