:00:11. > :00:15.Good evening. West Midlands Ambulance Service dealt with a
:00:16. > :00:18.record amount of emergency 999 calls in the early hours of the New Year,
:00:19. > :00:23.averaging four emergency calls a minute. More than 200 ambulances and
:00:24. > :00:26.100 paramedics were on call. Between 1am and 2am this morning, the
:00:27. > :00:32.control room saw an increase of 8% on last year's record levels. Last
:00:33. > :00:38.year was busy. We had a 50% rise. This year in the peak period, we had
:00:39. > :00:44.an 8% rise in calls again above last year. A lot of them were
:00:45. > :00:57.alcohol`related. We were dealing with about a 909 call every 15
:00:58. > :01:00.seconds. `` 999. A pioneering support centre for
:01:01. > :01:03.former military personnel is hoping to increase its work this year by
:01:04. > :01:07.becoming a charity. Over the last three years, more than 600 people
:01:08. > :01:17.have been helped by the Veterans' Contact Point in Warwickshire. Laura
:01:18. > :01:20.May McMullan reports. Luke McCloskey left the Royal Marines at the start
:01:21. > :01:24.of year. The Veterans' Contact Point advised him on how to set up and
:01:25. > :01:27.market his bootcamp business. A lot of the time, people are confused and
:01:28. > :01:39.they are not sure what to do. People do struggle a lot. It is just here
:01:40. > :01:44.support. We have had 75 enquiries. Len has always offered a helping
:01:45. > :01:47.hand. Little did he know it would lead to setting up a vital support
:01:48. > :01:54.service for ex`service men and women. We have transferable skills.
:01:55. > :01:58.After 24 years in the military himself, he knows how difficult it
:01:59. > :02:05.can be to adapt to civilian life. You are not used to going out,
:02:06. > :02:09.budgeting, looking for work, making your money last the month.
:02:10. > :02:17.Everything is provided for you in the military. Without this, I would
:02:18. > :02:22.be dead. Meeting other veterans, that alone, it cheered me up no end.
:02:23. > :02:29.They have renewed my forklift licence. They got me my card. I put
:02:30. > :02:35.me on a course to work on the railways. In the last three years,
:02:36. > :02:42.they have helped more than 600 people. It has been set up with the
:02:43. > :02:48.help of various partners. There is a wide`ranging charities all under one
:02:49. > :02:56.roof. The volunteers say there is always help here for veterans.
:02:57. > :03:01.The president of West Bromwich Albion John Silk has died at the age
:03:02. > :03:05.of 89. Mr Silk was made a club director in 1984 and became chairman
:03:06. > :03:13.in 1988, a position he held for four years. He became president in 2003.
:03:14. > :03:16.So flags flew at half mast at the Hawthorns today as West Brom beat
:03:17. > :03:19.Newcastle in the Premier League with a late penalty from Saido Berahino.
:03:20. > :03:22.Stoke went ahead through Oussama Assaidi. But Everton equalised in
:03:23. > :03:24.the last minute. And Aston Villa won at Sunderland, thanks to Gabby
:03:25. > :03:27.Agbonlahor. In the Championship, Birmingham are
:03:28. > :03:30.now unbeaten in ten games, but had to settle for a point against
:03:31. > :03:38.Barnsley. In League One, Shrewsbury won 2`1 at
:03:39. > :03:42.Oldham. Port Vale lost 3`2 at Preston. Three late goals inspired
:03:43. > :03:44.Coventry to victory at Rotherham. A one`all draw there between Tranmere
:03:45. > :03:47.and second`placed Wolves. And Walsall sit seventh after beating
:03:48. > :03:53.Sheffield United 2`1. In League Two, Cheltenham's game was
:03:54. > :03:57.postponed. Burton are up to second place after a point at Mansfield.
:03:58. > :03:58.Well, there's been plenty of rain around today. Rebecca Wood has the
:03:59. > :04:07.weather forecast. A rather wet night to come. Heavy
:04:08. > :04:13.downpours expected. The other weather warning in place for heavy
:04:14. > :04:16.rain particularly across Herefordshire `` a yellow weather
:04:17. > :04:21.warning. The showers continue through the next few hours and
:04:22. > :04:27.overnight. By the time we make it into the early hours of tomorrow, it
:04:28. > :04:32.will clear. Still gusty. Tomorrow will be a day to dry out. We have
:04:33. > :04:37.plenty of sunny spells to come. Isolated showers here and there.
:04:38. > :04:44.Temperatures not doing too badly. The sunshine will help. By Thursday,
:04:45. > :04:47.we still have another band of rain to come. That is with us as we make
:04:48. > :04:54.our way into Friday. Strong winds to come. Unsettled weather for the next
:04:55. > :04:59.few days. The National forecast in a moment.
:05:00. > :05:02.We are back at 10:40pm. Goodbye for now.
:05:03. > :05:15.unsettled weekend. I'll be back after 10:30pm tonight.
:05:16. > :05:26.Hello. It is a New Year but it is the same old weather. Flood warnings
:05:27. > :05:31.are on the rise. The flood line number is on screen if you are at
:05:32. > :05:36.all concerned. Still some rain to come this evening and overnight
:05:37. > :05:41.Still some heavy bursts. It will push the way towards the east taking
:05:42. > :05:46.the strongest winds with it. It did in temperature across the Highlands.
:05:47. > :05:51.Temperatures are holding up fairly well. Tomorrow, I can offer you a
:05:52. > :06:02.glimpse of brightness. Quite it isn't over getting out and about.
:06:03. > :06:07.Many places staying dry. -- quite a decent day for getting out and
:06:08. > :06:10.about. There will be some long, dry spells and a decent amount of
:06:11. > :06:12.sunshine as well. Temperature