:00:00. > 3:59:59they will be some sunshine in between a band of heavy and thundery
:00:00. > :00:00.showers and it will be notably What did you say to me? You heard
:00:00. > :00:29.what I said. The woman involved tells us "We
:00:30. > :00:32.need police ` but not like him." A packed Wolverhampton Civic Hall
:00:33. > :00:35.pays tribute to Bob Jones, West Midlands? first Police
:00:36. > :00:41.and Crime Commissioner. Rebuilding the economy brick
:00:42. > :00:52.by brick ` the impact Back home, ten`year`old Ben Baddeley
:00:53. > :00:55.out of hospital ` after an anonymous donor paid
:00:56. > :00:59.for his life`changing operation. And for some parts of the country is
:01:00. > :01:03.was the hottest day of the year so far, but it's not as though we
:01:04. > :01:06.were exactly lacking ` and with temperatures still rising this week
:01:07. > :01:08.there's everything to play for. A Staffordshire police officer has
:01:09. > :01:23.been suspended, after a video posted online appeared to show him
:01:24. > :01:28.threatening to "knock a woman out". The force is investigating the
:01:29. > :01:31.complaint ` and has also referred the matter to the Independent
:01:32. > :01:34.Police Complaints Commission. The woman involved, Nikki Wright,
:01:35. > :01:37.has given her first interview to our This is the centre of Hanley,
:01:38. > :02:00.filmed on a smart phone, in What did you say? I will knock you
:02:01. > :02:08.out. What did you say? You said you would knock her out?
:02:09. > :02:10.Nikki Wright is the woman the officer's referring to.
:02:11. > :02:13.She says the incident unfolded as she was trying to help
:02:14. > :02:27.He gave me a bump on my arm, he snatches me. As I stopped myself
:02:28. > :02:33.from getting any closer, his hand came up, smack, in my face. On my
:02:34. > :02:43.neck, he slapped me. He grabbed me to the floor. That is when I shout.
:02:44. > :02:50.I dare you! He lets me go. He let me go because he knows if I got
:02:51. > :02:55.arrested, the first thing I will say is he has hit me.
:02:56. > :02:58.This is Trinity Street ` the area where the video was filmed.
:02:59. > :03:08.Staffordshire Police have begun an investigation.
:03:09. > :03:14.CCTV from around this area will form part of that investigation.
:03:15. > :03:22.The events are likely to have been captured on the cameras police
:03:23. > :03:27.officers carry. It comes at a time when the Police and Crime
:03:28. > :03:31.Commissioner is placing a focus on transparency. I want a swift
:03:32. > :03:36.investigation. We need an answer as soon as possible. It is about making
:03:37. > :03:38.sure that police officers behave properly, professionally, even the
:03:39. > :03:53.most difficult circumstances. Nikki Wright says she's sorry
:03:54. > :03:56.for swearing during the incident ` but wants an apology from
:03:57. > :03:58.the officer who's been suspended. The investigation's expected to
:03:59. > :04:01.be complete within a few weeks. Whatever its outcome,
:04:02. > :04:03.this footage illustrates how quickly images can be shared via social
:04:04. > :04:06.media ` and how footage can have A strong response to this story
:04:07. > :04:12.on our Facebook page today, and The police officer
:04:13. > :04:20.didn't do what he said. I don't think he should
:04:21. > :04:23.have been suspended. An alternative view from
:04:24. > :04:26.Lee Condliffe. He should not have threatened to
:04:27. > :04:29.knock out someone while being If he was being threatened or
:04:30. > :04:40.punched, then surely he has the right to defend himself,
:04:41. > :04:43.even if only verbally. People think they can get away with
:04:44. > :04:46.threatening behaviour towards At the very worst,
:04:47. > :04:53.it was perhaps a poor use of words, Of course, if the troublemakers
:04:54. > :04:57.were sober, they wouldn't be Poor choice of words,
:04:58. > :05:03.but that is all. Hope he gets nothing more than
:05:04. > :05:06.a talking to and the matter closed. As a police officer,
:05:07. > :05:10.he should know better. Police officers receive a high level
:05:11. > :05:14.of training for such situations. His actions are showing
:05:15. > :05:18.Staffordshire police in a bad light. Amber Patterson's
:05:19. > :05:20.view is quite clear. Not good enough,
:05:21. > :05:22.just not good enough. If they can't cope with high stress
:05:23. > :05:25.situations, Unacceptable behaviour
:05:26. > :05:31.from the police officer. It's his job and part
:05:32. > :05:35.of that is to deal with stuff More than 800 people have gathered
:05:36. > :05:54.to pay tribute to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob
:05:55. > :05:56.Jones, who died earlier this month. Police, community and civic leaders
:05:57. > :05:59.` as well as Mr Jones' many friends from the Campaign for Real Ale `
:06:00. > :06:03.joined his family at a celebration of his life in his home city of
:06:04. > :06:06.Wolverhampton, where he served as a The numbers grew and grew `
:06:07. > :06:13.hundreds turning out to pay public tribute to a man who gave
:06:14. > :06:26.his life to public service. Police officers provide a guard of
:06:27. > :06:29.honour for his coffin, the mourners There were tears `
:06:30. > :06:49.but there was gratitude too from This was a man of outstanding
:06:50. > :06:55.ability. A fine mind and a man with a mission. Bob, my friend, we will
:06:56. > :07:04.never, ever forget you. APPLAUSE
:07:05. > :07:11.Bob was exceptionally intelligent and his knowledge of policing was
:07:12. > :07:16.second to none. He was assertive and had a quiet confidence, but never
:07:17. > :07:18.adopted an air of superiority. He carried his significant
:07:19. > :07:23.responsibilities quietly. After 30 years as a councillor,
:07:24. > :07:26.in 2012 Bob Jones became the West Midlands? first Police
:07:27. > :07:28.and Crime Commissioner, striking up a close working relationship with
:07:29. > :07:31.the chief constable ` who noticed a change in the
:07:32. > :07:44.commissioner's unique dress sense. The old red anorak was retired and a
:07:45. > :07:55.new blue anorak was unveiled to the expectant world. He remained at to
:07:56. > :08:01.lately unchanged by high office. The abiding colour was read, not black,
:08:02. > :08:05.and not to Bob Jones' socialist principles. The colour of vibrancy
:08:06. > :08:11.and warms, a colour with which to celebrate a life. Today, people have
:08:12. > :08:20.paid their respects and I join with them to be part of a celebration of
:08:21. > :08:28.a man who contributed so much to the West Midlands. He knew my name and I
:08:29. > :08:31.was a needle in a haystack. A lovely person. A hard`working, loyal
:08:32. > :08:48.person. A loss to the community. Aleida, the bloke at the front.
:08:49. > :08:50.Bob Jones loved his country, its countryside, castles, real ale,
:08:51. > :08:52.steam railways and above all his family.
:08:53. > :08:55.Police have charged a former West Midlands MEP with money laundering
:08:56. > :08:59.Nikki Sinclaire, who lost her seat in the European Parliament after
:09:00. > :09:01.the May elections, is due before Birmingham Magistrates in September.
:09:02. > :09:04.Sian, what more have West Midlands Police said?
:09:05. > :09:06.Well, that it was their economic crime
:09:07. > :09:08.unit that charged Nikki Sinclaire earlier today, and that she's due
:09:09. > :09:15.She's facing claims that she made "false and dishonest submissions for
:09:16. > :09:19.travelling expenses and transferred the proceeds of fraud through
:09:20. > :09:27.It's alleged to have taken place between October 2009 and July 2010,
:09:28. > :09:30.which was her first year in office as an MEP.
:09:31. > :09:39.I spoke with her on the phone this afternoon and shortly afterwards
:09:40. > :09:43.she released a statement saying "I strongly refute these charges and
:09:44. > :09:48.I am certain I shall be found innocent of these ludicrous
:09:49. > :09:55.She was originally arrested back in 2012 and has been
:09:56. > :10:00.West Midlands Police also said today that the three other people who were
:10:01. > :10:08.also arrested in connection with this will face no further action.
:10:09. > :10:10.An urgent appeal has been issued to find two children who have
:10:11. > :10:13.gone missing in the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham.
:10:14. > :10:18.Saina Sava, who's 11, and four`year`old Adi Sava,
:10:19. > :10:20.were last seen in Wright Road at around midday.
:10:21. > :10:24.It's thought the pair have a black and red pushchair with them.
:10:25. > :10:27.A man's body was discovered in a burnt`out car in Birmingham.
:10:28. > :10:31.Police were called to Fentham Road in Erdington last night following
:10:32. > :10:36.They arrested a man a short while later.
:10:37. > :10:39.The dead man has not been identified.
:10:40. > :10:42.A former care worker from Birmingham has appeared before magistrates
:10:43. > :10:46.in Dudley charged with seven counts of sexual assault and one of rape.
:10:47. > :10:50.Dauda Kamara is alleged to have carried out the attacks against
:10:51. > :10:55.The 45`year`old, who's originally from Sierrra Leone,
:10:56. > :11:00.will appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court in October.
:11:01. > :11:02.The National Association of Head Teachers is calling
:11:03. > :11:05.for the Birmingham City Council commissioned report into the
:11:06. > :11:10.The union says the local authority's investigation wasn't as thorough
:11:11. > :11:13.as the government report into allegations of a hardline Muslim
:11:14. > :11:24.It believes the council missed crucial evidence.
:11:25. > :11:34.There are clearly things that the council did not know about, were not
:11:35. > :11:37.privy to. In light of the revelations and the disturbing
:11:38. > :11:44.findings of the enquiry, the council do now step back and review its
:11:45. > :12:01.findings in light of the enquiry and look at the recommendations.
:12:02. > :12:03.It was one of the defining images of the recession.
:12:04. > :12:05.Millions and millions of bricks left unused, stockpiled,
:12:06. > :12:07.as the construction industry collapsed like a house of cards.
:12:08. > :12:10.Six years on and it's a very different story.
:12:11. > :12:13.Demand for bricks to build new homes is now so great ` it's outstripping
:12:14. > :12:15.supply, helping to bring one redundant factory back to life.
:12:16. > :12:18.Stanbrook Abbey near Worcester is undergoing major refurbishment.
:12:19. > :12:20.On`site you'll see carpenters, electricians and plasterers.
:12:21. > :12:23.What you won't see are bricklayers, because there aren't any bricks to
:12:24. > :12:27.Normally you'd expect bricks to be on a three or four week delivery
:12:28. > :12:31.and on this project it's about a 14 week delivery period , so yes, we
:12:32. > :12:36.Here at least there is a lot of other work to do while they wait
:12:37. > :12:39.for the bricks to arrive but for others it is causing real problems.
:12:40. > :12:42.We have a project not far from here that lost six weeks
:12:43. > :12:45.on an order of 360,000 bricks that was suddenly stopped
:12:46. > :12:49.because production ran out, and we had to source alternative bricks.
:12:50. > :12:52.But the fact that the demand for bricks is outstripping supply
:12:53. > :12:56.is actually a good sign for the construction industry as a whole.
:12:57. > :13:00.You don't have to look much further than this brickworks in Hartlebury
:13:01. > :13:05.This place was mothballed in 2008, when the construction industry
:13:06. > :13:09.Now it has been brought back to life.
:13:10. > :13:12.Because more demand means the construction industry is building
:13:13. > :13:19.The company which owns the Hartlebury site also
:13:20. > :13:24.They are looking to recruit 36 full`time workers
:13:25. > :13:27.at the Worcestershire plant, including apprentices.
:13:28. > :13:32.This year we will probably build 165,000 houses in the UK.
:13:33. > :13:35.Compare that with 2012, when it was as low as 120.
:13:36. > :13:38.The government quite rightly suggests we should be building
:13:39. > :13:41.a minimum of 200,000 houses going forward so
:13:42. > :13:45.it is not just today's demand, it is the demand going forward which gives
:13:46. > :13:50.It is a far cry from 2008, when millions
:13:51. > :13:55.Now millions are being imported to cope with demand.
:13:56. > :14:03.We are getting some consequences of that which is a shortage
:14:04. > :14:07.I would rather have that than sitting around twiddling our thumbs,
:14:08. > :14:09.wondering where the next project will come from.
:14:10. > :14:12.The brick shortage is expected to level out, but the industry is
:14:13. > :14:20.hopeful their new`found confidence will last a lot longer.
:14:21. > :14:25.Suspended ` a Staffordshire police officer taken
:14:26. > :14:30.off duty after he appeared to threaten to knock a woman out.
:14:31. > :14:33.We'll find out how much longer these high temperatures will last.
:14:34. > :14:35.Shefali will be here with the forecast.
:14:36. > :14:40.What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner ` we
:14:41. > :15:05.Very rare leopard cubs have been drawing in the clouds. `` crowds.
:15:06. > :15:08.A ten`year`old boy is back at home after undergoing a life`changing
:15:09. > :15:11.Ben Baddeley, who has cerebral palsy, was due to
:15:12. > :15:14.have the surgery on the NHS in February ` but it was cancelled.
:15:15. > :15:17.His parents were able to pay for the operation privately earlier
:15:18. > :15:19.this month, after an anonymous donor came forward.
:15:20. > :15:26.Our health correspondent Michele Paduano reports.
:15:27. > :15:34.Ben Baddeley is learning to walk, again, but the ten`year`old appears
:15:35. > :15:43.to be taking it in his stride. It feels loose. It is really easy. This
:15:44. > :15:49.was his gate before. In February, he was due to have an operation but the
:15:50. > :15:56.NHS stopped viewing `` stopped funding it. An NHS `` BBC Midlands
:15:57. > :16:02.viewer offered to pay for it after seeing this. His condition cuts the
:16:03. > :16:09.nerves and causes spasticity. That is taking it to a whole new level.
:16:10. > :16:15.Ben is having physiotherapy, but as his back strengthens it will become
:16:16. > :16:21.daily for at least a year. There is lots of strength in him. He gets it,
:16:22. > :16:26.he understands, which is half the battle. He understands that the
:16:27. > :16:31.harder he works, the better he gets. He works very hard. His mum is
:16:32. > :16:38.delighted. Before, his foot was so tense that his ankle, foot and toes
:16:39. > :16:43.moved as one. But now his toes wriggle and his foot moves and he
:16:44. > :16:47.can twiddle his ankle about. Everything has changed, his
:16:48. > :16:52.sleeping. Part of his improvement is in hand coordination. NHS England is
:16:53. > :16:56.going to start funding this operation again. 120 cases will be
:16:57. > :17:01.done, although none in the West Midlands and Oswestry has missed
:17:02. > :17:07.out. Then has to pay for his the physiotherapy, because he paid for
:17:08. > :17:11.the operation `` Ben has to pay for his physiotherapy. Seven months down
:17:12. > :17:16.the line, they are saying the complete opposite. They told us a
:17:17. > :17:23.load of rubbish and we have been through hell, when it could have
:17:24. > :17:37.been easier. It is not just the physiotherapy that is tough.
:17:38. > :17:39.Fly`tipping ` it's unsightly and a health hazard.
:17:40. > :17:41.Now a council in Shropshire is taking an unusual approach
:17:42. > :17:44.Telford and Wrekin Council is treating its
:17:45. > :17:47.latest outbreak as a crime scene, taping off the area and putting up
:17:48. > :17:50.signs warning people that it's a criminal offence to dump rubbish.
:17:51. > :17:53.Our reporter Amy Cole is on the Brookside estate in Telford `
:17:54. > :18:03.A discarded mattress, a child's scooter.
:18:04. > :18:06.Telford and Wrekin Council say it's had enough and is now treating this
:18:07. > :18:09.as a crime scene ` effectively sealing it off with tape
:18:10. > :18:27.They want to shame people into coming forward. They have been
:18:28. > :18:32.handing out leaflets. Will this be effective? The council work closely
:18:33. > :18:38.with the community. We need them on our side. We might have a short`term
:18:39. > :18:45.benefits if we come in for a period of time, but we need the public to
:18:46. > :18:51.informers of the problems they are seeing and individuals that may be
:18:52. > :18:56.causing the problem. We are on a bigger state here. People know each
:18:57. > :19:01.other. If they have information they might be fearful of reprisals and
:19:02. > :19:08.not come forward. That may be the case. We will try to ensure we do
:19:09. > :19:13.not compromise people who do come forward. Is it expensive to dump a
:19:14. > :19:18.mattress? It is quite cheap. We offer discounts. We have looked at
:19:19. > :19:23.our pricing. When prices have been introduced, fly`tipping hasn't gone
:19:24. > :19:27.up. It is just people not acting responsibly. The council will remove
:19:28. > :19:30.this on Friday. It was dumped on Monday night. They say anyone caught
:19:31. > :19:43.fly`tipping will face prosecution. Two
:19:44. > :19:45.of the world?s rarest big cats have been born at Twycross Zoo, on the
:19:46. > :19:48.Warwickshire`Leicestershire border. Amur leopards are on the brink
:19:49. > :19:50.of extinction in Russia ` and it's thought there are just 50
:19:51. > :19:53.of them living in the wild. Sarah Falkland's at the zoo
:19:54. > :19:55.for us now. Sarah ` any sign of the leopards,
:19:56. > :20:09.or are they camera`shy? Mum and one of the babies has come
:20:10. > :20:16.out. These cubs are seven weeks old. The staff have not been able to see
:20:17. > :20:22.what sex they are. They are incredibly rare. The birth was
:20:23. > :20:28.straightforward, we understand. Mum, Christa, is a three`year`old from
:20:29. > :20:33.the Czech Republic. The father was bred here in captivity at Twycross.
:20:34. > :20:42.It was a short, uncomplicated labour. There are two gorgeous cubs.
:20:43. > :20:47.They are coming out of the pen now. They have been drawing in the
:20:48. > :20:52.crowds. This is what some of the children said about them. It was
:20:53. > :20:58.amazing. I said, wow, I can't believe it. Amazing to see something
:20:59. > :21:07.like that. Very privileged, amazing. Would you like to take one home with
:21:08. > :21:13.you? Yes! And keep it at that age? Yes, it is a shame they grow up.
:21:14. > :21:19.They have gone back indoors. But they are very rare. The reason is
:21:20. > :21:24.because the habitat is being encroached upon all the time and
:21:25. > :21:29.they are being hunted. This is Dr Charlotte MacDonald to tell us more.
:21:30. > :21:35.How important are your two new cubs to the survival of the species? This
:21:36. > :21:40.species is on the brink of extinction. There are less than 50
:21:41. > :21:47.individuals in the wild. Every cubs that is born, whether in a zoo or in
:21:48. > :21:53.the wild, is vital. The breeding programme we are part of, we worked
:21:54. > :21:59.really hard to ensure they will not go extinct. What is the future for
:22:00. > :22:04.use two cubs? Will they be released into the wild? If a reintroduction
:22:05. > :22:08.proves possible, and it is being investigated, there is a possibility
:22:09. > :22:13.that could happen. Otherwise they will go to other zoos and become
:22:14. > :22:15.parents, hopefully. They are Amur leopards, and there has been plenty
:22:16. > :22:22.of loving around here. Time to introduce you to steam punks
:22:23. > :22:38.` people who celebrate Victorian One explanation
:22:39. > :22:40.of this cultural genre is "what the past would look like `
:22:41. > :22:42.if the future had happened sooner". A Midlands band is celebrating steam
:22:43. > :22:44.punk Steam punk,
:22:45. > :22:48.yesterday's future today. It's a sort of science`fiction
:22:49. > :22:51.celebration of all things 19th`century that typically
:22:52. > :22:52.features steam`powered machinery. And these boys from Birmingham and
:22:53. > :22:55.the Black Country are rocking it. Basically it is messing around
:22:56. > :22:57.with history, taking elements of history and bringing them straight
:22:58. > :23:00.up to date, trying to power the With a first record deal signed
:23:01. > :23:04.and videos shot, Birthrite gig around the country,
:23:05. > :23:09.living a dual existence. Mark, for instance,
:23:10. > :23:13.works in machinery design in Kings Norton, joining his eclectically
:23:14. > :23:19.dressed bandmates by night. My musical history is punk
:23:20. > :23:24.and glam rock, Adam Ant, Mixed in with the steam punk vision
:23:25. > :23:32.of military`wear and the badges and Influenced by the works
:23:33. > :23:38.of great writers like Bram Stoker with his Dracula and HG Wells and
:23:39. > :23:43.his famous Time Machine, treating I went along, I gained experience
:23:44. > :23:51.in handling the machine. The Midlands industrial heritage,
:23:52. > :23:53.the birthplace of the It's the ideal backdrop
:23:54. > :23:58.for steam punk, which pays homage to We had amazing industries throughout
:23:59. > :24:05.the Victorian period and a lot of the people who made their fortunes
:24:06. > :24:09.from business, from industry, actually poured that money and that
:24:10. > :24:16.expertise back into the community. No steam punk band sounds
:24:17. > :24:19.the same and coming from the Midlands it includes a large section
:24:20. > :24:24.of rock, celebrating the region I'm in danger of repeating myself `
:24:25. > :24:57.how much longer will this hot The hot weather is set to last for
:24:58. > :25:02.the next few days. Today, the highest temperature was in the South
:25:03. > :25:10.of the country, 29.4 Celsius. For us, 28 and 27 in Birmingham. Until
:25:11. > :25:15.an hour ago it was roasting on the balcony. Now the heat is beginning
:25:16. > :25:20.to ease to something more sumptuous and comfortable. If you are slapping
:25:21. > :25:27.on the sunscreen and topping up your tan and vitamin de, this hot weather
:25:28. > :25:33.is set to last through the weekend. It will come hand`in`hand with a few
:25:34. > :25:39.showers towards the end of Saturday and into Sunday. We are seeing a few
:25:40. > :25:44.showers breaking out even now. They are drifting up from the south`west
:25:45. > :25:49.and should continue into the early part of tonight. Later on, fading
:25:50. > :25:56.away. They are likely to be light. They seem to be dying a death as
:25:57. > :26:02.they move up from the south`west. There could be an odd heavy before
:26:03. > :26:06.they fade away. A clear night. An oppressive, sticky and stifling one.
:26:07. > :26:09.Temperatures a minimum of 16 Celsius. Very light winds. Clear
:26:10. > :26:15.skies. Through the morning tomorrow, as the winds turn to an
:26:16. > :26:21.easterly direction, it will cut off the flow from the North Sea cloud
:26:22. > :26:25.that we saw today. The morning will be sunny. It continues through the
:26:26. > :26:31.day. With the sunshine, the temperatures will rise a degree or
:26:32. > :26:36.so higher, highs of 28 or 29 Celsius. When you get the breeze
:26:37. > :26:41.like today, it cools things down. Tomorrow night, clear, cool. We have
:26:42. > :26:43.a system moving down from the north`west later on Saturday to
:26:44. > :26:59.introduce showers. The first bodies from the Malaysian
:27:00. > :27:03.airline crash in Ukraine arrive Suspended `
:27:04. > :27:08.a Staffordshire police officer taken off duty after he appeared to
:27:09. > :27:12.threaten to knock a woman out. We're not far off the
:27:13. > :27:14.Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with action
:27:15. > :27:17.getting under way tomorrow morning. The Midlands has athletes involved
:27:18. > :27:19.in cycling, swimming, And we'll have reports on the Games
:27:20. > :27:22.throughout the day. I'll be back later than usual
:27:23. > :27:27.tonight ` following the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games
:27:28. > :27:31.here on BBC 1`around 11:00pm.