27/07/2011 Midlands Today

With exactly a year to go until the London Olympics, welcome to

Midlands Today with me, Nick Owen, in Birmingham.

And me, Mary Rhodes, in Coventry. The headlines tonight: It's not

just about London - Coventry prepares to host England's first

Olympic action. A bonanza for business as they

scoop half a billion pounds worth of Olympic contracts. It's amazing,

not just for the company, but it puts Coventry on the map as well.

We're also live in London for a tour around the Olympic Park.

of the venues look amazing. Just to think, all of the greatest athletes

in the world will be together in one place.

And, in other news, a Birmingham nursery worker who raped a child

and admitted 45 other sexual offences against children has been

Good evening, welcome to Wednesday's Midlands Today from the

BBC. A year from now the Olympic Games will have already begun here

in the Midlands. The region has the honour of hosting England's first

event of the 2012 games. Coventry is the venue - it's staging 12

football matches, three of them kicking off before the opening

ceremony. Of course, London is the Olympic city, but the Games aren't

just about the capital. As well as football in Coventry, Birmingham

will play host to some of the biggest athletics stars on the

planet - with track and field athletes from the United States and

Jamaica based in the city. The Olympic torch, made by a Coventry

company, will be paraded through the streets of our towns and cities

with stops in Stoke-on-Trent, Worcester and Cheltenham as well as

Birmingham and Coventry. And it's to our Olympic Games venue in

Coventry that we cross now to Mary Rhodes.

Thanks, Nick. I'm at the Ricoh Arena - the home of Coventry City

Football Club. During the Games it will be renamed The City of

Coventry Stadium, when it'll host 12 matches. More about that later.

First though, the big economic boost being provided for the region

by the games. Hundreds of firms here have won contracts worth more

than half a billion pounds. Our Business Correspondent, Peter

Plisner looks at the benefits the games will bring to business in

this region and he's gained exclusive access to the Coventry

factory where the Olympic torch is being made. That is the actual

torture. Although we haven't put the badge on, but that is what you

have got in your hand, basic rate. It's the industrial equivalent of

winning Olympic gold, and Coventry based Premier Group beat off stiff

competition to win the torch contract. It is fantastic. It's a

very prestigious job and we are over the moon. Not surprisingly,

workers are proud too - winning the torch contract also means more job

security. It's amazing, not just for the company, but it puts

Coventry on the map as well. shows the standard of work man that

we have got here, really. Midlands companies are no stranger

to high profile Olympic contracts. Last year it emerged that the

London 2012 games mascots had been designed by a firm in Telford. Now

meet the official Olympic teddy bear again, been made out this the

famous factory in Ironbridge. It's Britain's last remaining

traditional bear maker. Now it's won the right to produce thousands

of Olympic bears - being based on a design from 1948, the last time the

games were staged in London. This is the material we used to make the

teddy bears. This, in particular is the mohair that be used for the

official Olympic teddy-bear. We were in discussion for some time

and became to agreement and I'm pretty sure they were very keen to

have somebody making a teddy bear in this country as opposed to

handing the contract to a mass producer offshore. It all adds up

to a big bonanza for the Midlands. Already �515 million worth of

contracts have been won by just over 300 firms. There are

predictions that even more money could come to the region because of

increased levels of tourism during and after the Olympic Games. Places

like Stratford upon-Avon looks set to become major beneficiaries.

Stratford's already one of the region's top tourist hotpots,

attracting almost five million visitors every year. And next year,

that number's expected to grow. They will come and spend money in

the towns and surrounding areas and they will spend money on our

businesses and maybe they will visit the theatre, because the

Royal Shakespeare Company at special events on. But while some

are looking forward to making money from the Olympics - others are

worried that the opposite might happen. A recent survey suggested

that more than 40% of companies here are concerned about too many

staff taking time off during the Olympics. Amongst them, even the

company that carried out the survey. But here, bosses have come up with

a novel solution. We are cutting back on the load that people will

have to do during the Games, we will spread the work around other

officers. We do have certain rooms set aside to watch events and asked

people to make a contribution to charity while they do so. $WHITE

With just a year to go before the Olympics begins, it's good to know

that Midlands firms are not only prepared, but have also played a

major role in helping to deliver the Games too.

That is a look at the spin-off businesses around the region. Peter

is here now with me. It seems that businesses are feeling very good

here, how do we compare with other regions outside London as far as

the Olympic goes? Better than most, this is the biggest demand won by

any region outside London and the south-east. Midlands firms are

supplying security fencing, bathroom sings, bicycles, sweat

shirts, information signs and doors. Although the construction side is

complete, there are more contracts available with things like

management services to stage the games and even after the Games,

there will be contracts up for grabs as some of that could come to

the Midlands. Thank you. This isn't just a venue for Olympic football,

it is a business in its own right. I am joined by the chief executive

of the arena. How is the stadium faring in terms of a venue? This

hot subject of tickets, are you expecting it to be packs for all of

the 12 games? Yes, we are very excited, this is a great

opportunity, and we are second only to Wembley in terms of ticket sales.

How much capacity is left? People are frustrated they could not get

tickets, is there an opportunity to get seats in the stadium? Very much

so, go to the London 2012 website for tickets and we have got lots of

opportunities for the Coventry and Warwickshire Olympic experience.

Can they come directly to you for tickets? Not quite yet, but in the

next couple of weeks we will be selling hospitality tickets on our

website, but until then, you need to go to the London 2012 website.

Does the legacy of the game's just apply to what happens in London or

can you transfer it to what happens in Coventry as well? Without

question, the economic impact will be significant and for me, one of

the major issues is about hospitality and leisure and tourism

based business. We will have 250,000 people coming to watch: Be

given Syrian Coventry and it is very important that businesses

across the area expand from this. - - coming to watch Olympic events

here in commentary. I'll be back later in the programme

with a look at Olympic preparations here in Coventry, but for now it's

back to Nick in the studio. A nursery nurse worker has been

jailed for life for the rape of a toddler and a string of sexual

offences against children. The judge described 21-year-old Paul

Wilson as dangerous and depraved. He abused the toddler in a toilet

at the nursery and coerced girls as young as 12 into performing sex

acts over the internet. Giles Latcham was in court.

Paul Wilson - highly deviant said the judge, highly manipulative. At

this nursery near his home in Nechells in Birmingham he twice

filmed himself on his phone raping a toddler in his care. Online on

web cameras, using a smokescreen of false identities he coerced girls

aged 12 to 15 into performing sexual acts alone and with others.

He recorded them and then blackmailed them into doing it

again. He has victimised and in a calculated way, targeted the most

vulnerable people in society and he has held them to ransom and

blackmailed them in terms of committing offences for his own

perversion and sexual gratification. The judge told Wilson he was a

dangerous and depraved paedophile. You have humiliated, corrupted and

defiled, she said. You have caused unknown harm to all of your victims.

She expressed incredulity that Wilson had been allowed to continue

working at the nursery after staff raised concerns about his behaviour.

One of them complained direct to Ofsted who said they were sorry

their investigations did not bring to light what was happening sooner.

Birmingham's child safety board is now conducting an inquiry of its

own. Wilson, who pleaded guilty, will serve a minimum of 15 years.

Too many elderly patients are dying - particularly of pneumonia - at

New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. That's the finding of the Care

Quality Commission, which will meet hospital managers within the next

fortnight. The hospital's had higher than usual death rates for

nearly ten years. Here's our Health Correspondent, Michele Paduano.

Terry Gittos loved to paint. At 82, he was still active, but he fell

and was admitted to New Cross hospital in Wolverhampton. He

didn't come out. It broke my heart. It has ruined by life and left me

with nothing. I have nothing and no reason to live now. A family friend

emailed me in April before he died, distraught that his weight had

dropped to seven stone in six weeks. The deterioration was so rapid. He

went from an actor gentleman to a bag of Bones. I could not

understand how somebody who is supposed to be been cared for, to

me, it looks like total neglect. New Cross Hospital had already

triggered the Care Quality Commission's alert system. Just

days before Terry died, the CTC Cayman, concerned about care and

welfare, and the number of complaints. -- before the Care

Quality Commission came in. There would be an inquiry to thrash out

what went on. The hospital does have one of the best records in the

country for MRSA. Its chief executive accepts mistakes are made,

but doesn't believe the hospital has a problem. I showed him the

email from Mrs Timmins. I don't think we have a problem. And that

is why have asked the Care Quality Commission to come and have a look,

and just before this interview, I actually looked at the indicators

of were the risk rate of every hospital has carried out, and we

are by no means in the red. Statistics experts disagree.

Wolverhampton has had a ratio that has been above the national average

for about a decade. If you add all of the figures together over that

decade, they are significantly high. It's vital to discover whether

others suffered like Mr Gittos. Still to come tonight, Ben Rich

with all the details on the weather. Yes, we've been treated to yet

another fine, dry, and pleasantly warm day. So how long can this

spell of settled summer weather continue? I'll have the full

forecast for the rest of the week, later in the programme.

Welcome back to the Ricoh Arena. In a year it will be renamed the City

of Coventry Stadium for the duration of the Games. The first of

the 12 matches will kick off on Monday 25th July, two days before

the opening ceremony in London. And it's to London we cross now and our

reporter Ben Godfrey who's overlooking the Olympic Stadium. So

Ben what do you think of it? The scale, the size, it's just

magnificent, really. I'll get out of the way as every good tour

guides to do and led to see the Olympic Stadium in all its glory.

80,000 people will witness the opening ceremony in one year's time.

This is one of six venues that has now been completed. The aquatic

centre is the latest one. The run aground, real contrast. A tour

group from the West Midlands came here a few weeks ago, and we had

but four. Some of them will be watching the 2012 Olympics from the

comfort of their land, others will be desperate to compete. -- the

comfort of their lounge. While construction teams are

working against the clock, this tour group of athletes took a break

from training for a glimpse of what might be. Among them, James Burden,

a guest of BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. At the age of 19, the

butterflyer from Bedworth is one of our youngest Olympic swimming

hopefuls. He could be here at the Aquatics Centre. It looks amazing.

All of the venues that amazing. Just to think of all the greatest

athletes in the world been together run one place, there is nothing

better. The Olympic Park is taking shape. From every angle, the

buildings impress. Everywhere too, construction workers are trying to

meet deadlines. This venue has just finished on Friday. BBC local radio

has been following our Olympic hopefuls - BBC WM is with Hannah

Powell, who at the age of 11 began lifting weights, and now at the age

of 18, could make the GB weightlifting team. My family are

really proud. At the moment I am just looking at qualifying. This

election period, when you qualify, a to Z of their hands. To see the

true scale of the site, Rachel Hughes opted for a birds eye view.

A guest of BBC Radio Stoke, Rachel's a member of her local WI.

How excited I knew about the Olympic Games? I didn't tell the

members that I was coming today in case they all wanted to,! There so

much activity! You can see what the stadium will look like when it's

finished. So what about legacy - a former Wolverhampton schoolgirl

wanted to make a point. Tessa Sanderson, her sixth and final

throw! It winds its way out. A lovely long series. Not as far as

her first. Tessa Sanderson won Javelin Gold in 1984 and now trains

youngsters to capture the Olympic spirit. The youngsters that time

working with, creating a pathway for them through Sport and in

learning, that they are getting more active. It is helping them to

find jobs at the end of the day. whether you're an athlete, a

spectator with elusive tickets or in your favourite armchair at home,

it's difficult to escape some Olympic excitement.

So the excitement is building. You were on that guided tour Ben. What

were your impressions of the Olympic Park? Huge in scale.

Incredibly enticing. Let me show you the contrast of landscapes we

have got here. If you look over here, this area was known as stinky

Strangford, a land involved in toxic and contaminated land. Now,

there is an Olympic Park with cleaning buildings. It is all about

the legacy. There are dissenting voices saying the cost of �9

billion to fund it all is maybe excessive at a time of national

austerity. But it was pretty austere in 1948 when the Games were

last in London. But the people I have spoken to date have said this

is extremely exciting. This will be a special event. Is there still

some scepticism, cynicism, do you think? If there is any, certainly,

the organisers, the likes of Lord Coe and former Olympians are here

to install the virtues of these games and say this is not just for

London 2012, it is for the entire country. Lord Coe was saying today,

look in the West Midlands, Birmingham hosting training

activities, all of the heritage, people that are going to volunteer.

Those that will see the torch going through the region. He says this is

absolutely the time to be excited about it. From the Olympic Stadium,

back to you in Coventry. Thanks Ben. As well as hosting

Olympic football and making those 8,000 Olympic torches, Coventry is

also the inspiration for one of the most ambitious elements of the

Cultural Olympiad. The arts festival which runs alongside the

games. Godiva Awakes is a 10 metre high puppet, which will be powered

by a team of cyclists down to London. I went to see how

preparations for that have been going, as well as what the Games

will mean for the City of Coventry. 36 metres of silk, hundreds of

screen prints and thousands of stitches. They'll all make up the

intricate coat for a ten metre high Lady Godiva. The delicately

engineered skeleton will look something like this. The robed

puppet will be propelled by a team of cyclists down to London as part

of the cultural Olympiad. Julia O'Connell and her team of five

artists at Coventry University are designing the coat - to reflect the

heritage of the West Midlands. idea was that I want to feature all

of the stories, it is almost like this used code, a huge book

featuring stories and testimonies and all over the code could be

abolished and embroidered with people's stories and the ideas from

the industries in the region. is that in your hand? This is to

show you, when I was first doing the design, I thought, oh, I only

work on a small-scale, and I made a little prototype. Soup from the

Meaney prettied tied to a more realistic size. The idea is that

she will have robbed Stan hands so she can move to a seven-day journey,

but she will be wearing a six-metre version, which, in case you're

wondering, is his size 54! While Lady Godiva gets a new frock - the

more traditionally naked version oversees some of the redevelopment

work in the City Centre. Tom Clift is part of the City Council's

Olympic team. Apart from a brand new square, what else are the

people of Coventry getting from the Olympic? There are 12 games of

football, the torch relay will be coming here on first July 1920 12,

businesses are winning contracts. Lots happening for people to get

involved in. There is still some cynicism that it is all happening

in London, why should we care in the Midlands and in Coventry? How

do you convince them? London is the host city, but Coventry has taken

part in the biggest events in the world, but to be one hour from

London, why go to London, go and see 2012 in the West Midlands.

big screen is up and running, let's go and have a look. You can watch

all of the different sports at the time of the Games. You can interact

live with the screen on a daily basis and we hope to have a number

of different events to stage their own different experiences. But all

this doesn't come cheap - at �7m is it value for money? I would say

that the Olympics are leaving us with a legacy. Much of what we were

doing is already planned. We are not spending any new money that

hasn't already been set aside for improvements. We're not taking any

money at a fresh budgets to pay for the Olympic improvements. But it

remains to be seen whether that legacy lives on as long as the

famous woman of Coventry from the Middle Ages.

I have moved inside now at the Arena, and as we saw in my report,

the Olympics is not just about sport, it is about arts and culture,

and these dancers are all to do with the West Midlands commitment

to culture and arts. I am delighted that the chairman of West Midlands

2012 was with me. But as they are tightening? It is not just about

sport, the colourful programme has been extensive. These guys are from

the University of Warwick Arts Centre and in the West Midlands be

have a project called Dancing for the Games, and lots of people have

interpreted the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games to dance. It

is all about getting more people to get their moment. Getting there

moment, what does that mean to ordinary people, Mia mortals like

myself? You have competed in three Olympics, what will it mean to the

people of the West Midlands? the people in the schools, the

children, the majority in the West Midlands, they're doing a project

in curriculum time where they are looking at the values of the

Olympics and the Paralympic Games and looking at how the history, the

signs, the mathematics of the Olympic Games is relevant in the

community. Their businesses winning contracts. There is a project

called community gains tried to get as many communities in the West

Midlands to interpret the gains in whatever way is for them. It is

like an Olympic street party. There is clearly true sport, we are

encouraging people to become more involved in sport. Over 500,000

people have taken part in the cultural side of it and many of

those have never done culture before, if you know what I mean.

You have 10 seconds to tell people why they should care about the

Olympics! Because it will be a wonderful moment in the history of

the area, not just because of football in Coventry and to make -

and America, it is everything! is it for me, we're back to the

studio. So we've learnt about Coventry's

important role in the Olympics next year and we've found out how the

whole region's likely to benefit from the first Games in the UK

since 1948. Let's see how other parts of the Midlands are gearing

up, as Ian Winter takes a sporting look around the region.

Rolling back the years in Handsworth Park. I'll never forget

the summer of '92. Watching Jane Sixsmith standing proudly on the

podium in Barcelona. And the good news is, almost 20 years later,

we've hardly changed a bit. Jane, fondly known as Jasper by her

teammates, was the Sutton Coldfield striker whose goals helped Britain

to win bronze. This morning, that same Olympic medal sparkled in the

Birmingham sunshine. Whilst our hockey hero prepared to tackle 12

different sports in one day to celebrate one year to go before

London 2012. Emily and because of everyone competing for Great

Britain because they know it would be a fantastic event on home soil.

But before the serious stuff starts next July, Jane's having a bit of

fun, to encourage all of us to do more exercise. Whether it's 20

minutes of table tennis... Followed by 20 minutes of badminton... It's

hoped that one of the legacies of London 2012 will see more people

simply having a go. And you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to

step out onto the dance mat and increase the fitness of cities like

Birmingham. Life is moving at a more leisurely pace today, the

modern Olympic games were here back in 1820, and the newly bits could

attract people to the Tannen the next five months. It is great all

of the links back to the Olympic Games and the modern Olympic Games.

It is a great opportunity for us to show what the place is all about.

It is everything for me. I will watch the opening ceremony from

beginning to end. And in Stoke-on- Trent, well done to everyone,

running 159 miles for charity, the exact distance between the

Potteries and the Olympic Park. Today, London 2012 suddenly feels

much closer to home. And a warm, dry day it's been for

it all too. More of the same please, Yes, some more to come, Nick.

Weather like this would be nice in a year's time. The rest of this

week is looking quite pleasant staying dry and mild. A lot of

cloud today. It would keep a lot of cloud tonight as well. One word to

clear spells. A Myers night with temperatures no lower than 12 or 13

degrees Celsius in most places. Tomorrow, this is how it looks and

a big picture. High pressure in charge. This weather front, will

reach us later in the day, but because it is squeezed by a high

pressure, not bringing much in the wake of rain at all. A dry start

tomorrow with a lot of sunshine first thing. The cloud will thicken

up as we go through into the afternoon. Particularly in western

parts of the region, Shropshire and Staffordshire. One day tomorrow

with highs of 24 degrees Celsius, 75 Fahrenheit. This little bit of

rain up in the north-west, that is the weather front I was talking

about and that will move to the south-east as we go through

tomorrow night. Into Friday, cloudy and Stam start, but once that

disappears, and nice day with clear conditions. 19, 20 Celsius. A sneak

peek at the weekend, and looking good. Mainly fine and dry with

sunshine at times. Rising temperatures by Sunday and up to 24

Celsius. Thank you.

Thank you. The main headline today, it's one

year to go until the start of the Olympics. Before we go, of final

word from Mary in Coventry, can these Olympics live up to

expectations? We have both been lucky enough to

cover Olympics in the past. You will know what it is like anywhere

their working at it. You cannot help but be caught up in the

atmosphere. Difficult to imagine at the moment that the stadium and

five months time will be packed and there is something different about

football at the Olympics than just coming to were bigger fixtures. And