:00:00. > :00:00.been told that Rolf Harris indecently assaulted one of his
:00:00. > :00:24.daughter's It is business as usual. We get on
:00:25. > :00:26.with the running of the football club.
:00:27. > :00:29.We'll be asking if there are any potential bidders out there.
:00:30. > :00:31.Also tonight, another major development in football.
:00:32. > :00:34.West Bromwich Albion have announced head coach Pepe Mel has left
:00:35. > :00:37.the club after just four months at the Hawthorns.
:00:38. > :00:39.Disappointing sales overseas for the Staffordshire digger maker JCB.
:00:40. > :00:45.But it's still recorded strong financial results.
:00:46. > :00:49.As long as our market show continues to grow, that is the key `` our
:00:50. > :00:51.market share. A Radio Ham tribute
:00:52. > :00:54.in his home city of Birmingham to the comedian Tony Hancock who would
:00:55. > :01:03.have been 90 today. He was a very quiet man. I think he
:01:04. > :01:04.was very concerned with getting it right.
:01:05. > :01:07.And it looks as though we're perched on the brink
:01:08. > :01:17.How good could it get? Find out in the forecast later.
:01:18. > :01:22.Major developments today at two of our Premier League football
:01:23. > :01:26.clubs, with Aston Villa put up for sale by their American owner and
:01:27. > :01:28.West Bromwich Albion parting company with their Spanish head coach.
:01:29. > :01:31.We're live at Villa Park and the Hawthorns this evening
:01:32. > :01:37.And we start with Aston Villa. Nick Clitheroe's there for us.
:01:38. > :01:40.Randy Lerner wanting out after almost eight years is not
:01:41. > :01:51.Several weeks ago he said he would make clear his future plans at the
:01:52. > :01:56.end of the season. The only thing we are waiting to learn is whether he
:01:57. > :02:00.had already agreed a deal to sell the club or he was putting it up for
:02:01. > :02:03.sale. Today we found out which of those it was going to be.
:02:04. > :02:06.When Aston Villa's season finished with defeat at Tottenham yesterday,
:02:07. > :02:09.it not only brought down the curtain on a miserable
:02:10. > :02:12.campaign, but also it seems on Randy Lerner's ownership of Aston Villa.
:02:13. > :02:15.The American owner put out a statement this morning full
:02:16. > :02:18.of emotion, saying, I owe it to Villa to move on and look
:02:19. > :02:22.Now he's appointed the Bank of America Merrill Lynch to look
:02:23. > :02:31.for a buyer, although there's no suggestion of an immediate deal.
:02:32. > :02:41.The chairman has clarified his role. It is very much business as usual.
:02:42. > :02:45.The chairman remains in place, as does the manager, obviously. We have
:02:46. > :02:46.the season to prepare for. Lerner felt like a breath
:02:47. > :02:49.of fresh air when he arrived He spent ?62.6 million
:02:50. > :02:54.on buying the club from Doug Ellis. In total,
:02:55. > :02:55.he's believed to have spent But after a series of top`six places
:02:56. > :03:00.under Martin O'Neill, Villa have finished each of the last
:03:01. > :03:03.three seasons in the bottom six. That's led many fans to welcome
:03:04. > :03:14.his decision to sell up. It is what the club needs. Something
:03:15. > :03:19.needs to change. I was at Tottenham yesterday. Discontent all of the way
:03:20. > :03:26.through. It is the best thing. Great news. Take the club forward. Hope
:03:27. > :03:30.for better things. If someone invests loads of money, it would be
:03:31. > :03:31.great. But it could take a long time to sell it.
:03:32. > :03:33.But Lerner has definitely left his mark on the club.
:03:34. > :03:37.He may have reined back on his early transfer spending, but there were
:03:38. > :03:40.also big improvements to parts of the ground and a groundbreaking move
:03:41. > :03:43.to use Villa's shirts to promote the Acorns children's charity.
:03:44. > :03:51.It is clear that Randy Lerner loves the club. He had the crest tattooed
:03:52. > :03:56.on his ankle. Eight years of being in charge have taken their toll
:03:57. > :03:59.though. He said that the last seasons have been week in week out
:04:00. > :04:02.battles and he has clearly had enough of them.
:04:03. > :04:05.Just over three miles away from Villa Park is the home of
:04:06. > :04:08.West Bromwich Albion who this afternoon announced that head coach
:04:09. > :04:11.Pepe Mel had left the club after only four months in charge.
:04:12. > :04:14.Albion just avoided relegation from the Premier League
:04:15. > :04:16.and chairman Jeremy Peace is under fire from some fans.
:04:17. > :04:34.It was very short. Pepe Mel's rain began in January and now he is
:04:35. > :04:38.heading home, despite having kept them in the Premier League. It was
:04:39. > :04:44.obvious his poor command of English might be a problem. Likewise, his
:04:45. > :04:47.desire to rapidly change their style of play. Rumours about his future
:04:48. > :04:50.have been gathering momentum in recent weeks so it was no surprise
:04:51. > :04:56.when the decision came earlier this afternoon. The head coach was
:04:57. > :05:00.calling for clarity and just before 3pm the chairman delivered. They had
:05:01. > :05:06.parted company by mutual consent and no one was the least surprised. At
:05:07. > :05:13.Friday's press conference, Pepe Mel sounded like a man who knew his
:05:14. > :05:18.future was elsewhere. If it is my last game, I have enjoyed it. If it
:05:19. > :05:24.proves to be your final game, how will you look back on your time
:05:25. > :05:28.here? TRANSLATION: I will look back on it very positively. I have learnt
:05:29. > :05:33.a lot of things about how things are done differently and I have learned
:05:34. > :05:40.more English. Smiling through adversity, his English may have got
:05:41. > :05:44.better, but his team did not. A home defeat confirmed the inevitable
:05:45. > :05:48.conclusion that Pepe Mel was not the right man to motivate a side that
:05:49. > :05:55.had missed out on relegation by just three points. Pepe Mel's time at the
:05:56. > :05:58.hawthorns will finish with defeat. The statement said it had been a
:05:59. > :06:02.disappointing campaign and lessons have been learned. The search for a
:06:03. > :06:07.new head coach has now begun. They aim to find a suitable candidate to
:06:08. > :06:12.enable the club to be more competitive next season. This life
:06:13. > :06:17.song supporter is disheartened. `` lifelong. He wants the chairman to
:06:18. > :06:22.engage with the fans and has launched a campaign to come up with
:06:23. > :06:26.a shared vision. This is not about getting rid of the chairman or the
:06:27. > :06:33.board. It is a question of getting them to listen. I think some form of
:06:34. > :06:37.forum for the fans or representation within the club would be extremely
:06:38. > :06:42.helpful. It may be a longer term plan, but it would be lovely at some
:06:43. > :06:47.stage in the future to have a representative of the fans on the
:06:48. > :06:50.board. Four months ago, the club gambled on Pepe Mel. He delivered,
:06:51. > :06:57.keeping them in the Premier League, but the confidence was not matched
:06:58. > :07:06.by those who run the club. We have had plenty of comment. We
:07:07. > :07:11.have. Plenty of comments on our Facebook page will stop a broadly
:07:12. > :07:16.similar theme. The Albion fans seem to like Pepe Mel but they are
:07:17. > :07:19.calling on the chairman to invest substantial amounts of financial
:07:20. > :07:24.backing. On Facebook, someone said that the previous head coach should
:07:25. > :07:30.not have been sacked. He says that Pepe Mel had met his target. Another
:07:31. > :07:37.man said, you cannot blame him. His hands were tied. A shambles of a
:07:38. > :07:41.season. Luke has sympathy for Pepe Mel. He is obviously a lovely guide
:07:42. > :07:48.which just makes this mistreatment by the board seem even more...
:07:49. > :07:53.Especially when you consider it along with the other issues the club
:07:54. > :08:01.is suffering from. Another man says he will do well someone `` somewhere
:08:02. > :08:09.else. Next season could be even harder than the one we have just
:08:10. > :08:12.had. With me now is Dr Steve McCabe from Birmingham City University's
:08:13. > :08:21.business school. What are your thoughts on Randy Lerner? Here is
:08:22. > :08:28.sick of the losses. He has deep pockets, but it is not never`ending.
:08:29. > :08:31.You get the impression he was out of love with the English game. I wonder
:08:32. > :08:38.what he will do about the tattooed. The losses, there is an old adage in
:08:39. > :08:43.football, you can make a small fortune as long as you start off
:08:44. > :08:47.with a large fortune. There is talk of 200 million. It seems about
:08:48. > :08:53.right. Whoever comes in will have to add in 100 million to bring in new
:08:54. > :08:58.players over the summer. Coping with the ongoing losses, it is not a good
:08:59. > :09:02.business to make money on. It is the money you need going forward. Every
:09:03. > :09:08.football fan wants the club to succeed. In Champions' League, you
:09:09. > :09:14.are up against the likes of Man City. They have billionaire owners.
:09:15. > :09:22.Are there any potential bidders? There is a question about a Texan
:09:23. > :09:26.oil millionaire. Who knows. Birmingham City sort of up for sale,
:09:27. > :09:29.West Bromwich Albion, they'll getting rid of their coach, and
:09:30. > :09:37.Coventry City in a mess. A turmoil in this region, horrendous. Pretty
:09:38. > :09:43.poor show. Most other British cities have the glamour clubs. We do not
:09:44. > :09:47.seem to have that. Can people ever make money out of football clubs? It
:09:48. > :09:52.is hard to see given the amount of money you have to pay for the top
:09:53. > :09:59.players. Randy Lerner selling Aston Villa, what will the timescale be?
:10:00. > :10:02.You would want to have it done as soon as possible to be ready for the
:10:03. > :10:05.next season. Thank you very much indeed.
:10:06. > :10:10.Camera, lights, action ` the new feature film made in
:10:11. > :10:15.Could it bring more production this way?
:10:16. > :10:19.The Staffordshire digger`maker JCB says it's disappointed that business
:10:20. > :10:23.opportunities linked to infrastructure projects at the
:10:24. > :10:25.World Cup in Brazil have failed to materialise.
:10:26. > :10:28.It comes as the company announces a 14% fall in annual profits.
:10:29. > :10:34.It sold fewer machines overseas than expected last year.
:10:35. > :10:37.But UK sales were up by 50% meaning it's still been one
:10:38. > :10:40.of the most profitable years in its 68`year history.
:10:41. > :10:46.Dad Andy, mum Claire, mother`in`law Gwen, son Mike,
:10:47. > :10:52.A family`run plant hire firm in Brereton in Staffordshire.
:10:53. > :10:56.They've just bought six new JCBs because local house builders are
:10:57. > :11:09.A vast increase in enquiries, people saying they are fully booked for
:11:10. > :11:11.months ahead. This demand has helped the
:11:12. > :11:13.Staffordshire digger`maker achieve JCB moved fast in an effort
:11:14. > :11:26.to conquer overseas markets. Factories were built in emerging
:11:27. > :11:30.economies like India and Brazil, but it now appears that demand for
:11:31. > :11:35.these machines is levelling off. The World Cup in Rio de
:11:36. > :11:39.Janeiro is one case in point. The hosts have been scrambling to
:11:40. > :11:53.get stadiums ready, Everyone expected a boost from the
:11:54. > :11:57.World Cup. The stadiums have been built and they are ready, but the
:11:58. > :12:09.surrounding infrastructure in terms of roads and hotels has not really
:12:10. > :12:16.happened. JCB has 22 factories worldwide. 11 are in the UK. Later
:12:17. > :12:25.this year, production will begin at this plant in India at a time when
:12:26. > :12:28.demand in India is falling. India is going through the general election.
:12:29. > :12:33.The build up to that over the last 12 months, there has been a
:12:34. > :12:36.wait`and`see attitude from our customers. We are very optimistic
:12:37. > :12:51.that when the new government comes to power, the market will grow
:12:52. > :12:53.again. The expansion will cost the company ?150 million.
:12:54. > :12:56.It's a sign of confidence, but overseas markets are volatile.
:12:57. > :13:00.JCB are closely monitoring the ongoing political tensions with
:13:01. > :13:04.Ukraine and how it might impact upon sales.
:13:05. > :13:13.It's a good job Britain's builders are back and busy.
:13:14. > :13:16.A new campaign's been launched in Birmingham to encourage more
:13:17. > :13:20.The city currently has nearly 300 children waiting to be fostered.
:13:21. > :13:23.Denise Slator used to be a lorry driver,
:13:24. > :13:27.but for the last seven years, she's been fostering babies and toddlers.
:13:28. > :13:30.She's one of 600 foster carers in Birmingham, but the city council
:13:31. > :13:48.When they are offered steady, secure, loving homes, they often
:13:49. > :13:49.blossom in that cares. It is that we support our foster carers to
:13:50. > :13:52.provide. In ten days' time, voters will go to
:13:53. > :13:56.the polls in European and local Five years ago,
:13:57. > :14:00.the British National Party came close to winning a European seat
:14:01. > :14:03.in this region with 9% of the vote. But since then,
:14:04. > :14:05.the party's struggled, as BBC Radio Stoke's political
:14:06. > :14:08.reporter Phil McCann explains. 2009 and 122,000 people
:14:09. > :14:11.in the Midlands vote for the BNP The party was riding high with 16
:14:12. > :14:17.councillors in the Midlands, They won support partly by being
:14:18. > :14:25.visible in communities, helping run bingo clubs like this one in
:14:26. > :14:38.Abbey Hulton, which got them votes. What about immigration? Yes, good
:14:39. > :14:42.point. I do not agree with all of these people coming in.
:14:43. > :14:46.But over the last few years, things have been going wrong for the BNP.
:14:47. > :14:49.It's had a cash crisis after losing a legal challenge to its all`white
:14:50. > :14:52.membership policy and it's been beset by internal disagreements.
:14:53. > :14:56.So, back at the bingo, does the BNP still have support today?
:14:57. > :15:04.If they want to send them back, I am with them. British people should be
:15:05. > :15:06.put first. Don't you think we have got enough in this country?
:15:07. > :15:08.Now the British National Party has no councillors in Stoke`on`Trent
:15:09. > :15:24.The BNP rose to power on the back of Labour Party supporting working
:15:25. > :15:27.class vote. That has gone with the Conservative government in power.
:15:28. > :15:34.UKIP have the benefit of those votes.
:15:35. > :15:36.for racially`aggravated harassment after comments he made about black
:15:37. > :15:41.But they're still out pounding the streets looking for votes.
:15:42. > :15:48.Our view of mass immigration to Britain is that it is an illegal
:15:49. > :15:52.process, it is illegal. It has never been sanctioned by the British
:15:53. > :15:56.people and it is a project of social engineering, social change on a
:15:57. > :15:57.national level, involving vast numbers of foreigners. It should
:15:58. > :15:59.have been taken to the people. But people who sympathise with
:16:00. > :16:02.the BNP's messages may now find lots of other anti`immigration
:16:03. > :16:04.and anti`European parties to choose And Phil is in our Stoke studio
:16:05. > :16:11.for us now. Do the issues that prompted people
:16:12. > :16:15.to vote for the BNP five years ago still concern
:16:16. > :16:26.voters in Stoke`on`Trent, Phil? Well, we saw there that there are
:16:27. > :16:29.still a lot of people in Stoke`on`Trent and across the West
:16:30. > :16:34.Midlands who are concerned about immigration. There are also a lot of
:16:35. > :16:36.people who want the UK to leave the EU. The BNP's one of their main
:16:37. > :17:14.policies is that they Europe and immigration. There have
:17:15. > :17:19.been split in the BNP. Also, the Labour Party is thought to benefit
:17:20. > :17:22.when the BNP is not doing so well because it picks up protest votes
:17:23. > :17:26.against the current government instead.
:17:27. > :17:30.Film making in the West Midlands is worth ?20 million to the region.
:17:31. > :17:33.But can anything be done to bring yet more production here
:17:34. > :17:36.Most film making still happens in London,
:17:37. > :17:39.but six directors here have come together to make a feature`length
:17:40. > :18:54.You get to a point when you realise business to the West Midlands.
:18:55. > :18:55.You get to a point when you realise you are just as alive as anybody
:18:56. > :19:21.It is interesting to see how these else.
:19:22. > :19:23.It is interesting to see how these things work. I am a big film buff
:19:24. > :19:25.myself. Checking In will premiere tonight
:19:26. > :19:27.in Wolverhampton. This may be a low`budget feature,
:19:28. > :19:30.but it has big ambitions Burton Albion boss Gary Rowett is
:19:31. > :19:40.hopeful that they can hang onto their one`goal lead in the second
:19:41. > :19:43.leg of the League Two play off. Adam McGurk scored the only goal of
:19:44. > :19:47.the game just before half`time after The home side were reduced to ten
:19:48. > :19:52.men after an hour when Ian Sharps was sent off
:19:53. > :20:07.for a second bookable offence. Really pleased and relieved proud of
:20:08. > :20:11.them. Disappointed with the sending`off. But we saw it out
:20:12. > :20:12.pretty well. Shrewsbury have appointed
:20:13. > :20:14.Micky Mellon as their new manager The former Fleetwood boss will be
:20:15. > :20:18.assisted by previous manager And the Worcester Wolves
:20:19. > :20:22.basketball team have become British They beat Newcastle 90`78 in the BBL
:20:23. > :20:27.play`off final at Wembley Arena It's their second piece of
:20:28. > :20:31.silverware this season, having won Today would have been the 90th
:20:32. > :20:43.birthday of the Birmingham`born He was one of the biggest stars
:20:44. > :20:48.in the country with his own show It started first on radio
:20:49. > :20:52.and then transferred to television, with such classic episodes as
:20:53. > :20:55.The Blood Donor and The Radio Ham. And it's The Radio Ham
:20:56. > :20:58.which inspired a special celebration today outside the house where he was
:20:59. > :21:09.born, as Ben Sidwell reports. For most people, it would be an odd
:21:10. > :21:18.way to celebrate someone's birthday. But for the Coventry Amateur Radio
:21:19. > :21:21.Society, there was nowhere better to be than on the drive of the
:21:22. > :21:30.home where Tony Hancock was born. They are going to let me loose on
:21:31. > :21:45.the airwaves. Let us see if we can make contact. This is GX two. Why
:21:46. > :21:52.are you doing this? Indeed. A very good question. We remember the
:21:53. > :21:53.sketch. What better way than a group of radio amateurs on the drive at
:21:54. > :21:56.the birthplace of Tony Hancock. Just for today,
:21:57. > :21:59.the society have been given a special call sign, GB8TH, for Tony
:22:00. > :22:02.Hancock, of course, to communicate Alan Florence was one
:22:03. > :22:11.of the sound engineers during Tony Hancock's audio recordings of
:22:12. > :22:22.The Blood Donor and The Radio Ham. Unfortunately, on the recording, the
:22:23. > :22:25.only time it broke down was Tony Hancock choking to death with
:22:26. > :22:26.laughter so they had to stop the recording.
:22:27. > :22:30.For some, this street in Hall Green in Birmingham was so special they
:22:31. > :22:40.It was an added value. It made it for me, the fact I could live in the
:22:41. > :22:47.road where Tony Hancock was born. How are you? Do me a favour. Go to
:22:48. > :22:55.my mother pot asked her to make me a bread pudding. Which? my mother's
:22:56. > :22:56.and ask her to make me a bread pudding.
:22:57. > :22:58.And fittingly, rather than birthday cake, these
:22:59. > :23:03.radio hams marked Tony Hancock's 90th with a piece of bread pudding.
:23:04. > :23:11.Tell me it is going to pick up later in the week for the weather?
:23:12. > :23:19.We have a pressure chart showing all of the showers breaking out and then
:23:20. > :23:23.the pressure builds from the south`west from midweek onwards.
:23:24. > :23:28.This will kill them off and bring back balance to the region and the
:23:29. > :23:35.weather. The MS chart shows us how the temperatures will alter `` the
:23:36. > :23:42.air mass chart. Temperatures up by three or 4 degrees. In summary, I
:23:43. > :23:45.can say that things are picking up from midweek and as we approach
:23:46. > :23:50.mid`May. Looking warmer by Wednesday. Currently in Birmingham
:23:51. > :23:55.at least, we are looking at the sunshine breaking through nicely.
:23:56. > :23:59.That is not the case everywhere. We are still seeing some fairly heavy
:24:00. > :24:03.showers breaking out across some parts of the region before they
:24:04. > :24:08.start to fade away in the early hours. Still a lot of cloud and
:24:09. > :24:12.temperatures will be held up to around seven or 8 degrees. Not
:24:13. > :24:16.particularly cold overnight. It will be dry and fairly sunny tomorrow. A
:24:17. > :24:20.brief period of sunshine. Things will turn wet through the latter
:24:21. > :24:24.part of the day. The showers will rumble in from the North stopped
:24:25. > :24:31.they could be heavy at times with thunder as well. `` the latter part
:24:32. > :24:35.of the day. The showers will rumble in from the North. Light to moderate
:24:36. > :24:38.north`westerly winds. The high pressure starts to building from
:24:39. > :24:43.tomorrow night and we see evidence of that in the showers beaten off
:24:44. > :24:46.and then much drier conditions taking over. The cloud will be
:24:47. > :24:49.breaking as well sufficiently to send temperatures low enough for
:24:50. > :24:57.perhaps a touch of grass fast. Calder tomorrow. `` grass frost.
:24:58. > :25:00.Calder tomorrow. Much drier for the second half of the week. Huge
:25:01. > :25:06.strides towards warmer conditions. Tonight's headlines from the BBC:
:25:07. > :25:08.Nigeria's missing schoolgirls. A video which appears to show more
:25:09. > :25:11.than 100 of them is released And a dramatic day in the Premier
:25:12. > :25:16.League as Aston Villa are put up for sale and West Bromwich Albion
:25:17. > :25:26.part company with their head coach. Dominated by two of our Premier
:25:27. > :25:30.League clubs. We cannot go without saying well done to Stoke City for
:25:31. > :25:32.the highest ever finish. Terrific season.