0:00:00 > 0:00:00he hopes to prove the earnings forecasts wrong.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16And now the news for the East Midlands.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19I'm Elise Chamberlain. Good afternoon.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Nottinghamshire man who was conned out of £200,000
0:00:21 > 0:00:23in an online scam is sharing his story to try to stop
0:00:23 > 0:00:25other people falling victim to fraudsters.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26The man, who wants to remain anonymous,
0:00:27 > 0:00:28has lost his home and pension.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30He's working with Nottinghamshire Police to raise
0:00:30 > 0:00:31awareness of online fraud.
0:00:31 > 0:00:39Sarah Teale reports.
0:00:39 > 0:00:48It started out as a friendship forged online.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The Nottinghamshire man, who we are calling Simon to
0:00:51 > 0:00:53protect his identity, began chatting to a woman called Dora.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55He fell for her sob story that her father had
0:00:55 > 0:00:58died being awarded gold from a mine in Ghana
0:00:58 > 0:00:59where he had worked and the
0:00:59 > 0:01:02only way to release the gold was to pay security costs.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Simon paid up.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Over the space of three years, he ended up giving the
0:01:05 > 0:01:12fraudsters £200,000.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I was pretty upset with myself for getting caught out, really.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I'd go five or six days without eating.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18And then I plunged into depression.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Now I fully understand how people could take
0:01:20 > 0:01:23their own lives because of shame, embarrassment or just the fact that
0:01:23 > 0:01:30all the money has been taken from them.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33When Simon eventually realised he'd been scammed, he went to the
0:01:33 > 0:01:34bank and the police.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36He is now working with Nottinghamshire Police
0:01:36 > 0:01:39to stop other people becoming the victims of online fraudsters.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I think we've seen an increase in this
0:01:41 > 0:01:43type of crime over the last few years in connection
0:01:43 > 0:01:46with the use of the internet.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Never send any money over the Internet.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51We simply do not know who these people are.
0:01:51 > 0:01:59I think that would be our best advice.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Simon has lost his pension, half a house that he
0:02:01 > 0:02:03owned with a relative, and other savings.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But I have the strength to say to myself, "I need to get out of
0:02:06 > 0:02:08this and dust myself down and move on."
0:02:08 > 0:02:11There was a big increase in the number of people dying over
0:02:11 > 0:02:14last winter in the East Midlands partly because the flu jab failed
0:02:14 > 0:02:15to protect the elderly enough.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Over 3,000 more people died between December and March,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19compared to the summer months.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Our health correspondent Rob Sissons is here.
0:02:20 > 0:02:30How big was the rise in deaths last year?
0:02:38 > 0:02:42In our region in the last year it was far worse than the year before
0:02:42 > 0:02:48with the number of excess deaths up 50%. That is called the excess death
0:02:48 > 0:02:52figure for winter. Across England and Wales, the total last winter was
0:02:52 > 0:02:58more than 34,000 excess deaths. We're up on the year before. In the
0:02:58 > 0:03:03East Midlands, in our region there were 3200 excess deaths. The bulk of
0:03:03 > 0:03:08those were down to respiratory problems.Can anything be done?This
0:03:08 > 0:03:14has prompted some campaigners to press for more help with pensioners
0:03:14 > 0:03:22in fuel poverty. Particularly making sure they have the flu jab. There
0:03:22 > 0:03:28was a strain last year that the vaccine didn't offer people enough
0:03:28 > 0:03:33protection against. This year we are told that the movie much better
0:03:33 > 0:03:38match. The East Midlands has the third highest number of deaths. The
0:03:38 > 0:03:45reasons aren't clear, but poverty, the population and the legacy of
0:03:45 > 0:03:47industrialism are all likely to be factors.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48factors.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Nottingham's bid to become the 2023 European Capital
0:03:50 > 0:03:53of Culture appears to be over after the European Commission stated
0:03:53 > 0:03:55the UK will not be able to take part.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57The city submitted its proposals earlier this
0:03:57 > 0:03:59year, with the winner expected to be announced next week.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But the commission says, with Brexit due in 2019,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03the selection process should be immediately discontinued.
0:04:03 > 0:04:12The city council's meeting this lunchtime to discuss the decision.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16They hope the situation can be resolved after liaising with the
0:04:16 > 0:04:16Government.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Government.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20A main road in Derby was closed for four hours this
0:04:20 > 0:04:21morning following a serious crash.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It happened on Warwick Avenue in Littleover, at the Manor Road
0:04:24 > 0:04:25junction, at around six fifteen.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Three cars were involved.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Amazingly, two people escaped with non life-threatening injuries.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Police are appealing for witnesses.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Plans to build a series of massive warehouses on a business
0:04:32 > 0:04:34park in South Leicestershire are being discussed tonight.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Two developers have submitted proposals which would see Magna Park
0:04:37 > 0:04:38near Lutterworth double in size.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40But campaigners say the site's already big enough.
0:04:40 > 0:04:50Giles Taylor reports.
0:04:52 > 0:05:06Along the busy A five in Leicestershire it
0:05:10 > 0:05:15sets Magna Park. New plans have been submitted for expansion. Residents
0:05:15 > 0:05:19are unhappy.It means we will lose about 800 acres of farmland and
0:05:19 > 0:05:25those will be covered in the large warehouses that will be much higher
0:05:25 > 0:05:30than the existing warehouses on Magna Park. It means they will bring
0:05:30 > 0:05:36additional traffic, not just HG views, but lots of commuter Tracker.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The proposals are into sections of the northern side. Builders say if
0:05:40 > 0:05:46approved, it will bring thousands more jobs to the area, but for those
0:05:46 > 0:05:51living in the nearby villages, it is a step too far.We are going to be
0:05:51 > 0:05:56covered and overrun with warehousing and I reckon we are going to have a
0:05:56 > 0:06:00surplus.There is so much interest in tonight 's meeting that the
0:06:00 > 0:06:04council has hired out an aircraft hangar to host it. Meanwhile, they
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and the developers have told us they will not be commenting until its
0:06:08 > 0:06:15conclusion. In the last few minutes, one of the two developers have
0:06:15 > 0:06:19issued a statement saying it will continue to work with the local
0:06:19 > 0:06:22community to mitigate any effects.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It's known for its bustling market and history, but Newark and the
0:06:25 > 0:06:27surrounding area is now winning praise for growth and innovation.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30The local authority has been nominated for Council of the Year
0:06:30 > 0:06:32for investing in a number of projects including the brand-new
0:06:32 > 0:06:37£7 million council house in the town.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39A place of growth and a place of development -
0:06:39 > 0:06:42two of the reasons a Nottinghamshire local authority has been nominated
0:06:42 > 0:06:44for the title Council of the Year.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Newark and Sherwood District Council's invested heavily
0:06:45 > 0:06:48in the town centre and, it appears to be paying dividends.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Geeta Pendse is in Newark Market place and can tell us more.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Good afternoon, Geeta.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The local Government Chronicle awards are a bit like the Oscars for
0:06:54 > 0:06:56local authorities and network and District Council have been nominated
0:06:56 > 0:06:59in arguably the most prestigious category which is council of the
0:06:59 > 0:07:14year. What have they done to deserve this nomination? -- Newark.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17It's known for its bustling market and history, but Newark and the
0:07:17 > 0:07:19surrounding area is now winning praise for growth and innovation.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The local authority has been nominated for Council of the Year
0:07:22 > 0:07:25for investing in a number of projects including the brand-new
0:07:25 > 0:07:26£7 million council house in the town.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Very significant change.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Previously, we were three miles out of work in a
0:07:30 > 0:07:32very old, grade one listed building, a completely different environment
0:07:32 > 0:07:33for the staff to work in.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35But it's part of our overall investment in
0:07:35 > 0:07:36the district.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Over the last three years, we have invested in a new
0:07:39 > 0:07:42leisure centre, in the National Civil War Centre, and all of those
0:07:42 > 0:07:44activities - our investment in the community, investment
0:07:44 > 0:07:46in the economy of the community, are designed
0:07:46 > 0:07:47to save money for our council taxpayers.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And it seems the business committee has noticed a change, too.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54I just see that the town is getting more and more vibrant all the time.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56There are more and more events happening, more initiatives coming
0:07:56 > 0:07:58from the council about how can we encourage visitors
0:07:58 > 0:07:59to come into the town?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03And how can we make the town that the best it possibly can?
0:08:03 > 0:08:08And all those opportunities then transfer into good business.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09The council will find out next year if
0:08:09 > 0:08:12they've convinced judges at the local Government Chronicle awards
0:08:12 > 0:08:22that they are the best in the country.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Now, it's time to take a look at today's weather forecast.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25Now, it's time to take a look at today's weather forecast.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Alex, how's it looking?
0:08:26 > 0:08:30It's looking quite cloudy this afternoon, but very time this
0:08:30 > 0:08:34morning we had bright blue skies, but that cloud is already starting
0:08:34 > 0:08:40to increase. Breezy and the Isa buyers packed tightly together, but
0:08:40 > 0:08:45drifting further apart is go through this afternoon. -- isobars. Just the
0:08:45 > 0:08:49odd patches of showers this afternoon, but mostly dry and highs
0:08:49 > 0:08:57around ten is obvious. Overnight tonight, conditions continuing. --
0:08:57 > 0:09:0110 Celsius. 0 Celsius in rural spots. Frost particularly in the
0:09:01 > 0:09:08countryside. Lows of three or 4-mac Celsius in towns and cities.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Tomorrow, starting bright but a few are out and about in the sunshine,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16make sure you wrap up warm. I will leave you with the outlook. Not
0:09:16 > 0:09:20looking to that of the because of the weekend, some showers, sunshine
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and quite chilly, so do make sure you wrap up warm.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24That's all from your lunchtime team.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Anne and Dominic will be back with East Midlands Today at 6:30pm.
0:09:27 > 0:09:27Goodbye.