:00:09. > :00:12.Good evening. Shopping centres across the Midlands say there has
:00:12. > :00:15.been brisk trading for the Boxing Day sales today with some customers
:00:15. > :00:18.queuing for bargains from the early hours of the morning. Official
:00:18. > :00:20.customer numbers will not be released until tomorrow but
:00:20. > :00:23.managers at the Bullring in Birmingham say the run up to
:00:23. > :00:27.Christmas has been their busiest week ever.
:00:27. > :00:29.Recession? What recession? With the West Midlands still limping through
:00:29. > :00:39.the downturn and, despite above average unemployment, Birmingham's
:00:39. > :00:53.
:00:53. > :01:03.Bullring was thronged from early on. At 2pm this afternoon they were
:01:03. > :01:18.
:01:18. > :01:21.still queuing. I have never been before. I hope I
:01:21. > :01:31.get something. They were just as determined at the Merry Hill Centre
:01:31. > :01:41.
:01:41. > :01:43.near Dudley, where queues started forming as early as 1am.
:01:43. > :01:46.Everybody buys presents, you can get ity at a snip.
:01:46. > :01:49.I won't be here long! But plenty were - enough perhaps to
:01:49. > :01:51.rescue what many retailers feared would be a bleak Christmas.
:01:51. > :01:54.One of the region's best-known children's hospices is launching
:01:54. > :01:58.its biggest ever fundraising appeal. Acorns needs to raise �19 million
:01:58. > :02:01.in order to secure the future of its three hospices until 2013. It
:02:01. > :02:03.has suffered a 20% drop in income in the past three years, as
:02:03. > :02:06.donations to all charities fall. Gloucestershire police are
:02:06. > :02:09.reporting a rise in the number of people arrested for drink driving
:02:09. > :02:14.offences this Christmas. 43 motorists failed breath tests last
:02:14. > :02:16.week. Charities and the emergency services are on standby for extra
:02:16. > :02:19.alcohol related calls during the festive break, while social
:02:19. > :02:29.services have claimed some parents even put their children into care
:02:29. > :02:43.
:02:43. > :02:46.so they can go out partying on New Years Eve. Ther are some parents
:02:46. > :02:49.that see social care as an excuse for them to do other things.
:02:49. > :02:53.Engineers at Birmingham New Street station have brought in a 700 tonne
:02:53. > :02:59.crane to help lift a new section of bridge into place at the end of
:02:59. > :03:01.Platform 12. The work is part of the �500 million redevelopment of
:03:01. > :03:04.the �500 million redevelopment of the station. Phase one is due to
:03:04. > :03:07.open at the end of 2012. Onto football, and in the
:03:07. > :03:11.Premiership just one result so far, and a valuable point for West
:03:11. > :03:14.Bromwich Albion, who held Manchester City 0-0. Stoke City's
:03:14. > :03:15.match with Aston Villa kicks off at 7.45pm, Wolves go to Arsenal
:03:15. > :03:18.tomorrow. In the Championship, Birmingham
:03:18. > :03:24.have just kicked off against West Ham. And a rare victory for
:03:24. > :03:27.Coventry. They beat Bristol City 1- 0, Gary Deegan with the goal.
:03:27. > :03:29.While in League One a famous win for Walsall, two injury time goals
:03:29. > :03:36.securing a 2-1 victory over second placed Sheffield Wednesday.
:03:36. > :03:39.At the top of league Cheltenham versus Shrewsbury ended goalless.
:03:39. > :03:41.Hereford United lost 2-1 to Port Vale. And Burton Albion won 3-2 at
:03:41. > :03:44.Northampton. In the Blue Square Premier League
:03:44. > :03:47.AFC Telford lost 2-0 at home to Wrexham. A far from merry Christmas
:03:47. > :03:49.for Tamworth, beaten 5-2 at Alfreton, while Kidderminster beat
:03:49. > :03:52.Forest Green 1-0. And a couple of rugby results -
:03:52. > :04:02.Gloucester beat Wasps 39-10 in the Aviva Premiership, and in the
:04:02. > :04:13.
:04:13. > :04:16.Championship Moseley lost to London Scottish 16-29.
:04:16. > :04:19.Time to take a look at the weather. Tonight will remain cloudy with
:04:19. > :04:22.some light rain and drizzle in places. It will still feel
:04:22. > :04:24.relatively warm with lows of 8 Celsius. Tomorrow will be similar
:04:24. > :04:27.to today with brighter intervals possible, but otherwise generally