05/01/2012 Midlands Today

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

The headlines tonight. Gale force winds cause havoc on road and rail

and 6,000 homes and businesses were without electricity as power lines

blow down. A family ask for help to find out who started the fire that

killed their loved one in his own home. The fire happened on the

night of tat's 87th birthday and Andrew never got the chance to wish

him a happy birthday. New figures suggest there's a tough start in

store for the region's economy in 2012. And hot stuff ahead of

Hotspur - Cheltenham Town tuck into a spicy chicken dinner as they

prepare to take on mighty Spurs in the FA Cup.

You can always dream and there's always an upset somewhere. If we

get a bit of luck, you never know. Good evening, welcome to Thursday's

Midlands Today from the BBC. Tonight. Gale force winds cause

cause chaos on roads and railways, as dozens of trees are blown down.

In some areas, power cables were severed, leaving 6,000 homes and

businesses without power supplies. The worst incidents saw the

southbound section of the M6 near Coventry closed after a lorry was

blown over. Rail services were suspended between Birmingham and

Lichfield after a train was hit by a tree. David Gregory has been

following today's events. On the railways between Sutton

Coldfield and Four Oaks her tree fell on to the roof of a passing

train. The line has been closed and so far removed -- removing a fallen

tree. Fortunately I came early to give myself Bencher time in case

anything happened! I came over to visit relatives and I have no way

of getting back now other than about four different buses.

Junction 2 of the M6, and a lorry carrying waste overturned in the

high winds. This then spilled out and fell onto the motorway below

the junction, closing all lanes of the southbound M6. Despite fears

that the accident damaged the bridge structurally, it has now

been declared safe after inspection. But clear up of the rubbish

continues. Around 6,000 people have been affected by power cuts.

Electricity cables at Sandon near Stafford came down in the wind.

Leaving a local pig farmer worried about his freezers of frozen pork.

The fact that the meat is in freezers and we would have to get a

generator in images could be out for a long pit of time. We do not

open the freezers because of a winter in the longer we would have

to throw it away. You've been sending us your pictures of the

damage. This house in Newcastle- under-Lyme lost part of its roof.

And plenty of trees have come down across the Midlands. Some on

vehicles. Others, like this conifer in Willenhall, look set to follow

it. And this scene in Telford is typical of the sort of damage

caused by the high winds. Across much of the region, the clean-up

has continued. Blocked roads have been re-opened as fallen trees have

been removed. We have had a very busy 24 hours. We had missed and

where the tree fell on to the car and blocked the road. We can get

the latest on the travel situation. David is at New Street station.

have just been into the station and the record Sutton Coldfield and

Lichfield is still suspended because of the tree that fell on

the train. Heading south at a Birmingham New Street there are

intermittent delays of up to an hour on the route down through

Coventry towards London. Across the country as a whole there are

similar problems. Wherever you're going on the railway tonight, the

advice is to check before you travel. What about the roads?

lorry has caught a lot of problems. The southbound M6 at junction to

was due to reopen just about now. But for many road and rail

commuters tonight he will be really difficult to get home. Three if you

are travelling on the train up to Lichfield, you should be up to use

your ticket a local bus services and there should be some

replacement buses operating as well. Some good news. 6000 homes and

businesses without power earlier on and that is down to 1500 tonight.

Our weather presenter Ben Rich joins us now. Ben, which areas saw

the worst of the weather overnight? You can see the tide isobars across

a region. Asda's shares moved through from the North West today

was the unstable air their cavers but violent, gusty winds. The

strongest gust was 59 mph. It looks a bit calmer through the next few

days and I will have the full forecast later in the programme.

And for the very latest on the weather and all the details on the

travel situation where you are, listen to your BBC Local radio

station. The family of a man murdered in an

arson attack on his flat in Worcester have spoken about their

loss for the first time. Andrew Heath died after he was trapped

inside his home by the fire last month. His family and police today

appealed for help in catching his killer.

A family left simply asking why? 52-year-old Andrew Heath was killed

in the early hours of December 14th, as a fire, which had been started

deliberately, engulfed his flat, blocking his only means of escape.

Today, Andrew's elderly parents, sister and cousin travelled from

Eastbourne to appeal for help in finding his murderer. I cannot

understand why anyone would do this. They have taken and drew from us

and the fire had destroyed all of his most treasured possessions and

to us it feels as if he has been eradicated. West Mercia Police have

a dedicated team of 40 officers investigating the murder. One line

of enquiry they are looking at is Andrew's social interaction online.

For a man of 52 years of age, he was very active online. He used on-

line Messenger, Facebook and other sites. We are keen to be contacted

by anybody who knew Andrew Heath online or off-line. Outside

Andrew's flat today, tributes from three weeks ago still remain.

At around 6pm on the evening before he died, Andrew Heath went

downstairs to his neighbours for a meal. He returned to his flat two

hours later. He then spent an hour online but what police want to know

is exactly what happened between 9pm and three top 57 the following

morning when Mr Heath called emergency services to save his flat

was on fire. The fire happened on the night of De's 87th birthday and

Andrew never got the chance to wish him a happy birthday. Others like

to ask anyone who knows what happened that night to please come

forward to help the police and help our family find some answers.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Mercia Police

immediately. A murder inquiry is under way after

the body of an elderly woman was found at a cottage in

Worcestershire. The woman, who has not yet been formally identified,

was found dead yesterday morning at the cottage on the outskirts of

Bewdley. West Mercia Police have set up an incident room and say

they currently have more than 40 people working on the case.

New figures suggest there's a tough start in store for the region's

economy in 2012. The latest quarterly survey from the West

Midlands Chambers of Commerce shows fewer manufacturing firms are

expecting rising sales or the opportunity to take on extra

staff.The news came as the Prime Minister paid a visit to a new

Enterprise Zone in Herefordshire. These perks are destined for the

American market but the home market is a different story. We are

pushing hard and putting effort and investment into overseas market.

This company employs 220 people here in Walsall and makes machines

like this one which will be used in hospitals to sanitise medical

equipment. It is the kind of company that the government says

can help drive the economy but it is not growing as quickly as last

year, so it is employing fewer new members of staff. But echoes what

other businesses are experiencing. Page survey by the region's six

Chambers of Commerce shows that 35% of firms said their work force had

grown between July and September but the number fell to 31% in the

following three months. 23% of manufacturers cited inflation as

the biggest concern. But firms like Jaguar Land Rover are on the up and

Staffordshire's JCB has seen sales rise. Birmingham Paul Ince --

double ring has just reported one of his best Christmases ever.

Visiting the Herefordshire today, the Prime Minister said the private

sector is growing. The businesses I was talking to today expanding onto

the site include many businesses taking on more people. Of course it

is a difficult year but that does not mean the government should

stand back. It is time to roll parsley 10 helpers as Craig shops.

But in a region that has seen employment for faster than anywhere

else in the country, the Shadow Work impinges Minister says more is

needed. We have more than our fair share of the nation's unemployed

and low-skilled. Might I admitted that we knew more than our fair

share of the resources that the government is making available.

This firm is among those hoping that 2012 does not bring more of

the same. With us now is Jerry Blackett from

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. It's all a bit confusing, isn't it?

One minute there are signs of real hope, the next minute it's all doom

and gloom. What's the truth of it? It is a bit of everything. We have

a bitter fatigue out there. Last year businesses felt it would be

tough and it was but we would have there bounce-back this year. But

demand is still weak. Prices is rising and inflation is becoming a

worry. Why is that such a problem? It is hurting profitability. The

profit margins are getting so tight that businesses are running hard

just to stand still. Raw-material costs, rail fare increases, the

threat of wage inflation, all of it is hitting confidence. Businesses

are not confident enough to go out and interested we are to create

jobs. Andy eurozone factor? Massively destabilising. 50% of our

exports go to Europe. He does not help when you see the euro in such

a terrifying state. All of that leads us to this data which shows

confidence really nothing and jobs not been created. And this region

needs jobs. We are the only region that has seen private sector

employer no riches. How optimistic are you for 2012? I am optimistic

because we have a great spirit of enterprise. The love of start-ups

in this region is increasing markedly. People cannot care worker

and they are starting their own businesses. The design credentials

in this region are terrific. I think if we can build on that and

get out and export. It is a big world out there, get out and have

A post mortem examination has confirmed a couple found dead at

their home had been stabbed to death. The bodies of 42-year-old

Mark Chandler, and 46-year-old Karen Climpson were found at their

house in Cheadle in Staffordshire on Monday. Police say they are not

looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and are

treating it as a domestic incident. The plans to offer free parking to

shoppers in Coventry were thrown out today. The proposal involve

waiving charges to motorists are spending more than �10 in shops.

The council said it could leave a �10 million black hole in budgets.

But Coventry city centre looking reasonably busy for a wet and windy

day, but over the last five years the number of shoppers has fallen

by 6%. With 43 empty shops it's led to calls for free parking for

shoppers. The call for free shoppers' parking comes as the cost

of car parking in Coventry has steadily risen. The idea has been

brought to welcome by traders that we spoke to. No more than a pound

to park for the whole day. People coming into town they have to pay

for parking was a baker to a supermarket they get free parking.

I think any incentive to encourage people into the city centre to

shoppers a fantastic idea. There has been a steady rise in the cost

of parking in the city centre. In 2007, it cost around �2 to park for

three hours. In this car park today it now costs around �3. Back

coincides with a fault of the number of people using car park of

about 20%. The council stresses the economic downturn has played a big

part in that fall and says the idea free parking is both unworkable and

unaffordable. If you imagine just one person with one �10 where they

have bought an Apple somewhere, chewing them somewhere else,

newspapers, Ross, coffee and somebody would have to check that

it had all been done in the same day. The cost would be enormous.

With supermarkets and out of town shopping centres offering free

parking it's difficult for city centres to compete, but Coventry's

hoping a spruce up for the Olympics and other schemes will make it a

more attractive shopping destination.

An additional 500 police staff look set to lose their jobs in the West

Midlands. It had been predicted that 2,250 posts could go under

budget cuts, but that figure now appears to have risen. The increase

was revealed at today's meeting of the police authority, as Bob

Hockenhull reports. Budget cuts mean the West Midlands

force, the second largest in the country, must save �126 million by

March 2014. Previously it's been estimated 2,250 posts will need to

go by then. But today a revised figure of 2,764 was published at

today's West Midlands Police Authority. It's an increase of 500,

but senior figures were anxious to play down its significance.

latest projection you see news that figure slightly up. But indeed he

could move slightly down as other changes that we are undertaking

kicking as well. Under the revised cuts estimate, the West Midlands

force would have 115 fewer police officers than first predicted. 277

fewer backup staff. And 122 fewer community support officers. Those

representing rank and file police staff said they understand the

pressure to reduce budgets but warned that the scale would have an

impact on the service to the public. We have to be open and honest with

the public to tell them that we closed fewer staff the service that

we offer will have to be reduced. This new higher figure has emerged

at a time when the police force is looking to find a private sector

partner to help run some services. The chief constable said today that

that would revolutionise the way the forces run here in the West

Midlands. And it will be an operation that will have to rely

increasingly on technical advances to fight crime to compensate for

the reduced numbers of officers. Motorists heading from the Midlands

to London are being warned to change their route this weekend, as

part of the M6 and M1 motorways are closed at a crucial junction. From

tomorrow night, the Catthorpe Interchange near Rugby, where the

M6 meets the M1, is being closed for 36 hours. It's because a

flyover, which takes traffic onto the M1 is being demolished. The

closure will mean lengthy diversions. Here's Peter Plisner.

Preparing for the demolition - above and by the side of two of

England's busiest motorways. With the new viaduct complete and

already in use, this weekend the race will be on to remove the old

one. I am standing on what used to be the fast lane of the M6 heading

southbound before we join the M1. We can you road complete the job

now is to demolish the old viaduct and that will happen over the next

three days. Costing more than �21 million, the new viaduct was needed

because, quite literally, the old one was falling down. For more than

a decade, props like this have kept it in use. Just under 5000 tons of

concrete will be taken in demolition waste and we have

workers operating in a co-ordinated operation. And this bridge

demolition, also on the M1, shows just what will happen over the

weekend - instead of blowing it up, contactors will nibble away at the

concrete until the bridge has been completely removed. But the

demolition will mean lengthy diversions for some drivers. There

will be closures of the M1 northbound between junctions 19 and

20, and southbound between 19 and 18. Three days does not so much to

demolish a large structure like this. Are you confident you can do

it? Absolutely. We have a very good team on board to ensure it is a

success. And if it is, both motorways should be fully open

again by noon on Sunday. Cheltenham Town will aim to become

FA Cup giantkillers on Saturday when they play premier League high

flyers Tottenham. They'll have to overcome a gap of three divisions

to do it. But The Robins are in form - and they're in good heart

after being treated to their favourite meal out. As Dan Pallett

reports. Look what the FA Cup's cooked up

this year. For Cheltenham Town, every cup game means a slap-up feed

at their favourite chicken restaurant. It's become a tradition.

Have you done this evidence of Iraq? Yes. It seems to be working.

Yes, everyone enjoys it. Manager Mark Yates wants Cheltenham to

relax and enjoy themselves this week - because on Saturday they

face Premier League Tottenham and a gulf of three divisions. We are

under no illusions about the quality that they have. What ever

team that goes out there in a white shirt will be full of

internationals with pace, power and quality. We are not going to Burton

ourselves with too much of how good they are. And Cheltenham are

already smiling. They're second in league two and have lost just once

in their last 15 league games. Their cup run is an added bonus.

Whatever the outcome might think we will enjoy it. We have worked very

hard to get where we are and now it is a case of enjoying the next few

days, enjoy Saturday playing with some of the best players in the

world and seeing what we can do. be after a shed at the end? Yes,

though the kit man does not like it! The third round of the FA Cup

always serves up at least one surprise - Cheltenham Town are

hoping they can provide it. Lots of light to them. And BBC

Radio Gloucestershire will begin their build-up in Saturday's

breakfact show. Steve Kitchen's Matchday starts at 1.30, with full

match commentary and all the reaction from White Hart Lane.

The Tamworth goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge says he'll be checking the

weather forecast before Saturday's FA Cup tie at Everton. The Everton

goalkeeper scored this amazing goal during last night's 2-1 home defeat

by Bolton Wanderers. And his opposite number at the non-league

side says he'll be prepared for anything at Goodison on Saturday.

It was blustery and windy conditions at Goodison Park last

night and it bounced about 20 feet up in the air. The keeper try to

scrabble bag and it ended up in the back of the net. I think Tim Howard

was a bit surprised as he did not celebrate whereas he was me I will

be running all the way around the ground!

And we'll have more on the build-up to Tamworth's big day in tomorrow's

programme. Many of us will have ventured to a

panto over Christmas but how many of us regularly support our local

theatres? It's often not cheap, and with many of us watching the

pennies, theatres and arts venues across the region have come up with

a new way to lure us to more live performances. Satnam Rana has been

meeting some who have already signed up to it.

Three theatregoers with a passion for the arts. Sandra, Dot and Lorna

have always attended performances at The Belgrade in Coventry but now

they're going to commit a little more. We have not seen these before.

They have signed up to the I Like Theatre resolution - effectively a

pledge card promising to attend three or six shows across several

venues. There's no discount involved, just a commitment.

thought it would be something new and exciting to do, something a bit

different. A great idea and a good new year resolution. It's all the

idea of this man - artistic director of Stan's Cafe Theatre in

Birmingham. We are all working together so much more now that it

is an idea about bringing theatres together. It has come out of the

theatre committee wanting to reach more people. Many organisations are

facing budget cuts and this resolution card could be the answer

to retain audiences. Here at the Belgrade, audiences were down 14%

last year compared to the previous year. Box office is any one form or

PHI income we also have local- authority funding and funding from

the Arts Council and all of those incomes are under pressure. From

our point of view we feel we are in good nick to be facing these

challenges but it is going to be very interesting times.

Belgrave it is not the only venue taking part. Across the region, 29

venues and companies are taking part in the initiative. So, these

three ladies will have plenty of choices this year - and partipating

organisations have a better chance of keeping audience numbers up.

And where are you off tonight? A moth to the pantomime! Stand-in for

one of the Adli sisters! Well, let's talk weather again now - it's

been causing all sorts of problems. How are things looking for tonight

Some improvements. But it has felt like dazed each of year again today.

We saw the problem that Dublin's caused. We still have one flood

warning on the River Severn in Shrewsbury at the moment but to the

next few days those problem should ease because it is mostly dry wit

lighter wind. We have seen plenty of low pressure this week. This is

the one responsible for the stormy conditions last night and this

morning. But high pressure is starting to build from the West and

that will settle things down through the next few days. We still

have won a two showers feeding him from the north-west. As we go

through the night they will fade away. The wind will lessen and

under clear skies it will turn quite cold. Perhaps a bit lower in

the countryside. The Met Office have issued a yellow warning for

ice. As temperatures drop away they could be slippery surfaces tomorrow

morning. A cold, frosty start but a bright start and quite calm as well.

We will see a little bit more in the way of cloud feeding him from

the West by the end of the afternoon.She should stay dry with

temperatures up to seven or eight Celsius. Tomorrow evening, things

will turn a bit breezy but nothing like the last few days. A few bits

of brain as well. As we head into Saturday, here it is the ridge of

high pressure exerting its influence and settling things down

as we head into the weekend. For Saturday and Sunday is to be main

the fine and dry. Quite a lot of cloud at times and temperatures up

to nine or ten Celsius but the wind That is a relief! A look at

tonight's main headlines. The deaths of three elderly patients at

Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport - a male nurse is arrested. And

gale force winds cause havoc on road and rail - 6,000 homes and

businesses were without electricity. That's all from us this evening,