:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: Tributes to
:00:08. > :00:10.two Midlands servicemen killed in Afghanistan as their bodies return
:00:11. > :00:13.home. We'll be reporting live from
:00:14. > :00:19.Herefordshire, where one of the servicemen grew up.
:00:20. > :00:23.This is a close community and people will feel desperately for the
:00:24. > :00:26.families. Also tonight, coming ever closer to
:00:27. > :00:30.completion ` the Midland Metro extension, one of Birmingham's most
:00:31. > :00:33.complex civil engineering projects. Where now for Birmingham City after
:00:34. > :00:43.an injury time goal saved them from the dreaded drop?
:00:44. > :00:46.The biggest thing is not who the manager is. It is what the ownership
:00:47. > :00:49.situation is and the leadership going forward.
:00:50. > :00:52.It's been running for nearly 900 years ` thousands expected at
:00:53. > :01:00.Hereford's May Fair Festival, which starts tonight.
:01:01. > :01:04.Has it changed much? Only the prices!
:01:05. > :01:07.But could they be caught out by the rain? Unfortunately, blustery, heavy
:01:08. > :01:09.showers come to the fore this week, while sunshine and climbing
:01:10. > :01:11.temperatures take a back seat. More details of what's in store in the
:01:12. > :01:23.forecast later. Good evening. Fresh tributes have
:01:24. > :01:26.been paid to two Midlands servicemen killed in Afghanistan after their
:01:27. > :01:30.bodies were flown back to the UK this afternoon. Flight Lieutenant
:01:31. > :01:33.Rakesh Chauhan, from Birmingham, and Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas, from
:01:34. > :01:37.Kington in Herefordshire, were passengers on board a Lynx
:01:38. > :01:43.helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan ten days ago. The
:01:44. > :01:47.three`man crew also lost their lives. Joan Cummins is in Lance
:01:48. > :01:51.Corporal Thomas's home town of Kington for us this evening. A
:01:52. > :02:00.sombre community tonight, I should imagine, Joan?
:02:01. > :02:06.An incredibly sombre community. This is a term which knows how to honour
:02:07. > :02:12.its sons who have fallen, here at the Memorial. Today they waited
:02:13. > :02:17.whilst yet another son was brought home from a conflict overseas.
:02:18. > :02:22.A tragic accident in a country too familiar with loss saw they return
:02:23. > :02:28.home today of five dedicated servicemen. Amongst them,
:02:29. > :02:34.25`year`old Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, on his third tour of
:02:35. > :02:38.Afghanistan. I think everybody knows that he knew the risks and he
:02:39. > :02:42.willingly chose to serve in the RAF. Every time I spoke to him he was so
:02:43. > :02:47.at peace with his decision. We were just proud of him. Pride is the
:02:48. > :02:53.emotion that comes through the most. There are so many positives to focus
:02:54. > :02:56.on. Hundreds offered their condolences to the family of the
:02:57. > :03:03.Birmingham born officer over the weekend. We were overwhelmed with
:03:04. > :03:06.the response. People who have not contacted us for years have
:03:07. > :03:15.contacted us. It has been really helpful. Everybody who has, has been
:03:16. > :03:20.very supportive. In Kington, the flight flew at half`mast as
:03:21. > :03:24.Lance`Corporal Oliver Thomas began his journey home. Prayers have been
:03:25. > :03:28.said here for Oliver Thomas and his family. He had volunteered for
:03:29. > :03:30.deployment to Afghanistan, and on a recent visit home had told friends
:03:31. > :03:36.and family that he was fulfilling his dreams and living life to the
:03:37. > :03:40.full. Herefordshire is a county proud of its military connections.
:03:41. > :03:52.And those who serve. People are shocked. I think the reality is yet
:03:53. > :03:56.to come when the funeral takes place. This is a close community.
:03:57. > :04:02.People will feel desperately for the family. Today people in Kington
:04:03. > :04:07.simply wanted to quietly remember one of the town's sons. It is
:04:08. > :04:11.thought Honda to quietly remember one of the town's sons. It is
:04:12. > :04:17.thought pundits will line people will be lining the streets for Ollie
:04:18. > :04:21.Thomas's funeral. One man has just spoken to us and
:04:22. > :04:26.said he has sons serving in the Army at the moment. And this is every
:04:27. > :04:32.parent's worst nightmare. For the town of Kington, they want to offer
:04:33. > :04:35.their sympathies to the family. Coming up later, the election
:04:36. > :04:38.numbers game ` just over a fortnight to go until ten political parties
:04:39. > :04:40.battle it out for seven European Parliament seats in the West
:04:41. > :04:49.Midlands. Transport chiefs hope, an extension
:04:50. > :04:52.to the Midland Metro, one of the most complex civil engineering
:04:53. > :04:56.projects ever to take place on the streets of Birmingham, will deliver
:04:57. > :05:02.more than a thousand new jobs and a ?50 million economic boost. Track
:05:03. > :05:05.laying is continuing to restore trams to the city centre for the
:05:06. > :05:08.first time in more than 60 years. Our Transport Correspondent, Peter
:05:09. > :05:14.Plisner, reports A hive of activity today, as laying the track and other
:05:15. > :05:18.work continues at a rapid pace. Contractors admit that it's not easy
:05:19. > :05:26.working in a centre of a city, and the street layout makes it even more
:05:27. > :05:30.difficult. It is very challenging. The streets of Birmingham were
:05:31. > :05:37.designed for motor vehicles. The track takes many twists and turns to
:05:38. > :05:43.get along between the buildings. Abbeville `` dog Barney old tram
:05:44. > :05:47.tracks yet? No. The plenty of basements. The track's being laid in
:05:48. > :05:50.short sections to avoid too much disruption to people and businesses.
:05:51. > :05:55.And some sections require more work than others. This is one of the most
:05:56. > :06:00.challenging parts of the project. Trams will come down quite a steep
:06:01. > :06:05.hill and turn quite a sharp curve. They have had to move the front of
:06:06. > :06:10.the Waterstones book shop back three metres. This is all happening in a
:06:11. > :06:14.busy city centre. Once complete, this is what it will look like.
:06:15. > :06:17.Modern trams effectively gliding through the centre of the city.
:06:18. > :06:21.Planners are hoping that this line will be the catalyst to build even
:06:22. > :06:25.more metro extensions. We hope it is going to be the first of many
:06:26. > :06:30.extensions. We have got the funding to carry on up to Centenary Square.
:06:31. > :06:34.At the moment we are seeking powers to build an extension to
:06:35. > :06:38.Wolverhampton railway station. We will continue to try to expand the
:06:39. > :06:43.system from there. We think it is a good thing. The first vehicles in a
:06:44. > :06:46.new fleet of trams to run on the track has already been delivered and
:06:47. > :06:49.is being tested in the Black Country. The new extension which
:06:50. > :06:53.will connect New Street and Snow Hill stations is expected to open in
:06:54. > :06:56.the middle of next years. `` next year.
:06:57. > :06:59.And Peter's in the city centre now. We're a little over 12 months away
:07:00. > :07:04.from launch, Peter ` do you think there'll be a demand for this
:07:05. > :07:08.service? Predictions are that about 3.5 million additional passengers
:07:09. > :07:10.will use the Metro every year. Currently 5 million use the existing
:07:11. > :07:15.line from Wolverhampton to Snow Hill. Pushing it through the streets
:07:16. > :07:18.of Birmingham will make it more visible. That will attract
:07:19. > :07:25.passengers. Taking it down to new Street station. At the moment the
:07:26. > :07:30.existing Metro 's overcrowded at peak times. These new trams have 40%
:07:31. > :07:36.additional capacity, so all passengers will be able to use them.
:07:37. > :07:42.`` more passengers. Tramlines are very expensive. Will further
:07:43. > :07:47.extensions ever happen? Is all about money. This tramlines needed a
:07:48. > :07:52.government contribution. We are waiting in the queue for a limited
:07:53. > :07:56.pot of money. Manchester has proved the concept. They have an entire
:07:57. > :07:59.network. Arming and the West Midlands heading in the right
:08:00. > :08:01.direction `` same direction, hopefully.
:08:02. > :08:05.Police have discovered cannabis plants worth up to ?1.5 million
:08:06. > :08:08.during a raid at a warehouse in Coventry. Officers found the plants
:08:09. > :08:14.at the industrial unit in the Stoke Row area of the city. Two men are
:08:15. > :08:18.helping with inquiries. In just over a fortnight, voters
:08:19. > :08:20.will be going to the polls in the European elections. In the West
:08:21. > :08:25.Midlands, that means choosing seven MEPs who'll represent our region.
:08:26. > :08:28.The voting system is proportional representation, which means you vote
:08:29. > :08:32.for a party rather than a particular candidate, and there are ten to
:08:33. > :08:41.choose from. Elizabeth Glinka visited Solihull to find out which
:08:42. > :08:45.if any the voters recognised. There are ten parties failing to ``
:08:46. > :08:50.fielding candidates in the West Midlands. Some of them you will be
:08:51. > :08:55.pretty familiar with. What about the others? Broadly speaking, all of
:08:56. > :08:59.these parties are anti`European. How do they differ from UKIP? Do people
:09:00. > :09:05.know anything about them? Ten different parties. Do you know what
:09:06. > :09:12.they stand for a? UKIP I am definitely in favour of. None of
:09:13. > :09:15.these others have I ever heard of. British National Party! That's quite
:09:16. > :09:25.interesting that they are still going. I am undecided. That looks
:09:26. > :09:33.like something from Einstein kind of thing! It sounds like a chemical
:09:34. > :09:43.equation! English Democrats, I have heard of them. There are the English
:09:44. > :09:50.Democrats. OK! They are pretty far right. For people who think that
:09:51. > :09:58.UKIP add to wishy`washy and liberal. Does that say about? What do they
:09:59. > :10:06.stand for a? I have no idea. He used to have a thing on television. The
:10:07. > :10:20.American... Jerry Springer! No, that is not Jerry Springer! Both have
:10:21. > :10:26.left UKIP and started new parties running in the upcoming elections.
:10:27. > :10:33.I'm going to vote UKIP. UKIP as well. Purely because I believe that
:10:34. > :10:41.we should run our own country. At the end of the day fur trade we had
:10:42. > :10:46.to stay in rather than out. They need to renegotiate but I think we
:10:47. > :10:49.need to stay in. A lot of parties seem to stand for the same thing as
:10:50. > :10:55.UKIP. I am not sure what the differences. Election date is May
:10:56. > :10:59.22. The three main parties are concerned about a surge in support
:11:00. > :11:03.for UKIP. In the Midlands they face competition.
:11:04. > :11:05.And you can read more about the candidates and the European
:11:06. > :11:11.Elections themselves on our Political Editor's blog:
:11:12. > :11:17.Up to 200 showmen and women from around the country are in Hereford
:11:18. > :11:20.this evening for the first night of the city's May Fair Festival.
:11:21. > :11:23.The event's been running for nearly 900 years and attracts thousands of
:11:24. > :11:27.people. But not all city centre businesses are fans. Here's Cath
:11:28. > :11:33.Mackie. An historic street fair needs an
:11:34. > :11:36.historic opening ceremony. For the privilege of holding the fair, the
:11:37. > :11:44.Showman's Guild and Council presented Hereford Cathedral with 12
:11:45. > :11:51.and a half bushels of wheat. I am satisfied that this is a proper
:11:52. > :11:57.measure and it is of the best tweet. The fair opened, a world away from
:11:58. > :12:03.its roots. If there were any rides, they may have been simple and basic.
:12:04. > :12:06.Such as swimming golds. But even that is doubtful. Live
:12:07. > :12:11.entertainment, jugglers, Tom Veelers. `` tumblers. But the
:12:12. > :12:15.medieval jugglers and entertainers have been replaced by 21st century
:12:16. > :12:20.terrifying rides. It is a traditional thing and it is lovely.
:12:21. > :12:28.I still think it is nice. Has it changed much? Only the prices! What
:12:29. > :12:32.makes it so special is that it is in the city of Hereford in the
:12:33. > :12:37.streets. The city comes alive. People come from all around the
:12:38. > :12:41.county. Old footage from the 1920s show the streets packed with people
:12:42. > :12:44.` and it still attracts thousands of people. But not everyone's pleased,
:12:45. > :12:49.particularly some businesses. People can only spend their money once.
:12:50. > :12:55.Once the Mayfair is here they are treating their children and having
:12:56. > :12:59.rights themselves. Our trade goes down. Three quarters of the people
:13:00. > :13:02.we talked to say it is the right thing to do and this is the right
:13:03. > :13:08.venue for it. As part of the deal the cathedral's canon went on a
:13:09. > :13:12.ride. It was fantastic. I saw the roof of my house. A lease has been
:13:13. > :13:16.signed for the fair to be held until 2020, but it's likely that'll be
:13:17. > :13:21.extended for many years to come. This is our top story tonight: The
:13:22. > :13:27.bodies of two Midlands servicemen arrive back in England after their
:13:28. > :13:30.deaths in Afghanistan. Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly
:13:31. > :13:33.from Shefali. Also in tonight's programme, a front row seat as a
:13:34. > :13:40.rock band performs in a fan's Black Country living room. And the
:13:41. > :13:43.Warwickshire town taking its inspiration from Shakespeare as it
:13:44. > :13:53.tries to take gold at the Chelsea Flower Show.
:13:54. > :13:58.Time for sport ` Dan's here. And Birmingham City have been reflecting
:13:59. > :14:05.on their great escape after avoiding relegation at the weekend. I think
:14:06. > :14:09.the blues fans still blinking in disbelief. It's been a Bank Holiday
:14:10. > :14:12.weekend that no Birmingham City fan will ever forget. Today, Lee Clark
:14:13. > :14:15.thanked them for their support, and promptly spelt out a few home
:14:16. > :14:19.truths. The Blues manager is warning the club might not be so lucky next
:14:20. > :14:22.season, if the owners don't invest in quality players. Ian Winter has
:14:23. > :14:25.been to meet him. If Saturday was crazy, then today
:14:26. > :14:29.was calm. For Lee Clark and Paul Caddis, a nice cup of tea. And the
:14:30. > :14:38.chance to reflect. It's not every day you avoid relegation in the most
:14:39. > :14:40.nerve`jangling manner. If you play football until you're 90 you will
:14:41. > :14:46.never play another game like that, would you? No, done things. That is
:14:47. > :14:52.probably the most important goal I will ever score. I think the manager
:14:53. > :14:56.summed it up perfectly. He told us to use that as a motivation never to
:14:57. > :15:02.be in that situation again. I reacted the way I seen fit. It was
:15:03. > :15:07.the relief and pride that I had done the job for the fans. That is why
:15:08. > :15:12.ran straight to them. Have the last few weeks affected the family? It
:15:13. > :15:17.has been very tough. I am proud to be the manager. My family love the
:15:18. > :15:22.area. My children enjoy their school and where they live, and the life we
:15:23. > :15:26.have had. In terms of how it has affected us, it has been extremely
:15:27. > :15:31.tough over the last few months. On Saturday, sheer relief was the
:15:32. > :15:38.overriding emotion. Today, it was time for a realistic view of the
:15:39. > :15:44.future. Hand on heart, do you think you will
:15:45. > :15:47.still be the manager next season? I have said many times I am proud and
:15:48. > :15:51.honoured to be the manager. I have understood what is going on. The
:15:52. > :15:54.biggest thing is not with the manager is, it is what the ownership
:15:55. > :15:59.situation is and the leadership going forward. If there is a change
:16:00. > :16:08.of manager with the parameters aren't changed, you might not be so
:16:09. > :16:10.lucky next season. So Clark's message seems crystal clear ` unless
:16:11. > :16:13.the current Blues owners, or potential new owners, invest serious
:16:14. > :16:15.money in quality players, then flirting with relegation might not
:16:16. > :16:25.be a one`off sporting drama. Former Wolves club captain Jody
:16:26. > :16:28.Craddock has thanked fans for their "fantastic support" after more than
:16:29. > :16:31.9,000 turned out at his testimonial game, including several hundred who
:16:32. > :16:37.made a 400`mile round trip from Sunderland. Craddock's son, Toby, is
:16:38. > :16:40.receiving treatment for leukaemia from Birmingham Children's Hospital,
:16:41. > :16:42.and he's raising money for its ?4 million cancer unit appeal. Amy Cole
:16:43. > :16:52.reports. A proud day for the Craddock family
:16:53. > :16:58.as they applauded on to the pitch by thousands of Wolves and Sunderland
:16:59. > :17:02.fans. Jody Craddock's testimonial game was always going to be a
:17:03. > :17:06.memorable occasion. His young son, Toby ` in the blue kit ` has been
:17:07. > :17:08.receiving treatment for leukaemia at Birmingham Children's Hospital,
:17:09. > :17:14.which is appealing for donations for a new ?4 million cancer unit. Jody
:17:15. > :17:23.says he was keen to give something back. For me to raise a little bit
:17:24. > :17:28.of money and to help them out, they have helped quite a lot. It is great
:17:29. > :17:32.to be able to give something back. Hopefully the pace will not be too
:17:33. > :17:36.fast out there. We will enjoy it. And the fans were certainly keen to
:17:37. > :17:41.support a man whom they felt has given so much to their clubs. It is
:17:42. > :17:44.a very well deserved tribute to Jody Craddock. He is a very good and
:17:45. > :17:52.talented footballer, and a very nice man. Nobody deserves it more than he
:17:53. > :17:58.does. We travelled from London. It is late and's first Wolves game
:17:59. > :18:06.today. He is one of my favourite players, so I'm here to support him.
:18:07. > :18:09.It is a great cause. There is a real sense of excitement going around the
:18:10. > :18:13.stadium as Wolves fans and Sunderland fans sit side`by`side,
:18:14. > :18:21.united in their support for Jody Craddock. And this testimonial
:18:22. > :18:27.match. For the record, Wolves won 2`1 with
:18:28. > :18:30.young Toby scoring the winner from the penalty spot.
:18:31. > :18:33.Think of major music venues in the Midlands and I'd imagine the
:18:34. > :18:37.Symphony Hall in Birmingham and the LG Arena spring to mind. I somehow
:18:38. > :18:40.doubt your first thoughts home in on a residential house on a cul`de`sac
:18:41. > :18:43.in Wollaston near Stourbridge! But, for one music fan, it was the
:18:44. > :18:47.perfect location, as one of her favourite bands turned up at her
:18:48. > :18:50.home to play a very special gig there. Ben Sidwell had a front row
:18:51. > :18:55.seat ` on the sofa! Red carpet down, champagne on ice
:18:56. > :19:04.and guest list sorted. Everything in place for Danni Griffiths' once in a
:19:05. > :19:07.lifetime concert. I am so excited. It is going to be incredible.
:19:08. > :19:13.Wollaston has never seen anything like this, ever. On their way to the
:19:14. > :19:16.Black Country, Uncle Frank. Fronted by Fun Lovin' Criminal Frank
:19:17. > :19:23.Benbini. Danni had won a competition on the band's Facebook page ` the
:19:24. > :19:28.prize an intimate gig at her home. Never had a doorman at a house gig.
:19:29. > :19:32.I love the fact he does not break character. He is on the tour, he has
:19:33. > :19:38.got a guest list. If you're not on the list, you're not coming in.
:19:39. > :19:40.After a bite to eat and a quick chat with family and friends, it was
:19:41. > :19:58.time. For almost an hour the band
:19:59. > :20:04.entertained Danni's family and friends ` and even got the doorman
:20:05. > :20:09.dancing. It was fantastic. I cannot believe I
:20:10. > :20:13.am doing this in Wollaston. It is something I will remember for the
:20:14. > :20:18.rest of my life. It is absolutely huge for this area. I don't think it
:20:19. > :20:29.is going to be something we will forget for a very long time.
:20:30. > :20:34.That was just a great show. It had more of a vibe than I have ever had
:20:35. > :20:41.a massive shows I have played. It is a really cool thing. I am very
:20:42. > :20:42.humbled. Fantastic. That was incredible. I don't think
:20:43. > :20:56.we are going to forget it. Makes my bank holidays seem rather
:20:57. > :21:00.tame. `` my bank holiday. Leamington Spa is about to take on some of the
:21:01. > :21:03.world's top floral designers at the Chelsea Flower Show. An
:21:04. > :21:07.award`winning florist has teamed up with a garden designer to create one
:21:08. > :21:09.of the gardens in the main pavilion next month. They've taken their
:21:10. > :21:10.inspiration from the town's parks and Shakespeare, as Lindsay Doyle
:21:11. > :21:20.reports. Once known as the garden town of
:21:21. > :21:26.Shakespeareland, Leamington Spa is heading going for Chelsea gold at
:21:27. > :21:29.the famous flower show. Garden design and floristry have come
:21:30. > :21:32.together for the first time as an award`winning floral designer and
:21:33. > :21:42.garden designer have put their heads together and come up with an
:21:43. > :21:48.enchanting exhibit. As much as we really wanted it, we were prepared
:21:49. > :21:54.for the fact that may be taking a small town was not going to get us
:21:55. > :21:58.the space. But week have got a six metre space, which is huge, until
:21:59. > :22:02.you start to put it together. Then we start looking at it and think, it
:22:03. > :22:05.does not look as big as we thought! Inspired by Shakespeare's famous
:22:06. > :22:08.fairy, Queen Titania, the project has the backing of the entire town `
:22:09. > :22:12.local businesses, sculptors and students are all mucking in to make
:22:13. > :22:20.sure all is ready on time. Even a local teashop is lending the table
:22:21. > :22:23.and chairs. Chelsea is the most prestigious flower show and the
:22:24. > :22:28.world. It is a wonderful way to showcase the town. Tell people that
:22:29. > :22:32.we are here and remind them to come up. Not only that, in the course of
:22:33. > :22:37.delivering the project, we have had an enormous amount of publicity. The
:22:38. > :22:40.Chelsea Flower Show attracts 160,000 visitors over the five days and more
:22:41. > :22:43.than three million viewers on television. The Leamington design is
:22:44. > :22:52.influenced by the town's famous Jephson Gardens, much to the delight
:22:53. > :22:56.of its gardeners. I did see the lady come into the park last year. She
:22:57. > :23:01.did mention that she was going to do a thing based on ideas from
:23:02. > :23:08.different gardens. That was the last I heard of it. After Chelsea, it is
:23:09. > :23:14.hoped the exhibition will be recreated here. Currently the
:23:15. > :23:18.friends of the pump room gardens are applying for a Heritage lottery
:23:19. > :23:20.grant of ?1 million to rejuvenate the area. The Pump Rooms is
:23:21. > :23:23.celebrating its 200th anniversary. It's hoped the Chelsea exhibition
:23:24. > :23:32.will make the perfect birthday present Time for the weather now.
:23:33. > :23:38.And gardeners always want to know about the weather. Did you hear the
:23:39. > :23:41.rain last night? Like a monsoon at times, wasn't it? How's it looking
:23:42. > :23:44.for the rest of the week? Here's Shefali. It is not the first time I
:23:45. > :23:48.have heard that word today. It will not be the last this week. More
:23:49. > :23:54.heavy showers to come. They are stepping up a gear all the while. It
:23:55. > :23:58.will be breezy. The winds will temper the temperatures. On the
:23:59. > :24:03.whole they are around average or just above. They will dip at the
:24:04. > :24:08.weekend when we see a change in wind direction. We really are up against
:24:09. > :24:14.it this week. Battling against an artillery of France from the
:24:15. > :24:19.Atlantic. There will be the odd one sector passing through. You can see
:24:20. > :24:25.that wish bone formation. That will lead to a temporary spike in
:24:26. > :24:31.temperatures. Values will be falling by the weekend. The winds will pick
:24:32. > :24:34.up. As we have seen today, some torrential downpours in places.
:24:35. > :24:38.Those will continue through this evening and overnight. If anything,
:24:39. > :24:42.they will become more widespread. They will confine themselves to the
:24:43. > :24:45.north of the region. Mostly across parts of Staffordshire and
:24:46. > :24:50.Shropshire. Towards the tail end of the night it is looking drier. Still
:24:51. > :24:58.plenty of cloud. The winds will pick up towards dawn. Temperatures well
:24:59. > :25:03.above freezing. It is a reasonably mild night. This is how we start of
:25:04. > :25:08.the day tomorrow. Quite showery, quite dull, quite cloudy. Gradually
:25:09. > :25:11.as the showers screaming from the West and become more prolonged and
:25:12. > :25:20.perhaps more widespread, there will be some sunshine breaking through in
:25:21. > :25:28.between. Temperatures at 14 or 15. Brisk winds. More showers tomorrow
:25:29. > :25:32.night. Again, fairly widespread. Cloud thickening up and filling in
:25:33. > :25:40.once again before they fade away, leaving us with cloud and largely
:25:41. > :25:45.dry conditions. Temperatures only around nine or ten. Some of those
:25:46. > :25:47.showers will form longer bands of rain on Thursday. Friday 's showery
:25:48. > :25:52.as well. Tonight's headlines from the BBC:
:25:53. > :25:54.With fears of significant job losses, politicians step in to the
:25:55. > :26:03.biggest corporate takeover attempt in British history.
:26:04. > :26:07.She would hold back in court, guilty of indecently assaulting an underage
:26:08. > :26:09.girl. And tributes are paid to two Midlands servicemen killed in
:26:10. > :26:13.Afghanistan as their bodies return home. Just before we go, the BBC is
:26:14. > :26:14.offering apprenticeships at its local radio stations.
:26:15. > :26:17.Successful candidates will start there in September and, after
:26:18. > :26:20.training, they'll work as Apprentice Broadcast Assistants. If you're over
:26:21. > :26:25.18 this September, and you want to find out more, visit our website.
:26:26. > :26:29.The closing date is Monday. That was the Midlands Today. I'll be
:26:30. > :26:34.back at ten o'clock. Have a great evening. Goodbye.