03/02/2012

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:00:03. > :00:06.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today, with Suzanne Virdee and Nick Owen.

:00:06. > :00:10.The headlines tonight. Chaos and frustration, as a

:00:10. > :00:13.derailment leaves thousands of train travellers stranded. It's sad

:00:13. > :00:17.that we seem to have a rail system that is not as efficient and

:00:17. > :00:20.effective as business needs and the country needs.

:00:20. > :00:30.As the cold snap continues, preparations are underway for

:00:30. > :00:30.

:00:30. > :00:36.widespread snowfalls. Mick McCarthy admits he has had

:00:36. > :00:42.words with his chairman. I've spoken to him and it's been sorted

:00:42. > :00:48.out. He knows my feelings on it... And that's enough for me.

:00:48. > :00:58.Under Paralympic medallist whose hopes for 2012 could fall at the

:00:58. > :01:00.

:01:00. > :01:03.first hard will after his horse Good evening, welcome to Friday's

:01:03. > :01:06.Midlands Today, from the BBC. Tonight, frustration for thousands

:01:06. > :01:11.of rail passengers after a train derailed, throwing journeys to the

:01:11. > :01:15.capital into chaos. The West Coast Main Line was closed when a freight

:01:15. > :01:18.engine came off the tracks at Bletchley, near Milton Keynes. That

:01:18. > :01:21.meant passengers between Birmingham and London were forced to try to

:01:21. > :01:26.switch to alternative services, and all on one of the busiest days of

:01:26. > :01:34.the week on the railways. Giles Latcham is at New Street Station

:01:34. > :01:38.now. How's it looking there tonight? Better than it was. It's

:01:38. > :01:41.busy on the concourse but that's usually the way on a Friday night.

:01:41. > :01:46.The good news, though - the West Coast Main Line has been partially

:01:46. > :01:48.re-opened and services are now running again. Not quite back to

:01:48. > :01:52.normal but, thankfully, after a difficult, trying day, things are

:01:52. > :01:57.improving. Hold that train. A ten-minute dash

:01:57. > :02:04.from one station to another. One way of keeping warm on what, for

:02:04. > :02:08.some, proved a trying day. information at all on the internet

:02:08. > :02:16.that helped and I phoned a National Rail Enquiries and they had no idea

:02:16. > :02:20.how I could get to London either. usually use the Euston line. I had

:02:21. > :02:24.to go to Moor Street. And then my fight was cancelled as well! So I

:02:24. > :02:27.am going home! A stream of Virgin and London Midland passengers

:02:27. > :02:29.unable to travel down the West Coast Main Line from New Street

:02:30. > :02:34.became a flood heading for Moor Street, where Chiltern Trains still

:02:34. > :02:39.running to London Marylebone took the strain. On a Friday heading

:02:39. > :02:49.into the weekend rush hour, a degree of chaos and confusion is

:02:49. > :02:50.

:02:50. > :02:55.inevitable, but rail companies who normally are fighting each other

:02:55. > :03:02.say today has been all about corporation. Many Virgin passengers

:03:02. > :03:06.were very impressed with staff giving them as much information as

:03:06. > :03:09.they could about their onward journeys. If Tickets were honoured

:03:09. > :03:12.and extra carriages laid on. Even a tough-talking former politician

:03:12. > :03:16.trying to get to a radio studio pronounced himself satisfied.

:03:16. > :03:20.Everyone has been dead helpful, dead friendly! Good information and

:03:20. > :03:24.everybody is trying. Can't blame anybody but you just have to get

:03:24. > :03:27.this sorted out quickly. The cause of all this - a freight engine

:03:27. > :03:30.derailed in the early hours near Milton Keynes. The driver injured,

:03:30. > :03:33.and tracks and and overhead cables damaged. By mid-afternoon, a

:03:33. > :03:35.limited number of trains began running again, but services won't

:03:35. > :03:39.be back to normal possibly for several days.

:03:40. > :03:43.More on the situation now. The West Coast Main Line is made up of four

:03:43. > :03:47.lines. Two of them reopened at about 3.40pm this afternoon. There

:03:47. > :03:51.are now two Virgin services an hour running between London and the West

:03:51. > :03:54.Midlands. Normally you'd have three. And two an hour between here and

:03:54. > :03:58.Manchester. London Midland services to Euston are going only as far as

:03:58. > :04:02.Northampton and then you're on a bus. The advice, as ever, check

:04:02. > :04:12.ahead. And looking ahead, two of the lines remain closed tonight.

:04:12. > :04:13.

:04:13. > :04:16.The damage is quite substantial and will take several days to repair.

:04:16. > :04:19.Virgin are warning that there could be disruption for several days yet.

:04:19. > :04:21.Officials from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have begun an

:04:21. > :04:23.inquiry into what caused this derailment.

:04:23. > :04:27.Freezing temperatures this weekend are likely to bring snow and ice,

:04:27. > :04:30.and with it, a fair amount of disruption on our roads. Among

:04:30. > :04:35.those most at risk in these sub- zero conditions are elderly people,

:04:35. > :04:44.of course. Steve Knibbs has been out with a volunteer who's making

:04:44. > :04:53.sure they stay safe. It is a busy time for this project

:04:53. > :05:03.in Gloucester. They helped take the homeless off the streets. This man

:05:03. > :05:07.

:05:07. > :05:11.I sleep for an hour, an hour and a half but then I wake up and move on.

:05:11. > :05:20.Like others here, he knows the night shelter will save lives.

:05:20. > :05:27.Without people like this, I wouldn't cope. Most of us would

:05:27. > :05:30.have died. I don't know... What would happen. For workers spend a

:05:30. > :05:35.lot of their time looking for those sleeping rough, and in cold weather,

:05:35. > :05:40.it is more important than ever. main priority is to get out and

:05:40. > :05:45.look for those sleeping outside. These temperatures can kill.

:05:45. > :05:50.these woods, food and blankets are left for a man who chooses to make

:05:50. > :05:54.this place his home, and he will be sleeping out tonight. We will keep

:05:54. > :05:58.an eye on him. The medical team will give him bits of extra food,

:05:58. > :06:03.build up a relationship. For those with a roof over their head, the

:06:03. > :06:06.dangers of cold weather can still hit. Sallyanne Batchelor is a

:06:06. > :06:11.village agent in Gloucestershire and regularly visits the elderly

:06:11. > :06:15.not just to make sure they are warm, but safe. They wrap up in a blanket

:06:15. > :06:21.but the rest of the house is freezing cold, so it is good to pop

:06:21. > :06:26.round and make sure things are fine. People know that or they have got

:06:26. > :06:30.to do is phone and Sally will be there. For many, that knock on the

:06:30. > :06:34.door is a lifeline. Talking of the cold, Ben's been

:06:34. > :06:37.watching the weather maps for us. And it's looking like snow? Yes, it

:06:37. > :06:39.certainly feels like winter's arrived now. Temperatures are

:06:39. > :06:44.already down to minus one Celsius here in Birmingham and we're

:06:44. > :06:54.expecting a spell of snow tomorrow. If you're travelling this weekend,

:06:54. > :06:55.

:06:55. > :06:58.make sure you join me for the Manufacturers need to invest in

:06:58. > :07:03.skills, innovation and better design to win back lost export

:07:03. > :07:07.orders, according to a top business analyst today. Lord Digby Jones was

:07:07. > :07:10.speaking at the launch of a new software company on the site of the

:07:10. > :07:14.old MG Rover works in Birmingham. China leads the list of countries

:07:14. > :07:19.winning business that once went to Midlands firms. In 2000, British

:07:19. > :07:25.imports from China stood at �4.8 billion. But in just a decade, that

:07:25. > :07:28.had gone up to �30.6 billion. There are signs, though, that the Chinese

:07:28. > :07:31.are no longer having it all their own way, as Cath Mackie's been

:07:31. > :07:35.finding out. The jet engine, the Mini, the

:07:35. > :07:40.microchip and fine bone china. Inventions which transformed the

:07:40. > :07:43.way we live. All designed in the West Midlands. Fast-forward to the

:07:43. > :07:49.21st century, and innovators across the region are ready once again to

:07:49. > :07:51.take on the world. Like Newgate Clocks in Oswestry. For 21 years,

:07:51. > :08:00.they've designed their own products and they're about to bring

:08:00. > :08:04.manufacturing back from China to their Shropshire base. We are a

:08:04. > :08:09.British company and we thrive on British design. And we can shout

:08:09. > :08:11.about the fact it is also made in Britain and fry the British flag

:08:11. > :08:14.over our products as well. Elsewhere in Birmingham and

:08:14. > :08:17.Worcester, two more companies coming up with unique designs. Gary

:08:17. > :08:22.Bryant, from Birmingham, has just invented a new secure clasp for

:08:22. > :08:32.earrings. We are particularly good at precision things and that is

:08:32. > :08:34.

:08:34. > :08:38.where this actual product is so precise, it is made 200th of a

:08:38. > :08:41.millimetre. That is where I found it brilliant working with great

:08:41. > :08:44.engineers. Nick Grey in Worcester thinks it's time the region claimed

:08:44. > :08:47.the design and innovation crown. His company in Worcester creates

:08:47. > :08:52.cleaning and gardening products. China of a superpower in

:08:52. > :08:57.manufacturing but we can be the superpower in design. We have the

:08:57. > :09:01.skills and we are built for design. We are confident and eccentric and

:09:01. > :09:09.inventor and, -- inventive, so British people might the best

:09:09. > :09:12.designers. -- make the best designers. This is another place

:09:12. > :09:15.where a design revolution is said to be taking place - the Longbridge

:09:15. > :09:17.Technology Park in Birmingham. On the site where the iconic Mini was

:09:17. > :09:21.born, a new company is inventing what it calls groundbreaking

:09:21. > :09:24.software, to take on the IT giants. At the helm is the former Trade

:09:24. > :09:27.Minister, Lord Digby Jones. He says we need to invest more in giving

:09:27. > :09:29.the right skills to young people. It is no good Birmingham and the

:09:29. > :09:31.West Midlands thinking, tell you what, we can make things that sell

:09:31. > :09:34.on price, commodities. We can provide services you can get

:09:34. > :09:40.anywhere. China will have your lunch and India will have your

:09:40. > :09:43.dinner. We need to design things, be innovative, in what is called

:09:43. > :09:46.value added. Add something to this. The region's inventors, designers

:09:46. > :09:50.and innovators will be showcasing their talents at the spring fair in

:09:50. > :09:53.the NEC this weekend. And they'll be trying to win back business

:09:53. > :09:56.that's gone to China and the emerging economies.

:09:56. > :09:59.Hard-pressed local authorities are having to find millions more from

:09:59. > :10:01.already-stretched budgets to cover a sharp rise in fines for sending

:10:01. > :10:05.their waste to landfill. In Worcestershire, for example, the

:10:05. > :10:08.County Council is now having to pay out in landfill tax around four

:10:08. > :10:18.times the amount it spends on buses. Our political reporter, Tom Turrel,

:10:18. > :10:18.

:10:18. > :10:22.has more. A growing landfill mountain in

:10:22. > :10:26.Worcestershire and it is costing our councils dear. Locals

:10:26. > :10:31.authorities have to pay a so-called landfill tax, essentially a

:10:31. > :10:35.government fine, to encourage them to hit European recycling targets.

:10:35. > :10:39.But the problem is, despite the fact our landfill waste is going

:10:39. > :10:43.down, the fines are going up. More and more of us on recycling a

:10:43. > :10:48.rubbish and it is ending up in places like this. But that is not

:10:48. > :10:53.enough to keep Brussels happy. people has to me, if we had done

:10:53. > :10:57.what the Germans and Dutch had done, we would be well away. But we are

:10:57. > :11:01.where we are. We are doing more recycling now than I ever thought

:11:01. > :11:08.possible. And with budget under more and more pressure, the

:11:08. > :11:14.landfill tax is proving a real headache. In the financial year

:11:14. > :11:23.2005-2006, the County Council cent at 262,000 tonnes to landfill and

:11:23. > :11:29.paid �3.4 million in tax. But in 2010-2011, we sent to -- 27,000

:11:29. > :11:33.tonnes but fine had gone up to �5.8 million. This has caught the eye of

:11:33. > :11:36.MEPs on the Continent. This should be for the Westminster government

:11:36. > :11:41.and not for Bristol, because we should be able to spend our money

:11:41. > :11:44.any meaningful way and not be fined by the EU. But the reality is, if

:11:44. > :11:48.we are going to reduce our carbon emissions and catch up with our

:11:48. > :11:56.European neighbours, the answer does not lie with poles in the

:11:56. > :11:59.ground. If people had understood earlier the drive behind

:11:59. > :12:05.sustainability and taken on the Green Party message a bit more, we

:12:05. > :12:09.could have avoided a lot of the pain of landfill tax. So what's

:12:09. > :12:12.most agree landfill is not the way forward, unless a councils stop

:12:12. > :12:20.burying rubbish in the ground, they will continue to throw away good

:12:20. > :12:25.money after bad. And this weekend's Sunday Politics

:12:25. > :12:31.will be taking the lid off rubbish, and looking at how your area could

:12:31. > :12:41.beat it -- affected by landfill taxes.

:12:41. > :12:44.

:12:44. > :12:48.You can find out more on the Week were 200 Rae anniversary of

:12:48. > :12:57.Charles Dickens is been mocked it was the country. One very special

:12:58. > :13:02.guest at what be joining the celebrations this weekend.

:13:02. > :13:08.This is a place at Charles Dickens used to frequent. He has performed

:13:08. > :13:12.on this very stage and it's the location for Shrewsbury's Dickens

:13:12. > :13:18.weekend. I will introduce that special guest in a moment, but

:13:18. > :13:22.before that, I have spent the day finding out more about the town's

:13:22. > :13:27.connection to one of England's greatest writers.

:13:27. > :13:35.Light Charles Dickens, this hotel has many a tale to tell. Little has

:13:35. > :13:41.changed inside this sweet. Charles Dickens always asked to stay here

:13:41. > :13:51.when visiting the town. Charles Dickens stayed hair twice, possibly

:13:51. > :13:54.

:13:54. > :14:02.more. Although Charles Dickens would not recognise the hi-tech

:14:02. > :14:09.gadget hear it now, much of what he wrote about in a letter to one of

:14:09. > :14:15.his daughters still remains. windows bulge out over the street

:14:15. > :14:25.as if they were little store windows in a ship and a door opens

:14:25. > :14:26.

:14:26. > :14:31.out into the sitting room and a gallery. People like staying in the

:14:31. > :14:34.Dickens suite. Are they like the never ending corridors. It is not

:14:34. > :14:40.just this hotel that has connections with Charles Dickens.

:14:40. > :14:46.The town's musical is one place he performed on a number of occasions.

:14:46. > :14:51.Even after his death, Dickens and Shrewsbury were still intertwined.

:14:51. > :14:54.A multi- million pound movie of A Christmas Carol was Fonte in 1984

:14:55. > :15:02.and Ebenezer Scrooge's grave still remains at one of the local

:15:02. > :15:06.churches. Dickens would have stayed in the front room of this hotel and

:15:06. > :15:10.performed right here on the stage. He may not have been born or even

:15:10. > :15:15.lived here, but despite that, the people of Shrewsbury are proud of

:15:15. > :15:20.the stories they have to tell about their town and Charles Dickens.

:15:20. > :15:26.Well, they will be showing a Christmas Carol over the weekend,

:15:26. > :15:29.but without a doubt, a highlight is this gentleman here. This is

:15:29. > :15:35.Charles Dickens's great-great- grandson. What we be doing this

:15:35. > :15:40.weekend? It is exciting for me to be here. I will be part of this

:15:40. > :15:46.wonderful festival and performing to showers of my own in this room

:15:46. > :15:47.where Charles Dickens performed. Some of the things that Charles

:15:47. > :15:55.Dickens himself would have performed here in Shrewsbury will

:15:55. > :16:02.be part of your act, when to it. Yes. He was not born here, but he

:16:02. > :16:06.loved it. A absolutely. Some of his novels were set here. He loves this

:16:06. > :16:12.hotel and one of the readings I am doing will be one that he gave

:16:12. > :16:15.previously. The fact you are performing on the stage and staying

:16:15. > :16:23.in the room where you great-great- grandfather state, it must be nice.

:16:23. > :16:27.Be it will be exciting. We will see overnight whether he approves.

:16:27. > :16:31.There are also some walking tours around Shrewsbury, all part of the

:16:31. > :16:39.Dickens weekend. There are still a few tickets left if you want to go.

:16:39. > :16:43.Back to the studio. He does look spookily like his

:16:43. > :16:48.great great grandfather. Fascinating stuff. Time for the

:16:48. > :16:52.sport now. Words have been sent between Mick McCarthy and the

:16:52. > :16:55.chairman. The Wolves manager Mick Mccarthy

:16:55. > :16:58.says he's spoken to chairman Steve Morgan about him coming into the

:16:58. > :17:01.dressing room after matches. Morgan made his feelings known to the

:17:01. > :17:11.players after Tuesday's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool. Now McCarthy has made

:17:11. > :17:16.

:17:16. > :17:21.Every picture tells a 1,000 words and this moment lead to plenty more

:17:21. > :17:24.been spoken in the dressing room. Steve Morgan's pain on Tuesday

:17:24. > :17:30.night was self-evident as Wolves slumped against Liverpool. Manager

:17:30. > :17:33.Mick McCarthy was a happy either, but for him, Morgan coming into the

:17:33. > :17:39.dressing room did not help. I have spoken to him about that and that

:17:39. > :17:47.has been sorted out. Did you feel undermined by that. A I have spoken

:17:47. > :17:53.to him and that has been sorted out. He knows my feelings. -- I have

:17:53. > :17:57.spoken. I don't need to give everyone a headline. Even if

:17:57. > :18:02.relationships are strained, Morgan told us he is not one of knee-jerk

:18:02. > :18:07.reactions. This is not a hire and fire club. I don't run my business

:18:07. > :18:11.is like that. That does not need to say we are soft on things. We say

:18:11. > :18:17.what we have to say behind closed doors. And clearly he did, but

:18:17. > :18:23.lives do not -- but life does not get easier for Wolves. They are

:18:23. > :18:33.playing a wave to QPR tomorrow. I had an instant remedy, it would

:18:33. > :18:35.

:18:35. > :18:41.have been done and we would have been sorted out. The club need a

:18:41. > :18:45.response that can get a result. Wolves has a new signing -

:18:45. > :18:48.Sebastien Bassong signed on loan from Tottenham. They need something

:18:48. > :18:56.to change if they are to climb out of their current slump and the

:18:56. > :19:05.bottom three of the Premier League. You can hear more of that interview

:19:05. > :19:10.on aware Facebook page. -- our were faced full page.

:19:10. > :19:13.Away from that, I hear the weather is playing havoc with the football

:19:13. > :19:16.schedule. That's right. In League Two, Shrewsbury Town's

:19:16. > :19:19.home match with Port Vale is off because parts of the pitch are

:19:19. > :19:29.frozen. Cheltenham's game with AFC Wimbledon and Hereford's trip to

:19:29. > :19:30.

:19:30. > :19:33.Gillingham are also postponed. Also the Birmingham game. There could be

:19:33. > :19:36.a problem. It's the dream of every British

:19:36. > :19:39.Olympian and Paralympian to compete in front of a home crowd at the

:19:39. > :19:42.games in London this summer. But for one young medal prospect time

:19:42. > :19:48.is running out to find the essential partner to keep the dream

:19:48. > :19:51.of glory on home turf alive. Lee Pearson and Ricky Balshaw are

:19:51. > :19:55.best of friends off their horses, but on them they are rivals for

:19:55. > :19:58.Paralympic gold in London this summer. There is one rather large

:19:58. > :20:01.snag though - Ricky's competition horse is struggling to recover from

:20:01. > :20:11.injury. Finding a suitable replacement could cost more than

:20:11. > :20:13.

:20:13. > :20:17.�20,000. I need a horse yesterday. That is how tight it is. For me to

:20:17. > :20:25.go to the games it will take something special. I will need a

:20:25. > :20:35.fantastic horse and then I will need to beat Pearson every time.

:20:35. > :20:40.

:20:40. > :20:48.Stuart was a tough time for all of them. -- last year. It is

:20:48. > :20:51.ridiculous. I can't get anything right. There is a pressure of

:20:52. > :20:54.making sure you qualify for the Games.

:20:54. > :20:58.No-one knows more about winning than Lee. Nine times a Paralympic

:20:58. > :21:04.gold has been hung round his neck, but in this year above all, he's

:21:04. > :21:13.taking nothing for granted. selectors will be roofless and if I

:21:13. > :21:22.do not get results, I went be selected. I am a feeling confident.

:21:22. > :21:31.-- I am. These games will be life- changing, Bob British athletes,

:21:31. > :21:38.especially Paralympic athletes. would be a shame if these bright

:21:38. > :21:46.stars were denied the chance to go head-to-head in London. We are

:21:46. > :21:52.looking at out for you and keeping a would fingers crossed. -- hour.

:21:52. > :21:55.Dressage is a sport demanding calm and control.

:21:55. > :21:57.A band almost missed out on their big television break when their van

:21:57. > :22:00.and all their instruments were stolen. It happened just hours

:22:00. > :22:03.before The Musgraves were due to appear on a recording for the

:22:03. > :22:06.Graham Norton Show on BBC One. Despite the theft the Birmingham

:22:06. > :22:09.based four-piece have became the first unsigned band without an

:22:09. > :22:12.album deal to appear on the show. Ben Godfrey's been to meet them.

:22:12. > :22:14.The Graham Norton Show has seen the likes of Madonna and Coldplay

:22:14. > :22:15.entertain the studio audience, so a modest pop-folk band from

:22:15. > :22:18.Birmingham seem unlikely showstoppers.

:22:18. > :22:21.Meet The Musgraves. It's been a memorable week. On Monday morning,

:22:21. > :22:24.their van was stolen in Lichfield, along with a violin, a piano, two

:22:24. > :22:34.guitars, a personalised drum kit, SatNavs, even the lead singer's new

:22:34. > :22:42.

:22:42. > :22:46.It has definitely been stolen when you see that. It was unbelievable

:22:46. > :22:54.when we were in the studio doing the show. Every so often we would

:22:54. > :23:00.think, we have got no staff. It was weird. You go from excited to, you

:23:01. > :23:03.know. The Musgraves had to quickly borrow

:23:03. > :23:07.instruments to record The Graham Norton Show. The presenter became a

:23:07. > :23:14.fan when he played their debut single Last Of Me' on his Radio 2

:23:14. > :23:23.show. But their first radio audience was

:23:23. > :23:27.last year on the music show BBC WM Introducing. It was something that

:23:27. > :23:36.made them stand ahead of others. They have done so well and it does

:23:36. > :23:39.not surprise us that they have gone up on to the The Graham Norton Show.

:23:39. > :23:49.The band's been rehearsing for a gig tonight - a more low-key affair

:23:49. > :23:50.

:23:50. > :23:59.at a pub in Birmingham. On Twitter today Graham Norton said he would

:23:59. > :24:04.stop a showbiz search for the instruments. Just so you know,

:24:04. > :24:11.Oprah Winfrey would have given him a house. Hopefully something good

:24:11. > :24:14.will come of it all and it works up for the best.

:24:14. > :24:24.While the Musgraves are busy lining up gigs, Staffordshire Police are

:24:24. > :24:25.

:24:25. > :24:31.trying to locate this white van and the band's many instruments. That

:24:31. > :24:34.is so cruel. Your big break. I know. And you can catch The Musgraves on

:24:34. > :24:37.The Graham Norton Show on BBC One at 10.35 tonight - that's straight

:24:37. > :24:42.after our late news. Ben's got more now on what seems to

:24:42. > :24:45.be a snowy and icy weekend. Yes, a very wintry forecast coming

:24:45. > :24:49.up. But first, 2,500 snow champions are ready to spring into action in

:24:49. > :24:52.Sandwell. The council's handed out shovels and tubs of salt to

:24:52. > :24:54.volunteers so they can help their communities. They will clear an

:24:54. > :25:04.elderly neighbour's path for example, or the pavement outside

:25:04. > :25:05.

:25:05. > :25:11.their home. I just think when times are hard, people do tend to mark in

:25:11. > :25:16.a bit more. It is a great idea. It is a work community. It is not up

:25:16. > :25:20.to the council to do everything for us. We need to get involved. Thank

:25:20. > :25:29.goodness for those no champions this weekend because some of the

:25:29. > :25:34.white stuff is in the forecast. The Met Office has issued an amber

:25:34. > :25:40.warning. Nothing too disruptive tonight though. It is fine and dry

:25:40. > :25:48.and quiet, but under the clear skies, temperatures will plummet

:25:48. > :25:53.down to around-eight Celsius. -- around minus eight Celsius.

:25:53. > :25:58.Tomorrow, cold air to the east, mild air tried to come in off the

:25:58. > :26:02.Atlantic. Were you see the weather fronts to the west, that is the

:26:02. > :26:07.front line of the battle. Wet weather that will turn wintry as we

:26:07. > :26:13.go to the day. As we go to the day, there will be bright spells to

:26:13. > :26:23.start. Increasing cloud and during the afternoon outbreaks of sleet

:26:23. > :26:23.

:26:23. > :26:28.and snow. There could be up to four inches of snow that could be

:26:28. > :26:32.disruptive on a very cold day. That noble persist for some of us into

:26:32. > :26:37.the evening. But in the West we could see Marles et al working its

:26:37. > :26:44.way in which will turn a bit of it back to rain before it clears.

:26:44. > :26:51.Temperatures will still be below freezing which will mean an icy

:26:51. > :26:56.start on Sunday. Sunday is a quite a day there and and would be as

:26:56. > :27:01.cold. If you are travelling this weekend, and I cannot stress this

:27:01. > :27:04.enough, there is a chance of snow and ice that could cause

:27:04. > :27:09.disruptions to your travel plans. If you want to keep up with the

:27:09. > :27:16.latest, tune into your BBC local radio station. A cold weekend with

:27:16. > :27:20.snow on the way. The main headlines - the

:27:20. > :27:26.environment secretary Chris Huhne resigned after being accused of