20/09/2013 Midlands Today

Hello, and welcome to Midlands Today, with Joanne Malin and Nick

Owen. The headlines tonight: Police

officers are to be retrained, as figures reveal black people are

nearly three times more likely to be stopped and searched.

I believe there are police judging people and stereotyping by the way

you look. We'll have an exclusive interview

with the Labour leader Ed Miliband. He says, if Labour get back into

power, they'll scrap the so—called bedroom tax.

The bedroom tax is unfair, most of the people who are affected are

disabled. It leads to people being evicted from their homes

potentially. There is great infrastructure, great

architecture and fantastic locations.

I'm in Warwickshire, to see the planting of the millionth tree in

Britain's newest forest. And if you're hoping to do a little

gardening of your own this weekend, there's good news, you might even

catch a glimpse of the sun. I'll have the full forecast later.

Good evening. All front line West Midlands police

officers are going to be retrained in controversial stop and search

techniques. The promise was made at a summit today, called by the Police

and Crime Commissioner. Statistics show that black people are three

times more likely to be stopped by the police. Some ethnic minorities

view the powers as being used to oppress rather than protect

communities. The police say stop and search laws are an important weapon

in the fight against gun and drug crime. Here's our special

correspondent, Peter Wilson. Every time you take me to court...

Anger at the summit, the debate on stop and search often boiled over.

Decades of feelings that black people have been unfairly targeted.

What does it mean on the streets? Dean Davies was buying his

girlfriend a valentines present in Birmingham when he was suddenly

detained and searched. He has no police record and was later

released. There were two other people in the shop, they just so

happen to be white. It was only me in the back of the van. I believe

there are police judging people and stereotyping by the way you look.

More than 30,000 stop and searches took place last year in the West

Midlands. That's a decrease of 11%. But people feel it has been carried

out in an overly aggressive way. Stop and search should be a tool of

prevention. It is not working in its current format, we need to look at

it and revamp it to something that will provide prevention for our

community and not to be used or deem to be seemed as a tool of

oppression. The conference revealed the police intend to retrain all

their front—line officers in the use of stop and search.

We can still try to get better information to make sure we are

using stop and search smartly, and provide information to assure the

community that that is the case. If it isn't, we will do something about

it. When —— what are front—line officers saying? They agree it needs

to be fair and reasonable and less bureaucratic. But, they say, it is

an important tool in the fight against crime. Seven months on, Dean

Davies, an innocent man, is still waiting for an apology from the

police. Their investigation into his complaint has been completed and

submitted to senior officers. Peter's here now. It seems

incredible in this day and age that there is such a disparity in the

numbers of black and white people being stopped and searched.

There's no problem with the police stopping white people, black people

or Asian people, as long as there is a good reason and they do it in the

right way. What we heard today at this summit is people will say that

they are being stopped just because they are wearing a foodie and

tracksuit, walking back from the gym.

What about this retraining, what will it involve?

Really, it is about teaching people how to approach people, how to

explain to them why they are being stopped. And to back it up with the

right kind of information. In some ways, police officers they say have

lost that technique, knowing how to interact with people on the streets.

Coming up later in the programme: the coming of age of the homes that

were bombed by Spitfires. One of the most controversial parts

of the government's benefits changes would be scrapped by a future Labour

government. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the party

leader Ed Miliband said he would scrap what he calls the "bedroom

tax", and pay for it by cutting tax breaks for the boardroom. Labour say

this affects 60,000 claimants in the West Midlands, almost 38,000 of them

with disabilities. The cut in housing benefit works out, on

average, at £676 per household per year.

Mr Miliband was speaking to our political editor Patrick Burns who

joins us now. This is the most hotly—contested of all the

government's benefits changes, so why is Ed Miliband intervening in

the argument now? The timing is all about the Labour

Party conference which gets underway in Brighton this weekend. Mr Miller

band's Keynote theme is the cost of living crisis which is affecting

millions of people. He says the more the government goes on about how the

economy is turning the corner, more and more the government shows how

out of touch it is with the weakest and the most vulnerable people who

he says are suffering in the real economy.

It is the right thing to do, the bedroom tax isn't working. It is

unfair, most of the people hit are disabled and leads to people being

evicted from their homes. It shows a Labour Party determined to tackle

these issues, in particular the cost of living crisis. This is the first

of a number of announcements on how we can make a difference to people

's lives and make people better off. What do the government have to say

about this? This is an exclusive interview, we

are in the realms of breaking news. There is no formal response from the

government. Coalition MPs are pointing out that the total housing

benefit bill stands at £23 billion at the moment so there really is a

need to reform it for the sake of the taxpayer. And to draw out

much—needed accommodation for those who desperately need it. Above all,

they accuse Labour of playing politics in party conference season.

The Labour language, quite apart from the fact they were slapping

down their spokesman saying they would reverse the bedroom tax, it is

a hasty repositioning. It is really about Labour trying to

move attention away from the fact the economy is recovering, there are

clear signs of recovery taking place.

Looking at the wider political situation, did Mr Miliband have

anything to say about his party's prospects here in a region which, as

we know, is home to some so many of those all—important marginal seats?

If you look at those all—important Tory marginals you mentioned, places

like Gloucester, Worcester, Warwick and Leamington, North Warwickshire,

where the Tories have overall majorities of less than 5000 and

Labour are the main challenges, a poll last weekend suggested the UKIP

vote is the best hope the Labour. Mr Milbank says they will campaign hard

and deliver real votes for a real Labour Party with the forthcoming

election now a year and a half away. You can see that interview in full

on this week's Sunday Politics, back in its usual slot of 11am, here on

BBC One in the West Midlands. Patrick also interviews UKIP leader

Nigel Farage. Read his blog online. Six men have been jailed for their

part in a night of violence in the Black Country, which ended in the

death of a 16—year—old boy. Ben Morutare was stabbed in the leg, and

repeatedly punched and kicked. He'd been chased from a party in

Smethwick by up to 80 youths. The judge called his death pointless,

senseless, and the cause of great suffering. Andy Ly from Edgbaston in

Birmingham was jailed for seven years, and five others for up to

three—and—half years each. The founder and owner of Drayton

Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire has died at the age of 92. George

Bryan, who was awarded an OBE in 2004, opened the park in 1949, after

buying 80 acres of land near Tamworth. He was an engineer who

began by making penny arcade machines with his father. The park

is still run by the Bryan family today.

It was once one of the most notorious estates in the Midlands.

Castle Vale, during the late '70s and '80s, was synonymous with crime,

tower blocks and unemployment. But, thanks to the people who live there,

the estate has been transformed in the past two decades, and now, local

residents are holding a festival to tell the world about it. Our

reporter Cath Mackie is there now. This is the opening ceremony of the

festival. I am told local children will be re—enacting those tower

blocks coming down. A lot of people remember seeing those tower blocks

as they drove past. This is a year—long festival, telling the

story of the 10,000 people who live on Castle Vale.

Castle Vale was meant to be an urban utopia. Birmingham's biggest

post—war estate of 34 tower blocks was a place families could escape

the slums. The estate had risen from the airfield where spitfires had

been tested during the war. But, as resident Sue Spicer remembers, by

the end of the 1970s, Castle Vale had became a high—rise hell.

Litter was thrown from the balconies. People used to your

innate in the left, C would go down in the morning. It was really

rundown. A feeling of neglect. Sue was among the residents who

called for change, which resulted in the estate being designated a

Housing Action Trust. And, in the 1990s, government money poured in.

And the tower blocks came down. Great, it is an eyesore world got

rid of. 21 years of regeneration later, and

they're ready to celebrate the journey Castle Vale has made, quite

literally, with a heritage bus tour around the estate.

Everywhere has its good and bad. I have had 40 years on Castle Vale and

I wouldn't go anywhere else. People can see how much has been done here

now. How nice everything is now.

The local MP first came to the estate in 1982 as a union official.

People were queueing up to get out of Castle Vale, now they are

queueing up to get into Castle Vale. It is a community rebuild and

transformed. What's happened in Castle Vale, the

changes that have been made, are a monument to people power. But what

they want to do now is inspire the younger generation to continue the

work. My aunty used to live here before so

we would come down. But it seems to have got better. It is a better

place for us to grow up in. It is getting everyone involved to

show how good Castle Vale is and promote it outside so people know it

is a lovely place to live. With me now is Claire Marshall, the

project director. I hope you can hear me. Why are you doing this? It

is 21 years of generation coming up next year and the residents said

they wanted to do something to honour the people who were involved,

and do something really special that says, here we are.

One resident said it is a lovely place but there is a stigma still

about Castle Vale. Is this festival going to get rid of

that? We hope so. We hope Castle Vale is Birmingham 's

best kept secret. So much has changed on the estate. If you don't

happen to come into the area, you wouldn't know about these beautiful

open areas, the facilities, what the people are like. We are a small

village within Birmingham. People are so proud to work together to

make a difference. What have you got planned for this year?

Performance working with Welsh National Opera.

A water festival. Next year, the community awards celebrating

individuals who were voted the giving back to the community. This

is going to be going on all evening. If you are interested in any events,

go to their website. This is our top story tonight:

Police officers are to be retrained, as figures reveal black people are

nearly three times more likely to be stopped and searched.

Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly from Rebecca.

Also ahead: As the one millionth tree is planted, we'll be taking you

on a walk around the country's latest forest.

And, a flying start for part—timers Nuneaton Town, as they lead the race

for a place in the Football League. A new BBC crime drama is set to hit

our screens this weekend and, what's more, it's been filmed here in the

Midlands. You may have spotted the cast and crew over the summer, as

scenes were captured in Birmingham and the surrounding area. Kevin

Reide reports. The new BBC crime drama By Any Means

depicts a team of detectives who'll do anything to catch a criminal.

We caught up with them filming in Waterloo Road in the centre of

Birmingham. The high—profile cast includes Gina McKee, of The Borgias

and In The Loop, Warren Brown from Luther and Good Cop, and Shelley

Conn of Mistresses and Marchlands. It is a crime drama that focuses on

this clandestinely operations team. Together, we put together plans and

stings that will frame criminals who usually slip through the net when it

comes to the law. It's written by a team who brought

us TV gems such as The Hustle, Life On Mars, and Death In Paradise. But

you probably won't see many Birmingham landmarks, as the drama

is set in London. Everything that we need from a city

or from the capital city we have been able to get in Birmingham.

Great infrastructure, architecture, fantastic locations. Easily

accessible. And the producer is also of this

parish, Baggies fan Tim Key hails from Bewdley.

I came up at the beginning of the year and had a look around. I

haven't been back to the city properly for a few years so it was

nice to see it again. I knew straightaway it would work.

It's yet another high—profile drama on a lengthening list filmed in

Birmingham. It includes Line Of Duty and Peaky Blinders.

By Any Means is being screened from this Sunday night on BBC One.

Joining us now is Sindy Campbell from Film Birmingham.

So many TV dramas and films are being made in the West Midlands now,

why's this region suddenly become so popular?

It has always been popular. There has been a lot of this in the press

recently. But also there is a new tax break for TV production which

was announced by George Osborne last year. This was the first production

to take advantage of that. We all loved to see things being

filmed and behind the scenes. What other benefits for the wider

economy? There is a budget, with money spent on location —— hotels

and locations, the crew. They use local crew? Yes.

There are tax benefits for production companies, aren't there?

The incentive is money for trainees. Tax breaks. And you help

on set? Yes, we are part of the crew. What

reaction do you get? Usually good.

The programme on this weekend. What have we got coming next, maybe a

feature film? We have a big drama filming at the moment.

It is all good for the Midlands. A multi—millionaire's dream to

create a huge forest full of native trees reached an important milestone

today. The one millionth tree in the Heart of England Forest was planted

in a field in Warwickshire. The project is the brainwave of

publisher Felix Dennis who hopes it'll eventually contain ten million

trees. Here's Bob Hockenhull. These trees represent what their

benefactor describes as an "impossible dream" 18 years ago,

multi—millionaire Felix Dennis set out to create a large native

broadland forest close to the one of Europe's biggest cities, Birmingham.

What began this whole journey was my realisation of how few trees there

are in Britain. Today, friends and benefactors

gathered at Middle Spernall in Warwickshire, to see the millionth

tree planted in the Heart of England Forest. One day, Felix hopes there

will be 10 million stretching south nearly to the Cotswolds. One man's

dream of increasing England's tree cover. We have the lowest percentage

of native trees in the whole of Europe.

Less than 5%, something has got to be done. The project is chatty plots

300 acres of saplings on bought up land, with the aim to create

continuous corridors, making it easy for wildlife to move around. It will

be several decades before this land has completed its transformation

from field to Forest. When it has, it will be an amenity

for the public, a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern

life. This is the biggest project of its kind in England.

It simply wouldn't be happening without the publishing tycoon's

foresight and money. It is glorious that an individual

can take it on himself to make a real difference on the landscape.

Money might not grow on trees but it has certainly made these trees grow.

Time for sport now with Dan. And, heady days in north Warwickshire.

The new football season is only a few weeks old. And no—one has made a

better start here in the Midlands than Nuneaton Town. The club was

formed five years ago, when Nuneaton Borough was forced into liquidation.

Since then, they've won promotion three times. And now, they're

sitting proudly on top of the Conference. Ian Winter reports.

There's lots to smile about in the office at Nuneaton Town. Jody,

Holly, Kelly and Gemma are working their socks off because, on and off

the field, team—work is the key to the club's current success. Phil and

John are mowing together in perfect harmony before tomorrow's home game

with Salisbury. And Ian Neill is the chief executive who saved the club

from extinction five years ago. And is now sitting two points clear on

top of the Conference. We have a togetherness at the club,

we tend to get everybody from the cleaner to the grounds man to the

office staff and supporters, moving in one direction with a common goal

for Nuneaton town football club. Obviously the players are the key.

What makes their success even more remarkable is it has been achieved

on a shoestring budget. Beating Hereford 2—1 on Tuesday put them on

top of the table. A great achievement considering the wage

bill of some Conference clubs is around £1 million a year. Nuneaton's

playing budget is a quarter of that figure. That's why all their players

are part—time. Local lad James Armson, for example, works for the

Sky Blues in the Community. Today, he was at the Canon Maggs Junior

School in Bedworth where the children are amazed to learn he's

just made his England debut Clip. It is brilliant, such an honour to

represent your country at any level is a major honour. I am really proud

of it. James is one of three Nuneaton lads

just back Latvia with the England C team, chosen from the very best

non—league players. Exciting times for the Conference leaders.

A great start for Nuneaton. But not for Albion.

The part—timers of Nuneaton are flying. But West Bromwich Albion

have had a slow start to the Premier League, and they've got a big game

tomorrow. It's bottom against bottom but one Albion who have only scored

once in four games. And they've only got tomorrow's visitors Sunderland

below them. They'll be hoping Stephane Sessegnon can help with the

goals. He's been signed from Sunderland. He scored twice against

Albion last season. He has just joined a new club, he

has a challenge, you can see every day in training he is excited about

the prospect of playing here. He is looking forward to the game at the

weekend and I don't think it would matter who he was playing against.

A mighty big game at the bottom of the championship.

Birmingham City have won only one game in seven. They're at home to

Sheffield Wednesday who haven't won in six games. The loser will be

feeling sore after that one. But it should before all smiles before

kick—off at Shrewsbury Town tomorrow when Wolves come to town.

And a big night for speedway rider Tai Woffinden on Saturday. Yes Tai

rides for Wolverhampton and on Saturday. He could become the

youngest ever world Champion, aged 23.

The best break dancers from across the globe will be competing in the

Midlands this weekend, at the World Finals at the O2 Academy in

Birmingham. It's the first time the event's been held here, and

organisers say it's a real coup for the city. Ben Sidwell's at the

launch event now, with some of those taking part.

It is midway through the actual launch event. This is a Birmingham

crew, just warming up. Let us speak to the main organiser. Tell us a bit

more about this, what is going on this weekend? Breaking is one of the

most explosive forms of street dance, one of the original street

dancing. These championships will highlight the world 's elite, from

ten countries around the world. Why Birmingham? It has been in London so

long. It is a local partnership which blossomed from a small idea to

bringing the world finals in Birmingham, we are dilated to be

here —— we are delighted to be here. Tell us, it is a hell of a coup to

be here. We all know Birmingham has some great dance, ballet companies.

But some great street dance crews in the region. It is great to

capitalise on that growth of street dancing in the city and bring the

championships here. The kudos will just help, won't it? We want to get

it established in Birmingham. It is astonishing the dancing

everyone will see this weekend at the O2 Academy.

They literally are just warming up. There are still tickets for both

events. The world finals are on Sunday.

Let's get the weekend weather forecast from Rebecca Wood.

If you cast your mind back to the start of the week, it was a damp

affair. A much more pleasant end with temperatures rising. They will

continue to rise through the weekend. There will be some cloud

about, when we get some breaks and we see the sunshine, it will feel

very pleasant. We are drawing in warm air from the south and we have

high pressure sitting over us giving settled conditions. For the next few

days, feeling very pleasant. Today, we saw the sun at times. The cloud

will start to fill in. That blanket of cloud will help overnight. If you

clear spells, cabbages will fall away a little bit. For most places,

double figures —— temperatures will fall away a little bit. Down to

eight degrees in Hereford. Tomorrow, some drizzle. As we move

through the morning into the afternoon, we will see the clouds

break. The sun will come out, the best conditions in the West.

Temperatures will make it up to 21 degrees tomorrow. Through the

afternoon, more sunshine. But then, in repeat performance of tonight,

the cloud will fill in once again and a thick blanket of cloud will

help temperatures, a much milder night, 15 Celsius overnight. Sunday

is a repeat of Saturday, another cloudy start, some drizzle. As we

move through the day, it will start to break once again, temperatures

continuing to climb, 21 for most places. A very pleasant day. More

sunshine. As we move through to the start of the new working week, we

keep that high—pressure, giving settled conditions, drawing air from

the south—east so it will feel drier as well. By midweek, temperatures up

to the mid—20s. A much more pleasant day.

Let's recap tonight's top stories: Godfrey Bloom of UKIP has had the

party whip withdrawn. And, possibly affecting thousands of

people in the region, Ed Miliband says he'll scrap the so—called

bedroom tax, if Labour's elected. Joanne will be back at ten o'clock

with all the latest news. Until then, have a great evening. Goodbye.