:00:00. > :00:10.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight. Boost for
:00:11. > :00:13.Coventry as Nissan announce a ?6 million deal to assemble taxis in
:00:14. > :00:17.the city. We have some of the highest skilled
:00:18. > :00:21.people in the industry right on our doorstep. We employ some already and
:00:22. > :00:24.we can get more. We'll be finding out exactly what
:00:25. > :00:26.this means for Coventry and the whole automotive business in the
:00:27. > :00:29.West Midlands. Also tonight. Four men are arrested
:00:30. > :00:35.across Birmingham by police investigating mobile phone theft and
:00:36. > :00:40.fraud. There is no such thing as a
:00:41. > :00:43.victimless crime. Secret filming shows migrant workers
:00:44. > :00:51.in the region being paid less than the minimum wage.
:00:52. > :00:54.Find out why this gun is making the journey from Herefordshire to
:00:55. > :00:58.France. And brace yourself, things are about
:00:59. > :01:03.to get colder. The first wintry spells of the year. But will they
:01:04. > :01:25.last? Your full forecast is on the way.
:01:26. > :01:28.Good evening. The Japanese car giant Nissan has announced a ?6 million
:01:29. > :01:32.investment in Coventry as it looks to break into the London taxi cab
:01:33. > :01:35.market. Nissan will build their new taxis in Barcelona, then ship them
:01:36. > :01:38.to a firm in Coventry for assembly. It's another major boost for the
:01:39. > :01:41.West Midlands' automotive industry, which is already buoyed by the
:01:42. > :01:45.performance of Jaguar Land Rover. In a moment, we'll be hearing from a
:01:46. > :01:48.senior Nissan executive, but first here's Joan Cummins.
:01:49. > :01:51.This is one of the Nissan prototype taxis that will represent the
:01:52. > :01:55.Japanese car giants attempts to conquer the London Taxi market.
:01:56. > :01:57.Launched in January and based on a van design, the vehicles will be
:01:58. > :02:01.shipped from Barcelona to ADV Coventry for a black cab
:02:02. > :02:04.transformation. We will be converting the vehicle
:02:05. > :02:07.which arrives from Spain, which is a commercial vehicle made by Nissan in
:02:08. > :02:11.Barcelona, and we will be converting it to a full London taxi
:02:12. > :02:17.specification. We have some of the highest skilled people in industry
:02:18. > :02:20.on our doorstep. ADV have only been in business for
:02:21. > :02:23.three years, but already they're established as a major supplier to
:02:24. > :02:30.many of the prestige car manufacturers in the country and
:02:31. > :02:34.currently employ 150 staff. By Christmas, this is going to be
:02:35. > :02:37.the new assembly hall for the Nissan taxi. It is unclear exactly how many
:02:38. > :02:44.jobs will be created, but I'm told it will be significant. Today's
:02:45. > :02:48.announcement of investment and the prospect of new jobs was seen as
:02:49. > :02:54.re`establishing the region as the heartland of car production.
:02:55. > :02:59.It's excellent news for the city and Warwickshire. It just goes to show
:03:00. > :03:03.that if you want to build a car, the ideal place to build it is in this
:03:04. > :03:12.region. We have got those skills, the workforce and the location and
:03:13. > :03:15.it is very good news all round. But Coventry is already famous for black
:03:16. > :03:20.cabs with the London Taxi company, so is there room for rival
:03:21. > :03:22.neighbours? I think we will see that they will both rise to the
:03:23. > :03:25.competitive challenge and overall the local supply chain and
:03:26. > :03:28.automotive economy will be all the stronger for it. With the order
:03:29. > :03:31.books recovering the biggest challenge for employers now is
:03:32. > :03:38.ensuring that the region's skills remain the brightest in the country.
:03:39. > :03:41.Earlier, I spoke to Andy Palmer, the Chief Planning Officer and Executive
:03:42. > :03:52.Vice President of the Nissan Corporation. I asked him why Nissan
:03:53. > :03:55.chose ADV in Coventry. We went through a selection process and
:03:56. > :03:58.looked at all of the possible places that could manufacture the Nissan
:03:59. > :04:01.London taxi. And this was the most competitive. The most compelling
:04:02. > :04:06.choice. Great news for the company in Coventry.
:04:07. > :04:11.And this will be a hefty commitment for ADV and create jobs? Absolutely.
:04:12. > :04:14.There is an investment of around ?6 million to make this happen. The
:04:15. > :04:23.investment coming from Nissan, ADV and help from the government.
:04:24. > :04:35.Coventry is becoming a bit of a taxi capital? You'll have competition.
:04:36. > :04:37.Competition is always healthy. It is part of what makes the motor
:04:38. > :04:43.industry go round. Obviously, we find in Coventry we have the skills
:04:44. > :04:47.base here to do what we want. And it is our dream as Nissan that we
:04:48. > :04:50.change the way that people think about mobility. In particular taxis.
:04:51. > :04:53.Particularly by the use of electric taxis which is part of the mandate
:04:54. > :04:58.that ADV has to create the electric London taxi. I think it will
:04:59. > :05:05.ultimately change society and Coventry and ADV will be at the
:05:06. > :05:08.centre of it. Now we are talking petrol driven
:05:09. > :05:12.cars and all electric and Boris Johnson has made it clear that
:05:13. > :05:16.bringing down emisssions is high on the agenda. Yes, indeed. London is
:05:17. > :05:25.basically stating that by 2018, the electric vehicle zone will be in
:05:26. > :05:29.place. In fact, Nissan will bring the London taxi, the EV version of
:05:30. > :05:36.the London taxi, to market in 2015, made in Coventry. Our commitment is
:05:37. > :05:54.to have that electric taxi on sale in a city in the UK in 2015.
:05:55. > :05:58.Live now to Coventry now and our reporter Joan Cummins. Joan, a real
:05:59. > :06:05.boost for the city, isn't it? Yes, it is. We do not know the exact
:06:06. > :06:09.figures on jobs, but the fact that a company like Nissan is going to
:06:10. > :06:14.assemble it here is a boost, not just to the company here, but to the
:06:15. > :06:22.industry as a whole and people across the region. Coventry is open
:06:23. > :06:28.for business and they can do car manufacturing here. Also in the city
:06:29. > :06:32.you have the London Taxi Company, which used to be known as LTI. This
:06:33. > :06:38.will be competition for them, won't it?
:06:39. > :06:41.Yes, it will be. But this is what is going to happen anyway. It does not
:06:42. > :06:50.matter if the production is taking place near or across the world. The
:06:51. > :06:54.fact is, today, Nissan has decided to invest here in Coventry and that
:06:55. > :07:01.means jobs for the people of Coventry.
:07:02. > :07:04.You're watching Midlands Today from the BBC. Great to have you with us
:07:05. > :07:07.this evening. Later, following that good news for Coventry. We'll be
:07:08. > :07:10.assessing the impact in our region as the UK economy grows at its
:07:11. > :07:13.fastest rate since 2007. And as the Christmas and New Year
:07:14. > :07:16.flooding bill tops ?400 million, could this defence scheme in
:07:17. > :07:30.Worcestershire provide a blueprint for the future?
:07:31. > :07:33.A former chief nurse at Stafford Hospital has consented to being
:07:34. > :07:36.struck off for exposing patients to danger during her time in charge.
:07:37. > :07:39.Janice Harry agreed to the move after the Professional Standards
:07:40. > :07:42.Authority for Health and Social Care launched a challenge to a tribunal's
:07:43. > :07:45.decision only to issue her with a caution. With me now is our Health
:07:46. > :07:49.Correspondent Michele Paduano. This is quite a turnaround, what's been
:07:50. > :08:01.the reaction? It has not been jubilation. I spoke
:08:02. > :08:09.to someone who said that many more adverse `` nurses should have been
:08:10. > :08:14.investigated. Janice Harry Tried to allow her membership to lapse. This
:08:15. > :08:23.agreement to be struck off has avoided another High Court hearing.
:08:24. > :08:26.I think the message that it sends is that if you are in a senior
:08:27. > :08:30.position, then you need to comply with the code of conduct. That
:08:31. > :08:33.applies to all nurses, not just senior nurses. This decision is very
:08:34. > :08:35.important and we are happy with the outcome.
:08:36. > :08:37.What exactly has Janice Harry done, or not done?
:08:38. > :08:44.She was said to have pleased patients at risk. In one example, 17
:08:45. > :08:51.patients were being looked after by wonders overnight. Also, in accident
:08:52. > :08:54.and emergency, the nurse on reception often had to go and help
:08:55. > :09:02.out, leaving a receptionist to look after patients which was
:09:03. > :09:05.unacceptable. Still not the end of all the recriminations over Stafford
:09:06. > :09:08.Hospital? There are still health and safety
:09:09. > :09:18.cases ongoing, and a fresh inquest into at least one death. 173 cases
:09:19. > :09:21.are still being looked at by police. Janice Harry Is the only senior
:09:22. > :09:29.member of staff who will be dealt with in this way.
:09:30. > :09:31.A series of raids has taken place across Birmingham by police
:09:32. > :09:34.targeting mobile phone theft and fraud. At one address alone,
:09:35. > :09:37.there've been more than 200 claims for damaged smartphones over the
:09:38. > :09:43.past two years. Our Special correspondent, Peter Wilson reports.
:09:44. > :09:48.Not a phone call or a knock at the door. This was the first of a series
:09:49. > :09:57.of dawn raids across Birmingham. Operation Network, more than 60
:09:58. > :10:01.police officers. This is one of nine addresses targeted by West Midlands
:10:02. > :10:05.Police, which also includes a mobile phone shop and a market stall. All
:10:06. > :10:09.of those arrested today are suspected of handling stolen goods
:10:10. > :10:16.are being involved in mobile phone fraud. Every month, 500 smartphones
:10:17. > :10:21.are stolen in the West Midlands. 300,000 each year in the United
:10:22. > :10:28.Kingdom. One address has handled in excess of 200 handsets in less than
:10:29. > :10:33.18 months. The average cost of a smartphone could be ?700. That is a
:10:34. > :10:36.huge amount of money. At the Operation Control Centre, the police
:10:37. > :10:44.were checking on the details of each phone they'd seized. Effectively,
:10:45. > :10:51.what is happening is that the fraudsters are sending stolen phones
:10:52. > :11:00.back to the smartphone companies to replace them free of charge, and the
:11:01. > :11:04.fraudsters then sell them. There is no such thing as a victimless crime.
:11:05. > :11:08.This is the first operation of its kind by the police in the Midlands.
:11:09. > :11:11.Detectives say it is part of an ongoing series of investigations
:11:12. > :11:21.aimed at making life difficult for the smartphone fraudsters and
:11:22. > :11:24.thieves. The private security company which
:11:25. > :11:26.runs Oakwood Jail near Wolverhampton has promised to improve its
:11:27. > :11:34.management after disturbances there earlier this month. A prison officer
:11:35. > :11:37.had described the incident as a full scale riot with inmates shouting
:11:38. > :11:41.threats from behind a barricade. At Westminster today, G4S defended the
:11:42. > :11:48.prison in response to one MP who said Oakwood was known as jokewood.
:11:49. > :11:52.I am absolutely confident that we will rectify the issues at the
:11:53. > :11:58.prison to get it as good as any other prison be done. This is an
:11:59. > :12:01.example of selectively picking examples to put us in a negative
:12:02. > :12:04.light. A BBC investigation has found
:12:05. > :12:07.migrant workers are being brought to Birmingham from London to work for
:12:08. > :12:09.below the minimum wage. Secret recording in London and in
:12:10. > :12:13.Birmingham has uncovered workers being paid as little as ?40 pounds a
:12:14. > :12:21.day. Gareth Furby has this special report.
:12:22. > :12:25.Every day on some streets in London, there are people, many eastern
:12:26. > :12:30.European, waiting to be offered work as builders or casual labourers. But
:12:31. > :12:38.I be paid at least the minimum wage? To find out, we asked to Macromedia
:12:39. > :12:46.workers to go undercover. Both carried a hidden camera. `` two
:12:47. > :13:00.Romanian. They heard others talk about low wages. I worked all day
:13:01. > :13:09.for ?10. One of them was offered work moving mattresses. His pay at
:13:10. > :13:15.the end of the day, ?40 for a seven hour day with only a five`minute
:13:16. > :13:23.break. That works out at an hour, under the National minimum wage of
:13:24. > :13:34.?6.31 an hour. You were just told to do things. Our second Romanian is
:13:35. > :13:37.offered a week's work in Birmingham. But the man who is
:13:38. > :13:42.hiring does not want to pay him much.
:13:43. > :13:49.He is give an more than 100 miles, put to work at the back of a shop
:13:50. > :13:55.and paid ?40. Which for nine hours of work comes to about ?4 70 an
:13:56. > :14:03.hour. What does the government think of such low wages? It is a serious
:14:04. > :14:08.breach of the law. I do not know all the details and circumstances, but
:14:09. > :14:13.it must be investigated. The campaigning group migration watch
:14:14. > :14:19.says such practices are driving down wages for all builders. It drives
:14:20. > :14:26.down wages for ordinary working class people around the country.
:14:27. > :14:36.This man said he agreed to pay are Labour ?40 for a single job and that
:14:37. > :14:44.he did not work for nine hours. Our recording suggests that he does.
:14:45. > :14:47.The insurance bill for the storms and flooding that damaged thousands
:14:48. > :14:50.of homes in Britain over the Christmas and New Year period is set
:14:51. > :14:53.to reach ?426 million. The Association of British Insurers said
:14:54. > :14:56.today its members dealt with 174,000 claims for damage to homes,
:14:57. > :14:58.businesses and cars. Environment Agency flood defences have clearly
:14:59. > :15:01.helped here in the West Midlands, but could another scheme in
:15:02. > :15:09.Worcestershire offer hope across the country? Joanne Writtle reports.
:15:10. > :15:12.In heavy downpours, water from fields has caused flash flooding
:15:13. > :15:16.down in the village of Harvington in Worcestershire. But, say villagers,
:15:17. > :15:19.not any more. Two ponds have been dug and an orchard's been planted,
:15:20. > :15:24.allowing water to soak into the ground. What we decided to do was to
:15:25. > :15:29.create a buffer with these two small ponds. We also wanted to create
:15:30. > :15:34.something that would absorb the water as well, and the orchards are
:15:35. > :15:38.the natural thing to do. This was really restoring land to what it
:15:39. > :15:45.used to be. When we had the orchards, we did not have the
:15:46. > :15:50.flooding. This is how bad the problem was in 2004. This house on
:15:51. > :15:56.low land is one of a handful which has flooded. Pat and George Pyatt
:15:57. > :16:02.have spent ?20,000 on their own flood defences in the last 20 years.
:16:03. > :16:07.They've been flooded six times. It used to be known as a house that
:16:08. > :16:10.always floods, but now I want us to be known as a house that never
:16:11. > :16:14.floods. We are covered, not only has all the work being done, but in
:16:15. > :16:20.addition, we have also got flood defence barriers funded by DEFRA.
:16:21. > :16:26.Obviously, we are very pleased with what has been done. I don't get
:16:27. > :16:31.paranoid with the rain now, like I used to. Sewers have been upgraded,
:16:32. > :16:35.and a culvert put in, with the orchard being the final piece of a
:16:36. > :16:44.jigsaw to protect these homes, all funded by agencies including
:16:45. > :16:47.councils and Severn Trent. The government has pledged ?150 million
:16:48. > :16:53.to help schemes like this, but some environmental experts say it is
:16:54. > :16:56.simply not enough. If you do more of these schemes, and what we call
:16:57. > :16:59.upland flood management, you can prevent the flood water going into
:17:00. > :17:07.the urban areas and getting into the rivers and causing worse flooding.
:17:08. > :17:10.It is a bit of a win win. The orchard's now managed by a village
:17:11. > :17:18.trust. In good weather, it'll provide parkland, and in bad, it
:17:19. > :17:22.provides protection. This is our top story tonight. A
:17:23. > :17:26.boost for Coventry, as Nissan announce a ?6 million deal to
:17:27. > :17:27.assemble taxis in the city. Rebecca's waiting with your detailed
:17:28. > :17:30.weather forecast. Also in tonight's programme.
:17:31. > :17:34.Restored in Herefordshire, heading for France: the massive field gun
:17:35. > :17:36.which will be used to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the
:17:37. > :17:50.Great War. The economy now and figures out
:17:51. > :17:54.today show that the UK had the strongest growth in Europe last
:17:55. > :17:58.year. Our economy grew by 1.9% in 2013. That's the biggest rise since
:17:59. > :18:01.2007 when the recession hit. But here in the Midlands, growth amongst
:18:02. > :18:03.the manufacturing sector seems to be even higher. Our business
:18:04. > :18:08.correspondent Peter Plisner has been to one Black Country firm which has
:18:09. > :18:13.had to set up a new factory to meet soaring demand.
:18:14. > :18:20.Capitalising on growth. Just a few weeks ago. This was an empty factory
:18:21. > :18:23.unit. Now it's a busy molding plant with more machines still being
:18:24. > :18:25.installed. This firm makes parts for a variety of car manufacturers
:18:26. > :18:30.including Jaguar Land Rover. When sales hit record highs, companies
:18:31. > :18:33.like this need to expand. We listened to our customers, the
:18:34. > :18:38.economy is healthy, what better time to do it?
:18:39. > :18:41.Expansion like this is not unusual here in the West Midlands
:18:42. > :18:45.Manufacturing growth seems to be higher than the national average.
:18:46. > :18:48.Companies like this need to meet additional demand by having extra
:18:49. > :19:01.capacity and that also means creating new jobs. Technician Andrew
:19:02. > :19:05.Dixon is one of the latest recruits. It's a great opportunity that was
:19:06. > :19:09.not there before. I was doing a lot of travelling to and from work. This
:19:10. > :19:12.is closer. There are also more jobs at the company's existing factory.
:19:13. > :19:14.Here it is not just automotive that is fuelling demand.
:19:15. > :19:19.Aerospace is proving very lucrative, particularly seating. We are doing
:19:20. > :19:21.several projects for that. Also agricultural and construction
:19:22. > :19:24.vehicles. So with full order books at many
:19:25. > :19:29.manufacturers, just how fast are they growing here? It varies company
:19:30. > :19:33.by company, product by`product and customer by customer. But I think
:19:34. > :19:37.growth of up to 10% would be a good norm. More growth was being
:19:38. > :19:40.celebrated in Coventry today where the company that made the Olympic
:19:41. > :19:48.torch was handing one of them over to the council. It came at a time
:19:49. > :19:53.when the workforce was around 110 people. We are now at 186 people and
:19:54. > :19:59.counting. Fortunately, as a marketing tool, it demonstrates what
:20:00. > :20:02.we can do. With many firms now expanding fast, that is bound to
:20:03. > :20:17.mean further welcome falls in unemployment in future months.
:20:18. > :20:19.One of the country's biggest music festivals is coming to Birmingham.
:20:20. > :20:22.Wireless Festival, which for the past nine years has taken place in
:20:23. > :20:25.London, today announced they're expanding to a second location at
:20:26. > :20:29.Perry Park in Birmingham. Ben Sidwell's at the launch party for
:20:30. > :20:33.the event which'll take place in July. So what does this mean for the
:20:34. > :20:35.city, Ben? It is a big deal for the city. Until a couple of years ago,
:20:36. > :20:46.Birmingham did not have a major music festival here. We are talking
:20:47. > :20:49.45,000 people a day for three days. This is the launch party for the
:20:50. > :21:16.festival in Birmingham. Some of the acts that will be playing Kanye
:21:17. > :21:24.West, Bruno Mars, Ellie Goulding. By you brought it to Birmingham? We are
:21:25. > :21:29.delighted to be in Birmingham. All the artists that are played in
:21:30. > :21:35.the past have done well in the Midlands. This is the obvious place
:21:36. > :21:39.to bring the festival. It is the next biggest market outside of
:21:40. > :21:46.London. It is a very different festival. This is very much an
:21:47. > :21:52.urban, city festival for people go home at the end of each night. We do
:21:53. > :22:01.not have camping, that is one of our unique points of difference. Can it
:22:02. > :22:08.work so close to London? Absolutely, we have got some really
:22:09. > :22:13.good exclusives. We have got a great line`up. It deserves a wider
:22:14. > :22:21.audience than just London. Tickets go on sale on Friday. The party here
:22:22. > :22:25.is about to start. Football and Stoke City have had a
:22:26. > :22:28.busy day in the transfer market. The Blackpool winger Tom Ince has been
:22:29. > :22:30.at their training ground discussing a move. And they've also signed
:22:31. > :22:34.striker Peter Odemwingie from Cardiff, with Kenwyne Jones moving
:22:35. > :22:38.in the other direction. Last January, Odemwingie drove himself to
:22:39. > :22:41.QPR to try and engineer a move away from West Bromwich Albion. He
:22:42. > :22:45.finally got his wish in the summer with a switch to Cardiff City. And
:22:46. > :22:53.now he's on the move again, this time to the Potteries.
:22:54. > :22:57.The final touches are being put to a World War One field gun which will
:22:58. > :23:00.be used to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the
:23:01. > :23:03.Great War. It's been restored in Herefordshire and it'll be taken to
:23:04. > :23:07.France this summer to commemorate the work of the British Cavalry in
:23:08. > :23:09.1914 as seen in the film and stage play War Horse. Here's our arts
:23:10. > :23:18.reporter Satnam Rana. The booming, deafening sound of a
:23:19. > :23:24.13`pounder field gun used in the Great War by the British cavalry.
:23:25. > :23:30.Over the last year and a half, workers here in Peterchurch in
:23:31. > :23:34.Herefordshire has been restoring it. When you are restoring the gun, you
:23:35. > :23:38.are bringing back to life those guys that went into action, all the ways
:23:39. > :23:42.that the guns worked, the elevation gear, the sights and the breach to
:23:43. > :23:52.make sure that the breach is working perfectly. That is what goes to make
:23:53. > :23:56.the fun work properly. The gun will be taken in August to France as part
:23:57. > :24:00.of the War Horse ride. It's being done to honour the cavalrymen who
:24:01. > :24:03.took part in the opening of the war in 1914. The trenches did not come
:24:04. > :24:07.in until well after Christmas 1914, right into 1915 and 1916 and, of
:24:08. > :24:10.course, the horrors of Passiondale. But the first month of the war was a
:24:11. > :24:18.very mobile, very active action, fought all the way from Mons to Le
:24:19. > :24:21.Mans and this gun played its part. 100 years on, six horses and 35
:24:22. > :24:28.riders will represent the journey made by cavalrymen in 1914. The 100
:24:29. > :24:32.mile ride over five days will follow a route from Le Cateau to Nery,
:24:33. > :24:39.retracing the footsteps of thousands of service men. As the anniversary
:24:40. > :24:42.of the start of World War I approaches, the finishing touches
:24:43. > :24:47.are being made to the 13 pounder field gun. When this gun makes his
:24:48. > :24:52.journey across France, it will halt at significant battle sites, firing
:24:53. > :24:55.salutes. Closer to home in Warwickshire, we can see it in
:24:56. > :25:07.action during the battle proms at Ragley Hall in August.
:25:08. > :25:16.It's time for the weather and I have a slight sense of foreboding as I
:25:17. > :25:21.hand over to Rebecca. I just cannot bring any good news.
:25:22. > :25:27.Things are starting to get colder now. But we have showers tonight and
:25:28. > :25:30.tomorrow. Then we start to see those temperatures taking a bit of a
:25:31. > :25:36.tumble for a short period of time. We do still have those showers
:25:37. > :25:42.centred around that more pressure `` low pressure system. The breeze
:25:43. > :25:50.associated with it will help things are little bit. It will help to
:25:51. > :25:58.leave it `` to lift temperatures a little bit. Not a particularly cold
:25:59. > :26:06.start tomorrow. But it will be a wet one. But the wind direction changes
:26:07. > :26:17.to the east and it will feel very raw tomorrow. Some of those showers
:26:18. > :26:19.could be wintry. Temperatures of around six Celsius, but feeling
:26:20. > :26:24.chilly in that easterly wind. The Met Office have issued an early
:26:25. > :26:33.yellow weather warning for ice tomorrow evening. We keep those
:26:34. > :26:41.showers for the start of tomorrow night, the lost Ark to ease `` they
:26:42. > :26:47.will start to ease and NBC a widespread frost. Temperatures
:26:48. > :26:53.dropping close to freezing point for Thursday morning. It will be a cold
:26:54. > :26:59.day on Thursday as well. We are appealing in `` we are pulling in
:27:00. > :27:05.easterly winds from the continent. Snow showers through the day on
:27:06. > :27:10.Thursday. But that will be a light dusting. It will be cold on
:27:11. > :27:16.Thursday, but it is a brief cold snap because by Friday, heavy rain
:27:17. > :27:20.is back again. Temperatures are recovering and the chance of
:27:21. > :27:24.flooding for the weekend. Tonight's headlines from the BBC.
:27:25. > :27:27.The UK economy grows at its fastest rate since 2007. The Chancellor says
:27:28. > :27:32.it shows the government's plan is working.
:27:33. > :27:34.And a boost for Coventry: Nissan's announced a ?6 million deal to
:27:35. > :27:38.assemble taxis in the city. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:27:39. > :27:41.back at ten o'clock with a live report from Stafford Hospital after
:27:42. > :27:44.the former chief nurse there Janice Harry was struck off. Have a good
:27:45. > :27:47.evening. Bye for now.