:00:00. > :00:00.by Islamist extremists. That's all from the BBC News at Six. So it's
:00:00. > :00:13.goodbye from Welcome to Midlands today. The
:00:14. > :00:17.headlines: New homes for ?1. Buyers get a first look around and find out
:00:18. > :00:23.how much needs to be done. I grew up in Stoke`on`Trent, I was born here.
:00:24. > :00:30.So I want to see it thrive. We will be asking if it is a good idea. Also
:00:31. > :00:39.tonight: On its way back to New Zealand. A tattooed head found in a
:00:40. > :00:42.university storeroom. The fact they were taken into a collection fills
:00:43. > :00:46.me with shame. But I'm glad they were here so we could look after
:00:47. > :00:52.them and give them back. Giants of the music scene gather at the Serra
:00:53. > :01:01.but Hall to remember Jon Brookes. And meet Zeus, who is about to
:01:02. > :01:05.embark on a new career. The weather is not quite so sweet. Wet and
:01:06. > :01:12.windy, but not all doom and gloom. Find out why later.
:01:13. > :01:18.Good evening. The first owners of terraced houses being sold for just
:01:19. > :01:21.one pound in Stoke`on`Trent have been taking a look today at what
:01:22. > :01:25.they've bought. 33 rundown properties were put up for grabs by
:01:26. > :01:27.the City Council, with new owners being offered a ?30,000 loan to
:01:28. > :01:33.complete essential repairs, repayable over ten years. In return,
:01:34. > :01:38.they have to commit to living there for at least five years. Our
:01:39. > :01:44.Staffordshire reporter Liz Copper has been to see what they get.
:01:45. > :01:50.These are the first time buyers on the threshold of an experiment in
:01:51. > :01:55.home ownership. My name is Rachel Roberts, I am 31. The reason I want
:01:56. > :01:58.a ?1 house is because it is so difficult to get a deposit together
:01:59. > :02:04.for a mortgage. This is a perfect opportunity to not only own my own
:02:05. > :02:09.home, but impact a community. I am Gavin, I am 25. I wanted to be
:02:10. > :02:12.involved because it helps get Stoke`on`Trent back on the map and
:02:13. > :02:15.it's a good financial opportunity for people that cannot initially
:02:16. > :02:18.afford to get onto the housing market. The buyers are committing to
:02:19. > :02:25.a ?30,000 loan to do up their properties. This is one of the
:02:26. > :02:29.houses. There are strict eligibility requirements for anybody wanting to
:02:30. > :02:32.take part. The reality is, the council is still looking for
:02:33. > :02:35.potential homeowners that are both willing and able to take on one of
:02:36. > :02:38.these homes. In the next street these houses are for sale by auction
:02:39. > :02:47.next month, with a guide price of just ?20,000. So is this scheme a
:02:48. > :02:55.risky option? In a recent audit report, this scheme was described as
:02:56. > :02:59.an emerging risk. Why is that? Well, risk is people's perception. Our
:03:00. > :03:03.perception is that it is not a risk. We are going to ensure that
:03:04. > :03:07.this scheme actually succeeds. Work will begin to renovate the homes in
:03:08. > :03:11.the next few weeks. The first homeowners are expected to pick up
:03:12. > :03:15.their keys and move in by the early part of next year. The test for this
:03:16. > :03:16.project will be whether it can truly revitalise and regenerate these
:03:17. > :03:27.streets. Joining us now from London is Miles
:03:28. > :03:37.Shipside, from Rightmove. Good evening. Is this a good idea? It is
:03:38. > :03:41.a good idea. Rather than getting a one`off do up on the street, you can
:03:42. > :03:47.regenerate the whole area once. It's a major impact. As you heard, these
:03:48. > :03:51.people have a real passion for the area, which some speculators don't
:03:52. > :03:54.have. Getting owner occupiers with a long`term commitment is a great idea
:03:55. > :03:59.to gentrify it and bringing up in terms of standards. Do you reckon
:04:00. > :04:04.this could be used in other parts of the country? It certainly could be.
:04:05. > :04:10.A fairly unique set of circumstances. They have been
:04:11. > :04:14.compulsory purchased, as part of a wider regeneration scheme that did
:04:15. > :04:17.not take place. It's a good idea to use existing houses with a lot of
:04:18. > :04:20.character and space. It's often cheaper than knocking them down and
:04:21. > :04:25.building new ones. Still tough to get onto the property ladder? It is
:04:26. > :04:29.indeed. There is the government help to buy scheme. Previously, you had
:04:30. > :04:33.to have a 10% deposit. Now, with a 5% deposit, you will potentially be
:04:34. > :04:37.able to get onto the housing ladder as a first`time buyer. What about
:04:38. > :04:39.the warnings we hear from people that this government scheme will
:04:40. > :04:44.only create a bubble which will burst? Obviously there is a risk of
:04:45. > :04:50.a price spike. If lending was as irresponsible as it was before 2007,
:04:51. > :04:56.where you could certify your own mortgage or get an interest only,
:04:57. > :05:01.125% loan to value mortgage. A lot tighter lending criteria has come
:05:02. > :05:05.in. It will not be a mortgage free for all. To get this 5% deposit
:05:06. > :05:11.mortgage, you will have to be pretty squeaky clean. That ought to temper
:05:12. > :05:14.demand and stop a price spike. Do you think there is anything more
:05:15. > :05:19.that can be done to help the property market? Confidence is
:05:20. > :05:23.growing. We are actually seeing positive economic signs. With
:05:24. > :05:27.greater mortgage availability, that the help to buy scheme will bring
:05:28. > :05:33.in, I think we are on the road to recovery. That is obviously good
:05:34. > :05:37.news for people that are trapped in their properties and want to trade
:05:38. > :05:41.up. Good news for first`time buyers if prices don't go up too much.
:05:42. > :05:44.Thank you very much indeed. Coming up later in the programme:
:05:45. > :05:46.The mystery of the Maori shrunken head found in a university
:05:47. > :05:55.storeroom. More staff at a Birmingham secondary
:05:56. > :05:58.school are considering refusing to teach a teenager who allegedly
:05:59. > :06:01.threatened fellow pupils with a knife. Governors at Saltley School
:06:02. > :06:07.overturned the headteacher's decision to exclude the pupil after
:06:08. > :06:09.a "serious incident" in May. The GMB has become the second union to
:06:10. > :06:22.ballot its members over industrial action amid concerns about safety. A
:06:23. > :06:25.school with over 900 pupils, the interests of one individual are
:06:26. > :06:29.being put above all of the other pupils within the school.
:06:30. > :06:33.Unfortunately, if the governors are not prepared to talk, the action
:06:34. > :06:36.will be escalated if the ballot action comes through from my members
:06:37. > :06:44.to say they are prepared to take industrial action. A police divinity
:06:45. > :06:46.support officer has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public
:06:47. > :06:48.office in connection with leek information from West Midlands
:06:49. > :06:51.Police. It follows an inquiry carried out by the force's Counter
:06:52. > :06:54.Corruption Unit. The 42`year`old has been suspended from his job
:06:55. > :06:57.following his arrest in Sandwell yesterday. Three other people, two
:06:58. > :07:02.men and a woman, were also arrested in Tipton as part of the same case.
:07:03. > :07:05.Students have been staging a demonstration at the offices of the
:07:06. > :07:08.Liberal democrat MP John Hemming. They were protesting against
:07:09. > :07:12.Government plans to privatise student loans. The Birmingham
:07:13. > :07:16.Yardley MP says the transfer won't affect any of the students' terms
:07:17. > :07:21.and conditions, which can only be altered by Parliament.
:07:22. > :07:24.It's a practice described as shameful, but the removal of
:07:25. > :07:28.historic artefacts from far`away lands was once commonplace. When the
:07:29. > :07:31.ancient tattooed head of a Maori tribesman was found at the
:07:32. > :07:36.University of Birmingham, it was important it should be returned to
:07:37. > :07:44.New Zealand. Today the head was handed over in a special ceremony.
:07:45. > :07:50.Contained in these boxes are human remains found in a storeroom at the
:07:51. > :07:55.University of Birmingham. They include the tattooed, mummified head
:07:56. > :07:59.of a Maori warrior. Out of respect, we didn't film the remains but this
:08:00. > :08:03.is what the heads, known as toi Moko, look like. When New Zealand
:08:04. > :08:07.was colonised, many were taken abroad by collectors who saw them as
:08:08. > :08:12.a prized asset Maori elders from New Zealand were invited to make the
:08:13. > :08:21.A number of people, people of science, they have always had a
:08:22. > :08:26.fascination. Maori elders from New Zealand were invited to make the
:08:27. > :08:29.journey to reclaim their ancestors. This repatriation ceremony ` a Maori
:08:30. > :08:35.tradition ` was organised by the university. Our best guess is that
:08:36. > :08:39.different people and the location around the university did have
:08:40. > :08:44.private collections in the Victorian era. That was quite common. The fact
:08:45. > :08:47.they were taken from New Zealand into private collections fills me
:08:48. > :08:51.with shame. But I am really glad they were here so we could look
:08:52. > :08:54.after them and give them back. Now it is time for their spirit and life
:08:55. > :08:57.force to return home. Many heads were traded for guns in Victorian
:08:58. > :09:01.times. Since 2003, The Museum of New Zealand has been working to return
:09:02. > :09:06.them from around the world. Work will now start to try to trace which
:09:07. > :09:09.tribe these remains belonged to. The Maori's are delighted to have them
:09:10. > :09:15.back and showed their appreciation in the traditional way.
:09:16. > :09:21.A Birmingham MP has said it's up to the Government to help the city
:09:22. > :09:24.respond positively to the scathing criticisms levelled at it by the
:09:25. > :09:27.head of the education watchdog Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw. He said
:09:28. > :09:29.it was a national disgrace that the Children's Services Department had
:09:30. > :09:32.failed to protect children, including two`year`old Keanu
:09:33. > :09:43.Williams, who was beaten to death by his mother. Patrick Burns has more
:09:44. > :09:48.on this. The comments really have had an amazing impact, haven't they?
:09:49. > :09:52.They have. Frankly, I don't think anyone quite expected such a full on
:09:53. > :09:57.onslaught. He was absolutely withering, time and time again. He
:09:58. > :10:01.asked, why is it that in areas like mortality rates, life chances
:10:02. > :10:05.generally, why is it that Birmingham's record compares with
:10:06. > :10:09.some of the poorest countries in the developing world? I put that to one
:10:10. > :10:12.of our local MPs. He said there really was an important warning
:10:13. > :10:18.within this, not just inside the Birmingham city limits, for everyone
:10:19. > :10:22.that is concerned about the issues surrounding child protection. It is
:10:23. > :10:28.very disturbing that both Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Council
:10:29. > :10:31.have been listed on this list of 20 local authorities that have been
:10:32. > :10:35.deemed inadequate. It is a shocking failure for some of our most
:10:36. > :10:38.fundable children, particularly in Sandwell, where Children's Services
:10:39. > :10:43.Department has been in a struggling situation for some time. Failure of
:10:44. > :10:46.leadership. We need to get a grip. These people are letting down some
:10:47. > :10:51.of the most vulnerable children. Sir Michael went beyond the issue of
:10:52. > :10:55.child protection, didn't he? That is having a damaging impact on the city
:10:56. > :11:00.as a whole? That is the point I took up with a leading Labour MP, that we
:11:01. > :11:03.also saw in that clip. He has taken a particular interest in issues
:11:04. > :11:08.around child protection over the years. He said, important though
:11:09. > :11:12.that is, this is just a range of concerns were, frankly, government
:11:13. > :11:17.ministers need to help the city. I agree with most of the questions
:11:18. > :11:21.asked. I think we need to address those questions and we haven't done
:11:22. > :11:25.so. We haven't done so in the last eight years in Birmingham in tens of
:11:26. > :11:29.children services. We need to look at systemic failures that are
:11:30. > :11:32.happening. On the other questions on mortality and issues of
:11:33. > :11:35.homelessness, I think we do need to look at it, we need to look at what
:11:36. > :11:39.national government is doing to support them to come out of that.
:11:40. > :11:43.When Sir Michael made those comments, there was real concern
:11:44. > :11:47.about what we call the collateral effect, the damage to Birmingham's
:11:48. > :11:52.reputation at a time when it is trying to bring in inward investment
:11:53. > :11:55.and the rest of it. With this further damage, especially in the
:11:56. > :12:00.eyes of the London metropolitan elite, the impressions of the city?
:12:01. > :12:02.But what we take from this is that there are some leading local
:12:03. > :12:06.politicians that feel, painful though it has been to hear this, in
:12:07. > :12:11.the long term, he may have given us a blessing in disguise. And Patrick
:12:12. > :12:14.will be back with more on this in this weekend's Sunday Politics,
:12:15. > :12:19.starting as usual at 11 o'clock here on BBC One.
:12:20. > :12:23.This is our top story tonight: New homes for a pound: buyers get a
:12:24. > :12:26.first look round and find out just how much needs to be done. Your
:12:27. > :12:30.detailed weather forecast to come shortly. Also in tonight's
:12:31. > :12:32.programme: Looking ahead to the Premier League derby tomorrow, Stoke
:12:33. > :12:38.City against West Bromwich Albion. Will it be better than last year's
:12:39. > :12:43.dour 0`0 draw? And meet Zeus, set to be a guide dog in 18 months time.
:12:44. > :12:50.We'll be following him along the way.
:12:51. > :12:55.In the 1990s they were a chart topping band. Since then, the
:12:56. > :12:58.Charlatans, formed here in the Midlands, have continued to sell
:12:59. > :13:02.thousands of records and sell`out concerts around the world. But in
:13:03. > :13:08.August their drummer, Jon Brookes, died of a brain tumour aged just 44.
:13:09. > :13:11.Tonight the band and many big names from the music industry, including
:13:12. > :13:15.Liam Gallagher, will take to the stage in tribute at the Royal Albert
:13:16. > :13:20.Hall. There are some flashing images in Ben Sidwell's report.
:13:21. > :13:27.Jon Brookes was at his happiest sat behind a set of drums. He was a
:13:28. > :13:32.larger`than`life character. He had a lust for life. Jon, who lives in
:13:33. > :13:36.Burntwood, was one of the founder members of the Charlatans when they
:13:37. > :13:40.formed in Walsall in 1989. Tonight, the remaining members of the band
:13:41. > :13:44.will take to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate his life.
:13:45. > :13:51.It's not like he's gone, really. His spirit's there. It kicks in, it
:13:52. > :13:55.dawns on you, you know? It will be a tough one, I think. You know what I
:13:56. > :13:59.mean? Every time you think of Jon, it put a smile on your face. It was
:14:00. > :14:03.during this gig in Philadelphia in September 2010 that Jon collapsed on
:14:04. > :14:07.stage. Just a few months later when I met up with him, he was in a
:14:08. > :14:12.positive mood about the future. I'm at the start of a long road of
:14:13. > :14:16.treatment for my cancer. But I'm feeling fit, positive. I'm in good
:14:17. > :14:18.hands. Sadly, Jon lost his three year battle against the disease in
:14:19. > :14:27.August this year. He was just 44. At the offices of the Brain Tumour
:14:28. > :14:31.Charity in Shirley, they've seen plenty of cases like Jon's. 9,000
:14:32. > :14:36.people a year are diagnosed with the disease and fewer than 15% survive.
:14:37. > :14:48.It's the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s in the country. He's
:14:49. > :14:51.making a big contribution now. His passing has brought on this
:14:52. > :14:55.concert. The awareness and the money that will be raised from the night
:14:56. > :14:58.will be part of his lasting legacy, undoubtedly. And there'll be plenty
:14:59. > :15:02.of big names who'll be there to help the cause. I only met him through
:15:03. > :15:06.the gigs we've done, maybe out about and whatever, you know what I mean?
:15:07. > :15:10.Every time I met him I had a splendid time with him. He was a
:15:11. > :15:13.good lad. Jon was passionate about music, especially here in the West
:15:14. > :15:17.Midlands. He co`founded a record label in Birmingham. Tonight, Dumb,
:15:18. > :15:22.one of the bands he managed will open the concert. It didn't matter
:15:23. > :15:25.whether he was talking to one of the biggest rock stars that he came
:15:26. > :15:27.across at worldwide festivals or whether it was a 16`year`old
:15:28. > :15:34.band`member that wanted some advice. He would speak to them in
:15:35. > :15:36.the same way, at the same level. And I think that was one of the
:15:37. > :15:46.fantastic traits about John. Even now, you keep on turning and
:15:47. > :15:50.he's not there and it's a big shock. He'll be there in spirit. I think
:15:51. > :15:56.it's a way we can all say thanks and good night. And thanks for the
:15:57. > :15:59.memories. Tonight's concert is about raising awareness of the disease
:16:00. > :16:01.that killed Jon, but it's also a chance to celebrate the life of one
:16:02. > :16:15.of the nicest men in music. It should be a poignant occasion in
:16:16. > :16:18.a special setting. Time for sport now and Dan's here.
:16:19. > :16:21.Intriguing derby at the Britannia tomorrow? When ones hot, the other's
:16:22. > :16:25.not. Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion
:16:26. > :16:27.face each other in the Premier League tomorrow having had
:16:28. > :16:30.completely opposite fortunes so far. While Stoke started well only to
:16:31. > :16:35.stutter, well Albion have done it the other way round.
:16:36. > :16:41.It all started so well. When stoke won at West Ham at the end of August
:16:42. > :16:44.the summer appointment manager Mark Hughes was going smoothly. Stoke
:16:45. > :16:48.were fifth, having won two out of three games. In contrast West
:16:49. > :16:53.Bromwich Albion were bottom but one and hadn't scored a goal. But since
:16:54. > :16:57.then it's been all change for both. Albion are unbeaten, climbing up to
:16:58. > :17:06.12th, but Stoke are falling fast and are now 16th. We don't seem to be
:17:07. > :17:10.able to get the results that our performances deserve. As with the
:17:11. > :17:14.Premier League, you have another opportunity to put that right. We
:17:15. > :17:17.are the home side tomorrow, looking to be positive, looking for maximum
:17:18. > :17:24.points against a very good West Brom team. With impressive training
:17:25. > :17:27.facilities like these, Stoke city want Mark Hughes to take them up the
:17:28. > :17:30.Premier League, not down. They also want a team that entertains. But on
:17:31. > :17:34.that score Stoke and Albion have a head start tomorrow. Last season's
:17:35. > :17:41.meetings were a goalless draw and a 1`0 win to Stoke and both were
:17:42. > :17:44.utterly forgettable. Both games were absolutely dreadful. But you can
:17:45. > :17:49.never tell what a game is going to be like. We are going to go there,
:17:50. > :17:54.positive, to play football, try and win the game. If Stoke set up the
:17:55. > :17:58.same way, they set up open as well and try to win the game, it could be
:17:59. > :18:01.a great game. But you never know. The running order on Match Of The
:18:02. > :18:05.Day will tell us all. If last season's games are repeated we'll
:18:06. > :18:10.have a late night waiting for the highlights. Off the pitch though
:18:11. > :18:14.there's more confusion today for Birmingham City fans worried about
:18:15. > :18:17.the future of their club. The Solihull businessman Gianni
:18:18. > :18:21.Paladini is claiming he agreed a deal to buy the club with the acting
:18:22. > :18:25.chairman Peter Pannu when he was in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago.
:18:26. > :18:28.But he says he's heard nothing more since Mr Pannu returned to Hong
:18:29. > :18:33.Kong. He's even offered to fly out there for talks with the owner
:18:34. > :18:36.Carson Yeung. But that won't be easy, because Mr Yeung is currently
:18:37. > :18:39.giving evidence in his money laundering trial in Hong Kong and
:18:40. > :18:45.there's no timescale for how much longer it will be until that trial
:18:46. > :18:49.finishes. Today, Birmingham city have responded. They say they're
:18:50. > :18:52.disappointed with Mr Paladini's comments and stressed that Carson
:18:53. > :19:00.Yeung is not interested in a full sale of the club at the moment. We
:19:01. > :19:04.don't know where we are? It's difficult. Meanwhile Wolves are at
:19:05. > :19:15.home to Coventry and there'll be a big away following. Yes, contrast
:19:16. > :19:19.that with last weekend, there were far fewer at the so`called home
:19:20. > :19:28.game. It shows they haven't given up on the club. It emphasises the
:19:29. > :19:33.opposition. Peter Abbott has been to every home game for 37 years. He
:19:34. > :19:38.will not be there tomorrow, it is nearly his daughter 's wedding. I
:19:39. > :19:42.think he has chosen wisely. Kids, hey?
:19:43. > :19:46.Nearly 1,000 people across the Midlands have to put their trust in
:19:47. > :19:49.a guide dog to help them live a near`normal life. But the journey
:19:50. > :19:53.for a dog to take on that huge responsibility is long and testing.
:19:54. > :19:57.Over the next 18 months, we're going to follow the progress of Zeus, a
:19:58. > :20:02.seven week old pup, as he learns the ropes. We can join our reporter
:20:03. > :20:08.Joanne Writtle now. How is he doing? He is doing brilliantly. If a little
:20:09. > :20:12.sleepy. You know, it costs about ?50,000 to support one of these from
:20:13. > :20:16.birth until they retire as a working guide dog at about seven or eight
:20:17. > :20:20.years of age. What the guide dogs people are looking for is a puppy
:20:21. > :20:26.with fantastic temperament. They need to be really alert, when they
:20:27. > :20:29.are not asleep! The testing for that's temperament begins when they
:20:30. > :20:32.are just a few weeks old, as I have been finding out.
:20:33. > :20:36.It's behaviour test day at the Guide Dogs Breeding Centre near Leamington
:20:37. > :20:41.Spa. 40 pups will be observed to see if their temperament is suitable to
:20:42. > :20:45.become guiding eyes for the blind. This is seven`week`old Zeus.
:20:46. > :20:50.Watching him intently, Howard Jones. He's trained hundreds of dogs over
:20:51. > :21:00.25 years. And soon he'll be taking Zeus away from the breeding centre.
:21:01. > :21:04.All of our guide dog work is about the puppy actually wanted to perform
:21:05. > :21:07.for the vision impaired client. Having the confidence to be out
:21:08. > :21:10.there, day`to`day, in the big wide world. It'll be about 18 months
:21:11. > :21:17.before he's ready to work. 75% of dogs make it through the training. I
:21:18. > :21:21.was looking for confidence and I was looking for a willingness to follow
:21:22. > :21:28.a lead and to accept commands, which we saw in bucket loads with him. He
:21:29. > :21:32.was really jolly. The good news is that Zeus passed his behaviour test
:21:33. > :21:36.with flying colours. He is a total extrovert. This little chap was a
:21:37. > :21:40.bit too quiet. He is not suitable for the demanding job of working
:21:41. > :21:44.with the blind. The plus side is, his temperament is perfect for
:21:45. > :21:47.working with somebody with a different kind of disability. He
:21:48. > :21:52.will now be offered to a different systems dog charity. `` assistance
:21:53. > :21:56.dog. And this is an example of the responsibility Zeus will eventually
:21:57. > :21:59.have. Amy Kettle is just 16 and has to put all her trust in guide dog
:22:00. > :22:05.Connie, negotiating traffic in her home town of Halesowen. I don't
:22:06. > :22:12.think my life would be the same without her. I'd never be able to go
:22:13. > :22:17.out. I can have a bit more of a life now with her. Back in Leamington,
:22:18. > :22:28.the time has come for Zeus to leave the breeding centre. Off on your
:22:29. > :22:36.journey, Mr, and you? Ready to become a guide dog? This is where
:22:37. > :22:42.Zeus was driven to, to a family home here in Kingswinford. They have been
:22:43. > :22:47.interviewed and expected and they have this huge responsibility of
:22:48. > :22:51.taking care of Zeus. Simon, you are a stay at home dad. Why have you
:22:52. > :22:55.taken on this responsibility? I used to have dogs before, and I really
:22:56. > :23:00.enjoyed training them. The children are a little bit older, with a bit
:23:01. > :23:04.more time. I spoke to a neighbour of mine that had been involved with the
:23:05. > :23:12.guide dogs. She suggested I become a puppy walker. You're going to have
:23:13. > :23:15.regular visits from Howard, who we saw in the film? That is right, he
:23:16. > :23:20.will come back every couple of weeks and take us on to the next stage. I
:23:21. > :23:24.am in contact over the phone for anything that comes up. He will be
:23:25. > :23:30.monitored regularly. Louise, home from work now, we've paid you a
:23:31. > :23:36.surprise visit at your school, where you are a teacher. But it is quite
:23:37. > :23:42.important for Zeus, why is that? During his life as a guide dog he
:23:43. > :23:45.has to be used to different situations and environments. He got
:23:46. > :23:51.that today. What did the children make of it? We were meant to be
:23:52. > :23:56.giving a reading at the time, but that went out of the window. He was
:23:57. > :24:01.much more fun. How difficult will it be to hand him back? It will be
:24:02. > :24:07.really sad. We will not want to give him away. What do you think of this
:24:08. > :24:14.new addition to your family? He's quite cute and very amusing. What do
:24:15. > :24:27.your friends think of him? He's very cute, again, and they just think...
:24:28. > :24:31.They want to pat him, don't they? We will be following the trials and
:24:32. > :24:38.should relations of Zeus over the next 18 months. In a year's time he
:24:39. > :24:41.will leave the house as the training ramps up and he is handed to a blind
:24:42. > :24:46.person. Wonderful, it will be heartbreaking
:24:47. > :24:49.for them when he goes. And if you're on Twitter you might like to know
:24:50. > :24:53.Zeus is there too. Look for him @gdpuppyzeus. And until his paws get
:24:54. > :24:57.used to it, we're told the Guide Dogs Charity people will be updating
:24:58. > :25:02.it on his behalf. Let's find out about the weekend weather now.
:25:03. > :25:07.A mixed bag, we will get a bit of everything over the next few days.
:25:08. > :25:12.Plenty of brain about. We are going to have blustery conditions as well.
:25:13. > :25:17.Where we have the cloud, it will break times and we have the sun. We
:25:18. > :25:23.have warmer air, temperatures above average for the time of year. We
:25:24. > :25:26.haven't really seen the sun. We have had some rain moving through as
:25:27. > :25:30.well. The rain is going to continue to make its way across the region as
:25:31. > :25:34.we move through tonight. It will stick with us for much of the night.
:25:35. > :25:38.We could see ten or 15 millimetres of rainfall by the time we wake up
:25:39. > :25:42.tomorrow. There could be some heavy pulses as well. It will slowly move
:25:43. > :25:47.off as we move through into Saturday morning. The cloud and rain is
:25:48. > :25:52.helping temperatures overnight. We are in milder air. 11 or 12 Celsius
:25:53. > :25:56.overnight. A girl and damp start to Saturday. The rain is moving
:25:57. > :26:00.through. It will eventually start to clear away. We have strong wind to
:26:01. > :26:03.contend with tomorrow. We have breaks in the cloud, the sun will
:26:04. > :26:10.come out. Where we see that, temperatures could get up to 17
:26:11. > :26:16.Celsius. More rain waiting in the wings. On Saturday, lively showers.
:26:17. > :26:22.We could see thunder as well. Overnight, it will turn cloudy. Then
:26:23. > :26:26.we have more raining through by the time and get a Sunday morning.
:26:27. > :26:32.Another mild nights to come. 12 or 13 Celsius is the overnight low. As
:26:33. > :26:35.we start to move through to Sunday, we have low`pressure beginning to
:26:36. > :26:40.dominate and low pressure making its way in. Through Sunday we could see
:26:41. > :26:44.a shower pretty much anywhere. But it will be a mild day, we will get
:26:45. > :26:47.more breaks as well. A quick note, on Monday we have heavy rain to come
:26:48. > :26:50.through Sunday night and into Monday. Surface water could be a
:26:51. > :26:55.problem for the Monday morning rush hour.
:26:56. > :26:57.Tonight's headlines from the BBC: Disgraceful, heartbreaking,
:26:58. > :27:00.institutionalised abuse. Sstrong criticism from a coroner who rules
:27:01. > :27:04.neglect contributed to the deaths of five people in a care home in
:27:05. > :27:10.Sussex. Proposals to cut fuel prices by 5p a litre for those living in
:27:11. > :27:14.more remote rural areas. And new homes for a pound ` buyers get a
:27:15. > :27:18.first look round and find out just how much needs to be done. And on
:27:19. > :27:21.its way back to New Zealand ` a tattooed Maori head found in a
:27:22. > :27:24.university storeroom. Before we go, congratulations to our
:27:25. > :27:27.documentary team here at the BBC in the West Midlands. Inside Out won
:27:28. > :27:30.three trophies at last night's Royal Television Society Awards. It took
:27:31. > :27:33.the diversity award for its film about Tourette's and its programme
:27:34. > :27:37.on Stafford Hospital won Best Current Affairs Feature. Cameraman
:27:38. > :27:45.Gary Darfield won an award for his skills. That was the Midlands Today.
:27:46. > :27:49.I'll be back at ten o'clock Have a great evening. Goodbye.