:00:00. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: More help for
:00:10. > :00:11.victims ` the promise from the Prime Minister as he visits flood hit
:00:12. > :00:17.areas of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
:00:18. > :00:22.People have shown incredible patience, and we're going to have to
:00:23. > :00:25.be in this for the long haul. We'll be live in Upton`upon`Severn,
:00:26. > :00:28.where some residents are still under feet of water.
:00:29. > :00:39.Fears for safety in the floods as children start half`term holidays.
:00:40. > :00:45.Floodwater is dangerous. It has got lot of the `` lots of debris in it.
:00:46. > :00:48.Also tonight: As Benefits Street ends, what's the impact on those
:00:49. > :00:52.who've appeared in the controversial TV series?
:00:53. > :00:55.Everything has been OK. But I know other people are going through hell.
:00:56. > :00:59.Bring back standing at football matches ` the campaign backed by
:01:00. > :01:03.Midlands clubs. And a much better week in prospect,
:01:04. > :01:04.but there are things to watch out for which I'll be highlighting in
:01:05. > :01:18.the forecast later. Good evening. The Prime Minister
:01:19. > :01:21.promised financial help to those who need it most, as he toured flood`hit
:01:22. > :01:27.areas of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire today. ?10 million
:01:28. > :01:31.will be available immediately. But it may come too late, so say some of
:01:32. > :01:34.the hardest hit businesses. Takings in Upton`upon`Severn are reported to
:01:35. > :01:37.be around 50% down, with some businesses fearful for their
:01:38. > :01:49.survival ` whatever the politicians may promise. Ben Godfrey has this
:01:50. > :01:58.report. The Prime Minister arrived in Upton
:01:59. > :02:03.on a raft of optimism. While he may not stop the rain, he
:02:04. > :02:06.praised the flood defences. The Severn has been held back but so
:02:07. > :02:16.have some shoppers ` and trade is suffering. Personally in my
:02:17. > :02:22.business, we have lost 50% of our trade. There might be a couple of
:02:23. > :02:24.businesses, I am not going to quote them, which probably won't survive
:02:25. > :02:27.this. The Prime Minister told me any
:02:28. > :02:32.business struggling with the impact of flooding can claim money for a
:02:33. > :02:37.clean up. We are making available ?5,000 grants to make them able to
:02:38. > :02:42.better protect themselves in future, but this ?10 million and is today,
:02:43. > :02:47.that is for businesses that have either been directly affected or
:02:48. > :02:51.indirectly affected by the floods. The big problem has been access to
:02:52. > :02:57.the town while Upton Bridge is closed to traffic. But the Army is
:02:58. > :02:59.doing its bit with their big green shuttle bus. We hopped aboard,
:03:00. > :03:04.strapped ourselves in and journeyed over the river.
:03:05. > :03:12.This vehicle's wheels are six feet high, and since Friday 750 people
:03:13. > :03:17.have used this vehicle operated by the while Irish regiment.
:03:18. > :03:20.`` Royal Irish Regiment. Traders aren't just worried about
:03:21. > :03:23.footfall ` it's also their stock. In Worcester, while the main bridge was
:03:24. > :03:28.being cleared of debris, this hotel was being cleared of cash and
:03:29. > :03:33.computers as looters struck. I am really, really livid. How can
:03:34. > :03:39.somebody do that to someone when you have been flooded? We have already
:03:40. > :03:46.lost business, and somebody has gone in there and Robert it. In the Cobra
:03:47. > :03:52.meetings, we have stressed the importance of visible policing, and
:03:53. > :03:55.obviously the presence of military personnel also provides that
:03:56. > :03:59.reassurance, but anyone who commits a crime like that should know that
:04:00. > :04:02.the authorities will be after them. This afternoon, the Prime Minister
:04:03. > :04:04.was meeting Gloucestershire Police. Huge swathes of farmland across this
:04:05. > :04:07.region are underwater, surrounding communities like Ashleworth near
:04:08. > :04:16.Tewkesbury ` he insists everyone will get equal flooding support.
:04:17. > :04:21.Some people here `` say you are only here because of the detrimental
:04:22. > :04:26.flooding in the South. I do not think that is fair. When the bad
:04:27. > :04:31.weather started before Christmas up in Norfolk, we had the emergency
:04:32. > :04:34.committee meet them, here know we are in the West Midlands. I will try
:04:35. > :04:38.to get to every part of the country that has been affected.
:04:39. > :04:41.Back in Upton, people are getting by with good grace and humour ` despite
:04:42. > :04:47.some frustrations, the signs of recovery are there.
:04:48. > :04:50.So what's the picture across the region tonight?
:04:51. > :04:56.Well, the Environment Agency tell us that we still have 33 flood warnings
:04:57. > :04:59.in place and 18 flood alerts. While most bridges in our flood`hit towns
:05:00. > :05:03.and cities have reopened, two remain closed. They're the Bewdley Bridge
:05:04. > :05:08.and the road bridge into Upton`upon`Severn.
:05:09. > :05:11.Worcester's main bridge reopened in time for the half term school
:05:12. > :05:19.holidays, but there are concerns over safety, with so much flooding
:05:20. > :05:25.still around. Ben Sidwell reports. The water may be going down in
:05:26. > :05:30.Worcester, but there is still a lot of it around. With it being
:05:31. > :05:36.half`time, there are no extra safety concerns. The rivers are earning
:05:37. > :05:40.really fast. `` running. Floodwater has lots of debris in it, and there
:05:41. > :05:46.might be manhole covers lifted in places where you will not see them.
:05:47. > :05:51.So a dangerous place to be. Despite yet more rain today, there was
:05:52. > :05:54.plenty keen on capturing the devastated scene.
:05:55. > :05:59.This flooding has meant that Worcester has been seen around the
:06:00. > :06:02.world, and you do is `` they do say there is no such thing as negative
:06:03. > :06:06.publicity. So after one of the toughest week in the cities ``
:06:07. > :06:09.toughest weeks in the city for years, could something positive come
:06:10. > :06:16.out of this? At one of the region's biggest
:06:17. > :06:29.tourist attractions, this was the biggest weekend. We did whether done
:06:30. > :06:33.`` wonder whether people would come. I am not sure how many people came
:06:34. > :06:38.because of the flooding, but actually our event was busier than I
:06:39. > :06:42.feel it would be as Mike I feared it would be.
:06:43. > :06:46.Some tourists have been undeterred. Emily and her family have come from
:06:47. > :06:51.Northumberland for their half term holiday. We decided we would
:06:52. > :06:55.travel. We had had some warning about how it was difficult to get
:06:56. > :07:00.across the Severn Valley, but we decided to do it. I think there were
:07:01. > :07:06.as many people as we would have expected on a Sunday `` sunny Sunday
:07:07. > :07:10.night we had yesterday, and it was good to see they have not been
:07:11. > :07:15.deterred by rumours of the floods. With the city starting to get Brown
:07:16. > :07:18.`` back to normal, the hope is that these tourists will return again
:07:19. > :07:21.after the water has gone. Ben joins us now from the closed
:07:22. > :07:24.bridge in Upton`upon`Severn. As you were travelling around
:07:25. > :07:35.Worcestershire today how did it compare with a normal half term?
:07:36. > :07:38.I was actually here last Monday, and the levels have dropped, but
:07:39. > :07:43.probably only by about that much. Many of the roads are still closed
:07:44. > :07:49.including the main bridge just to the right of May. Let us find the
:07:50. > :07:53.latest, Nick Green is from the Environment Agency. Everyone wants
:07:54. > :07:59.to know, have we gone past the worst? River levels are run here are
:08:00. > :08:07.still very high and remain higher. There is some water to come through
:08:08. > :08:10.from Bewdley in Shropshire, and then hopefully we will see the rivers
:08:11. > :08:17.start to fall down, but don't expect them to go very quickly. This water
:08:18. > :08:21.just is not going anywhere, it is hanging around. Yes, it has been
:08:22. > :08:26.around for a long time, since just before Christmas. Communities have
:08:27. > :08:29.been impacted by these waters, and I think everyone is looking forward to
:08:30. > :08:38.the levels going down. We were talking about tourism. Could it
:08:39. > :08:41.affect tourism? I think when you have got defence such as this in
:08:42. > :08:46.place you can find that people come to visit the town. The fact it is
:08:47. > :08:51.here has meant the town has stayed dry and everything is open for
:08:52. > :08:55.business. Where this flood barriers are concerned, if I was here in 2007
:08:56. > :09:01.I would currently be waist deep in water. That is a great relief for
:09:02. > :09:04.the people. Whilst the floods have brought
:09:05. > :09:07.misery to many, for some specialist businesses they've provided a boost.
:09:08. > :09:10.Firms supplying equipment to the worst affected flood zones are
:09:11. > :09:13.reporting sales which have more than doubled since Christmas. And as the
:09:14. > :09:28.clean up gets under way, they're expecting to get even busier. Here's
:09:29. > :09:30.Liz Copper. This company, near Woore in
:09:31. > :09:36.Shropshire, makes, maintains and supplies pumps. It's been inundated
:09:37. > :09:39.with orders. Flooding in basements, back gardens, office blocks,
:09:40. > :09:42.everywhere we are getting calls. It's also been a busy time for firms
:09:43. > :09:45.helping to drain waterlogged land. This contractor works mostly for
:09:46. > :09:49.farmers and companies in the agricultural sector. There are
:09:50. > :09:59.worries high ground water levels could lead to pollution. I am moving
:10:00. > :10:04.a lot of dirty water because of all the rainfall, to stop the stores
:10:05. > :10:05.overflowing and causing pollution problems.
:10:06. > :10:08.These specialist businesses are reporting more than double the usual
:10:09. > :10:11.number of enquiries for their services and products.
:10:12. > :10:15.Pump still with the aftermath of floodwaters, but there is a growing
:10:16. > :10:18.focus on what more can be done to prevent flooding in the first place.
:10:19. > :10:21.And with concerns prolonged periods of extreme wet weather could become
:10:22. > :10:31.the norm, there are business opportunities for firms involved in
:10:32. > :10:34.designing flood`proof buildings. That is looking at hole developments
:10:35. > :10:38.which are based around very eco`friendly environments, so it is
:10:39. > :10:44.not just buildings but the way we live, how we live, what we do, how
:10:45. > :10:51.businesses, schools, have a whole lot interacts.
:10:52. > :10:54.`` how the whole lot interacts. As the task of draining rain`soaked
:10:55. > :10:57.land gets under way, for some companies at least the deluge has
:10:58. > :11:01.led to a surge in business. And you can see a special report on
:11:02. > :11:06.the work of the Severn Area Rescue Association on Inside Out with me at
:11:07. > :11:09.7:30 tonight here on BBC One. Coming up later in the programme,
:11:10. > :11:19.poet Benjamin Zephaniah on the power of words to help ex prisoners go
:11:20. > :11:25.straight. When you start thinking about poetry, and start being honest
:11:26. > :11:28.in a way that you could question yourself.
:11:29. > :11:32.And a unique tribute to the troops ` students in Birmingham have created
:11:33. > :11:36.this amazing model of one of the bloodiest battles of World War I.
:11:37. > :11:47.Jaguar Land Rover has started recruiting to take on an extra 1,700
:11:48. > :11:50.staff in the West Midlands. The luxury car maker is investing ?1.5
:11:51. > :11:53.billion in the UK, which includes increasing the workforce to 8,000 at
:11:54. > :11:56.its plant in Solihull. Plans to extend the Midland Metro
:11:57. > :11:59.system further into Birmingham have been approved by the city council's
:12:00. > :12:02.Cabinet today. They've agreed to borrow ?3 million to pay for
:12:03. > :12:05.developing and designing an extension to the system to include
:12:06. > :12:08.New Street Station and Centenary Square.
:12:09. > :12:09.Visitors are being urged to stay away from the Alexandra,
:12:10. > :12:15.Kidderminster and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals due to an outbreak
:12:16. > :12:20.of norovirus. The highly contagious virus causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
:12:21. > :12:25.The NHS Trust is urging friends and family not to visit patients in
:12:26. > :12:29.their wards unless essential. Millions have tuned in over the last
:12:30. > :12:32.few weeks to see an ordinary Birmingham street become one of the
:12:33. > :12:36.most famous addresses in the country. That's James Turner Street,
:12:37. > :12:40.or Benefits Street in the Channel four series. The last episode is
:12:41. > :12:44.followed by a live debate tonight. But does it paint a fair picture? In
:12:45. > :12:47.a moment I'll be talking to one commentator who believes the show
:12:48. > :12:50.should be viewed as entertainment and not reality. But first, Dan
:12:51. > :13:02.Pallett has been looking back on one of the most controversial TV series
:13:03. > :13:06.of recent years. You see this street here? It was one of the best
:13:07. > :13:10.streets. Five weeks ago James Turner Street
:13:11. > :13:12.was just another road in Birmingham. But its portrayal in the C4
:13:13. > :13:20.programme Benefits Street has sparked a phenomenon.
:13:21. > :13:26.You have read the headlines, now it is time to tackle the issue head on.
:13:27. > :13:29.And Channel 5's debate wasn't the only one. The BBC's Newsnight
:13:30. > :13:33.tackled the programme, it's been all over radio and newspapers. And the
:13:34. > :13:42.debate also spread to the House of Commons. Many people are shocked by
:13:43. > :13:46.what they see, but the reality is that is why the public backs are
:13:47. > :13:50.welfare reform package, to get more people back to work to end these
:13:51. > :13:56.abuses, which all day actor when `` what the last Government left. ``
:13:57. > :13:58.all date back to what the last Government left.
:13:59. > :14:00.But Benefits Street hasn't just got Britain talking.
:14:01. > :14:03.The programme even prompted debate on French television. But what about
:14:04. > :14:08.those in the programme? Stephen Smith, known as Smoggy, was the 50p
:14:09. > :14:16.man. He happy with how he was portrayed ` but others are upset. ``
:14:17. > :14:22.he is happy. For myself everything has been OK, but others have been
:14:23. > :14:26.going through a living hell. It is just not necessary, the show was not
:14:27. > :14:31.supposed to disrupt everybody. It was supposed to just show what
:14:32. > :14:34.things were really like. But like it or loathe it, James
:14:35. > :14:47.Turner Street is now so famous that the street signs have been stolen.
:14:48. > :14:49.Ellis Cashmore is Professor of Culture, Media and Sport at
:14:50. > :14:52.Staffordshire University. The programme brought in the highest
:14:53. > :14:58.ratings for Channel four since the Paralympics two years ago ` why? It
:14:59. > :15:01.is phenomenal. You have to remind yourself that this is
:15:02. > :15:09.entertainment, this is not sociology, it is no more a
:15:10. > :15:20.reflection of Birmingham life than shameless is of Manchester. But it
:15:21. > :15:26.is there to entertain. I am not dismissing the idea that some drama
:15:27. > :15:34.does not educate us and enlighten us, and perhaps this is doing so,
:15:35. > :15:39.but first and foremost it is drawing in 6.5 million viewers. Channel four
:15:40. > :15:43.would dismiss the argument about entertainment. They describe it as
:15:44. > :15:48.the series that reveals the reality of life on benefits. But is it
:15:49. > :15:56.representative of life in Birmingham? Probably say no. This is
:15:57. > :16:02.a fraction of people. But it has really stimulator debate.
:16:03. > :16:07.Internationally and also in the Houses of Parliament. So has it
:16:08. > :16:10.actually started to create a series `` serious debate out of something
:16:11. > :16:16.which was purely entertainment? At one level, but anybody who feels
:16:17. > :16:22.indignant about it, I understand why they feel indignant, but the bosses
:16:23. > :16:28.of the utilities companies are giving themselves huge bonuses while
:16:29. > :16:32.gas, electricity and water bills keep going through the ceiling. The
:16:33. > :16:39.chief executives of the banks are giving themselves performance
:16:40. > :16:50.related bonuses in the millions. The parasites do not only live on
:16:51. > :16:55.Benefits Street, they are elsewhere. We are just concentrating on one
:16:56. > :17:00.tiny corner of Birmingham, where there are a few people who are
:17:01. > :17:04.exploiting the system. This is not representative of Birmingham.
:17:05. > :17:07.Award`winning Birmingham poet Benjamin Zephaniah knows the powers
:17:08. > :17:10.of words. He used his skills today to try to show offenders and
:17:11. > :17:14.ex`offenders how they can take control of their own lives, turning
:17:15. > :17:19.their backs on crime. Here's our arts reporter Satnam Rana.
:17:20. > :17:22.Poetry saved his life, and poetry is what Birmingham's Benjamin Zephaniah
:17:23. > :17:34.is using to help offenders and ex offenders. When you start thinking
:17:35. > :17:38.about poetry and starting to express yourself, you start to be honest in
:17:39. > :17:43.a way that you can question yourself. And I know that is what
:17:44. > :17:49.poetry did for me, and I know it can work.
:17:50. > :17:53.People like those taking part in today's workshop in Kitts Green in
:17:54. > :18:01.Solihull. Others attending today have turned their back on
:18:02. > :18:06.criminality for good. Jason, who now works for social enterprise iSore
:18:07. > :18:09.Media. But five years ago he looked like this ` a heroin addict who'd
:18:10. > :18:12.been convicted for a string of crimes from shoplifting to firearms
:18:13. > :18:24.offences. I have never seen anybody `` I had never seen anybody getting
:18:25. > :18:28.clean from drugs. Leona has turned her back on crime.
:18:29. > :18:35.She was convicted for burglary two years ago.
:18:36. > :18:39.Working with people such as Benjamin is such a good boost to remind
:18:40. > :18:46.people to keep on going on that right path. There is light at the
:18:47. > :18:53.end of the tunnel. It was here that Benjamin Zephaniah
:18:54. > :18:59.served time as a young man. He is now hoping to inspire some of the
:19:00. > :19:03.young offenders with his story. The hope is that those taking part
:19:04. > :19:06.in the workshop will be inspired to look for training, education and
:19:07. > :19:09.jobs. According to the Probation Service, offenders who are
:19:10. > :19:17.unemployed are twice as likely to reoffend than those with a job. I
:19:18. > :19:28.want to buy my family `` and my bread and feed my family.
:19:29. > :19:34.If you are a drug addict, understood and start taking drugs, `` and your
:19:35. > :19:38.children start talking `` taking drugs, you have generations of drug
:19:39. > :19:40.addicts. I would rather create generations of poets.
:19:41. > :19:44.Benjamin's rhythmic renditions and powerful poetry is the
:19:45. > :19:50.Football clubs across the Midlands are backing a campaign to bring back
:19:51. > :19:52.standing at matches. Legislation after the Hillsborough disaster led
:19:53. > :19:56.to the introduction of all`seater grounds. A new safer design could
:19:57. > :19:59.mean the return of standing in the Premier League and Championship.
:20:00. > :20:02.Many fans believe that will lead to a better atmosphere at games, as
:20:03. > :20:04.Nick Clitheroe's been finding out. Saturday afternoon at St Andrews,
:20:05. > :20:08.and Birmingham City are battling Huddersfield in the Championship. In
:20:09. > :20:12.this all`seater stadium, some fans prefer to spend the game standing.
:20:13. > :20:16.It's not illegal but it is a breach of ground regulations. And even many
:20:17. > :20:24.of those who do sit would rather stand. The atmosphere's better when
:20:25. > :20:35.you are standing. Especially away days. The atmosphere's completely
:20:36. > :20:39.gone. With everybody standing up in the seating areas, it can cause
:20:40. > :20:42.problems. Bring back the standing. There is real pressure for change.
:20:43. > :20:46.The Football League has agreed to lobby on behalf of its clubs for the
:20:47. > :20:49.introduction of safe standing. Last week, a section of the rail seating
:20:50. > :20:53.that would be used was installed at Bristol City. Made in Shrewsbury,
:20:54. > :20:56.these are rows of seats that can be locked away to allow standing.
:20:57. > :21:00.Behind each seat is a rail for every single supporter.
:21:01. > :21:03.Although the football league are on board, the Premier league and the
:21:04. > :21:09.Government still have to begin Vince as well.
:21:10. > :21:12.It's a long way from the old`fashioned idea of terracing with
:21:13. > :21:15.fans crammed into sections between barriers. But for those who lost
:21:16. > :21:18.family in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, it isn't enough. We were
:21:19. > :21:23.trying to be open`minded, we have gone to look at the seats and what
:21:24. > :21:26.they want to implement, and we are still opposed against it.
:21:27. > :21:29.One Premier League club that has supported the idea of safe standing
:21:30. > :21:33.for supporters is Aston Villa. They've even offered to trial the
:21:34. > :21:38.system at Villa Park. We have identified one or two areas that
:21:39. > :21:42.could potentially be used for a small`scale trial, so the rest of
:21:43. > :21:43.food bowl could see a safe standing works within Premier League
:21:44. > :21:46.environments. But although there's growing support
:21:47. > :21:49.for safe standing, the Football League have warned there's unlikely
:21:50. > :21:53.to be overnight change. There will be many tributes paid to
:21:54. > :21:59.the fallen on World War I in the centenary year, but this one is very
:22:00. > :22:04.unusual. `` the fall of World War I.
:22:05. > :22:19.It's been created by students, including some who lost relatives in
:22:20. > :22:22.the fighting. `` the fallen. The first night of the Battle of the
:22:23. > :22:25.Somme. Captured in stunning detail by the descendents of those who
:22:26. > :22:31.fought. The agony on the soldiers' faces, the giant rats scuttling in
:22:32. > :22:39.the mud ` all brought to life. All of this has been created out of
:22:40. > :22:41.brown paper. But it really does capture the full horror of life in
:22:42. > :22:44.the trenches. With a budget of just a few hundred
:22:45. > :22:47.pounds, design students at Birmingham City University spent
:22:48. > :22:52.four weeks making the war scene, carefully researching every last
:22:53. > :22:58.detail. I am so proud of the students on
:22:59. > :23:04.what they have achieved. They have captured such an emotion of being in
:23:05. > :23:09.the trenches. If you look at the figures, they are all accurately
:23:10. > :23:12.proportioned, there is a certain amount of accuracy in their
:23:13. > :23:14.uniforms, facial hair, facial expression.
:23:15. > :23:19.First`year student Grace Westwood from Sutton Coldfield was
:23:20. > :23:24.responsible for making the soldiers. We literally had to start making
:23:25. > :23:27.basic structures and building of them using newspaper to pad them
:23:28. > :23:30.out. Hundreds of thousands of men died.
:23:31. > :23:33.They were the same age as the students who've depicted their
:23:34. > :23:36.suffering. For Grace, it's been a poignant journey. She's found out
:23:37. > :23:47.how her great`great`uncle Eric from Oswestry died minutes after he was
:23:48. > :23:53.hit by a shell. He was 22. He was sent to convalesce, and my great
:23:54. > :23:59.great uncle went to visit him when he was convalescing. He went to
:24:00. > :24:04.war, fought and at the age of 22 he did die.
:24:05. > :24:06.The paper battlefield is open to the public at Birmingham City
:24:07. > :24:10.University's Parkside building for the next two weeks. Then it'll be
:24:11. > :24:16.torn up, consigned to history, like so many soldiers who gave their
:24:17. > :24:20.lives to the Great War. We've been warned river levels could
:24:21. > :24:21.continue to rise, but what's the prospect of some drier weather,
:24:22. > :24:30.Shefali? continue to rise,
:24:31. > :24:35.We have got prospects this week, but this is basically how the week is
:24:36. > :24:42.looking in summary. It is not going to be as wet windy, and it is going
:24:43. > :24:46.to be milder. `` wet or windy. But I would like to draw your attention to
:24:47. > :24:52.something happening later in the week. This system is moving in from
:24:53. > :24:57.the west, making it windier and wetter with it, but nothing compare
:24:58. > :25:01.to last week. It is going to trigger a change during the second half of
:25:02. > :25:11.the week, but it is a low`pressure week. As far as the temperatures go,
:25:12. > :25:15.this is the area of mild air, warm air mass that is heading our way for
:25:16. > :25:23.Wednesday, but even now the winds are lapping up but warm air and
:25:24. > :25:25.wafting it our way. This evening however we currently have a weak
:25:26. > :25:30.weather system heading eastwards, producing more in a way of showers
:25:31. > :25:36.later tonight which will gradually ease into the early hours. 20 of dry
:25:37. > :25:43.weather by that stage. Still a lot of cloud, but that will keep it
:25:44. > :25:47.warm. The winds are still fairly light, bit of missed as well as we
:25:48. > :25:53.head into the morning tomorrow. We will not see any increase in that
:25:54. > :25:57.showery activity tomorrow, so scattering of showers, but some
:25:58. > :26:04.decent spells of sunshine in between. Temperatures for Southern
:26:05. > :26:07.counties could even rise into double figures of around ten to 11 Celsius
:26:08. > :26:13.coupled with a light south`westerly wind. You may see that showery
:26:14. > :26:18.activity increasing by the evening tomorrow. Some of these could be
:26:19. > :26:23.heavy, but by and large I think we are looking at 20 of dry weather
:26:24. > :26:28.through the night. `` plenty of dry weather. It is Wednesday that could
:26:29. > :26:31.be more showery, but Thursday is going to be wet.
:26:32. > :26:35.A reminder of tonight's top story: More help for victims ` the promise
:26:36. > :26:37.from the Prime Minister as he visits flood hit areas of Worcestershire
:26:38. > :26:40.and Gloucestershire. Back to Ben Sidwell in Upton `
:26:41. > :26:49.what's the overall feeling there tonight?
:26:50. > :26:52.I have to say that most people are delighted by these flood barriers,
:26:53. > :26:59.mainly because they have kept the town dry. Although I have spoken to
:27:00. > :27:05.the landlord of the hotel just down there. He said even though he is
:27:06. > :27:10.dry, traders `` trade has been decimated. He is now going to see if
:27:11. > :27:13.he is eligible for any of that money that the Prime Minister has promised
:27:14. > :27:17.for the flood victims. But as a whole here, most people seem to be
:27:18. > :27:21.happy. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:27:22. > :27:23.back at ten o'clock with the latest on the levels on the River Severn.
:27:24. > :27:28.Have a great evening. Goodbye.