0:00:00 > 0:00:00Here on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15And now the news for the East Midlands,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I'm Dominic Heale.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20First tonight, the police and the Environment Agency have
0:00:20 > 0:00:22made their first arrests in connection with a huge
0:00:22 > 0:00:26fire involving illegally stored plastic waste.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The blaze at Walesby in Nottinghamshire last year threw
0:00:29 > 0:00:32up a column of smoke that could be seen for miles -
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and it smouldered for a month.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Mike O'Sullivan reports.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Early morning, and police and the Environment Agency raid
0:00:40 > 0:00:42a flat in Sneinton Dale in Nottingham.
0:00:42 > 0:00:48The Environment Agency want to question a 40-year-old man
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The Environment Agency want to question a 41-year-old man
0:00:51 > 0:00:53over a huge fire of illegally stored waste at a business park
0:00:54 > 0:00:55in Walesby in Nottinghamshire.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Thousands of tonnes of material went up in flames.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00We believe that people have been taking waste into the site
0:01:00 > 0:01:02and at some point in time, that waste caught fire.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05There was a considerable amount of waste.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08That waste is commercial, industrial, household type waste,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11recyclable materials that have gone into the site, large quantities,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14several thousand tonnes and potentially leading to a large
0:01:14 > 0:01:18amount of money for the people that are involved in it.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It happened at the Oakham Farm business park in Walesby
0:01:20 > 0:01:22in September 2016.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Smoke billowing into the sky from rented premises.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Not thought to be started deliberately, but it
0:01:29 > 0:01:31smouldered for around a month.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The police are getting the man ready now to be taken away to the police
0:01:35 > 0:01:37station after being arrested and they say inside, they have found
0:01:37 > 0:01:4141 cannabis plants as well.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44The Environment Agency also want to question the man over lesser
0:01:44 > 0:01:48amounts of illegally stored waste at an industrial estate
0:01:48 > 0:01:52in Sutton Bonnington in Nottinghamshire and at a farm
0:01:52 > 0:01:54near Haven in Leicestershire.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57The fire at Walesby has left the owners there with a big bill.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The cause of the fire, we are not entirely sure
0:02:00 > 0:02:01what started the fire.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05What we do know is the operators of that site are going to be left
0:02:05 > 0:02:06with a massive bill.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08The Environment Agency has been working with the operators
0:02:08 > 0:02:13of the site to secure appropriate waste disposal for the ashes and any
0:02:13 > 0:02:16remaining waste on site and, of course, they lost both
0:02:16 > 0:02:18of their buildings in the fire.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Raids were also carried out at two houses in
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26A 46-year-old man voluntarily attended a police station there
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and was arrested and questioned.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The inquiry centres on three men running a waste disposal company.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41A jury's been hearing how a bizarre money scam led
0:02:41 > 0:02:45to the death of a man whose body was found in a Leicester car park.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Nottingham Crown Court heard how Promise Ndlovu was caught up
0:02:47 > 0:02:51in a plot to con a group of businessmen in Leicester.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Geeta Pendse was in court.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59The court heard Promise Ndlovu - who was 40 and originally
0:02:59 > 0:03:07from Zimbabwe - arrived at the Kapital building in Leicester
0:03:07 > 0:03:16on the 28th of October last year with a group of African men.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19They were there allegedly to buy land with the five defendants
0:03:19 > 0:03:20who worked in the building.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26The court heard the African men had brought with them a bag
0:03:26 > 0:03:28full of black paper, cut to look like bank notes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32They claimed that the black paper would be turned into cash
0:03:32 > 0:03:33by the application of a chemical.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37They even demonstrated this with a real note.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38But it was all a scam.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43The court heard Ndlovu remained
0:03:43 > 0:03:46at the Kapital building as a form of human security
0:03:46 > 0:03:48by the defendants whilst the deal was ongoing.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50But when things turned sour, the prosecution claim he was held
0:03:50 > 0:03:56there against his will.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Prosecutor Lloyd-Jones QC told the court Ndlovu's body was dumped
0:03:58 > 0:04:01at the Charter Street car park in Leicester by four
0:04:01 > 0:04:04of the defendants, where a member of the public later discovered him.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Kehar Hayer and Kuldeep Singh are accused of manslaughter.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12The pair, along with Ramandeep Dhaliwal, Bikramjeet Singh
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and Kulwinder Singh, are accused of conspiracy to commit
0:04:16 > 0:04:20false imprisonment and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23All five deny the charges and the trail continues
0:04:23 > 0:04:27at Nottingham Crown Court.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34The charity Shelter says the number of people classed
0:04:34 > 0:04:39as homeless in our region could now stand at around 2,500.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40Many, including families, are living
0:04:40 > 0:04:41in temporary accommodation.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Simon Ward has been looking at the figures.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Well, as the cold weather begins to set in, the issue of being homeless
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and living on the streets is highlighted, but organisations,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55including Shelter, work to reduce the problems all year round.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Shelter's estimated numbers have been compiled
0:04:57 > 0:05:01from a number of sources, including Government figures.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03They suggest for our part of the East Midlands,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06there are almost 2,500 people who are homeless.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10The number of people sleeping rough is 184.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and those in temporary accommodation is more than 2,300.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17That includes people and families in hostels and others
0:05:17 > 0:05:27sleeping on friends' sofas.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33People understand that homelessness is getting worse but when you see
0:05:33 > 0:05:36there are thousands of people across the region who are now living as
0:05:36 > 0:05:40homeless, hundreds of people in cities like Nottingham and Leicester
0:05:40 > 0:05:43who are living as homeless, then that will be a real surprise to
0:05:43 > 0:05:43people.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46One of our towns, Melton Mowbray, is ranked at 94 in the list,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49per head of population in England by Shelter.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Although there were no people sleeping rough included in these
0:05:51 > 0:05:54figures from the last year, more than 100 people
0:05:54 > 0:05:55are classed as homeless.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57They're in various types of temporary accommodation.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Nottingham is the East Midlands city with the highest numbers.
0:06:00 > 0:06:10650 homeless and 35 sleeping rough.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Professor Joe Richardson from the Montford University studies housing
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and social issues and spoke about some of the causes that the two
0:06:17 > 0:06:19becoming homeless.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Costs are rising and people aren't in employment that is going to meet
0:06:22 > 0:06:25those housing costs and other living costs so, yes, homelessness
0:06:25 > 0:06:26is on the rise.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29There is also change to benefits, with Universal Credit, and we know
0:06:29 > 0:06:30this is having an impact.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34There are a range of studies which demonstrate this is having
0:06:34 > 0:06:37an impact and we are seeing it on our streets.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39The figures out today are only estimates,
0:06:39 > 0:06:40using a range of data.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The number of people who are homeless and those sleeping
0:06:43 > 0:06:45rough changes every day, but this does give a general idea
0:06:45 > 0:06:50about how many people are coping without a permanent place to live.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52A Syrian refugee has told us she's "overwhelmed"
0:06:52 > 0:06:56by the welcome from her new neighbours in Nottinghamshire.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Manal Raweah's one of around four hundred Syrians who've been
0:06:59 > 0:07:02resettled here in the East Midlands.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Our Social Affairs Correspondent, Jeremy Ball, reports.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09At their new home in Gedling, a reminder of a comfortable life
0:07:09 > 0:07:19that was shattered by war.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Crochet is a passion for Manal, who is now volunteering
0:07:21 > 0:07:23in Nottingham while she tries to improve her English
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to resume her career as a hospital lab technician.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26This is our flat...
0:07:26 > 0:07:29She had to leave that job because of repeated deadly air
0:07:29 > 0:07:31strikes around their apartment in the Syrian city of Idlib.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35When the plane came, I was standing in the kitchen
0:07:35 > 0:07:41and all of the glass of the window came over me.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45So I told my husband we have to leave Idlib,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49because it was very dangerous.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Their city became a front line between rebel fighters
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and Syrian Government forces, so they headed for the Turkish
0:07:54 > 0:07:58border, a journey that brought new horrors.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Leaving Syria meant becoming refugees and when Manal applied
0:08:01 > 0:08:03for what is known as resettlement, Britain invited them here.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06This is the moment they boarded the plane for a welcome
0:08:06 > 0:08:12in Nottinghamshire that they will never forget.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14My neighbours are very kind and lovely neighbours
0:08:14 > 0:08:19and when we came to my house the first time, she gave to me
0:08:19 > 0:08:23flowers and tried to speak slowly, so I can understand
0:08:23 > 0:08:31The British people here are overwhelming us with kindness.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33This performance was for the charity workers who helped them
0:08:33 > 0:08:34settle in Nottingham.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36A small way to say thank you.
0:08:39 > 0:08:4450 years of BBC local radio has been celebrated today in Leicester.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The festivities began with a special peal by bellringers
0:08:47 > 0:08:50at the city's cathedral, followed by a party for former staff
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and editors at BBC Radio Leicester.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58In 1967, the city became the first to have its own radio station,
0:08:58 > 0:09:03in what is now a network of 40 up and down the country.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06There are 46 days to Christmas and only three
0:09:06 > 0:09:10until the annual festive display opens at Chatsworth House.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This year's theme is based on the works of Charles Dickens.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Staff will be bringing some of his much-loved stories to life
0:09:17 > 0:09:20with the help of actors playing Fagin, and Miss Havisham.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23This year's Christmas display opens on Saturday, and runs
0:09:23 > 0:09:27until the 7th of January.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32That's your news.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37with your weather now, here's Anna.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42What a beautiful autumnal day today, some beautiful photos sent in of the
0:09:42 > 0:09:45sun rises this morning and the sunset this evening. Do keep your
0:09:45 > 0:09:50pictures coming into us. This one is really beautiful, thank you very
0:09:50 > 0:09:51much.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53really beautiful, thank you very much. This was taken at Stoney
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Middleton. Tomorrow, some cloud around first thing in the morning
0:09:56 > 0:10:00but it should improve and we will see some sunshine during the
0:10:00 > 0:10:03afternoon. A couple of weather fronts pushing south eastwards
0:10:03 > 0:10:06overnight but it is quite a quiet weather story for the next 24 hours
0:10:06 > 0:10:11or so. We have a clear skies earlier, we are already starting to
0:10:11 > 0:10:14see the cloud increase from the north-west and it will produce a few
0:10:14 > 0:10:19spots of rain here and there overnight but not amounting to much.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24The transfer some hill fog into the Peak District and we should stay
0:10:24 > 0:10:29away from the frost, with three Celsius. Quite a damp start to
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Thursday but it will improve, we will start to see the cloud pushing
0:10:33 > 0:10:37towards the south-east, behind it plenty of sunshine as we go into the
0:10:37 > 0:10:41afternoon. With highs of 12 degrees, feeling quite pleasant in the
0:10:41 > 0:10:47autumnal sunshine. A fairly similar day on Friday, largely dry and
0:10:47 > 0:10:50settled, a little bit on the chilly side with highs of ten, but some
0:10:50 > 0:10:55unsettled weather to come Friday night into Saturday, so a spell of
0:10:55 > 0:10:59wet and windy weather heading our way but when it hears, a decent but
0:10:59 > 0:11:02chilly weekend. I will leave you with the outlook for the next