02/11/2011 Midlands Today

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

The headlines tonight: Eight children left orphaned. Shock

at the death of a Birmingham couple on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He was an

excellent example for our community in the way he dealt with his family,

the way he treated his sons and daughters.

He's just won a major music award but now this pop star is facing

deportation for living here illegally.

Cracking what will be the world's largest market. The battle to boost

exports to China. And race goers at Warwick on the

controversy over whipping that's splitting the sport. If the rules

don't change, it spoils the race. They used the whip far too much.

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

BBC. Tonight: Tributes pour in to a couple killed

in a fire on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Dawud Burbank and his wife Khalida

Dost from Birmingham leave eight children. Their two eldest sons

were with them at the time. The couple died when the bus they were

in caught fire travelling from Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia. Mr

Burbank was a highly respected translator of Muslim religious

texts as Joanne Writtle reports. A coach load of pilgrims headed off

on their own spiritual journey to Mecca from Small Heath in

Birmingham this afternoon. Before they set off, they gave their

reaction to the deaths of Dawud Burbank and his wife Khalida Dost.

I am really sad about it and I hope and pray for the best for the

family. Among Dawud Burbank's closest friends, a head teacher at

a school next to the Salafi Mosque in Small Heath. I saw one of his

son's last night. They were very, very noble, calm, collected. I am

sure inside they are being torn apart. Learned and respected, Dawud

Burbank had translated many Islamic books from Arabic into English. The

book store here in Birmingham has many of his translations on the

shelves. The director of the local mosque and Islamic Centre told me

the funerals had already taken place in Mecca. He explained that

Dawud Burbank's deeply religious beliefs meant there were unlikely

to be family photographs of him. is not that a person and box on a

pilgrimage for dying but it is about worship. In the process, in

the endeavour of performing that pilgrimage, if one is to die, that

is considered a noble death. The Haj. A spiritual journey to Mecca

every adult Muslim's expected to complete at least once. Dawud

Burbank and his wife were with the eldest two of their eight children.

Dawud Burbank converted to the Islamic faith over 20 years ago. It

was on board a bus leaving the airport in Jeddah their trip ended

in tragedy. Brief details of the accident came in last night. The

couple were killed, apparently when a fire broke out. Other pilgrims

from Birmingham scrambling to escape the flames. There were

rumours it was an explosion. When I spoke to the chief in Saudi Arabia,

he denied it was an explosion. He said it was an accident. The engine

was overheated and it caused -- it caught fire. The couple have been

buried near the Mecca. Schoolchildren give us their

versions of William Shakespeare. An Indian pop singer who's just won

a major music award is facing deportation for living here

illegally. Garry Sandhu has been in Birmingham for 10 years and is a

rising star in the Asian music industry. But he's been detained by

the UK Border Agency and could made to leave the UK at any moment.

Here's Bob Hockenhull. Until last week, Garry Sandhu was a

singer whose star was on the rise. In October he was named Best

Newcomer and Best Male Act at the Brit Asia Awards. But now he's in

the custody of the UK Border Agency. Mr Sandhu has been living in

Handsworth in Birmingham for 10 years. This councillor from

Coventry wanted to book him for a concert in the city next year.

what I understand is that he has outstayed his welcome on a visa. I

think thousands of Britons up and down this country have welcomed

Garry Sandhu to their hearts and homes as well. His fans include

this 17-year-old musician from Edgbaston. He recently recorded a

video with Mr Sandhu and was shocked to find out he's been

detained. I just thought there were rumours on the internet and

children shouting, just making up stuff. I am sure he would be back

doing what he loves, and his fans would be backing him 100%. But this

barrister specialising in immigration says the law is clear.

If you what the subject of that decision, it is important for you

to leave the country voluntarily rather than be deported because

should to be deported, then you will be banned from coming back

into the country for 10 years. Sandhu says he's the victim of

false accusations. Rumours have been flying around the internet

claiming he's been released. But the Home Office insists he's still

in custody. 1,500 jobs could go at Sandwell

Council over the next four years, as it tries to cut its budget by

�70 million. Around 500 staff have already been made redundant this

year. It's now expected that a further thousand could go at the

Labour-run council. A woman's been charged with failing

to disclose information under the Terrorism Act. 22-year-old Salma

Kabal from Birmingham was arrested in September as part of an

operation by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit. She'll

appear in court later this month. Seven men have already been charged

in connection with the investigation. The Government will

ignore Labour's idea of an alternative route for the multi-

million pound higher speeds to project. Labour suggested a writ

including Heathrow Airport and would run in parts alongside the

M40 through Warwickshire. This afternoon, Transport Minister

Theresa Villiers accused the Labour Party of game-playing safe their

proposal had come too late to be considered.

Some analysts believe China will overtake the USA as the world's

largest economy as early as 2016, which explains the increasing

urgency to break into Chinese markets. As a country, we export

more to Spain than China and our exports to the Irish Republic are

double those to the world's most populous country. We report how we

are responding to the challenge. Good result this to the Chinese?

This firm in Kidderminster is breaking into the lucrative Chinese

recycling market. They recycle 100,000 tonnes of material a year.

They already export us more about that to China but they hoped to

send a lot more. The plastic waste is bailed up at Lawrence for

cycling. It is shipped to China where they turn it into plastic

granules to make new products. have got a huge manufacturing base

so they need the raw products we recycle to be manufactured back

into products we will buy back in the UK. It is a closed loop in

reciting. How about electronics? A bit like selling coals to

Newcastle? They are doing it here at this company, where they make

specialist part, shrink equipment. 10 years ago, China account of the

2% of their sales. Today, it is 20%. 10 years ago, America was clearly

the Raj just growth market for us and we were market leaders there. -

- clearly the largest growth market. The shift has gone to China. That

is the single most important market. Gathering in Worcester for a

conference this evening to promote trade with China, business leaders

and a representative of the Chinese embassy. I think there are a lot of

chances for people in Worcester that may go to China to do some

business. There is a lot of chance. We have got quite a unique event

tonight in that this because we have got will provide both a

Chinese perspective and a UK business perspective. That is in

terms of how we overcome some of the barriers to trade successfully

with China. The message to firms it is clear. The prospect of China

becoming the world's biggest economy is a business opportunity

not to be wasted. It is fair to say our exports are warped by imports.

So there must be real scope to do something, isn't there? Yes. 2015,

at the estimated 15 cities in China will have populations of more than

25 million. London only has 7 million. Growth in exports from the

UK to China is currently 40% although it comes from a very low

base. UK exports to China are worth �8 billion, and, of course, the

West Midlands is getting go at share. Yes, those figures are

frightening. In addition to those companies in the report, what other

companies are doing well? Jaguar Land Rover with 15% of everything

that has made in West Midlands plants goes to China, and that

number is rising fast which is why the company wants a factory there.

It is in detailed talks with a Chinese car manufacturer although

they will be not be making that many cars. JCB is the other firm

dibbing well. They have already got up factory in Trina, five years ago

they built it. They are doing very well. What are the Chinese

consumers looking for? What do we need to offer them? What reporters

bought in China is made in China, but they do like high-value

products like fashion items, premium products, like Jaguar Land

Rover products, and, of course, especially the loot of products. We

are also exporting expertise. A good example is at Longbridge, the

old car factory, where the trainees have set up a design centre. There

is a similar one in Leamington. They're working with a variety of

Chinese firms. Andy Newman reports now on how companies in

Worcestershire are responding to the challenge.

It's exactly a year since the public inquiry began into standards

of care at Stafford Hospital. Now a series of roadshows are touring the

country to try to ensure the failings don't happen again. Today

the roadshow reached Stafford. Our Staffordshire reporter Liz Copper

looks at the impact the inquiry's had and what the future might hold

for the town's hospital. What happened here ensured the

county town of Stafford became the focus of national attention. The

failings at its hospital still preoccupy families who live here.

We depend on the local hospital. It is somewhere we go to drink most of

our lives so we want an efficient place. I am going into hospital for

not a serious operation in the next week, and I am not going into

Stafford. I don't feel... They have convinced me they've got it right

yet. I feel, you know, get it resolved and then move on. But what

will the future be as the hospital and its staff do move on? It's

likely it'll be smaller and there'll be fewer beds. It's all

part of the Government's plans for changes in the NHS as a whole.

need to understand the size that Staffords needs to be. We need to

really put some investment and some time and effort into building the

community of the structure, so, some of the people that currently

work in Stafford may well be working in the community. The A&E

department is also under scrutiny. The inquiry has already heard

evidence of what went wrong in the past. Now it's because his vocation

-- is shifting to the future. Trammel is canvassing the views of

those working inside and outside the NHS. Could the world of

retailing help reshape the NHS? The John Lewis Partnership appeared

before the inquiry advising on, amongst other things, customer care.

We talked to other organisations out of prison sector to look for

new ideas, new stimulus as to how we can translate back into our

world in retail and see if we can create new solutions to great

service. So I am an advocate of doing that in our world, so I hope

I will be able to support the inquiry in this same way. It'll be

next year before the people of Stafford learn the inquiry's

recommendations. But they will have repercussions for the entire health

service. Still much more to come in

tonight's programme, including the ex-soldier facing his toughest

challenge - skiing to the North Pole and then doing the same at the

South Pole. But no Arctic snow or temperatures here. Quite the

opposite. It's mild, it's windy and be warned, there's more heavy rain

It's the largest youth drama festivals in the UK, introducing

thousands of young people to our greatest writer and Warwickshire's

most famous son, William Shakespeare. This week,

schoolchildren from across the region have been performing their

own interpretations of his works at Birmingham's Old Rep Theatre.

Here's our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art

thou Romeo? Final rehearsals for the

Shakespeare Schools Festival ahead of tonight's performance of Romeo

and Juliet for students at Birmingham's Stockland Green School.

We had got children -- teachers to help us, to modernise it. Yes, it

was hard at first, but I went over the lines, and watched Romeo and

Juliet and I came to terms with his language. The student have been

treading the boards since January and all this week The Old Rep

Theatre in Birmingham will have four performances per night open to

the public. These are not the only young people taking part in this

year's festival. Across the region, 40 schools have taken to the stage,

with over 1,200 schoolchildren performing the Bard's words. From

Warwickshire to Worcestershire, Herefordshire to Shropshire and

here in the West Midlands, professional theatres have been

hosting condensed versions of Shakespeare's famous plays. For

students taking part in the Shakespeare School Festival, it's

been both a challenge and a triumph. This is a chance for them to grasp

their cultural heritage and understand something they don't

often get a chance to engage with in a school curriculum. Here, with

a kiss, I die. This festival proves that Shakespeare isn't just a

playwright of the past but one who appeals to present generations with

their own take on how to act out his words.

Time for a winter's tale. The sport. That gag was much ado about

nothing! Coventry City fans are feeling

pretty unhappy right now. Some of them staged a protest outside the

London headquarters of the club's owners before last night's game

against Millwall. After the match, the Sky Blues manager Andy Thorn

said he's sick of hearing excuses from the players as the club

plunged deeper into relegation trouble. Coventry were beaten 3-0.

And they're now four points adrift of safety near the foot of the

Championship table. Thorn described their second half performance as

unacceptable and amateurish. The Birmingham City manager Chris

Hughton says the board is keeping him fully informed about the club's

financial pressures. The parent company has delayed publication of

its annual reports but investors are being warned about a

substantial loss last year. Blues are preparing for tomorrow night's

Europa League tie against Bruges at St Andrews and the manager says

it's not a distraction. Because there are so many games,

your concentration has to be a mark. -- has to be on that. Things out of

prison control or away from the football pitch, you cannot concern

yourself so much because there is a big enough job going on on the

football pitch and dealing with these games. You can hear the match

commentary on BBC WM tomorrow evening. A couple of hours earlier,

step's trip to Tel Aviv is also live on BBC Stoke.

Now, the new jump season got underway at Warwick Racecourse this

afternoon. But there's a big row between the jockeys, and the

sport's governing body. It's all to do with new rules governing the use

of the whip. Jump racing fans have waited all

summer to enjoy this Wednesday at Warwick. The first meeting of the

season. Seven races over hurdles and fences. 50 horses of mixed

ability. And none of them expecting to receive more than eight strokes

of the whip. If they get one over the eight, their jockeys are

guaranteed a five day ban. The jockeys believe the new rules are

too strict and the penalties to severe. They are angry and

threatened to strike if they cannot reach a compromise with the British

resourcing -- British Horseracing Association. Andrew Thornton is one

of many top jockeys who are furious. He believes 8 strokes per race is

not enough. He says jockeys are being punished too harshly for

accidentally miscounting. And in any case, Andrew tells me, the

current whips covered in foam don't hurt the horses, they just sting to

keep them focused on the job in hand. You can do that. It is a

sting, but as you can see, it doesn't mark. We have loved horses

all our lives. We don't want to beat forces. That is not our

passion. It is to run -- it is to win races, make it a competitive

sport and for everybody to endure it. -- and for everybody to enjoy.

In a statement, the BHA said the situation is best served by

maintaining dialogue behind closed doors rather than playing the whole

thing out in the media. But today's punters at Warwick had plenty of

opinions. I think the jockeys are run a very difficult situation. If

they use the whip, they will be accused of cruelty that don't know

any better. If they don't use it, they will be accused of not trying.

The jockeys are threatened strike action. It would be bad for racing

if they do. Andrew Thornton rode two winners at Warwick this

afternoon, and used his whip sparingly. Well within the rules.

He says all his fellow jockeys are hoping to resolve their dispute

with horse racing bosses by dialogue, without the need to

strike. Ian, this subject's sparked quite a

reaction. We have some e-mails from you. Ian Rubery says: "From now on,

whips should be used for safety purposes only, e.g. Steering." He

goes onto say, "Misuse of the whip should result in outright

disqualification." Johnnie Walker says, "No, whips do not have a

place in horse racing today. Greyhounds, racing pigeons and also

for that matter Formula 1 seem to excite people enough without any

cruelty." Amy Louise Swatman says, "The whip should be banned in horse

racing. The poor horses are already running as fast as they can and do

not deserve to be beaten for their efforts!!" It seems the majority of

people who've emailed want an outright ban. That's not even on

the cards, is it? No. It is not an option and it

would create a bigger outcry amongst the jockeys if it were to

come into force because the jockeys are adamant they believe the whip

is a vital safety tool to keep the balls on the straight and narrow in

the heat of a race to make sure it is safe -- to keep the horse. It is

a very heated debate added his son to -- it is going to run a little

bit longer. We will have more on it tomorrow.

Now to one man's incredible challenge. Skiing across the South

Pole and then the North Pole, alone and without back-up. To date, no-

one's ever achieved it. Next week, though, Coventry explorer Mark Wood

will set off on the first leg of an epic journey, as Sarah Falkland

We are heading to our first bit of ice trouble.

With 25 expeditions already under his belt, Mark Wood is used to

inhospitable places. But nothing as bad as this. The South Pole, the

coldest place on the planet, where average temperatures are around

minus 50 Celsius. It is the North- South solo expedition... The former

soldier and firefighter is going to ski the 680 miles across it. Then,

within a few weeks, tackle the 700 miles of ice across the North Pole.

The added interest is polar bears. Large icebergs. There'll be the

usual dangers but the extreme solitude and tiredness could be his

worst enemies. My biggest fear as a solo expedition is finding a wrist

-- a reason to give him, to have that moment where it is... I have

been on my own, I find it really tough. The trip to actually being

alone and travelling so far is to create things in your mind, if you

like. I will be thinking about home, about redecorating the house, about

the next expedition. About how I am going to change my life when I get

back, how I am going to make a difference. All these wonderful

things. You think about everything. You create a whole Disney World in

your head. Personal ambition aside, his big motivations are

highlighting climate change and educating young people. His epic

journey will be followed by schools across the Midlands, including

youngsters at his old school Finham Park in Coventry, who'll be Skyping

with him. If he can do this, he will be famous. It is a main job.

Mike in expedition history. It is really, really gonna be good.

would never do it because it is scary. If he's to survive, Mark

will have to drag more than his body weight in food. He leaves for

South America and the South Pole Incredible, isn't it?

And to see more of the sort of hostile territory that Mark will be

facing, why not take a look at David Attenborough's stunning

It's on BBC One at 9 pm tonight. It is sensational.

We have got quite mild weather, haven't we?

Yes, the cloud and rain are stacking up, poised to come through.

It is being generated by this rather intense area of low pressure

currently to the West and sitting out of the Atlantic. As well as the

rain, we will have stronger winds, and also milder air. That changes

by the weekend. The first batch of rain comes through tonight. It is

going to be mild. We have got some dribs and drabs across us but it

starts to pick up and beef up through the middle part of the

night into the small hours of tomorrow morning. You can see some

bright colours developing in the central part. The Met Office has

issued a yellow alert for up to 12 mm out of the some of the biggest

bursts. The temperatures, a mild night. It is still quite breezy as

the rain comes the rain. It is quite gusty through the day

tomorrow although the rain dies away by the morning, and leaving us

with a brief dry period with quite a lot of cloud tomorrow. The next

area of rain spills up from the South during the latter part of the

day which is going to be fairly light initially. It is through

tomorrow evening and tomorrow night that it turns heavier. Tomorrow is

a mild day with highs of 16. That is above average. Tomorrow evening,

this rain becomes heavier. There is a yellow alert issued from the Met

Office. It clears up, quite a mild night. Friday morning, some

sunshine, followed by some heavy showers.

A look at tonight's main headlines: Tributes have been paid to a couple

who died on a pilgrimage to Mecca. And more on that story about the

deaths of a couple from Birmingham on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Our

reporter Giles Latcham is with a travel agent in Birmingham who

organises similar visits. Giles. They have sent about 350 people to

make it. This isn't the first incident, as it? There was another

one before. Another bus was coming to Mecca. That caught fire as well.

I believe two people died, which is on the website. You have been there

personally. What would you say to people having second thoughts? What

is safety like? Well, actually, the Saudi government, they tried to do

their best to control the things, but when there are approximately 3

million people, these types of things, these unpredictable things

do happen. It is a very wealthy kingdom, we are entitled to expect

high standards of safety, aren't we? They are trying their level

best and investing money to improve things. So I have seen a lot of

changes. I went this year and last year as well, so I have seen a lot

of things improved. Thank you very much for talking to us. This is a

community in mourning for the loss of Dawud Burbank and his wife. The

investigation into what happened continues. We have heard in the --

we have heard that temperatures reached 44 sources in Saudi Arabia

yesterday and the engine overheated. A very sad note on which to close

the programme. Tomorrow, we will find out which of our region's

politicians might be made redundant as the government moves to cut the

number of MPs at Westminster. We will be meeting the 15-year-old