18/07/2013 Midlands Today

with Joanne Malin and Nick Owen. The headlines tonight: Searching for the

mother of a newborn baby - abandoned on a door step in Worcestershire.

She may be in need of urgent medical attention, and it is important she

is checked over as soon as possible. Also in tonight's programme, the

case for a high speed rail link from London to Birmingham and the north.

The HS2 boss comes to Birmingham to say why she thinks it's a must for

the Midlands. If you travel on the railway as I do, it is already very

crowded. Friends and family remember a

teenager who died after taking a dip in a water-filled quarry.

The final bell for the school forced to shut - ending 80 years of

education. And the Midlands is now officially

on a Level three heatwave alert - Good evening. The search is on

tonight for the mother of a newborn baby boy who was found abandoned

earlier today on a doorstep in Worcester. He'd been wrapped in a

bag. He was taken to the Worcestershire

Royal Hospital where he's being looked after by nursing staff -

they've named him Joseph. The head of midwifery at the hospital says

he's in good health, but stressed it was important that his mother sought

medical attention as soon as possible. Sarah Falkland reports.

Oblivious to the drama surrounding his arrival into the world, baby

Joseph is less than two days old. is being very well looked after by

nursing staff, and he is doing very well.

The baby was dumped here just after 430 this morning. This is the house

of quite a well-known childminder. They rang the door bell, kept their

finger on it for three or four seconds, then left the baby here on

the step. When my wife got to the door there was nobody here, there

was a bag on the doorstop. -- group -- doorstep. There was no sign of

anybody, no footsteps or anything. John's wife has been at the hospital

for much of the day, her daughter, herself a young mother, works

alongside her as a childminder. has said she is pretty sure she will

wake up and nothing will have happened, she is just a bit

emotional about it. At five and a half pounds, Joseph is slightly

overweight but is thought to have been full term. The concern now is

for his mother. We have one priority today, to locate Joseph's mother. We

believe she will be in need of medical attention. We know that the

birth was very recent. It is important she is checked over by a

midwife as soon as possible. She does not have to come to hospital if

she does not want to. I can arrange for a midwife to visit her.

So where is Joseph's mother tonight? The authorities are waiting

for her call. A special number has been set up to

find baby Joseph's mother. It is being staffed by a midwife 24 hours

per day. Coming up later in the programme.

New research in Birmingham into lung cancer which could prolong and

improve the quality of patients' lives.

The Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd has mounted a robust defence of the

project during a visit to the region today. Alison Munro and the board of

high speed rail were in Birmingham to hold their first meeting outside

London. It comes as the plan to build a fast

link from the capital to Birmingham and the north has come under fire

from a series of leading politicians, as well as campaigners

who've opposed it from the outset. In a moment, we'll be hearing from

the Chief Executive, but first here's our Transport correspondent

Peter Plisner. A pop up park outside Birmingham

council house. Not to only thing to pop up today - fresh off the train

from London, the board of HS2 Ltd, here to discuss a variety of issues,

and some of those in favour of the project. The reason we came to

Birmingham first is because we see Birmingham is critical to the whole

high speed rail system in the UK. One board member knows only too well

how high speed rail can change things. Richard Brown used to run

Eurostar services between London, Paris and Brussels. It is about

bringing cities closer together. If you take London to Paris, the French

now call London France's sixth city because of the number of French

people who live there. Later, the board looked around

Birmingham's Eastside, site for the proposed city centre HS2 station.

Here, regeneration has already started, and it's hoped HS2 see that

continue. Today's meeting has been more than

just an opportunity to meet those in the Midlands who have been

supporting HS2, it has also provided an ideal PR opportunity following

weeks of negative publicity. A report from the National Audit

Office said the benefits to the Office said the benefits to the

economy were unclear, while the Public Accounts Committee said the

project had over-optimistic and economy were unclear, while the

Recently the former business secretary Lord Mandelson said HS2

could be an expensive mistake, while the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls

suggested spending HS2 money on traditional rail enhancements

traditional rail enhancements instead.

With some in the Labour Party now lukewarm of HS2, would the leader of

Birmingham's Labour-led council still support the project if his

party turned against it? I am going to remain committed to delivering

HS2. It is to the economic advantage of Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Despite recent criticism and the rising costs of the project - there

still are claims that HS2 could create more than 20,000 jobs in the

West Midlands and provide a big boost to the region's economy.

Earlier I spoke to the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, Alison Munro,

the company behind the high speed rail project.

Why did they decide to meet in Birmingham today? High speed rail is

-- HS2 is a major network. We think it is important to get out of those

major cities and talk to local businesses. We are going to have

every other board meeting in cities served by HS2. We are going to

Liverpool next, so we will go around the cities and make sure we are in

touch with the people there and can talk to them about how those cities

can maximise the opportunities that can bring. The amount of money it is

going to cost, that is a daunting prospect. Well, this is the largest

infrastructure project in Europe. The Government has taken a prudent

view in looking at the budget that it sets for HS2, to make sure that

there is a significant contingency for things that might come along in

the future. But the Government is expecting us to deliver the project

well within the cost. Is it all worth it? You only have to look, as

you travel -- if you travel on the railway as I do, you can see it is

already very crowded... Can they not just improve what we have already?

Network Rail conducted a study, looked at the problems that are

going to arise on are always in the future. Their conclusion was that

the only way you can really deal with the long-term issues... What

about the people living in the countryside, who are not going to

benefit? Some of the people can benefit, because the benefits are

spread out throughout the wider region, but the people directly

affected along the route have genuine concerns, we have talked a

lot to them and recently conducted a consultation on our draft

environmental statement which is analogous to put out a lot more

information about the project, to have conversations with people, we

do understand their concerns and have shown that we can incorporate

better into the project. We have been able to move the line -- so we

can address those concerns by talking to local people.

Joining us now from Burton Green in Warwickshire, which is on the

proposed high speed rail route, is Joe Rukin from the Stop HS2

campaign. This scheme is forecast to create thousands of jobs and bring

billions to the West Midlands economy. Why are you not supporting

it? What they are doing at the moment is picking a random number

and sticking the word jobs after it. Today they were saying 50,000 jobs.

That works out as �1 million to create one job. If you gave me �1

million I could create a lot more than one job and a lot quicker than

HS2 will. HS2 does not create those jobs anyway, it just move them

around the country. For example, the report out by KPMG said it would

cost the Southwest 48,000 jobs because it will move to places that

are quicker to get to London. This is all about getting to London

quicker and making sure London remains primate within the economy.

The trouble is, as you as -- as we have heard, there is strong

cross-party support and strong political heavyweights behind HS2.

Are you going to achieve anything? Absolutely. This is the reason that

you are seeing these spin exercise is going on at the moment, but the

political consensus is breaking down. We have now had two former

chancellors of the exchequer coming out against it. Last night a former

rail minister came out against it. Another Lord came out today. The

more and more people find out about what HS2 really means and look

behind the spin, the more people will come out against it and we will

continue getting that message out that this is a vanity project. The

costs will keep going up and up and Two men have been arrested his

afternoon in connection with the explosion near a mosque in Walsall

last month. They're being questioned by

detectives from the West Midlands Police Counter Terrorism Unit.

Police say the men are aged 25 and 22 and are originally from Eastern

Europe. A murder investigation has been

launched following the discovery of two bodies at a house in the Black

Country. Officers forced entry to a house in

Rowley Regis yesterday after concerns were raised about the

couple living there. A 55-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were

found dead inside. Police say they're not looking for anyone else

in connection with their deaths. It's been another hot and sunny day

across the region - the 12th in succession. The Met Office have

declared we are experiencing what they call a Level three heatwave -

an amber alert. But what does an amber alert mean? Our weather expert

Shefali Oza joins us now to explain. Well, there are basically four

levels in total in this so-called heat/health watch system, and what

they represent are the levels of response to various threshold

daytime maximum temperatures and night-time minimum temperatures, but

on average the threshold is around 30 degrees by day and 15 by night.

So with a Level three alert we've gone up from a 60% to a 90% chance

of those temperatures being met, and of course if you're adversely

affected by the heat - ie. If you're very young or very old or suffering

from chronic diseases then you need to take necessary precautions.

The funeral's taken place of a teenager who drowned in a quarry in

Worcestershire while taking a dip during the hot weather. Russell

O'Neill, who was 17, died earlier this month.

Just a week later another man died at the same spot, and safety experts

met today to consider the future of the site. Around 500 people attended

Russell's service, including team-mates from the football academy

he attended. Cath Mackie reports. It's the pep talk no coach wants to

give. Mark Owen tries to prepare Russell O'Neill's team-mates at

Worcester City Football Academy for the funeral they are about to

attend. I have been doing this job 13 years, and you have your ups and

downs, but you think this day is never going to come. Hopefully it

will never happen again. He used to speak to everyone. It is sad to see

him go, so young as well. The 17-year-old had gone to Gullet

Quarry near Malvern with friends earlier this month. His decision to

go into the water was to prove fatal.

His team-mates performed a guard of honour as his coffin arrived at St

Martin and St Peter's Church in Worcester. Inside it was standing

room only, as 500 people packed the aisles. He will probably be looking

down that you now, saying what is the matter with you? He was just a

good lad. As Russell O'Neill is laid to rest,

the future of Gullet Quarry is being considered. Malvern Hills

Conservators, who are responsible for the land, are meeting the Royal

Society for the Prevention of Accidents today to look at what can

be done. Even as we filmed, shortly after

Russell's death, people were jumping into the quarry to swim, and just a

week later it claimed a second life. People can jump in and get cold

water shock. The depth maybe a lot deeper than you imagined, and then

maybe underwater debris and you cannot swim to safety.

Russell's family have started a petition to get websites advertising

the quarry as a safe place to swim to be taken down, before another

family faces a similar tragedy. Our top story tonight: Police are

searching for a mother after a newborn baby was found abandoned on

the doorstep of a home in Worcestershire.

On the 12th day of the heatwave, Shefali will be here with the

detailed weather forecast shortly. Also in tonight's programme, the

Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police will be joining us

ahead of the EDL Rally this Saturday.

And shutting its doors for the last time, a Shropshire school forced to

The Staffordshire digger maker JCB's announced it's creating 130 new jobs

by spending �5 million in a recruitment drive. The investment

will see new apprentices and graduates join the business this

summer. It comes as the company introduces

the UK's first apprenticeship geared specifically towards international

business. Here's our Staffordshire reporter, Liz Copper.

Learning about the mechanics of the business. These apprentices are

being taught the basics about how diggers are driven. They're among

130 new recruits the company hopes will drive future growth. It is

extremely hard at the moment. I know a lot of people are unemployed, but

I don't know where I would be without this job. It gives me

experience on a job, it gives me a salary. University gives you massive

debts, so with this it is experience and skills I would not learn other

places. Without this apprenticeship, I think I would be looking around

for different colleges and different things to do, still based around

business, because I know how hard it is to get the job without

qualifications. The new business apprenticeship

being launched will be taught here at the JCB Academy in Rochester. The

syllabus has been developed by industry experts. We are not just

producing students with an academic ability, we are producing students

with employability and professional skills. Until now boast

business-related -- most business-related apprenticeships

have lasted two years, but this new one will last four years studying

business-related subjects. It is mixing businesses, -- business,

logistics, and all sorts of activities that give a whole scope

of capability. These apprentices are amongst a

record number joining JCB in a single year. They're part of a plan

to lay the foundations for future economic expansion.

Medics and scientists in Birmingham are to take part in research into

lung cancer that could prolong and improve the quality of patients'

lives. �14 million will be spent identifying different kinds of

tumours and discovering which drugs work best to slow their progress, as

Giles Latcham reports. Lynn does a lot of fundraising these

days. Although she's never smoked, she's got lung cancer - and it's

terminal. She wants others to know it's not

just smokers who get lung cancer, and she wants more research into the

most effective way to treat it. don't have to be over 60. I was in

my 40s when I was diagnosed. I have met people in their 20s and 30s who

have also never smoked. So it can happen to anybody at any time.

Survival rates are notoriously low. 3,400 people are diagnosed with the

disease in the West Midlands each disease in the West Midlands each

year. Of those, 2,900 die in the disease in the West Midlands each

year. Of those, 2,900 die Only 9% year. Of those, 2,900 die Only 9%

survive longer than five years. Researchers and medics in Birmingham

will run a nine-year study into the disease, at a cost of �14 million

paid for by a charity. This is a landmark study. We are looking more

closely at lung cancer than ever before, really trying to understand

its biology, what makes the tumours tick. For many years research into

lung cancer has not progressed much at all. Treatment hasn't developed

much either, but this study promises to reveal just how different

individual lung cancer tumours are. And it offers medics the chance to

tailor treatment for individuals. This is drilling down into the

molecular characteristics of a patient's tumour, and understands

what -- understanding what drives the tumour on.

It won't lead to a cure - but it will help doctors prescribe specific

treatments for specific tumours, This Saturday the English Defence

League will hold a rally in the centre of Birmingham in Centenary

Square - while just a few hundred metres away there will be a

counter-demonstration held by Unite Against Fascism.

On a weekend when the city will be filled with shoppers and families

enjoying the sun, it's going to be a challenge for West Midlands Police.

Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe is here. Why are both these

demonstrations being allowed to go ahead? They are static protests,

there is no legislation that can stop a static protest, only a march.

What we can do is put restrictions on the locations and the timings.

How big an operation will this be for you? This is probably one of the

biggest ever operations West Midlands Police have carried out, I

have over 1000 officers on duty on Saturday dedicated to this

operation. Is it still business as usual for shoppers who want to come

in? We have been working with local traders, communities. We have

successfully policed EDL demonstrations in the past, so

everyone is welcome this Saturday. If you are coming into protest,

please be peaceful. If you are coming in intent on violent

behaviour, you will be arrested. EDL say they chose Birmingham for

the demo because the city has become, their words, a literal

hotbed of Islamic extremist activity. Are they right? We have

had a number of terrorist investigations over the last couple

of years in Birmingham, but the EDL do publish a calendar and they do

move around the whole country and conduct protests. They have been to

Birmingham before and no doubt they will come again. If you have any

more information -- do you have any or information on the story that two

men have been arrested in connection with the explosions on mosques in

Walsall and Tipton. They were arrested this afternoon by a

uniformed officer on the street. We put a protection plan in operation

at all our mosques, increased patrols, and really good local

policing today, two men in custody for those terrorists incidents.

Finally, this weekend, you have officers to manage these rallies,

but do you have the resources to protect the rest of the area?

have officers all over the region, at and coming in from all over the

country. We are ready for Saturday. A Shropshire school that became a

victim of council cuts closes its the only secondary school in the

whole county forced to shut. Last night pupils and teachers, both past

and present, attended a memorial service and concert to mark the end

of almost 80 years of education. Ben Sidwell reports.

In Shrewsbury, The Wakeman is a well-known landmark, the only non

fee paying high school in the town. For almost 80 years it's provided an

education to local youngsters, and more than 600 pupils used to fill

these corridors, but now in its final week of existence there are

just 18 students left. I think it is an unnecessary decision. It is a

waste of talent. It does not save any money, or improve education

across the country. During the last week many former

pupils and teachers have returned to get one last look at their school.

Last night Shrewsbury Abbey was packed for a special memorial

service to mark the closing of The Wakeman. Very upset. Because it is a

lovely school, and they have worked hard. It is sad to see the place

close. Despite a long battle to keep the

school open, Shropshire Council announced its closure in 2011. Of

the 18 teachers still at the school, just three have found jobs. Deep

down, if I was retiring, then I could celebrate. But I am not

retiring, I have been made redundant. And that in itself, that

hurts. We asked Shropshire Council for an

interview, but they refused. However interview, but they refused. However

college, so to mark the closure they commissioned this installation.

Behind me, the names of every single pupil who has been here since 1957,

all 7241 of them. Staff say they want the final week

to be a celebration of the school, before it becomes part of the town's

Sixth Form College in September. So, on the day the region got so hot

it moved into a Level three heatwave category, let's go back to Shefali

category, let's go back to Shefali now on the balcony for the latest

now on the On a day is that we have been

elevated two. -- Level three alerts, temperatures do not reflect it. The

warmest place in the region reached highs of 28.5. This alert is with us

until the end of tomorrow, so as I mentioned earlier, if you are at all

adversely affected by the heat, you need to take adequate precautions.

We are now into the 12th consecutive day of this hot weather, and that

makes it the longest hot spell for seven years, since 2006. According

to latest statistics, we have only had 12% of the month's rainfall, and

77% of the sunshine. There are places that are in desperate need of

water and rain, not to be a killjoy, but there is no sign of that rain

just yet. I was talking of some changes occurring later on in the

week, and we are almost there because that high pressure to the

North West is just manoeuvring its way into position to the north of

the country, and that will change the wind direction to

north-easterly. We have another one night ahead of us, it is looking

clear largely with just the odd wisp of cloud here and there, and the

coolest part of the region is the worst with temperatures dropping to

15 Celsius. Elsewhere though, we could get 17 or 18. Tomorrow, we do

it all over again. We have plenty of hot sunshine there, taking

temperatures to 28 Celsius. That freshening easterly breeze starts to

show its hand, introducing more clout to the eastern half of the

region and making things a little Let's recap tonight's top stories:

David Cameron has welcomed official figures showing a reduction in crime

in England and Wales. Police are searching for the mother of a baby

abandoned on a doorstep. Before we go, a reminder that

traffic in the centre of Birmingham is expected to be delayed when two

road tunnels through the city centre are closed for the rest of the

summer from tomorrow night. The A38 tunnels are being shut for