:00:00. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: The crisis in
:00:10. > :00:12.Birmingham children's services ` branded a national disgrace, now it
:00:13. > :00:24.could be taken over by the Government before Christmas.
:00:25. > :00:27.On children's services are being given a last chance.
:00:28. > :00:31.I'll be talking to the man with the job of trying to sort out the mess.
:00:32. > :00:34.Also tonight: Think about the consequences ` a plea from the
:00:35. > :00:37.mother of the rapper stabbed to death outside a Birmingham
:00:38. > :00:44.nightclub. If you go out tonight and you are
:00:45. > :00:46.carrying a knife, you could be breaking your family's hearts.
:00:47. > :00:49.Cynical and systematic ` a former financial advisor who conned
:00:50. > :00:55.pensioners out of thousands in a property scam.
:00:56. > :00:57.We are glad that the outcome is as it is, and these people will be
:00:58. > :01:01.prevented from carrying on. Special delivery ` Dudley Zoo's new
:01:02. > :01:07.star, a rare Sumatran tiger. There are just 140 left in the wild. And,
:01:08. > :01:12.just in time for the German Christmas market, our weather is
:01:13. > :01:26.getting colder. And work forecast later.
:01:27. > :01:28.Good evening. The job of keeping children safe in Birmingham, which
:01:29. > :01:31.has been labelled a national disgrace, could be taken over by the
:01:32. > :01:35.government before Christmas. The BBC has learned the decision hinges on a
:01:36. > :01:38.review within weeks. So what's gone so wrong? As long ago as 2003,
:01:39. > :01:41.serious questions were asked following the killing of Toni`Ann
:01:42. > :01:46.Byfield, gunned down by drug dealers. In 2008, Khyra Ishaq
:01:47. > :01:51.starved to death ` a preventable tragedy, according to an official
:01:52. > :01:57.review. And then, in 2011, Keanu Williams, murdered by his mother and
:01:58. > :02:00."invisible" to the authorities. In a moment, I'll be talking to the man
:02:01. > :02:05.in charge, but first, here's Cath Mackie.
:02:06. > :02:08.These are some of the children in Birmingham who've died at the hands
:02:09. > :02:12.of those who should have loved them, let down by those who should have
:02:13. > :02:15.protected them. But would the government do a better job than
:02:16. > :02:21.Birmingham City council of keeping children like Keanu Williams safe?
:02:22. > :02:25.He was beaten to death by his mother. Ofsted's about to carry out
:02:26. > :02:27.a review of the city's children's services and, unless there are
:02:28. > :02:33.improvements, the Department for Education will take over.
:02:34. > :02:41.I think that the children services are in the last chance saloon. We
:02:42. > :02:46.look carefully at the report, and if it shows that there is no
:02:47. > :02:52.alternative than to impose different organisation, we will have no
:02:53. > :02:55.situation but to do so. Birmingham children's services seems
:02:56. > :02:58.to be stuck in a vicious circle. They get bad publicity, then can't
:02:59. > :03:01.attract enough social workers. That leads to more failures like Keanu
:03:02. > :03:05.Williams, and that in turn leads to more bad publicity and so it goes
:03:06. > :03:09.on. The question is whether they are doing enough now to break out of
:03:10. > :03:13.that circle and prevent the need for government intervention.
:03:14. > :03:20.The union Unison believes that the government should stay away.
:03:21. > :03:25.We have Ofsted coming in, but who has confidence in them? There is a
:03:26. > :03:32.new director in place and the social workers are working hard.
:03:33. > :03:37.One former social worker believes that a takeover will happen.
:03:38. > :03:43.We need to be prepared for that to happen. We need to work with central
:03:44. > :03:55.government to make sure that the children that we try and protect our
:03:56. > :03:58.put first. It is irrelevant to the children who is running the
:03:59. > :04:05.situation, they just want to be protected.
:04:06. > :04:09.We will talk to Peter Hay now. This is a blow to your department. You
:04:10. > :04:18.have been told to fix things. Why hasn't it happened?
:04:19. > :04:26.We need a clear grip on the safety of children through some basic
:04:27. > :04:31.steps. Staffing, and their adequacy, and creating a coherent is about
:04:32. > :04:37.what we are here to do. That is what will be judged. It is not news to us
:04:38. > :04:42.that those options continue the option of a City Council. What
:04:43. > :04:49.matters is the focus that we bring to the safety of children, and, in
:04:50. > :04:54.particular, an option that carries the ability for staff to do their
:04:55. > :05:00.job as best as possible. You say that you have not had time to put
:05:01. > :05:06.this right, but ten years ago, you had a zero star rating. It is
:05:07. > :05:13.difficult to see what has changed since then.
:05:14. > :05:20.We were dealing with the social services section, it ceased to be
:05:21. > :05:25.the social services sector in 2006 with one star. I have recently been
:05:26. > :05:31.running adult services. The service has not prospered under the split
:05:32. > :05:39.between adult and children's services. So, I have come back to it
:05:40. > :05:44.with a track record of improving it. But nothing seems to have changed in
:05:45. > :05:49.ten years. The Department for Education may have to take it over.
:05:50. > :05:53.Absolutely, I do not like coming back to the situation because of
:05:54. > :05:59.that. The gravity of the situation facing children is something I have
:06:00. > :06:05.been clearer about. The steps to improvement are about that honesty
:06:06. > :06:10.and transparency. That has been reflected by a City Council that is
:06:11. > :06:14.prepared to admit that this will take additional investments as well
:06:15. > :06:22.as improvement and continued focus. The first step to improvement is to
:06:23. > :06:26.to look at some of the fundamental building blocks, can we retain
:06:27. > :06:30.staff? But you have not got time to put
:06:31. > :06:34.anything in place. You will soon be having another review. Is it
:06:35. > :06:40.inevitable that the Department for Education will take over?
:06:41. > :06:45.The City Council is humble enough and focused enough to take the
:06:46. > :06:50.comments on board. I don't know what will happen. It is up to the
:06:51. > :06:55.Secretary of State to make this difficult decision. The judgement
:06:56. > :07:00.should be about what help staff to work with children. What effective
:07:01. > :07:04.services need are enough staff. They need to be able to work with
:07:05. > :07:07.partners. This is a massive problem. Would
:07:08. > :07:12.there be an element of relief if the government took over? It would be
:07:13. > :07:16.someone else's problem. It is not an easy decision. People
:07:17. > :07:23.should not think that there is an easy option. There is no alternative
:07:24. > :07:27.in existence at the moment. It is not about relief, it is about what
:07:28. > :07:34.is best for the children of Birmingham. What would be better?
:07:35. > :07:37.It needs a really serious decision. I do not envy the Secretary of
:07:38. > :07:42.State. Beyond the speculation, people need to realise that nothing
:07:43. > :07:46.like this has happened before and what matters is what is going to
:07:47. > :07:50.work. The City Council believes it can be part of that. It knows it has
:07:51. > :07:54.lost the right to make the decision, but that is what the review is
:07:55. > :08:01.about. Have we got enough grip and have we got a say in the future?
:08:02. > :08:04.Coming up later in the programme: The public don't know who they are
:08:05. > :08:07.and aren't convinced Police and Crime Commissioners are a good idea.
:08:08. > :08:15.Find out how they think they're doing.
:08:16. > :08:18.The mother of a stabbing victim has spoken publicly for the first time
:08:19. > :08:21.since her son's death about the need to educate children on the dangers
:08:22. > :08:24.of knives. Rapper Joshua Ribera, known as Depzman, was attacked at a
:08:25. > :08:27.fundraising event for a friend, who'd been stabbed and killed the
:08:28. > :08:39.year before. Our special correspondent Peter Wilson has this
:08:40. > :08:44.exclusive report. # I just want to go to the front of
:08:45. > :08:47.the queue. #. Joshua Ribera's star was rising. In
:08:48. > :08:51.September, he had an album at number one in the download charts. The MC
:08:52. > :08:56.rapper was tipped for the big time, but a knife to his heart cut his
:08:57. > :08:59.life short at 18. This is the first time that his mother has spoken
:09:00. > :09:05.publicly about the case and her wish to do something about knife crime.
:09:06. > :09:10.It needs to be a long`term investment in young people and in
:09:11. > :09:13.people who have not got enough self`respect and haven't had the
:09:14. > :09:19.love and care that they have deserved. That is the problem. I
:09:20. > :09:23.could sit here and say don't carry a knife. Who am I to tell anyone? If
:09:24. > :09:27.they have not been shown respect and Shannon Love, they Joshua Ribera had
:09:28. > :09:28.been at this nightclub, attending a fundraiser for his friend Kyle
:09:29. > :09:31.Sheehan. Will not listen to me. Ironically,
:09:32. > :09:36.he had been fatally stabbed a year before. Today, detectives have
:09:37. > :09:46.released nine images caught on CCTV of witnesses that they wish to talk
:09:47. > :09:52.to. If it was you who had been killed
:09:53. > :09:57.and your mother in my position, you would want your friends to make this
:09:58. > :10:03.situation as easy for your mother as you possibly could. If anybody knows
:10:04. > :10:08.anyone in these images, you need to come forward, as I hope people would
:10:09. > :10:12.do for you. Joshua was known as Depzman on the
:10:13. > :10:16.music scene .His first royalty cheque was paid the day before he
:10:17. > :10:19.died. He bought his mother a watch. His fans have been distraught and
:10:20. > :10:28.scores of young people visit Alison's home every day.
:10:29. > :10:33.They listen to the lyrics of his songs to guide them through life,
:10:34. > :10:37.and his lyrics, you can look over the last five years and see the
:10:38. > :10:44.growth and the change in his lyrics to positive, strong messages to
:10:45. > :10:50.young people. Fans, as you call them, some of them don't have the
:10:51. > :10:55.guidance and they turned to him for the guidance.
:10:56. > :11:00.Detectives have charged an 18`year`old man with the murder, but
:11:01. > :11:03.they are keen to stress that this is an ongoing investigation and they
:11:04. > :11:13.are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
:11:14. > :11:16.The Stratford`upon`Avon MP Nadhim Zahawi is to pay back almost ?5,000
:11:17. > :11:19.after claiming too much on energy bills. Mr Zahawi is returning all
:11:20. > :11:22.the money, because his supplier couldn't separate electricity used
:11:23. > :11:25.at his house from that used in stables, which he shouldn't have
:11:26. > :11:36.claimed for. The Conservative MP has apologised unreservedly for his
:11:37. > :11:39.mistake. A former financial adviser and
:11:40. > :11:42.financier has been jailed for two years for conning his clients, many
:11:43. > :11:44.of them pensioners. Gary Hexley earned thousands in commissions,
:11:45. > :11:47.even though he'd been declared bankrupt and wasn't authorised to
:11:48. > :11:52.offer financial advice. Giles Latcham reports.
:11:53. > :11:55.A final taste of freedom for Gary Hexley, jailed today by a judge who
:11:56. > :12:00.called his deceit cynical and systematic. But he has a history of
:12:01. > :12:04.double dealing. He said I am setting up a new
:12:05. > :12:07.company. A retired teacher from Sutton
:12:08. > :12:10.Coldfield considered Hexley a friend and invested tens of thousands with
:12:11. > :12:20.him. But when they needed money urgently, there was none.
:12:21. > :12:26.We had a daughter`in`law who was dying of cancer, and we thought,
:12:27. > :12:33.maybe, if we got some money out, we could send her to Switzerland. But
:12:34. > :12:36.we could not. She died. Gary said it would take two or three months to
:12:37. > :12:39.get the money together. Hexley ran a property investment
:12:40. > :12:42.company, Greenfield, but that went into administration with losses of
:12:43. > :12:44.more than ?2 million. Another of his firms, Intellectual Property
:12:45. > :12:48.Limited, collapsed with losses of more than ?1.3 million.
:12:49. > :12:50.Hexley was declared bankrupt, but in spite of this continued trading as a
:12:51. > :13:03.financial advisor, earning ?74,000 in commissions.
:13:04. > :13:08.Jailing him for two years, the judge said that his was a deliberate
:13:09. > :13:11.enterprise to exploit the trust placed in him by his clients, many
:13:12. > :13:19.of whom were elderly and vulnerable. I think he heard lots of pensioners
:13:20. > :13:21.who were not able to appreciate investments. He took advantage of
:13:22. > :13:24.our ignorance. Some of his clients battled
:13:25. > :13:42.successfully for compensation. Others are left only with regrets.
:13:43. > :13:44.Our top story: The crisis in Birmingham children's services,
:13:45. > :13:57.branded a national disgrace, it could be taken over by Christmas.
:13:58. > :14:00.Also in tonight's programme, how a team effort to get more women
:14:01. > :14:02.involved in sport is paying off in Shropshire.
:14:03. > :14:06.And from Germany to the Black Country ` one of the rarest tigers
:14:07. > :14:17.on Earth with an important job to do at Dudley Zoo It's a year since 41
:14:18. > :14:20.Police and Crime Commissioners were elected across England and Wales.
:14:21. > :14:22.The controversial, high`profile positions were created to replace
:14:23. > :14:26.police authorities and ensure forces are run effectively. But a new poll
:14:27. > :14:29.commissioned by the BBC found many people are still to be convinced
:14:30. > :14:33.about whether they're needed. Here's Ben Godfrey.
:14:34. > :14:36.The Police and Crime Commissioner is supposed to put ordinary people at
:14:37. > :14:40.the heart of policing. But with less than 15% turnout at the election
:14:41. > :14:45.last November, it was clear that would be difficult.
:14:46. > :14:48.Nowhere did the message gets across. I don't think people
:14:49. > :14:54.understood what the change was about.
:14:55. > :14:58.One year on, and there's confusion. A survey for the BBC found that 36%
:14:59. > :15:02.of people in the Midlands were not aware their region has a PCC. 44%
:15:03. > :15:05.thought they'd had a positive impact on policing generally. While more
:15:06. > :15:11.than half said they had no impact on levels of crime.
:15:12. > :15:15.It has not been a success everywhere, but it has been a
:15:16. > :15:19.success in most places. A year ago I came here to Wem in
:15:20. > :15:22.Shropshire to ask people what they expected from a Commissioner. They
:15:23. > :15:24.said visible policing and less crime, particularly anti`social
:15:25. > :15:30.behaviour. So how are they doing? I don't know what they do. I don't
:15:31. > :15:35.understand what their purpose is. They are in charge of the police
:15:36. > :15:40.forces, and there is not enough. I do think there should be more
:15:41. > :15:46.police and there are a few more, actually.
:15:47. > :15:48.One four year term is enough for Bill Longmore. The West Mercia
:15:49. > :15:51.Commissioner has survived two "votes of No confidence" but says he's an
:15:52. > :15:56.effective player. People will see how much work we
:15:57. > :16:05.have done. Really, the result of the first 12 months will begin to show.
:16:06. > :16:15.Would you stand for another term? I think I deserve some rest in my
:16:16. > :16:18.life. Bob Jones is, reluctantly, the West
:16:19. > :16:21.Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner. That's because he
:16:22. > :16:25.wants to scrap his job. He's trying to recruit 450 police officers.
:16:26. > :16:27.You say that you don't believe in the role, so why don't you step
:16:28. > :16:34.down? I don't think it is the best way,
:16:35. > :16:38.but it is the only way, and I think it is important that someone who can
:16:39. > :16:41.avoid the risks is in the job. I think I can do a better job than the
:16:42. > :16:46.people who think the job is unsinkable.
:16:47. > :16:49.Ron Ball didn't expect controversy but he found it. Warwickshire's
:16:50. > :16:53.Commissioner told me he's been trying to build an alliance with the
:16:54. > :16:55.West Mercia force. But the former airline pilot has suffered political
:16:56. > :16:58.turbulence. He's on a collision course with the
:16:59. > :17:01.Home Secretary, who appeared to suggest he'd been too quick to
:17:02. > :17:05.defend local forces police caught up in the row over what was or wasn't
:17:06. > :17:10.said to police in Downing Street by Sutton Coldfield MP, Andrew
:17:11. > :17:14.Mitchell. I don't think that is acceptable. I have written to the
:17:15. > :17:19.Home Secretary saying, under the circumstances, I think I am owed an
:17:20. > :17:25.apology. Format you Alice, partnerships are
:17:26. > :17:32.helping to rehabilitate people. The police have stopped this man
:17:33. > :17:35.from a life of burglary. The commission wants to put more cash
:17:36. > :17:41.into changing the lifestyle of offenders, while working with
:17:42. > :17:46.voluntary groups. You said that you would like to
:17:47. > :17:52.invest more than ?1 million, but your budget is only ?1 million.
:17:53. > :17:55.Where does the money come from? We find the money.
:17:56. > :18:01.We have already made savings whilst we have been involved in policing. I
:18:02. > :18:05.believe that you have to be bold. You have to spend money in the right
:18:06. > :18:11.place. You have to stop spending money where it does not make
:18:12. > :18:15.difference. One year on, the PCCs still have a
:18:16. > :18:18.message to sell. And yes, they're even heading to the supermarket to
:18:19. > :18:27.win support, after a year in which politics and policing have collided
:18:28. > :18:30.spectacularly. Tomorrow, it's Children in Need and
:18:31. > :18:32.all week we're featuring projects which have benefited from your
:18:33. > :18:35.generosity. A charity in Warwickshire helps child victims of
:18:36. > :18:40.sexual abuse. Tina is a trained counsellor. The words of two of the
:18:41. > :18:48.children she's worked with are spoken by actors. You may find some
:18:49. > :18:55.of this report upsetting. I am supported by Children in Need
:18:56. > :18:59.to help children who have experienced sexual abuse. Two of the
:19:00. > :19:07.children will shed their story today.
:19:08. > :19:13.It started when I was ten. I was playing outside, and he started
:19:14. > :19:17.massaging my feet. Then it went a step too far. That is how it
:19:18. > :19:23.started. It did not go on that long. Two
:19:24. > :19:27.separate occasions, but one lasted four hours. I thought he was someone
:19:28. > :19:32.I could trust, but he kept me away from everyone else.
:19:33. > :19:39.At the time, I didn't feel anything, but when I got home, I told my
:19:40. > :19:43.mother and then I felt guilty. I saw my mum so sad, but it was only when
:19:44. > :19:48.I was older that I realised what had happened.
:19:49. > :19:52.I got angry that I stopped doing things, but nothing seemed to happen
:19:53. > :19:55.to him. After the sessions, I realised I did not do anything
:19:56. > :20:01.wrong. I told my mother, and you have to
:20:02. > :20:07.trust someone. I told someone I trusted.
:20:08. > :20:11.The organisation gave me a different kind of support. As much as my
:20:12. > :20:15.mother wanted to help me, she could not do it. It has been helpful and
:20:16. > :20:21.it has change my behaviour at school.
:20:22. > :20:27.I still get down. It can't cure everything, but it has benefited me.
:20:28. > :20:33.I would say wake up, it is happening. I know it is
:20:34. > :20:37.uncomfortable, because I listen to it every day. But it is happening,
:20:38. > :20:47.and we need to support these children and give them a voice.
:20:48. > :20:50.And you can donate to Children in Need ahead of tomorrow by calling
:20:51. > :20:56.03457 332233, and there's more information on the website.
:20:57. > :20:58.One of the main aims of the Olympics was to increase sports
:20:59. > :21:02.participation. One club in Shropshire has done that in style,
:21:03. > :21:05.and it's not even an Olympic sport. The game's netball, the club's in
:21:06. > :21:08.Shrewsbury and it's a contender for newcomer of the year at the West
:21:09. > :21:14.Midlands Community Sports Awards. Here's Lura May McMullan.
:21:15. > :21:22.Getting youngsters fit, focused and having fun is the aim of this
:21:23. > :21:27.netball club in Shrewsbury. The group was set up over a year ago
:21:28. > :21:30.to encourage more junior participation. The response has been
:21:31. > :21:36.fantastic. We started off with four or five
:21:37. > :21:40.girls. Now we have 80 girls. We have done really well. We have
:21:41. > :21:45.won two games. I have played since I was really
:21:46. > :21:51.little, but the coaches give you so much passion.
:21:52. > :21:57.I would like to go all the way. Especially with my coaches, they
:21:58. > :22:00.have really inspired me. Huge fundraising efforts and
:22:01. > :22:08.donations also mean that the girls get a kit and pay small fees.
:22:09. > :22:12.We are all one big family. They give them so much. They get their
:22:13. > :22:16.exercise, their confidence, and they become part of a family.
:22:17. > :22:29.New members are joining them weekly.
:22:30. > :22:32.An endangered breed of tiger moved into Dudley Zoo today. The Sumatran
:22:33. > :22:37.tiger has been brought over from Germany as part of a conservation
:22:38. > :22:42.programme. Our reporter Kevin Reide is at the Zoo for us ` how rare is
:22:43. > :22:48.this tiger? It is incredibly rare. The official
:22:49. > :22:53.description is that it is critically endangered. It is believed that
:22:54. > :23:02.there are very few of these tigers left. The arrival of Joe is seen as
:23:03. > :23:07.a good step. He is not in the enclosure behind me, he is in the
:23:08. > :23:13.Tiger house. In morning of excitement and anticipation, as they
:23:14. > :23:18.waited the arrival of the Tiger. Finally, a glimpse as they waited
:23:19. > :23:23.for him to be moved into his new home. He was put into the enclosure
:23:24. > :23:28.by crane and then released into the house.
:23:29. > :23:32.The zookeeper is trying to calm him down. We hope to enter the enclosure
:23:33. > :23:39.sooner. Finally, he was, off to face the
:23:40. > :23:43.camera, although he was grumpy. He is very rare.
:23:44. > :23:47.He is thought to be one of only a few of these tigers left on the
:23:48. > :23:54.planet. There are said to be more tiger rugs in the world than there
:23:55. > :24:01.are of these actual tigers. He seems OK.
:24:02. > :24:10.That he is growling. What does that mean? He has had a big change. He
:24:11. > :24:17.used to live with his sisters in Germany, but now he is alone.
:24:18. > :24:23.His former home was near Frankfurt. He is now going to be with another
:24:24. > :24:30.tiger who is settled at Dudley Zoo. It is a magnificent animal. The
:24:31. > :24:34.conservation, bringing tigers to the public, we will hopefully get the
:24:35. > :24:39.message across. Eight tiger cubs have been born at
:24:40. > :24:44.the zoo in the last few years, and hopefully more will be.
:24:45. > :24:50.He looks beautiful. When will he have visitors? Over the next few
:24:51. > :24:55.days, he will be a climate I then to his new environment.
:24:56. > :25:01.Then he will be introduced to his new mate. While they meet each other
:25:02. > :25:05.and get to know each other, it could be a bit snow fracking, but it is
:25:06. > :25:11.thought that they will get to know each other, because they are young.
:25:12. > :25:15.But it is hoped that people will be able to visit them by next week. A
:25:16. > :25:22.reminder that Dudley Zoo is open all year round.
:25:23. > :25:29.It is just six weeks until Christmas. We have sent our reporter
:25:30. > :25:35.out to the German market. Will be winter weather be here?
:25:36. > :25:45.Maybe not tonight, but it should be later this week.
:25:46. > :25:55.It is cold tonight, but people are still at the market. This market
:25:56. > :26:00.will last until late in December. We are expecting 4 million visitors to
:26:01. > :26:04.visit the market. It is the biggest German market outside Germany and
:26:05. > :26:12.Austria. Although it has been cold here, it has been even cold in
:26:13. > :26:18.Frankfurt. It will be one degree that night. That is not too
:26:19. > :26:22.different from here, the temperatures will be around to
:26:23. > :26:28.Celsius tonight. The clear skies that we had to end the day will
:26:29. > :26:33.stick with us. The wind, that made it colder today, that will drop. The
:26:34. > :26:39.temperatures will fall away and we could cease and frost tomorrow. A
:26:40. > :26:44.cold start to our Friday, but it should be quite cloudy during the
:26:45. > :26:49.day. Then, there will be some brightness in the eastern areas.
:26:50. > :26:53.Temperatures not too different than they have been today. However,
:26:54. > :26:58.having said that, without those wins, it will be milder. In the
:26:59. > :27:07.sunshine, it will be pleasant. We will have that cloud on Saturday.
:27:08. > :27:12.Further south, we watched is `` see some clear spells. We will see some
:27:13. > :27:17.mist and frog on Saturday. It will be a mild night. Into the weekend,
:27:18. > :27:21.it will be milder. There will be a cold front, with
:27:22. > :27:28.some rain. We will get a different air mass, which means that things
:27:29. > :27:34.will get much colder next week. Eyes, frost and snow in the
:27:35. > :27:39.forecast. I will be back at 10pm, when we will
:27:40. > :27:45.be finding out what social workers think about the crisis of social
:27:46. > :27:47.care and children's services in Birmingham. Goodbye.