26/07/2011 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Suzanne Virdee.

The headlines tonight. Too many hopefuls for too few

places - a warning that would-be university students could face a

summer of discontent. If you cannot get into university, you will not

have a good life. Birmingham City Council cuts its

funding to charities by more than �15 million. At the moment we are

in a position, as a lot of other voluntary organisations are, where

we are going for the same pot of money.

The Somali community here says aid is not getting through to the

thousands suffering in their homeland. It is very hard for them

to resume normal life, feed their young children, clothe their kids.

And the soldier who lost three limbs in Afghanistan now preparing

to take on the world's toughest Hello and welcome to Tuesday's

Midlands Today from the BBC. The scramble for university places -

why this summer could be the toughest yet.

The head of the country's fast as Kon -- fastest-growing university

is predicting a summer of discontent. While funding for

hundreds of universities is going, applications are increasing.

A school leavers await their A- levels odds, many face the protect

-- the prospect of missing out on a place.

For many it is at crowning moment of university life. There will be

far fewer happy faces this summer, with a cut of 10,000 funded places

compared to last year. The head of the country's fastest-growing

university, Worcester, has predicted a summer of discontent.

I am concerned because 25% of young people at the moment are neither in

work nor studying, and it seems such a tragedy to have talented

young people being denied the opportunity to go to university

when it would be something we could easily fix. Students who fail to

get a place face a difficult dilemma. Next year, much higher

fees are being introduced. They have to decide whether it is worth

reapplying on the to take on substantially more debt than they

would have done for the same courses this year. On one street

corner in Worcester, we found a group of young people mainly

despondent. It is just daunting, because if you cannot get into

university will not have a good life. I would like to go to

university, but with fees been higher and the lack of places, it

will be much harder. I am going to try to get a writ -- going to try

and get an apprenticeship. The fees have gone up and the places have

gone down. There is not really much reason to go to college. For the

President of was to students' union, artificially limiting the number of

university places is an affront to young people's writes. Young people

should not be put off going to university. They have the ability

to learn, and they should not be put off by tuition fees or anything.

Back on campus, a summer course in aikido. And the world of education

it seems, the Government may have taken on a new opponent in a

climate of hostility to its cutbacks.

The Organisation that will be on the front line when it comes to be

juggling the hundreds of applications is UCAS, the

University and College Admissions Service. Jackie Kabler joins us now

from their headquarters in Cheltenham. It was hectic last year.

Considering what we have just heard, will this year be more hectic?

think so, this is definitely the calm before the storm in the call

centre. Come the 18th August, these phones will be going crazy. Last

year just over 688 people applied, but all the 479 were affected. --

479,000 were accepted. Around 9,000 more applications this year have

been for a round the same number of places. I am joined by Matthew

Cunningham from UCAS. A very busy time ahead for you. It is going to

be chaos, but you have lots of measures in place to deal with it.

We have got over 150 people here taking phone calls, we have a new

website where people can get to us. Do not panic - when the big day

comes, whatever your results, there is someone there to help. Do your

research so you are ready. people wait to reapply next year,

they have higher fees. Again, the message is do your research. Yes,

the headline figure is high, but there are, when you look into the

detail, perhaps some of the weekly repayments that we could be looking

at it might surprise some people. They could be lower than you expect.

Thank you very much, Matthew. On 18th August, the A-level results.

Quite a stressful time ahead for everyone involved.

Do still ahead this evening, the forgotten war. It is a body found

in Korea a Gloucestershire a soldier who has been missing since

the Glorious Glosters's most hard- fought battle.

Researchers have found that hundreds of charities across the

region are facing big reductions in Council funding, or losing it all

together. A group which campaigns against

Government spending cuts says organisations helping children and

young people are among the worst affected.

Stuck for child care during the school holidays? For parents in

Birmingham, this scheme is just the ticket. But not for much longer.

.(TRM) from September, this project will cease to exist. We have not

got any more funding to provide the project. They cancel has cut

funding for -- by 20%. It is one of all the 200 groups forced to cut

back or pack up entirely. At the moment, we are in a position where

we are all going for the same pot of money. Actually we are not all

going to get it. Birmingham City Council told us that charities

remain crucial partners in caring for the citizens of Birmingham, and

even after the cuts they will continue to fund 1800 organisations

to the tune of �25 million. Central Government said it was up to

councils to resist the temptation to pass on disproportionate savings

to the voluntary sector. Research from a campaign group shows big

cuts ahead for Citizens Advice Bureau and arts organisations. But

also big differences in councils' attitudes. In Coventry they are

cutting �48,000 compared to �2.5 million in Sandwell. We would not

be prepared to pass on this sort of cuts in Government are passing on

to was. They are hit very deeply in these communities, but we are not

prepared to take these pressures. The big society has been undermined

at the moment. Unless we can find new ways of working, we will not

see it thrive. I see every confidence that and we can...

Apologies for some of the technical problems there.

Some of the rest of the day's news. The killer of Coventry teacher

Lindsay Hawker is to appeal against his lifetime sentence handed down

in Japan last month. Tatsuya Ichihashi spent more than two years

on the run after the body of the 22-year-old English teacher was

found in a bathtub. A family had campaign to bring him to justice.

Ichihashi's lawyer has filed an appeal for the High Court in Tokyo.

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of his former

partner. Kerry Smith who was 29 was stabbed after leaving a shop in the

High Street in rowdy Regis on Sunday. 39-year-old David Palmer

was remanded in custody following a hearing at Warley Magistrates'

Court. One of the UK's largest Somali

communities is helping to raise money for victims of the famine.

They are saying that Britain -- although Britain has spent �90

million on aid, it is time other countries spent -- stepped up to

the plate. Some Somalian expatriates say the

aid is not getting through to the places it should.

There is enough food to throw away here in Birmingham, but friends and

relatives of the close Somali community are starving to death.

These men are on their way to send all the money they can. Mohammed

has family in Somalia, they have known famine before but never like

this. Crops and livestock are passing away. It is hard to resume

normal life, to feed their young children, to clothe their kids, and

they have to travel many miles to get fresh water. This is seven

year-old's first time fund-raising. They do not have TV, toothbrushes,

or anything. And that made you want to help? Yes. So every member of

this committee is doing what they can to try to help. The problem is

that renewed fighting has broken out, an aid agencies are finding it

difficult to get his money to the people really needed. Just around

the corner, are the officers of Africa aid. This is the worst I

have seen in my lifetime. The conflict and the instability in the

area, it is really horrible. Influential members of the Somali

community believe that much more should be done. The aid that is

coming from their countries, is not enough. Are the international

community waiting for 3 million Somalis to die? This man and his

family live near by. They have relatives in the famine zone.

a horrible feeling, guilty, helpless, despair. But we are still

hoping someone will do something to help us. The family settled down to

tea, but their thoughts are with their loved ones very far away.

Somalia is talking about the problems of getting it to their

famine hit homeland. The kind court has ruled that hospital was

entitled to sack a heart specialist in a long-running dispute. Dr Raj

Mattu's case has done ten years, but there High Court ruled that the

chief executive of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire

had acted fairly in dismissing him. Dr Mattu had refused to sign a

retraining campaign to return him to work.

A BBC investigation has investigated how a Staffordshire

paedophile deceived charities to get access to, well children in

India. Former headmaster and Derek Slade

are from Burton-on-Trent is serving a 21-year sentence for abusing boys

at a boarding school between 1978 and 1993. Roger Cook, bricks balls

to Slade's reign of terror in the 80s, spoke to two of his victims.

I tried to commit suicide. I am a loner. Several failed relationships,

although I have tried time and time again.

You can see Roger Cook's An Abuse of Trust on BBC One tonight at

Investigators are trying to determine if human remains found in

South Korea are those of a Gloucester so shoulder. The

Gloucestershire Regiment fought in that battle during the Korean War.

In the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, painstaking

work is going on to uncover the war dead. Investigators were brought to

one spot by this man, Lee Chang Mo. As a child, he saw his father

buried the body of a prisoner of war shortly after the Battle of

Imjin River. In April, he met veterans on the 60th anniversary.

He told me what he remembered of the fallen soldier. TRANSLATION: A

translator of with the Chinese told me he was from the UK and a

Gloucester shoulder. -- soldier. I cannot find the words to thank them

enough. With care and dignity, the remains have been taken away for

analysis. In these labs, DNA has been extracted and artefacts found

with the remains examined, all vital clues for identification.

That evidence is sent here, 5000 miles away, to the joint Casualty

and compassionate centre in Gloucester. Staff now have to try

and work out if the soldier is from the Gloucestershire Regiment or not.

If we can identify them, we will trace the family. We still have a

lot of work to do. Whether we identify them or not,... If the

remains are proven to be of the Gloucester soldier, he will be

buried in the national cemetery in South Korea. The burial he deserves

after he gave his life. Still ahead, the hard road to

Olympic 2012 glory. And, how long can the heat wave

The number of passengers using trains in the region could grow by

a third over the next decade, according to expert predictions,

mini new trains will be needed. Today saw the launch of the latest

modern carriages, costing �93 million. They are British-built,

replacing some of the oldest bone shakers in the region.

Not quite the same as a big car launch, but for rail users, the

introduction is just as important. For London Midland, it is a big

investment, delivering big benefits. The whole environment will feel

more pleasant and comfortable. Also, quite a lot of effort has gone into

the design, to make it quiet, so a quieter trained. The new trains,

costing �93 million, or are due to carry their first passengers next

month. These are the trains they are replacing it, the last of the

bone shakers. They are 25 years old, and passengers are not sad to see

the back of them. They are not in good nick, especially when you see

the trains all over the rest of the UK. I am glad to get rid of them

and get something decent. They have been falling apart. With better

access, air-conditioning and reduce noise, though struggling to date

were impressed. My first impression is it is NI strain, it is bright,

spacious, airy, plenty of room for luggage. -- it is a nice trained.

The arrival means that virtually every train running through the

Midlands has been changed in the last decade. First came the Virgin

Voyagers, then the Pendolinos. Then, the German-built dizzy Rose arrived.

-- busy roads. 27 of these trains have been ordered, and all are

expected to be in service by the end of the year.

Most of the new trains will run through Snow Hill. These trains

have been built by the Derby firm which announce redundancies. If

they are building trains, why are they sacking so many people? They

failed to win an order from Thameslink in London. The order

went to the German firm Siemens. That left staff working just on

existing orders. That is not just bad news for staff in Derby, who

could lose their jobs, it is also bad news for the wider supply chain,

some jobs are based here in the West Midlands.

�300 million has been wasted every year by patients who of prescribed

drugs and do not take them. Besides the waist, there is the health

implications. Now, researchers want to find out why some people do not

take their medicine. Graham Beaumont did not want to

take drugs to control his cholesterol. Instead, he wanted to

change his lifestyle, and his GP was having none of it. Despite not

wanting the pills, that is what happened. I had reached a point

where I realised why does not going to win the compensate --

conversation. TGP was firm in her belief that the medication was the

right way to go. I took the prescription, and I had it failed,

and after that, I stopped. I have never Philbrick since. His story is

not unique. Plenty of patience to not take their medication. For

patients having medication for long-term conditions, half of them

are not taking their medication, or they are not taking it correctly.

The problem for doctors is spotting and understanding those passengers

-- those patients who are likely to stop taking their medication.

may be on a lot of therapy, they may not believe the medication is

going to do them any good, or they do not understand why they have

been asked to take it. Now, researchers want to study patients

in Birmingham to get to the bottom of the problem, and offer GPs some

help. Through identification of the patient, the patient is supported

with their medication, reducing non-appearance. That will save the

NHS money and patience' lives. Researchers are interested in

speaking to patients in Birmingham. If you would like to help, you can

find one of the details on David's website. -- all of the details.

West Bromwich Albion have unveiled their latest summer signings today.

Ben Foster and Zoltan Gera. Zoltan Gera returns after spending three

seasons at Fulham. Be released in December. Ben Foster is on loan

from Birmingham City. He says he is ready for the new season after a

relaxing football free summer break. Amazing, a full summer to recharge

the batteries and forget about football. I am pretty good at doing

that anyway, but we had five or six weeks off, and I totally switched

off. I concentrated on having a good time with the family.

This time next year, London 2012 will be in full swing. This week,

we are meeting some of athletes who share the same Olympic dreams. We

have been to meet two wheelchair rugby players, who believe Britain

can win medals at the Paralympics. Driven by a desire to compete,

Mandip Sehmi arrives for work at the Birmingham High Performance

Centre. Also, his good friend and team-mate Alan Ash. 10 years apart,

both men suffered spinal injuries in car crashes. Far from ending

their sporting careers, the accidents proved to be the catalyst

for their Paralympics excess. have been very lucky, I feel

privileged to be in the position I am in. As one door closes, another

opens. You have got to take opportunities. It is almost like it

was meant to be. It is easy to say now, but if I had not done this, I

would have been an elite athlete in another will chessboard. In Beijing,

Allen was disappointed when Great Britain just missed out on the

bronze. His fourth appearance in the Paralympics was Mandip Sehmi's

first taste. Both men are determined to win a medal in 12

months. The bizarre and in your country at the highest level, there

is no feeling like it -- representing your country. I just

need a medal to top it off. I am doing everything they can to do it!

Bronze would be fine, silver would be awesome, but the gold medal is

the one. The build-up will be huge. It makes the hairs on the back of

your neck stand up. First, 12 months of hard training lie ahead

if they are to earn their place in Team GB. Warming down before the

action hots up again, next month the British Cup in Cardiff, and

October, the European Championships. For them, the clock is ticking

loudly before London 2012. A story of incredible courage from

a group of injured servicemen. They are taking on the toughest motor

racing challenge in the world, and one of the group lost three limbs

in action. Tom Neathway will be the first triple amputee to compete in

the Dakar Rally, a gruelling test of skill and endurance that pushes

competitors to the limit. By day he works for the Parachute

Regiment at RAF Brize Norton. In 18 months, Corporal Tom Neathway is

planning to compete in the world's most challenging motor race, the

Dakar Rally. It is not for the faint-hearted, but he and his team-

mates have the extra burden of having lost limbs whilst on duty in

Afghanistan. I was a sniper, I moved a sandbag and I detonated a

booby-trap. I lost my left arm and I had my legs amputated. Three, two,

one, go. This is part of the training. The Dakar Rally in South

America will cover 9000 kilometres in just over a fortnight. The teams

will drive 20 hours a day, testing the vehicle and themselves to the

limit. It is going to be physically demanding, the temperatures will be

hot, so it will be hard on anyone, but with ourselves with amputations,

it will be even harder. As co- driver, he will have to overcome

tiredness, possible injury and carry out repairs in the middle of

nowhere. If the vehicle breaks down, I will for -- I will try to fix the

problem. A problem I will have is getting out of the vehicle. It is

not just the physical challenge, but a mental one as well. He is

using motor sport as a way of coming to terms with his injuries,

and helping others along the way. want to be part of something where

I am giving back. I have taken a lot from the British Legion, so I

want to give back in any way that I can. The team hopes to raise �2

million for Help For Heroes, there will British Legion and combat

stress. -- Royal British Legion. An incredible challenge,

unbelievable. �2 million! Lots of luck. He will be appearing on BBC

Hereford and Worcester's breakfast programme tomorrow morning, talking

more about the Dakar Rally just One more day to go before the

curtain comes down on this glorious weather. It was good while it

lasted! The transition could job with a few of you, because there is

potentially heavy rain coming from the South on Thursday, and Sunday.

The days in between, they are not bad at all. The temperatures will

drop. The rain on Thursday is because the high pressure is out of

range, so low pressure dominates, with a front coming through from

the south-west. After the front, the air will be colder. This

evening, we are seeing some late sunshine. Shortly, the cloud will

be thinning, and we will see clearer spells. With the clearest

belts and the temperatures only dropping to 14 or 15, it is quite

warm, very assume it. We could see some mist patches developing, but

it will be dry. The mist and fog patches will lift readily through

the morning tomorrow. It is a dry start, fairly sunny, but quite soon

through the morning at, we will see some showers developing, and some

of them could be heavy. It is due to the humidity and heat. But they

are mostly concentrated to the east of the region. The temperatures are

rising. It is the hottest day of the week. For the outlook, tomorrow

night, we start to see the change. It is try to begin with, then the

show was come from the West. On Thursday, very wet indeed.

The headlines. America avoids a national default