:00:08. > :00:15.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines: We're not
:00:15. > :00:20.privatising the force - some services are put out of contract.
:00:20. > :00:24.They are trying to reassure the public that it is not about taking
:00:24. > :00:28.police out of public ownership. Two people are arrested over the
:00:28. > :00:32.brutal attack on a 90 three-year- old in Birmingham.
:00:32. > :00:39.Houses demolished in Cheltenham after a gas explosion - the owners
:00:39. > :00:42.face a 12 month wait to return home. It is just a complete upheaval. It
:00:42. > :00:46.is almost as though life will never be the same.
:00:46. > :00:56.And getting on track - the BMA's World Championship come to
:00:56. > :00:58.
:00:59. > :01:02.Good evening and welcome to Thursday's Midlands Today from the
:01:02. > :01:05.BBC. Tonight: West Midlands Police is not for
:01:05. > :01:08.sale. That was the blunt message from the force's Chief Constable
:01:08. > :01:10.Chris Sims today. He was speaking after accusations from unions that
:01:10. > :01:13.core police services face privatisation. In March, both the
:01:13. > :01:15.West Midlands and Surrey forces invited bids from the private
:01:15. > :01:17.sector for �1.5 billion of policing services. But in another
:01:17. > :01:22.development today, Surrey's Chief Constable announced their plans
:01:22. > :01:32.were being put on hold until after the Olympic Games. Here's our
:01:32. > :01:35.
:01:35. > :01:44.Out on the streets the police are hard at work. They say they're
:01:44. > :01:47.cutting crime to its lowest level in years - down ten per cent.
:01:47. > :01:53.Policing has changed enormously over the years and it is due to
:01:53. > :01:55.change even more. But today's event was about public relations, and the
:01:55. > :02:03.chiefs wanted to put the message across that West Midlands Police is
:02:03. > :02:06.not for sale. The force has to save �126 million.
:02:06. > :02:08.They, along with Surrey Police, are looking at a business partnership.
:02:08. > :02:14.So a private company could take over some existing police roles.
:02:14. > :02:19.But doesn't that mean privatization? No, says the force.
:02:19. > :02:23.We are really trying to reassure the public that this is not about
:02:23. > :02:25.taking police out of public ownership.
:02:25. > :02:30.Unions and the Police Federation called today's event a smokescreen
:02:30. > :02:35.and claimed core police jobs would be privatised.
:02:35. > :02:42.I'm talking about the people who answer 999 calls, the people who
:02:42. > :02:45.deal with crime scenes, the people who handle cases - all of these
:02:45. > :02:50.people are part of the police. Scaremongering, say the police
:02:50. > :02:58.chiefs. We are not asking people to take
:02:58. > :03:00.over as police. Policing is an accountable public service. We are
:03:01. > :03:03.in the Business of correcting some really serious myths that are
:03:03. > :03:07.scaring the public. But the new Chief Constable of
:03:07. > :03:09.Surrey, Lynne Owens, called for a delay in the process and for more
:03:09. > :03:12.public consultation. It's claimed there that private firms have been
:03:12. > :03:14.told that they could bid for jobs like guarding crime scenes,
:03:14. > :03:16.patrolling neighbourhoods and collecting CCTV. One advert by a
:03:16. > :03:25.private security company is offering jobs for child abuse
:03:25. > :03:35.investigators. The Chief Constable denied that his force would
:03:35. > :03:43.privatise such a sensitive role. That is absolutely not what was
:03:43. > :03:46.done as police -- West Midlands Police is trying to do.
:03:46. > :03:48.Investigations are a core part of policing and will continue to be
:03:48. > :03:51.done by police officers. Tonight, West Midlands Police said
:03:52. > :03:54.the decision made by Surrey would not have any impact on the progress
:03:54. > :04:04.of its ongoing tendering process. But questions and controversy
:04:04. > :04:05.
:04:05. > :04:07.surrounding this issue will not go Earlier I spoke to the deputy
:04:08. > :04:11.secretary for the West Midlands Police Federation, Steve Grange,
:04:11. > :04:14.from our studios in Southampton. The Federation represents the
:04:14. > :04:24.interests of rank and file police officers. He gave his thoughts on
:04:24. > :04:24.
:04:24. > :04:31.the comments from Chris Sims. Our concerns with a privatisation
:04:31. > :04:36.issue within the miss Wigan's -- West Midlands - it is a joint thing
:04:36. > :04:43.with Surrey. The Chief Constable there has suspended their part of
:04:43. > :04:48.the programme. It is a jointly funded danger. They are putting in
:04:48. > :04:51.�1 million, we are putting in �2 million, the government �3 million.
:04:51. > :04:56.That is going to have an effect with the bits going forward. There
:04:56. > :05:00.was a bid as conference in London where a procurement nineties has
:05:00. > :05:03.gone out to companies to bid for services. That notice is very far-
:05:03. > :05:06.reaching. Do you think the West Midlands
:05:06. > :05:11.should put this on hold, as they have done in Surrey?
:05:11. > :05:14.I do, yeah. There needs to be a period of consultation. The police
:05:14. > :05:18.authority are going to be asked next week at a meeting in
:05:18. > :05:23.Birmingham as to whether they believe it is right to give the
:05:23. > :05:26.rest of the money to go forward with this venture. I think it is
:05:26. > :05:30.time to actually have some proper consultation and to think about
:05:30. > :05:34.whether this is the best way to go. But Chris since is saying this is
:05:34. > :05:40.back of his work. If you look at the notice, it has
:05:40. > :05:45.gone out to these companies and its is very far-reaching. It covers
:05:45. > :05:49.everything that does not require the power of arrest. I know he said
:05:49. > :05:55.the rank of constable in the West Midlands is sacrosanct. I welcome
:05:55. > :05:58.that. But clearly there are some important functions that these
:05:58. > :06:04.private companies have been asked to take on which it comes down by
:06:04. > :06:06.police staff. -- which are carried done.
:06:06. > :06:08.Detectives investigating a brutal attack on a 93-year-old woman in
:06:08. > :06:12.Birmingham have arrested two people. Emma Winnall suffered severe
:06:12. > :06:15.injuries at her home more than two weeks ago. A man and a woman were
:06:15. > :06:18.arrested this morning and are being questioned on suspicion of assault.
:06:18. > :06:21.We can cross now to our reporter Bob Hockenhull, who's outside Mrs
:06:21. > :06:31.Winnall's home at Moseley in Birmingham. Bob, what more can you
:06:31. > :06:34.
:06:34. > :06:40.tell us about these arrests? A 56-year-old woman and a 28-year-
:06:40. > :06:44.old man were arrested at their home in the neighbouring suburbs just
:06:44. > :06:47.before 6:30am. The police have said that this was not as a result of a
:06:47. > :06:52.tip-off from the public but as a result of information from a
:06:52. > :06:56.routine inquiry. The two are being held as a police station, but they
:06:56. > :07:00.have not said where. This was a crime that are poor people in this
:07:00. > :07:04.area and those living beyond. Emma Winnall suffered a fractured skull,
:07:04. > :07:10.a broken arm and wrist and a partially severed finger in the
:07:10. > :07:15.attack. A reminder of what happened - she was discovered unconscious in
:07:15. > :07:19.her bed and she was covered in blood. On May sixth, she was able
:07:19. > :07:23.to talk to detectives. She told him the attack had left her shocked and
:07:23. > :07:30.confused. On May eighth, her daughter appealed for help to catch
:07:30. > :07:35.the attackers. On May ninth, crime stoppers offered a �5,000 reward.
:07:35. > :07:38.What more have the police been saying this evening?
:07:38. > :07:43.The police have said that Emma Winnall remains in hospital in a
:07:43. > :07:47.poorly condition. That is 17 days after the attack. They say that
:07:47. > :07:52.even though two suspects are in custody, this remains very much an
:07:52. > :08:02.ongoing inquiry. The reward of �5,000 are still on offer and
:08:02. > :08:04.
:08:04. > :08:06.anybody with information can Bob Hockenhull, thank you very much.
:08:06. > :08:09.Still to come in tonight's programme:
:08:09. > :08:18.The Chelsea Flower Show's coming up but one Staffordshire grower's
:08:18. > :08:21.plans have been hit by the wet Families living near the scene of a
:08:21. > :08:24.gas explosion in Cheltenham stayed away as their homes were pulled
:08:24. > :08:27.down today. Two houses had to be destroyed after the blast which
:08:27. > :08:30.shook Rosehill Street a week ago. Many are still living in hotels and
:08:30. > :08:40.rented accommodation. And now others who live nearby are coming
:08:40. > :08:46.
:08:46. > :08:53.together to raise money for their Once again the peace in Rosehill
:08:53. > :08:57.Street is shattered, but this time the demolition is deliberate. With
:08:57. > :09:06.cracks widening by the day, at least two houses either side of the
:09:06. > :09:11.one that exploded have to come down. The property was assessed as beyond
:09:11. > :09:15.repair. In fact it was a dangerous structure. So the council pushed
:09:15. > :09:17.through the legislation so that we could demolish it.
:09:17. > :09:19.Inside these homes, family possessions. Many will be lost
:09:19. > :09:22.forever, but here the demolition teams have been salvaging
:09:22. > :09:26.belongings. It may not be much, but for the
:09:26. > :09:29.families it's a small reminder of what was once their home. The
:09:29. > :09:36.community is pulling together here, though. A planned street party is
:09:36. > :09:39.still going ahead to raise money for those affected by the explosion.
:09:39. > :09:46.We're going to send out letters to local businesses over the next week
:09:46. > :09:56.to see how they can help. If they have got anything to donate to last,
:09:56. > :09:58.
:09:58. > :10:01.that could be really helpful. -- to In contrast, at a school, the
:10:01. > :10:04.annual charitable fund day. But this year it's taken on added
:10:04. > :10:06.meaning. Enjoying throwing wet sponges at pictures of her teachers
:10:06. > :10:08.is Catherine Drinkwater. It's a welcome distraction because it's
:10:08. > :10:11.her house that's being pulled down today.
:10:11. > :10:13.This event will help raise hundreds of pounds to replace clothes and
:10:13. > :10:16.other belongings she's lost. So, some comfort amidst the pain of
:10:16. > :10:18.what's happening. At least now the families can start to think about
:10:18. > :10:21.rebuilding their lives and their homes.
:10:21. > :10:31.As soon as it happens to somebody that knows you, it is more urgent
:10:31. > :10:35.
:10:35. > :10:37.to help. Katharine is such a lovely A man's died after falling from a
:10:37. > :10:40.bridge over the M5 in Worcestershire. It happened at
:10:40. > :10:43.Junction 4 of the motorway near Bromsgrove this morning. Ambulance
:10:43. > :10:49.crews were called but the man was confirmed dead at the scene. The
:10:49. > :10:51.southbound carriageway was closed for three hours.
:10:51. > :10:55.The pub and brewing company Marston's has announced half-year
:10:55. > :10:57.pre-tax profits of �33.5 million, a rise of 15 per cent on the previous
:10:57. > :11:00.year. The Wolverhampton-based company, which makes Marston's and
:11:00. > :11:03.Banks' beers, saw an increase in sales of premium ales in the six
:11:03. > :11:13.months to the end of March. Food sales were also up in its
:11:13. > :11:21.
:11:21. > :11:24.nationwide chain of 2,000 pubs. The body of a Shropshire serviceman
:11:24. > :11:27.killed in Afghanistan on Saturday has been flown back to the UK.
:11:27. > :11:29.Corporal Brent McCarthy, of the RAF Police, was shot dead by Afghan
:11:29. > :11:33.national police officers. He is the 34th serviceman from the Midlands
:11:33. > :11:43.to be killed in the conflict. A senior MP has called for improved
:11:43. > :11:43.
:11:43. > :11:47.security for British troops Corporal Brent McCarthy had been
:11:47. > :11:57.stationed at RAF Brize Norton for the past two years. Today, the 25-
:11:57. > :11:59.
:11:59. > :12:02.year-old's body was returned in a On Saturday, while providing
:12:02. > :12:06.security in Helmand Province, Corporal McCarthy was shot dead by
:12:06. > :12:13.members of the Afghan police force. His parents say they've only been
:12:13. > :12:18.given vague details about what happened.
:12:18. > :12:21.Nobody can tell me the facts and exactly what has happened because
:12:21. > :12:29.of the investigations are but a bang on. I'm proud of him
:12:29. > :12:32.regardless. -- that are going on. He was just a lovely young man.
:12:32. > :12:35.This is a joint Afghan and British patrol filmed by the BBC in Helmand.
:12:35. > :12:38.Corporal McCarthy is just one of 20 foreign service men and women
:12:38. > :12:47.killed this year by Afghans they serve alongside, in so-called
:12:47. > :12:51.green-on-blue attacks. We remain vigilant at all times and
:12:51. > :12:55.keep risk to a minimum. But it is an important element of what we do
:12:55. > :12:58.here. We show the Afghans that we trust them.
:12:58. > :13:01.More than 9,000 British troops are set to leave Afghanistan by the end
:13:01. > :13:04.of 2014, but hundreds of soldiers could stay to train Afghan forces.
:13:04. > :13:09.One Birmingham MP, who sits on the Defence Committee, says they must
:13:09. > :13:15.be better protected in time for the security handover.
:13:15. > :13:19.Those who will remain who will be responsible for the security, I am
:13:19. > :13:23.not convinced that the Afghan troops will be sufficient to
:13:23. > :13:25.provide that production. In a statement, the MOD says an
:13:25. > :13:35.investigation into Corporal McCarthy's death is underway but
:13:35. > :13:39.
:13:39. > :13:41.Children could soon be taught pottery skills again. Experts in
:13:41. > :13:46.the ceramics industry want pottery put back onto the school curriculum
:13:46. > :13:52.to help plug a growing skills gap. The number of people working in the
:13:52. > :13:55.industry has fallen from a peak of around 24,000 to around 8,000 now.
:13:55. > :13:58.A pilot project is now running in Stoke-on-Trent to try to fire up
:13:58. > :14:03.young people to consider ceramics as a career, as Laura May McMullan
:14:03. > :14:07.reports. Wade Ceramics is one of the biggest
:14:07. > :14:11.manufacturers in Stoke-on-Trent. Bosses here say traditional skills
:14:11. > :14:21.are in short supply. They've never been busier, yet they're still
:14:21. > :14:22.
:14:22. > :14:26.struggling to fill vacancies. think in the past what has been
:14:26. > :14:29.happening is children have followed in the footsteps of their parents.
:14:29. > :14:39.Unfortunately, parents have now decided not to work in the industry
:14:39. > :14:42.
:14:42. > :14:50.so they are not following them. that is one of the main focuses of
:14:50. > :14:53.this project. To get the skills back. Brownhills Academy in Stoke-
:14:53. > :14:55.on-Trent is one of five local schools taking part in the year-
:14:55. > :15:00.long programme alongside Staffordshire University. Staff
:15:00. > :15:04.here say re-introducing traditional skills is vital. It is about
:15:04. > :15:07.bringing those kinds of materials back into the classroom because
:15:07. > :15:12.they are very used to using the computers, which are very clean and
:15:12. > :15:15.tidy. It is about bringing their confidence back about using these
:15:15. > :15:17.different materials. And this group enrolled on Staffordshire
:15:17. > :15:22.University's M.A course are the future generation of ceramic
:15:22. > :15:28.designers. Students here have set up their own award-winning company
:15:28. > :15:30.Flux, with well over �100,000 in orders. But despite the success,
:15:30. > :15:40.the university's ceramic design undergraduate degree course is
:15:40. > :15:42.
:15:42. > :15:47.running at a loss. It does reflect a reality that we need to redress.
:15:47. > :15:50.And if we want to make changes, they have to start at an early age.
:15:50. > :15:53.Companies like Wade are staging a strong fightback with year-on-year
:15:53. > :16:02.profits. And just as the back stamp says "made in Stoke-on-Trent",
:16:02. > :16:05.experts want the next generation to be trained in Stoke-on-Trent.
:16:05. > :16:09.A gold medal sweet pea grower says this spring's terrible weather
:16:09. > :16:12.could scupper his chances of success at Chelsea. The world-
:16:13. > :16:15.famous flower show opens in London next week. Derek Heathcote, who's
:16:16. > :16:20.been in the sweetpea business for over 20 years, says he's struggling
:16:20. > :16:30.to get enough flowers to fill his stand. Sarah Falkland's been to his
:16:30. > :16:32.
:16:32. > :16:37.home in the village of Stowe-by- Chartley in Staffordshire. Hello!
:16:37. > :16:44.Welcome to Derek's greenhouse. The ambient culture today is 19 degrees.
:16:44. > :16:47.But not enough for Chelsea. Just look at the flowers. No peas on
:16:47. > :16:52.them whatsoever. They should be heaving with flowers now and there
:16:52. > :16:57.is nothing at all. It is heartbreaking. Basically, the cold
:16:57. > :17:03.might have been down to two, three degrees. And it is that cold spell
:17:03. > :17:08.and a lack of sunshine to bring them out. Derek's a famous name in
:17:08. > :17:10.the world of sweet peas. He's won gold at Chelsea five times. His son
:17:10. > :17:17.Andy works alongside him. They cross-pollinate plants to create
:17:17. > :17:22.new varieties. This is Charlie's Angels. Put your nose on that and
:17:22. > :17:25.smell the perfume! Each new variety takes seven years to create, this
:17:25. > :17:31.one for the Queen. It's called Diamond Jubilee and will showcase
:17:31. > :17:36.at Chelsea. This weekend, they will start snipping the stems for
:17:36. > :17:39.Chelsea. They need 2000. At the moment they reckon they have only
:17:40. > :17:45.500. So he's having to call up friends who grow his own Eagle
:17:45. > :17:51.sweet pea varieties to lend him some. Is it worth it? Of course,
:17:51. > :17:55.yeah. It is enjoyable to do, despite the setbacks we get. But we
:17:55. > :18:00.get it every year anyway, so we are learning to live with it! What is
:18:01. > :18:04.it about Chelsea? It is so prestigious as a show. You can put
:18:04. > :18:07.your new varieties out there for the world to see and the world
:18:07. > :18:10.comes to Chelsea to see the flowers. They can't sweet-talk them into
:18:11. > :18:18.flowering. For many of Derek's plants it'll be Hampton Court, not
:18:18. > :18:22.Chelsea. Good luck to him! There will be
:18:22. > :18:26.more from Sarah on Monday's programme.
:18:26. > :18:32.Still to come, Ben Sidwell with a bizarre tale of knitting and outer
:18:32. > :18:36.space. Find out what rugby and rubber chickens have to do with
:18:36. > :18:39.NASA and space exploration! I think you have dropped a stitch!
:18:39. > :18:42.Well, there's nothing out of this world about the weather, unless
:18:42. > :18:52.cloud, rain and the cold is freaking you out this spring! But
:18:52. > :18:53.
:18:53. > :18:57.that could all change next week. Here's Dan with the sport, and the
:18:57. > :19:01.nerves are jangling in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Town are just 90 minutes
:19:01. > :19:04.away from Wembley and a place in the League 2 play-off final. They
:19:04. > :19:07.take a two-goal lead into tonight's semi-final second leg against
:19:07. > :19:15.Torquay. And the fans are hoping their excellent play-off record can
:19:15. > :19:17.continue. Remember this? Ten years ago Steve
:19:17. > :19:21.Cotterill led Cheltenham to play- off triumph at Cardiff's Millennium
:19:21. > :19:23.Stadium. How about this? In 2006, John Ward's team rode an open-top
:19:23. > :19:32.bus to celebrate returning Cheltenham to the third tier of
:19:32. > :19:35.English football, and the weather couldn't spoil the party. In short,
:19:36. > :19:42.when the Robins are in the play- offs, they win them. Fans are
:19:42. > :19:47.hoping for a repeat. Absolutely! They will do it now. They deserve
:19:47. > :19:52.to go up. We support them all the way. Really good display. But
:19:52. > :19:56.confident? Of course, absolutely! And it's not surprising they're
:19:56. > :20:01.confident, after winning sunday's first leg 2-0 against Torquay. But
:20:01. > :20:06.don't expect them to sit back and defend tonight. We have to be
:20:06. > :20:10.organised and disciplined. But we can go on playing the same manner.
:20:10. > :20:13.We scored a couple of goals and could have had a few more. We have
:20:13. > :20:17.played some good stuff and I want that to continue. It's already been
:20:17. > :20:23.a memorable season at Whaddon Road. Now they want a trip to Wembley and
:20:23. > :20:26.promotion, to round it off in style. It would be massive. It has been a
:20:26. > :20:30.very good year for the championship because we have had such a good run
:20:30. > :20:33.in the FA Cup. And if we get to Wembley, that would make them
:20:33. > :20:36.really happy. And then for the supporters, it would round off a
:20:36. > :20:39.really good season. And if history's any judge, stories
:20:39. > :20:41.involving Cheltenham Town in the play-offs tend to have a happy
:20:41. > :20:43.endings. And there's full match commentary
:20:43. > :20:47.of the game on BBC Radio Gloucestershire this evening.
:20:47. > :20:50.Coverage starts at 7.05pm. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is the new
:20:51. > :20:53.bookies favourite to be the next manager of Aston Villa. It follows
:20:53. > :20:57.widespread speculation that Randy Lerner has flown to Norway for
:20:57. > :21:01.talks. The former Manchester United striker led Molde to the League
:21:01. > :21:04.Championship in Norway in 2011. The man he could replace, Alex McLeish,
:21:04. > :21:08.has released a statement today saying he was honoured to have
:21:08. > :21:10.managed Aston Villa. McLeish says his one regret is that he wasn't
:21:10. > :21:14.able to achieve more for the supporters and their high
:21:14. > :21:17.expectations. A state-of-the-art BMX cycling
:21:17. > :21:21.track is being built at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham
:21:21. > :21:24.as the city prepares to host the World Championships. Competition
:21:24. > :21:28.will be particularly tough as it's the final qualifying event for the
:21:28. > :21:31.Olympics. The track itself has been designed by a firm in Shropshire
:21:31. > :21:37.and built using dirt from a Birmingham quarry, as Nick
:21:37. > :21:42.Clitheroe reports. This must be every BMX biker's
:21:42. > :21:47.dream having a World Championship track all to yourself. A track
:21:47. > :21:50.that's risen from the dust 3,000 tonnes of it. And when the World
:21:50. > :21:54.Championships begin at the NIA next week, places at the London Games
:21:54. > :21:57.will be up for grabs. That's why these men are working long days
:21:57. > :22:07.turning 8,000 palletts, 3,000 of limestone and 18 tonnes of steel
:22:07. > :22:07.
:22:07. > :22:11.into a stunning race track. It has been quite a long time in the
:22:11. > :22:15.making and quite a challenging process but it is really shaping up.
:22:15. > :22:21.Hopefully, they will be really surprised. The World Championships
:22:21. > :22:25.hasn't been in an arena for a long time and apparently it is riding
:22:25. > :22:30.well, riding fast. It has taken a week to put this up but after the
:22:30. > :22:32.championships, they only have 48 hours to take it all down. But it's
:22:32. > :22:35.not just the elite who'll be dreaming of riding this track.
:22:35. > :22:40.2,000 amateurs, including 20 from the Birmingham BMX Club, will
:22:40. > :22:43.compete at the Worlds. To have that many riders in such an event is
:22:43. > :22:52.great for the club. I have been training really hard so looking
:22:52. > :22:54.forward to riding it. Riders from New Zealand and Australia have
:22:54. > :22:57.already been training here for the Championships. But for one world
:22:57. > :23:00.rider, this is home. Because Ben Martinez is a member of the
:23:01. > :23:03.Birmingham Club but will ride for Bolivia at the Worlds. I have been
:23:03. > :23:08.chasing the World Championships since I was a kid. I think this is
:23:08. > :23:12.it now. It is very important for me and for my country as well. And for
:23:12. > :23:20.the club. And with so much at stake, no wonder the workers on this track
:23:20. > :23:27.are in pursuit of perfection. A great event. Before ago, a century
:23:27. > :23:34.for the club today meant they have posted 557 for six. They needed
:23:34. > :23:37.another 347 to avoid problems. Now the strange tale of a knitter
:23:37. > :23:39.from Warwickshire who's turned her hand to space clothing. On Sunday,
:23:39. > :23:43.when NASA launches its latest mission, the space explorer will be
:23:43. > :23:47.wearing an outfit made by Sue Drage from Rugby. And the traveller will
:23:47. > :23:51.be entertained on the journey by a podcast from a BBC local radio
:23:51. > :24:01.station. Ben Sidwell explains all. Space - the great unknown, where
:24:01. > :24:05.
:24:05. > :24:08.only a few men, women and one On Sunday, NASA launches its latest
:24:08. > :24:14.mission manned, or should that be poultried, by a chicken called
:24:14. > :24:20.Camilla. For the first time her uniform has been made here in the
:24:20. > :24:30.UK. So who did they ask to design it? Stella McCartney? Vivienne
:24:30. > :24:32.
:24:32. > :24:36.Westwood? No. Sue Drage from Rugby. I think it only took me about two
:24:36. > :24:40.weeks, as I say, because I had to have several attempts of knitting
:24:40. > :24:45.it and it didn't fit right. It is rather difficult knitting for a
:24:45. > :24:55.rubber chicken! And this is what she will be wearing for her latest
:24:55. > :24:56.
:24:56. > :25:00.mission. The whole outfit knitted by using plastic bags. As she has
:25:00. > :25:04.been training for her latest mission, Camilla was not able to
:25:04. > :25:14.come across. Sir Charles has bravely agreed to step into the
:25:14. > :25:14.
:25:14. > :25:18.breach. Good afternoon, Charles. What was it like being a
:25:18. > :25:20.bodyguard... The woman responsible for arranging everything, BBC
:25:20. > :25:24.Coventry and Warwickshire's Vic Minnett. Her afternoon show has
:25:24. > :25:27.become a firm favourite with the team at NASA. So much so that when
:25:27. > :25:34.Camilla the chicken lifts off on Sunday, she'll be kept entertained
:25:34. > :25:37.in space by a podcast of Vic's radio programme. NASA love our show
:25:37. > :25:42.and now they're taking us into space with a rubber chicken wearing
:25:42. > :25:48.a suit we knitted out of carrier bags! It doesn't seem real, does
:25:48. > :25:53.it?! So on Sunday, if you look up into the sky and think you can see
:25:54. > :25:59.a flying chicken in a space suit, you might not be wrong!
:25:59. > :26:07.Speechless! All the best to Camilla. She is very plucky! Now over to the
:26:07. > :26:12.It has been quite a struggle this spring but this bit of news might
:26:12. > :26:19.perky opera little bit. It looks like high pressure could dominate
:26:19. > :26:24.midweek next week onwards. Power -- perk up a bit. We now have low
:26:24. > :26:28.pressure affecting us. But it has been cloudy today. But we have a
:26:28. > :26:34.degree of uncertainty as to what will happen this weekend because we
:26:34. > :26:38.are in between this high and low. We have this rain but this pressure
:26:38. > :26:44.will determine how much we get. It will be cooler because of the
:26:44. > :26:47.strength of the wind. Back to tonight, we have got quite a bit of
:26:47. > :26:52.cloud across us right now but all day we have had this front feeding
:26:52. > :26:57.up from the South. By tonight, we will see the majority of the rain
:26:57. > :27:01.restricted to the north of the region. Elsewhere, looking much
:27:01. > :27:04.dryer. Cloud with bricks developing and underneath that, and
:27:04. > :27:10.increasingly north-east of the breeze, with temperatures not going
:27:10. > :27:13.much below five, six degrees. A cloudy start to the day tomorrow.
:27:13. > :27:20.We will see some bricks and sunshine developing tomorrow
:27:20. > :27:25.morning, but then it thickens up tomorrow morning. -- some breaks.
:27:25. > :27:28.Patchy rain later on. Highs of 13, A look at tonight's main headlines:
:27:28. > :27:29.David Cameron says he won't stay silent as the eurozone heads for