:00:20. > :00:23.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines: The family of a BBC
:00:23. > :00:28.germ -- journalist want an investigation into his apparent
:00:29. > :00:32.suicide. Retailers say they are still suffering from falling sales
:00:32. > :00:36.despite the Colonia Pat Kikkoman out of recession. And battling the
:00:36. > :00:43.rising whooping cough - one mother's story. It was touch-and-go,
:00:43. > :00:53.so we do feel lucky that she is here. And flying high - the
:00:53. > :00:56.
:00:56. > :00:58.windsurfing champion from Good evening. The family of a BBC
:00:59. > :01:01.journalist who apparently committed suicide want an inquiry into the
:01:01. > :01:07.way management handled allegations that he was being harassed by a
:01:07. > :01:11.former female colleague. Russell Joslin worked as a reporter for BBC
:01:11. > :01:13.Coventry and Warwickshire. His father, Peter Joslin, who's a
:01:13. > :01:17.former chief constable of Warwickshire Police, said that his
:01:17. > :01:27.son had been let down by management. The BBC says the family's concerns
:01:27. > :01:29.
:01:29. > :01:35.will be vigorously addressed. On the steps of the technical
:01:35. > :01:39.college here... Russell Jocelyn conducting a face-
:01:39. > :01:42.to-face interview. This is what he did. Russell Joslin first worked
:01:42. > :01:45.for the BBC in the mid '90s. Later, at BBC Coventry and Warwickshire,
:01:45. > :01:47.he became a correspondent. Over the past six months, his
:01:47. > :01:51.family say he'd suffered mental health problems. The 50-year-old
:01:51. > :01:54.died on Monday after being admitted to St Michael's Hospital in Warwick.
:01:54. > :01:59.Two days earlier, he'd walked in front of a bus in Keniliworth, in
:01:59. > :02:09.an apparent suicide attempt. An inquest was opened today at
:02:09. > :02:13.Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington Spa. The hearing lasted
:02:13. > :02:17.two minutes. The court heard there has been a post mortem examination
:02:17. > :02:22.and preliminary tests showed it he died from asphyxiation with a
:02:22. > :02:26.plastic bag blocking his their way. The coroner, Sean McGovern, offered
:02:26. > :02:30.his condolences to the Russell family, and adjourned the inquest.
:02:30. > :02:32.In an interview with a news agency, his father Peter Joslin alleges the
:02:32. > :02:35.BBC failed to support him, with managers missing opportunities to
:02:35. > :02:42.intervene over an allegation he was being harassed by a former female
:02:42. > :02:52.colleague. He said the situation had become "intolerable" and said
:02:52. > :03:13.
:03:13. > :03:19.there had been "failures of Peter Joslin says St Micahel's
:03:19. > :03:29.Hospital in Warwick also has questions to answer. The NHS Trust
:03:29. > :03:31.
:03:31. > :03:40.Friends and former colleagues have tonight been paying tribute to the
:03:40. > :03:44.reporter. He seemed to be a great character, full of life himself and
:03:44. > :03:52.full of interest in other people. Russell Joslin's funeral will take
:03:52. > :03:56.place next wednesday. Ben Godfrey, BBC Midlands Today.
:03:56. > :04:01.And we hope to have a statement from the family later in the
:04:01. > :04:10.programme. Coming up: The Olympic legacy. How
:04:10. > :04:13.long will the game's feel-good factor be felt in the Midlands? As
:04:13. > :04:16.you may have seen, the latest figures show that the UK economy
:04:16. > :04:19.grew by 1% over the last three months. But the news on the High
:04:19. > :04:23.Street isn't so good. A survey of independent retailers released
:04:23. > :04:25.today shows falling confidence and shrinking sales. In fact in this
:04:25. > :04:29.region, small shopkeepers have been hit harder than anywhere else in
:04:29. > :04:31.the country. Our business correspondent Peter Plisner has
:04:31. > :04:38.been in the small Warwickshire town of Shipston-on-Stour to see how
:04:38. > :04:43.shopkeepers there are coping. Not much comfort here for pet owners or
:04:43. > :04:47.shop owners. Rising prices and declining sales arn't good for
:04:48. > :04:56.anyone. Here shoppers are being much more cautious about how they
:04:56. > :05:02.pamper their pets. The last three months, we have definitely noticed
:05:02. > :05:05.a difference. Customers don't go for the luxury items any more. The
:05:06. > :05:09.top five Browns have always sold well, but they are going down a
:05:09. > :05:15.brand. Across the road, although trade has picked up recently, for
:05:15. > :05:20.this clothing and footwear store it's been bad summer. We have been
:05:20. > :05:24.very whether driven. The Olympics have had a big impact. But even
:05:24. > :05:28.amongst those who were there today the watchword was, well, caution.
:05:28. > :05:33.You have to think what you are going to get, and plan ahead.
:05:33. > :05:37.Generally, not spending money unless we have to. Profits are
:05:37. > :05:47.being boosted by hollowing product, but it is frightening here in the
:05:47. > :05:47.
:05:47. > :05:50.high street. Sales are down 7%, that is quite scary. And the same
:05:50. > :05:53.survey found that 64% of those questioned said sales had declined
:05:53. > :05:56.in the last three months, while 51% of shopkeepers said they were
:05:56. > :06:05.anxious about the year ahead. Those behind the survey say things
:06:05. > :06:09.clearly aren't getting any better. Confidence lags. People need a
:06:09. > :06:12.while to get used to the idea that things are getting better. They are
:06:12. > :06:16.keeping money in their pockets until they are confident they can
:06:16. > :06:22.start to spend again. But will it happen in the run up to Christmas?
:06:22. > :06:28.At Shipston's Post Office and gift shop, they don't think so. How
:06:28. > :06:33.cautious are people being? Very cautious, I think. We are finding
:06:33. > :06:39.that we are selling the cheaper end of the things, stocking-fillers
:06:39. > :06:44.rather than major presence. Many stores bank on Christmas to boost
:06:44. > :06:47.their profits, and it's hoped that today's better than expected
:06:47. > :06:51.economic news will persuade more people to go down the High Street
:06:51. > :06:53.and part with their cash. Joining me now in the studio is Beverley
:06:53. > :07:03.Neilsen from Birmingham City University and author of a report
:07:03. > :07:05.
:07:05. > :07:08.called Looking for Growth. A mixed picture today. Clearly it is a very
:07:08. > :07:15.challenging picture at the moment, and for some people it really is
:07:15. > :07:20.very tough. Companies where design and innovation is integrated into
:07:20. > :07:24.their whole approach, they are really doing incredibly much better,
:07:24. > :07:28.outperforming the economy significantly, and that is across
:07:28. > :07:31.all fronts. There are growing faster, selling more, exporting
:07:31. > :07:38.more, and taking on people, so it is a very positive picture for
:07:38. > :07:42.those businesses. A big problem in the West Midlands with unemployment.
:07:42. > :07:47.When will this growth see tangible jobs for people? It is enormously
:07:47. > :07:52.tough for people out there, especially if you have lost a job.
:07:52. > :07:55.62% of the sample that I looked at were taking on people, and they are
:07:55. > :08:02.businesses where they have a very specialist focus, they might be
:08:02. > :08:06.Brand led. That is giving them protection. They are also investing
:08:06. > :08:10.more for the future. So it was encouraging to see that where
:08:10. > :08:15.businesses are able to take those lessons on board, they are able to
:08:15. > :08:19.outperform the economy and even grow jobs. If design, innovation,
:08:19. > :08:23.which is what the West Midlands were famous for the first place.
:08:23. > :08:33.Indeed, and it is something these businesses value very much in
:08:33. > :08:35.
:08:35. > :08:45.giving the money you make of the city -- unique authenticity.
:08:45. > :08:48.
:08:49. > :08:51.Basically growing from what we have got. Beverley, thank you. And later
:08:51. > :08:53.in the programme we'll be looking at the economic health of
:08:53. > :08:56.Staffordshire's pottery industry. Thousands of jobs have been shed,
:08:56. > :08:59.but has it found a route to recovery at last?
:08:59. > :09:02.The family of the teenage girl who was shot by the Taliban flew into
:09:02. > :09:05.Birmingham this afternoon. Malala Yousafzai is being treated at the
:09:05. > :09:07.Queen Elizabeth hospital in the city. Doctors say she's making
:09:07. > :09:10.steady progress. The 15-year-old was targeted by the Taliban because
:09:10. > :09:12.she campaigned for girls' education. A mother's urging pregnant women to
:09:12. > :09:15.get vaccinated against whooping cough after her baby daughter
:09:15. > :09:18.became ill shortly after being born. Today the Health Protection Agency
:09:18. > :09:20.reported that the numbers are still increasing, with more than 400
:09:20. > :09:28.cases of the potentially fatal disease in the region so far this
:09:28. > :09:33.year. Here's our health At just ten weeks old, Aila Boycott
:09:33. > :09:36.had bouts of uncontrollable coughing. You can hear the
:09:36. > :09:39.characteristic whoop which gives whooping cough its name. Thankfully,
:09:39. > :09:42.the toddler from Bloxwich has no long-term damage, and wants to show
:09:42. > :09:50.this video to pregnant mums so they know how about whooping cough
:09:50. > :09:53.really is. It is frightening, and you can't do anything at all for
:09:53. > :09:57.them. You can't breathe for them. You can't put her in a position to
:09:57. > :10:00.make the coughing any easier, you just had to let her cough, which
:10:00. > :10:01.was really horrific. It was a really nasty cough. And ring the
:10:02. > :10:06.emergency services when you needed them.
:10:06. > :10:10.Here, Aila couldn't catch her breath. So far, she's one of 40
:10:10. > :10:14.babies who caught the disease across the West Midlands this year.
:10:14. > :10:17.In 2010, there were just four. Protection from vaccination wears
:10:17. > :10:20.off in time, so the amount of whooping cough in the community
:10:20. > :10:25.goes up and down. But nobody really understands why at the moment there
:10:25. > :10:29.is so much of it about. So they're vaccinating mums-to-be. It is most
:10:29. > :10:36.effective between 28 and 32 weeks, but can be given up to 38 weeks
:10:36. > :10:40.pregnant. They can develop pneumonia from it. They can develop
:10:40. > :10:43.brain damage from it. The cough itself, once it is treated, if it
:10:43. > :10:51.is caught and treated with antibiotics, can last for many
:10:51. > :10:54.months afterwards. Some mums-to-be have refused the jab. When you
:10:54. > :10:57.first have your baby, it is such hard work, and sleep deprivation
:10:57. > :11:00.and everything else, and getting over feeding and sleeping, I think
:11:00. > :11:02.it is one less thing to worry about. The last thing you want is your
:11:02. > :11:06.baby poorly. Eleanor hopes her experience can
:11:06. > :11:09.ensure that another baby doesn't die this year.
:11:09. > :11:15.It was touch-and-go, so we do feel lucky that she is here and doing
:11:15. > :11:18.really well now, but things could have turned out quite differently.
:11:18. > :11:22.Michele Paduano, BBC Midlands Today. Well, Michele joins me now in the
:11:22. > :11:32.studio. The numbers of cases are rising fast. So how worrying is
:11:32. > :11:38.this? It is a concern. In our region, the
:11:38. > :11:42.numbers have risen by 25% in one month. It may be that the virus has
:11:42. > :11:46.mutated, and levels and the Community have gone down so low
:11:46. > :11:52.that we don't have an amenity for it. What is the risk to pregnant
:11:52. > :11:56.women and their babies? There is no risk to the mother, but
:11:56. > :12:02.to the baby, in the first two months of life, their immune system
:12:02. > :12:08.is too weak to be able to vaccinate them. Today, a tenth baby has died,
:12:08. > :12:10.but that is out of 350 cases across England. But even one baby dying is
:12:10. > :12:13.too many. Thank you.
:12:13. > :12:18.Another 50 trains will be cancelled in and around the Birmingham area
:12:18. > :12:22.tomorrow by rail operator London Midland. It's due to a shortage of
:12:22. > :12:25.drivers. The rail company says it's recruiting and hopes to be able to
:12:25. > :12:27.run a full service - but not until mid-December.
:12:27. > :12:30.Compensation details have been announced for residents living
:12:30. > :12:34.alongside the proposed route of the High Speed Rail Line between
:12:34. > :12:40.Birmingham and London. The Government has already agreed to
:12:40. > :12:43.buy homes within 60 metres of the track. Now homeowners will also get
:12:43. > :12:47.an additional 10% of the value of their property, with a limit of
:12:47. > :12:50.�47,000. Ministers say those forced to sell their blighted homes are
:12:50. > :12:58.getting a "generous" deal that goes "significantly beyond" what they
:12:58. > :13:02.A 26-year-old man has been charged with assault after a glassing
:13:02. > :13:05.incident in a Birmingham bar. Simon Morris was badly injured during the
:13:05. > :13:08.attack at the Victoria Pub in August. The 32-year-old had
:13:08. > :13:14.titanium plates fitted into his head and more than 60 staples to
:13:14. > :13:16.his head and face. A 24-year-old man has also been charged with
:13:16. > :13:22.assault following a separate incident in the same pub on the
:13:22. > :13:26.Detectives investigating the murder of 16-year-old Ben Morutare in
:13:26. > :13:30.Smethwick have charged a further two people with violent disorder.
:13:30. > :13:33.The teenagers, aged 17 and 18, have been bailed to appear at Sandwell
:13:33. > :13:36.Magistrates on 1 November. It means five people have now been charged
:13:36. > :13:45.in connection with Ben's death. He died after being stabbed in the leg
:13:45. > :13:51.Still to come tonight: on the crest of a wave - what it takes to become
:13:51. > :13:55.a world-class windsurfer. And after what we've had these past few days,
:13:55. > :14:04.a dramatic change in the weather is on its way - a cold snap courtesy
:14:04. > :14:07.More than 100 soldiers from the royal military police returned home
:14:07. > :14:11.to Telford this evening after a six-month tour of duty in
:14:11. > :14:20.Afghanistan. They headed back to base at Donington where family and
:14:20. > :14:25.friends were waiting. Our reporter Cath Mackie is at the barracks now.
:14:25. > :14:30.A very emotional evening in store? Really emotional. These people
:14:30. > :14:35.haven't seen their loved ones the six months. We're expecting the
:14:35. > :14:39.coach to arrive any minute now, but it will be a bittersweet reunion,
:14:40. > :14:46.because one of the soldiers didn't return. Corporal Brent McCarthy was
:14:46. > :14:50.25 and from Telford. I will have a quick chat with a couple of family
:14:50. > :14:57.members who have been waiting. You are waiting for your son Danny. You
:14:57. > :15:01.have been here for hours? I am really excited, and glad he is home.
:15:01. > :15:06.James Gilbert, your wife is also on that coach. How has it been for the
:15:06. > :15:13.family's? It has been a difficult six months, but it is her second
:15:13. > :15:18.tour. It was easier this time around. We look forward to meeting
:15:18. > :15:23.them. You have just got back, you very sensibly came a car. A lot of
:15:23. > :15:29.relief here tonight, but a lot of sadness, as well. Yes, we are
:15:29. > :15:33.delighted to get our boys and girls back to the UK. Lots of highs and
:15:33. > :15:39.some very tragic Lowes, particularly with the loss of sight
:15:39. > :15:44.and McCarthy. One of the jobs you are doing this training the Afghan
:15:44. > :15:51.forces. Just today we have heard two British soldiers killed by an
:15:51. > :15:55.Afghan police officer. It is not easy. It is very complex, it is a
:15:55. > :16:00.hard challenge. We train the guys so that they are as ready for it as
:16:00. > :16:06.they can be. It is not something we are aware of in terms of the last
:16:06. > :16:10.couple of days, because we have been travelling. Well, will come
:16:10. > :16:16.home. There will be Emma North parade on Sunday at the National
:16:16. > :16:19.arboretum, and after that, some will deservedly.
:16:19. > :16:22.Back to the economy, and on top of today's announcement of the largest
:16:22. > :16:25.quarterly rise in economic output for five years, there's also been
:16:25. > :16:27.good news for the ceramics industry. A major conference in the Potteries
:16:27. > :16:30.has been hearing how the industry's seeing improved growth, with
:16:30. > :16:34.increased focus on products which are made in the UK. From Stoke on
:16:34. > :16:37.Trent, here's our Staffordshire reporter Liz Copper.
:16:37. > :16:42.This is an industry that's always revolved around changing tastes and
:16:42. > :16:47.fashions. Recently, after tough times, some Potteries have been
:16:47. > :16:50.enjoying a resurgence. At this gathering of some of the world's
:16:50. > :17:00.leading ceramics companies, ware that's made in the UK is taking
:17:00. > :17:00.
:17:01. > :17:05.centre stage. I can only use our own company as an example. We have
:17:05. > :17:08.seen exports quadruple in the last three months. It is terribly
:17:08. > :17:11.important that we continue to do this and support further growth in
:17:11. > :17:14.the UK economy. In the 1980s, 30,000 workers were
:17:14. > :17:24.directly employed by potteries in Stoke on Trent. Now that's figure's
:17:24. > :17:25.
:17:25. > :17:27.nearer 6,000. The sector as a whole has sales of �1.5 billion a year.
:17:27. > :17:31.Although the Potteries will never employ the same numbers of workers
:17:31. > :17:36.they used to, there is increasing demand from some retailers for
:17:36. > :17:39.British-made pottery. We are finding it is becoming more
:17:39. > :17:44.realistic to source from the UK, so in home where, we are already
:17:44. > :17:48.working with the number of UK manufacturers. We have started re-
:17:48. > :17:52.engaging on the ceramics side, and we are actively looking for more
:17:52. > :17:54.factories that we can work with. Many of the techniques used in the
:17:54. > :18:03.industry are highly skilled. Continued growth will depend on
:18:03. > :18:06.ensuring these skills don't die out. Like a lot of industry and a lot of
:18:06. > :18:10.manufacturing across the UK, we are suffering from an ageing workforce.
:18:10. > :18:13.We need to make sure young people see this as an area of opportunity.
:18:13. > :18:15.The Christmas trading period is always crucial for the ceramics
:18:15. > :18:18.sector. But it seems with some firms reporting strong sales
:18:18. > :18:26.throughout the summer, this could be a vintage year. Liz Copper, BBC
:18:26. > :18:30.Midlands Today, Stoke on Trent. Back now to our main storage the
:18:30. > :18:34.apparent suicide of Russell Jocelyn. He complained he had been harassed
:18:34. > :18:40.at work, and BBC management say they will investigate those claims.
:18:40. > :18:44.In the last hour, his brother in- law read this statement for our
:18:44. > :18:50.correspondent Peter Wilson. We do not think the BBC is solely
:18:50. > :18:53.to blame for Russell's death. This is too simplistic, and factors to
:18:54. > :18:57.explain motives for suicide are usually complex. It is true we
:18:57. > :19:01.believe that there were questions that need answering by the BBC to
:19:01. > :19:04.explain how it could be that Russell formerly expressed
:19:04. > :19:08.significant concerns about several things going on at work, and yet
:19:09. > :19:11.ultimately was not taken seriously, apparently even to the point of
:19:12. > :19:20.recommendations from occupational health professionals not been
:19:20. > :19:23.heeded. Tragically, the stress caused through this, we believe, is
:19:23. > :19:27.a significant contributing factor in understanding what brought
:19:27. > :19:33.Russell to the brink of feeling no other option than to take his own
:19:33. > :19:36.life. We therefore welcome the fact that the BBC are reportedly
:19:36. > :19:40.launching an internal inquiry into these matters, which we will
:19:40. > :19:44.respect, and in due course look forward to their conclusions.
:19:44. > :19:54.That was down Barnard's speaking earlier about the death of his
:19:54. > :19:55.
:19:55. > :19:57.brother in-law, Russell jostling for stopped.
:19:57. > :20:01.This summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games were widely
:20:01. > :20:04.regarded as a great success. Two months on and thoughts have turned
:20:04. > :20:05.to the legacy left by London 2012. Today in Coventry, which hosted
:20:05. > :20:09.Olympic football, organisers, athletes, volunteers and businesses
:20:09. > :20:19.met to celebrate the Games' success and decide where we go from here.
:20:19. > :20:31.
:20:32. > :20:34.For anybody, there it was a moment In the West Midlands thousands of
:20:34. > :20:38.people played their part in the success of the Olympic and
:20:38. > :20:48.Paralympic Games. Today in Coventry some of those gathered to mark the
:20:48. > :20:50.
:20:50. > :20:54.The purpose of today was to celebrate, but also to hand it back
:20:54. > :20:57.to those people and for them to keep the magic going. And to put it
:20:57. > :21:01.in a different context, but one that is very real.
:21:01. > :21:05.The Olympic and Paralympic Games brought in more than �600 million
:21:05. > :21:11.to the West Midlands economy, and saw almost 30,000 people in this
:21:11. > :21:15.region volunteer. Two months on, the big question now is, is there
:21:15. > :21:20.really a legacy, or is it all just consigned to history?
:21:20. > :21:24.Everybody is doing a good job on the legacy side, and our think as
:21:24. > :21:27.long as games makers and other volunteers can keep pushing that,
:21:27. > :21:30.we'll keep that going. One of the lasting memories of the
:21:30. > :21:33.summer were the 8,000 torch bearers who carried the flame around the
:21:33. > :21:41.county. The man whose company supplied the torch burners believes
:21:41. > :21:45.this a chance businesses just have to take. We have got to do it
:21:45. > :21:49.ourselves, to some extent, and if we can't take hold of this
:21:50. > :21:53.opportunity now, we aren't up to much, are we? As the sporting
:21:54. > :21:57.legacy, you need look no further for inspiration for an hour
:21:57. > :22:02.Midlands Paralympians. opportunities that out there now
:22:02. > :22:07.are for people to grab with both hands, and you really can achieve
:22:07. > :22:14.anything, whether you are able bodied, have a disability. If you
:22:14. > :22:17.really work hard enough, and put in 100% effort, anything is achievable.
:22:17. > :22:21.The games may be over, but for all people who helped make it such a
:22:21. > :22:31.success, the challenge now is to maintain its legacy for generations
:22:31. > :22:34.An opportunity we surely have to build on! Staying with sport, and
:22:34. > :22:36.Ben Proffitt is one of the best wave-riders in the world. That's
:22:36. > :22:41.extreme windsurfing to me and you. Ben, who's from land-locked
:22:41. > :22:45.Shropshire, has had one of his best ever seasons. He's been talking to
:22:45. > :22:50.Ian Winter. Grab your board, catch some rays
:22:50. > :22:53.and wave farewell to the great British winter. Destination Cape
:22:53. > :22:58.Town for many of the world's top windsurfers, and that includes Ben
:22:58. > :23:01.Proffitt, who is on a flying visit back home to landlocked Shropshire.
:23:01. > :23:03.Only a stone's throw from the A49 between Whitchurch and Shrewsbury,
:23:03. > :23:06.Ben and his Polish girlfriend Justyna have just returned from the
:23:06. > :23:15.Inner Hebrides, where Ben won the Tiree Wave Classic for the third
:23:15. > :23:19.year running. It went pretty well. Tiree Wave Classic is one of my
:23:19. > :23:23.favourite events on the British tour. It is probably the pinnacle.
:23:23. > :23:27.This year we are going for the third in a row, and we have had an
:23:27. > :23:30.expression session, and I won that, too. So pretty good for me, yes, it
:23:30. > :23:33.has been a good year. I was very proud of him. It was tough
:23:33. > :23:42.conditions because it was offshore. He made it look really easy, you
:23:42. > :23:45.know? It was great for him to be on top again. Really proud of him.
:23:45. > :23:48.Ben has been riding the waves since he was nine, and 25 years later, it
:23:48. > :23:52.is still the ultimate thrill. You see the gusts coming across the
:23:52. > :23:56.water, and you know it is going to hit, and then you get this increase
:23:56. > :24:00.in power, and you just fly and skim across the water. What you want to
:24:00. > :24:03.do is hit a ramp, that is the adrenaline rush when you are 30 or
:24:03. > :24:06.40ft in the air looking down, and you try to rotate. It is quite a
:24:06. > :24:11.scary feeling, but that is the buzz you want.
:24:11. > :24:15.Bizarrely, Ben's prize for winning in Scotland was this silver sword.
:24:15. > :24:18.Now he is heading for the south- west to the final event of the UK
:24:18. > :24:20.Wave tour this weekend. Next stop, Cornwall. Just a quick pit-stop
:24:20. > :24:25.back in Shropshire, forecast is looking good, easterly winds, could
:24:25. > :24:27.be pretty cold, but I think I can try and win it this year.
:24:27. > :24:37.So, Ben's boards are all on board, and the windsurfer's whistle-stop
:24:37. > :24:42.
:24:42. > :24:48.tour is off to Penzance. Ian Winter, Fancied? 30 or 40 ft in the air?
:24:48. > :24:51.As long as the water is warm, I wouldn't mind! And A reminder that
:24:51. > :24:54.time is running out fast for you to submit your nominations for this
:24:54. > :24:56.year's BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero Award. For all the details go
:24:56. > :25:02.to bbc.co.uk/sportsunsunghero or the Midlands Today Facebook site
:25:02. > :25:06.and download the form. You can also call 0845 308 8000 and we'll send
:25:06. > :25:16.call 0845 308 8000 and we'll send you one in the post. That closing
:25:16. > :25:23.
:25:23. > :25:26.Now for a look at the weather. It won't be weather for windsurfing.
:25:26. > :25:29.We saw a gradual improvement today, but there'll be a more dramatic one
:25:29. > :25:33.by tomorrow. You may have noticed that already it's begun to feel
:25:33. > :25:36.colder. That's because the warm air has now moved off to the south,
:25:36. > :25:38.while we're now lapping up the colder polar air that's flowing in
:25:38. > :25:41.from the north. So the transformation will be to sunnier
:25:41. > :25:45.but colder - much colder conditions over the next couple of days. So
:25:45. > :25:47.we're calling it a cold snap because I don't think it'll be any
:25:47. > :25:50.more prolonged than that. We really see that clearing-up process
:25:50. > :25:53.beginning in earnest tonight - the cold front that's been heading
:25:53. > :25:57.through the region today finally exits from the south later on so
:25:57. > :26:00.there could be some rain for southern counties to begin with.
:26:00. > :26:03.But after that it's looking a lot drier with clearer spells,
:26:03. > :26:10.especially so in the north and temperatures in rural spots of
:26:10. > :26:12.maybe two or three celsius for a touch of frost. But by tomorrow
:26:12. > :26:16.morning we'll see the cloud dissolving quite rapidly under the
:26:16. > :26:19.intensity of sun. A lovely day with blue sky and sparkling sunshine but
:26:19. > :26:21.a wintry feel to the day with temperatures rising no further than
:26:21. > :26:31.seven to eight Celsius, and in brisk north-easterly winds there'll
:26:31. > :26:32.
:26:32. > :26:40.be an added wind chill as well. It will fall -- it will feel more like
:26:40. > :26:42.But the temperatures really will plunge overnight tomorrow. In some
:26:42. > :26:52.cases to just below freezing leading to a widespread ground
:26:52. > :26:52.
:26:52. > :27:02.frost, even a touch of air frost. Temperatures will dip to just below
:27:02. > :27:04.
:27:04. > :27:07.zero. A similar scenario on A look at tonight's main headlines:
:27:07. > :27:10.Signs of growth at last as the economy moves out of recession. And
:27:10. > :27:12.the family of a BBC journalist who apparently committed suicide want
:27:12. > :27:16.an inquiry into whether managers dealt with his concerns.
:27:16. > :27:19.Just before we go, police are are appealing for help to trace a nine-
:27:19. > :27:22.year-old boy who went missing from his home in Aston in Birmingham
:27:22. > :27:25.earlier today. Jahavrie McLenan ran away from his home on Yew Tree Road
:27:25. > :27:28.following a family argument just after 1.30pm. He's described as
:27:28. > :27:31.black, with short dark hair and was last seen wearing a light blue
:27:31. > :27:38.denim jacket, white T-shirt, black tracksuit bottoms with a red stripe