27/07/2011 Midlands Today

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

BBC. Tonight: 14 years' jail for a former foster carer who abuse

children as young as five. vulnerable children were preyed on

by him and they did not know who would believe them at that time.

Fury over bus routes and the Black Country, some people cannot get to

work. We have no transport whatsoever, the just stuck.

Creating stars of the future, the region's first Academy for the

Performing Arts prepares to open its doors. And what stories they

could tell - archaeologists find Good evening. He took away their

childhood, leaving indelible psychological scars. Those were the

words of a judge as he sentenced a former foster carer and parish

councillor to 14 years in jail for child abuse. William Barber was

found guilty of sexually abusing eight children over a 12-year

period. Some of his victims were as young as five years old. Police

described him as a predatory paedophile who used his seemingly

respectable image as a cover. As Sarah Falkland reports, he

maintained his innocence from the outset. From what you have said,

you deny the allegations? Absolutely. He claimed he'd never

touched a single child. But he was lying. Barber used his position as

a foster parent and councilor to assure couples he could look after

their children. The 60 year-old from Gloucester assaulted them at

his home and in a caravan in the Forest of Dean. My mum used to go

round for a cup of tea with his wife. I was four or five when it

started. I knew not to say anything. It was instilled in you. It was

unspoken that it was a special thing between us which I was not to

mention. Julie was just one of Barber's eight known victims.

William Barber portrayed himself as a pillar of the community, he was a

foster carer and in charge of the Tennis Association and on the

parish council. Everybody trusted him and held in high regard. The

vulnerable children were preyed upon by him. And they did not know

who would believe them at that time. Gloucestershire County Council have

made it clear that none of Barber's victims were children he'd fostered.

And they've pointed out that checks on potential carers are now much

stricter since the times of Barber's crimes. Judge James Tabor

told victims it had been a terrible ordeal for them and that he was

very impressed with the dignity shown by those who gave evidence.

Passing sentence on Barber, he said: You have not shown one

scintilla of concern for your victims, only for yourself. One of

Barber's victims, who was abused from the age of six, gave her

reaction to his sentence. I went for several years thinking he'd got

away with it but nothing will be good enough for what he put me and

the other victims through. Although the fact that he's been found

guilty and sent to prison means I can now try and move on and get

some closure. Barber will serve seven years before he's considered

for release. He'll remain on the sex offenders register for life.

And you can read more on that on the BBC Gloucestershire website.

Later in tonight's programme: They're treating patients on a

virtual hospital ward before being unleashed on the real thing. It was

billed as a �22 million state-of- the-art bus station right at the

heart of a modern, integrated transport hub. It was hoped it

would prove to be the catalyst to encourage more people using public

transport. But 10 days after the new facility opened and a series of

new routes were also introduced, thousands of people in

Wolverhampton are complaining. Bob Hockenhull has been investigating.

Wolverhampton's new bus station has been described by some as a

facility that people need and deserve. But the opening has

coincided with new routes and timetables, and that has angered

many. I normally have the 79, it has gotten worse. Turn it back to

normal because it is confusing. Residents like Pat Fullwood say

services they use have been either merged, diverted and reduced.

are just totally cut off and have no transport. We're just stuck.

Thank you. In nearby Wednesfield, the local councilor's already

collected 2000 signatures from angry passengers who claim they

can't get to the shops. It is no good having first class or world-

class facilities when residents that I represent have no provision

for a bus service to get them into the High Street. To do their

shopping, pay bills and do their banking. They will probably never

get to see that bus station. Traders are worried, too. The old

generation, from the outside, they are struggling to get to the centre,

now. This is seen as embarrassing and disappointing for those who see

the station as a world-class facility. The centre of a transport

hub linking bus, train and trams and at a time when more people want

to use public transport because of high petrol prices. Transport

managers say the new timetable would have been brought in whether

there was a new bus station or not. I don't want us to quickly react

and do something which potentially helps solve one difficulty and cost

is another so we're still looking at those issues and talking with

the councillors. We have a petition that was received and we're looking

at options to see what we can do. It's hoped the controversy won't

detract from the city's hopes to make the bus station a spur for

economic regeneration. Our transport correspondent, Peter

Plisner, is at the bus depot now. This is a bit of a PR disaster - is

the new bus station really to blame for this? Nothing to do with the

new bus station, these changes were happening anyway and they were

introduced at roughly the same time. The company says these changes

happen after a major consultation and there were hundreds of

responses but the bottom line is there is less money around and

private companies like National Express are making best use of

existing resources. Obviously, these changes are not popular,

hence that petition. With petrol prices rising, people who might

consider abandoning their cars could be put off by things like

this? There is evidence of something called a modal shift were

people shift from the car to the train and also buses because of

higher prices and the effects of the recession but what people want

is a decent alternative with a local connection and that is where

the bus scores. But we're heading in the opposite direction with

these changes, like the changes. Can these problems be overcome?

company says they're listening to complaints and they have lodged a

major review which should report within the next week or two and

that might mean more changes, may be additional bus services as a

result of more funding but these are not isolated cases. We have

been contacted from people elsewhere in the City and they seem

to be equally as unpopular. Thank you. The other news, now... A

senior police officer in Coventry has been suspended following

allegations that he accessed inappropriate material on the

internet. West Midlands Police are investigating. The officer is

understood to be 48 year-old Inspector Brian Hornsby. He was

arrested last month at an address in Bedworth. The engineering

company GKN has recorded a 14% rise in profits for the first half of

this year. Sales at GKN Driveline, which has bases in Redditch and

Birmingham, were up by 12%. Driveline make components for the

car industry. The company's share price has risen as profits were

bigger than expected. Safety checks are to be carried out on part of

Spaghetti Junction at a cost of �2.5 million pounds. Experts will

be inspecting the Tame Valley Viaduct, which carries the Aston

Expressway onto the M6 in Birmingham. They say the money's

needed so repairs can be planned before problems on the 40 year-old

road-link become too severe. The Midlands' first academy school for

the performing arts is due to open its doors to students next month.

It's modelled on the success of the BRIT school in London, which has

helped pop singers like Adele launch their careers. Eventually it

could take up to 1000 pupils. Jackie Kabler reports. This is

Julie Fitzgerald, a 16 year-old singer-songwriter from Lichfield

and this is the almost finished Birmingham Academy, the school

which it's hoped what turned students by Ken into the stars of

the future. We were not aware of the school, I had applied for

colleges and as soon as I checked it out, it was definitely the place

to be. Partnered with the famous BRIT School in London and a TV

company, the academy's due to open in September. This is what it

should look like then. Initially with 325 students and creating 100

new jobs. It has been five years in the making and I have been involved

for the majority of that time so to see this actually here, it is a

privilege to be involved. And to see it happening is quite special.

When finished, there will be a huge screen up their showing the

students' work to the outside world. This is one of 37 specialist

academies in the West Midlands, of those, 10 specialise in business

and enterprise, six in manse, three in technology and two of them in

languages. At partners Maverick TV, staff are hoping their involvement

will help shape the stars and success stories of tomorrow. The

new academy is still a school, teaching all the usual subjects,

just with a bit of showbiz sparkle. If you look at a lot of the

successful people in the creative industries, they have done things

when they were 15 and 16 and they want to get out and do that and the

Academy can encourage that for all the talent in Birmingham. That will

be a wonderful thing. Have you ever felt like there is no where else...

Students of the creative, digital and performing arts, your new

academy awaits. One to watch out for! I know... Good luck. Nearly

six in ten independent retailers suffered a fall in business over

the last three months. The figures are revealed in a new survey from

the British Independent Retail Association, which also shows a

decline in sales in the Midlands so far this year. The downturn is

being blamed on job insecurity and higher food and fuel prices,

leaving consumers with less to spend. This report from Ben Sidwell.

Step inside and it's like going back in time. But much has changed

since the shop first opened in 1880. 131 years later, it is still owned

and run by members of the same family. There are no family

business has left. I think people still like a traditional shop. They

can go into any shop which is basically every shop, there are the

same. All four members of staff have worked here for over 40 years.

The business has been their life. But things and retail have changed.

It is one of those other functions of how people's lifestyles are

changing and people do not by as much time as they used to. In the

City, they are not alone. This is Russell and draw, another family

owned business that has been in the city since the 1800s. That was

until last month, when they closed for the last time. It isn't just in

Worcester that independent shops struggle. According to figures by

the Birmingham based British independent retailers Association,

in the Midlands, they have seen their overall average performance

dropping by 3.9% compared to the same period last year. And many

have been hit even harder. When asked how confident they felt about

the Red Ed, only 4% said they were confident about 61% were anxious.

Back here, it seems many people are taking the chance to relive

shopping days of the past. It is a shame, it has been for it here for

so long. It is a tragedy for the area. The family still have not

received an offer for the building. When they do, this chapter of

Wester's retail history welcome to an end. Joining us now is Michael

Weedon from the British Independent Retail Association. We heard about

two businesses in Worcester there. What's the picture like across the

rest of the region? Across the region it is interesting because

the Midlands is in the middle of the scale. From falls of 12%, some

places are better than others. What London has been bad, West Midlands

is in the middle. Six out of 10 independent retailers tell us that

business is down in the last quarter against last year. At the

same time, things were good before that but on balance not a great

place to be. We have an e-mail from Harry who owns a shop, he says the

problem is very high business rates in muster. Is that a common

problem? Our councils to agree? Somebody has to pay so business

rates have to be there for a purpose. Business rates are a

problem across the country and retailers began small will be

hurting. Also rent. Rising rent is a big problem. That is a real

difficulty for retailers and of business falls but the rents only

go up, you get squeezed. Everybody likes shopping in a place where

there are lots of independent retailers. Are we seeing the slow

death of that? It might be difficult to believe, but the

Palace on the high streets across the country over the last three

years has swung in favour of independent shops because chains

have been shutting their doors more quickly than that the independent

shops and this year, research shows that as many independents have

opened as have closed. That is bizarre. With the growth of

superstores and online shopping, you would have thought it was the

opposite? We're talking about the High Street, these become available,

people who have dreamt of running a shop and many are redundant or are

just dreamers, possibly mad, they see this opportunity and they take

it. These people will open shops and they can save the High Street.

If they are allowed to. Thank you. It's technology more usually used

by companies like Jaguar. But now Keele University is using cutting-

edge virtual reality to put pharmacology students through their

paces. They're treating patients on a virtual hospital ward before

being unleashed on the real thing. And, as our science correspondent,

David Gregory, discovered, the new technology is opening up all sorts

of possibilities. I'm stepping into a virtual hospital ward and then

using a 3 D glasses. The effect is extraordinary although you will not

get quite the same effect at home on the television. The system

tracks for I am looking, patience even react. It is an important tool

for students. How to operate in a busy ward? You might just be

talking to one patient but there are lots of other things going on.

If it really prepares you. In 2009 we reported on Keele University's

virtual patients. The virtual ward takes things even further.

Pharmacology students can check notes, and monitors. But there are

plenty of other clues to a patient's health to watch out for.

Perhaps look at the colour of the skin and the colour of their eyes,

if there is any slight tremor in the hand, things like this can give

the student the clue as to what is wrong. This technology is more

usually found in the car industry. And the team don't just use it for

hospital wards. The biggest challenge with students is getting

them back out once they have started working! It can take

students inside molecules or inside the human body. In fact, it may

well have uses beyond teaching. This Israel patient data. You can

go in here with colleagues and examine and plan how to do things

in 3 D. In the meantime, what do was learn in the virtual world

makes them better prepared for the real thing. You can read much more

about that research on David's blog at bbc.co.uk/davidgregory. Still to

come in tonight's programme: Dreaming the dream - can our

rhythmic gymnasts strike gold at London 2012? Meanwhile, it looks

like the dream is over for us. The weather has hit its peak but what

comes next? I'll have the full details for you later. Try not to

be alarmed but more than 20 skeletons have been dug up in the

Worcestershire village of Kempsey. It's a relief to know they date

back around 1000 years. Archaeologists say what they're

unearthing suggests the village may once have been an important

administrative centre to rival nearby Worcester. Andy Newman

reports. Scratching at the human remains from the distant past.

Former residents of the village who last trod the feels of Foster Show

around 1000 years ago. Next to St Mary's Church in the village,

archaeologists have found a medieval extension to the present

graveyard where 23 skeletons have so far been discovered. More are

almost certain to follow. clearly shows that this was an

important ecclesiastical centre. There is building material within

the soil that we are excavating and it appears to indicate there was a

pretty substantial medieval building here on the site.

particularly interesting find is in his grave when there are two

schools, one on top of the other and that does not mean to people

were buried together, it illustrates that burials were

haphazard and one grave has disturbed another and the Richhill

skull has simply been placed on top. Other evidence adds weight to the

theory that next to the church there once stood at Bishop's Palace,

where kings and queens would have been entertained. It means that

what is now a sleepy village was once an important administrative

centre. I find it absolutely incredible that we were made aware

of this. Been brought up in the area, I never even knew about this.

It will be interesting to know what really happened to these people. To

get the evidence of when it was and why they died and get some proper

forensic evidence, that would be exciting. That evidence is being

gathered as the finds are taken away for exact dating and other

tests to find out more about these distant ancestors and the life they

lived in the important village of Campsie. Fascinating stuff.

Slightly spooky! It is, sadly! We might find out in a few months. You

have specialist knowledge?! The first-ever performance by a brand

new orchestra took place here in the Midlands this afternoon. The

National Orchestra For All is made up exclusively of talented young

people from economically deprived areas. It's inspired by a similar

project in Venezuela. Kevin Reide went to see them perform. The

newly-formed National Orchestra for All in rehearsals this afternoon at

the University of Warwick. Later they'll be performing to an

audience of more than 700. It's made up of children who might not

otherwise get the chance. There are lots of August is out there. They

tend to be for the elite and what the National Orchestra for all does

it opens up the doors to children for all standards and stages.

youngsters have only been together since Sunday but they're enjoying

the so far. It is amazing, the opportunities, it is just amazing.

I have been talking to people and they have come out of their shell.

It has really improved my confidence. It has got me to make

friends easier. I was never good at that. I have talked to a lot more

people. It helps you understand other people. They have that

different accents, it is due to last, it helps you with that.

Orchestra's been inspired by a revolutionary social experiment in

Venezuela which began in the mid '70s. It aimed to create social

change by giving poverty-stricken children free access to music. 30

years on, as this is what -- and this is one of the results.

enthusiasm that the young Venezuelan people feel for

classical music, and they have been working hard on how to perform

something in an exciting way, it's not just about playing the notes,

it is about putting your heart and soul into what to do. This is what

we're trying to achieve. National Youth Orchestra is still

recruiting. The long-term ambition is to have numerous orchestras

representing each region. Fabulous! It's not often that Venezuela gets

mentioned on the programme to! Staying with exotic news...

Football and Stoke City have arrived in Croatia for tomorrow's

Europa League qualifier against Hajduk Split. The Potters won the

home leg 1-0, thanks to an early goal from Jonathan Walters. Around

1000 Stoke fans are expected to travel to the game. But if you're

not going, BBC Radio Stoke has the whole game live from 5.45pm

tomorrow evening. You don't miss the trip. Five years ago, teenager

Frankie Jones decided Birmingham was the best place to be if she was

to compete at London 2012. The city had the best coach and the best

facilities. Today, Frankie is the British champion in rhythmic

gymnastics. Her Olympic dream is still very much alive, as Ian

Winter reports. Frankie Jones, shopping for flowers on New Street,

Birmingham. A rare chance to relax away from her rigorous training

regime. You see, Frankie has precious little time to sit back

and smell the roses, because every waking hour is focused on rhythmic

gymnastics. As long as I am confident, I can hopefully perform

to my best. Warning - don't try this at home. If Frankie's warm-up

routine brings tears to the eyes, don't forget that for the past five

years, she's been traveling three hours a day to train five hours a

day with coach Lisa Higgins in top- notch facilities at the GMAC Centre.

And it's paying dividends. Because Frankie, the Commonwealth silver

medalist, is also the British champion. She needs a good

performance at the World Championships next month to secure

her place at London 2012. Bracci does thrive under pressure. We have

known this since the beginning of the year. This is a stepping stone.

Hopefully she is confident and we are confident she can achieve

number one. I have to stay off the floor and keep moving. Otherwise

you get deductions. She's not only really good with the ribbon, she's

also red-hot with the hoop, brilliant with the ball, and if she

fancies a really wild night out, Frankie loves clubbing. Four

difficult disciplines, one dedicated gymnast heading for

London 2012. It's always in the back of your mind. I want to work

extra hard because you know that it's coming. Little goals, big

dreams. Frankie Jones could be in for quite a year. And on Midlands

Today tomorrow we'll be looking at the Olympic Dreams of a 19 year-old

canoeist from Staffordshire. And, of course, the BBC is the official

Olympic broadcaster. For all the very latest news on London 2012,

log onto the website. Indeed. Here's Shefali with the weather. It

has been a scorcher. We exceeded expectations. In the end, we did

pretty well. The hottest place in For us, the hottest part of the

region was Warwickshire with Church Lawford reaching 28 Celsius. It

probably felt even more. And there are changes on the way but tonight

they won't be immediately apparent. The cloud is going to thicken up

from the west to begin with and then the rain begins to come

through during the early hours. 16, 17 in places, it's a very

uncomfortable night. Warm and humid. The rain starts to perk up tomorrow,

beefing up in the south. We are looking at this becoming quite

heavy in parts of Gloucestershire and South Warwickshire and

temperatures -- 10 - 15 mm. That clears off to the east, hopefully

towards the West we can see some late sunshine and while we're in

that rain, it will still be quite humoured so although temperatures

rise, it might still feel quite warm and fresher towards the West.

Then the changes occur. That's from tomorrow night into Friday. Mr to

see a quieter spell of weather, the rain clearing, better skies and for

Friday it is cooler and fresher with house of 21 degrees. There

will be a good deal of sunshine around and as we head into the

weekend, Saturday, isolated showers and heavy showers for Sunday. Thank

you. A look at tonight's main headlines: The former Egyptian

President, Hosni Mubarak, appears in court on a hospital stretcher

charged with ordering the killing of protesters. And a former foster

carer has been jailed for 14 years for abusing children as young as

five. That's all from us this evening, but on tomorrow's Midlands