:00:00. > :00:08.The headlines tonight: Police accused of being heavy handed
:00:09. > :00:18.with homeless people they suspect of begging.
:00:19. > :00:22.are not. We are human beings like are not. We are human beings like
:00:23. > :00:28.the rest of society. Also tonight: He disappeared
:00:29. > :00:31.without trace six months ago today - how are the family coping
:00:32. > :00:38.on their Shropshire farm? We thought he might have done
:00:39. > :00:43.something drastic. thoughts on radio this morning,
:00:44. > :00:47.Prince Charles visits about our waistlines
:00:48. > :00:56.from a Black Country reggae star. Storm Barbara has been getting quite
:00:57. > :01:03.a build up this week Details of warnings
:01:04. > :01:15.in the forecast later. More than 14,000 people are reported
:01:16. > :01:39.missing in our region every year. The vast majority, 95%,
:01:40. > :01:42.will return home within a week. And what of the impact
:01:43. > :01:46.on their families who're struggling disappeared without trace six months
:01:47. > :02:01.ago today and Sarah Bishop has been Our way of coping is to get on with
:02:02. > :02:07.the work. We have good days, we feel positive. Then we have bad days when
:02:08. > :02:16.we think he may have done something that we hope not. Andrew Green
:02:17. > :02:23.seemingly disappeared. His long-term partner had told him she was to
:02:24. > :02:38.leave. We thought he might have done something drastic. As time goes on
:02:39. > :02:43.we are hopeful he has not. He got into his car after an apparently
:02:44. > :02:48.normal conversation with his father and then vanished. It was here, less
:02:49. > :02:55.than half a mile from the farm, that his vehicle was found. There have
:02:56. > :02:58.been extensive searches of this area of farmland, 700 acres, by the
:02:59. > :03:04.police and the community, but to no avail. Police say they are treating
:03:05. > :03:08.Andrew as a high risk missing person but are keeping an open mind about
:03:09. > :03:14.what might have happened to him. There is no leads whatsoever.
:03:15. > :03:25.Normally there is a lead. Statistically things happen within
:03:26. > :03:29.1800 metres of the vehicle or a house. They have not found anything.
:03:30. > :03:34.The police contained a fresh search in the New Year. In the meantime
:03:35. > :03:40.Christmas on the farm their son lost so much will be the difficult
:03:41. > :03:49.affair. They are stuck between hoping and ceiling. -- hoping and
:03:50. > :03:51.fearing. Earlier I spoke to Lucy Holmes
:03:52. > :04:01.from the charity Missing People. The numbers often shock people. It
:04:02. > :04:05.is important to remember most of them are found safe and well very
:04:06. > :04:11.quickly. Only a small proportion of cases people remain missing for
:04:12. > :04:15.longer. We are focusing on the family of Andrew Green. Families
:04:16. > :04:20.must feel powerless especially when a member of the family has been gone
:04:21. > :04:25.for so long, six months in this case. My heart goes out to the
:04:26. > :04:32.family. It is particularly difficult with Christmas coming up. Families
:04:33. > :04:37.with a loved one part in this limbo all the time, not having answers,
:04:38. > :04:42.that is excruciatingly painful. It is not just the emotional impact. If
:04:43. > :04:46.that missing person as an income earner families can face enormous
:04:47. > :04:54.financial pressures. Legally they may be in a difficult position. One
:04:55. > :05:00.of the things that we seek to do to resolve this is to campaign for a
:05:01. > :05:03.new guardianship law which would allow for fear is to be looked after
:05:04. > :05:12.in their absence. Two police have the resources for this? We welcome
:05:13. > :05:16.anything that the police can do. It is essential that we get a good
:05:17. > :05:21.response. I have been working for this organisation for a long time
:05:22. > :05:25.and I have seen improvements in the police response. It is different to
:05:26. > :05:31.ten years ago. We would always encourage forces to think about how
:05:32. > :05:33.they can come their response, and for other organisations such as
:05:34. > :05:39.local authorities to make the effort to work well with obese forces. They
:05:40. > :05:44.cannot do it on our own. This charity is here every day of the
:05:45. > :05:48.year and we provide our services for free. We can support families with
:05:49. > :05:59.publicity appeals. We can provide emotional support. We have a 24-hour
:06:00. > :06:00.helpline. Missing adults and missing children can call this number at
:06:01. > :06:24.times of crisis. Staffordshire Police have issued
:06:25. > :06:25.handwritten warning letters to homeless people suspected
:06:26. > :06:27.of begging in Stoke-on-Trent, telling them to leave or face
:06:28. > :06:29.potential prosecution. It follows an investigation
:06:30. > :06:31.by BBC Radio Stoke - they've been given a copy
:06:32. > :06:34.of one of the letters. Our Staffordshire reporter
:06:35. > :06:36.Sian Grzeszczyk has been to meet one of the men who's had one and claims
:06:37. > :06:40.that homeless people in the city are being treated like rats
:06:41. > :06:42.rather than human beings. Gary's been on the streets
:06:43. > :06:44.for the last 22 years. he was given a letter
:06:45. > :06:47.by police accusing him prosecution if he didn't move on,
:06:48. > :06:54.somehing he strongly denies. If I was to see you in the street I
:06:55. > :06:57.would ask you if you could spear a little change. I would ask that
:06:58. > :06:59.question once. If you say no and I would walk away. I am not begging.
:07:00. > :07:20.You have not been aggressive? No. What is the atmosphere like amongst
:07:21. > :07:27.homeless people at the moment? We are being treated like rats. We are
:07:28. > :07:28.not. We are human beings like the rest of society that needs to be
:07:29. > :07:30.given chances. They think the police
:07:31. > :07:47.are being heavy handed. We were outraged when we read it.
:07:48. > :07:52.Gary is homeless. He was at the time of receiving a letter, he has in a
:07:53. > :07:57.hostel no. It is the way they are portraying the homeless. Nobody was
:07:58. > :08:01.available from Staffordshire Police but they received a statement saying
:08:02. > :08:05.they work closely with partners trying to offer advice and help to
:08:06. > :08:08.anyone who is homeless. It cannot be easy for the police to move
:08:09. > :08:13.everybody on. Sometimes it gets awkward when you are coming out of
:08:14. > :08:17.the shops and people are begging but that said there have been a feud
:08:18. > :08:20.where we have given money because we feel sorry for them especially at
:08:21. > :08:25.this time of year. We need to give more support rather than just moving
:08:26. > :08:31.them alone. They need help. I do not think there is a solution. There
:08:32. > :08:35.will always be that minority that are not working and do not want to
:08:36. > :08:41.work. In the majority of cases it is easier. Homelessness is a problem
:08:42. > :08:45.across the country and in the West Midlands.
:08:46. > :08:48.In Gloucester a new team tackling begging says the problem is made
:08:49. > :09:07.When people give caught we want people to consider alternative
:09:08. > :09:10.giving this Christmas. Stoke-on-Trent City Council have
:09:11. > :09:17.said they are working hard with agencies across the city.
:09:18. > :09:19.More barriers have been installed around the German Christmas Market
:09:20. > :09:22.in Birmingham in the wake of the terrorist attack in Berlin.
:09:23. > :09:24.They've been put up on Temple Street and Bennetts Hill.
:09:25. > :09:27.That's in addition to a number of concrete bollards set
:09:28. > :09:33.Police say the added security isn't based on any new intelligence.
:09:34. > :09:35.A man's critically ill in hospital following a crash involving
:09:36. > :09:39.several lorries and cars on the M6 in Warwickshire.
:09:40. > :09:45.It happened near Rugby around 5.30 this morning
:09:46. > :09:47.with the southbound carriageway closed for several hours.
:09:48. > :09:50.It's believed the man, who's in his 40s, was thrown
:09:51. > :10:00.He was taken to the University Hospital Coventry in Warwickshire
:10:01. > :10:18.A Vietnamese man who control a workforce has been jailed. Inside
:10:19. > :10:26.police discovered a sophisticated setup. The man was jailed for 11
:10:27. > :10:30.years. Wolverhampton Civic Hall 's will
:10:31. > :10:35.close their last events tomorrow before closing for refurbishment.
:10:36. > :10:39.The multi-billion pound refurbishment will see capacity
:10:40. > :10:41.increased as well as a new stage and bar area. It is hoped the work will
:10:42. > :10:46.see the venue attract as many as see the venue attract as many as
:10:47. > :10:47.330,000 additional visitors every year.
:10:48. > :10:50.A reward's been posted to catch whoever has been shooting birds
:10:51. > :10:53.West Mercia Police say they know of ten buzzards deliberately
:10:54. > :11:00.It's illegal to kill birds of prey, and offenders risk heavy
:11:01. > :11:02.fines and even prison, but X-rays taken from the dead birds
:11:03. > :11:12.At the Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue in Dinmore, they are used to looking
:11:13. > :11:17.after injured birds of prey, like this female buzzard.
:11:18. > :11:19.Being large birds, up until now, their survival rate
:11:20. > :11:25.But a recent spate of deaths has begun to cause concern.
:11:26. > :11:29.Of the 15 or 20 buzzards we've had over the last couple of years,
:11:30. > :11:32.they've all survived, except the one that we had
:11:33. > :11:35.in November and that was quite puzzling.
:11:36. > :11:38.That bird and another two badly injured buzzards were taken
:11:39. > :11:40.to the Holmer Veterinary Surgery in Hereford.
:11:41. > :11:47.And when x-rays were taken, it showed they had been shot.
:11:48. > :11:53.We had to euthanise some of them, because they were so badly injured
:11:54. > :11:56.and you find all these gunshot pellets, so yes, it was, er,
:11:57. > :12:09.It makes me wonder how many more we might have found in the past if we
:12:10. > :12:10.had looked for them. Jane Edwards and her family found
:12:11. > :12:13.one of the badly injured birds in the Herefordshire
:12:14. > :12:15.village of Mordiford. Not having held a bird of prey
:12:16. > :12:19.before, and this being the first time that I'd been able to,
:12:20. > :12:22.I felt it was a huge privilege and I couldn't understand why anyone
:12:23. > :12:26.would want to harm a creature But it's not just here that
:12:27. > :12:30.birds are being killed. Another buzzard was
:12:31. > :12:32.shot in Eaton Bishop. Buzzards are protected
:12:33. > :12:41.by law in England and it's West Mercia Police tell me
:12:42. > :12:45.that they take very seriously any incidents where a bird of prey
:12:46. > :12:47.is intentionally harmed or killed. They say they have a ?1,000 reward
:12:48. > :12:53.for anyone that has any information that leads
:12:54. > :13:06.to a successful prosecution. It is a crying shame if people feel
:13:07. > :13:10.they want to harm or even kill these animals. Such a shame that they
:13:11. > :13:14.cannot appreciate them in a different way.
:13:15. > :13:17.The worry is that many more buzzards are being shot each
:13:18. > :13:18.year in Herefordshire, but never found.
:13:19. > :13:20.Those people killing the birds are being warned
:13:21. > :13:27.Ben Sidwell, BBC Midlands Today, Dinmore.
:13:28. > :13:30.Thanks for being with us in these final days before Christmas.
:13:31. > :13:31.Still to come in tonight's programme:
:13:32. > :13:33.The Shropshire-based British archery team are to appeal after losing
:13:34. > :13:37.all their ?3 million Olympic funding.
:13:38. > :13:46.And Shefali will confirm there's a slight nip in the air!
:13:47. > :13:48.There is, but you would hardly think it
:13:49. > :13:51.from the warming colours of this sunrise at Barlaston
:13:52. > :13:54.A nip in the air though is the least of our problems
:13:55. > :14:01.I'll have the latest for you in a short while.
:14:02. > :14:05.The Prince of Wales has been in the region today
:14:06. > :14:08.to celebrate his longstanding links with a Gloucestershire hospice.
:14:09. > :14:10.Earlier he spoke on BBC Radio's Thought for the Day
:14:11. > :14:16.with a warning about the growing danger of religious persecution.
:14:17. > :14:20.Whatever religious path you follow the destination is the same.
:14:21. > :14:23.To value and respect the other person,
:14:24. > :14:25.accepting their right to live out their peaceful
:14:26. > :14:32.A few hours later, leaving us all to digest his message,
:14:33. > :14:39.Prince Charles was at the Sue Ryder Hospice,
:14:40. > :14:42.near Cheltenham, a charity he's been involved in for 30 years.
:14:43. > :14:54.There is flash photography in this report.
:14:55. > :15:00.The Prince of Wales today celebrating three decades of his
:15:01. > :15:04.involvement. He was here to meet staff, patients and volunteers. As
:15:05. > :15:20.ever, willing to get involved. He was invited to meet a felt snowman.
:15:21. > :15:30.It led to a slight royal injury. Thankfully everything was OK. This
:15:31. > :15:35.was a visit to lift the spirits of everyone from the staff to the
:15:36. > :15:39.patients who rely so much on the work of the hospice. The staff here
:15:40. > :15:45.are brilliant. The volunteers understand our needs. Largely they
:15:46. > :15:50.have been through something similar to what I am going through. A big
:15:51. > :16:01.difference because it helps me meet people. As well as DK at the hospice
:16:02. > :16:12.provides 16 inpatient beds, the only unit of its type in the county. --
:16:13. > :16:18.as well as day care. The patients are listed by his visit. To have him
:16:19. > :16:24.as our patron means a lot to us. Before he left, cutting the cake to
:16:25. > :16:31.celebrate three decades as patron and a chance to pay tribute. Meeting
:16:32. > :16:39.the patients, they all say such marvellous things about the quality
:16:40. > :16:47.of the care. Maybe be many more years of looking after people. He
:16:48. > :16:51.will be back here again to say thanks for the vital work done here,
:16:52. > :16:58.not just at Christmas, but every day and night of the year.
:16:59. > :17:00.The British archery team are considering an appeal,
:17:01. > :17:02.after losing all their ?3 million Olympic funding
:17:03. > :17:07.It means the archers, who are based at the National Sports Centre
:17:08. > :17:12.in Shropshire, will have to get jobs to allow them to carry on training.
:17:13. > :17:13.Four other sports have also lost their funding.
:17:14. > :17:19.Naomi Folkard from Leamington Spa has been to four
:17:20. > :17:22.Now she's coaching youngsters in the academy and seriously
:17:23. > :17:25.considering another shot at a medal in Tokyo.
:17:26. > :17:28.But that just became a much tougher prospect.
:17:29. > :17:31.Because archery will no longer be Lottery funded and Naomi
:17:32. > :17:33.and her team-mates will have to find part-time jobs to support
:17:34. > :17:45.There is quite a few people on the programme that are at university.
:17:46. > :17:49.For them to be able to train, go to university, and get a job, that will
:17:50. > :17:54.be tough. This means there will be less rest time, any spear time out
:17:55. > :17:56.of training they will be working. It is tough. But it gives you
:17:57. > :17:58.resilience as well. The man brought in 18 months ago
:17:59. > :18:14.to improve archery's performance They are saying that. We would
:18:15. > :18:18.dispute that. The last year and a half, but is not the case. We have
:18:19. > :18:23.one of the world's leading coaches. He would back us up on that.
:18:24. > :18:28.Wheelchair rugby, which is also based at Lilleshall,
:18:29. > :18:30.has lost its ?3 million funding as well.
:18:31. > :18:33.With ?345 million to be shared among 31 sports there were always
:18:34. > :18:36.Success in Rio has seen funding for gymnastics,
:18:37. > :18:39.which is also based at Lilleshall, rise by more than two million.
:18:40. > :18:41.The para-archery team who topped the medal table in Rio
:18:42. > :18:43.see their funding rise by a million.
:18:44. > :18:45.But badminton, weightlifting and fencing are the other three
:18:46. > :18:59.If their target is still to be as successful in Tokyo as in Rio
:19:00. > :19:02.smaller sports like ourselves will have to play a part.
:19:03. > :19:06.Behind the scenes GB Archery will have to cut costs as well
:19:07. > :19:09.Tough choices lie ahead for the sport.
:19:10. > :19:10.Nick Clitheroe, BBC Midlands Today, Shropshire.
:19:11. > :19:13.The new Coventry City manager says he must focus on the football
:19:14. > :19:16.and not be distracted by the Sky Blues' many problems.
:19:17. > :19:18.Russell Slade joined the club yesterday
:19:19. > :19:23.The Sky Blues are bottom but one of League One, having
:19:24. > :19:33.But Slade hopes disaffected fans can get behind him.
:19:34. > :19:47.job in terms of resources. It has to job in terms of resources. It has to
:19:48. > :19:51.stop at some stage. That is what helped me to come to the club, I
:19:52. > :20:02.think I can help. I believe I can turn it around.
:20:03. > :20:06.Hereford FC have invented a new ten year lease on the Edgar Street
:20:07. > :20:09.ground. The club say the deal with Herefordshire council will allow
:20:10. > :20:13.them to make improvements to the stadium including a new spectator
:20:14. > :20:16.fans at the end of 2014 after the fans at the end of 2014 after the
:20:17. > :20:18.collapse of Hereford United. People with debilitating
:20:19. > :20:20.lung diseases are being It's known that singing can improve
:20:21. > :20:24.breathing and quality It's now being used
:20:25. > :20:28.by the NHS in Warwickshire Our reporter Kevin Reide's visited
:20:29. > :20:38.one such choir in Nuneaton. Val McPherson, a retired nurse
:20:39. > :20:40.from Bedworth in Warwickshire, has suffered from Chronic Lung Disease
:20:41. > :20:42.since having severe pneumonia. She remembers it being a close call
:20:43. > :20:52.between life and death. At six o'clock in the morning I ran
:20:53. > :20:56.111 and said, I am really ill, I have not been to bed all night
:20:57. > :21:01.because I cannot sleep, I cannot get my breath. She said she would send
:21:02. > :21:05.an ambulance. I said it is pointless, I will be dead before
:21:06. > :21:07.they get here. I never did see them. They picked me up off the floor in
:21:08. > :21:10.my kitchen apparently. at George Eliot Hospital
:21:11. > :21:30.in Nuneaton, her It uplifts you. You do feel better.
:21:31. > :21:35.Treatment with medication has some effects but we need other treatments
:21:36. > :21:36.like exercise and breathing control. Singing achieves both. Exercise is
:21:37. > :22:02.all the muscles we need. The choir also helps build
:22:03. > :22:06.confidence. I love it. If anybody said I would be doing
:22:07. > :22:10.4-part harmony and acquire I would have said, Norway. But we do and we
:22:11. > :22:19.love it. and the choirmaster is a GP
:22:20. > :22:33.as well as a gospel singer: The socialising is more than the
:22:34. > :22:44.singing sometimes. This is thought to be one of the largest quires of
:22:45. > :22:50.its type. -- largest choirs of its type.
:22:51. > :22:52.Now to a reggae artist with a festive warning
:22:53. > :22:55.Wolverhampton's Macka B has been writing and performing songs
:22:56. > :22:59.But this Christmas he's spreading the message of good health
:23:00. > :23:01.following a personal plan to lose weight.
:23:02. > :23:03.So we sent our arts reporter, Satnam Rana,
:23:04. > :23:15.It's time for a reggae reggae workout with Macka B.
:23:16. > :23:17.As a practising Rastafari, Macka B is passionate about nature,
:23:18. > :23:36.Excess Baggage is his latest track as he sets us on mission
:23:37. > :23:49.I was bigger than I am now, I was 18, 19 stone.
:23:50. > :23:54.I went to the doctor and the doctor was saying, it's a bit of
:23:55. > :23:56.arthritis, I can't do anything about it, age
:23:57. > :23:59.So I decided to do something about it
:24:00. > :24:18.Immediately as I lost a bit of the weight my knees felt better
:24:19. > :24:23.again so I thought, I'll carry on losing the weight
:24:24. > :24:47.A good time of year to spread that message.
:24:48. > :24:49.But for him it's not just about keeping fit.
:24:50. > :24:53.I'm cooking Jamaica's national dish which is ackee and
:24:54. > :24:56.If I don't have saltfish it's ackee with
:24:57. > :25:03.This is going to take about half an hour.
:25:04. > :25:05.But guess what - here's one I made earlier.
:25:06. > :25:08.# It's about the exercise and good nutrition.
:25:09. > :25:10.# Anything can happen and you may not live long
:25:11. > :25:15.# Keep fit, keep healthy have a happy holiday.
:25:16. > :25:25.Time for the weather and Shefali has a new friend, called Barbara!
:25:26. > :25:36.She is no friend of mine and I will tell you why in a moment. Today was
:25:37. > :25:39.calm and frosty to begin with. It was dazzling, lots of sunshine
:25:40. > :25:50.around. It was a classic winter 's day. It is not going to last.
:25:51. > :25:55.Christmas Day -- it will be wet and windy, christmas Eve it will settle
:25:56. > :26:02.down. Christmas Day itself, it will be drizzly but mild and windy once
:26:03. > :26:05.again. As far as tomorrow's turbulent weather is concerned there
:26:06. > :26:13.is a warning in place from midday at that runs until six o'clock tomorrow
:26:14. > :26:19.evening. Gusts of 50-60 mph, possibly in excess of 60 mph, over
:26:20. > :26:25.70 mph in exposed areas. It is because of storm Barbara. She is
:26:26. > :26:33.rattling in from the West. Still on a course for the British Isles.
:26:34. > :26:37.Bringing in heavy rain. Arrival time here will be around that day.
:26:38. > :26:40.Running through the afternoon. There could be travel disruption as a
:26:41. > :26:44.result. Christmas Day is going to be
:26:45. > :26:48.exceptionally mild, record-breaking week mild for some parts of the
:26:49. > :26:52.country. Act to this evening, in contrast it is much colder.
:26:53. > :27:00.Temperatures and clearer skies will drop down to 1-4 C. Not as much
:27:01. > :27:04.frost. That is because we have some close pushing and from the West.
:27:05. > :27:08.That'll hold temperatures up slightly. Tomorrow is a dry start to
:27:09. > :27:14.the day. Some sunshine, particularly the further East you go. Then comes
:27:15. > :27:17.the rain. At around midday and into the afternoon. You can see that
:27:18. > :27:25.heavier rain running from north to south. But all sweeps away by
:27:26. > :27:26.tomorrow night and into Christmas Eve.
:27:27. > :27:28.And on tomorrow's Midlands Today at 6.30 we'll be catching up
:27:29. > :27:30.with a fifth generation baker from Shropshire.
:27:31. > :27:33.John Swift will be starring in a Christmas Day TV special
:27:34. > :27:36.They'll be looking at how the Victorians invented Christmas
:27:37. > :27:45.I'll be back at 10.30 with your late update.