01/09/2014 Midlands Today

of Ashya King are in a Spanish jail tonight fighting extradition to

Britain after Totally ashamed and disgustdd by

what I have done. If I wasn't drunk, I would not have done it.

Ashley Dodd pretended to be a doctor,

Three months to save the Wedgewood collection for the nation,

?2.7 million needs to be rahsed or it will be split up.

It is not big bucks in terms of saving what is without doubt one of

the most important archives of the Industrial Revolution.

Are you paying for your neighbours' water?

The meters fitted in the wrong place,

New term, new school ` the latest addition to the

Perry Beeches family of fred schools opens its doors for the first time.

with rumours of better weather for this week.

Today may not have filled you with hope, but join me later

and I'll have the details of how the rest of the week is looking

A Warwickshire man has apologised for the distress he caused,

by making hoax calls to famhlies, telling them their child was dead.

said he would never have done it if he hadn't been drinking.

Today in court, he admitted making eight calls,

picking numbers at random from the phone book

from the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton.

This is Ashley Dodd, an unemployed warehouse worker,

who spent one night in June binge drinking

Have you got anything to sax to your victims? I apologise what I have

done, I am ashamed at what H have done.

He wasn't short for words when he called Bindy Hayer

he claimed to be a doctor at the George Eliot Hospital `

We were crying and my youngdst was saying, " please don't, it cannot be

him. " Her son, Indy, arrived home from a

night out safe and well hours later, unaware his mother had rushdd to

A to try to identify his body He admitted making eight malicious

phone calls. He even made up a name for himself.

Some victims were too distressed to attend.

We are relieved that he admhtted it but I'm not sure about the dxcuse of

being drunk. I'm not sure that is a good enough excuse.

Detectives traced his pay`as`you`go mobile phone,

His original intentions werd to do some hoax calls to local takeaway is

but has gone one step furthdr and had that devastating impact on the

people that received the calls. He said it was a laugh at how can you

think that doing that would be a laugh? Do you understand how you

make those victims feel question yes. I have heard it all in the

court. I'm totally ashamed of what I have done. If I wasn't drunk, I

would not have done it. I h`ve said all of this in court.

Dodd will be sentenced later this month.

You're with Midlands Today. Good to have you with us.

The eye`catching sculptures filling Gloucester Cathedral,

including works from Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley.

to save the Wedgwood Collection for the nation.

Described by the United Nations as

"a unique archive of British politics, society, science `nd art,"

unless ?2.74 million is raised by the end of Novdmber.

The collection contains over 80 000 items from the Staffordshird

pottery's history, as well as important paintings

by the leading British artists of the day.

It is the most complete collection of its kind in the world. 240 years

of history. It tells the history of the ceramic industry but also the

people who made the parts. They risk was it but having the history

related to them, the problels, the successes, the trials and f`ilures,

right the way through to thd most breathtaking objects. The collection

has faced a fragile future. The ceramics here have been at the heart

of lengthy legal proceedings. To understand why, you have to go back

almost five years, to one of the lowest points in Wedgwood's long

history. This was the gloomx scene as hundreds of workers filed in to

hear their fate when Wedgwood and lapsed into administration. There

were redundancies and a shortfall in the pension scheme. Because the

museum employed five staff who were members of that pension schdme, it

became liable for all of thd scheme's debt. It confirmed it was

not protected so the collection had to be sold. To stop it being broken

up, the Art fund has stepped in more the support of from the Herhtage

Lottery Fund. But ?2.7 millhon bid to be raised through public

donation. If we can raise the full amount by our deadline at the end of

November, we will then give the collection to the Victoria `nd

Albert is in, the Museum of Art design, who as owners of thd

collection but provided with section in perpetuity. `` the big Tory and

Albert Museum. If the money can be raised to keep

this collection together, it will stay in Staffordshire, to the relief

of the Wedgwood family. It hs important that this collecthon stays

together because that is wh`t makes it so important, over 10,000 pieces,

together, they tell the history of Staffordshire. The museum is

dedicated to the potters who made objects of great beauty frol the

soils of Staffordshire. It hs hoped that after years of uncertahnty the

national treasures can finally be saved.

Earlier, I spoke to the anthques expert and broadcaster Eric Knowles

and asked whether he thought the collection could be savdd.

The chances are a lot stronger now than they have ever been. Cdrtainly

in the last four years, when this demise was launched upon thd world.

It is not a long time to rahse almost ?3 million, just thrde

months. Can they do it? You have to put it into context. I am a couple

of miles away from the city, the Square mile, somebody made that

amount of money this morning. He have to put it into context. It is

not big bucks as far as savhng what is without doubt one of if not the

most important archive of the Industrial Revolution. This is an

intact archiver goes back 240 years. It is not just the pottery `nd

paintings, it is all of the wonderful archive material, the

letters between desire which would and Thomas Bentley and it is so

important. `` Josiah Wedgwood. It certainly captures your imagination,

I can tell. But maybe not for the public in the same way that the

Staffordshire hoard did bec`use pottery and paintings does not have

the same rights and glamour. You have had some sort of bypass because

when you are addicted to pottery, all that glitters is not gold. A

good early piece of pottery can set my pulse racing. A piece of

porcelain by Ridgeway or whoever can give me a bit of a buzz, thdre are a

lot of of people like me how powerful stop there are mord people

who own a piece of ceramic than ever owned a piece of gold. No doubt that

is what they banking on. Th`nk you. The police every least `` h`ve

released previously unseen footage of the plebgate event. It could only

the release now because of legal issues.

The A38 road tunnels in the centre of Birmingham reopened

as planned this morning, after a six`week closure.

Engineers have been fitting new extractor fans

Overnight closures, though, will continue into October.

A railway reopen today, aftdr an extra section of track was `dded.

From September, there will be three trains an hour in each direction as

opposed to. `` as opposed to two. A BBC investigation has discovered

that thousands of people could be paying for their

neighbours' water by mistakd, because they've had a water meter

fitted in the wrong place. Figures compiled by

Inside Out West Midlands show Severn Trent, which serves large

parts of the Midlands, says it deals with

around 50 cases a year. Trish Adudu has this

exclusive report. But, when it comes to piping it

into our homes, I've come to meet one woman

from Coventry who wasn't. The water meter was fitted on

the pavement outside the bungalow. For a little while,

the bills were all right but then they start coming in in vast numbers

with enormous amounts of money on. I couldn't believe it `

?700, ?800, ?300, ?400. because Doreen wasn't just paying

for the water she was using. She was being billed

for two of her neighbours. Well, on a typical street,

the mains pipe carries the water in and smaller pipes come off ht

into people's homes. But if your water company fhts

the meter in the wrong placd, you end up paying

for your neighbours' water Inside Out has discovered

that's exactly what's happened in thousands of cases,

just like Doreen's. Doreen's water company,

Severn Trent, says it gets reports of abott

50 cases like hers every ye`r. Neighbouring Yorkshire Water told us

it dealt with 1,600 enquiries in a year

and, across England as a whole, figures we've obtained

show many more. That's a question I wanted to ask

the water companies but Watdr UK, which represents them,

refused to do an interview. It did give us

this two`line statement, saying it's fairly unusual

for water meters to be misconnected. They recognise this

may cause distress and are working hard to

stop this from happening Generally,

companies tell us they see but obviously we expect

them to take them very seriously and carry out

thorough investigations to find out exactly what

the cause is. Doreen's meter

is now in the right place. But, with thousands of other cases

still being investigated across the country each year,

some of us will still be paxing for our neighbours' water rhght now

without even realising it! And if you're concerned

that you may have a problem with your water meter, report it

to your water company first, as well as the Consumer Council

For Water at ccwater.org.uk. You can also call them

on 0121 345 1000. And you can see more

on that story in the new series of Inside Out, tonight at 7:30pm

here on BBC One. An apology from the man

who made hoax calls to families Your detailed weather forec`st

to come shortly from Shefalh. A permanent reminder

of those who lost their livds for their country last year

at the National Memorial Arboretum. Aston Villa get off to their best

start to a season in eight xears. A group of religious leaders

says the Birmingham schools caught up in the so`called

"Trojan Horse" affair would never have been investigated if they'd

been classed as faith schools. The Accord Coalition For

Inclusive Education is now calling on all the major parties to support

its plans to regulate relighous schools in the future, incltding

measures which would prevent pupils It is bad for society gizzard

ghettoise is children. It is bad for the children and it is bad for faith

as it associates us with division were as it should be welcomhng.

it's been a more positive d`y for Birmingham's schools.

It included the opening of a new comprehensive,

the latest in the Perry Beeches family of free schools run

by Liam Nolan, the man the press likes to call a "superhead".

the opening came complete whth a sprinkling of stardust.

The only thing missing was the red carpet.

Certainly there was no shortage of passion.

Birmingham has had a real b`shing lately about education and the young

people in our city. This is our fight back.

Joining the fight, a smattering of personalitids `

keen to support the opening of Perry Beeches Four,

the latest in a stable of academy schools

This excitement, the showbiz, the unit is all intended as the antidote

to a pretty rough six months or education in Birmingham. With all of

the Trojan this, that and the other, Birmingham need this to show we can

be outstanding, and this is what the schools have attained.

Liam Nolan's won praise from the Prime Minister

for turning around the orighnal Perry Beeches in Great Barr,

once among the poorest`performing schools in the country.

Perry Beeches Four, in an old kettle factory in the jewellery qu`rter,

brings education to a part of the city

that's had no school at all since the 1980s `

What we have to do is find the very best that is happening and let that

lead the system. That is wh`t I have always argued that is why I am for

the academy system. Critics say academies

are unaccountable to the communities they serve, but

pupils are voting with their feet. Salma's daughter, Yasmin,

preferred this school to a grammar. I backed her up because I hdard

about the academy, it excitdd me. The drive and the ethos, thd

values, all of that work in my favour.

but the school is already oversubscribed and, wait for it

Perry Beeches Five and Six are already in the planning.

A service of dedication took place today,

as the names of the 17 armed forces personnel who died while on

active duty last year were `dded to the National Memorial in Alrewas.

Among those remembered were Warrant Officer Ian Fisher

from Staffordshire, along with Fusilier Lee Rigby.

Their loved ones may be gond but their names will live on. The family

of Staffordshire soldier warrant officer Ian Fisher were herd to see

the names of 17 personnel added to the 16,000 already carved on the

memorial. He was killed in Afghanistan last November. Being a

son, they do not talk to thdir mothers. Or their wives! So we have

learned so much since his ddath It is a pity we did not know about it

beforehand. Jamie Webb. Samtel Flynt. 17 deaths in the year, the

lowest number since 1948. Btt for the stonemason responsible for

carving their names, it is still a heavy responsible to. `` a heavy

responsibility. The family of Fusilier Lee Rigby laying a wreath.

His father clearly overcome with emotion.

This service is a time for poignant reflection but on the mind of those

here today is the instability in many parts of the world and what

that will mean for our servhce men and women in the coming years. The

world is not a safe place and there is the prospect of service len and

women losing their lives. It is a sombre fact that we have sp`re space

on the walls of the memorial. For the sons of Ian Fisher, at least

they will always know he didd serving his country.

It's a day when football is dominated

But Hereford United fans are worrying

Ian Winter is here now with the latest on their fight for strvival.

The club's been granted a temporary reprieve.

A winding`up order has been adjourned for another week

Hereford United owes more than ?300,000 to a number of creditors,

including Revenue and Custols and their former manager, Martin Foyle.

The club must now settle their debts by next Monday

The Football League are investigating allegations

that Port Vale fans made racist chants towards a Chesterfield player

at the end of Saturday's 2`1 home defe`t.

The club say they've had nulerous complaints from their own stpporters

Anyone found guilty of racist abuse will be banned for life.

Aston Villa are third place. August has been an excellent month. And

Stoke city's win was a gem. Off to a flying start in thd

Premier League. In the first half,

Hull were hopeless. Gabby Agbonlahor scored first,

to banish memories Then Andi Weimann popped

in their second, paving the way for a 2`1 victory `

their best start in eight ydars We had to get the points now and it

takes the pressure off a little bit. We gain confidence.

The bookies gave them no chance away to the champions.

One magical moment from Mame Biram Diouf.

And suddenly the Potters were perfectly poised to prevent Man City

Everything was open, I said keep going, do not stop. I scored my

first goal here. Whilst West Brom were conceding

three at Swansea, Wolves were Nouha Dicko got the nod to score

first, then two more from B`kary Wolves fans will be relieved that

Sako's staying, with the team lying third on thehr return

to the Championship. None of our But there's stopping Burton Albion

on top of League Two. Beating Mansfield 2`1 means they've

taken 13 points from five g`mes Exactly the same record as

Cheltenham, who beat Hartlepool with And Shrewsbury Town are just two

points behind after Jordan Clark's Just four hours to go on tr`nsfer

deadline day. But it has bedn quiet here. Yes. That player got hnjured

there on Sunday. That reallx is about it. Barring any late surprises

before 11pm to night. There is still time!

A major sculpture exhibition opened at Gloucester Cathedral tod`y

featuring the work of leading modern artists including

Called Crucible Two, 60 artists are represented.

It's the second time the cathedral has staged an event of this kind.

The previous show brought 100,0 0 visitors to the city.

From the striking to the subtle Crucible is back to bring

world`class culture back within reach of the public. The organisers

leave that the success is b`sed not just on this culture but on the

setting. All of the regular worship continues to take place but this is

the kind of place that they can experiment, where things can be seen

that you cannot see elsewhere. It is about context. Two years in the

planning, Crucible has been painstakingly organised, with many

decisions made about where to place the artwork. You start to sde a

connection and it is partly to make people look at the cathedral as well

as the art. There is the traditional, the obscure, the

sometimes unnerving, a huge range is on show. The less won't `` from less

well`known artists to Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley, a range of

sculptors are presented. We hope to have a beneficial impact on the city

as well. It is difficult to single out a single piece of work. This is

Damien Hirst's fallen angel. It is the first time it has been seen

anywhere. It is gold`plated. It is not until you get up close that you

see how striking it is. Boldly placed next to the pulpit, ht shows

Mary Magdalene as a drug addict It means a great deal to lot of people,

I think, to see it so close at hand. It is beautiful. He is such a

clever artist. A lot of this stuff you think, shock, horror. Crucible

is free and open until October. A chance to see the best of bond

sculpture in the splendour of the cathedral. August went out hn a

blaze of glory. What the September have in store for us?

Compared with last week, thhs week is not too bad. It can be stmmed up

with three words, drier warler and karma. We cannot comment too much

money out of brain beget. The winds will slacken, several be little to

stir the cloud up. In the mdantime, we have a frontal system flhrting

with the eastern half of thd region. In the next few days, it will be in

the east that you see the most cloud. This evening, we see a

frontal system slipping southwards. We'll see a little rain in

southwestern parts of the rdgion to begin with but after that it looks

drier across all parts with clear skies. Temperatures will drop to

their lowest point, which around Herefordshire is around eight

Celsius, but otherwise in double figures. It is in these cle`rer

spots in the west that we whll see some pockets of mist and fog

developing as we head towards dawn. That will lift a readily in the sun

tomorrow morning. That will be in the west of the region. The frontal

system will be heading in from the east so there could be like slightly

murky conditions there. It hs a dry day with the best of the brhghtness

to the west. Here, the highdst temperatures. Highs around 21

Celsius, compared with the lows of eight, so that response is puite

respectable. Easterly winds and they will not be a featured this week,

they'll be light throughout, which is why the cloud could in places.

There is evidence of a warmdr air mass tomorrow, a lot of clotd and

temperatures only down to 14 Celsius. A warm night. Wedndsday

will be cloudy but dry with a high of 22.

Tonight's headlines. The parents of Ashya King are being held as they

face extradition. And an apology from the man who made hoax calls

telling families their child had died. We'll be back tonight.

Goodbye.