:00:00. > :00:00.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. and all the pupils to study there.
:00:00. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: Friends and
:00:10. > :00:11.family reflect on the loss of the two men, the crash is believed to
:00:12. > :00:41.have been a tragic accident. The astonishing money raised for the
:00:42. > :00:49.Teenage Cancer Trust. It is amazing what he has done. A judge rtles are
:00:50. > :00:54.diabetic death was unavoidable. The hospital was fined ?200,000 after
:00:55. > :00:59.basic failings. Birmingham city manager, Lee Clark, refuses to
:01:00. > :01:03.concede defeat just yet. We are looking forward to gdtting
:01:04. > :01:08.the four points that we need to stay in the division. And after the
:01:09. > :01:11.warmest day of the year so far, why you may ask are there dark clouds
:01:12. > :01:21.looming in the background? There are contrasts this week.
:01:22. > :01:26.Good evening and welcome to the programme. Tributes have bedn paid
:01:27. > :01:30.to two Midlands servicemen who died in a helicopter crash in
:01:31. > :01:34.Afghanistan. Flight Lieuten`nt Rakesh Chauhan and Lance Corporal
:01:35. > :01:37.Oliver Thomas were on board a Lynx helicopter which went down hn
:01:38. > :01:41.Kandahar province, 30 miles from the border with Pakistan on Sattrday.
:01:42. > :01:44.Three other servicemen on board were also killed, bringing the ntmber of
:01:45. > :01:49.British casualties in the Afghan conflict to 453. The MoD has denied
:01:50. > :01:51.claims by the Taliban that insurgents shot the helicopter down,
:01:52. > :02:01.saying initial investigations indicate a tragic accident. Lance
:02:02. > :02:03.Corporal Oliver Thomas and Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan both
:02:04. > :02:07.servicemen in the prime of their lives, and both described bx the
:02:08. > :02:13.army and their families as bright, and gifted with a passion for life.
:02:14. > :02:16.Oliver Thomas was 26 and from Kington in Herefordshire whdre he
:02:17. > :02:21.was head boy at Lady Hawkins school, voted into the job by both teachers
:02:22. > :02:25.and pupils. The first day of term today was quiet as teachers had
:02:26. > :02:39.planned a training day. Instead they mourned. We are devastated stay and
:02:40. > :02:45.we had a break in the day to let the staff gather their thoughts of
:02:46. > :02:48.Oliver. Oliver's former history teacher remembers several trips to
:02:49. > :02:55.the first and Second World War battlefields. You can see from an
:02:56. > :03:02.early age that he was reallx interested in the Armed Forces. He
:03:03. > :03:06.always showed up most respect for the war dead. I taught him `ll the
:03:07. > :03:09.way through and he was great fun in the class and always had a joke
:03:10. > :03:18.Pauline Hughes the school's office manager is a close family friend.
:03:19. > :03:23.How could we put ourselves hn their position? They are absolutely
:03:24. > :03:27.devastate `` devastated and he had his whole life in front of him. They
:03:28. > :03:31.are all devastated. This is a double blow for the school because Oliver's
:03:32. > :03:34.mum works here. I spoke to her earlier on the phone and shd said a
:03:35. > :03:38.statement they'd released stmmed up her son, It says Oliver Seized every
:03:39. > :03:43.opportunity and achieved in all that he did. The pain of the Tholas
:03:44. > :03:54.family is matched by the Ch`uhan's. Rakesh Chauhan was 29 and from
:03:55. > :04:04.Birmingham. I was concerned for his safety and eight overshadowdd what
:04:05. > :04:07.he had achieved at such a young age. Maybe he didn't see through that but
:04:08. > :04:12.we were extremely proud of him. Another Midlands school is left to
:04:13. > :04:21.remember a former pupil with pride. He was a regular visitor to to the
:04:22. > :04:24.school and he spoke to me about the risks of going to Afghanist`n. He
:04:25. > :04:32.was delighted to have been `ssigned the task which he could use his
:04:33. > :04:35.intellect and training to m`ke a real difference to the world. Rakesh
:04:36. > :04:37.Chauhan was in the Royal Air force, Oliver Thomas was in the
:04:38. > :04:40.intelligence corps. It's believed both were passengers on the lynx
:04:41. > :04:44.helicopter when it crashed hn Kandahar. Initial reports stggest it
:04:45. > :04:48.was a tragic accident. The bodies of both men are due to be flown back to
:04:49. > :04:50.the UK next week. Cath Mackhe, BBC Midlands Today.
:04:51. > :04:54.You're watching BBC Midlands Today, good to have you with us thhs
:04:55. > :04:57.evening. Coming up later in the programme How did they do that? The
:04:58. > :05:01.story behind the dramatic ddmolition of a university tower block `
:05:02. > :05:04.sitting just a few yards from other buildings.
:05:05. > :05:08.Another day, another million ` the remarkable fundraising camp`ign by
:05:09. > :05:12.cancer patient Stephen Sutton passed the three million pound mark this
:05:13. > :05:18.afternoon. Stephen's initial target was to raise ?10,000 for thd Teenage
:05:19. > :05:21.Cancer Trust. But the Staffordshire teenager's story has receivdd
:05:22. > :05:24.worldwide publicity in the last week ` and the current fundraising total
:05:25. > :05:28.now stands at three point x million pounds ` helped by a special comedy
:05:29. > :05:33.show in Birmingham last night Bob Hockenhull has the story. `` three
:05:34. > :05:45.million and ?34 million. Stephen Sutton has touched the
:05:46. > :05:52.hearts of millions. Last night three hundred of his followers got to send
:05:53. > :05:57.their good wishes in person. There is 300 people who want to s`y well
:05:58. > :06:00.done. Comedian Jason Manford phoned Stephen up during his performance to
:06:01. > :06:09.raise money for the 19 year old s record breaking appeal. What is
:06:10. > :06:16.important to remember is he has been doing this for a couple of xears
:06:17. > :06:20.without all this. He raised half ?1 million by himself which is
:06:21. > :06:24.incredible. One guy who is dying of cancer has raised half ?1 mhllion
:06:25. > :06:31.and that is the bit that gets people. The comedy night at the
:06:32. > :06:33.Players Bar in Birmingham hdlped push Stephen's fundraising `ppeal
:06:34. > :06:36.for the Teenage Cancer Trust towards three million pounds. That's a
:06:37. > :06:48.quarter of what the charity normally raises annually. I don't know him
:06:49. > :06:51.personally but you feel you do because he has reached out to
:06:52. > :06:55.everybody. Hopefully this whll go global. This afternoon Stephen from
:06:56. > :06:58.Burntwood near Cannock postdd a new photograph of himself on Facebook to
:06:59. > :07:02.celebrate what he called a crazy week. After coughing up a ttmour at
:07:03. > :07:05.the weekend he told followers, With my breathing fine and no other acute
:07:06. > :07:09.medical problems at the momdnt, we can optimistically look forward to a
:07:10. > :07:10.period of future that at thd beginning of the week seemed
:07:11. > :07:32.impossible." Last night's gig raised ?10,000
:07:33. > :07:35.adding to a magnificent tot`l. And with donations received frol 94
:07:36. > :07:51.counties, Stephen really has become a global sensation. A hospital trust
:07:52. > :07:57.has been fined thousands of pounds after a diabetic patient lapsed into
:07:58. > :08:01.a coma after nurses failed to give him insulin. Mid Staffordshhre NHS
:08:02. > :08:05.Foundation Trust was told bx a judge today that a private companx would
:08:06. > :08:09.have been fined ?1m. In a moment we'll be live in Stafford ` but
:08:10. > :08:17.first this report from our Health Correspondent Michele Paduano.
:08:18. > :08:21.Gillian died on the 11th of April 2007 because she wasn't givdn
:08:22. > :08:27.insulin. She was failed by nurses on eight shifts conducting 11 drug
:08:28. > :08:32.rounds. Unusually, the high Sheriff sat next to the judge who s`id that
:08:33. > :08:37.the responsibility laid with the management at the highest ldvel
:08:38. > :08:41.Every hospital patient has the right to expect more. Serious safdty
:08:42. > :08:48.management flaws were identhfied by our investigation. We expect lessons
:08:49. > :08:54.to be learnt across the NHS to prevent this happening again. Her
:08:55. > :09:03.caring friend for seven years for someone to be held responsible for
:09:04. > :09:26.taking everything from him. Jill died at 1:20am on the 11th of April
:09:27. > :09:30.2007. The sun went out in mx life. He has described the whole
:09:31. > :09:36.prosecution to me as Monty Python but said after seven years of
:09:37. > :09:42.talking common sense to those forced to defend the nonsensical, dnough is
:09:43. > :09:52.enough. A trust that is ?21 million in the red as to pay ?227,000. This
:09:53. > :09:55.was not about the money at `ll. This was about getting messages out there
:09:56. > :10:02.in the hope that it will send some shock waves through the boardrooms
:10:03. > :10:09.of other NHS trusts so lessons can be learned. Why didn't the health
:10:10. > :10:17.and sex `` Health and Safetx Executive prosecute individtals It
:10:18. > :10:22.is what he wanted. I have ghven my statement. Deterred `` the judge
:10:23. > :10:25.talked about accountability but family and friends feel no senior
:10:26. > :10:30.executive has been held to accountable. `` to account. And
:10:31. > :10:36.Michele joins us now from Stafford Crown Court, do you expect there to
:10:37. > :10:41.be any more prosecutions? There was an inquest which found negldct and
:10:42. > :10:45.there were two nurses taken to the midwifery Council and one w`s struck
:10:46. > :10:49.off. As far as this is concdrned, this is the end of the road. The
:10:50. > :10:53.road. It offers psychic `` the Health and Safety Executive looking
:10:54. > :10:57.into another case of a woman who fell out of bed. There are other
:10:58. > :10:59.cases on the books of a teal where they are looking for a posshbility
:11:00. > :11:03.of prosecution. David Cameron is facing a b`ckbench
:11:04. > :11:06.rebellion over the HS2 rail link when MPs vote tonight. At ldast 30
:11:07. > :11:09.Tory MPs, including several from the Midlands, are expected to vote
:11:10. > :11:12.against or abstain at the bhll's second reading although it won't be
:11:13. > :11:17.enough to block the legislation as Labour say they will back the
:11:18. > :11:20.government. Live now to Westminster and our Transport Correspondent
:11:21. > :11:36.Peter Plisner. Peter is the opposition building? There hs. They
:11:37. > :11:40.plan to stay was expected. Ht's a big day for HS2, the second reading
:11:41. > :11:43.of any bill is a big moment. It also starts the scrutiny process where
:11:44. > :11:48.those against HS2 can have their say. The debate on HS2 is going on
:11:49. > :11:51.in the House of Commons behhnd me as we speak. It's expected that the
:11:52. > :12:02.debate will go on well into the evening. Already some Midlands MPs
:12:03. > :12:06.have spoken during that deb`te. Joining me is Richard Burton, the MP
:12:07. > :12:14.for Northfield and Labour transport spokesman. On capacity, anybody that
:12:15. > :12:18.has been standing on the tr`ins knows there is a problem but also
:12:19. > :12:25.this gives us a chance to gdt more freight. It is an expensive scheme.
:12:26. > :12:29.Any scheme is expensive but this can make a difference to our region
:12:30. > :12:34.Getting it connected to othdr parts of the country, we are
:12:35. > :12:41.geographically in the centrd of the country but we need to be f`r more
:12:42. > :12:48.in the centre. John Reid also joins me from the alliance. What xou make
:12:49. > :12:53.of it? We think it is fundalentally flawed. It shouldn't distract from
:12:54. > :12:57.the message which is a just to was going to cost at least ?73 billion
:12:58. > :13:03.and that is over ?1500 for dvery single adult in Britain stopped HS2
:13:04. > :13:09.is not needed and is not wanted by the British people. 53% are against
:13:10. > :13:13.it and that is why we are against this project. The debate is going on
:13:14. > :13:17.as we speak and is expected to finish with a vote 11pm tonhght
:13:18. > :13:21.This is our top story tonight: Tributes to two of the servhcemen
:13:22. > :13:23.who died in a helicopter cr`sh in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Oliver
:13:24. > :13:28.Thomas from Herefordshire and Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan from
:13:29. > :13:31.Birmingham. Your weather forecast for the week is still to cole with
:13:32. > :13:35.Shefali, talking of which. Ht never rains but it pours, Aston Vhlla drop
:13:36. > :13:40.closer to the relegation zone after losing five of their last shx
:13:41. > :13:45.matches. And out of the theatre and hnto a
:13:46. > :13:54.tent. A Russian opera gets ` modern make over.
:13:55. > :13:59.It was one of the trickiest demolition jobs ever attempted in a
:14:00. > :14:02.city centre. But early Sund`y morning 21 storeys of tower block
:14:03. > :14:10.were turned into rubble leaving neighbouring buildings untotched.
:14:11. > :14:16.Our Science Correspondent D`vid Gregory`Kumar went behind the scenes
:14:17. > :14:23.to find out how exactly it was done. Say goodbye to the Stafford Tower.
:14:24. > :14:25.11,000 tonnes of defunct sttdent accommodation on the Aston
:14:26. > :14:30.University campus in central Birmingham. And when the dust
:14:31. > :14:36.cleared, a neat pile of rubble between two untouched buildhngs So
:14:37. > :14:40.how did they do that? Last week we went inside to see just how they
:14:41. > :14:45.were going to blow up a 21 story tower block. Without damaging the
:14:46. > :14:54.brand new buildings just a few metres away. This is a tricky
:14:55. > :14:58.demolition. It is mind`boggling with the science that goes into ht. Since
:14:59. > :15:00.September they've taken out the asbestos, moved services like water
:15:01. > :15:06.and power and pre weakened the tower. Windows are covered to
:15:07. > :15:16.contain flying debris. So the wiring up of explosives takes placd in the
:15:17. > :15:22.dark. This is the first floor of the staff at Tower. We have the primary
:15:23. > :15:26.detonator and another one as a contingency. They set of thd
:15:27. > :15:31.charges. This will eventually set of the charge in each of the holes
:15:32. > :15:35.within the concrete components causing the required collapse of the
:15:36. > :15:41.building. This is the video that convinced the university delolition
:15:42. > :15:44.was an option. The experts were certain they could fire the
:15:45. > :15:47.explosives so that the building would topple forward, with ` slight
:15:48. > :15:56.twist, into the gap between its neighbours leaving them untouched.
:15:57. > :16:00.These buildings are six metres away from the tower and these containers
:16:01. > :16:04.are attached with the steel cables. They will be pulled in the building
:16:05. > :16:07.collapses down and none of the rubble will hit anything ne`rby And
:16:08. > :16:13.all that preparation paid off as it went off without a hitch.
:16:14. > :16:20.Let's turn to sport now. It was a nervous weekend for many Midlands
:16:21. > :16:23.football fans and that's not changed for the two Birmingham clubs. But
:16:24. > :16:28.Dan, a huge sigh of relief `t the Hawthorns for West Brom fans.
:16:29. > :16:31.West Bromwich Albion are now just one win from Premier League safety
:16:32. > :16:35.after beating West Ham 1`0 on Saturday. Saido Berahino scored the
:16:36. > :16:40.only goal of the game after just 11 minutes. Albion are now four points
:16:41. > :16:44.above the bottom three and the teams in the relegation zone have only two
:16:45. > :16:48.games left. But that win for Albion dropped
:16:49. > :16:53.Aston Villa further into trouble. And while they are fighting to
:16:54. > :16:56.survive in the Premier Leagte. Their second city rivals Birmingh`m City
:16:57. > :17:05.are in even deeper trouble hn the Championship.
:17:06. > :17:08.Another home game and anothdr home defeat. Birmingham City havdn't won
:17:09. > :17:11.at St Andrews since the start of October. And this 3`1 defeat to
:17:12. > :17:18.Leeds means they've gone 18 games without a home win. They conceded
:17:19. > :17:25.three goals in 20 second half minutes and now they're in the
:17:26. > :17:30.bottom three. I don't look `t what other clubs do, I look at what my
:17:31. > :17:35.players are about. We have the chance, if we get a positivd
:17:36. > :17:39.result, to have our destiny in our own hands. That is what we need
:17:40. > :17:43.This is the most clear cut scenario for Blues. They must take a point
:17:44. > :17:46.from one of their final two games and hope that Doncaster losd their
:17:47. > :17:50.last game away to the Champhons Leicester. Aston Villa are hn
:17:51. > :17:54.equally shocking form. They've only taken one point from their last six
:17:55. > :17:58.games and now sit just thred points above the relegation zone. However
:17:59. > :18:02.Villa's superior goal difference means even if they don't take
:18:03. > :18:07.another point this season two of the following still have to happen to
:18:08. > :18:11.relegate them. Sunderland whn one of their final three games. Norwich get
:18:12. > :18:16.four points from matches ag`inst Chelsea and Arsenal. Fulham win both
:18:17. > :18:27.their last two matches. Cardiff win both their last two matches.
:18:28. > :18:33.Disappointed with the posithon that we are in. Next week's game is a
:18:34. > :18:37.must win game. It is a cup final next week and we have to win it
:18:38. > :18:41.Birmingham City could yet mdet in the Championship next season. But
:18:42. > :18:44.they could also be separated by two divisions. Either way they both face
:18:45. > :18:52.two tense matches to end thdir seasons.
:18:53. > :18:55.What have they been saying to us on the Midlands Today Facebook page?
:18:56. > :18:58.Let's start with Villa. Rich Coombes got in touch to say he
:18:59. > :19:02.believes Villa will finish fourth from bottom. So that's a positive
:19:03. > :19:05.start. But he says the football has been worse than last season ` and he
:19:06. > :19:08.thinks owner Randy Lerner and manager Paul Lambert should leave.
:19:09. > :19:12.Richard Taylor reckons Vill` are going down because of Lambert's
:19:13. > :19:15.tactics and he also says sole of the players are not Premier League
:19:16. > :19:18.standard. And Villa fan Andx Ball has a very simple message: "We will
:19:19. > :19:22.stay up, on pure luck." Across the city, fair to sax not a
:19:23. > :19:25.lot of love for Blues boss Lee Clark. Some comments very critical
:19:26. > :19:28.while Eric Bullock says, "I don t think we will avoid relegathon. He
:19:29. > :19:31.thinks Clark should've been sacked months ago." But one last comment
:19:32. > :19:34.which proves what supporting a football club is all about. Chez
:19:35. > :19:37.Appleby`Gardiner says, "I'm a Bluenose through and through ` no
:19:38. > :19:40.matter what division we're hn." So a lot of anxiety for Bluds fans
:19:41. > :19:42.in particular, but for Shrewsbury Town supporters, relegation is
:19:43. > :19:45.confirmed. And this is the moment their fate
:19:46. > :19:48.was sealed. Shrewsbury lost 4`2 at home to promotion chasing
:19:49. > :19:51.Peterborough on Saturday. It leaves them bottom of league one and seven
:19:52. > :19:59.points from safety with just one game to play.
:20:00. > :20:01.Well done to Hereford United who survived in the Conference Premier
:20:02. > :20:04.League. But only just. With barely two minutes rem`ining,
:20:05. > :20:07.Michael Rankine scored the match`winning goal at Aldershot And
:20:08. > :20:11.that was good enough to keep the Bulls up, on goal differencd. Great
:20:12. > :20:15.relief for the players, and fans alike. And today, the club said it
:20:16. > :20:23.was now in a stronger posithon to attract potential new investors And
:20:24. > :20:28.next season, Hereford will be joined in the Conference Premier bx AFC
:20:29. > :20:31.Telford. Promoted as champions with a 3`0 home win over Gainsborough.
:20:32. > :20:36.Congratulations to them. Now when you see a Big Top, most of
:20:37. > :20:39.us would expect to find clowns and a trapeze inside. But instead of the
:20:40. > :20:42.circus, how about a full sc`le Russian opera? Birmingham Opera
:20:43. > :20:45.Company have set up a gigantic tent in the middle of a park for their
:20:46. > :20:49.latest production. Our Arts Reporter Satnam Rana is there. What's this
:20:50. > :20:54.all about? Well Birmingham Opera company are known for doing things
:20:55. > :21:02.differently. They've done opera in a helicopter in the air and now opera
:21:03. > :21:06.on the ground in a tent. Audience members are arriving for thd show.
:21:07. > :21:20.We filmed far away to give xou an idea of how big it is. What is it
:21:21. > :21:24.all about? I have been findhng out. It sounds like opera, but it doesn't
:21:25. > :21:30.look like opera as we might imagine it. The vast space within this tent
:21:31. > :21:40.is both stage and auditoriul for Musorgky's Kovanchina. But this new
:21:41. > :21:43.version is in English, not Russian. And story of Russia's battld between
:21:44. > :21:54.modernisation and conservathsm in the 1690s is played out using modern
:21:55. > :22:01.visual references familiar to us. The problems of change, whether in
:22:02. > :22:04.its can be enforced, the problem of a dogmatic fundamentalist church not
:22:05. > :22:11.open to change, these are things everybody recognises. The score is
:22:12. > :22:16.as expansive as the themes this opera tackles. Musicians and singers
:22:17. > :22:19.from the CBSO, a cast of international soloists and 200
:22:20. > :22:34.volunteers weave the audience from scene to scene through music and
:22:35. > :22:39.movement. A roaming theatre for a one`off, I think it is a lot more
:22:40. > :22:44.interesting. I love the intdractive parts. You don't know what hs
:22:45. > :22:53.happening and it is quite interesting. It is really enjoyable.
:22:54. > :23:04.It certainly lives up to thd company's motto, not what to expect
:23:05. > :23:10.from Opera. And so audiences have assembled here. They're watching a
:23:11. > :23:13.pretend news programme about events in the 1690s to set them up for the
:23:14. > :23:16.three hour performance. The political themes of modernisation
:23:17. > :23:18.and conservatism reflect wh`t's happening in Crimea and the Ukraine
:23:19. > :23:30.and Russia's increasing isolation from the west. Dark clouds `re
:23:31. > :23:36.threatening on the horizon. How is it looking?
:23:37. > :23:43.It is really what the sunshhne is up against that is the problem. We have
:23:44. > :23:47.a whole mixture of things going on. It is the middle part of thd week
:23:48. > :23:51.that we will see some showers developing and towards the dnd of
:23:52. > :23:56.the week, it will become more settled and colder with somd night
:23:57. > :24:01.frosts returning. We have a clash of two fronts with low pressurd at its
:24:02. > :24:06.centre. Watch the front that is coming up from the south`west. It
:24:07. > :24:11.draws showers up from that direction on Wednesday and drugs back down
:24:12. > :24:19.again on Thursday. There cotld be quite a few of those developing over
:24:20. > :24:22.both those days. We have had reports of a few showers developing through
:24:23. > :24:27.this evening. Some of them could be heavy but they are tending to fade
:24:28. > :24:31.away later on tonight. The night is largely dry and there is a good deal
:24:32. > :24:37.of cloud around and most of this is being drawn in from off the North
:24:38. > :24:41.Sea. It will produce some Ddms fog patches in places and they could be
:24:42. > :24:48.widespread. We are looking `t murky conditions to start the day.
:24:49. > :24:53.Temperatures tonight or arotnd a Celsius. A muggy start to the day
:24:54. > :24:57.tomorrow but gradually throtgh the day we will see that sunshine coming
:24:58. > :25:01.through. The best of it will be in the western half of the reghon.
:25:02. > :25:07.Temperatures here could risd to 17 Celsius. For Wednesday and Thursday,
:25:08. > :25:17.we are looking at showery conditions. Tonight's headlhnes from
:25:18. > :25:20.the BBC. A teacher is stabbdd to death at a school in Leeds ` a
:25:21. > :25:24.15`year`old boy is arrested. And tributes to two of the servhcemen
:25:25. > :25:26.who died in a helicopter cr`sh in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Oliver
:25:27. > :25:31.Thomas from Herefordshire and Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan from
:25:32. > :25:33.Birmingham. That is it, goodbye