19/06/2014 Midlands Today

One little mistake, nobody passing on his name to social services, and

it would've been still alivd. It?s the official start

of summer this weekend. It is great that the Shrewsbury line

to London is back operating again. Tonight we are on the trail of the

World Cup reared and wonderful. `` reared.

Catching up with the trained guide dog who is preparing to transform

someone's life. It is the official start of the

summer this weekend, so let's hope the round the weekend off in style.

A young boy's death could h`ve been avoided, if a hospital had

Nurses spotted unexplained bruises on 16`month`old Kyle Keen

when he was admitted to Walsall Manor Hospital in June 2006.

They raised concerns, but Social Services weren't informed.

Kyle was discharged but readmitted eight days later with head hnjuries.

He had been shaken by his stepfather and suffered bleeding on thd brain.

His life support machine was turned off a day later.

Tyrone Matthews was later sdntenced to six`and`a`half years

Here's our health correspondent Michele Paduano.

Eight years on, remembering the death of her baby brothdr is

Her father would never have known what really happened to Kyld if a

Robert then began a cat`and`mouse game with

I couldn't believe it. I kndw nothing about it at all. Ond little

mistake, nobody passing on his notes to Social Services home he would

still be alive if they had. Kyle's stepfather, Tyrone M`tthews

was sentenced to six`and`a`half But in the weeks before his death,

Kyle had gone twice to Wals`ll Manor The second time,

two junior doctors and a senior nurse wanted to refer the

case to Social Services, but they We are not getting over it. It has

had a big impact on all of ts. New management at the hospital

finally agreed to an inquirx. Today's independent report

said there had been: Poor and inadequate record keeping

which contained many errors. A failure to investigate

thoroughly and learn lessons. A lack of performance managdment

or disciplinary action. A whistleblower who treated Kyle

the day that he died says this will We did not take any serious action

to understand what happened to Kyle and why he was sent to his death.

The analysis was inadequate and we did not take any steps to ldarn the

lessons from this tragic de`th. The hospital has pitted towns up to that

now. Today,

the hospital?s Chief Executhve met the family to apologise

for the sins of his predecessors and to say the consultant,

Rajnish Wahlia, will be assdssed. He will be an `` he will be assessed

to make sure he can fully do the job that we are asking him to do.

Eight years on, the hospital says it's child

Last year, and nine`year`old boy had a puncture wound to his Mac. His

notes were not the same place, the same as young Kyle. The report says

the lessons had not been le`rnt Later, that young boy was stabbed in

the back. Getting to the truth hasn't been

straightforward, but Robert and Larissa can now move on with

their lives and Larissa will soon Why has it taken eight years

to reach this resolution? There was either a serious failure,

or there was an attempt at concealment. There is no evhdence

that the action plans were implemented. If it wasn't for the

doctor getting in touch with the Father, we might never have known.

What about the management at the time? There was this lack of

accountability. In 2009 the chief executive said that they haven't

implemented all the findings of the serious case review. Today she has

apologised to the family and what she said, not sure it has t`ken us

much further forward. You're watching Midlands Today `

it?s good to have you with ts. Coming up later in the programme:

Lamenting the loss of the local ` trying to stop the decline of the

suburban pub. Direct rail services between

Shrewsbury and London are to re`start in December. Virgin Trains

has been awarded a further dxtension to its West Coast franchise and has

committed to running two tr`ins a day in each direction. The route,

which still needs formal approval, comes more than three years after a

previous service was withdr`wn. Here's our transport correspondent,

Peter Plisner. Trains to many places but ctrrently

not London, but later this xear it's all changed. This morning, the

Transport Minister was in Shrewsbury to announce the new service as part

of a two year extension to the West It is different this time, because

the problem last time was the extra paths, but this time it is `n

extension. It is great timing. She's `` it is great because you can go

into London, do a days work and come back again.

of a two year extension to the West Coast Virgin Rail franchise. Viable

or not, the commitment to rtnning the new service has come after a

long campaign by MPs. The London I think it is all a very good idea.

It will be great to have thd service again. We need to see the ddtails,

of course, but it would be good for Shrewsbury.

In exchange for a longer fr`nchise, Virgin has committed providhng free

improvements. I think it is all a

It's also 21 First Class carriages into

standard class to More people want to travel hn

standard them first. We havd too many first`class seats. We will make

it more comfortable for people travelling in standard class.

standard class to Back in Shrewsbury,

business leaders say the new service must be supported.

Let's do our best to make it work. We will need a dialogue, with the

providers to make sure that the timing is that they choose ` chilly

work for people. the new service must be supported.

Plans for direct London trahns still need to be approved by the

Rail Regulator, but that's dxpected to soon, clearing the way for trains

to run from the middle of Ddcember. A Birmingham man has absconded

while on police bail to join jihadists fighting in Syria.

Junaid Hussain, who's 20`ye`rs`old from Kings Heath, was on bahl

after being arrested on suspicion of violent disorder at the Dnglish

Defence League protest last year. The convicted computer hackdr has

posted pictures of him self online and appears to support

Isis`the Jihadist group at the heart of the current unrest in Ir`q.

One Birmingham MP says the case raises questions about the `bility

of known extremists to travdl to Syria to fight, even while they re

being investigated by the police. I am hugely worried about the

consequences of him being allowed to leave the country. He was under

police bail before he left. The fact that he was still able to ldave the

country, that has some serious questions that need to be answered.

being investigated by the police. Figures from the British Bedr

and Pub Association suggest the Midlands is one of the hardest

hit regions for pub closures. It seems it's the bars

in our towns and cities that are struggling the most.

Nationally up to 19 are closing every week,

compared with nine in rural areas. So, what can be done to halt

the decline? Bob Hockenhull reports.

Pubs, often the grandest buhldings in suburbia, but in a climate of

suburbia, they quickly lose their former glory. This is the W`terloo,

built in 19 seven, designed to attract to the wealthier drhnker.

Now it is sharp and only attracting rats and vandals. Suburban pubs are

the ones that are really suffering. It is beautiful inside. It was a

flagship pub for the brewerx. They threw the kitchen sink added in of

decoration. It is sad to sed such grand old pubs in such a sorry

state, but fortunately not `ll of them have gone the same way. In the

past, pastimes like playing darts help keep the customers comhng to

their local. This pub has t`ken that lesson on board. It had a rough

reputation and easily could have shot, but a revival of tradhtional

sports teams has helped turn it around. Effectively, they h`ve put a

new pub inside the old shell and it has worked wonders. The loc`ls love

it. They are all keen to kedp that the way it is. The owners, Punch

Taverns, said he had to act to save the pubs. Things like the shops and

sandwich bars, things that were not around ten years ago, or not in

scale, they mean the pubs h`ve to try hard to stay competitivd. Some

pubs have just opened. This pub to 24 weeks to build and is ond of the

team by Marston pubs in the West Midlands. We managed to build pubs

exactly how consumers want to have them. We talked to people and asked

them exactly what they wantdd. This pub has been built next to ` modern

housing estate to attract more customers. The staff are so lovely.

It can to more for you. Back in Smethwick, the sad lament for the

loss of this local continues. It is more than just the closure of the

pub, something in the community goes. Some people are hoping that

the pub will rise again frol its former state.

Bob Hockenhull reports. been avoided if a hospital had

referred him to Social Servhces Your detailed weather forec`st to

come shortly. Also in tonight's programme: Forget

scratch and sniff, is your sniff up to scratch? The new laboratory which

rewards sensitive noses. There will be plenty of nervous

England fans around tonight ` it's England's second World Cup game

they face Uruguay in Sao Patlo and, of course, it's a game Roy Hodgson's

team dare not lose. Let's join Kevin Reide who's with some of those

anxious fans in Coventry. Thanks, Mary. I'm at the Albany

Social Club in Earlsdon, whdre excitement is building. In ` moment

I'll be talking to some of the England fans here, but first Ben

Sidwell has spent the day trying to capture the World Cup mood, with

some rather unusual results. Meet Slipmat ` singer, Engl`nd fan,

parrot. At his home in Worcester,

he's been showing his support by whistling the football anthem

the Great Escape, although, on this occasion, he was being a bit cagey.

We started teaching him at `bout five weeks ago.

occasion, he was being a bit cagey. He's not the only one getting

in a flap over the World Cup. At the Sea Life Centre

in Birmingham, it's all about the penguin predictors.

Having failed to p`p`p`pick up an Italian win in the last game

the pressure was on. I think it is taking them so long to

make a prediction because they got the last one wrong. They ard being

extra cautious about this one! the pressure was on.

Sadly they selected an Urugtay win, although

the penguin was called Pablo. Meanwhile, back in Worcester.

To prove that humans are more intelligent than animals and more

accurate at predictions, let me introduce you to nine`month`old

Toby Parsons from Aldridge. Unlike the penguins, he did select

an Italian win and although we had to substitute a Uruguian shhrt for

an Argentinian one, he wasn't fazed. We did not manage to get down to the

bookmakers, sadly! He was correct in the end. I just hope we can pick the

winning lottery numbers! an Argentinian one, he wasn't fazed.

So, surely that would inspire Slipmat?

On this street, the grown`ups are also getting into the World Cup

spirit. surely that would inspire Slipmat?

You can't really miss Dave Beers' house, although you can hardly see

it for England flags. It was a challenge of a fridnd on

Facebook saying, can you be`t this big joke? I give it a bash! So, just

to prove that the bird really can sing, here is a recording the family

made earlier! You can see that the atmosphere is continuing to build

here. I am joined by two England fans. Can England did? Yes! Has a

Roy Hodgson got his tactics right? And the need to attack, used their

young team. Your score predhction? 2`1 to England. Robert, what do you

think about Wayne Rooney, where should he play? Just behind the

number nine. I don't think we should be wasting his talent out on the

left. Hopefully he will be playing down the middle tonight any can

answer his critics with a goal or two. What can we do about Ltis

Suarez? He is obviously thehr main threat, so I think we should bite

his legs off! What do you think the England threats will be? We have

plenty of speed, lots of yotng lads with no fear, and they are `ll very

comfortable on the ball. I think England will wind a 3`1. Who do you

think the greatest threat is? Raheem Sterling. Thank you very much. I

can't hear what is going on in the studio at the moment, it is really

lied in here! If you haven't got the TV, it is live on Radio fivd Live. I

think they are in danger of picking a little bit early!

it for England flags. If you've ever complained

about a bad odour, the appalling stench of waste or fumes from a

factory, there's some help `t hand. The region's first Odour Laboratory

has opened in Worcester where you can test air

samples and get paid ?9 an hour if your sniffing is up to scratch.

Ben Godfrey has the details. Where is the odour laboratory? Just

follow your nose! Ben Godfrey has the details.

The scientists coaxed six of us into a sealed room at the University

of Worcester. I'd been advised to blow my nose,

to be in peak condition. This is the new odour labor`tory. We

are being tested vigorously against the clock to detect the merdst

smells. I have to decide if I can smell something, if I am certain or

just have an inkling? It is a built`in panel for noses. Wd take a

smell, put it into the voting panel, everyone has a Smith and

their reaction is recorded. That is how we quantify how much smdlls in

the sample. Companies can bd fined if orders rise above and expected

level. Error spectrum, a local firm, is making money by testing samples.

The University of Worcester is also benefiting from the research. We are

most famous about the pollen forecast. Older is an important part

of the air, of the atmosphere. This fits in completely. The nosd has 6

million cells detect encoders. How did I do? Very well. If you

continued with the test, yot might be a little bit too sensitive to sit

on our panel, so you have a very good nose! Excellent! It is one

branch of science where hum`ns can I do computers.

Well, I have stepped outsidd to meet Zeus. The last time we met tp with

him he had just been for his first guide dog puppy training cl`ss. How

has he been getting on? We have been to find out. Zeus has come to

Birmingham Airport as part of his training to become a guide dog means

he has the experience many situations. He was fantastic. A

light aeroplane very close to him and he didn't have an eyelid. This

was him last October, very sleepy amongst the schoolchildren. He is

now 11 months and joining hhs clasp `` classmates on the monorahl. In

the airport terminal, they `re the centre of attention. Voluntder puppy

walkers helped care for thel in their first year. It will bd hard to

let him go, but you have to think of the people that he is going to help.

I met one mild who had his guide dog parade years. He was so grateful

when I told him I was a puppy walker. He said, I don't know where

I would be without people lhke you. It is so busy today. People are

excited, they have their luggage, everything here is a fantastic

experience to build his confidence. A slippy staircase provides another

challenge. We have to exposd our dogs to everything to make sure that

they can go anywhere and evdrywhere with her and you blind owners. After

all the training, it is timd for Zeus to relax with the family who

are looking after him. After all, she is just a dog, and the family

take everywhere to get him tsed to daily life. In the coming months,

Zeus believe the family as ` training gets more serious. I am

really happy for him to become a guide dog. Zeus leads the ldt off

steam and forget learning on the lead. By all accounts he is doing

spectacularly well. 75% of trainee guide dogs will meet the st`ndards

needed to qualify. It certainly looks as though he is

doing extremely well. You h`ve been training guide dogs for 25 xears,

that is a lot of puppies! How does he rate? If you could tilt the ideal

puppy, you have him in front of you. He is a fantastic young mild.

What makes them so special? It is probably more to do with thd family

they have been with. They h`ve dedicated nearly 12 months of their

lives to him, wherever they have gone, they have taken him whth Taken

him with them. We saw in thd report that Zeus was doing a touch of plane

spotting. You need to get them used to as many environments as

possible? That's right, bec`use we don't know who he will be going

with, what environment he whll be in. The family `` who he is placed

with at the moment, there whll be devastated and giving him up. Yes,

they will. Those families could give `` give great training and support.

Synergy but on the jacket, he knows is in work mode. He does, btt it is

about having fun, getting the balance so he gets his reward time,

as well. Well done, Zeus excavation work we are very proud of you. Let's

find out with the forecast hs going to be like for the next couple of

days. We have been very lucky with the

weather we have had this wedk. Things will change, however. The

wind direction will change, that would bring in cloud from the North

Sea. It will introduce fresh conditions for the rest of the

week, which I think some of you might be grateful for, conshdering

we don't have to compromise the warmth or give it up. You c`n see we

still have the yellow colours right across us, meaning that the

temperatures will hold up for most of the week. For the night, the

winds are in the process of changing, but there are still coming

from the north. That will draw in clouds from the east, but in the

West that will be more clear. There could be some pockets of mist as we

head into tomorrow morning. The mist should burn away quickly, and the

sunshine should be with us from daybreak. It will be sunny `ll day

tomorrow. The temperatures will get up to 22/20 three Celsius southern

counties. In the north of the region, temperatures will drop a

couple of degrees on today's values. We have light winds coming hn from

the westerly direction tomorrow I think the temperatures tomorrow

night will be a real indicator of the cooler, fresher conditions there

will be getting in for the weekend. We have largely clear skies, so

values will drop from betwedn 9`11 Celsius. For the weekend, it is

looking quite good. Plenty of fine, dry weather with lots of sunshine on

the cards. Temperatures will get up to 21 Celsius at best. Though

settled condition should continue in `` continue to the start of next

week. Whatever you are doing this evening,

have a good one! And, let's face it, penguins don't know anything, do

they?