03/12/2013 Midlands Today


03/12/2013

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BBC weather website. That is it all from the BBC's News

:00:00.:00:00.

Hello, welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight.

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As thousands of cannabis plants are grown in suburban homes across the

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West Midlands, could this be the latest weapon in the fight against

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drugs? Scratch and sniff cards. Each property that is used as a cannabis

:00:20.:00:25.

farm is not housing a family or other people who are in housing

:00:26.:00:28.

need. We'll be asking an expert about the increasing problem of

:00:29.:00:30.

cannabis farms across the region. Also tonight, a criminal

:00:31.:00:33.

investigation begins into the death of a 90`year`old patient at Stafford

:00:34.:00:38.

Hospital five years ago. One of the best of his generation `

:00:39.:00:42.

the funeral takes place of a Staffordshire soldier killed by a

:00:43.:00:48.

suicide bomber in Afghanistan. He was a smashing guy, a professional

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soldier. A brilliant dad and a fantastic husband.

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The new wave of bands known as B`Town, adding a new chapter to

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Birmingham's rich musical history. And while some are calling it an

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Arctic blast, others might say it was just a brief windy spell with a

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dip in temperatures. Either way, it's coming. All the details for you

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later. Good evening. A surge in the number

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of cannabis farms on inner`city estates has prompted the council to

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give scratch and sniff cards to raise awareness among residents. It

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is hoped they will help police drive drugs off our streets. Birmingham

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city council say they evicted 20 residents for cultivating cannabis

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in their homes. West Midlands Police say they have destroyed more than

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400 cannabis farms at this year alone and with each plant estimated

:01:50.:01:55.

to be worth ?450 each, it is a big business that can ruin communities.

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In a suburban street in Birmingham, this is what is going on behind

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sealed windows. Cannabis farms. The criminals tapped into the main

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delicacy supplier, putting the safety of the house and neighbours

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at risk. This cannabis farm is being destroyed. It is on a lovely

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residential street in Birmingham. Whilst many people think that

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cannabis is harmless, these farms are being run by organised crime

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gangs and the question is, how would you feel living next door to one?

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This man is still worried about drug dealers in his community after a

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cannabis farm was raided in his street. There are decent people

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living here. We don't want this problem. I wanted quiet life. I

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don't want to be living with 90 or a hundred people a day wandering

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around the block. Birmingham City Council say they have a zero

:02:57.:03:00.

tolerance approach to cannabis farms. They have already arrested

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people this year. It's not just people having a few plants on the

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balcony. It is taking over entire properties and bringing undesirable

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people into the road at all hours of the day. Cannabis scented scratch

:03:15.:03:20.

and sniff cards are now being issued to help the public identify the

:03:21.:03:26.

drugs in communities. But can a scented card be an essential part of

:03:27.:03:32.

a good citizen's toolkit? I wouldn't be able to tell if it was cannabis

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or not? No. Just a funny, grassy smell. It would register. I don't

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know what cannabis smells like! Police cannabis disposal experts say

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the cards are drawing attention to a problem. It is representative of the

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smell. There are lots of different strains of cannabis but this

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educates people. Anyone who thinks there may be a cannabis farm in

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their neighbourhood can contact Crimestoppers.

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With us as Marcio Dixon who helps people in the community with

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problems. Good evening. What you think the scratch and sniff cards? I

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agree that the police need to be doing as much as they can to raise

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the profile that they are doing something about is you. And also

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involving communities and make them more aware. Do using these will

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help? Potentially. There will be some people who won't mind

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contacting the police to let them know information and other people

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will stay away from that kind of involvement. How big is the problem

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with the cannabis farms in the immunity? We have seen a lot of

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people coming through who were using `` you are using cannabis who were

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not using it before. That may or may not be a direct result of having

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more cannabis farms around. But with the economic downturn that we have,

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people look at different ways of being able to earn. We talk about

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cannabis farms, can you explain what they are? It is a way of describing

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a place that people have set up. It could be just somebody's living room

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or bedroom. It could be the entire flat. That has been converted. What

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are the problems for young people taking cannabis? We have seen with

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young people that they are taking cannabis from the age of 12 or 13.

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That young? Yes. People are talking about their drug issues and why they

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were using from an early age so we are able to see that some people are

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suffering from mental health problems. The jury is still out,

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were they predisposed or has the cannabis sparked that? It is

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difficult to say but some of the impact that we have seen is

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financially, mental health and that fascination `` and the observation

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that people are more withdrawn. Coming up later in the programme,

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why a Warwickshire town's trying to become the first in the region to be

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designated 'dementia`friendly'. For the second time, a criminal

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investigation is underway into the death of a patient at Stafford

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Hospital. It follows a major review by Staffordshire Police and the

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Health and Safety Executive into death at the hospital between 2005

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in 2009. The latest investigation will focus on the death of a 90 year

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madwoman in 2008. Liz Kopper joins us from Stafford Hospital. What do

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we know about this latest case? This is the case of 90`year`old IV barn

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`` IV barn. She came here after she suffered a fall in her home in

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Stafford. Over the next four days, she had a further three falls at the

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hospital, commentating in her death. Details of her case are being passed

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from the police to the Health and Safety Executive who will be taking

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the X `` examination further. This follows the case of Gillian Astbury

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where there was an HSE prosecution. In her case, the trust pleaded

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guilty. We are expecting a sentence in the New Year. What further

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details have the police given? They have given us details of the

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progress of the investigation. You get a sense of the scale and scope

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of that investigation. 209 cases are being looked at. A specially trained

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team of officers is looking at the evidence. All the families have

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their own designated police officer to keep them in touch. So what next,

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lays? The police have another 173 cases to look at and they say it is

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complicated by the nature of the investigation. In some of those

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cases, the police have yet to trace relatives of the patient in the

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hospital. This investigation involves not only the police, also

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the CPS, the Care Quality Commission, the nursing admin `` the

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Nursing and Midwifery Council. So it shows how all`encompassing the

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investigation is. The funeral is taking place of a

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soldier from Staffordshire who was described as one of the best of his

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generation. Warrant Officer Ian Fisher of the 3rd Battalion, was

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blown up in how manned. `` was blown up in how manned.

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A straight talking soldier, one of the best many of us had ever worked

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with. At Lichfield Cathedral, serving soldiers and old soldiers

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pay their respects. It has left an entire regiment numb. When he comes

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`` I still keep thinking he will come back on the next flight. He had

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been a master of Warrior tanks. He had relished the strategy of

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manoeuvring them to keep his troops say. He was 42 years old. He leaves

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behind a widow and two young sons. Ian Fisher was the 446 member of the

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armed forces to be killed in Afghanistan since 1991. The kernel

:10:10.:10:12.

of the regiment said that he had lost count of the number of funerals

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like this he had attended. `` the Army colonel. As we face a

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determined and very capable foe, we also need to match and over match

:10:28.:10:33.

him in everything we do. I am very confident that we do `` what we do

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as an Army is supported by the people whom we serve. Warrant

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Officer Ian Fisher ask for the music from the film Gladiator to be played

:10:47.:10:50.

at his funeral. A soldier to the end.

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A hundred and forty jobs are at risk after the Birmingham`based

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stationery firm Osbournes went into administration. Staff at its head

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office and 20 branches were told today. The company was founded as a

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printers in the city centre in 1832. All of the stores are being kept

:11:17.:11:20.

open in the run up to Christmas ` and it's hoped a buyer can be found.

:11:21.:11:24.

It has been a difficult time for the high Street which has come and it is

:11:25.:11:27.

in making losses over the last two years. The decision was made by the

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directors to place the company into administration. That would give it

:11:34.:11:35.

the best chance of finding a positive solution. The Chief

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Constable of the West Midlands has announced he's ending the practice

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of forcing police officers to retire once they've completed 30 years

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service. It follows a consultation about the use of the A19 pension

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regulation which has resulted in 559 officers leaving since it was

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brought in in March 2011. As well as now being able to keep experienced

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staff the force also plans to start recruiting next year.

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Anyone caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs over the

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festive period is to be named online by West Midlands Police. They're

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also offering 200 pounds to anyone who reports a driver who's

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subsequently convicted. The names of people charged will be published on

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the police website and on twitter. Protesters from the Midlands

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fighting for the removal of shared space road layouts, where cars,

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buses and pedestrians have equal priority, have taken their campaign

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to Westminster. The group, calling itself Sea of Change, want traffic

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lights put back on various road schemes in Coventry, Warwick and

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Leek town centres. They say they don't feel safe but official figures

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show the crossings are safer than what they replaced.

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This is the film that the campaign group Sea of Change took to

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Westminster. It shows a blind people struggling to deal with so`called

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shared spaces in Warwick and commentary. Coventry resident Jim

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Smallman is featured, he has long campaigned against them. I hope the

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government will listen to our problems. They have taken our lights

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away. But them back so that we can use our city like we used to. The

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campaign has been organised by Sarah Gayton who became involved when a

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similar scheme was introduced in another town. Blind schema `` blind

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people are being excluded from the city centre. They are staying at

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home. Today, their film was screened to a selected audience including

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MPs, and people from the Dutch embassy from where the idea of

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shared spaces originated. But it is insisted that traffic lights for

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strivers to slow down. Statistics show there has been a fall in

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accidents at junctions like these. The speed of cars has also fallen

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from around 24 mph to 60 mph. In the five years before this was implement

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it, there were 16 accidents. Since then, it there have been none. It is

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safer than it ever was. The statistics may be stark, but Guide

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Dogs for the Blind want things to be done. The council have listen to

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some of our suggestions, but they have ignored others. You end up in

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an area like this that blind and partially sighted people cannot

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access. The council is under pressure to add traffic lights but

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they insist that that would put more people at risk.

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Our top story tonight, as the number of cannabis factories surge ``

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surges across our region, residents are being given scratch and sniff

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cards they can detect the drug. Your weekend weather forecast comes

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later. Also, a new sound wafting across

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Birmingham, the new guitar bands known as B`Town. And with the

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weather getting colder, we find out if the gritters are ready and who

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decides where and when to send them out.

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If you have a story that we should be covering, please get in touch.

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You can e`mail us or reach us on Facebook.

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A Warwickshire town is aiming to be the first dimension friendly

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community. There are millions of people with dementia in the UK with

:15:59.:16:02.

numbers set to rise to 1.7 million in the UK `` I2018. An estimated 21

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million people in England have a close friend or family member with

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dementia. The Alzheimer's Society believes more should be done to

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reduce the stigma, a bit `` amid concerns people with the disease and

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feel isolated. In the 1960s, Ted Hemming was a male

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supermodel. His face was seen on billboards around the world. Today,

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the 75`year`old struggles to recall much of his exuberant youth. Ted has

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Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. He grew up in

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Ulster, and he is here with his wife ready to convince people that

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dementia can affect anyone. I would come home and found him wandering

:16:57.:17:00.

around. In the end `` in the past, it was not talked about. It was

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like, mental illness, you mustn't say anything. Now it is out in the

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open. From shops to public transport, the Alzheimer's Society

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is challenging people to create a dimension friendly community. There

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are criteria, including a willingness to breakdown stigma,

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increasing awareness of the condition and also local health

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professionals should ensure access to early diagnosis. The Alcesterr

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campaign opened here two years ago. Families affected me tear to share

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stories. This woman's mother died a few years ago with the disease. We

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do singing and dancing, she would have had a go at it. Just because

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you have dementia, you don't forget what you used to do. Ted Hemming has

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been used to fronting campaigns but this one is closest to his heart.

:17:59.:18:10.

We are joined by David Ash, Midlands operations manager for the L Simon

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Society. What is the picture for the West Midlands, do we have a figure

:18:15.:18:23.

for the numbers? The picture around diagnosis rates is varied. 64% of

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people get a diagnosis but only 32% in other parts get a diagnosis.

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Herefordshire is the worst for diagnosis in the UK. What do you

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make of the idea of a dimension friendly community? It is a really

:18:43.:18:49.

lovely initiative. The idea being that dimension friendly communities

:18:50.:18:53.

allow people to engage in the community, very often with people ``

:18:54.:19:00.

people with a diagnosis withdrawing to a family unit. A lot of their

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friends do not want to talk to them because it is awkward or difficult.

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A dimension friendly community mean that more people will be aware of

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dementia and organisations within the community will also be aware.

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They will be able to engage in their community and feel more supported.

:19:23.:19:27.

Perhaps this could be done in Herefordshire, why is it so bad in

:19:28.:19:32.

that county? It is difficult to say. Sometimes it is around resources.

:19:33.:19:40.

Sometimes there is no not the organisation. Some councils have put

:19:41.:19:47.

money into memory clinics. A great example of a dimension friendly

:19:48.:19:51.

community is the Courtyard Theatre in Herefordshire which has done

:19:52.:19:55.

loads of work to raise awareness of dementia. But we also need loads of

:19:56.:20:02.

good as Asians to sign up as dementia friends.

:20:03.:20:08.

There is a new type of music in the air to add to Birmingham's musical

:20:09.:20:14.

heritage. Bands like Duran Duran have sold millions of records but a

:20:15.:20:20.

more recent scene has emerged in B`Town, based around guitar bands.

:20:21.:20:34.

The glory days returning the city? In rehearsals for their biggest

:20:35.:20:44.

headline tour so far. Peace are a big band. This scene has been around

:20:45.:20:51.

for a lot longer, people are just starting to notice. The National

:20:52.:21:00.

music and media have labelled the current music scene B`Town. Peace's

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album has made the top 20. I guess we were lucky, we were always making

:21:12.:21:25.

the first impression a bit. But it is not just Peace glove enjoyed

:21:26.:21:33.

chart success. Swim Deep have also seen their album go top 20. But not

:21:34.:21:38.

everybody in Birmingham wants to be associated with the B`Town band. It

:21:39.:21:43.

started to great with people in Birmingham. There was a backlash

:21:44.:21:47.

with people saying they didn't want to be called a B`Town band. But it

:21:48.:21:54.

had people talking about Birmingham. They were not

:21:55.:21:56.

necessarily have talked about the city before. `` they would not

:21:57.:22:05.

necessarily. Despite the hype, the two biggest musical successes to

:22:06.:22:08.

come out of Birmingham have got nothing to do with B`Town. The

:22:09.:22:11.

re`emergence of black sabbath saw their new album topped the charts

:22:12.:22:21.

across the world. And soul singer Laura Mvula's debut album was a top

:22:22.:22:27.

ten Hill `` top ten hit. She was also a big winner of a MOBO award.

:22:28.:22:38.

Despite getting the publicity, Peace are keen to lose the B`Town label

:22:39.:22:43.

and forge their own identity. No one is ashamed to say that they started

:22:44.:22:49.

in Birmingham, . It hasn't been a hindrance. B`Town may be a fad, but

:22:50.:22:59.

with Peace doing their tool up to `` in front of 3000 fans in Birmingham,

:23:00.:23:04.

the biggest band to come out of the scene could have a much longer

:23:05.:23:11.

appeal. The weather forecast in a moment. It

:23:12.:23:15.

is due to get colder. The gritters will be on stand`by, but who decides

:23:16.:23:24.

where to send them, and when? Last winter, Staffordshire's

:23:25.:23:27.

highways team were coping with freezing temperatures and snow fall

:23:28.:23:33.

between December and April. The team is ready and waiting in case it

:23:34.:23:37.

should happen again. But it is not as simple as watching the forecast.

:23:38.:23:41.

There is a science as to how much grit goes down. This tells us what

:23:42.:23:47.

the weather is going to be like for the next week. We can see that it is

:23:48.:23:52.

going to be cold overnight for the next five or seven days. So we need

:23:53.:23:57.

to get ready for action and we will probably get `` be going out

:23:58.:24:03.

gritting. The data includes the ground temperature and weather snow

:24:04.:24:07.

is likely or not. Unlike regional forecasts, it can forecast exact

:24:08.:24:13.

conditions on different roads. This is one of several weather stations

:24:14.:24:16.

around Staffordshire. It records weather conditions around it which

:24:17.:24:20.

is sent to the depot which knows where to great. Tonnes of great have

:24:21.:24:27.

already been stockpiled with an extra 10,000 tonnes in reserve. That

:24:28.:24:30.

should keep us moving and there is a science about how it works. It is

:24:31.:24:34.

mixed with Brian and molasses to make sure it sticks to the road.

:24:35.:24:39.

What we are trying to do is get the right amount of this, sold, or

:24:40.:24:44.

great, onto the road, mixed to the moisture on the road, so it stops it

:24:45.:24:50.

freezing. It does not stop there. High`tech gritting lorries are

:24:51.:24:54.

helping those that go out to keep us moving. It can control the width of

:24:55.:24:59.

the spread, the angle of the spread and how much we apply. And with the

:25:00.:25:04.

cold weather only just starting, there is a busy few months in wait

:25:05.:25:11.

for our teens. Probably not cold enough for

:25:12.:25:13.

gritting yet, but who knows? The gritters will need to be out

:25:14.:25:23.

later in the week, because it is turning colder. All the hype

:25:24.:25:27.

surrounding the Arctic blast is probably not worth the bother. It is

:25:28.:25:31.

only with us for a brief period of time and it is will `` it will be

:25:32.:25:37.

mainly affecting the Northern part of the country, not the Midlands.

:25:38.:25:41.

This is how I would sum up the next bit of the week, it will be windy on

:25:42.:25:46.

Thursday and colder by Friday. It is this area to the north`east with the

:25:47.:25:53.

tightly packed isobars and the cold from sinking southwards during

:25:54.:25:57.

Thursday. Behind that is the colder air. We can see what is going on in

:25:58.:26:02.

Technicolor and in pictures from this air mass child. Milder air

:26:03.:26:06.

coming across on Thursday but it is on the cusp of his colder air which

:26:07.:26:11.

will be rushing along with these north`westerly winds behind it. That

:26:12.:26:14.

is what is bringing the cold to riches on Friday. Tonight, a lot of

:26:15.:26:24.

cold air with a cold front. That is bringing light, patchy rain. But we

:26:25.:26:28.

are looking at the odd heavy burst in that. It is moving quickly. As it

:26:29.:26:35.

clears, temperatures fall. There is just the slim chance of a bit of ice

:26:36.:26:43.

on untreated services because of the damp and falling to bridges. This

:26:44.:26:47.

rain will be clearing southwards tomorrow morning. Then a largely dry

:26:48.:26:52.

day. Just the odd shower. In a lot of sunshine developing from the

:26:53.:26:58.

North. Ten bridges will rise to about 79 `` seven or nine Celsius.

:26:59.:27:07.

Tomorrow night, the skies were clear so we are looking a fairly

:27:08.:27:11.

widespread frost. It images below freezing in the countryside. ``

:27:12.:27:25.

temperatures below freezing. The headlines. Britain's

:27:26.:27:36.

schoolchildren for further behind in the global classroom. And a surge in

:27:37.:27:40.

the number of cannabis farms across the West Midlands. A criminal

:27:41.:27:45.

investigation into the death of a 90`year`old woman at Stafford

:27:46.:27:47.

Hospital. I will be

:27:48.:27:49.

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