11/01/2012 Midlands Today

Hello, welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight, a couple are

murdered in their own home. They were found by their son, who is a

police officer. For any murder inquiry is a

horrendous events for any family, regardless of their profession.

For a day after the controversial high-speed rail announcement, the

Transport Secretary tells worried homeowners they would get ample

compensation. Saving the NHS millions of pounds a

year, the mental health teams working in A&E departments.

And are celebrating a 30 year record. Walsall goalkeeper Jimmy

Walker is about to play his 530 Good evening. Tonight, a double

murder inquiry is under way after a police officer finds his parents

murdered at their home. The couple, who had been married

for 40 years, were discovered at this morning by their son.

Detectives say they are determined to catch those responsible, and

called for the help of the local community.

This is a big inquiry, a brooch in Handsworth Wood, usually quiet and

unremarkable, flooded by police officers. Their focus, a semi-

detached house, home to Avtar Singh-Kolar, aged 62, and his wife,

Carole, aged 58, found dead this morning by their son.

The some of the deceased couple is a serving police officer within

what -- West Midlands police. Upon attending the scene, as it -- a

murder inquiry was immediately launched. It was obvious from the

scene that the couple had been assaulted.

Married for 40 years, the couple were proud of their four children

and eight grandchildren. Their son had called to ask them to babysit.

They were very nice, respectable people.

Search teams lifted drain covers in neighbouring streets. Officers

spent some time examining the back garden. A panel from the fence had

been lifted. A police cordon are closed off the road. Others came to

pay their respects. What is concerning is the age of

the victims. We have been trying to improve the image of the area, and

it has pushed us back. It is shocking. Right on your

doorstep. There are 60 detectives working on

the case. The couple died some time between 7:15pm last night and 80 m.

This morning. The police believe local people have information that

will lead them to their killer. -- at 8 o'clock this morning. We do

not know how they died or whether a. The officers leading the inquiry

are unequivocal that those responsible will be caught.

Our reporter Anthony Bartram is at West Midlands police headquarters

now. Any idea yet of emotive? -- a motive? It was clear that

detectives would not be drawn on a motive. They were quite clear that

they did not have suspect in mind at this time, which is why it is

crucial that any bit of information if that members of the public may

no, that they share it with the police. They believed the key to

this inquiry could lie within the local community. They were asked if

this could have been a break-in or a burglary gone wrong, but would

not be drawn. They say they are keeping an open mind about the

motive, and they will have to wait the results of post-mortem

examinations, which should be carried out tomorrow.

Meanwhile, detectives investigating the murder of a 77-year-old retired

schoolteacher in Worcestershire have issued a picture of a coat she

was wearing when she was last a life.

If Betty Yates was found stabbed to death at her home on the outskirts

of Bewdley last week. She was seen wearing the code on Monday. Police

are hoping the picture will bring witnesses forward.

24 hours after the controversial decision to approve High Speed Two,

Transport Secretary Justine Greening was in Birmingham to

promote the economic benefits for the West Midlands. She also pledged

compensation over and above what affected homeowners would be

entitled to under the law. Will be talking to a campaigner in a moment.

Curzon Street station is a relic of the railways. It was 1838 when the

first train left the platform for London. Today, this land is part of

the transport secretary's rail revolution.

This will put Birmingham at the heart of the railway network.

The HS2 terminal will be built here. Birmingham City Council say the

design of the station will provide work for 22,000 people.

That will generate �1.5 billion to the local economy. This is a major,

major announcement. Campaigners could mount a legal

challenge. Susan Willis was moved to tears as she told Midlands today

-- Press -- Midlands Today last night how her home will have to

make way for the rail line. My house of 27 years will be

demolished. And for what? Foray train.

They're all the people who will lose their homes. What message do

you have? We will set out what the next steps

are, and we understand how important this plan is for those

people. It is why I have worked very hard on why we have some

compensation and support that goes over and above what they are

entitled to it. Death proper compensation is the

call. -- proper compensation. Yes, we will go over and above what

is required by law. This will be where the HS2 station

will be. There will be six platforms, and it will be elevated

higher than the existing station. Transport bosses say HS2 will make

the city more accessible, with faster connections. But just how

affordable is it? No 1 at the event was prepared to take -- put a price

on a ticket. We are joined now from Burton Green

in Warwickshire by Jerry Marshall, chairman of the group Aghast, who

campaigned against the line. Is it now time to say the game is up?

Absolutely not. We must fight on, because it is so damaging for the

country, and we have hope from Justine Greening because the

government approved the third runway at Heathrow and Bennett was

overturned. The visible cost �1,700 per household, and it will cost

four jobs for everyone it creates. Although some areas in Birmingham

will have extra jobs, the evidence from places like France is that the

wider region will actually lose out and will be worse off.

But the last government and the current one acknowledged a greater

good. Penny but knowledge that? That is why we are fighting. It is

to do with the greater good. This is a lousy scheme. We are in favour

of high-speed rail, but there are alternatives which are much better

than you. But the last government as the

current government are both saying this is the best scheme.

They are wrong and their own figures say they are wrong. They

say you get a �6 return for every pound invested on the alternative.

On the HS2 forecast, they had to invent a new forecast to say that

the other line would not work. What about compensation? Are you

happy with that the offer of compensation over and above what

you are entitled to? We were promised a the best

possible compensation by Philip Hammond, and we have been

completely let down. The overwhelming response from the

consultation was that we have been offered the cheapest scheme. It

will leave householders having to wait till 2027 to get compensation,

and until then, unless they have got a reason to move, until then

they will get no compensation. This is an appalling deal for

householders. Once again, we have been completely let down by the

government. They have relayed on their promises.

Jerry Marshall, thank you. A husband and wife have been pelted

with bricks and sticks in the street in front of their young

children. Police say it was a racist hate crime. The family are

said to be traumatised, and the family -- and the father is

recovering in hospital. Police officers gathered

information had sought to reassure local people following the attack

in this street in Tipton. West Midlands Police say that a husband-

and-wife were pelted with bricks and sticks in front of their

children in what was a racially motivated attack. The husband is

currently still in hospital, being treated for his injuries. The

police say that the attack appears to have been totally unprovoked.

Neighbours told me A car had been set alight, and had attracted a

crowd of people on Sunday. A husband-and-wife appeared to have

bought into this situation which then spiralled into mindless

violence. -- walked into this situation.

It is a multicultural area, are we have lots of communities living

side by side, and for something to take place here, it has been a

shock to the local community. The police say the victims were

eastern European. Hate crime depends on people's

nationalities and ethnicities. The people were abused because they

were Polish. It was a hate crime. We will prosecute those involved.

Throughout the day, the people I have been speaking to have assumed

that the victims of this race crime were either black or Asian. The

fact that they are white eastern European it shows the complexity of

this type of crime. It also shows the tensions which exist in some of

our communities. It is better for patients and would

save the NHS millions. It is a new way of assessing mental health

patients as soon as they arrived in hospital. It has been piloted in

one hospital in Birmingham, and has already saved it �3 million. It

could now be rolled out across the country.

A&E at City Hospital Birmingham. As well as the normal emergencies,

staff are used to to have to deal with everything. But now there is a

team based it 24 hours a day to deal with mental health issues.

By seen people with mental health problems early, they can stop

people having to be admitted to hospital and help get them out

quicker. The result of a pilot are surprising. It found it saved at

3.4 millions in hospital care. -- �3.4 million. Perhaps the most

astonishing finding was that the vast majority of the savings, 90%,

were made by hospital staff a better understanding mental health

issues, and not directly by the RAID staff themselves. Matron Fiona

Green uses a memory box to stimulate this patient. She says

having RAID to call upon for other patients is a godsend.

I think the fact that we know the support -- we know we have the

support on the ward, that help us to deal with some of the more

challenging patients, is an excellent thing.

They say it the savings have been made by getting donations --

dementia patients back home. For every �1 spent on mental health,

we save the NHS four pounds, in addition to increasing quality. The

team were now expanded to all the hospitals in Birmingham and

Solihull. I am looking forward to April this year, when the team will

be marching in to different hospitals trying to make a

difference. A national conference will be held

Still to come this evening. They said he was lazy at school and

told him off. But Mark was dyslexic and now, as a successful

businessman, he's helping others with the problem.

And after unseasonably mild weather, a timely reminder of what winter's

really about. Keep watching. Things We've heard warnings of a housing

crisis in the region, could this be the answer? 90 flat-pack homes are

being built in the Black Country as part of a major affordable housing

development. The properties are low carbon and energy efficient, so

they will be cheaper to run than traditional houses.

And they're all made locally. Louise Brierley reports.

Cost effective, environmentally friendly and quick to make.

The first panels of these new homes being assembled at this site in

Darlaston today. One of the people looking to buy one is first time

buyer Christine Kirk. financially, I would not be able to

buy a property out right. On a shared ownership scheme, I can

purchase a property. It is all the work of the not-for-

profit housing association Accord. It opened a factory in Walsall two

months ago where it makes the flat- pack homes. We have had experience

of building a similar houses up to these and other parts of the region,

importing them are from Norway. This is our first version of May

get ourselves. They're made out of timber, which

means they're low carbon and the design of the panels will keep more

heat in which is an important consideration for Christine.

Because they are timber-framed, it was saved on my fuel bills in the

future. And she won't have long to wait.

The basic structure of one of these homes it takes just three days to

complete, compared to an average home which can take six weeks or

more. But how much do they cost? A two-

bedroom property will set you back �125,000, a four-bedroom �175,000,

which is average for the area. There will be houses for rent,

there is housing for sale and there is also shared-ownership housing.

It is available for all of those groups. The houses are the same

whether you buy or rent. The first lot of homes will be

ready in the spring, with the whole site finished in 18 months. And for

Christine, the long wait for her own home will soon be over. Louise

Brierley, BBC Midlands Today, Darlaston.

The UK film and video industry employs more than 35,000 people,

but many independent film makers are finding it harder and harder to

finance projects. Regional screen agencies, which used to be a source

of funding, were disbanded last year under Government spending cuts.

Now one Herefordshire film maker has turned to so-called crowd

funding. Here's our Arts reporter Satnam Rana.

He has been coined the Spielberg of Hereford by one national paper, but

Neil Oseman certainly does not have the same budget as the Oscar

winning director. The film maker is trying to raise

�2,000 to start shooting a short With two feature films to his name,

Neil is no novice. But with the closure of the UK Film Council,

raising money is harder this time round. So he's turning to crowd

funding. In the past, I have been able to

get investors to put in. �2,000. But most people cannot afford that

at the moment. With crowd funding, you get lots of people to put money

in, even if they only put him �5, it all adds up.

This is how it works. You click onto the film website, pledge

between as little as �20 up to �250. There's no cash return, but you do

get a thank you credit and things like signed memorabilia. Funding

for short films is currently under review by the Government. Creative

England is the body that has replaced regional film councils, so

is there any hope for creatives like Neil? There is a bit of a

status whereby we have to decide what sort of films we want to

investment -- invest in, and we're hoping that other agencies such as

Creative England and BBC will all get together.

An unpaid cast and crew are now on standby,locations have been picked.

Neil has done what he can. He has until January the 18th to raise the

funds. Satnam Rana BBC Midlands Today Hereford.

And you can find out more about Neil's project on our Facebook page.

It's time for sport now, Ian Winter's here.

Next week's FA Cup replay between Wolves and Birmingham City has been

put back 24 hours. The game will now be televised live from Molineux

a week tonight. Before then, both teams face important league games,

starting at 7.45 for the Blues at home to Ipswich in the Championship.

They do have a lot of quality. They have had some difficulties, but we

have found that in this division, after a poor run, any side is

capable of putting some a results together.

BBC WM has full match commentary from St Andrews. We'll have the

goals here tomorrow. It was a night to forget for

Hereford United. Beaten at home by one of their relegation rivals. And

a bizarre red card to boot. A poor goalkeeping error gave Bristol

Rovers an early lead at Edgar Street. But Hereford were level

four minutes after the break with a well-taken goal from Delroy Facey.

Then this clumsy challenge by Benoit Dalibard was judged worthy

of a red card by the referee. And mid-way through the second half,

10-man Hereford could not prevent the visitors from scoring the

winner. It finished 2-1. When young Jimmy Walker turned up

for a trial at Walsall, his football career was hanging in the

balance. For a goalkeeper, he was a bit short and a little overweight.

But Jimmy's natural ability caught the eye. And now, almost 20 years

later, he's all set to create a new club record.

At last, it's official. And here's the proof. Even goalkeeping legends

must clean their own boots in League One. How are you?

James Barry Walker, Wacka to his mates, is about to shatter a record

that has stood for more than 30 years. And may never be beaten.

When Jimmy jogs out to face Brentford on Saturday, it will be

his 530th game in goal for Walsall Football Club.

What is it like to be a Walsall legend? It is quite nice. We have

had some great times here. Tell us all about him. His dress sense is

not too bad, there is a lot worse at the club. Is he worth another

contract? I think so. I think he has another 34 games in him.

Jimmy has spent most of his 38 years flinging himself around in

muddy penalty areas. He arrived on trial, slightly overweight, back in

1993. And he's been a firm favourite with the fans ever since.

Twice, he's won Player of the Year. And three times, Wacka has helped

Walsall win promotion. He is not one for the spectacular, he just

wants to make the job look easy. That is a good sign for a

goalkeeper. But in 2004, the unthinkable

happened. Jimmy got on his bike and swapped Walsall for West Ham. He

had waited 32 years to make his Premier League debut. And he loved

every minute. Next came 12 months at Tottenham. But when the Saddlers

said come home, Jimmy's heart jumped. You are not the tallest

goalkeeper. I have heard that a few times. That is what most people say.

I have had that all my career. It has been nice to prove people wrong

at times. His own goalkeeping hero is Peter

Shilton. But there's only one Jimmy Walker for the Walsall fans. And

after 530 games, few would bet against him reaching 600 not out.

Well done to him. And well done to Britain's gymnasts who qualified

for the Olympics at last night. They had to qualify in the top four,

but they did even better than that and won the tournament. More sport

tomorrow. They do not think I could do that.

You have got a bad back at the moment.

An entrepreneur written off as lazy by teachers when he was dyslexic

has become a champion for others with the condition. Mark Reynolds

now runs two successful businesses. He's one of 10% of the population

that have dyslexia, including the multi-millionaire Sir Richard

Branson and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Now, after years of trying

to hide his problem, he's open about how he overcame it. Joanne

Mark Reynolds owns two commercial cleaning companies in Shropshire,

employing 18 people. He's just won more contracts and the business is

growing. But his entrepreneurial spirit is a

far cry from his school days when he wasn't even diagnosed with

dyslexia until he was 13. teacher used to chuck the border

rubber at me. I could not copy what he was writing down on the board.

And on a school visit to a fire station, this. I was asking one of

the officers what qualifications you needed to have to be a fireman,

and one of my teachers said, do not worry, you will never be a fireman.

Years of knocked confidence fuelled his determination and Mark is now

also a retained fireman in Telford. He is one of seven Shropshire

firefighters to receive specialist tuition from Eli Wilkinson through

a Government scheme. Eli too is dyslexic, but is celebrating five

years as a dyslexia consultant. chaps I work with or starting to

realise that their own potential and that they are not stupid and

debt they have a lot to offer. Market Drayton Infants is a

mainstream school, but has won an award and other commendations for

the help it gives to children with dyslexic tendencies and other

special needs. Six-year-old Tyler has not been

diagnosed as dyslexic, but the school recognised that he may have

symptoms, so stepped in early to help. And like working with my

teacher. Why do you like that? Because I like fishing.

Teaching assistant Julie Meijueiro is qualified to help dyslexic

children. If they are overlooked, they become disheartened, they lose

focus and then bad behaviour starts to creep in. The loser that

enjoyment of learning. Mark Reynolds left school without a

single qualification. But he now plans to help his tutor inspire

others at dyslexia information days which she runs. Joanne Writtle BBC

Midlands Today. Midlands Today.

Here's Shefali with the weather. Out with the mild, in with the cold.

We're reaching that transition point soon. But because clearer

skies are involved, although it is going to be turning colder, there

will be quite a bit of sunshine in the bargain. At present, we're

steering away from the possibility of snow for the hills on Sunday.

Most of that now looks confined to the north of us. So one more night

of mild weather. Although these winds are going to picking up to

the north, more particularly towards Burton upon Trent where

there could be gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. It's a largely

cloudy but dry picture overnight with lows of only seven Celsius.

For some parts, ten. And then we see a cold front heading down from

the north tomorrow and so quite a cloudy start to the day and with

some light patchy rain, mostly over higher ground. The winds slowly

easing and just to round the day off, a little sunshine in the north.

But south of the front, temperatures are still up to 12

Celsius, although you will start to feel the cold in the north later in

the day. It's that colder air that paves the way for the rest of the

week. Tomorrow night as temperatures plunge to 1 Celsius,

we see some frost, quite clear skies and mist. But really quite a

sunny day on Friday and into the weekend as well, just a lot colder.

Just before we go, take a look at this. Twitchers have been gathering

on Cannock Chase to spot a Great Grey Shrike. There are usually

fewer than 30 in the UK as they're native to Scandinavia.

The bird's about 7 inches tall and you'll see it on top of large tree

stumps. It settles there to look for its prey That's all for tonight,

enjoy your evening, we'll see you tomorrow.

A look at tonight's main headlines. Blame game. A private company at

the heart of the breast implant scare says it's the Government's