:00:03. > :00:13.Good evening and welcome to Thursday's Midlands Today from the
:00:13. > :00:16.
:00:16. > :00:23.BBC. Tonight: thousands pay their respects to three men describe
:00:23. > :00:33.today as martyrs. People should learn a lesson. Keep it peaceful
:00:33. > :00:39.
:00:39. > :00:49.and calm. What now after A-levels? The highs
:00:49. > :00:49.
:00:49. > :00:59.and lows. And what now with Harry Potter
:00:59. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :01:22.having cast his final spell? It has Hailed as martyrs for protecting
:01:22. > :01:24.their community. That's how three young men killed during last week's
:01:24. > :01:27.riots were remembered at their funerals today. The funerals were
:01:27. > :01:31.held at a park close to where Haroon Jahan and brothers Shahzad
:01:31. > :01:33.Ali and Abdul Musavir, were mown down in a hit and run last
:01:33. > :01:36.Wednesday. Around 20,000 mourners gathered to hear prayers and
:01:36. > :01:46.tributes to the men with people from all religions joining the
:01:46. > :01:49.
:01:49. > :01:53.Muslim ceremony. Our reporter was that the service. Incredible scenes.
:01:53. > :01:57.It was pretty amazing. People kept coming over the course of about two
:01:57. > :02:00.hours. They were predominantly Muslim, but there were many people
:02:01. > :02:09.here from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. They had all
:02:09. > :02:13.come to offer their condolences. The coffins of Haroon Jahan, and
:02:13. > :02:20.the two brothers slowly made their way into our Summerfield Park.
:02:20. > :02:23.Thousands of mourners came to pay their respects. I think it is
:02:23. > :02:31.amazing. Not just in Birmingham but across the country, it shows the
:02:31. > :02:39.feeling that people have for the family's and what they have been
:02:39. > :02:46.through. I came just for the funeral. Why did you come? I wanted
:02:46. > :02:51.to pay my respects. The father of Haroon has been widely praised for
:02:51. > :03:01.his appeals for calm. He welcomed the mourners as it began in the
:03:01. > :03:02.
:03:02. > :03:07.park where they played as children. We are still very much in shock.
:03:07. > :03:17.Part of a says that we would not -- we would not wish anyone else to be
:03:17. > :03:17.
:03:17. > :03:23.killed. Haroon to hard and the two brothers died as they stop looters
:03:23. > :03:28.last week. All three were killed by a car. Police were here in numbers
:03:28. > :03:32.but remained in obtrusive. These have been among the saddest and
:03:32. > :03:40.most difficult of times bought these communities, but they have
:03:40. > :03:50.been praised for rallying together as one. We have always come
:03:50. > :03:50.
:03:50. > :03:57.together as a community and moved forward. Many here took comfort
:03:57. > :04:01.from the huge share of support, an estimated 20,000 people. I never
:04:01. > :04:06.expected this many people. It is such a sad day. I'm very proud of
:04:06. > :04:11.the ceremony that has taken place today. Both as someone who lives in
:04:11. > :04:17.Birmingham and as a Muslim, in terms of the dignified response but
:04:17. > :04:21.everyone, not just Muslims, but the vast majority of people have shown.
:04:21. > :04:28.As the prayers ended, the coffins were taken away for private family
:04:28. > :04:36.burial. With me now is a local youth worker. 20,000 people here
:04:36. > :04:40.today. Did you expect to see anything like this? I'm not shocked.
:04:40. > :04:46.I'm proud of our city and the good people of Birmingham that came out
:04:46. > :04:50.today. I didn't expect the numbers to be as huge as they were. I think
:04:50. > :04:54.Birmingham has responded to this tragic and cowardly act with such
:04:54. > :05:00.dignity and strength in terms of its numbers that we should all be
:05:00. > :05:10.proud as the nation. We have said already that too weak to harm has
:05:10. > :05:13.
:05:13. > :05:20.been praised by his words to stay calm -- the father of one of the
:05:20. > :05:30.brothers. We came here today, we have bought young people who wanted
:05:30. > :05:33.
:05:33. > :05:37.to be her and be part of this day - - be here. They all attended, one
:05:38. > :05:40.even faster today, he was not even a Muslim, to show that solidarity.
:05:40. > :05:47.That gives me hope in our generation, how they respond to
:05:47. > :05:50.those words. Hopefully, the future will be brighter as well. You can
:05:50. > :05:54.see behind me their dismantling the state here and getting the pop back
:05:54. > :05:59.to normal. Many people will be hoping that Birmingham will also
:05:59. > :06:02.return to normality. But it wasn't just in Summerfield
:06:02. > :06:05.Park that the community came together to remember the three men.
:06:05. > :06:15.Shops closed along Dudley Road in Winson Green, as people took time
:06:15. > :06:17.
:06:17. > :06:21.to pay their respects. Our correspondent spent the day there.
:06:21. > :06:24.Birmingham City Council has set up an online book of remembrance where
:06:24. > :06:34.you can log in and make your own comments. The see of bouquets he
:06:34. > :06:38.has been added to. People are standing quietly again, showing
:06:38. > :06:42.their sign of respect to their three dead men. At this shrine
:06:42. > :06:49.seems to be of significance, not just to Birmingham but the whole
:06:49. > :06:57.country, perhaps the whole world. A sign that peace and goodwill can
:06:58. > :07:01.prevail over greed and violence. All sections of the community, all
:07:02. > :07:09.religions. People came here to cent -- to pay their respects. To lay
:07:09. > :07:16.flowers, to pause and to spend a moment in contemplation. It is a
:07:16. > :07:20.loss that to accept but she never get over -- you never get over.
:07:20. > :07:25.whole of the UK is grieving for this. Eight days ago, three young
:07:25. > :07:32.men lost their lives here. As the riots raged, they were defending
:07:32. > :07:36.their community and local businesses. One man knew all three,
:07:36. > :07:40.and every day he has sat and tended the mounting tributes outside
:07:40. > :07:47.petrol station, unwilling to leave the place where his friends died.
:07:47. > :07:54.The were really good people. All these people around, trying to look
:07:54. > :07:59.after this area. Businesses were already share -- shutting up shop
:07:59. > :08:03.hours before the funeral. A local community centre brought down its
:08:03. > :08:07.shutters as people hurried away to pay their respects. It is a good
:08:07. > :08:12.thing we are closing as a mark of respect to the three men who died.
:08:12. > :08:17.It is supporting what is going on in the community at the moment. It
:08:17. > :08:22.is not a race related thing, it goes back to more deep-rooted
:08:22. > :08:28.problems. It is good that all the committees have come together.
:08:28. > :08:35.result of their deaths, wise heads prevailed over hot heads, and the
:08:35. > :08:40.flames of the riots died down in Birmingham. As with the murders of
:08:40. > :08:44.the two teenage girls are shootings in to set -- 2003, the killing of
:08:44. > :08:48.these three young men seems to have been a significant moment when
:08:48. > :08:54.Birmingham held its breath and stepped back from the brink. This
:08:54. > :08:59.nine-year-old boy it is Haroon's cousin. He said this was a sad but
:08:59. > :09:05.also a proud day for his family. As people hurried off to the ceremony
:09:05. > :09:10.at the park, one friend of the dead man spoke to me. I'm comforting
:09:10. > :09:14.them, helping them to get through a difficult time. We want to thank
:09:14. > :09:21.everybody for their support. Tonight, as a quarter urged drove
:09:21. > :09:27.past the makeshift skies -- shrine, the family stop to pay their
:09:27. > :09:30.respects. As the months and years go on, do you think these men will
:09:31. > :09:38.be remembered by the local community or will many -- memories
:09:38. > :09:47.fade? These young men here are trying to keep these flowers alive
:09:47. > :09:51.with water. Of course, the flowers were Welt, but extraordinary scenes
:09:51. > :09:55.here will reverberate around the country. People will be taking
:09:56. > :09:59.notice of what has happened here today. The death of the three men
:09:59. > :10:07.was always going to have a big impact, why do you think it was so
:10:07. > :10:11.significant? I think it was because of the words of Haroon Jahan's
:10:11. > :10:16.father. I think we often underestimate the power of speech.
:10:16. > :10:22.When that man said, I have lost my son but I don't want any more
:10:22. > :10:26.violence, I want the by its to stop, people listened. -- I want the
:10:26. > :10:32.right to stop. The quiet dignity of that father has been appreciated
:10:32. > :10:38.not just in this country but in the whole world. The impact of that man
:10:38. > :10:48.has really been priceless. He has maintained the peace in the City of
:10:48. > :10:49.
:10:49. > :10:54.Birmingham. Ian Beckford is the 4th man to be
:10:54. > :11:00.charged with murder. Tomorrow morning, a two-minute silence will
:11:00. > :11:04.be held as a mark of respect and the men.
:11:04. > :11:08.100 jobs are being created as part of a multi-million-pound investment
:11:08. > :11:13.at a factory in Stafford that makes engines. It comes just weeks after
:11:13. > :11:20.a reported 1000 new jobs were being created at a distribution warehouse
:11:20. > :11:25.Amazon. Yesterday, Stoke-on-Trent lost out to have an enterprise zone,
:11:25. > :11:28.but today, the news for Staffordshire was better. This is
:11:28. > :11:33.the new production line which has secured the future of a company
:11:33. > :11:37.which employs 800 people in Stafford. The recession affected
:11:37. > :11:42.everybody. We have a global market place and we did see a downturn in
:11:42. > :11:47.our order book. We had to take appropriate action so we had to
:11:47. > :11:53.lose some people. However, we have seen a recovery in the market and
:11:53. > :12:00.we see a strong future for our products. Perkins makes diesel and
:12:00. > :12:08.gas engines for electrical power. Several temporary staff were laid
:12:08. > :12:14.off by the positions have been re created as part every �10 million
:12:14. > :12:18.investment. It is brilliant news everybody and the community. It had
:12:18. > :12:24.a bit of a knock back, but it is the same way of the work, whichever
:12:24. > :12:27.industry. It has picked itself up. It is good news for the company.
:12:27. > :12:32.The factory in Stafford is expanding at a time when Stoke-on-
:12:32. > :12:35.Trent lost out on a bid to have an enterprise zone. The government
:12:35. > :12:39.defended the decision by saying the area would benefit from a
:12:40. > :12:45.neighbouring sown in the Black Country. I'm talking about the good
:12:45. > :12:51.news here. We have got a chance to be in their. All the local MPs are
:12:51. > :12:57.pushing for it. Also had good news that in suffix -- South
:12:57. > :13:00.Staffordshire, it includes the I 54. 90 % of what is made here is
:13:00. > :13:08.exported. The new investment is a welcome boost for workers to make
:13:08. > :13:11.22,000 engines per year. A 44-year- old man from Staffordshire has been
:13:12. > :13:18.arrested in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation.
:13:18. > :13:23.He has been bailed pending further inquiries into alleged tendering
:13:23. > :13:29.practices. Two other men already arrested remain on police bail.
:13:29. > :13:33.TJ Hughes is shutting another three stores with the loss of 130 jobs.
:13:33. > :13:37.Shops in Coventry, Redditch and Hanley will close later this month.
:13:38. > :13:42.It follows the demise of five other TJ Hughes stores last week like
:13:42. > :13:45.The Government's promising a new generation of local television
:13:45. > :13:47.stations across the Midlands. Ten locations have been identified as
:13:47. > :13:49.suitable and shortlisted for the new services. Culture Minister
:13:49. > :13:52.Jeremy Hunt was in Birmingham encouraging people and
:13:52. > :14:01.organisations to come forward and say why their town or city deserves
:14:02. > :14:08.one of the new local TV stations. Clear going to issue 20 licences
:14:08. > :14:12.next year, and out of 65 possible candidates, we are encouraging
:14:12. > :14:16.people to write in to say why they would like their town or city to
:14:16. > :14:20.beyond that initial list of 20. Then we will issue the other
:14:20. > :14:26.licences shortly after that. We will have 20 pioneered licences
:14:26. > :14:31.that Ofcom will issue next year. shall have to apply to want! Thank
:14:31. > :14:39.you for joining us. Still to come: Find out how Harry Potter worked
:14:39. > :14:43.his magic on these actors. First, though, if you got your A
:14:43. > :14:46.level results this morning, I do hope you got what you wanted - it's
:14:46. > :14:51.always a nerve wracking time. Overall, it's been another
:14:51. > :14:54.successful year, with pass rates rising once again. But there won't
:14:54. > :14:58.be many as successful as Ellie Davidson from Harborne in
:14:58. > :15:04.Birmingham. She's sealed her place at Oxford University to study maths
:15:04. > :15:13.with a stunning achievement... Wait for it... She got eight A* grades,
:15:13. > :15:19.and even taught herself some of the modules at home.
:15:19. > :15:23.I really don't know what to say. I cannot believe it. I worked hard
:15:23. > :15:29.and I thought I would do OK but I never expected to do this well. It
:15:29. > :15:39.has surpassed all expectations. looks a bit pleased!
:15:39. > :15:39.
:15:40. > :15:42.Congratulations to her. Ellie has already got her uni place sorted,
:15:42. > :15:45.but this year there's extra pressure for university places, as
:15:46. > :15:48.students try to get on a course before tuition fees rise to up to
:15:48. > :15:51.�9,000 next year. But for many students, university is no longer
:15:52. > :15:55.the only option. Sarah Falkland was with students at the Q3 academy in
:15:55. > :15:59.Great Barr in Birmingham as they opened their results.
:15:59. > :16:09.A picture for the press - but university is out of reach for half
:16:09. > :16:10.
:16:10. > :16:17.this group. Luke got A, D, B. He's going to take up an in house
:16:17. > :16:20.apprenticeship at the academy with the aim of being a PE teacher.
:16:20. > :16:25.thought about university, but obviously with the costs, and the
:16:25. > :16:33.fact I play for at all, it just was unsuitable. Debbie did well, with
:16:33. > :16:37.an A star and two As. I'm just excited I have got my results and I
:16:37. > :16:40.can focus on going to university now. Jonathan got two Bs, but is
:16:40. > :16:46.going to take advantage of the academy's Inqbate scheme which will
:16:47. > :16:51.mean he can set himself up in business as a photographer. I will
:16:51. > :16:56.get premises where I can set up a studio for myself. I get �500
:16:57. > :17:00.start-up costs, I get a mentor. with 3 As and a C, Aimee is going
:17:00. > :17:07.to take a year out before applying to drama school - but fees will
:17:07. > :17:10.then be at a record high. I am hoping maybe they might be reduced
:17:11. > :17:18.by the time I actually get there. The academy's had an above average
:17:18. > :17:22.A level pass rate. It only opened 18 months ago - it is pretty swish.
:17:22. > :17:25.It has raised aspirations and made them believe they really can
:17:25. > :17:33.achieve. And of course it is not just a building that leads to
:17:33. > :17:38.success. It is what goes in the building. Such a definitive day.
:17:38. > :17:42.What they get inside this envelope can decide the rest of their lives.
:17:42. > :17:44.I'm trying to find out if I have got a place. And inevitably, some
:17:44. > :17:51.are disappointed. Ben has just heard that Nottingham won't take
:17:51. > :17:57.him with slightly lesser grades. For him and others, results day
:17:57. > :18:07.means shattered dreams. Joining us now is Kathryn Jones
:18:07. > :18:09.
:18:09. > :18:16.from Birmingham City University. This means a very busy day for
:18:16. > :18:25.clearing. At one point, 400 calls a second. How has it been for you?
:18:25. > :18:29.Frantic. We have had 3,500 calls and we are open until 8pm tonight.
:18:29. > :18:33.People are really upset when they don't have their grades. This is a
:18:33. > :18:38.pivotal part of their educational life, going on to choose probably
:18:38. > :18:41.their future career. It is. We are dealing with very anxious,
:18:42. > :18:46.distressed people. There is lots of coverage about the reduction in
:18:47. > :18:50.places. The message we're trying to get across is to stay calm, speak
:18:50. > :18:54.to the universities because they may still accepted, although as we
:18:54. > :18:59.know the pressure is rising and places are limited. But also
:18:59. > :19:07.consider other options - you can still take a gap year, you could
:19:07. > :19:12.consider a another subject for another level. Or perhaps part-time
:19:12. > :19:17.study. You said you were busy, had you still got places at Birmingham
:19:17. > :19:24.City University? We started out with between 203 hundred places.
:19:24. > :19:32.The last count we at less than 100. We have some left on law and
:19:32. > :19:36.specialist areas of Nursing like learning disabilities. Engineering,
:19:36. > :19:40.technology and planning are also difficult to recruit for but there
:19:40. > :19:47.is a store -- a shortage of those skills, so do think about what you
:19:47. > :19:52.want to study. A scary time, but there are still some places out
:19:53. > :19:55.there. Let us talk about some real success.
:19:55. > :19:58.So, the England cricket team have successfully established themselves
:19:58. > :20:01.- officially - as the best test side in the world. And we're proud
:20:02. > :20:04.to say they got there thanks to two of Warwickshire's stars. But Ian
:20:04. > :20:07.Bell and Jonathan Trott's successes with England leave the Bears
:20:07. > :20:09.pushing hard to win the County Championship without them, as Nick
:20:09. > :20:12.Clitheroe reports. As he proudly leads out his team,
:20:12. > :20:16.Jim Troughton knows Warwickshire have a real chance of winning their
:20:16. > :20:18.first County Championship title for seven years. The Bears have been
:20:18. > :20:27.through a lean spell in recent seasons that even included
:20:27. > :20:32.relegation, but this year they seem to have got it just right.
:20:32. > :20:35.Generally, the 16 games over a season of cricket to terms --
:20:35. > :20:40.determines who is the best side in the country. So it is important ask
:20:40. > :20:43.what is going on at the club. Conditions have been quite tough.
:20:43. > :20:49.Where in a position now where we can challenge and it is important
:20:49. > :20:53.we played good cricket from here on in. Warwickshire a fourth but just
:20:54. > :20:59.17 points behind their leader, Durham. It didn't go too well at
:20:59. > :21:01.first as Hampshire got off to a flying start under grey skies. But
:21:01. > :21:09.soon the visitors found themselves feeling the force of Warwickshire's
:21:09. > :21:14.determination to lift the county title again. Champions in a great
:21:14. > :21:22.new stadium. Brilliant. We're just worried a rather weather. That is
:21:22. > :21:30.the worst thing. On top of his new pavilion, winning it would be the
:21:30. > :21:33.icing on the cake. The cups are all right, but the championship is the
:21:34. > :21:36.main one, definitely. Wickets fell regularly, to the delight of a
:21:36. > :21:38.crowd which wasn't big but was certainly enthusiastic. And
:21:39. > :21:43.Warwickshire took control of the match, with Hampshire all out for
:21:43. > :21:46.just 141. Onto football and Stoke City have
:21:46. > :21:56.already kicked off in their Europa League play-off in Switzerland this
:21:56. > :21:58.
:21:58. > :22:01.evening. The score there is currently FC Thun 0, Stoke - 1.
:22:01. > :22:04.Birmingham City kick off in about an hour against the Portuguese side
:22:04. > :22:11.Nacional. It's their first game in a major European competition for 50
:22:11. > :22:16.years. We have to make sure we are still in the Thai come next
:22:16. > :22:20.Thursday. If we had a choice, we would have done it this way, away
:22:20. > :22:24.from home first. Taking it back to son Andrew's next week, that is
:22:24. > :22:27.what we've got. It is up to was. And if you want to follow
:22:27. > :22:31.Birmingham City or Stoke City in the Europa League, you can hear
:22:31. > :22:34.full commentary on BBC WM and BBC Radio Stoke.
:22:34. > :22:37.Harry Potter is the most successful film franchise of all time, turning
:22:37. > :22:40.a whole load of unknown teenage actors into worldwide stars. Among
:22:40. > :22:47.them, our very own Oliver and James Phelps from Sutton Coldfield, who
:22:47. > :22:52.were cast in the roles of the Weasley Twins. Now, after eight
:22:52. > :22:55.movies it's all come to an end. Ben Sidwell's been to meet the brothers
:22:55. > :23:05.and find out what the last 11 years of their lives have been like and
:23:05. > :23:11.
:23:11. > :23:17.We told all our closest friends we were going to be in Harry Potter
:23:17. > :23:21.and they did not believe us. We any told a few people, and they did not
:23:21. > :23:31.believe us. Then a week later we turned up with ginger hair, and
:23:31. > :23:38.then they said, OK, maybe you are. At school we were just going into
:23:38. > :23:43.year 10. We picked our GCSEs, and neither of us picked drama. It was
:23:43. > :23:46.not on our radar at the time. 14, Oliver and James Phelps, from
:23:46. > :23:54.Sutton Coldfield, began filming the first Harry Potter movie. Back then,
:23:54. > :23:59.no one had any idea just how big it would all become. We knew they
:23:59. > :24:02.would make two, and there were whispers of three or four. But to
:24:02. > :24:07.do eight... And the premiere for the last one last month, to bring
:24:07. > :24:10.the whole of London to a standstill, because they reckon in and around
:24:10. > :24:13.Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square, they reckon there were
:24:13. > :24:19.20,000 people. The twins have received a similar reception around
:24:19. > :24:24.the world and get plenty of fan mail. Some more unusual than others.
:24:24. > :24:31.The weirdest one was recently. James got a massive box. A huge
:24:31. > :24:35.package. I thought, this should be good. I opened it up and there was
:24:35. > :24:40.a water melon in sight, which said, please sign and send back. Despite
:24:40. > :24:45.the fame and adulation and money they have received, both James and
:24:45. > :24:49.Oliver still live in the Midlands and have no intention of leaving.
:24:49. > :24:52.Earlier in the year we were in the States the two months. Although it
:24:52. > :25:00.was really nice weather and quite miserable over here, when we came
:25:00. > :25:03.home, we said, I'm glad to be home. We still go down to Birmingham and
:25:03. > :25:11.we both go down to Gloucester to watch the rugby. The Midlands is
:25:11. > :25:15.our home. Both Oliver and James continue to make movies. But
:25:15. > :25:19.whatever the future brings, they have some fantastic stories to tell
:25:19. > :25:26.their children in the future. never kept a scrapbook, but no
:25:26. > :25:31.friends and family who have kept scrapbooks. We saw a couple of
:25:31. > :25:41.weeks ago, things we forgot even happened. As you say, it will be
:25:41. > :25:42.
:25:43. > :25:52.great to show kids and Gran kids. We're very lucky.
:25:53. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :26:00.Now, a look at the weather. Can you do any magic on that? I am afraid
:26:00. > :26:06.not! We have had many changes since the start of the week, so the
:26:07. > :26:13.weekend is unsettled but still warm. Temperatures in the low twenties.
:26:14. > :26:19.That is thanks to this area of low pressure. It will produce a narrow
:26:19. > :26:23.but fairly intense band of rain tomorrow night and into Saturday
:26:23. > :26:28.morning. The best day in terms of dry weather and sunshine will be
:26:28. > :26:32.tomorrow. In the interim period, we are looking at today's main
:26:32. > :26:37.clearing to the north-east. Under clear skies, temperatures will dip
:26:37. > :26:40.to lows of around seven Celsius, so in other chilly night ahead. It
:26:40. > :26:45.does mean that tomorrow morning we start off with a good deal of
:26:45. > :26:53.sunshine right across the board. It stays dry today even though we get
:26:53. > :26:57.an increasing cloud. Temperatures rising to 20 Celsius, so it will be
:26:57. > :27:04.warmer than today and it turns even warmer during the weekend. Tomorrow
:27:04. > :27:11.night we get the cloud increasing and rain moving in. Even then those
:27:11. > :27:14.temperatures already left, with loads of about 13 or 14 Celsius.
:27:14. > :27:21.Fairly wet on Saturday, some heavy showers on Sunday but highs of 23
:27:21. > :27:24.A look at tonight's main headlines: The frantic scramble for a
:27:24. > :27:27.university place - tens of thousands are expected to miss out
:27:27. > :27:30.after another record A level year. And around 20,000 people turned out
:27:30. > :27:35.in Birmingham at the open air funerals of three men killed during
:27:35. > :27:37.last week's riots. That's all from us this evening,