:00:00. > :00:17.Peter, thank you. That's all from the BBC
:00:18. > :00:22.Here in the Midlands... Time to draw a line says David
:00:23. > :00:29.Cameron after this stag party cost an MP his political career.
:00:30. > :00:30.He behaved wrongly, he has admitted that and we should move on from
:00:31. > :00:34.that. And hailed a hero ` the security
:00:35. > :00:39.guard who fought off a gang of robbers who were armed with an axe.
:00:40. > :00:43.One year after the Stafford Hospital in quarry and Europe report assesses
:00:44. > :00:49.how its findings have changed the NHS.
:00:50. > :00:52.All of us are focused on what Francis has said and all of us don't
:00:53. > :00:56.want that to happen in our hospitals, so it has had an impact.
:00:57. > :01:00.A moment to treasure for the rest of his life ` a Solihull speed skater
:01:01. > :01:02.chosen to carry the GB flag at the Winter Olympics.
:01:03. > :01:05.I did not expect it, I think there were a lot of strong candidates in
:01:06. > :01:07.our team, great group of guys and girls, so to be selected was
:01:08. > :01:11.fantastic. And when there's a warning up you
:01:12. > :01:15.know it's serious. It's wet out there ` very wet, and set to get
:01:16. > :01:22.even wetter before the weekend. Want to know more? Then join me later.
:01:23. > :01:28.Good evening. The Prime Minister says Cannock Chase MP Aidan Burley
:01:29. > :01:31.has done the right thing by standing down. The MP himself has thanked
:01:32. > :01:37.constituents for their overwhelming messages of support. He decided to
:01:38. > :01:40.go in the face of continuing controversy over a Nazi`themed stag
:01:41. > :01:46.night ` something he says he deeply regrets. In a moment, I'll be
:01:47. > :01:49.discussing the fallout from Mr Burley's decision with our political
:01:50. > :01:51.editor Patrick Burns. But first here's Joanne Writtle.
:01:52. > :01:57.David Cameron at a Birmingham school with football pundit Gary Lineker.
:01:58. > :02:00.But with the political storm over Aidan Burley's decision to quit
:02:01. > :02:08.blowing right to the top, the PM spoke out.
:02:09. > :02:13.I think he has made the right decision. He worked very hard in
:02:14. > :02:19.Cannock, particularly on issues like the hospital. Obviously there was
:02:20. > :02:23.that report by David Gold fund found he had `` that found he had behaved
:02:24. > :02:27.foolishly and wrongly and that is why he has made this decision, which
:02:28. > :02:30.I think is the right decision, and we should move on from that.
:02:31. > :02:33.Aidan Burley was a Tory golden boy, winning the Cannock Chase seat in
:02:34. > :02:36.2010 with the biggest swing in the country, ending 18 years of Labour
:02:37. > :02:39.in Cannock. But he was sacked as a ministerial
:02:40. > :02:41.aide after being filmed at a Nazi`themed stag party.
:02:42. > :02:52.In his constituency today, his decision to stand down as MP at the
:02:53. > :02:58.next election was big news. He knew better than to get involved
:02:59. > :03:05.in that, surely! He is so young, and I am sold remember everything.
:03:06. > :03:08.He has been a good MP for the area, particularly when we had the trouble
:03:09. > :03:15.with the hospital. He supported the hospital all the way.
:03:16. > :03:18.Meanwhile, out canvassing, a man most likely to benefit from Aidan
:03:19. > :03:24.Burley's move ` Labour election candidate Janos Toth.
:03:25. > :03:27.He has brought shame to our constituency with the antics he
:03:28. > :03:33.carried out in France. What do I mean by that? We find out recently
:03:34. > :03:37.he purchased a Nazi uniform that he gave to the groom who he was the
:03:38. > :03:44.best man for and then they went partying in France.
:03:45. > :03:50.In the party there is great support for Aidan Burley, with many
:03:51. > :03:53.respecting him as a hard`working MP. At his constituency office in
:03:54. > :03:59.Cannock it was business as usual today, with Mr Burley himself saying
:04:00. > :04:02.in a statement, I am pleased it is all behind me now and I am pleased
:04:03. > :04:04.to serve the people of Cannock Chase over the next 15 months.
:04:05. > :04:07.Aidan Burley spearheaded the campaign to save Cannock Hospital
:04:08. > :04:14.from closure and ran local jobs fairs. But it's unclear what he'll
:04:15. > :04:17.do next, though one man was awash with new ideas.
:04:18. > :04:21.It might be best for him to perhaps start again at something else. He
:04:22. > :04:27.can have a job with me if he wants! For now though, Aidan Burley will be
:04:28. > :04:30.MP until the next election. And our Political Editor Patrick
:04:31. > :04:36.Burns is with me now. Obviously Aidan Burley has been under intense
:04:37. > :04:39.pressure. Was the timing of this decision last night a surprise or
:04:40. > :04:42.was there an element of inevitability about it?
:04:43. > :04:48.I think, really, events had moved decisively against him. First of
:04:49. > :04:52.all, that Conservative Party report we were hearing about which branded
:04:53. > :04:57.his actions stupid and offensive. No less significantly, the Sunday
:04:58. > :05:01.papers that signalled their determination not to let go of this.
:05:02. > :05:04.There comes a point where it is a political judgement, irrespective of
:05:05. > :05:09.the merits of the arguments on either side. Is it possible any
:05:10. > :05:13.longer to limit the damage or will he forever beat high as the man
:05:14. > :05:21.involved in that notorious stag party? `` will he forever be tagged.
:05:22. > :05:25.One MP whose family lost loved ones at an Nazi extermination camp thinks
:05:26. > :05:30.this decision has not come one moment too soon.
:05:31. > :05:34.I think it wouldn't have come to this if, over two years ago, after
:05:35. > :05:37.this party, he had told the truth about what had happened, his role in
:05:38. > :05:42.it, and if he apologised properly at the time I think it would never have
:05:43. > :05:45.to write on. It would never have got to this, it would have been dealt
:05:46. > :05:48.with at the time, I think. It is a shattering fall from grace
:05:49. > :05:52.for someone who was a rising star in the 2010 intake.
:05:53. > :05:57.He achieved the result of the election for the Conservatives, a
:05:58. > :06:01.14% swing in Cannock Chase, a staggering result. He rose very
:06:02. > :06:06.quickly, influential on changes to the police services and towards the
:06:07. > :06:11.end he was actually Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Private
:06:12. > :06:17.Secretary `` Transport Secretary Tony was really on his way before
:06:18. > :06:22.that trip to the French Alps. Where does this leave his
:06:23. > :06:27.constituents for the next 15 months? Well, the Labour council leader in
:06:28. > :06:30.Cannock Chase says he should go now because they would otherwise have a
:06:31. > :06:35.lame`duck MP, but frankly during the latter stages of any Parliament
:06:36. > :06:37.there are plenty of MPs serving out their time, including many who have
:06:38. > :06:43.actually been deselected. That is not a fate that has befallen
:06:44. > :06:47.Aidan Burley and I am sure he will be an active MP and determined to
:06:48. > :06:50.see this out to the end. Coming up later in the programme...
:06:51. > :06:52.Reservoirs overflowing and adding to flooding fears, with even more rain
:06:53. > :06:59.on the way. A security guard has been hailed a
:07:00. > :07:03.hero after fighting off a gang of robbers who were armed with an axe.
:07:04. > :07:06.The police cordoned off a road in Dudley, where the attack took place.
:07:07. > :07:10.The thieves were trying to get money being delivered to a bank ` a so
:07:11. > :07:13.called cash in transit robbery ` a type of crime that is on the
:07:14. > :07:15.increase again. Our special correspondent, Peter Wilson has this
:07:16. > :07:21.report. This is the security guard working
:07:22. > :07:25.for G4S who refused to hand over a box of cash. Three men pounced as he
:07:26. > :07:31.delivered the money to Barclays bank in dudley. `` Dudley. They were
:07:32. > :07:34.armed with an axe. The security guard suffered minor bruising and
:07:35. > :07:37.asked us to protect his identity. The cash vans are very well
:07:38. > :07:42.protected. It's the guards walking from their vans which are often the
:07:43. > :07:46.weak link. It was like a fight, they were
:07:47. > :07:51.fighting, I thought, until I got up and had a look and it was more the
:07:52. > :07:57.gentleman trying to pool something off him, of the security man. The
:07:58. > :08:01.cash box? Yes, he was trying to pull it off and get hold of it.
:08:02. > :08:06.He had something in his hand, as well. I don't know what it was, like
:08:07. > :08:09.an axe. Hours after the attack, the security guard remained at the scene
:08:10. > :08:14.helping the police with their investigation.
:08:15. > :08:19.The security guard would not give me his name. He did say that he was in
:08:20. > :08:24.his mid`50s, that he was a family man and that he had been determined
:08:25. > :08:28.not to give that cash box to the Raiders. I said to him that,
:08:29. > :08:31.clearly, he had been a hero. He said he was simply doing his job. Painful
:08:32. > :08:34.memories. Watching the crime scene, Rod
:08:35. > :08:38.Phillips. 20 years ago he was held up by armed robbers while delivering
:08:39. > :08:46.cash. The advice usually is not to resist.
:08:47. > :08:49.We were taught not to argue with shotguns or baseball bats or
:08:50. > :08:55.anything like that. What injuries did you receive?
:08:56. > :08:57.I received an injured shoulder by a baseball bat.
:08:58. > :09:02.Armed police sometimes escort security vans delivering cash.
:09:03. > :09:04.Nationally, in some areas cash in transit robberies have doubled. But
:09:05. > :09:13.the raiders today fled empty`handed. Parents of children at a Redditch
:09:14. > :09:17.nursery, where a member of staff was arrested, are meeting police this
:09:18. > :09:20.evening. An employee at the Crabbs Cross branch of Bright KIDS was
:09:21. > :09:25.arrested earlier this week and released on bail after a parent
:09:26. > :09:28.contacted officers. The West Mercia police say they have no ongoing
:09:29. > :09:36.concerns for the welfare of children.
:09:37. > :09:41.Hospitals are more focused on quality of care, but the regulation
:09:42. > :09:44.is still complex and confusing. That's the view of independent
:09:45. > :09:47.research to coincide with the first anniversary of the publication of
:09:48. > :09:49.the Francis Report into the failings at Stafford Hospital. Our health
:09:50. > :09:53.correspondent, Michele Paduano, has been to see what has changed in the
:09:54. > :09:56.health service in the last 12 months.
:09:57. > :10:01.These are the people on the front line that make the difference. 60%
:10:02. > :10:03.of all care is provided by health care assistants. In Stoke`on`Trent,
:10:04. > :10:08.they are now being taught about dementia and how to stimulate
:10:09. > :10:11.elderly patients' memories. And one time we were not getting
:10:12. > :10:15.much training, but this has opened a few doors for us, so we are getting
:10:16. > :10:18.a lot more training and, like I say, the staff is improving all the
:10:19. > :10:21.time. Giving patients like Joyce Merchant
:10:22. > :10:24.care and dignity is central. Here they have introduced minimum nursing
:10:25. > :10:28.levels on wards and the chief nurse sits on a national body looking at
:10:29. > :10:32.staffing. All of us are focused on what
:10:33. > :10:36.Francis has said and all of us don't want that to happen in our
:10:37. > :10:44.hospitals, so it has made an impact throughout the country, no doubt,
:10:45. > :10:46.and for probably from a field. `` probably further afield.
:10:47. > :10:48.Nobody is suggesting care is perfect.
:10:49. > :10:51.91``year`old Mary Bradley had received poor care at Stafford in
:10:52. > :10:54.the past but is receiving excellent care today. Her daughter says in
:10:55. > :10:57.Walsall Hospital her mother fell recently and broke a bone. She was
:10:58. > :10:59.covered in dried faeces. The Trust has apologised, saying her care was
:11:00. > :11:04.unacceptable. It was horrendous, to say the least.
:11:05. > :11:11.It was traumatic, it was even worse than deja vu, because with Stafford
:11:12. > :11:14.it was a hygiene problem. With Walsall come across`the`board care
:11:15. > :11:17.was appalling. It's a picture that Ken Lownds, who
:11:18. > :11:19.twice met the Health Secretary and coined the phrase "zero harm", still
:11:20. > :11:25.recognises. My feeling on the whole is have
:11:26. > :11:32.positive but have to disappoint a dad not seeing very ever noticed
:11:33. > :11:36.signs of other changes. `` very definite signs. For instance,
:11:37. > :11:41.legislation to bring about the single regulator that the NHS
:11:42. > :11:45.wanted. Getting the right staff with the right attitude is essential, but
:11:46. > :11:49.part of the problem at Stafford is finance, how to carry on improving
:11:50. > :11:52.care with less money. If the circumstances arise where it
:11:53. > :11:58.is impossible to provide acceptable care with the money there, it seems
:11:59. > :12:00.to me the people who know that must say so.
:12:01. > :12:02.You cannot continue to have stories of patients being left in their own
:12:03. > :12:05.faeces. In hospitals, attitudes are
:12:06. > :12:08.changing, but it will take time to completely change the culture.
:12:09. > :12:17.And Michele is outside Stafford Hospital now.
:12:18. > :12:23.What happened at Stafford seems to have entered the consciousness of
:12:24. > :12:28.the NHS as a whole, doesn't it? Yes, from the gloom over Stafford
:12:29. > :12:35.for so long, this is the real ray of hope. Words like duty of candour and
:12:36. > :12:39.zero harm seemed to be embedded in the NHS and a recent survey showed
:12:40. > :12:43.82% of hospitals said they had done something as a result of the
:12:44. > :12:48.Stafford angry and 93% still intend to do so. There are still concerns
:12:49. > :12:52.about reorganisation, the end of regulation that is complex and
:12:53. > :12:56.difficult, but one Chief Executives said I would rather be hung now for
:12:57. > :13:01.the money than for quality of care. The future of the hospital itself is
:13:02. > :13:07.still undecided and I hear there are new developments tonight?
:13:08. > :13:11.Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State, is due to pronounce on its future a
:13:12. > :13:16.few weeks that matter in a few weeks. But a Conservative MP has
:13:17. > :13:21.written to all GPs in the area as being them for their views as to
:13:22. > :13:25.what should happen to the hospital. If they do not agree with the
:13:26. > :13:30.Clinical Commissioning Group, it could result in a challenge. If they
:13:31. > :13:35.do, it could mean the end for the campaign against the changes. There
:13:36. > :13:39.are concerns tonight about the viability of the accident and
:13:40. > :13:42.emergency department? Yes, there has been talk for some
:13:43. > :13:48.time about reducing the number of hours, apparently around half of the
:13:49. > :13:51.staff working as nurses in that department are actually non`staff,
:13:52. > :13:55.because clearly for so long there have been concerns about the future
:13:56. > :13:58.and many people have been leaving. Obviously that has had an impact on
:13:59. > :14:00.the way they can do their work. Thank you.
:14:01. > :14:06.Our top story tonight... Time to draw a line, says David
:14:07. > :14:08.Cameron, after this Nazi`themed stag party cost the MP for Cannock Chase
:14:09. > :14:15.his political career. Shefali is ready with your detailed
:14:16. > :14:18.weather forecast. Also in tonight's programme, what
:14:19. > :14:22.Juan from crime`ridden streets in Los Angeles had to tell pupils in
:14:23. > :14:28.Birmingham about the perils of gangs and knife crime.
:14:29. > :14:33.Once you are in, there is no way out, and if you do get out there and
:14:34. > :14:39.you live the life where you are at risk, it is duly risky. `` it is
:14:40. > :14:42.really risky. And we meet the Staffordshire
:14:43. > :14:47.teeenager with genuine medal hopes in the Winter Olympics.
:14:48. > :14:51.For consecutive summers, water companies have warned of drought,
:14:52. > :14:55.but, after one of the wettest months on record, there's now a new issue.
:14:56. > :15:02.97% of Severn Trent's reservoirs are full, with some overflowing into
:15:03. > :15:04.already swollen rivers. And, even with 4.2 million homes and
:15:05. > :15:08.businesses to supply, that's enough water to take us right through until
:15:09. > :15:12.September, as Ben Godfrey has been finding out.
:15:13. > :15:15.On the surface, Lake Vyrnwy is a picture of serenity, but look beyond
:15:16. > :15:23.the dam. Millions of gallons of fresh water
:15:24. > :15:27.are bursting through and pouring away.
:15:28. > :15:32.This area of Mid`Wales saw twice the average rainfall in January, and
:15:33. > :15:38.this Victorian reservoir is completely full.
:15:39. > :15:46.I have to say, the volume and noise of this water is extraordinary, and
:15:47. > :15:51.it should find its way into the river seven insurers bray within
:15:52. > :15:57.around 12 hours. `` River Severn in shrews brief. `` Shrewsbury.
:15:58. > :15:59.Two years ago, the Midlands experienced water shortages because
:16:00. > :16:02.there hadn't been sufficient winter rainfall. That won't happen this
:16:03. > :16:05.summer. Severn Trent says a dozen of its reservoirs surrounding the
:16:06. > :16:08.Midlands region are already at capacity.
:16:09. > :16:11.We have enough water now to provide us until September, and that is
:16:12. > :16:14.without further rainfall. Lake Vyrnwy is almost five miles
:16:15. > :16:18.long. It's the size of 600 football
:16:19. > :16:19.pitches and is one of the country's most important environment for
:16:20. > :16:24.birds. Intense rain can alter habitats `
:16:25. > :16:30.something the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is trying to
:16:31. > :16:34.manage. We are feeding the birds twice as
:16:35. > :16:39.much because they are so hungry, and, yes, they are having a rough
:16:40. > :16:44.time. We keep on feeding them and we hope it will not affect the bird
:16:45. > :16:47.count. We have not had any recordings of losses yet.
:16:48. > :16:50.While this dam is doing it's job successfully, this charge of white
:16:51. > :16:51.horses is galloping towards the Midlands, bringing an increased risk
:16:52. > :17:03.of river flooding. A knife surrender is expected to
:17:04. > :17:07.start in the West Midlands in the next few weeks after a number of
:17:08. > :17:10.attacks which have cost too many young lives. Pupils at Moseley
:17:11. > :17:14.School in Birmingham walk past the scene of one such tragedy every day.
:17:15. > :17:22.So what can be done? We can go over live now to Sarah Falkland. What is
:17:23. > :17:25.the school doing, Sarah? A lot of it is that good
:17:26. > :17:29.old`fashioned keeping them on the street and narrow, but that is
:17:30. > :17:32.easier said than done. A lot of it is also about inspiring kids to do
:17:33. > :17:37.the best they can. We just wrapped up a talk here tonight, and
:17:38. > :17:42.18`year`old who delivered it, the current head boy at a public school
:17:43. > :17:44.in Somerset, and he is not exactly from the kind of background you
:17:45. > :17:49.might expect. Juan Luquin is a long way from home.
:17:50. > :17:56.His family are thousands of miles away in Los Angeles. They are
:17:57. > :18:00.illegal immigrants from Mexico. But he's here in Birmingham as a guest
:18:01. > :18:03.speaker at Moseley school because of his incredible journey from poverty
:18:04. > :18:07.to privilege. He grew up in is the notorious South Central part of LA,
:18:08. > :18:09.where there are over 400 gangs. From the age of six he witnessed regular
:18:10. > :18:13.shootings and murders. I've seen about three drive`bys. The
:18:14. > :18:19.most recent one was about five years ago. I was in my house with my
:18:20. > :18:23.friends and heard gunshots, and you just see him lying on the side of
:18:24. > :18:27.the car dead. Those types of events stick with you for the rest of your
:18:28. > :18:30.life. Some students here will never forget
:18:31. > :18:34.what happened 16`year`old Azim Azam. He was stabbed to death less than a
:18:35. > :18:38.quarter of a mile from their school. It was shortly after that that a
:18:39. > :18:44.teacher read about Juan and thought he'd be a good role model.
:18:45. > :18:48.The best way to keep young people safe and out of trouble is to help
:18:49. > :18:52.them be successful. The more students are successful and realise
:18:53. > :18:54.they have a stake in making themselves better and have something
:18:55. > :18:59.to look forward to in the future, the saver they will be. `` the
:19:00. > :19:02.safer. After an interview with the the
:19:03. > :19:06.student newspaper, he will tell an audience of students about how easy
:19:07. > :19:09.it can be to end up as a victim of crime, or even lose your life, or be
:19:10. > :19:14.trapped in a gang. If you have problems at home, or
:19:15. > :19:17.things like that, I know many people who got involved with selling drugs
:19:18. > :19:21.and things like that to support their families, but without their
:19:22. > :19:23.parents knowing. They would come back home with money for their
:19:24. > :19:25.parents. Juan's life could have been so
:19:26. > :19:29.different. As it is, he has another year as
:19:30. > :19:35.head boy at Taunton School in Somerset, then it's back home to the
:19:36. > :19:38.States for University. Just how inspirational was that
:19:39. > :19:44.speech? With me is the head girl, what did you think about what Juan
:19:45. > :19:48.had to say? It was very inspiring, especially for our young leaders to
:19:49. > :19:52.hear about his past. He told us that when he was 16 he
:19:53. > :19:57.was seeing people getting shot. That is not something you hear about in
:19:58. > :20:00.daily life and coming from that background, and becoming a head boy
:20:01. > :20:05.in an established school and being the best you can be, it inspires our
:20:06. > :20:09.students to be the best they can be. What do you want to do?
:20:10. > :20:14.I want to be a children's nurse, so hopefully that is what I will do and
:20:15. > :20:17.I am buried passionate about that. I am going to university for a
:20:18. > :20:23.degree to work in a children's hospital. Best wishes with that. We
:20:24. > :20:25.also had a pastor from Birmingham here speaking tonight, there is
:20:26. > :20:29.quite well`known. If you are wondering how Juan
:20:30. > :20:34.managed to get to that public school in Taunton, he worked very hard at
:20:35. > :20:37.school in Los Angeles, became head boy there, and then won a
:20:38. > :20:39.prestigious scholarship which has paid for everything.
:20:40. > :20:44.A speed skater from Solihull will carry the flag for Britain at the
:20:45. > :20:47.opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Russia. Jon Eley says
:20:48. > :20:51.the honour comes as a complete surprise, and it's a moment he'll
:20:52. > :20:55.treasure for the rest of his life. Nick Clitheroe reports on how six of
:20:56. > :20:58.our athletes will form a key part of a British team looking to win more
:20:59. > :21:02.medals than ever before. Backside double ten!
:21:03. > :21:06.Wow! Jamie Nicholls! The waiting is finally over for
:21:07. > :21:09.Britain's Winter Olympians. Although the first events began this morning,
:21:10. > :21:13.it is tomorrow's opening ceremony which really marks the start of the
:21:14. > :21:16.drama. And no`one will feel that sense of pride more than speed
:21:17. > :21:19.skater Jon Eley, who will carry the British flag into the stadium.
:21:20. > :21:23.It's fantastic, an amazing feeling, I'm just over the moon. I didn't
:21:24. > :21:27.expect it, there's a lot of strong candidates in the team, a lot of
:21:28. > :21:29.great guys and girls, so to be selected was fantastic.
:21:30. > :21:33.This will be Eley's third Olympics. He is joined in the speed skating
:21:34. > :21:35.team by debutant Charlotte Gilmartin from Redditch.
:21:36. > :21:37.There are plenty of first`timers on the British team. Like 18`year`old
:21:38. > :21:41.freestyle skier Rowan Cheshire from Staffordshire. A half pipe gold
:21:42. > :21:44.medal in a recent World Cup event has raised expectations for her.
:21:45. > :21:52.I really want a podium, but just being there is a massive goal for
:21:53. > :21:56.me. I definitely will try my best, but I think the most potential will
:21:57. > :21:58.be in 2018. Coventry`born Amanda Lightfoot will be first up in the
:21:59. > :22:00.biathlon on Sunday. 17``year`old Flo Bell from
:22:01. > :22:03.Birmingham will carry Ireland's hopes in slalom. And there are
:22:04. > :22:06.Midlands medal chances in the bobsleigh, too, where Ben Simons
:22:07. > :22:14.from Broseley in Shropshire and Joel Fearon from Coventry compete.
:22:15. > :22:20.To have come so far in such a short time for me is amazing. I am proud
:22:21. > :22:25.of myself now, really, blowing my own horn quite a bit, so I'm very
:22:26. > :22:29.happy. British bobsleigh is going to such a
:22:30. > :22:33.strong as it has ever been, we have genuine medal contenders in there.
:22:34. > :22:36.`` is going to Sochi. Britain only won a single medal four
:22:37. > :22:39.years ago. The pressure is on to win at least
:22:40. > :22:43.three this time around. Good luck to them all.
:22:44. > :22:46.On the ninth February 2011, Conrad Lewis from Warwickshire became the
:22:47. > :22:49.353rd soldier to die in the Afghanistan conflict. Since then,
:22:50. > :22:53.his family have made sure his memory lives on and he's not just a number.
:22:54. > :22:56.To mark the third anniversary of his death, they are releasing a charity
:22:57. > :22:58.single and they're aiming for a place in the Top 40. Ben Sidwell
:22:59. > :23:15.reports. As we started to withdraw from
:23:16. > :23:19.Afghanistan, then I think it is vitally important to recognise the
:23:20. > :23:23.contribution and sacrifice of the other 446 to have died in this
:23:24. > :23:26.conflict. We want the song to recognise what they have contributed
:23:27. > :23:30.to our safety and security. Conrad Lewis loved music.
:23:31. > :23:34.He played both the guitar and drums. So when a family friend wrote words
:23:35. > :23:38.for a song following his funeral, it was decided the track should be used
:23:39. > :23:43.to help all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.
:23:44. > :23:46.I loved it, and I think the lyrics appeal to anyone, not just someone
:23:47. > :23:49.who has lost someone from the military complex, but anyone who has
:23:50. > :23:52.suffered lost. Released three years to the day that
:23:53. > :23:56.Conrad died, his family, from Clavedon in Warwickshire, are now
:23:57. > :23:58.trying to get the song in the Top 40 Singles chart.
:23:59. > :24:04.Just how big is the challenge facing them? To get into the top 40, last
:24:05. > :24:09.year on average you had to sell 7800 singles. If you wanted into the top
:24:10. > :24:16.ten it was 30,000. As for number one, this week's number one sold
:24:17. > :24:29.136,000 copies to top the charts. The song has been recorded by
:24:30. > :24:34.Warwickshire singer Andrew James at a studio in Bidford on Avon. We
:24:35. > :24:36.desperately need people to download it.
:24:37. > :24:42.If we get so many thousand downloads we should... But you really need to
:24:43. > :24:51.be able to commit and do it, it is not easy.
:24:52. > :24:57.Anyone who has suffered loss will resonate with the chorus, which is,
:24:58. > :25:00.because I am still here. The single, appropriately named
:25:01. > :25:04.Soldier On, is available to download now.
:25:05. > :25:12.And our very best wishes to Conrad Lewis's family. Brace yourselves.
:25:13. > :25:20.Let's see how the weather's looking ` don't get excited! Here's Shefali.
:25:21. > :25:24.Nothing to get excited about, Nick. Worried about, maybe, if you are in
:25:25. > :25:28.flooded areas, but by now you are probably used to this story. This
:25:29. > :25:33.warning is in force until Saturday, covering two lots of rain going
:25:34. > :25:39.through the region now and the next that arise on Friday evening
:25:40. > :25:42.continues into Saturday. That combination will produce a couple of
:25:43. > :25:48.inches of rain which is probably quite serious if you are in flooded
:25:49. > :25:51.areas. It is being driven and generated by a series of low
:25:52. > :25:56.pressures, which we have seen four days now. The intensity of the low
:25:57. > :25:59.pressure will determine how much rain we get. The first one is not
:26:00. > :26:04.too bad but look at this next one from the West on Friday evening.
:26:05. > :26:07.That in itself looks fairly scary with tightly packed isobars and that
:26:08. > :26:12.wrap around or collusion. That will bring in rain and following on from
:26:13. > :26:17.that squally showers through the weekend. This evening, again, just
:26:18. > :26:26.looking at the chart we know what is going on, wet across most parts.
:26:27. > :26:30.Some wintering is over the hill tops `` wintry showers. The night will
:26:31. > :26:33.end on a much drier note with some clearer spells and temperatures
:26:34. > :26:39.dropping to around four or five Celsius. We started tomorrow with
:26:40. > :26:42.largely dry weather but also some sunshine developing through the day,
:26:43. > :26:46.which is nice, because that is only going to be a respite before the
:26:47. > :26:53.next band of rain heads in from the south`west. In the sunshine,
:26:54. > :26:57.temperatures rising to around seven or nine Celsius, but winds
:26:58. > :27:03.increasing all the while. Today they were a lot lighter than yesterday
:27:04. > :27:07.'s, but winds again up to around 30 mph taking the edge of
:27:08. > :27:11.temperatures, perhaps working up to around 50 mph through the night
:27:12. > :27:14.tomorrow. As rain sweeps in from the south`west it will be very heavy
:27:15. > :27:18.during the middle part of tomorrow night, clearing in the first part of
:27:19. > :27:22.Saturday followed by showers by the `` for the rest of the weekend.
:27:23. > :27:25.You do wonder when it will ever end, don't you?
:27:26. > :27:29.Tonight's headlines from the BBC... Not guilty of sex offences ` the
:27:30. > :27:32.Coronation Street actor William Roache walks free.
:27:33. > :27:35.One storm followed by another ` more severe weather forecast into the
:27:36. > :27:36.weekend as the government pledges an extra 30 million for emergency
:27:37. > :27:40.repairs. Time to draw a line, says David
:27:41. > :27:43.Cameron, after this Nazi`themed stag party cost the MP for Cannock Chase
:27:44. > :27:46.his political career. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:27:47. > :27:48.back at 10pm with your latest update. Until then,