:00:03. > :00:13.Good evening and welcome to Wednesday's Midlands Today from the
:00:13. > :00:14.
:00:14. > :00:17.BBC. Tonight: 14 years' jail for a former foster carer who abuse
:00:17. > :00:21.children as young as five. vulnerable children were preyed on
:00:21. > :00:24.by him and they did not know who would believe them at that time.
:00:24. > :00:30.Fury over bus routes and the Black Country, some people cannot get to
:00:30. > :00:34.work. We have no transport whatsoever, the just stuck.
:00:34. > :00:38.Creating stars of the future, the region's first Academy for the
:00:38. > :00:48.Performing Arts prepares to open its doors. And what stories they
:00:48. > :00:57.
:00:57. > :01:03.could tell - archaeologists find Good evening. He took away their
:01:03. > :01:07.childhood, leaving indelible psychological scars. Those were the
:01:07. > :01:10.words of a judge as he sentenced a former foster carer and parish
:01:10. > :01:13.councillor to 14 years in jail for child abuse. William Barber was
:01:13. > :01:18.found guilty of sexually abusing eight children over a 12-year
:01:18. > :01:20.period. Some of his victims were as young as five years old. Police
:01:20. > :01:24.described him as a predatory paedophile who used his seemingly
:01:24. > :01:33.respectable image as a cover. As Sarah Falkland reports, he
:01:34. > :01:37.maintained his innocence from the outset. From what you have said,
:01:37. > :01:40.you deny the allegations? Absolutely. He claimed he'd never
:01:40. > :01:43.touched a single child. But he was lying. Barber used his position as
:01:43. > :01:47.a foster parent and councilor to assure couples he could look after
:01:47. > :01:51.their children. The 60 year-old from Gloucester assaulted them at
:01:51. > :01:55.his home and in a caravan in the Forest of Dean. My mum used to go
:01:55. > :01:59.round for a cup of tea with his wife. I was four or five when it
:01:59. > :02:02.started. I knew not to say anything. It was instilled in you. It was
:02:02. > :02:09.unspoken that it was a special thing between us which I was not to
:02:09. > :02:13.mention. Julie was just one of Barber's eight known victims.
:02:13. > :02:17.William Barber portrayed himself as a pillar of the community, he was a
:02:17. > :02:22.foster carer and in charge of the Tennis Association and on the
:02:22. > :02:26.parish council. Everybody trusted him and held in high regard. The
:02:26. > :02:30.vulnerable children were preyed upon by him. And they did not know
:02:30. > :02:32.who would believe them at that time. Gloucestershire County Council have
:02:32. > :02:35.made it clear that none of Barber's victims were children he'd fostered.
:02:35. > :02:39.And they've pointed out that checks on potential carers are now much
:02:39. > :02:43.stricter since the times of Barber's crimes. Judge James Tabor
:02:43. > :02:46.told victims it had been a terrible ordeal for them and that he was
:02:46. > :02:49.very impressed with the dignity shown by those who gave evidence.
:02:49. > :02:56.Passing sentence on Barber, he said: You have not shown one
:02:56. > :02:59.scintilla of concern for your victims, only for yourself. One of
:02:59. > :03:02.Barber's victims, who was abused from the age of six, gave her
:03:02. > :03:06.reaction to his sentence. I went for several years thinking he'd got
:03:06. > :03:09.away with it but nothing will be good enough for what he put me and
:03:09. > :03:13.the other victims through. Although the fact that he's been found
:03:13. > :03:16.guilty and sent to prison means I can now try and move on and get
:03:16. > :03:22.some closure. Barber will serve seven years before he's considered
:03:22. > :03:27.for release. He'll remain on the sex offenders register for life.
:03:27. > :03:30.And you can read more on that on the BBC Gloucestershire website.
:03:30. > :03:40.Later in tonight's programme: They're treating patients on a
:03:40. > :03:43.
:03:43. > :03:46.virtual hospital ward before being unleashed on the real thing. It was
:03:46. > :03:49.billed as a �22 million state-of- the-art bus station right at the
:03:49. > :03:52.heart of a modern, integrated transport hub. It was hoped it
:03:52. > :03:55.would prove to be the catalyst to encourage more people using public
:03:55. > :03:57.transport. But 10 days after the new facility opened and a series of
:03:57. > :04:05.new routes were also introduced, thousands of people in
:04:05. > :04:07.Wolverhampton are complaining. Bob Hockenhull has been investigating.
:04:07. > :04:11.Wolverhampton's new bus station has been described by some as a
:04:11. > :04:14.facility that people need and deserve. But the opening has
:04:14. > :04:21.coincided with new routes and timetables, and that has angered
:04:21. > :04:25.many. I normally have the 79, it has gotten worse. Turn it back to
:04:25. > :04:30.normal because it is confusing. Residents like Pat Fullwood say
:04:30. > :04:36.services they use have been either merged, diverted and reduced.
:04:37. > :04:40.are just totally cut off and have no transport. We're just stuck.
:04:40. > :04:42.Thank you. In nearby Wednesfield, the local councilor's already
:04:42. > :04:50.collected 2000 signatures from angry passengers who claim they
:04:50. > :04:54.can't get to the shops. It is no good having first class or world-
:04:54. > :04:59.class facilities when residents that I represent have no provision
:04:59. > :05:03.for a bus service to get them into the High Street. To do their
:05:03. > :05:12.shopping, pay bills and do their banking. They will probably never
:05:12. > :05:15.get to see that bus station. Traders are worried, too. The old
:05:15. > :05:20.generation, from the outside, they are struggling to get to the centre,
:05:20. > :05:25.now. This is seen as embarrassing and disappointing for those who see
:05:25. > :05:30.the station as a world-class facility. The centre of a transport
:05:30. > :05:33.hub linking bus, train and trams and at a time when more people want
:05:33. > :05:35.to use public transport because of high petrol prices. Transport
:05:35. > :05:42.managers say the new timetable would have been brought in whether
:05:42. > :05:46.there was a new bus station or not. I don't want us to quickly react
:05:46. > :05:49.and do something which potentially helps solve one difficulty and cost
:05:49. > :05:52.is another so we're still looking at those issues and talking with
:05:52. > :05:56.the councillors. We have a petition that was received and we're looking
:05:56. > :05:59.at options to see what we can do. It's hoped the controversy won't
:05:59. > :06:06.detract from the city's hopes to make the bus station a spur for
:06:06. > :06:12.economic regeneration. Our transport correspondent, Peter
:06:12. > :06:21.Plisner, is at the bus depot now. This is a bit of a PR disaster - is
:06:21. > :06:24.the new bus station really to blame for this? Nothing to do with the
:06:24. > :06:29.new bus station, these changes were happening anyway and they were
:06:29. > :06:32.introduced at roughly the same time. The company says these changes
:06:32. > :06:35.happen after a major consultation and there were hundreds of
:06:35. > :06:41.responses but the bottom line is there is less money around and
:06:41. > :06:45.private companies like National Express are making best use of
:06:45. > :06:50.existing resources. Obviously, these changes are not popular,
:06:50. > :06:52.hence that petition. With petrol prices rising, people who might
:06:53. > :07:01.consider abandoning their cars could be put off by things like
:07:01. > :07:05.this? There is evidence of something called a modal shift were
:07:05. > :07:09.people shift from the car to the train and also buses because of
:07:09. > :07:13.higher prices and the effects of the recession but what people want
:07:13. > :07:16.is a decent alternative with a local connection and that is where
:07:16. > :07:23.the bus scores. But we're heading in the opposite direction with
:07:23. > :07:26.these changes, like the changes. Can these problems be overcome?
:07:26. > :07:29.company says they're listening to complaints and they have lodged a
:07:29. > :07:33.major review which should report within the next week or two and
:07:33. > :07:37.that might mean more changes, may be additional bus services as a
:07:37. > :07:41.result of more funding but these are not isolated cases. We have
:07:41. > :07:50.been contacted from people elsewhere in the City and they seem
:07:50. > :07:53.to be equally as unpopular. Thank you. The other news, now... A
:07:53. > :07:55.senior police officer in Coventry has been suspended following
:07:55. > :07:57.allegations that he accessed inappropriate material on the
:07:57. > :07:59.internet. West Midlands Police are investigating. The officer is
:07:59. > :08:03.understood to be 48 year-old Inspector Brian Hornsby. He was
:08:03. > :08:07.arrested last month at an address in Bedworth. The engineering
:08:07. > :08:12.company GKN has recorded a 14% rise in profits for the first half of
:08:12. > :08:15.this year. Sales at GKN Driveline, which has bases in Redditch and
:08:15. > :08:19.Birmingham, were up by 12%. Driveline make components for the
:08:19. > :08:26.car industry. The company's share price has risen as profits were
:08:26. > :08:29.bigger than expected. Safety checks are to be carried out on part of
:08:29. > :08:31.Spaghetti Junction at a cost of �2.5 million pounds. Experts will
:08:31. > :08:35.be inspecting the Tame Valley Viaduct, which carries the Aston
:08:35. > :08:38.Expressway onto the M6 in Birmingham. They say the money's
:08:38. > :08:47.needed so repairs can be planned before problems on the 40 year-old
:08:47. > :08:50.road-link become too severe. The Midlands' first academy school for
:08:50. > :08:53.the performing arts is due to open its doors to students next month.
:08:53. > :08:56.It's modelled on the success of the BRIT school in London, which has
:08:56. > :09:05.helped pop singers like Adele launch their careers. Eventually it
:09:05. > :09:08.could take up to 1000 pupils. Jackie Kabler reports. This is
:09:08. > :09:13.Julie Fitzgerald, a 16 year-old singer-songwriter from Lichfield
:09:13. > :09:17.and this is the almost finished Birmingham Academy, the school
:09:17. > :09:24.which it's hoped what turned students by Ken into the stars of
:09:24. > :09:27.the future. We were not aware of the school, I had applied for
:09:27. > :09:32.colleges and as soon as I checked it out, it was definitely the place
:09:32. > :09:35.to be. Partnered with the famous BRIT School in London and a TV
:09:35. > :09:38.company, the academy's due to open in September. This is what it
:09:38. > :09:47.should look like then. Initially with 325 students and creating 100
:09:47. > :09:53.new jobs. It has been five years in the making and I have been involved
:09:53. > :09:59.for the majority of that time so to see this actually here, it is a
:09:59. > :10:02.privilege to be involved. And to see it happening is quite special.
:10:02. > :10:06.When finished, there will be a huge screen up their showing the
:10:06. > :10:10.students' work to the outside world. This is one of 37 specialist
:10:11. > :10:15.academies in the West Midlands, of those, 10 specialise in business
:10:15. > :10:18.and enterprise, six in manse, three in technology and two of them in
:10:19. > :10:21.languages. At partners Maverick TV, staff are hoping their involvement
:10:21. > :10:24.will help shape the stars and success stories of tomorrow. The
:10:24. > :10:33.new academy is still a school, teaching all the usual subjects,
:10:33. > :10:35.just with a bit of showbiz sparkle. If you look at a lot of the
:10:35. > :10:39.successful people in the creative industries, they have done things
:10:39. > :10:43.when they were 15 and 16 and they want to get out and do that and the
:10:43. > :10:50.Academy can encourage that for all the talent in Birmingham. That will
:10:50. > :10:53.be a wonderful thing. Have you ever felt like there is no where else...
:10:53. > :11:03.Students of the creative, digital and performing arts, your new
:11:03. > :11:06.
:11:06. > :11:09.academy awaits. One to watch out for! I know... Good luck. Nearly
:11:09. > :11:12.six in ten independent retailers suffered a fall in business over
:11:12. > :11:15.the last three months. The figures are revealed in a new survey from
:11:15. > :11:18.the British Independent Retail Association, which also shows a
:11:18. > :11:21.decline in sales in the Midlands so far this year. The downturn is
:11:21. > :11:28.being blamed on job insecurity and higher food and fuel prices,
:11:28. > :11:32.leaving consumers with less to spend. This report from Ben Sidwell.
:11:32. > :11:39.Step inside and it's like going back in time. But much has changed
:11:39. > :11:44.since the shop first opened in 1880. 131 years later, it is still owned
:11:44. > :11:48.and run by members of the same family. There are no family
:11:48. > :11:52.business has left. I think people still like a traditional shop. They
:11:52. > :11:57.can go into any shop which is basically every shop, there are the
:11:57. > :12:02.same. All four members of staff have worked here for over 40 years.
:12:02. > :12:05.The business has been their life. But things and retail have changed.
:12:05. > :12:10.It is one of those other functions of how people's lifestyles are
:12:10. > :12:15.changing and people do not by as much time as they used to. In the
:12:15. > :12:18.City, they are not alone. This is Russell and draw, another family
:12:18. > :12:26.owned business that has been in the city since the 1800s. That was
:12:26. > :12:29.until last month, when they closed for the last time. It isn't just in
:12:29. > :12:32.Worcester that independent shops struggle. According to figures by
:12:32. > :12:36.the Birmingham based British independent retailers Association,
:12:36. > :12:42.in the Midlands, they have seen their overall average performance
:12:42. > :12:46.dropping by 3.9% compared to the same period last year. And many
:12:46. > :12:53.have been hit even harder. When asked how confident they felt about
:12:53. > :12:58.the Red Ed, only 4% said they were confident about 61% were anxious.
:12:58. > :13:03.Back here, it seems many people are taking the chance to relive
:13:03. > :13:08.shopping days of the past. It is a shame, it has been for it here for
:13:08. > :13:13.so long. It is a tragedy for the area. The family still have not
:13:13. > :13:22.received an offer for the building. When they do, this chapter of
:13:22. > :13:25.Wester's retail history welcome to an end. Joining us now is Michael
:13:25. > :13:28.Weedon from the British Independent Retail Association. We heard about
:13:28. > :13:31.two businesses in Worcester there. What's the picture like across the
:13:31. > :13:36.rest of the region? Across the region it is interesting because
:13:36. > :13:43.the Midlands is in the middle of the scale. From falls of 12%, some
:13:43. > :13:47.places are better than others. What London has been bad, West Midlands
:13:47. > :13:51.is in the middle. Six out of 10 independent retailers tell us that
:13:51. > :13:55.business is down in the last quarter against last year. At the
:13:55. > :13:59.same time, things were good before that but on balance not a great
:13:59. > :14:04.place to be. We have an e-mail from Harry who owns a shop, he says the
:14:04. > :14:09.problem is very high business rates in muster. Is that a common
:14:09. > :14:12.problem? Our councils to agree? Somebody has to pay so business
:14:12. > :14:16.rates have to be there for a purpose. Business rates are a
:14:16. > :14:23.problem across the country and retailers began small will be
:14:23. > :14:25.hurting. Also rent. Rising rent is a big problem. That is a real
:14:25. > :14:30.difficulty for retailers and of business falls but the rents only
:14:30. > :14:34.go up, you get squeezed. Everybody likes shopping in a place where
:14:34. > :14:38.there are lots of independent retailers. Are we seeing the slow
:14:38. > :14:40.death of that? It might be difficult to believe, but the
:14:40. > :14:45.Palace on the high streets across the country over the last three
:14:45. > :14:48.years has swung in favour of independent shops because chains
:14:48. > :14:52.have been shutting their doors more quickly than that the independent
:14:52. > :14:58.shops and this year, research shows that as many independents have
:14:58. > :15:00.opened as have closed. That is bizarre. With the growth of
:15:00. > :15:05.superstores and online shopping, you would have thought it was the
:15:05. > :15:10.opposite? We're talking about the High Street, these become available,
:15:10. > :15:14.people who have dreamt of running a shop and many are redundant or are
:15:14. > :15:17.just dreamers, possibly mad, they see this opportunity and they take
:15:17. > :15:26.it. These people will open shops and they can save the High Street.
:15:26. > :15:34.If they are allowed to. Thank you. It's technology more usually used
:15:34. > :15:36.by companies like Jaguar. But now Keele University is using cutting-
:15:36. > :15:39.edge virtual reality to put pharmacology students through their
:15:39. > :15:41.paces. They're treating patients on a virtual hospital ward before
:15:41. > :15:44.being unleashed on the real thing. And, as our science correspondent,
:15:44. > :15:48.David Gregory, discovered, the new technology is opening up all sorts
:15:48. > :15:51.of possibilities. I'm stepping into a virtual hospital ward and then
:15:52. > :15:56.using a 3 D glasses. The effect is extraordinary although you will not
:15:56. > :16:00.get quite the same effect at home on the television. The system
:16:00. > :16:06.tracks for I am looking, patience even react. It is an important tool
:16:06. > :16:09.for students. How to operate in a busy ward? You might just be
:16:09. > :16:13.talking to one patient but there are lots of other things going on.
:16:13. > :16:19.If it really prepares you. In 2009 we reported on Keele University's
:16:19. > :16:22.virtual patients. The virtual ward takes things even further.
:16:22. > :16:28.Pharmacology students can check notes, and monitors. But there are
:16:28. > :16:32.plenty of other clues to a patient's health to watch out for.
:16:32. > :16:36.Perhaps look at the colour of the skin and the colour of their eyes,
:16:36. > :16:39.if there is any slight tremor in the hand, things like this can give
:16:39. > :16:43.the student the clue as to what is wrong. This technology is more
:16:43. > :16:47.usually found in the car industry. And the team don't just use it for
:16:47. > :16:51.hospital wards. The biggest challenge with students is getting
:16:51. > :16:58.them back out once they have started working! It can take
:16:58. > :17:04.students inside molecules or inside the human body. In fact, it may
:17:04. > :17:09.well have uses beyond teaching. This Israel patient data. You can
:17:09. > :17:13.go in here with colleagues and examine and plan how to do things
:17:13. > :17:20.in 3 D. In the meantime, what do was learn in the virtual world
:17:20. > :17:24.makes them better prepared for the real thing. You can read much more
:17:24. > :17:28.about that research on David's blog at bbc.co.uk/davidgregory. Still to
:17:28. > :17:34.come in tonight's programme: Dreaming the dream - can our
:17:34. > :17:38.rhythmic gymnasts strike gold at London 2012? Meanwhile, it looks
:17:38. > :17:48.like the dream is over for us. The weather has hit its peak but what
:17:48. > :17:51.
:17:51. > :17:54.comes next? I'll have the full details for you later. Try not to
:17:54. > :17:57.be alarmed but more than 20 skeletons have been dug up in the
:17:57. > :17:59.Worcestershire village of Kempsey. It's a relief to know they date
:17:59. > :18:02.back around 1000 years. Archaeologists say what they're
:18:02. > :18:05.unearthing suggests the village may once have been an important
:18:05. > :18:15.administrative centre to rival nearby Worcester. Andy Newman
:18:15. > :18:20.reports. Scratching at the human remains from the distant past.
:18:20. > :18:23.Former residents of the village who last trod the feels of Foster Show
:18:23. > :18:26.around 1000 years ago. Next to St Mary's Church in the village,
:18:26. > :18:28.archaeologists have found a medieval extension to the present
:18:28. > :18:37.graveyard where 23 skeletons have so far been discovered. More are
:18:37. > :18:42.almost certain to follow. clearly shows that this was an
:18:42. > :18:48.important ecclesiastical centre. There is building material within
:18:48. > :18:52.the soil that we are excavating and it appears to indicate there was a
:18:52. > :18:55.pretty substantial medieval building here on the site.
:18:55. > :18:58.particularly interesting find is in his grave when there are two
:18:58. > :19:02.schools, one on top of the other and that does not mean to people
:19:02. > :19:06.were buried together, it illustrates that burials were
:19:06. > :19:09.haphazard and one grave has disturbed another and the Richhill
:19:09. > :19:13.skull has simply been placed on top. Other evidence adds weight to the
:19:13. > :19:16.theory that next to the church there once stood at Bishop's Palace,
:19:16. > :19:19.where kings and queens would have been entertained. It means that
:19:20. > :19:25.what is now a sleepy village was once an important administrative
:19:25. > :19:32.centre. I find it absolutely incredible that we were made aware
:19:32. > :19:36.of this. Been brought up in the area, I never even knew about this.
:19:36. > :19:41.It will be interesting to know what really happened to these people. To
:19:41. > :19:45.get the evidence of when it was and why they died and get some proper
:19:45. > :19:48.forensic evidence, that would be exciting. That evidence is being
:19:48. > :19:53.gathered as the finds are taken away for exact dating and other
:19:53. > :20:01.tests to find out more about these distant ancestors and the life they
:20:01. > :20:11.lived in the important village of Campsie. Fascinating stuff.
:20:11. > :20:16.Slightly spooky! It is, sadly! We might find out in a few months. You
:20:16. > :20:20.have specialist knowledge?! The first-ever performance by a brand
:20:20. > :20:23.new orchestra took place here in the Midlands this afternoon. The
:20:23. > :20:28.National Orchestra For All is made up exclusively of talented young
:20:28. > :20:31.people from economically deprived areas. It's inspired by a similar
:20:31. > :20:33.project in Venezuela. Kevin Reide went to see them perform. The
:20:33. > :20:40.newly-formed National Orchestra for All in rehearsals this afternoon at
:20:40. > :20:46.the University of Warwick. Later they'll be performing to an
:20:46. > :20:52.audience of more than 700. It's made up of children who might not
:20:52. > :20:55.otherwise get the chance. There are lots of August is out there. They
:20:55. > :21:01.tend to be for the elite and what the National Orchestra for all does
:21:01. > :21:04.it opens up the doors to children for all standards and stages.
:21:04. > :21:12.youngsters have only been together since Sunday but they're enjoying
:21:12. > :21:16.the so far. It is amazing, the opportunities, it is just amazing.
:21:16. > :21:21.I have been talking to people and they have come out of their shell.
:21:21. > :21:25.It has really improved my confidence. It has got me to make
:21:25. > :21:30.friends easier. I was never good at that. I have talked to a lot more
:21:30. > :21:34.people. It helps you understand other people. They have that
:21:34. > :21:36.different accents, it is due to last, it helps you with that.
:21:36. > :21:40.Orchestra's been inspired by a revolutionary social experiment in
:21:40. > :21:49.Venezuela which began in the mid '70s. It aimed to create social
:21:49. > :21:59.change by giving poverty-stricken children free access to music. 30
:21:59. > :21:59.
:21:59. > :22:02.years on, as this is what -- and this is one of the results.
:22:02. > :22:06.enthusiasm that the young Venezuelan people feel for
:22:06. > :22:09.classical music, and they have been working hard on how to perform
:22:09. > :22:13.something in an exciting way, it's not just about playing the notes,
:22:13. > :22:18.it is about putting your heart and soul into what to do. This is what
:22:18. > :22:22.we're trying to achieve. National Youth Orchestra is still
:22:23. > :22:32.recruiting. The long-term ambition is to have numerous orchestras
:22:33. > :22:34.
:22:34. > :22:43.representing each region. Fabulous! It's not often that Venezuela gets
:22:43. > :22:46.mentioned on the programme to! Staying with exotic news...
:22:46. > :22:48.Football and Stoke City have arrived in Croatia for tomorrow's
:22:48. > :22:51.Europa League qualifier against Hajduk Split. The Potters won the
:22:51. > :22:55.home leg 1-0, thanks to an early goal from Jonathan Walters. Around
:22:55. > :22:58.1000 Stoke fans are expected to travel to the game. But if you're
:22:58. > :23:03.not going, BBC Radio Stoke has the whole game live from 5.45pm
:23:03. > :23:06.tomorrow evening. You don't miss the trip. Five years ago, teenager
:23:06. > :23:10.Frankie Jones decided Birmingham was the best place to be if she was
:23:10. > :23:12.to compete at London 2012. The city had the best coach and the best
:23:12. > :23:15.facilities. Today, Frankie is the British champion in rhythmic
:23:15. > :23:17.gymnastics. Her Olympic dream is still very much alive, as Ian
:23:17. > :23:25.Winter reports. Frankie Jones, shopping for flowers on New Street,
:23:25. > :23:27.Birmingham. A rare chance to relax away from her rigorous training
:23:27. > :23:30.regime. You see, Frankie has precious little time to sit back
:23:30. > :23:40.and smell the roses, because every waking hour is focused on rhythmic
:23:40. > :23:43.
:23:43. > :23:47.gymnastics. As long as I am confident, I can hopefully perform
:23:47. > :23:50.to my best. Warning - don't try this at home. If Frankie's warm-up
:23:50. > :23:53.routine brings tears to the eyes, don't forget that for the past five
:23:54. > :23:58.years, she's been traveling three hours a day to train five hours a
:23:58. > :24:01.day with coach Lisa Higgins in top- notch facilities at the GMAC Centre.
:24:01. > :24:07.And it's paying dividends. Because Frankie, the Commonwealth silver
:24:07. > :24:09.medalist, is also the British champion. She needs a good
:24:09. > :24:17.performance at the World Championships next month to secure
:24:17. > :24:22.her place at London 2012. Bracci does thrive under pressure. We have
:24:22. > :24:26.known this since the beginning of the year. This is a stepping stone.
:24:26. > :24:31.Hopefully she is confident and we are confident she can achieve
:24:31. > :24:35.number one. I have to stay off the floor and keep moving. Otherwise
:24:35. > :24:38.you get deductions. She's not only really good with the ribbon, she's
:24:38. > :24:42.also red-hot with the hoop, brilliant with the ball, and if she
:24:42. > :24:44.fancies a really wild night out, Frankie loves clubbing. Four
:24:44. > :24:51.difficult disciplines, one dedicated gymnast heading for
:24:51. > :24:57.London 2012. It's always in the back of your mind. I want to work
:24:58. > :25:04.extra hard because you know that it's coming. Little goals, big
:25:04. > :25:07.dreams. Frankie Jones could be in for quite a year. And on Midlands
:25:07. > :25:17.Today tomorrow we'll be looking at the Olympic Dreams of a 19 year-old
:25:17. > :25:18.
:25:18. > :25:20.canoeist from Staffordshire. And, of course, the BBC is the official
:25:20. > :25:30.Olympic broadcaster. For all the very latest news on London 2012,
:25:30. > :25:32.
:25:32. > :25:38.log onto the website. Indeed. Here's Shefali with the weather. It
:25:38. > :25:45.has been a scorcher. We exceeded expectations. In the end, we did
:25:45. > :25:50.pretty well. The hottest place in For us, the hottest part of the
:25:50. > :25:57.region was Warwickshire with Church Lawford reaching 28 Celsius. It
:25:57. > :26:05.probably felt even more. And there are changes on the way but tonight
:26:05. > :26:09.they won't be immediately apparent. The cloud is going to thicken up
:26:09. > :26:16.from the west to begin with and then the rain begins to come
:26:16. > :26:21.through during the early hours. 16, 17 in places, it's a very
:26:21. > :26:25.uncomfortable night. Warm and humid. The rain starts to perk up tomorrow,
:26:25. > :26:28.beefing up in the south. We are looking at this becoming quite
:26:28. > :26:34.heavy in parts of Gloucestershire and South Warwickshire and
:26:34. > :26:38.temperatures -- 10 - 15 mm. That clears off to the east, hopefully
:26:38. > :26:41.towards the West we can see some late sunshine and while we're in
:26:42. > :26:48.that rain, it will still be quite humoured so although temperatures
:26:48. > :26:53.rise, it might still feel quite warm and fresher towards the West.
:26:53. > :26:58.Then the changes occur. That's from tomorrow night into Friday. Mr to
:26:58. > :27:01.see a quieter spell of weather, the rain clearing, better skies and for
:27:01. > :27:05.Friday it is cooler and fresher with house of 21 degrees. There
:27:05. > :27:09.will be a good deal of sunshine around and as we head into the
:27:10. > :27:14.weekend, Saturday, isolated showers and heavy showers for Sunday. Thank
:27:14. > :27:17.you. A look at tonight's main headlines: The former Egyptian
:27:17. > :27:20.President, Hosni Mubarak, appears in court on a hospital stretcher
:27:20. > :27:23.charged with ordering the killing of protesters. And a former foster
:27:23. > :27:29.carer has been jailed for 14 years for abusing children as young as
:27:29. > :27:33.five. That's all from us this evening, but on tomorrow's Midlands