18/04/2014 Midlands Today

Good evening. back with the late news at 10pm.

A heart specialist who won his claim for unfair dismissal after a 12`year

fight says he's going to ask the Health Minister for an inquiry. Dr

Raj Mattu says patients deserve to know why more than ?6 million has

been spent keeping him away from his job. Here's our health

correspondent, Michele Paduano. A well`wisher arrived to

congratulate him on his success, after one of the longest`running

employment cases in NHS history. It's official, he's a

whistle`blower, and he was unfairly dismissed.

The cost to me is immeasurable, it has totally destroyed my career, my

life, in ways I could not start to describe. Then, there is an

estimated ?6 million upwards wasted in a determination to shut me up,

and oust me. For 12 years, the case has consumed

his life. Although he was out of time to win damages for being a

whistle`blower, the fact that he was dismissed whilst ill, and never

given a chance to defend himself, was discrimination on the grounds of

disability. University Hospitals Coventry and

Warwickshire say they are examining the 440`page document, to see if

there are grounds for an appeal. They note no connection has been

made between the whistle`blowing and the unfair dismissal, and they say

they, too, are disappointed the case has taken so long. The judgment

criticises key NHS figures, following his whistle`blowing over

patient deaths in overcrowded bays. The tribunal did not accept at

certain points the evidence of chief executive David Loughton's evidence

was truthful. Another chief executive, David Roberts, had an

agenda not to allow him to return to work.

Now that they have been found to have mistreated me, I do call on the

Secretary of State for Health and Mr Stevens to initiate an enquiry into

my case. Such important lessons can be learned.

Dr Mattu is now likely to receive a large pay`out. Dr Raj Mattu can now

look forward to significant damages. A teacher in the West Midlands has

received ?300,000 in compensation, after she was injured breaking up a

fight between two pupils. The figure was revealed by the NASUWT, as the

teaching union starts its annual conference in Birmingham. It says

compensation pay`outs to its members have increased by 30% in a year.

Young people were chosen to lead an Easter procession through inner city

Birmingham this afternoon to show the area is turning its back on gun

and knife crime. The Good Friday Walk of Witness is organised by

churches in Handsworth. The parade was attended by 1,000 people.

Organisers wanted local youths to play a prominent part, to show the

area is improving after recent problems with anti`social behaviour.

On to football now. And Birmingham City Ladies are just two games away

from reaching their first European final. They take on the Swedish side

Tireso, in the first leg of the semifinal tomorrow. Nick Clitheroe

reports. Karen Carney joined Birmingham City

when she was just 11. 15 years on, she can barely believe a European

final is within touching distance at the club she loves.

I don't think it would feel real. I'll probably be pinching myself.

But this is what this club deserves for all the hard work, the

adversity. We have never had much backing, we have to do things the

hard way. We deserve something like the final.

Their progress to the semifinal has been remarkable. Birmingham can't

compete financially with many of their domestic rivals, and lost

several key players at the start of the year. Instead, they've

prioritised bringing young players through, and it's working.

It's always been a philosophy of our club to bring through the

youngsters, and give people opportunities. When they are ready,

they can come up to the plate. And they have delivered the goods on the

big occasions. The European run has also helped

raise the club's profile and helped attract new fans.

Birmingham Ladies played their last two European home matches at St

Andrews. A clash of fixtures with men's team means this time they play

here at Solihull Moors. We want teams to come here and fear

us. Obviously, if they are not used to this environment, they're in the

big stadiums and crowds, maybe this will be different for them.

Hopefully, it can work to our advantage.

Their Swedish opponents, Tireso, will start as favourites. But

Birmingham Ladies have proved already that no`one should

underestimate them. Let's catch up with today's results

now. And in League One: it was another goals bonanza at

Wolves, which ended with a pitch invasion, and another Wolves win,

the score there, 6`4. The Tamworth Hereford match doesn't

kick off until 7.45pm. But we'll bring you that result in our late

bulletin this evening. Let's have a look at the weather for

the Easter weekend now. Here's Rebecca Wood.

Good evening. We have some pleasant afternoon sunshine but it will be a

chilly night. With clear skies overhead, temperatures will plummet

down to two Celsius. And a touch of frost over the North Midlands. A

chilly start to tomorrow. The best of the brightness will be in the

West. Still some good spells of sunshine. The winds will be a little

stronger. By Sunday, we have an area of brain working its way in. A

rather wet Easter Day and holiday Monday.

That's all from us for now. I'll be back with your late news at 10.15pm.

Bye for now. Today we have seen temperatures

rising if Scotland but again tonight, with the clear skies and

light wind temperatures will fall sharply, and for many of us, we are

looking at a touch of frost. The satellite picture tells a story

nicely. This belt of cloud is sitting in the far north-west of

Scotland, we have had this cloud bubbling up across eastern areas and

with the northerly wind it has felt cold in East Anglia. That cloud is

going to melt away, we will get an easterly breeze picking the cloud

back in again later in the night in eastern areas and we still have this

cloud and rain in the far north-west of Scotland, but for most we will

have clear sky, light wind, Ness are the temperatures in towns and city,