:00:00. > :00:00.rain from the east. That's all from the BBC News
:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: A reprieve
:00:07. > :00:09.for 24`hour A services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, but
:00:10. > :00:20.children's and maternity services look set to be downgraded.
:00:21. > :00:24.I am pleased with the recommendation on A and that we will keep
:00:25. > :00:27.consultants on site. I'll be asking the man leading the
:00:28. > :00:31.campaign to save services at the Alex, where do they go from here?
:00:32. > :00:33.Also tonight: West Brom striker Nicolas Anelka faces charges from
:00:34. > :00:35.the FA over this alleged anti`Semitic salute.
:00:36. > :00:39.We get the fans' view. When is a pothole not a pothole?
:00:40. > :00:45.We're out on the road with the man who decides.
:00:46. > :00:55.From Wolverhampton to the West End ` singer Beverly Knight makes her big
:00:56. > :00:59.stage debut. Thrilled initially, just totally thrilled and then the
:01:00. > :01:02.fear set in. I was like, great! Great.
:01:03. > :01:05.And after a misty, murky start today, things are looking a little
:01:06. > :01:17.clearer for the rest of the week, but the rain is back. For how long?
:01:18. > :01:20.I'll tell you later. Good evening. Health campaigners
:01:21. > :01:22.who've spent 18 months fighting to save their hospital's accident and
:01:23. > :01:28.emergency department are tonight a major step closer to victory. But
:01:29. > :01:31.under new proposals announced this afternoon by an independent health
:01:32. > :01:36.panel, maternity and children's services in Redditch are likely to
:01:37. > :01:48.be downgraded. Here's our health correspondent Michele Paduano.
:01:49. > :01:54.Playgroup on a cold Tuesday in January but it shows how complex
:01:55. > :01:59.changing hospital care is. Amelia was born without a thyroid gland and
:02:00. > :02:04.spends considerable time in hospital. She was on the ward and
:02:05. > :02:08.under their care for 12 days. Without that she could have
:02:09. > :02:13.permanent development issues. She could even have brain damage so it
:02:14. > :02:21.was important she was treated as quickly as she was. I would not have
:02:22. > :02:27.had time to go to Worcester. These staff at the Alex were fantastic. In
:02:28. > :02:34.future, Jack's mum would have to be transferred to Worcester. The review
:02:35. > :02:41.panel also said 1200 of the sickest children would be moved. The
:02:42. > :02:44.reception we have received from the leaders of the organisations have
:02:45. > :02:49.been supportive of the recommendations we have made. It has
:02:50. > :02:55.been a long drawn`out process. In June 2012, the trust 's first
:02:56. > :03:01.floated concentrating health services on one side. In May, a
:03:02. > :03:07.takeover bid was put forward. In July, NHS England appointed an
:03:08. > :03:11.independent panel to sort it out. I am pleased with the recommendation
:03:12. > :03:18.on A and the fact we will keep consultants on site. That was
:03:19. > :03:26.something the sea CGE fought for. We are pleased that has happened. If a
:03:27. > :03:31.patient needs emergency surgery they would likely be brought to Worcester
:03:32. > :03:35.or brought here. There is a recommendation that the A
:03:36. > :03:44.department in West has to be made larger.
:03:45. > :03:50.Let's go live to Redditch and save the Alex campaigner Neil Stote. Your
:03:51. > :03:56.reaction to today's recommendations? We are pleased we will retain A
:03:57. > :04:03.with consultants. That was something we were told would not be achieved
:04:04. > :04:09.back in 2012. Obviously, concerns about overnight paediatrics and
:04:10. > :04:15.maternity and we need to study the report in detail to understand why
:04:16. > :04:23.recommendations have been made. What impact will it have on the people of
:04:24. > :04:30.Redditch? From a paediatric overnight point of view, there will
:04:31. > :04:34.be one ` two transfers the day to a specialist hospital and as a parent
:04:35. > :04:39.myself, if your child is that ill, you would want the best care. The
:04:40. > :04:44.bigger numbers are consultant led maternity and one of the things we
:04:45. > :04:48.have called for is for capacity to be in the system before changes
:04:49. > :05:00.happen. The report has recognised that. We need to look at why... Your
:05:01. > :05:10.website does acknowledge that the hospital trust has a ?50 million
:05:11. > :05:14.deficit. This is a minimum spec, a blueprint for services and if
:05:15. > :05:18.Worcester acute hospitals trust cannot afford delivery, let's find
:05:19. > :05:23.someone who can. This is from a panel of top clinicians. It is not
:05:24. > :05:29.for the trust to dumb it down because they do not have the money.
:05:30. > :05:32.Coming up later in the programme: Famed for its foundries, furnaces
:05:33. > :05:39.and faggots and peas ` the Black Country now has a flag, but where
:05:40. > :05:42.exactly is it? Four families have been contacted to
:05:43. > :05:46.say their babies' organs have been kept without their permission for
:05:47. > :05:49.the last 15 years. Lawyers acting for one family are now demanding a
:05:50. > :05:54.public inquiry to get answers about why the children's organs were taken
:05:55. > :05:58.without consent. We can join our reporter Joanne Writtle in
:05:59. > :06:09.Birmingham City Centre. Joanne, what more do we know? We know that for
:06:10. > :06:13.families have been visited in Birmingham from environmental health
:06:14. > :06:19.officers. In one case, one mother was told that a number of her baby
:06:20. > :06:23.son's organs were removed by a pathologist and they had been stored
:06:24. > :06:30.at Birmingham central mortuary. In that case, her little boy died when
:06:31. > :06:34.he was barely three months old. He died of cot death and as is usual in
:06:35. > :06:40.these cases, the coroner was informed, he instructed a
:06:41. > :06:48.pathologist to carry out a postmortem. What they have not been
:06:49. > :06:53.told is why those organs had been removed, under whose request
:06:54. > :07:00.authority and why they were not returned to the family when the
:07:01. > :07:05.coroner 's inquest had been closed. Has the mother in this case given
:07:06. > :07:10.her reaction? She says she is stunned. This is my son, she said,
:07:11. > :07:17.and she is determined to get to the bottom of what happened. Many people
:07:18. > :07:22.will remember the Alder Hey scandal from a few years ago when patients
:07:23. > :07:27.organs were retained without family consent. In this case the baby boy
:07:28. > :07:34.died a year before the Alder Hey scandal became public. What has
:07:35. > :07:38.Birmingham City Council said? They are liaising with the families
:07:39. > :07:43.involved and say they can decide what they want doing with their
:07:44. > :07:49.babies bodies. Lots of unanswered questions in the case we were
:07:50. > :07:53.talking about. One mother still does know which of her baby's organs were
:07:54. > :07:57.removed and it is a cause of great distress.
:07:58. > :08:00.Police in St Lucia are still questioning three men about the
:08:01. > :08:02.death of 62`year`old Roger Pratt, who was killed defending his wife
:08:03. > :08:05.from robbers. A postmortem examination has found that the
:08:06. > :08:09.yachtsman from Warwickshire was hit and then fell, or was pushed into
:08:10. > :08:12.the sea where he drowned. Today, his wife Margaret told a St Lucian
:08:13. > :08:17.government news service that before her husband's death, they found the
:08:18. > :08:26.island extremely friendly. We have enjoyed St Lucia, we have not felt
:08:27. > :08:31.unsafe until the events of those final tragic minutes. We have had
:08:32. > :08:37.considerable kindness from very many people. That kindness is continuing
:08:38. > :08:42.during the period of the investigation.
:08:43. > :08:46.A 33`year`old man has been arrested after armed police shot dead a dog
:08:47. > :08:49.in Birmingham. Richmond Road in Bearwood was sealed off after two
:08:50. > :08:52.pit bull`type dogs were spotted last night. One dog was shot dead amid
:08:53. > :08:59.concerns over public safety, while the other was taken to the force dog
:09:00. > :09:07.unit after being found in a garden. We heard about a gunshot, still the
:09:08. > :09:13.dogs were barking and then a final gunshot and then it was silent. It
:09:14. > :09:20.is quite upsetting because I am an animal lover and those dogs were
:09:21. > :09:23.very friendly, very obedient. The West Bromwich Albion striker
:09:24. > :09:26.Nicolas Anelka is facing a minimum five game ban. He's been charged by
:09:27. > :09:29.the Football Association of an aggravated breach of its rules by
:09:30. > :09:32.making what appeared to be a "quenelle" gesture. Anelka made the
:09:33. > :09:35.sign, which many view as an anti`Semitic gesture reminiscent of
:09:36. > :09:39.the Nazi salute, after scoring at West Ham last month. Our sports
:09:40. > :09:49.reporter Ian Winter is in the BBC WM radio studios for tonight's football
:09:50. > :09:54.phone`in. What is the reaction? The lines are hot on the phone into
:09:55. > :10:01.night. Albion supporters have a lot to talk about. The guest is the
:10:02. > :10:06.format West Brom favourite Richard stickers and we will pop inside to
:10:07. > :10:12.gauge the mood of fans. Last night I was at the hawthorns to judge if the
:10:13. > :10:15.Nicolas Anelka controversy would overshadow Pepe Mel's first game in
:10:16. > :10:19.charge. On a cold night at the Hawthorns.
:10:20. > :10:22.Nicolas Anelka warmed up for the battle ahead ` his future still very
:10:23. > :10:26.much in limbo. For 75 minutes, his mind was fully focused on events on
:10:27. > :10:29.the pitch. By nine o'clock this morning, he'd been charged by the FA
:10:30. > :10:31.following his controversial gesture last month. Having received a
:10:32. > :10:44.34`page document outlining the allegations against him. Nicolas
:10:45. > :10:49.Anelka has until Thursday evening to respond to the charge. If found
:10:50. > :10:55.guilty he could face a lengthy ban. Will he be well advised to
:10:56. > :11:00.apologise? He will try to explain the meaning of this was. IM guessing
:11:01. > :11:05.it was not anti`Semitic and he will say this was a gesture of defiance
:11:06. > :11:16.and he was showing support for a friend. Nicolas Anelka is a very
:11:17. > :11:22.good player, a good professional and I am only head coach. Last night
:11:23. > :11:27.Pepe Mel was given a warm reception by the home fans and he responded in
:11:28. > :11:35.similar fashion. Four minutes before the break, his team fell behind
:11:36. > :11:39.before a well worked Everton goal. With 15 minutes left, Albion were
:11:40. > :11:42.level. Thanks to a fine cross by man of the match James Morrison, and a
:11:43. > :11:45.firm header from Diego Lugano. Throughout the match, Pepe had
:11:46. > :11:49.prowled up and down, pointed here and there. And finally, he praised
:11:50. > :12:02.his new team for their hard work on his debut. Marks out of ten? Eight.
:12:03. > :12:12.Much more exciting to watch. Seven. Nine out of ten. Eight or nine.
:12:13. > :12:17.Heroes toying with the rest of the crowd. Nicolas Anelka left last
:12:18. > :12:24.night knowing he faces a minimum five match ban if the charges are
:12:25. > :12:30.upheld. You are now live on BBC Midlands Today. What has been the
:12:31. > :12:36.mood of supporters? Mixed views. We had one found that says that Nicolas
:12:37. > :12:39.Anelka has served it is an antiestablishment gesture and he
:12:40. > :12:46.would want him to take it through to the High Court. Otherwise, he would
:12:47. > :12:49.not be convinced it was antiestablishment. Some fans
:12:50. > :12:54.supporting him, some saying he should take his punishment.
:12:55. > :12:57.One other football line tonight and Graham Turner has quit as manager of
:12:58. > :13:01.League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town. The 66`year`old has called
:13:02. > :13:04.time on his second spell at the club with the Shrews a point above the
:13:05. > :13:14.relegation zone. He said today it's very sad decision. The football
:13:15. > :13:17.phone in continues here. Where exactly is the Black Country?
:13:18. > :13:21.A simple question or so you'd think. But for years a fierce debate has
:13:22. > :13:24.been taking place over its precise location in the West Midlands. Not
:13:25. > :13:27.even this map from the Black Country Living Museum has settled the
:13:28. > :13:31.argument, as plans were announced to mark Black Country Day. We've had a
:13:32. > :13:33.huge response to this map on our Facebook page, including this
:13:34. > :13:39.message from Bill Hollingshead, who's clearly not a fan of maps. He
:13:40. > :13:50.says: "The Black Country is defined by the way people feel and speak.
:13:51. > :13:56.So the only certainty seems to be that a special day to celebrate the
:13:57. > :14:00.region will be held in July. And Dudley was today named capital city
:14:01. > :14:04.of the Black Country. Live now to Sarah Falkland in Dudley. Sarah, you
:14:05. > :14:16.are definitely in the Black Country then? Most definitely. But here we
:14:17. > :14:20.are, you could be mistaken to thinking you are not in the Black
:14:21. > :14:28.Country because this building and it opened last Tuesday. 800 years of
:14:29. > :14:41.Black Country history. The launch of the new Black Country flag.
:14:42. > :14:48.The Black Country, a place west of Birmingham, home to more than a
:14:49. > :14:57.million people. The Black Country is about the people. We are genuine,
:14:58. > :15:01.honest and hard`working. Thanks to this schoolgirl they have their road
:15:02. > :15:05.flag. The Black Country was described as black by day and read
:15:06. > :15:12.by night and that is why I have done part of it black and part red. The
:15:13. > :15:17.glass cone in the middle to show all the manufacturing and industry in
:15:18. > :15:29.the area. We were the core the industry. But it is our accent and
:15:30. > :15:33.people put you down. The famous dialect aside, July 14 will see the
:15:34. > :15:40.dawn of the first`ever Black Country day. The Black Country culture is
:15:41. > :15:45.not celebrated enough. Wales has their dragon, Scotland has a
:15:46. > :15:49.referendum and we need to proclaim what England is about and the Black
:15:50. > :15:54.Country is at the centre. You will have heard about its canals, have
:15:55. > :16:01.the first steam engine was invented here and there is strong IM
:16:02. > :16:09.production industry. `` are you. 20% was produced here. But today,
:16:10. > :16:17.somewhere it is a place you can find a casino next to a mosque. What does
:16:18. > :16:26.it mean to you, the Black Country? Everything, I was born and bred
:16:27. > :16:29.here. It was where I was brought up. Another man for whom the Black
:16:30. > :16:41.Country is very special, Doctor Brian Dakin. What do you think is
:16:42. > :16:47.the essence of Black Country this macro to use a line out of a lyric,
:16:48. > :16:53.it is strong guns and a warm heart. Hands and heart. Which encompasses
:16:54. > :17:02.the industry and the generosity of the people. What about the future?
:17:03. > :17:08.Where is it going? It continues to evolve so it will always be here and
:17:09. > :17:15.just embrace whatever comes into it. What do you think about the Black
:17:16. > :17:22.Country day? Busting! It is fantastic, it is a day for us to
:17:23. > :17:26.celebrate. People are contacting myself about festivals and getting
:17:27. > :17:35.involved in that, so it will be a wonderful way for people just to
:17:36. > :17:47.know how proud they of region. And you have written a poem for it? Yes.
:17:48. > :17:50.The day is the 14th. Our top story tonight: A reprieve
:17:51. > :17:52.for 24`hour A services at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, but
:17:53. > :17:54.children's and maternity services will be downgraded.
:17:55. > :17:57.Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly from Rebecca.
:17:58. > :18:00.Also in tonight's programme: how running a mile for Sport Relief is
:18:01. > :18:03.helping budding DJs in Coventry. And Wolverhampton singer Beverley
:18:04. > :18:17.Knight on her first West End stage role.
:18:18. > :18:20.Last week, we had a huge response from you to our report on the
:18:21. > :18:24.scourge of motorists across the region ` potholes. We wanted to know
:18:25. > :18:29.what councils are doing to tackle the problem. Ben Sidwell has been to
:18:30. > :18:41.meet a man who you could say is Mr Pothole.
:18:42. > :18:45.Meet Staffordshire 's Mr pothole. This is a severe pothole outside of
:18:46. > :18:57.a school. We need to make this saving 24`hour. `` safe in 24 hours.
:18:58. > :19:01.As a senior Highway inspector, what Will Painter doesn't know about
:19:02. > :19:08.potholes probably isn't worth knowing. This is a rural road. We
:19:09. > :19:14.will be checking this annually. There is water running down the edge
:19:15. > :19:18.of the carriageway. In Staffordshire they are repairing around 400
:19:19. > :19:22.potholes a week. Last year the council added half ?1 million
:19:23. > :19:28.meaning that more than 13,000 of them were fixed. But in these times
:19:29. > :19:33.of cuts, even the road maintenance budget is being squeezed. We are a
:19:34. > :19:39.council and have to make sure all vivant of all people are looked
:19:40. > :19:42.after as well as the roads. At this garage in blocks which they are
:19:43. > :19:52.seeing first`hand the effect potholes can have. If you look here,
:19:53. > :19:57.the core Spring is sticking out. This driver's repair will be around
:19:58. > :20:03.?200 but some are running into the thousands. Your macro when I first
:20:04. > :20:13.started 20 years ago, we never had any course brings broken. We are
:20:14. > :20:18.seeing more of these, probably 10`15 a week. Back in Staffordshire and as
:20:19. > :20:24.quickly as crews are filling them, yet more potholes are being found.
:20:25. > :20:34.We have a team working here. We need to make this safe. The battle
:20:35. > :20:37.against potholes goes on. Sport Relief returns to our screens
:20:38. > :20:41.in March, with fundraisers being urged to run, swim or cycle at the
:20:42. > :20:44.Sport Relief Games. Community groups across the West Midlands hope to
:20:45. > :20:47.benefit from the special weekend of events ` groups like a local radio
:20:48. > :20:52.station in Coventry. Here's Louise Brierley.
:20:53. > :20:57.Set in one of Coventry 's most deprived areas, this community radio
:20:58. > :21:04.station is giving its volunteer DJs skills. Where I come from thereon
:21:05. > :21:10.not many opportunities and I got here and got to do what I love. I
:21:11. > :21:16.get to help out other kids as well who come in on a weekly basis. The
:21:17. > :21:23.line`up reflects the diverse community of Hill Fields, one of its
:21:24. > :21:29.older DJs has a big Irish fan base. Coventry is like a melting pot. It
:21:30. > :21:35.is a community radio station so we try to get as much out to the
:21:36. > :21:39.communities that we can. Like many projects, without donations from
:21:40. > :21:47.charities like Sport Relief it would not exist. In 2012, the West
:21:48. > :21:58.Midlands raised over ?1 million which has helped to fund 360
:21:59. > :22:02.projects across the region. All the funding we get enables us to reach
:22:03. > :22:08.out to the community and that is important, so we reach the community
:22:09. > :22:13.in so different ways and funding is allowing us to do that. It doesn't
:22:14. > :22:19.matter where you have come from, it is a welcoming place to be. A family
:22:20. > :22:25.that has been brought together thanks to money raised by you.
:22:26. > :22:28.Wolverhampton's Beverley Knight has been starring in her debut stage
:22:29. > :22:32.role in The West End. For an award`winning soul singer what has
:22:33. > :22:39.it been like making the move from singing to acting? Our Arts Reporter
:22:40. > :22:44.Satnam Rana has been finding out. From Wolverhampton to the West End.
:22:45. > :23:01.Beverley Knight is wowing audiences in her first role on stage in The
:23:02. > :23:06.Bodyguard. I was thrilled initially, just totally thrilled and then the
:23:07. > :23:13.fear set in. I was like, great! Great. I thought I have now got to
:23:14. > :23:24.actually extend myself beyond what I have been doing. The show is based
:23:25. > :23:30.on the film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. It sees Beverly
:23:31. > :23:37.singing big numbers in big costumes. It is a big dress so it is a big
:23:38. > :23:44.number, I will always love you. Right at the end of the show. It
:23:45. > :23:52.weighs a tonne. I was always a fan of Whitney Houston. Beverly was
:23:53. > :23:56.awarded an MBE for her work in 2007 and has sold over a million albums
:23:57. > :24:03.in the UK but the last time she acted, it was on a school stage.
:24:04. > :24:13.Little did I know that all those years ago that very rudimentary
:24:14. > :24:19.training would help me out. A bit of your Wolverhampton experience to the
:24:20. > :24:25.West End. Exactly! What have the critics made of her debut? Her
:24:26. > :24:32.talent and her talent alone is making people come to the theatre.
:24:33. > :24:38.There are only a handful of singers that can do these songs and Beverly
:24:39. > :24:43.is one of them. I would relish the opportunity to do another acting
:24:44. > :24:48.role on stage certainly, and if I work really hard and if anyone
:24:49. > :25:01.thinks I am good enough, maybe I make the transition to the screen.
:25:02. > :25:05.But who knows, we will see. In the next few hours, audiences will be
:25:06. > :25:10.coming through the doors here to see Beverly and she has been a hit
:25:11. > :25:21.amongst them. She has agreed to extend her run by three months until
:25:22. > :25:25.the end of May. We have had that tricky combination for a forecaster,
:25:26. > :25:31.Frost and fog. Will they get the same tonight?
:25:32. > :25:38.Hopefully not but we have got rain so I do not know which is worst. It
:25:39. > :25:44.has been a 40 few days and Matthew managed to get this picture of the
:25:45. > :25:49.Broadway in the Cotswolds. A beautiful for the scene. It will
:25:50. > :25:55.look damper tonight. Do keep your pictures coming in. You can see our
:25:56. > :26:01.full selection on our Facebook page. It changes tonight because of this
:26:02. > :26:07.band of rain. We will feel the full effects through the next few hours.
:26:08. > :26:12.Rain moving through the region. Over tonight it will get more heavy, more
:26:13. > :26:16.persistent and we could see heavy downpours to calm before it starts
:26:17. > :26:21.to clear away to the east and behind that, we will get clear skies. Under
:26:22. > :26:27.those clear skies, temperatures will fall away. We could see mist and fog
:26:28. > :26:32.patches developing tomorrow morning. Temperatures managing to
:26:33. > :26:40.stay above freezing. Tomorrow is a day of sunshine and showers. The sun
:26:41. > :26:45.will help to burn through any mist and fog patches and it will be a
:26:46. > :26:52.pleasant day with a lighter winds. Temperatures between seven and nine
:26:53. > :26:57.Celsius. Showers continue to rattle through as we head through the
:26:58. > :27:03.evening and then it is another clear night. Temperatures will fall but it
:27:04. > :27:08.is not long before we see the next weather system working its way in.
:27:09. > :27:13.Temperatures still dropping down to close to freezing. Thursday we seem
:27:14. > :27:18.to get through one weather front and another one starts to move through.
:27:19. > :27:22.Squally conditions on this band of rain. Not a pleasant day on Thursday
:27:23. > :27:23.and more rain in the forecast for Friday.
:27:24. > :27:27.Tonight's headlines from the BBC: On the eve of the biggest diplomatic
:27:28. > :27:30.effort to end the Syrian conflict ` shocking pictures of torture by
:27:31. > :27:32.government forces. A reprieve for 24`hour A services at the
:27:33. > :27:34.Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, but children's and maternity services
:27:35. > :27:38.will be downgraded. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:27:39. > :27:41.back with more on the future of the Alexandra Hospital at ten o'clock.
:27:42. > :27:43.Have a great evening. Goodbye.