:00:00. > :00:00.perhaps 48 hours of drier weather for many of us. But between now
:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight:
:00:08. > :00:10.Wrongly portrayed as scroungers ` a furious reaction from Birmingham
:00:11. > :00:20.residents on benefits featured in a controversial documentary. That is
:00:21. > :00:25.all it comes down to. Editing. Just the editing. They have portrayed us
:00:26. > :00:29.to be, like, bad. Hard`done`by or playing the system?
:00:30. > :00:31.We get your reaction. Also tonight, a catalogue of violent
:00:32. > :00:34.disturbances. Leaked documents uncover a series of confrontations
:00:35. > :00:42.between staff and inmates at Oakwood Prison. There's no indication this
:00:43. > :00:44.problem is going to get it. There is every indication these problems will
:00:45. > :00:49.get worse. The impact of flooding on the rural
:00:50. > :00:52.economy. Farmers say it's costing thousands in lost crops.
:00:53. > :00:55.Stargazing Live is back! We're live at a Birmingham telescope with an
:00:56. > :00:58.unsung hero and an astronomical challenge. Fingers crossed for clear
:00:59. > :01:01.skies! Well, I hope to have all the answers
:01:02. > :01:05.you're looking in the forecast later, although after the week we've
:01:06. > :01:07.just had, I can imagine you might not be expecting much. I think you
:01:08. > :01:19.might be pleasantly surprised. Good evening. There's been a furious
:01:20. > :01:23.reaction today to a television documentary about people living on
:01:24. > :01:26.benefits in a Birmingham street. Police are studying abusive and
:01:27. > :01:31.threatening messages posted on social media, including threats to
:01:32. > :01:36.kill. And residents have reacted angrily, saying they've been wrongly
:01:37. > :01:40.portrayed as scroungers. Channel 4 says it's standing by the programme.
:01:41. > :01:45.Ben Sidwell reports from so`called Benefits Street.
:01:46. > :01:48.Overnight this ordinary street in Birmingham has become nationally
:01:49. > :02:00.known, but for all the wrong reasons. James Turner Street was one
:02:01. > :02:04.of the best streets. Unemployed, unemployed! Now, one of the worst.
:02:05. > :02:09.James Turner Street in Winson Green has been labelled Benefits Street. I
:02:10. > :02:14.was a bit disgusted. They portrayed everybody to be on benefits and have
:02:15. > :02:20.no ambition. That is how it came across. It just made it out as if
:02:21. > :02:25.nobody was doing anything with their lives. It is disgusting. I don't
:02:26. > :02:29.know why they said it was a benefit road. They said to us before it
:02:30. > :02:33.started that it was going to be about a community street. I am very
:02:34. > :02:39.disgusted with the way this programme portrayed the whole
:02:40. > :02:44.street. And stigmatised the people on the street. Ofcom has already
:02:45. > :02:48.received around 100 complaints about the programme. On social media the
:02:49. > :02:57.response has been extreme, including death threats. It is frightening,
:02:58. > :03:01.because like me, I have two kids. It is just wrong. The tweets could be a
:03:02. > :03:07.criminal offence, and so, too, evidence of cannabis being grown, as
:03:08. > :03:11.seen in the programme. West Midlands Police say they've been inundated
:03:12. > :03:14.with comments from members of the public, many of whom are concerned
:03:15. > :03:20.about the criminal activities shown on the programme. Today on BBC WM,
:03:21. > :03:25.listeners weren't holding back. There is an awful lot of scroungers
:03:26. > :03:30.who just don't want to work. They refer to it as their money, it is
:03:31. > :03:32.not their money. Channel 4 told us it was a fair and balanced
:03:33. > :03:42.observational documentary but one media expert said programme` makers
:03:43. > :03:46.hold all the cards. I was almost nervous of the people who were in it
:03:47. > :03:49.all the way through, thinking, you know, you don't know what you've
:03:50. > :03:53.done. You said things that really you should not have said because the
:03:54. > :03:57.programme makers are always in control. As a participant, you never
:03:58. > :04:01.win in that sort of documentary. Most residents weren't keen to be in
:04:02. > :04:08.front of camera today, but one of the stars of the show summed it up
:04:09. > :04:11.for many. They were here for nearly a year and I know it isn't the
:04:12. > :04:15.guy's fault who was doing the filming, it is the people doing the
:04:16. > :04:20.editing. They are the ones who can cut the bits out and show the worst.
:04:21. > :04:25.And all this after just one episode, with four more to go.
:04:26. > :04:28.Well, over four million people watched the programme last night and
:04:29. > :04:32.it's caused quite a reaction from you, who have been getting in touch
:04:33. > :04:35.with us on our Facebook page, through Twitter and by email today.
:04:36. > :04:39.Jasmine Palfrey wrote on our Facebook page, "Not everyone on
:04:40. > :04:43.benefits is like that. It really annoyed and upset me. I'm on
:04:44. > :04:46.benefits due to a disability". Khakan Qureshi tweeted that it
:04:47. > :04:49."portrayed a minority of residents in a negative light to fuel the
:04:50. > :04:50.stereotypes of people claiming benefits".
:04:51. > :04:53.Linda from Stratford`upon`Avon emailed, "I was disgusted with these
:04:54. > :04:58.people who think it is their God`given right to live off the
:04:59. > :05:04.taxes that I have to pay. I did notice that no`one went short of
:05:05. > :05:06.cans of beer and cigarettes". Theresa Wilcox wrote on Facebook,
:05:07. > :05:09."It's scandalous that people make life`style choices like this and
:05:10. > :05:13.those genuine claimants who are in need of help and support are made to
:05:14. > :05:18.feel like scroungers". Just a very brief selection of the
:05:19. > :05:20.comments we've had. Thank you for those.
:05:21. > :05:24.Coming up later in the programme, how one man has built his own
:05:25. > :05:34.defences to keep the flood waters at bay. There are two pumps in there,
:05:35. > :05:37.actually. There is a small one and if it cannot cope, the big one
:05:38. > :05:40.switches in automatically. Documents leaked to the BBC reveal
:05:41. > :05:43.details of a catalogue of violent disturbances at the UK's biggest
:05:44. > :05:47.prison, Oakwood, near Wolverhampton. A number of cells were damaged in
:05:48. > :05:50.nine hours of disturbances on Sunday. The private company running
:05:51. > :05:55.the jail today insisted the staff are doing a superb job. Here's our
:05:56. > :06:01.reporter Sarah Falkland. Away from public view, what goes on
:06:02. > :06:05.inside Britain's biggest jail? We've asked repeatedly to film inside here
:06:06. > :06:10.but the Ministry of Justice and G4S, who run the place, have always
:06:11. > :06:16.refused. But these documents shed some light. How late last year, for
:06:17. > :06:19.example, a tornado team was drafted in to deal with around 18 inmates
:06:20. > :06:26.attacking staff with pool cues and broom handles, many of them drunk on
:06:27. > :06:28.Hooch. There's no suggestion that it was home`made booze brewed on Her
:06:29. > :06:35.Majesty's premises that fuelled events of Sunday evening. Some have
:06:36. > :06:46.described what happened as a riot. G4S's spokesman this morning used
:06:47. > :06:50.other words. There was an instance of discipline problem that was dealt
:06:51. > :06:54.with on Sunday by normal contingency planning. I'd need to make for a
:06:55. > :06:59.clear that the staff at Oakwood doing a superb job. `` are doing.
:07:00. > :07:02.David Wilson used to run the country's tornado teams and he's
:07:03. > :07:06.worried G4S, bailed out by the Army with the Olympics, is now relying on
:07:07. > :07:09.the state to keep control at Oakwood. We have the public sector
:07:10. > :07:15.prisons going into a private company's firm, again, bailing them
:07:16. > :07:20.out. Hopefully, the public sector prisons will be repaid for the money
:07:21. > :07:26.it will cost to put in the Tornado teams but this is a situation
:07:27. > :07:29.which, in terms of Oakwood, gives no indication the problem will get
:07:30. > :07:32.better. There is every indication these problems will get worse. Last
:07:33. > :07:35.year, Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons found getting drugs at
:07:36. > :07:39.Oakwood was easier than getting a bar of soap. G4S insist things are
:07:40. > :07:42.improving, and with a government committed to privatisation, it looks
:07:43. > :07:46.likely they'll be allowed more time to prove their point. Labour say
:07:47. > :07:49.they should be given six months to either shape up or ship out.
:07:50. > :07:52.There's a warning tonight that Wolverhampton would go bust if the
:07:53. > :07:56.City Council doesn't introduce even more drastic spending cuts
:07:57. > :07:58.immediately. A report to be presented to tomorrow's Cabinet
:07:59. > :08:02.meeting describes it as "the most challenging period the council has
:08:03. > :08:11.ever faced". Our political editor, Patrick Burns, is here with me now.
:08:12. > :08:15.Does this come as a shock? It is not the first big city authority to
:08:16. > :08:20.raise the spectre of bankruptcy. Birmingham were talking in these
:08:21. > :08:24.terms at year ago. So there is an element of political rhetoric on
:08:25. > :08:27.this. Nevertheless, the stark numbers are clear enough. The
:08:28. > :08:32.Government is requiring Wolverhampton to save another ?25
:08:33. > :08:38.million over five years and that is above and beyond the 98 million they
:08:39. > :08:43.had already budgeted for. No organisation could suffer a cut in
:08:44. > :08:47.grants of that amount and be able to just simply deal with it. We are
:08:48. > :08:52.really going under because of the way the Government has cut the grant
:08:53. > :08:57.that has historically funded discounts, as it has indeed for many
:08:58. > :09:03.councils up and down the country. So where are these cuts expected to
:09:04. > :09:07.fall? The detail will have to wait until after that Cabinet meeting,
:09:08. > :09:10.but the members have been recommended to put a halt on all
:09:11. > :09:16.nonessential council spending for the remainder of this financial
:09:17. > :09:20.year, and also to accelerate as many as 165 separate cost saving plans,
:09:21. > :09:24.so some big and awkward decisions lie ahead. And only yesterday we
:09:25. > :09:27.heard the Chancellor in North Warwickshire warning of a further
:09:28. > :09:32.?25 billion cut in public spending after the next election, so there's
:09:33. > :09:37.even more of this to come. Yes. More hard truths, said George Osborne.
:09:38. > :09:41.His big hope is that enough economic regeneration will come through in
:09:42. > :09:47.places like the eye safety foresight, with Jaguar Land Rover.
:09:48. > :09:51.Just up the road from Wolverhampton. This will put enough money in
:09:52. > :09:55.people's pockets to ease the dependency on local jobs and
:09:56. > :09:59.services but there is a real debate about the future of local government
:10:00. > :10:02.in this country, make no mistake. And there'll be more on the crisis
:10:03. > :10:05.facing Wolverhampton Council in Pete Morgan's Breakfast Show on BBC WM
:10:06. > :10:08.tomorrow morning. A prisoner who'd been on the run
:10:09. > :10:11.since before Christmas has been arrested in Birmingham. Lee Wheeler
:10:12. > :10:15.was allowed out from Sudbury Prison in Derbyshire on Monday 23rd
:10:16. > :10:18.December but failed to return. He was arrested in Yardley this
:10:19. > :10:21.afternoon. He's served three years of a nine`and`a`half`year sentence
:10:22. > :10:25.for the manslaughter of Leon Kerr in Birmingham in 2010.
:10:26. > :10:29.The Kidderminster Harriers manager Steve Burr has left the club today.
:10:30. > :10:33.Burr, seen here on the right, has been in charge at Aggborough for
:10:34. > :10:37.four years and has just guided them into the third round of the FA Cup.
:10:38. > :10:42.He leaves with Kidderminster seventh in the Conference.
:10:43. > :10:46.A farmer who lost ?200,000 of income as a result of the floods of 2007
:10:47. > :10:52.says too many rules prevent him protecting his property. Bruce Udale
:10:53. > :10:54.claims his land would be less vulnerable if the Environment Agency
:10:55. > :11:00.eased restrictions on river maintenance, as Joanne Writtle
:11:01. > :11:05.reports. Rain`lashed farmland and the River
:11:06. > :11:09.Strine at Eyton in Shropshire. But the farmer here is endeavouring to
:11:10. > :11:13.protect his land from the floods of previous years. Though he's bending
:11:14. > :11:22.Environment Agency rules in order to maintain the river and keep it
:11:23. > :11:26.clear. They don't really like us to take silt out of the bottom of the
:11:27. > :11:30.river. They don't like us to take all of the weeds out of the river.
:11:31. > :11:35.They don't like us to put the river banks up I. Yet if we didn't do this
:11:36. > :11:41.sort of thing in this situation, the land either side would be flooded
:11:42. > :11:46.fairly regularly. The Environment Agency argues it wants to make it
:11:47. > :11:48.easier for farmers to carry out maintenance work while still
:11:49. > :11:53.protecting wildlife and the environment. But bigger work, like
:11:54. > :11:57.removing silt and bank protection, thus require landowners to contact
:11:58. > :12:00.the Environment Agency for advice on getting permission. As storms
:12:01. > :12:04.continued to batter, the NFU called for more funding for river
:12:05. > :12:06.maintenance. Meanwhile, one flood expert claimed dredging rivers could
:12:07. > :12:18.have further consequences on homes downstream. The board has got to go
:12:19. > :12:24.somewhere, and in my book, having been flooded myself, and I'm sure
:12:25. > :12:28.other homeowners would agree, that it is better if it goes onto
:12:29. > :12:31.farmland rather than people's houses. Meanwhile, at Upton`on`
:12:32. > :12:34.Severn in Worcestershire, electrical engineer Rowan Thomas is reaping the
:12:35. > :12:41.benefits of using his skills to build his own flood defences ` a
:12:42. > :12:44.pumping system and a 60`metre wall. There are two pumps in there. The
:12:45. > :12:50.small pump is running at the moment and if that one cope, the big one
:12:51. > :12:54.switches in automatically. It keeps everything dry. And as the winter
:12:55. > :12:58.weather bites, this is the scene in Tewkesbury. Much of the town is
:12:59. > :13:04.surrounded by water but homes are staying largely dry because of flood
:13:05. > :13:08.defences. This is our top story tonight:
:13:09. > :13:11.Wrongly portrayed as scroungers ` a furious reaction from Birmingham
:13:12. > :13:17.residents on benefits featured in controversial documentary.
:13:18. > :13:20.Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly.
:13:21. > :13:23.And also in tonight's programme, as new car sales soar to pre`recession
:13:24. > :13:29.levels, will it help boost the Midlands economy in 2014?
:13:30. > :13:38.And the inventor whose device is used by millions of stargazers, but
:13:39. > :13:40.it's never earned him a penny. I don't get any royalties for it and I
:13:41. > :13:48.don't care! Vulnerable Children in
:13:49. > :13:53.Stoke`on`Trent are being let down, according to some councillors. It's
:13:54. > :13:57.been revealed a panel set up to visit children's homes have failed
:13:58. > :14:00.to make almost 70% of inspections. The council has admitted the
:14:01. > :14:04.situation leaves a lot to be desired. Here's our Staffordshire
:14:05. > :14:08.reporter, Liz Copper. All children's homes in England have
:14:09. > :14:16.to be visited at least every month for checks. The visits are overseen
:14:17. > :14:21.by local councils. In Stoke`on`Trent, a panel of ten
:14:22. > :14:24.councillors was setup, with duties including carrying out inspections
:14:25. > :14:27.on children's homes, but it has emerged in the last couple of years
:14:28. > :14:35.they completed fewer than a of those visits. It is poor for the
:14:36. > :14:38.safeguarding of children. If you are not doing those visits, who are you
:14:39. > :14:41.letting down? Those children. There's been renewed concern over
:14:42. > :14:44.the welfare of children in care following a series of cases
:14:45. > :14:48.involving sexual exploitation of girls, and the Government's reviewed
:14:49. > :14:51.existing rules. In Stoke`on`Trent, to avoid falling foul of the law,
:14:52. > :14:58.officials have carried out inspections in the absence of
:14:59. > :15:03.councillors. Nobody wants to force people into something that happiness
:15:04. > :15:09.is not their first interest. However, it is important as part of
:15:10. > :15:13.parenting and the figures are there, you have got them there, and
:15:14. > :15:16.the attendance leaves a lot to be desired. There are now calls for
:15:17. > :15:21.more councillors to get involved in the way children's care is inspected
:15:22. > :15:25.in the city. I think it is incredibly disappointing, I really
:15:26. > :15:29.do. This is a moral obligation as far as I'm concerned. They are the
:15:30. > :15:33.corporate parents and I will be watching now quite closely the
:15:34. > :15:37.programmes such as yours and hopefully with you raising this
:15:38. > :15:42.issue, it will see improvement, because it patently needs to
:15:43. > :15:45.happen. Before Easter, new regulations will come in tightening
:15:46. > :15:48.the rules on who can carry out these checks. All councils will have to
:15:49. > :15:52.reassess how they inspect children's homes.
:15:53. > :15:55.The UK's new car market is the strongest it's been since the
:15:56. > :15:58.economic downturn began, according to figures out today. Business
:15:59. > :16:03.surveys, too, point to growing confidence. And with several big
:16:04. > :16:07.projects due for completion, 2014 is looking more promising for the
:16:08. > :16:08.Midlands economy. It will also be a significant year for the
:16:09. > :16:12.controversial high`speed rail project, which will link the region
:16:13. > :16:13.with London. Here's our business and transport correspondent, Peter
:16:14. > :16:19.Plisner. Keeping the wheels of economic
:16:20. > :16:23.recovery moving is a big priority for many in 2014, and the latest
:16:24. > :16:28.product from Jaguar Land Rover will certainly help. Its latest model,
:16:29. > :16:31.the F`type, is built in the Midlands, with many parts made in
:16:32. > :16:45.the Midlands, and it's boosting the region's exports. J`Lo was one of
:16:46. > :16:49.the big economic success stories, `` stories of last year, with the
:16:50. > :16:55.success set to continue. `` Jaguar Land Rover. As we look forward to
:16:56. > :16:59.this year, we expect to see Jay Allard do very well. The focus now
:17:00. > :17:03.moves from the four biggest cities that are struggling with pollution
:17:04. > :17:07.and congestion towards the many, many large smaller cities inland.
:17:08. > :17:11.That will be a bit more of a challenge for Jaguar Land Rover to
:17:12. > :17:14.unlock those sales. But expansion is continuing, and this autumn sees the
:17:15. > :17:17.opening of the company's new engine plant near Wolverhampton. There's
:17:18. > :17:22.little doubt it'll provide a major jobs boost, employing more than 700
:17:23. > :17:25.people. But what impact will this new facility have on the
:17:26. > :17:29.manufacturing supply chain? Now`one's quite sure. JLR is
:17:30. > :17:35.remaining tight`lipped about where parts for the engines made here will
:17:36. > :17:39.come from. It's better news for the Midlands firm that's building the
:17:40. > :17:47.new factory. Many expect a bumper year for the construction industry
:17:48. > :17:51.in 2014. As we came through 2013, there became more work available to
:17:52. > :17:56.bid for and over Christmas we were working on bids and had to go back
:17:57. > :18:02.in on January and February, so I feel this will be a stronger market.
:18:03. > :18:06.`` bids that had to. And things will really taking off at Birmingham
:18:07. > :18:10.Airport. In April, it's due to open an extended runway. Work's now well
:18:11. > :18:13.advanced on a project that has always been billed as providing a
:18:14. > :18:16.major boost to the economy. The big thing consumers want is like at a
:18:17. > :18:21.Formula One race. They prefer fewer stops on their journey and if you
:18:22. > :18:24.get the strategy right, you get a better run, so direct flying is
:18:25. > :18:27.better than flying through someone else's airport. The airport's also
:18:28. > :18:31.looking forward to a direct connection to HS2, and 2014 will be
:18:32. > :18:34.a big year for that project. Many documents related to a special
:18:35. > :18:41.Hybrid Bill being debated in Parliament are being held at the new
:18:42. > :18:45.Library of Birmingham. First of all, we're just coming to the end of
:18:46. > :18:49.the consultation on the environment statement, and then it is down for
:18:50. > :18:53.debate in the House with the bill being read and produced in front of
:18:54. > :18:58.Parliament, going through a couple of times, hopefully then in time for
:18:59. > :19:02.the election in 2015. A new engine plant, an extended runway, HS2. 2014
:19:03. > :19:05.promises to be a busy and hopefully prosperous new year.
:19:06. > :19:08.And Peter joins us now from a factory in Birmingham that makes
:19:09. > :19:12.parts for Jaguar Land Rover and other car`makers. Peter, today's
:19:13. > :19:15.news that car sales have reached a post`recession high can only good
:19:16. > :19:20.news for the region's manufacturers? It certainly is, and this is one of
:19:21. > :19:25.the firms reaping the benefits. This part drives the windscreen wipers on
:19:26. > :19:29.a variety of models, including some land Rovers. Some of the components
:19:30. > :19:40.in this part made in this factory. With me is the man `` the managing
:19:41. > :19:44.director. This is great news. They have only gone up to prior to the
:19:45. > :19:49.recession figures, which shows confidence has come back into the
:19:50. > :19:53.economy and a car is one of the top three items people buy so it is good
:19:54. > :20:09.to see those going up again. When order s for cars is up, orders for
:20:10. > :20:14.cars `` order numbers for parts is up as well? Yet. Last year,
:20:15. > :20:19.confidence is high to start with but it was slow in coming forward. All
:20:20. > :20:26.of the order started coming in in the final three to four months of
:20:27. > :20:29.last year. What is your prediction for this year? I would like to think
:20:30. > :20:35.the economy will carry on growing and then the housing market. To move
:20:36. > :20:38.and then we will be back to pre`2008. If confidence is high
:20:39. > :20:42.amongst manufacturers it means they want to create new jobs, and that
:20:43. > :20:46.has to be good for unemployment and the region as a whole. A positive
:20:47. > :20:50.note to end on. Thank you. Providing it's clear, many eyes will
:20:51. > :20:53.be on the skies tonight, as Professor Brian Cox returns to BBC
:20:54. > :20:56.Two in Stargazing Live. We've sent our science correspondent, David
:20:57. > :21:01.Gregory`Kumar, out to do a bit of stargazing of our own. David, what
:21:02. > :21:05.are you looking for tonight? Thanks, Mary. Well, we're at the
:21:06. > :21:13.University of Birmingham Telescope on the edge of the city, and tonight
:21:14. > :21:16.we're looking for comets. We will be setting a comet challenge. But
:21:17. > :21:19.first, we have a secret stargazing superstar living here in the
:21:20. > :21:22.Midlands. He's a retired engineer who revolutionised amateur astronomy
:21:23. > :21:25.with an invention he gave away for free.
:21:26. > :21:30.This is no ordinary Coventry shed. This is the workshop of the man who
:21:31. > :21:35.revolutionised amateur astronomy. How did you get into astronomy? I
:21:36. > :21:45.started at about five years old when my dad took me out in the warm, even
:21:46. > :21:51.in air. I was absolutely gobsmacked that the stars moved in the sky as I
:21:52. > :21:57.saw one go from one side of a pour to another. `` of a pole. 40 years
:21:58. > :22:01.ago, building your own telescope was a big part of amateur astronomy. But
:22:02. > :22:04.John Wall was deeply unhappy with the design of a traditional
:22:05. > :22:07.telescope`focusing mechanism. Focusing is one of the hardest
:22:08. > :22:12.things in astronomy and anything you can do to make that easier is going
:22:13. > :22:16.to enhance astronomy and looking at the stars and the experience will be
:22:17. > :22:18.much better. So John created this ` the Crayford Focuser, allowing
:22:19. > :22:25.cheap, smooth focusing of a telescope. It was an idea that swept
:22:26. > :22:28.the world. Telescopes will be sold with them and people sell them
:22:29. > :22:33.second hand as well, because there is quite a market in second`hand
:22:34. > :22:37.equipment, so as revolutionised astronomy because it gives amateurs
:22:38. > :22:43.a chance to get some top quality imaging and that is where this focus
:22:44. > :22:48.has been really popular. So, did his invention making millions? It was a
:22:49. > :22:53.gift to the community. I'd get any will tease from it but I don't care!
:22:54. > :22:56.It is all over the planet now! It is owned by millions in Southeast Asia!
:22:57. > :22:59.Tonight, Stargazing Live celebrates astronomy, so it's appropriate that
:23:00. > :23:08.we celebrate John Wall and his invention, too.
:23:09. > :23:12.Get a pen and paper because we will have a web address for you, because
:23:13. > :23:19.you will be taking part, we hope, in our comet challenge. But we're here
:23:20. > :23:23.at the University of Birmingham Telescope on the edge of the city,
:23:24. > :23:27.and with me is Graham Smith. Graham, we're looking for something a bit
:23:28. > :23:32.tricky this evening ` comets. Yes. Sadly, it disintegrated due to the
:23:33. > :23:39.heat and gravity of the Sun, though. You took a still picture with your
:23:40. > :23:43.telescope? Yes. Our first observation was this comet. Some
:23:44. > :23:46.students joined me for breakfast one morning and we had a really good
:23:47. > :23:55.time at such an early hour, surprisingly! This is our comet
:23:56. > :23:59.challenge to our viewers. Yes. I expect you need binoculars to see it
:24:00. > :24:05.from a light polluted, suburban background. Something like the West
:24:06. > :24:10.Midlands. If it is Willie Darke, you might be able to see it with the
:24:11. > :24:13.naked eye. So I really want to find from the people of the West Midlands
:24:14. > :24:20.whether they can see it with their naked eye. So, that is our
:24:21. > :24:24.challenge. It will give us an idea about light pollution here in the
:24:25. > :24:28.Midlands. If you go to my blog, you will find details of the comet
:24:29. > :24:31.challenge and more details of Stargazing Live events all over the
:24:32. > :24:35.Midlands which are happening over the next three nights, and also a
:24:36. > :24:39.bit more about John Wall, that unsung hero of astronomy.
:24:40. > :24:43.And if you want to follow the rest of the BBC's coverage, switch over
:24:44. > :24:45.to BBC Two from 8pm this evening. So we need to know if it's a good
:24:46. > :24:56.night for stargazing, Shefali. All things considered, yes.
:24:57. > :25:01.Absolutely. The stargazing event goes on for three days and three
:25:02. > :25:05.nights and two out of those three will be good. It is tomorrow night
:25:06. > :25:10.that will pose some problems and probably be a write`off for looking
:25:11. > :25:14.at stars and skies. This is how it is looking across the country now.
:25:15. > :25:17.You will see it in just a moment. Quite promising considering the
:25:18. > :25:24.whole think it's off in just about an hourtime. This is the feature
:25:25. > :25:32.spoiling things tomorrow. `` considering the whole thing kicks
:25:33. > :25:36.off. We have this at land existing moving in that iceberg of yesterday,
:25:37. > :25:42.which has American connections, and it will be much heavier. This will
:25:43. > :25:47.have deflated as it arrives with us and then it slips South. Apt to
:25:48. > :25:53.tonight, a few showers moving in from the West but these are later on
:25:54. > :25:58.in the night. Actually, they will be over parts of Staffordshire and
:25:59. > :26:04.Cheshire, so not so good for stargazing here, but drier
:26:05. > :26:07.elsewhere. We continue with this line of showers affecting the north
:26:08. > :26:14.of the region tomorrow morning but these will gradually fade, leaving
:26:15. > :26:19.most of the a dry with spells of sunshine as well. You will notice
:26:20. > :26:23.later on this area of rain lurking in the wings, and this is the first
:26:24. > :26:27.sign of things turning wet into the evening and overnight. But for the
:26:28. > :26:31.time of year quite mild, if you look at those temperatures. The winds
:26:32. > :26:36.will be moderate from a south`westerly direction. This band
:26:37. > :26:39.of rain will really pick up pace tomorrow evening and tomorrow night.
:26:40. > :26:43.We have Met Office warnings for the west of the region in particular
:26:44. > :26:47.with heavy outbreaks of rain, torrential in places, and even some
:26:48. > :26:51.thunder. That is because of the amount of time it is with us and the
:26:52. > :26:56.intensity not dying down. As for the rest of the week, well, Thursday
:26:57. > :26:58.looks pretty dry. Turning colder with some frost on Thursday night
:26:59. > :27:04.and some rain on Friday. Tonight's headlines from the BBC:
:27:05. > :27:08.Yet more storms batter England and Wales, with hundreds of warnings and
:27:09. > :27:11.alerts as more rainfall is forecast. A coalition row over immigration
:27:12. > :27:14.targets, as a new survey shows three out of four people want to see
:27:15. > :27:17.numbers cut. A furious reaction from families in
:27:18. > :27:20.Birmingham who say they've been wrongly portrayed as scroungers in a
:27:21. > :27:22.controversial documentary. And a catalogue of violent
:27:23. > :27:25.disturbances, as leaked documents uncover a series of confrontations
:27:26. > :27:29.between staff and inmates at Oakwood Prison.
:27:30. > :27:33.That was the Midlands Today. I'll be back at 10pm, when we'll be hearing
:27:34. > :27:36.from Lorely Burt MP, who used to be an assistant prison Governor. How
:27:37. > :27:38.does she think the problems at Oakwood jail can be sorted out? Have
:27:39. > :27:44.a great evening. Goodbye.