16/01/2017 East Midlands Today

Kier Starmer as well. Join me now on BBC Two.

And now the news for the East Midlands, I'm Anne Davies.

First tonight, figures obtained by the BBC show 500 people

in our region have died from an asbestos-related cancer over

Derby has emerged as a hot spot for Mesothelioma,

with one trade union linking it to the city's industrial heritage.

Meanwhile, a specialist centre in Leicester says it's offering

new treatments for the disease, as Mike O'Sullivan reports.

Retired vicar Richard Bailey and his wife Marilyn

from Walton-on-Trent in Derbyshire were told he had

It's an incurable cancer caused by breathing in asbestos dust.

He started his working life as a 14-year-old apprentice joiner.

Cutting up all the asbestos on the circular saws,

then filing, cutting, screwing, drilling, everything that

goes with applying the asbestos sheets to the wood frames.

Asbestos was banned in 1999, after being widely used in industry

It's claimed many lives but figures obtained by the BBC show more

than 500 people in our region have died from mesothelioma

Derby has emerged as a regional hot spot, with 30 deaths in that time,

more than any other city or district.

A union official told me he believes it's linked

to Derby's industrial legacy, especially train-making.

People worked when there were thousands working

in the railway works over a long period of time, many of them

were using asbestos when the employer didn't advise them

A specialist team based in Leicester is offering treatment

Year on year, the incidents in the UK are still increasing

and we are about at 2,600 cases a year.

When I first started working with this disease

we were about 1,500 cases a year, so you can see that it

Richard Bailey was ordained in the mid '80s and survived another

The couple's grown-up children now live away from home.

Because on media, it is very difficult, even on Facebook

or Skype, it is really difficult to actually express your emotions

Mr Bailey is now claiming compensation from his former

I have no fear whatsoever about dying, I'm not

What I am really bothered about is that I can

provide for my family, in particular my wife,

should the time come when I submit to the cancer.

Cases of mesothelioma are expected to reach 3,000 a year.

Mike O'Sullivan, BBC East Midlands Today, Derbyshire.

A man has been charged with manslaughter following the death

Oliver Falivena died after being attacked in the city

centre on Monday 5th September last year.

Officers discovered him while on their way to another incident.

31-year-old Richard Last from Spondon is due to appear before

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court in three weeks' time.

Agency workers at Derbyshire's Toyota factory are being warned

The firm currently employs 200 staff from an agency called Blue Arrow

But in a statement today, it's said falling demand

for the models produced there means fewer workers are needed.

Toyota says it's currently offering retirement packages to workers

and can't comment further on job cuts.

Next tonight, there's been a signficant drop in anti-social

behaviour in one Leicestershire village since powers were used

A six-month Public Space Protection Order has just

It was used to ban groups of five or more gathering

Earlier last year, anti-social problems, including some vandalism,

were building up in the generally quiet village of Countesthorpe.

Residents and the authorities decided something had to be done.

The temporary power of a Public Space Protection Order

was put in place to stop groups of mostly young people gathering

Normally, it was advisory, we could educate and inform them

that they were in breach of the Public Space Protection

Order, then they normally dispersed, so we did that six times,

but there were a few core offenders who have actually committed some

criminal offences too and we have been very purposeful about taking

We did go out and consult with young people, the parish council did

a piece of work with young people about what things they

would like to happen, and as a result of that,

put on some sports sessions and some boxing taster sessions for young

Some residents agree there's been improvements.

There are a lot less kids hanging about.

Particularly at Tesco, here, and in the churchyard,

but I have to say, of late, I've not seen that.

There have been a lot of cars going, police cars going about,

and in general, over this last four, six months, it has got

But after these six months, what next?

Well, I will do what I can in my role as Police

and Crime Commissioner to keep a watch on what's happening and talk

to the council and obviously, talk to my colleagues who work

As far as youth services are concerned, I am afraid they have

been cut pretty badly generally, throughout the region,

not just in Countesthorpe, but elsewhere, and I am absolutely

delighted by the help that the County Council

and the District Council have given in that regard.

Only a minority caused problems and the authorities hope

they will not have to use stronger powers again.

Simon Ward, BBC East Midlands Today, Countesthorpe.

Villagers in parts of Leicestershire and Rutland are getting a new kind

The mobile service is based in the back of a van.

It's the first of its kind in the East Midlands and provides

all the services you'd find in a conventional Post Office,

replacing branches closed down in eight villages

Absolutely brilliant because it is a facility

for the people that are disabled or older people that cannot get out.

Well, it has been missed for years, I mean, we've had the closure

of Post Offices here, then we had a little

So, it is useful that it has opened again.

Next tonight, one of the youngest guide dog owners in the country

has been describing how she hopes her new canine

companion will help her lead an independent life.

Alice Hopkins is 15 and for three months she's been paired

She's one of just 55 people in the country under the age of 18

to have a guide dog and Sarah Teale has been to meet her.

Monday morning and Alice Hopkins arrives at the Tuxford Academy

This year the 15-year-old has been coming to school

What has it been like having Billy with you?

I think it is good because I don't have to constantly have people

watching me, it gives me a bit more freedom.

The rules changed in the last few years to allow under 18s to be

Alice is the youngest owner in Nottinghamshire.

What are the challenges that that brings?

So getting her to accept the responsibility, she had a bit

of a eureka moment when she realised it was going to be such a commitment

and did she want that but also then balancing that up

with the independence that she wanted.

It became, yeah, this is the route we're going to go down.

The amount of work that you have to do with him

and the responsibilities is overwhelming.

But if you put the work in, you get a good result out of it.

Tuxford Academy is one of just a handful of schools in the country

Having Billy in school just allows her to gain that independence,

build resilience and confidence and go through her school life

Alice is now one of just 55 guide dog owners aged

What is very noticeable in the short period that she has had Billy,

her confidence and her whole demeanour has grown in stature.

He seemed to enjoy our cameras today.

I can imagine he is a bit of a novelty.

Yeah, they did say the novelty would wear off

After GCSEs, Alice hopes to stay on at Tuxford

And then Billy should allow her the independence

Sarah Teale, BBC East Midlands Today, Tuxford.

So, it's goodbye from me, but with your weather now, here's Lucy.

Thank you. And good evening. Well after the unsettled week with its

weather warnings we saw last week, this week is looking a lot more

settled. We have high pressure sitting over UK and that will keep

things really quite settled over the next few days. We will not see much

in a way of change day to day, really. What can we expect? Well,

there will be plenty of cloud around as we move through this week. As we

get into the midweek those temperatures will creep

up a degree or two but it will not be won by any means and there are

one or two showers to look out for, the odd spot of rain and drizzle as

well. Putting the detail onto the map, plenty of club around tonight.

It could be taken of the odd spot of rain or drizzle and we also are

looking at a little bit of hill fog and mist. Temperatures dropping to

an overnight low between two degrees and three Celsius. Tuesday looks

similar to today. The further South, more in the way of brightness and a

little bit of uncertainty as to exactly where that boundary will

set. Further up to the North, plenty of cloud and a bit of mist and murk,

temperatures at a maximum of six Celsius. Not really much NEXT

overnight low. In the Wednesday, it is a frosty start to the day, the

further South you are. There will be plenty of cloud Arat at the chance

of seeing the odd shower but the high pressure moves out to the East

so we will see a little bit more of the wide of brightness, temperatures

at a maximum of 8 degrees. Thursday, the club's victims, a chance of

seeing the odd bit of drizzle, temperatures at a maximum of eight

Celsius. I will leave you with the outlook. Similar story as we move

perhaps a little milder. If you like the mild weather, you'll have to

head elsewhere in the country. Find out more in the national weather

forecast. Our weather is going against normal expectations this

week. In Highland Scotland some snow to be seen on the hills.

Temperatures as high as 12 Celsius today. Over the next few days the

coldest air is in the far south-east of England where there is sunshine

to be had. Four or five Celsius in Kent. Differences remain over the

next few days and here is why. I pressure in control of the weather.

Some clear a continental air, but coming into Scotland from the

Atlantic plenty of clouds around. Outbreaks of rain through Scotland

and Northern Ireland overnight, patchy drizzle into parts of