:00:00. > :00:00.A reminder of our main story. Thousands of protest to remain in
:00:00. > :00:09.And Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight:
:00:10. > :00:12.Counting the cost ` as the flood clear`up begins, damage to crops,
:00:13. > :00:22.homes and businesses is expected to run into millions. This work needs
:00:23. > :00:25.to be done now. We will find the money to make sure it happens. We'll
:00:26. > :00:29.be talking to an expert who says the government's offer of ?10 million
:00:30. > :00:32.help for businesses is just a drop in the ocean. Also tonight: The West
:00:33. > :00:36.Midlands Chief Constable meets MP Andrew Mitchell to apologise for his
:00:37. > :00:41.force's part in the Plebgate Affair. We both agreed that the time has now
:00:42. > :00:44.come to move on from all of this, and I hope we can do that.
:00:45. > :00:47.Fresh details emerge over the poor care for a diabetic woman who died
:00:48. > :00:49.at Stafford Hospital seven years ago.
:00:50. > :00:57.Disappointment for Solihull speed skater Jon Eley in the Winter
:00:58. > :01:00.Olympics at Sochi. And it has certainly been a better week for the
:01:01. > :01:04.weather, but with more strong winds and heavy rain to come on Sunday, is
:01:05. > :01:10.it just a blip or rather storms back? The full we can forecast is
:01:11. > :01:13.coming up later. `` weekend forecast.
:01:14. > :01:17.Good evening. The floodwater's beginning to recede across the
:01:18. > :01:19.Midlands, but it's leaving behind seriously damaged homes,
:01:20. > :01:25.contaminated land and thousands of potholes. The government has
:01:26. > :01:31.promised extra money to help with the clean`up. As well as the ?10
:01:32. > :01:34.million for businesses affected by the floods, there's a separate ?10
:01:35. > :01:37.million fund for farmers to help restore their water`logged fields.
:01:38. > :01:41.And ?30 million will be made available for local authorities to
:01:42. > :01:45.maintain roads. But one Worcestershire farmer says the army
:01:46. > :01:51.need to stay and help with the clean`up, as manpower's as important
:01:52. > :01:54.as money. Bob Hockenhull reports. River levels fell significantly in
:01:55. > :01:58.Worcester overnight, paving the way for an army of workmen to move in.
:01:59. > :02:02.The task of washing the city clean is a mammoth one, but one the
:02:03. > :02:11.council is anxious to get on with, whatever the cost. This work needs
:02:12. > :02:16.to be done quickly, and the council will find the money. We are moving
:02:17. > :02:20.silt from the pathways. We have got a couple of snowploughs to move the
:02:21. > :02:25.deep silt. We are also removing fallen trees along the riverside
:02:26. > :02:28.halfway. A team of 70 people will be involved in the clean`up, which will
:02:29. > :02:32.carry on through the weekend and well into the next couple of weeks.
:02:33. > :02:39.Some of those involved have been borrowed from neighbouring councils
:02:40. > :02:42.to speed up the work. With the full extent of the repair bill becoming
:02:43. > :02:45.clearer, the council will be applying for Government funds to
:02:46. > :02:48.help restore the riverside. But one of the region's MEPs says Britain is
:02:49. > :02:52.missing out by not applying for EU help. Phil Bennion is urging people
:02:53. > :02:59.to support his petition to press the prime minister into action. This is
:03:00. > :03:06.money that is available to us. It is our right to claim it. We are aware
:03:07. > :03:10.of what has been going on in the UK and Ireland in terms of the flooding
:03:11. > :03:14.damage, and they are expecting a claim. Rural areas need help too. At
:03:15. > :03:16.Severn Stoke, as the floods start to recede, they're leaving piles of
:03:17. > :03:20.debris. Farmer Stephen Watkins describes it as "fly`tipping on a
:03:21. > :03:28.massive scale." He estimates ?60,000 worth of damage, but says it's
:03:29. > :03:35.manpower he really needs. The Army is here at the moment. They will
:03:36. > :03:39.disappear back to barracks. Some of these pieces are too big to pick up.
:03:40. > :03:44.We can pick up a certain amount mechanically. But the glasses tend
:03:45. > :03:49.to fall through the machinery, so it is difficult. And can we be sure the
:03:50. > :03:53.worst is over? The problem is, we have more unsettled weather moving
:03:54. > :03:58.in next week, so we have to keep a close eye on things. I think levels
:03:59. > :04:00.will start going up again. But we are not expecting levels to be as
:04:01. > :04:04.high as they were last week. One positive sign ` the Environment
:04:05. > :04:08.Agency feels it's safe to leave its emergency centre unmanned tonight,
:04:09. > :04:10.for the first time in 61 days. Herefordshire council has found
:04:11. > :04:14.nearly 2,000 road problems caused by flooding in the county. Meanwhile,
:04:15. > :04:18.Worcestershire County Council is increasing the number of its pothole
:04:19. > :04:22.repair teams working on the roads. Bob Hockenhull is at one of their
:04:23. > :04:31.depots near Bromsgrove tonight, so how much worse are the roads now
:04:32. > :04:37.than before the floods, Bob? Quite bad, I think. The man to answer that
:04:38. > :04:38.question is John Fraser from the highways department of
:04:39. > :04:44.Worcestershire county council. I think you have got of teams out
:04:45. > :04:48.repairing a big problem with potholes. We have hardly had a
:04:49. > :04:51.chance to catch our breath. After the floods, it was literally all
:04:52. > :04:55.hands to the pump . Now our attention has turned to potholes,
:04:56. > :05:01.because water damage on the road as good baboons with what holes. Give
:05:02. > :05:06.us an idea of the extent of how many potholes you are dealing with. Over
:05:07. > :05:09.the last couple of weeks, we have repaired 1000, considerably more
:05:10. > :05:14.than we would have to at this time of year. But we have doubled our
:05:15. > :05:18.inspectors. They are out on the road looking for potholes, and we have
:05:19. > :05:21.doubled the number of guys repairing them. What can members of the public
:05:22. > :05:25.do if the damage their cars or if they spot potholes on the roads? We
:05:26. > :05:30.always encourage people to let us know about problems on the roads.
:05:31. > :05:35.They can report online, via a smartphone, or give us a call. And
:05:36. > :05:40.have you got the money to do the repairs? Yes, we have got an extra
:05:41. > :05:44.three quarters of a million which we have into potholes repairs just for
:05:45. > :05:50.this period. If the winter and cold weather gets worse more we are
:05:51. > :05:52.prepared for it. There you have had it from the man himself. Even if
:05:53. > :06:00.councils are cash`strapped because of budget cuts, they will be
:06:01. > :06:03.spending the money needed to keep the roads safe.
:06:04. > :06:05.Joining us now is Dr Steve McCabe from Birmingham City University's
:06:06. > :06:08.Business School, who believes the government's ?10 million offer to
:06:09. > :06:12.help businesses recover from the floods is a "drop in the ocean".
:06:13. > :06:20.Good evening to you. ?10 million certainly sounds a lot of money, why
:06:21. > :06:25.isn't it enough? Well, the insurance claims will come to over ?1 billion
:06:26. > :06:29.in the short term, and the problem will only get worse. It is going to
:06:30. > :06:34.be a perennial problem. But funds have to be fined under `` finite.
:06:35. > :06:40.They have already given millions to farmers, roads and rail. It can't go
:06:41. > :06:44.on for ever. But if we don't do something about flood defences, the
:06:45. > :06:48.problems will only get worse. So how far do you think the government has
:06:49. > :06:52.to take the blame for the damage and heartache 's well, when the
:06:53. > :06:56.government came to power, they claimed we have a public finance
:06:57. > :07:01.problem, so they cut the defences for flooding. It is of the order of
:07:02. > :07:10.about 20% in real terms. So this was a problem they would have known
:07:11. > :07:14.about. Something like half a million homes are in danger of flooding, and
:07:15. > :07:20.the problem will get worse. What do they have to do about it? They have
:07:21. > :07:27.to spend more money on construction. That means putting in flood
:07:28. > :07:31.defences, up and down the country. There is a problem with global
:07:32. > :07:36.warming. We are not going to stop burning fossil fuels, and therefore
:07:37. > :07:42.flooding is going to be a problem for the foreseeable future. And it
:07:43. > :07:46.is not just the current damage the money is needed for, it is
:07:47. > :07:49.protection? If you have been flooded, this used to be a once in a
:07:50. > :07:54.hundred year event. It is going to be a recurring problem. Why do you
:07:55. > :08:00.say that? Because it is not going to stop raining! But surely this event
:08:01. > :08:03.was fairly freakish? If you look at the couple of years ago, coming up
:08:04. > :08:08.to the Olympics, we had some flooding during the summer. Thank
:08:09. > :08:11.you very much. And there's more about flooding
:08:12. > :08:14.later in the programme. We'll be visiting a company in Worcestershire
:08:15. > :08:22.which has landed deals worth millions to make flood defences.
:08:23. > :08:25.A court's been hearing more details about the poor care that a diabetic
:08:26. > :08:31.patient received at Stafford Hospital before her death. Gillian
:08:32. > :08:36.Astbury died in April 2007 after two nurses failed to give her insulin.
:08:37. > :08:39.Today the Mids Staffordshire NHS Trust was in court to be sentenced
:08:40. > :08:44.after pleading guilty to failing to ensure Gillian Astbury's safety. Our
:08:45. > :08:53.reporter Liz Copper was at Stafford Crown Court. What did the
:08:54. > :08:57.prosecution say today, Liz? This was a case that had transferred from the
:08:58. > :08:59.magistrates court to the Crown Court because the magistrates felt that
:09:00. > :09:04.their sentencing powers were not sufficient. So we heard the
:09:05. > :09:08.prosecution outlined the case, and it is a case that was brought by the
:09:09. > :09:12.Health and Safety Executive. The prosecution focused on two main
:09:13. > :09:18.areas of the treatment that Gillian asked bring received while she was
:09:19. > :09:21.in Staffordshire Hospital. They focused on the record`keeping and
:09:22. > :09:25.the notes taken of the treatment, and also the handovers between staff
:09:26. > :09:31.who were on different ship while she was in the hospital. According to
:09:32. > :09:35.the prosecution, there was no effective management, oversight or
:09:36. > :09:39.control. They described Gillian Astbury's death as wholly avoidable.
:09:40. > :09:44.The trust has pleaded guilty to these breaches. It accepts
:09:45. > :09:49.responsibility, and that is why the trust is being prosecuted in this
:09:50. > :09:54.case and not any individual. So what have the Mid Staffordshire trust
:09:55. > :09:59.said in their defence? Their defence submissions centred mostly around
:10:00. > :10:05.the level of the fine that the judge will set. They described this case
:10:06. > :10:08.as unique. The judge summed up their submissions as coming under three
:10:09. > :10:13.main headings. Firstly, that this is a trust that has been punished
:10:14. > :10:19.enough. This trust has learned its lessons. And also, that to impose a
:10:20. > :10:24.hefty fine could potentially have an impact on innocent patients and
:10:25. > :10:28.staff. Yes, the case is being heard at the Crown Court because of the
:10:29. > :10:30.potential level of the fine, but this could have serious implications
:10:31. > :10:39.for a trust which is already in financial trouble? Well, the judge
:10:40. > :10:42.described the balancing act he will have to deal with as an essential
:10:43. > :10:46.conundrum of this sort of case. He said it was a very important case
:10:47. > :10:50.which will have implications beyond Stafford. That is why he will take
:10:51. > :10:52.his time and consider the submissions before he hands down his
:10:53. > :10:55.judgement. West Mercia Police are investigating
:10:56. > :10:58.the deaths of a number of patients who were under the care of a
:10:59. > :11:03.consultant surgeon working for the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS
:11:04. > :11:06.Trust in 2012. Sudip Sarker was suspended by the Trust last October,
:11:07. > :11:11.and his work is also under investigation by the General Medical
:11:12. > :11:15.Council,. The trust said a review of patients who'd come into contact
:11:16. > :11:18.with Mr Sarker was taking place. A woman from Halesowen has admitted
:11:19. > :11:25.driving the wrong way along the M5 for four miles whilst under the
:11:26. > :11:29.influence of alcohol. 26`year`old care assistant Katy Homer was
:11:30. > :11:32.stopped by officers in December. CCTV footage showed the car being
:11:33. > :11:35.driven into the path of vehicles, including heavy goods lorries.
:11:36. > :11:41.She'll be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 28 March.
:11:42. > :11:44.A Worcestershire man's forgiven the company behind the explosion that
:11:45. > :11:51.caused him to suffer a double amputation. The blast, at Filtration
:11:52. > :11:56.Service Engineering in Kidderminster in December 2011, cost 51`year`old
:11:57. > :12:00.Clive Dainty both his legs. The firm's been ordered to pay more than
:12:01. > :12:03.?45,000 in fines and costs for breaching the Health and Safety Act.
:12:04. > :12:12.Mr.Dainty says he's now focused on rebuilding his life. It is no use
:12:13. > :12:21.sitting back, feeling sorry for yourself. There is no point. Just
:12:22. > :12:28.get on with it. That is my advice to anybody who is unfortunate to have
:12:29. > :12:32.injuries like this, or any limbs missing. Just get on with your life.
:12:33. > :12:35.The West Midlands Chief Constable Chris Sims has met Andrew Mitchell
:12:36. > :12:38.to apologise for his force's part in the Plebgate Affair. After a private
:12:39. > :12:41.meeting in the Conservative MP's constituency office in Sutton
:12:42. > :12:45.Coldfield, he said he was grateful for what was now the fifth apology
:12:46. > :12:48.he'd received from a chief police officer. Andrew Mitchell was
:12:49. > :12:52.speaking exclusively to our Political Editor Patrick Burns,
:12:53. > :13:00.who's here now. How exactly did this meeting come about? I think it had
:13:01. > :13:04.been coming, when you consider that Chris Sims is already one of three
:13:05. > :13:08.local chief constables who had sent a written apology to Mr Mitchell.
:13:09. > :13:13.David Shaw from West mercy had been to London to see him in person. So
:13:14. > :13:17.today's encounter did have a certain air of inevitability about it.
:13:18. > :13:21.The pressure on Andrew Mitchell seems to ease with every passing
:13:22. > :13:25.day. Not on the police, though. Today's meeting was in the same
:13:26. > :13:27.offices where in October 2012, Mr Mitchell had had his fateful meeting
:13:28. > :13:34.with three Police Federation representatives, including one from
:13:35. > :13:38.the West Midands. Chief Constable, what are you going to apologise for?
:13:39. > :13:42.I have got a private meeting. At the time, the Federation accused him of
:13:43. > :13:45.failing to give an adequate account of his part in the Downing Street
:13:46. > :13:48.confrontation. But it later emerged that Mr Mitchell had secretly
:13:49. > :13:50.recorded the meeting, and had answered questions at length, and
:13:51. > :13:58.repeatedly denied calling the Downing Street police officers
:13:59. > :14:04."plebs". The Chief Constable had little to add to the conversation. I
:14:05. > :14:08.have just had a private meeting. You feel that draws a line under it?
:14:09. > :14:14.That is the Mr Mitchell to say, rather than me. I will have to throw
:14:15. > :14:18.that question at you now. It seems we are a long way from drawing a
:14:19. > :14:22.line under this sorry saga? We certainly are, when you consider
:14:23. > :14:25.that the law still has to take its course and goodness knows how long
:14:26. > :14:28.that will take. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is
:14:29. > :14:31.looking into the details, as is the home affairs select committee, but
:14:32. > :14:36.when you talk to Andrew Mitchell himself, you get a sense that he at
:14:37. > :14:41.last feels the tide is starting to flow his way. I am grateful to the
:14:42. > :14:45.chief constable for coming to apologise to me and my family. We
:14:46. > :14:52.both agreed that the time has now come to move on from this, and I
:14:53. > :14:55.hope we can do that. What exactly did he apologise for? Well, he is
:14:56. > :15:01.the fifth senior police officer who has apologised. I and my family are
:15:02. > :15:08.grateful to all of them for what they have said. It was a private
:15:09. > :15:11.meeting. All of which raises the question when and if he may be
:15:12. > :15:15.recalled to high office. Whatever happens with the formalities, it is
:15:16. > :15:18.now a matter of political judgement as we enter a critical phase in
:15:19. > :15:29.politics. This is our top story tonight:
:15:30. > :15:32.Counting the cost: as the flood clear`up begins, damage to crops,
:15:33. > :15:35.homes and businesses is expected to run into millions.
:15:36. > :15:38.We have the weekend weather forecast coming up in a moment from Rebecca `
:15:39. > :15:42.a bit mixed, I think. Also in tonight's programme: A wolf
:15:43. > :15:45.in disguise ` we look ahead to tomorrow's big match which could see
:15:46. > :15:48.the men from Molineux take over at the top.
:15:49. > :15:56.And a new clearance scheme to help plants and wildlife thrive in our
:15:57. > :15:58.overgrown woodlands. Governments around the world are
:15:59. > :16:01.looking to technology developed in the Midlands to provide protection
:16:02. > :16:09.from floods. The UK's first self`closing flood barrier was
:16:10. > :16:12.created in Worcestershire. Now the company behind it has signed deals
:16:13. > :16:15.worth millions of pounds to sell the technology to countries that
:16:16. > :16:17.experience some of the most extreme weather.
:16:18. > :16:20.Protecting some of the wildest parts of the planet is flood defence
:16:21. > :16:26.technology developed here in the Midlands. Climate change is driving
:16:27. > :16:32.demand for this unique flood barrier. Most of the time, it's
:16:33. > :16:43.hidden below ground, only rising with the hydraulic power of the
:16:44. > :16:46.water it's intended to keep at bay. We've got a footprint on every
:16:47. > :16:50.continent. It's quite astonishing, really. We didn't even expect this
:16:51. > :16:53.speed of growth. The UK's actually seen as the thought leaders and the
:16:54. > :16:56.product leaders worldwide for flood defence. The Droitwich firm's just
:16:57. > :17:01.signed a major contract worth ?6 million with the Malaysian
:17:02. > :17:04.government. This simulation shows how the barriers will rise when it
:17:05. > :17:08.floods in Kuala Lumpur, protecting thousands of homes and businesses.
:17:09. > :17:13.And following Hurricane Sandy, the technology's getting good press in
:17:14. > :17:15.the US. While some buildings were flooded out, the self`closing
:17:16. > :17:23.barriers were keeping Washington's National Archives dry. That's
:17:24. > :17:26.spurred new orders from New York. While the final product will be
:17:27. > :17:30.shipped abroad, the production of it has been moved away from the Far
:17:31. > :17:35.East closer to home, right here to this factory in Coventry. 18 months
:17:36. > :17:40.ago, this engineering firm was bought out of administration. Now
:17:41. > :17:45.there are 17 people working on the flood barriers, with plans to
:17:46. > :17:49.recruit more. So we support, I would say locally, in excess of 250, 300
:17:50. > :17:54.jobs. We've got Malaysia saying we want made in England. We've got the
:17:55. > :17:58.United States saying we want made in the UK. The barrier is an example of
:17:59. > :18:09.an innovative idea that's winning worldwide recognition. That
:18:10. > :18:13.credibility, our manufacturing prowess, our ability to respond and
:18:14. > :18:17.innovate, I think is a great selling point for UK products. It allows us
:18:18. > :18:20.to compete very strongly on an international stage. But the severe
:18:21. > :18:23.weather here is fuelling demand at the doorstep too, in Worcestershire.
:18:24. > :18:30.And also in some of the worst hit parts of the UK, such as Cornwall,
:18:31. > :18:34.Scotland and Cumbria. Climate change is big business, and with profits
:18:35. > :18:42.expected to double next year, the financial forecast is looking bright
:18:43. > :18:46.for the Droitwich firm. Time for sport. Let's get bang up to
:18:47. > :18:49.date with the Winter Olympics. Here's Nick Clitheroe.
:18:50. > :18:53.Well, I'm sorry to say, Nick, there's been no medal for Solihull
:18:54. > :19:01.speed skater Jon Eley at his third Winter Olympics. Today was his
:19:02. > :19:05.strongest event, the 500m. But he was crowded out at the start of his
:19:06. > :19:08.semifinal and could only finish fourth. He did go on to contest
:19:09. > :19:12.what's called the small final and Jon was third in that, so he adds a
:19:13. > :19:16.seventh to his fifth and sixth places in his previous games. So is
:19:17. > :19:20.that our last chance gone of a Midlands medal at these Olympics?
:19:21. > :19:25.No, we've still got big hopes in the four man bobsleigh event this
:19:26. > :19:28.weekend. Ben Simons from Broseley in Shropshire is in bob two, while
:19:29. > :19:33.Coventry's Joel Fearon is in bob one. Now, they're highly fancied
:19:34. > :19:36.after being quickest in the final practice session in Sochi earlier
:19:37. > :19:40.this week. We have got so much potential in our team and we had
:19:41. > :19:45.such good results this year. Everyone is in such good shape. I
:19:46. > :19:49.can't write off anything. But it is the Olympic games and things do
:19:50. > :19:52.happen that you don't expect. But I am confident and my hopes are high.
:19:53. > :19:55.I should also mention Florence Bell from Birmingham, who's competing for
:19:56. > :20:00.Ireland at these Games. She's just 17 and put on a commendable showing
:20:01. > :20:04.in the slalom today. In football, there's no doubt over
:20:05. > :20:08.the match of the day in League One this weekend. Wolves can go top of
:20:09. > :20:12.the table if they beat the current leaders Brentford. Both teams are on
:20:13. > :20:15.top form. Wolves currently have the meanest defence in English league
:20:16. > :20:20.football, with only 20 goals conceded. Ian Winter looks ahead to
:20:21. > :20:26.tomorrow's big game. I would like you to meet parsley and
:20:27. > :20:30.his owner Jackie, two avid Wolves fans from Bridgnorth. They have come
:20:31. > :20:35.to Molineux along with quite a few others to meet two of their heroes.
:20:36. > :20:40.Quite is a prize for all concerned, because the players have never been
:20:41. > :20:46.offered good luck by a dog like this before. He is nearly two and has
:20:47. > :20:52.been brought up as a Wolves fan, hence the shirt. He wanted to come
:20:53. > :20:58.here and see the lads today. Facebook was founded in 2004, the
:20:59. > :21:05.same year that the old team went into liquidation. Sam Richards was
:21:06. > :21:08.snapped up by the manager of Swansea City at that time in League Two. I
:21:09. > :21:13.owe everything to the gaffer who took a chance on me and started my
:21:14. > :21:19.career. When the opportunity came up in the summer, Wolves is such a big
:21:20. > :21:22.club. As soon as he got appointed, I knew the club would do well. Just
:21:23. > :21:26.four years after joining Swansea, Sam was playing at the Premier
:21:27. > :21:29.League, first with Hull City and then with Bolton. Wolves fans will
:21:30. > :21:38.never forget his goal at the top`flight. And now, ten years after
:21:39. > :21:42.leaving Telford, Sam Ricketts was the first signing at Molineux,
:21:43. > :21:47.followed by Kevin McDonald soon afterwards. Wolves have won the last
:21:48. > :21:52.five games, and they have conceded only 20 league goals all season. How
:21:53. > :21:55.big is this game against Brentford? It is the one everyone has been
:21:56. > :21:59.looking forward to for a long time, probably their side as well as
:22:00. > :22:07.ours. We are the two form sides in the league. We have never had a
:22:08. > :22:18.pooch as a pundit before, so let's give it a go. Wolves or Brentford,
:22:19. > :22:21.parsley? Wolves! And history could be in the making tomorrow afternoon,
:22:22. > :22:27.again in league one, when Port Vale take on Crewe Alexandra. Joe Davis
:22:28. > :22:31.plays for Port Vale and will face his brother Harry who plays for
:22:32. > :22:34.Crewe, a team managed by their dad Steve. It's the first time the
:22:35. > :22:37.brothers have gone head`to`head. Vale manager Micky Adams says he
:22:38. > :22:40.hopes defender Joe just gets on with his job. It is a unique situation.
:22:41. > :22:44.He is playing against his dad's team, with his brother on the
:22:45. > :22:50.opposition. Hopefully, he will stick his chest out. Family bragging
:22:51. > :22:53.rights, for sure. I hope it does not feel too sorry for his dad and his
:22:54. > :22:57.brother, and he remembers why he is in the team. He has done well
:22:58. > :23:00.recently. We hope that continues. And of course, you can follow
:23:01. > :23:04.whichever team you support with commentaries and reports on your BBC
:23:05. > :23:09.Local Radio station this weekend. It may seem a daunting task, but the
:23:10. > :23:12.challenge is on to clear some of our seriously overgrown woodlands. It's
:23:13. > :23:16.important, because it'll give plants and wildlife the space they
:23:17. > :23:19.desperately need to thrive. The Wildlife Trust's been given a grant
:23:20. > :23:21.of ?200,000 to help with the clear`up in woodlands across
:23:22. > :23:25.Birmingham and the Black Country. Our reporter Lindsay Doyle has been
:23:26. > :23:27.along to Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham to see how they're
:23:28. > :23:34.getting on. Woods, dark and deep, but hopefully
:23:35. > :23:37.not for much longer. A major project has begun in Birmingham and the
:23:38. > :23:46.Black Country to clear overgrown woodland in parks and green spaces.
:23:47. > :23:50.Normally in Woodlands, you would expect to see things like primroses
:23:51. > :23:54.and lovely, interesting stuff. That helps the birds and the bees, which
:23:55. > :23:58.helps the larger wildlife like badgers and foxes. So by thinning
:23:59. > :24:08.the woodland, we can let light onto the ground to encourage the plans to
:24:09. > :24:13.grow up. The idea is to involve local people to help. Children
:24:14. > :24:17.learning survival skills through the fun of making a den in Birmingham's
:24:18. > :24:20.Cannon Hill Park are actually clearing laurel, which is chocking
:24:21. > :24:22.smaller flowers and plants. We are cutting down the sticks in the
:24:23. > :24:26.forest to clear it up so that people can go through. We need to do it
:24:27. > :24:32.slanted, so we can stick it into the ground. Overseen by the The Wildlife
:24:33. > :24:40.Trust, the work is being possible by a government grant of ?200,000.
:24:41. > :24:46.These woods are 25 years old, and in terms of wildlife, they are in
:24:47. > :24:51.decline. Usually overgrown, it is preventing the growth of important
:24:52. > :24:54.fundi. I spring, the way things are, there will not be a flower to be
:24:55. > :25:00.seen. It is essential that we have objects like this to help rejuvenate
:25:01. > :25:08.and manage the biodiversity. Once the woods are thinned, they will be
:25:09. > :25:17.managed and maintained. Existing trees will be allowed to mature.
:25:18. > :25:22.Seeds of native woodland flowers like bluebell and wood anemone will
:25:23. > :25:25.be planted. In just over a year's time, this slightly gloomy wood
:25:26. > :25:26.could be an astonishing splash of colour.
:25:27. > :25:33.So, whether you're in the woodlands or not, how's the weather looking
:25:34. > :25:36.this weekend? With the strong winds returning, it might not be safe to
:25:37. > :25:41.be sheltering under trees. The wind and rain are back this weekend. But
:25:42. > :25:45.it is not all doom and gloom. All those those winds are strengthening
:25:46. > :25:49.all the time and we will see some showers on Sunday, there will be
:25:50. > :25:53.plenty of brightness as well. The best of that will be in the east. We
:25:54. > :26:00.have had showers in the region today. They are continuing to night.
:26:01. > :26:04.Where they meet colder at, they could start to fall as hail.
:26:05. > :26:11.Eventually, the winds will drop out, so where you get clear spells,
:26:12. > :26:15.we could get a touch of grass frost. So it will be quite a chilly start
:26:16. > :26:20.tomorrow, but it will be a bright and breezy one. 20 of sunshine to
:26:21. > :26:24.come through the morning. By the time we get to lunchtime, we will
:26:25. > :26:30.start to see cloud filling in from the West and the odd spot of rain.
:26:31. > :26:39.The winds are strengthening all the time. Through Saturday night, those
:26:40. > :26:44.winds start to pep up. We have showers moving across the region,
:26:45. > :26:48.and temperatures are not going to fall too far. It will be quite a
:26:49. > :26:59.mild night as we head into Sunday morning. It is this weather front
:27:00. > :27:03.that is coming through. We should see gusts of wind around 40 miles an
:27:04. > :27:08.hour on Sunday. And it will be rather drizzly and wet. Quite a
:27:09. > :27:12.murky start to Sunday. Then we start to see that rain making its presence
:27:13. > :27:19.felt. Temperatures will not do too badly. It is quite mild. But as we
:27:20. > :27:22.head into the new working week, it is looking a little better. Heavy
:27:23. > :27:26.rain back on Tuesday. Tonight's headlines from the BBC: A peace deal
:27:27. > :27:37.in Ukraine, but will it be enough to satisfy the protesters?
:27:38. > :27:40.Counting the cost: as the flood clear`up begins, damage to crops,
:27:41. > :27:42.homes and business expected to run into millions.
:27:43. > :27:44.That was the Midlands Today. I'll be back at ten o'clock. Have a great
:27:45. > :27:48.evening. Goodbye.