15/09/2011 Midlands Today

Hello, and welcome to Midlands Today with Nick Owen and Suzanne

Virdee. The headlines tonight. The West Midlands' top policeman

denies officers could have done more to prevent the deaths in the

riots. The evidence we received was that police were watching what was

happening. By dispute that evidence. As police destroy DNA evidence, a

rape victim says everyone's DNA should go on a national database.

That would act as a real deterrent to people committing crime.

How the debt crisis in the eurozone is hitting businesses hard. We were

selling our higher-margin items in Europe and they have decreased

significantly. And so near yet so far for

Warwickshire, as they miss out on the title in the final hour of the

season. Good evening and welcome to

Thursday's Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight - the Chief Constable

of West Midlands Police has denied his officers could have done more

to prevent the deaths of three people during the Birmingham riots.

Chris Sims was giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

In a tense exchange he also rejected criticism that his

officers had been absent from many areas during the riots. Cath Mackie

reports on how the police response to the rioting came under scrutiny

today. He's already faced tough

questioning from the public and the press. Today it was the turn of MPs

to cross-examine the West Midlands Chief Constable, Chris Sims, about

how his force dealt with the riots. And it was no easy ride. People

died in Birmingham. There were individuals who would protect their

own shores because the police were not there and the evidence we

received was that police were watching what was happening.

dispute that evidence of police watching. By the end of the first

evening, we had arrested 130 people. By the end of the evening that had

more than doubled. Those arrests do not happen by police watching.

far, 622 arrests have been made, and with CCTV footage still being

examined, he warned many, many more would follow. People who run

faltered who have not been in court should not be petrified. They will

have seen the media scapegoating that is going on, they will see

people being sentenced to two years for stealing a �1 a bottle of water

or a waste basket. A device and currency an organisation like us.

At Westminster, much was made of the importance of neighbourhood

policing and maintaining community relations. I have never, in all my

30 years, had so many people physically stop me and say thank

you. We have had outpourings of all sorts of caves and things. It has

been humbling. This inquiry is hoping to learn the lessons of the

summer riots. Clearly the role of the police is a key part of that.

But so too it seems is the role of social networking sites.

Representatives of Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry answered

claims that social networking spread disorder. Do you accept part

of the responsibility for what has happened? Now, the vast majority of

people abide by the law and thews social media systems as a force for

good. This huge array of information, much of which is

obviously false, watching -- work but how you make good use of that

is an issue for all forces in the country. The irony is these riots

are the first in history where instant messaging gave police more

information than ever before. The challenge now is sifting through

that mass of data and adapting conventional policing to the

internet age. We're joined now by Professor Craig

Jackson, a criminal pyschologist from Birmingham City University.

2,000 DNA samples taken during the hunt for the killer of a Birmingham

What is Yorkshire won the role of social media? The evidence I have

seen is that most social media activity at the time was either

people condemning the riots or, on a more proactive powerful, the

social media into Birmingham would use it to tell people where to

avoid a way not to go. But there were some people putting on silly

messages about letters have arrived here. Absolutely. There were a

small number of people make it difficult for police and they were

joined it in the fund. I did in many of them had a genuine

intention to ride. We have to remember that the police and

intelligence services will have been wandering activity right from

the death a few days before in London. It would not have come

surprised to them. They were not taken unawares. How do people clamp

down on this? Do we shut down the networks? Are they not to blame at

all? I think that is incredibly tricky. We saw from the amount of

good work done, particularly with Twitter. Kid you closer then down,

the good work will be undone as well so it is a delicate balance.

20021000 DNA samples taken during a hunt for a killer of a Birmingham

taxi driver have gone up in smoke. Police were fulfilling a promise to

destroy samples given voluntarily during a murder inquiry. But the

victim in an infamous rape case said today she's disappointed the

DNA was destroyed. Jill Saward says everyone should be on a national

database, as Joanne Writtle reports. They were incinerated following a

pledge to men in Kings Heath who gave DNA voluntarily that their

samples would be destroyed when someone was convicted.

In line with the promises that we gave him 2009, today it is to

insure that all those samples that people gave voluntarily are

destroyed safely and do not monitored on any databases or

stored anywhere else. Six million people are currently on a national

DNA database, largely those arrested and detained at a police

station. But the victim of the horrific Ealing vicarage rape in

London 25 years ago, who waived her right to anonymity, says it should

go further. Jill Saward, who now lives in Cannock, believes everyone

should be on a national DNA database from birth. But I think it

is very sad that the police have got to destroy it. I understand

that having made the promise they have to stick by it but I think it

is sad because it is a waste of time and money and I think it works

against justice. It is a good day for offenders. What we need is a

national database and then everyone is on it irrespective of who they

are what they have done. That takes away all these oddments that people

have got and the fear they have. But an expert who advises the

government on the national DNA database disagrees. He has other

concerns about DNA destruction too. I think it looks good for the TV

but there are still major concerns about what they really mean when

they say they destroyed a sample. There are a number of databases,

the physical sample and the paper trail, so we need to be clear about

what exactly it is they have done and how will impact on the way the

police handled DNA. The samples were burned at a secure location.

The debate over a National DNA Database is a controversial one but

today police said they were fulfilling an assurance given to

people who provided DNA during a murder investigation that the

samples would be turned to ash. The debt crisis in Europe is having a

profound effect on businesses in the West Midlands. Europe is one of

this region's biggest export markets. But business leaders say

many firms are already seeing reductions in demand from the

eurozone and shrinking order books. Here's our business correspondent,

Peter Plisner. It is a crisis like no other and

the impact of the meltdown in Europe is being felt here. At world

famous ACME Whistles, exports to Europe were going really well, and

then. Suddenly, in June, when the first murmurings came along, we had

a 25% fall in this thing with Europe, just Europe, and that trend

has continued through July and August. We were selling a lot of

power higher margin by Tintin Europe and sales of those have

decreased significantly. And ACME aren't alone. According to the

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, more and more of its members are

seeing a downturn. The most immediate impact is a lack of

confidence which then leads to a lack of sales. It can affect the

ability to do business, the ability to fulfil orders in the future.

Europe's one of the region's biggest export markets. Last year

worth more than �8 billion. And some of that money's coming to this

Worcester firm that makes latches and hinges. Despite the crisis,

management are reporting continue growth in Europe and they are still

recruiting staff. We focus grow much on the premium products. We

focus on any she's such a growing and it is a focus of our business

to make sure we are working with companies who was still growing.

Some of the product made him go into some of the most expensive

luxury cars, just the sort of things that people stop buying

during a recession. But this company has survived and the

lessons learnt are being applied to have a deal with issues relating to

the crisis in the eurozone. We make cuts in the business had to a lot

of tight cost control and we got better at that and have had to

maintain it. It does make us stronger. But not all companies are

so lucky. After such a severe recession, many had hoped the worst

was over - but for those who trade with Europe it's still a worrying

time. Staying with the economy, a study

from the University of Birmingham has shown fewer than half its

engineering students end up in engineering jobs. That's despite

repeated complaints from employers about the shortage of skilled

workers. Bob Hockenhull's been investigating.

The Midlands has long been heralded as the country's manufacturing

heart. But research by the University of Birmingham found 53%

of engineering students get jobs in unrelated industries when they

graduate. The study suggests it is not automatic that qualified

engineers from universities will get a job in engineering and that

is despite the perceived shortage. Take Greg White, he graduated in

computer and electrical engineering. But his job is running a property

letting company. The business started in 2007, has a turnover of

�300,000, but has nothing to do with engineering. But what of those

who stay in the field that they've studied? Completely unrelated.

Although there are things like logic that took come useful, it was

purely an opportunity at the time. What of those who stay in the field

they studied? Muhammad Eesa did a chemical engineering degree and is

now a design engineer in Telford. He believes some engineering

courses don't adequately prepare students for high-skilled jobs.

chemical engineering graduate end up with very little knowledge of

deep chemistry. What I think is needed is more focused on science

as well as engineering. Muhammed is working on a project that could

double the turnover of this business. His boss says he

struggled to find someone with the right aptitude. I think it is a

crying shame. We have a lot of talent in this country and it goes

to waste. Un for Italy, Engineering is not a sexy subject any more.

what can we do about it? Richard Halstead is an electrical

engineering graduate who is now director of the region's

Engineering Employers Federation. He believes the profession needs

more respect. If we look at Germany, for example, engineers over there

are proud to put it next to their name and the profession is seen as

a profession. Here, though, many feel there's a way to go before

engineering is treated with the esteem they believe the profession

deserves. Well yesterday's unemployment

figures were pretty grim and research shows a quarter of

graduates in the West Midlands still haven't found a full-time job

3.5 years after finishing university. We're joined by Hannah

Moran from Birmingham, who's still looking for a job, since gaining a

business studies degree in 2009. You've applied for at least 80

posts but no luck, what sort of jobs are you trying to get? When I

do get responses, it tends to be automated e-mail responses which

sake if you're not contacted within this time frame police consider

yourself as unsuccessful. It must be really demoralising. It can

become too motivating but as soon as you have the breakthrough when

you have a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview you get the

spirit back. Do you Know What You Want to do? I'm not 100% sure.

Business Studies was quite put so I have applied to both marketing and

finance job. If someone was watching now I am thinking that

Hannah is a bright cookie and we might imply, or would you say?

would say that I am a bright cookie and that I work very hard and I am

passionate. Why do think it has taken so long? I have been going

through job size at everyone else goes through, and recruitment

agencies, I should be targeting companies individually. We wish to

the very best of luck. Cadbury's new owners, Kraft, have announced

they're creating 100 new jobs in the UK. Just over half the jobs

will be in Birmingham. 54 new research and development staff will

be based at Bournville as part of a plan to introduce new products and

develop existing ones. A soldier from Shropshire has been

killed at a military firing range in Kent. 21-year-old Fusilier Dean

Griffiths from the First Batallion the Royal Welsh was from Market

Drayton. An investigation has been launched into the circumstances

surrounding his death. The owner of one of Birmingham's

most iconic buildings has won a legal battle with an investor who

bought an apartment but then refused to complete after it lost

value in the economic downturn. Noel Hand was one of 26 investors

out of a total of 130 who bought apartments off-plan at The Cube in

2006. They claimed the value of the apartments had fallen so much they

were no longer able to secure finance and blamed developers for

finishing them later than expected. But a High Court judge found in

favour of the developers, saying the flats were only a few months

late. Scientists in Birmingham have

developed a new test to identify a cancer that is notoriously

difficult to diagnose. It's cancer of the adrenal gland which produces

adrenalin. There are now hopes the test can be marketed around the

world. Our health correspondent, Michele Paduano, reports.

Richard Owen is coming back to see the test he helped develop. The 50-

year-old from Solihull woke up one day and noticed a lump. He hadn't

been ill. Doctors removed the tumour, but it wasn't until it

spread to his lungs that he was told that it was cancer. That

should change. The work is also of great Philae to me because for me

in the future it will mean fewer scans, less radiation, less machine

time taken up by me. A simple test like this will be invaluable.

Scanning has been the normal way of finding adrenal tumours because

they lie deep in the body and there are no symptoms. But doctors need

to know which ones are safe to leave and which ones aren't. With a

�1 million grant from the Medical Research Council, scientists

analysed the urine of patients with adrenal cancer and found steroid

markers that were in common. The test can now be done in minutes.

When the tumour is taken out we need to be sure that it is Miliband

because if we know it is cancer became given special treatment to

try to prevent it from coming back -- predicament. There is an

economic benefit. Birmingham University has formed a joint

venture company so that they can develop the test. This is a prime

example of scientific development bringing money and Employment to

the region. Richard Owen is about to run a half marathon. He is happy

in the knowledge that if his cancer comes back, they should detect it

early. Still ahead for you tonight, what

effect will 12 months of extreme weather have on harvest yields for

farmers and on food prices? And no extremes this week but after today,

if you're hankering after a bit of rain, you never know - you might be

Cricket now and there's been huge disappointment for Warwickshire

today after they failed to win the County Championship title. The

Bears needed to beat Hampshire at the Rose Bowl to be crowned

champions and went into the final day needing to take just seven

Hampshire wickets. But the home side - who were relegated from the

first division yesterday - had other ideas. Nadine Towell reports

on a tense and ultimately frustrating day for the Bears.

As play got under way in Southampton today, the overwhelming

feeling was that the County Championship title was in

Warwickshire's hands. The Bear's director of cricket, Ashley Giles,

must surely have been expecting his cup would later be filled with

champagne. But Hampshire spoiled Warwickshire's party with a

tremendous batting display. By lunchtime the vultures - or would

that be hawks - were circling. In Somerset, the other title

contenders, Lancashire, were left with an afternoon run chase while

Warwickshire could only watch and wait. The Bears called an early

halt to their match - an honourable draw from a Hampshire perspective.

But Lancashire held their nerve and scored their winning runs with time

to spare. Once the dust settles, Warwickshire may well conclude they

have had an excellent season. But this evening their dreams of

Championship glory have been crushed.

With us now is the former Warwickshire batsman David Hemp. So

near, yet so far, players must feel pretty low? It will be

disappointing. Having lost finals myself, the changing room will be

dejected at the moment. People realise it is the Convent of seven

to eight months of hard work. It start back in November. They have

done really well though. The emphasis was more Durham and

Lancashire and they have crept back. It was. I think they had

disappointment in the one-day cricket as well so they have done

well to progress in the four-day competition. Having gone in this

morning haven't got the three was his last night they will be very

optimistic. What to put their success down to? The bowling has

been terrific,. I think it is a combination of things. Wickets Wise,

three players have got over 50 wickets, which is important. They

have not just relied on one or two batsmen. Players have chipped in

with 700 or 800 runs, and it makes a difference. They will be really

disappointed but a thing when they sit back and analyse it, go back a

year, they won at hunter to stay in Division One. The briefly, can they

do it next time? They will be looking to put things right that

did not go so well this year but they should be up to it. It is

goalless at half-time in Stoke City's match in the group stages of

the Europa League. They were under pressure early on

against five Alex. -- Dynamo Kiev. Birmingham City are also involved

in the Europa League and they kick off in just over an hour in their

first group match. Their reward for beating Nacional in the qualifying

round is a home game this evening against another Portuguese side, SC

Braga. The visitors were last season's beaten Europa League

finalists. They did very well last season so we have no illusions

about how difficult it will be. But we have great players as well and

have we can play the game to our strengths, moving the ball and pass

me quickly, we feel we can achieve a result. And you can hear

commentary of the second half between Dynamo Kiev and Stoke City

over on BBC Radio Stoke. And from seven o'clock, there will be live

commentary on BBC WM of Birmingham City's home game against Braga.

With autumn around the corner, farmers are now starting to plough

their fields ready to plant next year's crops. We're also starting

to get an idea of what impact the last 12 months of extreme weather

has had on yields and on the price of food we buy. Our environment

correspondent, David Gregory, joins us now from Warwickshire. But the

good or bad year for farmers? Well, good and bad. We are here in

Sherborne, guests of the Forest of Arden agricultural society who have

been hosting the applying competition. We have had to borrow

the generator can there be a tend to keep our satellite going! They

plying match is a really good chance for farmers to gather and

take stock and look back and see how harvest has gone and see what

lessons can be learned. People want to know what effect 12 months of

extreme weather has had a on something as vital as our wheat

harvest. This is the 63rd annual plying

match held by the society. Classes range from shire horses up to the

modern tractor. For a group of farmers, the talk of harvest is

upbeat. In this area, farmers are satisfied. Good quality and average

yields, I think. Satisfied, that is the closest I have heard a farmer

come to being excited! For definite figures, we need go a few miles

down the road. The headquarters of the National for Ms union, near

Coventry, enter the experts who have been tracking how well crops

up performed after what has been quite a jerk. From the start of the

autumn last year with quite wet conditions in the planting season

which was then followed by a horrendous snow which lasted far

longer than farmers here I'd used to. Then it did not win very much

Tring has been so they were nervous and whirring they would not have

much cropper. By the time the summer came around, it cool down so

the crop development slowed down which improved the yield but it

made harvesting more challenging. At all this, how have things turned

out? It has been a year off fluctuations both in the market and

in the weather. They were very nervous back in early June. But

they tend dead have an excellent harvest. But, as ever, it is swings

and roundabouts in farming. At the end of all that, what does

this mean for the price of food that we are going to be buying?

It is swings and roundabouts, so although the wheat prices good for

farmers, Thomas you have, for example, they have pigs, they feed

it to the pigs, said the prize of cure say chicken Berger or pork in

at that may be going up the next few months.

But it is good news for farmers? It is. The NFU says yields here in

the Midlands are better in the Midlands and elsewhere in the

country. With global we price is quite high that is good. Farmers

say that to protect next year's crop they will take the money and

invest it in the farm, so perhaps better irrigation and better

drainage to cope with all these extreme weather events.

It looked like a balmy summer evening there. Is that bit

High pressure definitely evident today - pleasantly warm and sunny

this afternoon after a very cold start. Temperatures last night fell

as low as around 2 Celsius in Pershore - the south and southwest

of the region fairing the worst as far as cold went.. You can see from

tonight, the early stages, the formation of a large area of low

pressure to the North towards the weekend. I've seen worse, but it's

enough to whip up the winds to a heightened state through Saturday

and Sunday. And as it comes complete with a front, the result

will be a few blustery showers Now tonight - any clear spells are

quickly going to give way to incoming cloud from the West and so

that'll stop it getting too cold Temperatures of nine and ten in

rural parts. More like 12 or 13 in built-up areas. A bit of drizzle

then towards the end of the night but becoming more widespread

through the weekend with gusts of upto 40 mph. There will be some

bright intervals in between and although we have the cloud,

temperatures rise to 19 Celsius tomorrow so slightly warmer than

A look at tonight's main headlines: Jubilant scenes in Libya as David

Cameron and France's President Sarkozy become the first western

leaders to visit since Gaddafi was ousted. And the West Midlands' top