06/08/2014 Midlands Today

you posted. All right, Tomasz. Thank you.

Two are still being treated there this evening.

Day two of an anti`war rooftop protest at a Staffordshire factory `

When the Wedgewood troops went to war, a tribute to the men

from the famous pottery brand who gave their lives 100 years ago.

A unique find ` but what's the connection

between a two`million`year`old dinosaur, Venezuala and Birmingham?

And all talk at the moment is around ex`hurricane Bertha,

Before that, we have pleasant weather to come.

A care worker has been arrested after 16 people were taken ill with

symptoms similar to food poisoning at a sheltered housing complex for

23`year`old woman is undergoing mental health tests in a secure unit

after being arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance.

Four people were taken to hospital, and two are still being treated

Our health correspondent, Michele Paduano, reports.

Goldfield Court in West Bromwich allows 90 elderly people to live

in relative independence. For the past couple of days,

officers going about their business, officers going about their business,

and most of the food has been removed from their homes.

Have a the days just sitting in the flat. Something been going on, but

it has been empty. They have set someone, so we know it is one of the

ladies concerned. It was all right to the first part. They brought some

back last night, and they said they would get the order back for me

today. removed from their homes.

It's serious. 16 people have symptoms

like food poisoning. Four had to be taken to hospital,

two are still inside. At Sandwell Hospital, a 67`year`old

amputee had blood tests. Her daughter didn't want

to appear on camera. She had diarrhoea and vomiting for

three or four days. But it stopped and started again. She had been very

drowsy as well. She came out of hospital at about 12 o'clock last

night. They had taken bribes. `` they had taken blood.

to appear on camera. Tests are now taking place to

establish the precise cause of the illness.

Housing and Care 21, which runs the home, says

its thoughts are with the residents and staff in Goldfield Court,

and it is ensuring that they are supported during a difficult time.

A worrying time for the residents and their families.

How can councils and care providers legislate for incidents like this?

It is very difficult and simply, they cannot. A reputable company

would check their staff. There may be some question around further

signs of mental illness should have been picked up, but we don't know

enough details. Bloody issue is that care workers are everywhere. They

are not well paid. We have had horrific cases involving co`workers.

`` at issue is. We have to do that social care workers and care

workers, but the government has resisted this because of the

logistics of running such a system that would improve this. The

relatives must be worried? This is a place of care, and safety. There was

one particular woman who has bipolar disorder, and she is suspicious and

paranoia at the best of times. They have told there is nothing to worry

about, and in fact, but something else to worry about. Thinking.

The healing power of horticulture ` how gardening is being used to help

A man's been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass

at an anti`war demonstration in Staffordshire.

Members of the London Palestine Action Group got

onto the roof at UAV Engines in Shenstone yesterday morning.

The protestors say the company is involved in supplying

parts for drone aircraft used by the Israeli Army in Gaza.

Our reporter Phil McCann is outside the factory now.

Phil ` any sign of the protest ending?

Yes, there is. Within the last ten minutes, police started taking

direct action. Officers scoured the building behind me. They are now on

the roof. You can probably hear helicopters above as well. The

protesters are lying down, so what exactly is going on or is being

said, we cannot know. To imagine that they are here, this business

makes engines for Jones, and these have been responsible for action in

Gaza. That is about a people here scared the building. `` engines for

Jones. ``. Day two, and just to make sure

no`one could get into work today, this protester chained himself to

the building by his neck But he got into pain and broke

himself free before being arrested. He is experiencing pain

and difficulty, which we have The point is an immediate two`way

arms embargo to Israel. There should be no production or

export to Israel while it continues to make crimes against humanity

and violate international law. More than 24 hours after

this arterial route was closed, it is to cutting off

businesses. The difference is

there is no passing trade It is a busy road, and not many

people are coming past and It is closing

the village down because we can't People who don't know the way around

are not coming, and yesterday, we took ?8 in the shop whereas

we would normally take ?150`?200. But they do have some support,

but here it has come from far away. We came yesterday from Milton

Keynes, and came today as well. What do you think standing here

in this rural road will achieve? If nothing else, people know I stand

against what is happening out there. Their has been no word from the

company themselves, although people would say that the drones they make

engines for defending rockets from Gaza. The helicopters circling, this

protest may be about to come to an end. Thinking. `` thank you.

Police are calling a two`week gun surrender initiative in the West

131 weapons have been handed in, along with more than

The scheme has been running ahead of a law change tightening controls

on gun ownership, with the threat of tougher prison sentences.

Official statistics reveal that nationally,

gun crime has fallen from 24,000 in 2003 to 8,000 last year.

And here in the West Midlands, the number of fatal shootings have

fallen from 17 between 2004 and 2009, to 9 over the last five years.

So are police winning the war against gun crime?

Our special correspondent, Peter Wilson, has been investigating.

They look like weapons from a series of films, but all of

these guns were stored in people's homes across the West Midlands.

Over the last two weeks, they have been handed in to the police.

It is a Beretta pump`action shotgun.

Ten years ago, there were three serious gun cases

Now tougher sentences, better police intelligence,

and behind`the`scenes work with gang members and young people have

The number of fatal shootings has halved, but one fatal shooting is

This is part of an ongoing agenda around preventing crime.

West Midlands is focusing on prevention.

Marcia Shakespeare has helped push down those gun crime figures.

Her daughter Letisha Shakespeare and school friend Charlene Ellis

were killed by machine gun fire in Aston Birmingham in 2003.

The murders made politicians commit the resources and the money

I will only see my child when I go to the cemetery.

Fortunately for those in prison, their family members can still visit

them, and they are still having that hope that at the end of sentencing,

They will have an opportunity to rehabilitate

The reality of violent crime is no`one wins.

I am here inside the police firing range.

They have given me a Wembley revolver.

The reason why so many of these guns are handed in during

police gun surrenders is the fact that every officer in the First

World War actually bought one of these, and if they survived, then

they brought them home to the Midlands.

They are also going to let me test the gun.

And despite the fact that it's a hundred

The National Ballistics Intelligence Service based in

Birmingham has the technology and databases to analyse every shot

fired in the city to give detectives the

Each gun barrel is made, and it is rifled.

The rifling process leaves unique marks

The bullet, when it travels down the barrel, picks up those

unique marks, so it is just like somebody would describe it

Tougher sentences now mean that anyone holding a gun for someone

with criminal intent could face a life sentence themselves.

Smart technology plus personal bravery ` giving evidence

in court ` all helping to keep guns off our streets.

Joining us now is Derek Campbell, a former government advisor on gun

crime, who's now the West Midlands' commissioner for the Independent

And I think that is the West Midlands and had a word humility and

the police have been doing. It is an ongoing process, and this is

something to celebrate. It is being a year since the New Year shootings.

How much progress to figure West Midlands Police have made tackling

gang crimes against gangs? They have made a significant amount of

progress. It has been supported by the extra effort made by the

community members in actively bringing licensing, and it is that

ongoing work is not necessarily seen by people that has brought the

worlds we have seen today. Some people have told us they are

concerned would be struck in the number of guns in the streets

meaning that police resources are taken away, meaning those figures

then go up again. I to understand those concerns. That is why for the

last couple of years, we have made sure that community activists

recognise we have had to take the mantle to continue to work with

people and gangs, to go into schools, to add to the work that

police are doing. It has not had a negative impact on policing numbers,

but a more positive impact on the attitudes of those who wish to use

lot about knife crime. I night is lot about knife crime. I night is

replacing guns? Knives have always been a significant weapon of choice.

The sad reality is we see far more stabbings and serious injuries as a

result of knives, network that workers to continue to reduce the

use of those weapons. `` the work has to continue. It is important not

to be complacent. A lot of work is going on, and that is the reason we

are seeing a significant drop. Thinking for your time. `` thank

you. A care worker is arrested

after 16 people are taken ill at a sheltered housing complex

in the Black Country. Your detailed weather

forecast to come shortly. The soldiers who were

literally brothers in arms. The poignant reminder

of a Worcestershire family left It was the TV gardener Monty

Don who once said "Earth heals And it's the holistic value

of horticulture that's helping a group of men in the Black Country

who have depression. They've enrolled

on a new eco therapy project, which has proved so successful

there's now a waiting list. You can just be totally blown away

by the colours. You would never know it, but Alan

Wyman is struggling to cope. He lost three close family members,

including his mum and grandma earlier this year, and tried several

times to take his own life. Coming to this walled garden

has been his salvation. It takes my mind off it, even if

it is just for a couple of hours. The eco`therapy project has been

running since April The work that gets done saves

cash`strapped Dudley Council from hefty gardening bills,

but more crucially, it saves the people taking part from

sinking further into depression. It is about promoting better

mental health in the community, and helping people who may be

a bit lonely to help stop People may be a little worried,

and this will help stop that Some of the men don't want anyone to

know that they come here. Any sort of mention

of men's problems, It is a macho culture thing, isn't

it? You must carry on regardless `

you know, One man said he dug his way out

of depression, but making the decision to get

involved is often the biggest step. Take no notice.

Just come here. There are no comfy chairs or probing

questions, Laquintasaura venezuelae `

that's a dinosaur to you and me. It's been discovered

by scientists from the University of Birmingham and the Natural

History Museum, and is the first dinosaur to be found in the South

American country of Venezuela. Our science correspondent, David

Gregory`Kumar, is here to transport It fills in the gaps on a mysterious

moment of dinosaur history. This is perhaps

the best`known moment in dinosaur history ` 65 million years ago, when

an asteroid smashes in to the earth The asteroid strike was

a mass extinction event, killing off all the dinosaurs and nearly

half of all species on earth. But it wasn't

the first dino disaster. 200 million years ago, there was

another mass extinction event. But here, while many dinosaurs died,

some survived and thrived. And that's the time that this

new dinosaur Laquintasaura Interesting thing

about the new dinosaur Laquintasaura venezuelae

is that it is from rocks discovered event, and it gives us some insight

into how dinosaur communities And they seem to have

been doing pretty well, perhaps as a result

of the removal of groups of animals which were competing with

them prior to the extinction. These are the first dinosaur fossils

to be discovered in Venezuela, adding to our knowledge

about early dinosaur evolution. They were about a metre tall,

walked on two legs, and had long, curved tips on some of its teeth,

eating plants but also small prey. These fossils come from a very rich

locality that has the remains of many different individuals

of this new dinosaur species. There is at least four, but there

may be dozens of individuals. This suggests this dinosaur was

perhaps living in a herd, or living in groups,

and this may be one of the earliest evidences of fossil record

for herding behaviour in dinosaurs. This new discovery shed more light

on a mysterious phase To more recent history `

100 years ago. During the First World War, 167

workers from the Wedgwood factory in Stoke`on`Trent followed their

company boss into the trenches. Cecil Wedgwood, who died during the

Battle of the Somme, was chairman Now the Wedgwood Museum is creating

a film and exhibition about the men from Wedgwood who went

to fight in the Great War. The first time in a century, which

would piece medallions are being manufactured at the company's

factory in Stoke`on`Trent. A medallions were given to survivors

and relatives of men from which would piece medallions are being

manufactured at the company's factory in Stoke`on`Trent. 168

medallions were given to survivors and relatives of men from Wedgwood

who amongst them was Cecil Wedgwood, the first royal pair of

Stoke`on`Trent, who volunteered to raise his own battalion of the North

Staffordshire Regiment. He died in the battle of the Somme, leading men

who included workers from his factory. Tom Birchwood is his great

nephew. He is behind plans for a permanent tribute to his ancestor.

`` Wedgwood. The sense of duty and service in something bigger than

ourselves, it will make me question that I continue in the future in

Stoke`on`Trent. It has had a positive impact. Wedgwood Museum has

hundreds of artefacts, including letters written to his family from

the trenches. The letters are full of vivid descriptions. Here, he

writes, while of the grant trees looked as if they were appealing to

the gods above. Then it came on to rain. Never was such desolation.

Blue was one of the potters who signed up to serve alongside him. ``

help. That is younger brother Charles did not return. He is an

Birchwood's there. Articles today would create a Max exit is into the

armed forces from bright, strong, motivated young people? I can't

think of anything today that is a parallel. `` mass exodus. Ban the

artefacts will be sold by the museum and will form a lasting tribute to

the sacrifice made by Cecil Wedgwood and his workers.

Many soldiers who fought in the Great War were literally

Whole families were virtually destroyed, losing up to five sons

Often the victims were from small rural communities.

Bob Hockenhull reports from Kempsey in Worcestershire,

a village that lost three brothers who left a poignant legacy behind

The Bells of Saint Mary the Virgin,

A century ago, the church in Kempsey was the centre

Frank Rea and his four sons were bell`ringers here, but soon,

He was my actual grandfather. He was shot through the lungs.

The brothers left to go to war from this cottage.

Outside, Michael Rea and his cousin Malcolm reflect on the tragedy

Our family have let us down badly with a lot of information.

We should get together and see what else we can find out.

Whereas he could have been walking around Kempsey

All four Rea brothers signed up to different regiments

Ernest, the youngest at 21, died first at Flanders.

Five months later, George died of the wounds he

Soon after, William succumbed to the injuries he had sustained just

I don't know how Gran sat at home with three telegrams within

The terrible news left the Rea family desperate to save their last

Sister Beatrice wrote to the British Army asking for help.

Albert was removed from the horror of the trenches and served out

It is not an unusual thing that concern that mothers should not lose

all of their sons, particularly if they have three, four and five.

Mothers wrote letters to the tribunal saying they'd already

lost three sons, or they already have four sons fighting at front.

The youngest either doesn't go, or as in this case, comes back

The Rea family certainly left their mark on this community,

not just in the fond memories of their fellow parishioners,

but also in a quite literal sense up there.

The roof at Kempsey church was repaired recently.

Scratched on the old lead, workers found an array of signatures.

They are classed as historical graffiti, and when the

roof was re`laid, the graffiti was saved, and stuck on the new lead.

Among the autographs are the signatures of the dead brothers

etched here several years before they were killed, their

names preserved for posterity on the church where they worshipped.

They came up as young ones, they did that, and went off to

Down below in the village they left behind, perhaps their

He remained a stalwart of Kempsey despite the tragedy

Let's catch up on the weather now. Here's Rebecca.

The mercy before the end of the week. Things improved and the sun

came out. Temperatures did not do too badly. It got up to 24 in parts

of the West Midlands. Tomorrow, it is another pleasant summer day. It

will be largely fine and dry. Some good spells of sunshine. It will get

a little bit worse through the next few days. Today, we did see that

cloud breaking up, and we got spells of sunshine. They have been mostly

showers working their way through the region. There will likely start

today at the next few days. We have a ridge of high pressure building.

It is keeping things settled. We'll have clear spells developing. Mist

patches here and there. It will feel fresher than last night. Loads of 12

Celsius. Clear skies overnight means we start off with good spells of

sunshine tomorrow. A lovely day. A chance of the odd shower, but for

most of us, a dry day with good spells of sunshine. Cloud starts to

come in through the day tomorrow, but temperatures at 223 Celsius.

That cloud continues to fill in to the end of the day. `` 23 Celsius.

Overnight tomorrow, relatively calm and quiet. Still feeling fresh with

temperatures dropping down to 12 Celsius. By Friday, plenty of

uncertainty. We could get showers anywhere through the day. It depends

on the plan is working their way up from the south. Talking of a messy

picture, by Sunday, we have the remnants of ex`hurricane Bertha, now

a Tropical Storm Washi was to this is what it will look like. They're

plenty of explanations on the BBC website, but this looks like the

party will take. It could give as heavy rain. A rather messy weekend,

I am afraid. `` the path we will take. We will return to the anti`war

protest on the factory roof but the land of Palestine action group. What

is happening now? The winter air, police the roof, and started to

negotiate with the protesters. They have now put one of them into a

heavy`duty cherry picker, and he has been by far is taken off the roof.

This area is now surrounded by police. The helicopter is offering

over a head. The rest of the protesters are still on the roof. ``

hovering overhead. It seems the action is now finishing her. Thank

you. I will be back at ten o'clock at the latest. Have a good evening.