24/09/2013 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today with Mary Rhodes and Nick Owen The

headlines tonight: Family and friends in Warwickshire pay tribute

to a little girl and her mother killed by terrorists in Kenya.

People are very sad. Our condolences are with the family.

Also tonight, how the Midlands is setting the global standard in

automotive technology with a new innovation campus creating hundreds

of new jobs in vehicle technology. Many of the ideas are not coming

out, they are coming from different industries, different people.

Going to auction — farmers in Shropshire count the cost of

tuberculosis in cattle. And it has felt like a return to some today, do

not be fooled. I will have the full forecast later.

Good evening. Friends and family of two victims of the shootings in

Kenya say they are trying to come to terms with what has happened there.

Zahira and Jennah Bawa from Warwickshire were shot in the attack

at a shopping centre. Louis Bawa identified his wife and daughter

from photographs of the bodies. They'd been shopping on Saturday

morning in Nairobi's Westgate Mall when the attack happened. Here's our

special correspondent Peter Wilson. Thousands of miles away, terror and

death stalking a shopping centre in Nairobi. 68 people killed, including

two from Warwickshire. This man, Louis Bawa, was filmed by the BBC

waiting to hear news about his wife and daughter. Both were already

dead. At their home in Leamington Spa last night, Mr Bawa's aunt and

uncle gave their reaction: we are feeling bad. Very bad. To see these

things, we are shocked. Today the family were still desperate for

news. They say that they are trying to follow events in Nairobi by

watching television news, and it was watching the BBC News at the weekend

that a first learned that their family had been involved in this

atrocity. Louis Bawa, Victor Tier with his eight—year—old daughter, ——

pictured here. I met this man, who was born in Kenya, and is a family

friend. It is very sad, very sad. God bless their souls. I hope it

doesn't happen, anything like that in the future. These people should

be stopped. It has been reported that Louis Bawa's wife and daughter

were Muslims, but that did not save them from the fundamentalist

terrorists. They have just taken innocent human life. If you take the

life of any person it is as if you have taken the life of the entire

community. Muslim or non—Muslim, what they have done is completely

against the principles of their own faith. This attack has been expected

for many years. West Midlands Police have long feared a similar scenario

it —— here. One expert says the global nature of our own region can

bring terrorism closer to home. We live in a global centre. You have

got communities from some of the hot spots in the world. Tourists are

going to some of these places. People can easily get caught up in

events, either on one side or the other, as we are recently seeing.

Tonight, Leamington Spa is morning and eight—year—old girl killed in a

far—away place. And Peter joins us now. Is our government here doing

anything to counter the terrorist threat there? They say they are

taking the threat from this organisation very seriously. That

organisation is linked to Al—Qaeda. Apparently they are helping the

Kenyan government in the way that it investigates, detains and prosecutes

terrorists like this. How do these terrible events affect us here? As

that security expert was talking about, the global nature of our

region, articulate Birmingham, very diverse city. The terrorist attack

in Kenya was linked to events in Somalia. We have a big Somalian

population, and a big Kashmiri population. Hotspots like that

around the world have a ripple effect and can affect us here. That

is why effects like today in Kenya means so much to us here. Thank you.

Coming up later in the programme: Patients who've had head and neck

cancer campaign to improve earlier diagnosis — the key to far higher

rates of recovery. A high—tech automotive research

centre could create up to a thousand jobs and make Britain a world leader

in vehicle technology, it's being claimed. The multi million pound

'National Automotive Innovation Campus' will focus on cutting edge

vehicle technology. It's being partly funded by Jaguar

Land Rover which already works closely with Warwick University

where the centre will be based. Already innovating and collaborating

with a variety of car manufacturers — young engineers at the University

of Warwick are set to produce even more world beating technology. Here

they're already leading the way in the development of low carbon

technologies. According to the Professor in charge, it's work that

will become even more important once the new campus opens. Unless the

companies come to the universities and we work together, we will never

create an environment whereby the barrier is removed and they can work

together for the good of the nation. The National Automotive Innovation

Campus will cost £100 million to build and will house around 1,000

academics and engineers. Jaguar Land Rover is putting up half the money —

it already has more than 200 staff working at the university. JLR's

Indian owners Tata are also here. Innovations, new ideas, they don't

come out of the silos, they come from putting people from different

branches, different industries, different institutions together, and

then you get ideas. Developing new technologies is important to any car

company but so too are recruiting the engineers of the future hence

the collaboration with Warwick University. And that, according to a

briefing today, should go some way to dealing with the industry—wide

skills shortage. The National automotive innovation campus will

help because it attracts young people. They understand what it

means to work in manufacturing, and that hopefully makes them think

twice and make a decision to go into advanced manufacturing and

engineering. This is the site where the new campus will be built. Work

starts this time next year. It's set to become the UK's first 'university

of automotive,' training the young engineers of the future. The online

retailer Amazon is creating more than 1000 temporary jobs at its

centre in Staffordshire. It's to meet the managing the business

Christmas season. The company is planning to hire more than 15,000

people across the country, they say many could become permanent

positions. Today marks the half way point of

the badger cull trial in Gloucestershire — as the government

tries to control tuberculosis in cattle. But the cull is only part of

the story The Government has also stepped up testing of cattle and

that's having a huge impact on farmers. Our Rural Affairs

Correspondent David Gregory—Kumar reports now on the rise of the "red

auction." At Market Drayton Livestock Market

they're preparing for a cattle auction. But this one is different.

This one is a "red auction". And a red auction has one important rule.

Every animal that enters the market tonight will have to go straight to

an abattoir and will be slaughtered. And those the rules? Those are the

rules. If just one cow on your farm tests positive for TB the whole

farmers put in lockdown. The only permitted animal movement is direct

to abattoir. And these restrictions have led to the rise of the red

auctions as an alternative to selling direct. Everything from

single trailers to big lorry loads of cattle turning up. They will sell

over 300 animals this evening. They are really popular because they

offer farmers a service they really need. But if you don't like the

price your animal fetches, too bad. It is a once —— it is a one—stop

deal. They hope to get a better price of the come through the

market? It is a fair price. Tonight we will have 20 firms buying. We

used to do one a month, now we have gone to to a month. We will have

three in this month. Definitely to facilitate the extra volume of TB

sick cattle. Read options are so popular now. The rules are the same

for everyone. Whatever the final price they all go direct to

slaughter. Of course, the other part of all

this is the badger cull and David is in Gloucestershire this evening.

David, at the halfway point in the cull do we have any idea how many

badgers have been killed so far? If we're honest, now we don't the

company organising the cull are not saying anything at the moment. It is

not just the marchers out in the fields —— marksman. Protesters have

been collecting video evidence every night. This is what they say is a

badger shot as part of the cull. But the protesters would be the first to

admit they have not seen that many dead or wounded badgers in the first

weeks of the cull, only a handful really. Does that mean the

protesters are having an impact? We are delaying the cull, causing

problems. Or art —— or is it running very smoothly behind—the—scenes?

What happens now? Both sides are gearing up for the final weeks. The

public footpaths are being walked looking for dead or injured badgers.

Meanwhile on the side of the farmers, we see evidence that some

farmers are using cage trapping to catch the badgers. That is an

effective way of carrying out a cull. Those behind the cull were

keen to avoid that. There is some evidence of cage trapping at this

point, but that might be evidence that the cull is not going quite as

well as some people would like. Both sides remain determined, and in

three weeks' time we will find out just how effective and humane the

badger cull in Gloucestershire has been. Thank you very much. It is 18

minutes to seven, are top story: Family and friends pay tribute to a

little girl and her mother killed in the terrorist attack at a Kenyan

shopping centre. Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly,

and also tonight: The best deal on the high street, would—be retailers

compete to get their own shop rent free for six months. And experience

pays, one of county cricket's oldest players is this season's leading

wicket taker. Head and neck cancer affects

thousands of people every year, but attracts far less publicity than

some other forms of the condition. Pub landlord David Bailey is one of

those effected. Surgeons had to remove an eye and his teeth to rid

him of the disease. Now he's supporting a campaign with

doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham that aims to

help people spot the early warning signs, so that treatment has a

greater chance of success. Cath Mackie reports.

David Bailey is doing what he does most days — pulling pints behind the

bar at his pub in Alcester in Warwickshire. Thank you very much,

enjoy your meal. But the scar around his eye is a visible reminder of the

ordeal he's undergone through cancer. This here was taken away,

and all the bone and tissue behind it. Cheekbone. David's face was

reconstructed by doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in

Birmingham. Just relax. They've joined up with doctors from 13

European countries in a campaign to get head and neck cancer higher up

the public agenda. Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common

cancer worldwide. In the UK around about ten years ago, there were 6000

cases diagnosed every year. That's on the rise. There's now about 7,000

new cases. The biggest increase is among young people aged 18 to 30. If

you pick up head and neck cancer early, there is an 80 to 90% cure

rate. Unfortunately, 60% of all the patients we see, the cancer is not

picked up until it is in its late stages. What that means is that the

cure rates fall down to 20%. This woman took little notice at first of

the pain in her mouth. I really didn't think it was great to be

cancer. I didn't consider it at all. I didn't realise that mild

occasional toothache could be a simple but —— a symptom of cancer.

Two inches were cut out of Kay's jaw and she's waiting for more surgery.

But she and David Bailey are the lucky ones — and by supporting the

campaign they hope to save more lives.

With us now is the consultant surgeon we saw in Cath's report

there, Sat Parmar. While our GPs and dentists not spotting the problem

more often? The main problem is the symptoms that people expedience are

very common but they are not commonly associated with cancer.

Anyone who has a cold or so throat, earache, a hoarse voice, those are

very rarely associated with cancer. The GPs were more commonly see

people who have a common cold, and when they do have a patient with

cancer, it is relatively easy for them to assume that the patient has

a relatively mundane problem. What are the symptoms? The symptoms are

on this leaflet here that we will be handing out. So tongue, and

non—healing ulcer in the mouth. A bloody nasal discharge coming from

one side of the nose. Pain in the year on swallowing. This campaign is

called 143, this is the kind of thing you should be seeing your

doctor about. What sort of people are most at risk? People who smoke.

Particularly of you smoke and drink heavily. Those are the common

causes. And the number of cases seems to be going up, why is that?

Partly because cancer is a disease of old age. But actually within head

and neck cancer, we're seeing younger patients getting cancer more

often as well, maybe to do with drinking patterns as well as smoking

patterns. There is a recognised association with infection to the

phalanx. Can that be vaccinated? That is a subject of great debate.

Girls are vaccinated because of survival cancer. Is a vaccination

for boys likely to come along? Cost benefit analyses are being done. You

have to pay for vaccinations. This form of cancer does not seem to get

the attention that breast cancer and prostate cancer gets. Traditionally

it has been because the causative factors have been smoking and

drinking. It is a group of cancers, and they are all quite rare. It is

quite difficult to generate a lot of interest when you have a relatively

small number of patients suffering. And you are trying to generate

interest by, you have a bus. Yes it is going to be in Edgbaston Street.

The purposes art screening as many people as we can. Thank you very

much. And our sister programme Inside Out

West Midlands will have more on this subject later in the autumn. Now to

the problems on the high street. A rather different approach for many

in Staffordshire. Budding entrepreneurs have been pitching

their ideas for revitalising Newcastle under Lyme high street to

a 'Dragons' Den' style panel today. The winners will open up a business

rent free for six months in three of the town's many empty premises. 30

entrants were whittled down to ten finalists, who had to present their

vision to the panel. Holly Lewis reports on how they got on. So

basically think of a wedding fair where they walk in and everything is

under one roof. This allows this to happen within Newcastle.

With a plan for a high end fashion and bridal shop, Joanne Clay entered

the dragon's den today. Listening to her pitch, restaurant franchisee

Eddie Leligdowicz, Sinead Butters, the chief executive of Aspire

Housing, and entrepreneur Mo Chaudry. Different dragons, same

grilling. I am sort of looking at it from a marketing point of view. How

are you going to be able to generate enthusiasm for business? There were

nine other bidders from a fair trade craft centre to an IT security firm.

The competition was the idea of the town centre management team. Things

in the high street, they are pretty bad, we have gone through a downturn

in the economy so we have got to look for innovative ways such as

this to increase the occupancy levels. This is one of the prizes on

offer. An empty shop in a prime position on the high street. Six

months will be rent free, six months have to rent along with a few extra

start—up costs. The whole package is worth around £30,000. Two other

premises are also on offer. With 16% of shops currently vacant in

Newcastle, there's no shortage of choice. The money has come from the

borough council, Aspire Housing and a private landlord. As long as they

underpin spirit is alive and kicking there will always be opportunities

—— entrepreneurial spirit. The public and private sector it are

working together. To inspire a number of young entrepreneurs to

give it a go. Somebody has to have the motivation to give it a go.

After a morning of tension the top three were announced. My winner is

Joe. —— My winner is Jo. The other two were Nest, an arts cafe and

Alpha Clinic, a specialist tattoo company for bald men to replace hair

loss. I could not ask for a better opportunity to start a business, so

really, really chuffed. It is really exciting. This is just the start,

there is so much more to do. I am really looking forward to it. All

three hope to be up and running in the next month.

Dan's here with tonight's sport. And a big night for Aston Villa who

almost reached the final of the Capital One Cup last season. Yes,

Paul Lambert's dream of reaching Wembley was dashed by Bradford City

in the semi—finals. This evening in Round Three, Villa are without

several injured first—team players against Tottenham. But the BBC

football pundit Robbie Savage is tipping a home win tonight. It is a

tough game, Spurs in Europe, big squad. The luck, will it be a shock

if they beat Spurs at home? I'm not sure. The latter two, Spurs one. And

you can follow Villa's progress tonight on BBC WM, 95.6 FM.

Warwickshire may have three players, but Worcestershire can

boast the leading wicket taker in county cricket. And Alan Richardson

has been at it again. At 38 he's one of the oldest players in county

cricket and he's spent the season battling an ankle injury. But that

didn't stop him taking another two wickets today. He's 38 — but you

wouldn't know it. As Worcestershire limbered up for their final match of

the season Alan Richardson was giving it his all. For him it's not

work. I have been a landscape gardener and a few shocking jobs in

my time, so I absolutely love it. I really look forward to my work.

And his efforts are paying off. Richardson's the leading wicket

taker in the country. What he has done since he has been near is

absolutely tremendous. He is also a player who has played through

injuries. He has bitten the bullet and gotten on with it. But

Richardson had the morning off today. Northamptonshire won the toss

at New Road, they asked Worcestershire to bat and it soon

looked a good decision. Northants have been among the wickets this

morning. Before this match started, he had already taken 63 wickets this

summer. More than anyone else in first—class cricket. So Worcester's

cricket lovers had to wait to see their top bowler in action. But they

know a good one when they see one. Absolutely amazing for his age. He

is inspirational. If you see him limping or wincing, you worry. But

fingers crossed he keeps going. Haven't had a consistent bowler like

that for years. Finally this afternoon, Alan Richardson was

unleashed on Northamptonshire. And he didn't disappoint. Apparently the

secret is in his mood swings. I'm very proud of what I do, so I can

get a bit grumpy at times. The lads always say that I am at my best when

I'm grumpy. They give me a bit of grief for it. But I really enjoy

it, it might not look like it on the pitch, but I do. Alan Richardson has

one year left on his contract. But everyone at Worcestershire hopes he

can keep going for a good deal longer.

His grumpy mood might continue. Give us an idea of the story of the

match? Worcestershire made a terrible start. They went on to be

all out for 163 before Northants closed the day on 103 for four. The

weather looked a bit grey there. I should also mention you can get —— a

player can get £10,000, there is a lot at stake.

Finally, speedway fans are already looking forward to Monday night at

Perry Barr. Home advantage for the Birmingham Brummies as they take a

two—point lead into the second leg of their play—off semifinal against

Wolves. There is everything to play for. Hopefully, we'll have all the

Villa goal action here tomorrow evening. For many others —— for many

of us it has been gorgeous. More of the same tomorrow please. The last

of the sunshine, I think it's just about to go. We are in for a mild

but cloudy night tonight. It has been very pleasant today.

Temperatures getting up to around 20 Celsius when the sun did break

through the clouds. It will be a largely cloudy night. We could see

some clear spells in places. But overall, the theme for the next few

days is that we are going to stay quite mild. We did see plenty of

cloud through the morning, but we did see the sun start to burn

through it quite readily and we got clear spells through the day.

Tonight we're going to start to see any holes, particularly over

Birmingham, starting to fill in. That blanket of cloud will make

things feel much milder overnight, temperatures managing to stay in the

mid for most of us. We will get some close spells, particularly over the

south of the region. Temperatures will follow enough to see mist and

fog patches developing. It will be quite a misty, murky, grey start to

tomorrow. We will start to see that burning off quite rapidly. When the

sun comes out again it is going to be another pleasant day. Spells of

sunshine to come, temperatures creeping up to around 20 possibly.

More sunshine to come through tomorrow afternoon, but then we

start to see a slight change. The cloud will thicken, we cannot rule

out the odd shower here and there is weather front start to squeeze in.

Overnight, we will start to see things changing. We will have high

pressure dominating for the start of this week, but through the end of

the week things will turn to a low pressure dominating. And we will

draw on winds from the south—west. Temperatures will start to fall a

degree or two. It will feel cooler as well. Particularly through

Thursday. Over Wednesday night, cloud thickening again, some mist

and fog patches developing, but they will eventually clear. The sun will

come out. As we make our way to the next few days, staying cloudy and

mild, but into the weekend it is cooling off a little and we have got

the return of the rain, I'm afraid. Thank you.

Let's recap tonight's top stories: Ed Miliband promises Labour will

freeze gas and electricity bills for 20 months if they win the next

election. And family and friends pay tribute

to a mother and daughter killed in the terrorist attack at a Kenyan

shopping mall We'll be back at 10pm with the night's football results

and we'll be out with campaigners to find out how they plan to continue

monitoring the badger cull in Gloucestershire. Have a great

evening. Goodbye.