04/01/2017 Midlands Today

Alarm at the decision to reveal the identity

of anonymous whistle blowers, who gave evidence

They were given guarantees back in 2014 about how

The witnesses say they're angered by the decision

of the Department for Education, and are appealing against it.

The family of a 55-year-old man from Kidderminster,

who's been missing for a month, appeal for help to find him.

Steve, if you're out there, we love you.

There's nothing we can't cope with, just come back to us.

Singing the praises of Kinver Edge - 100 years after it was donated

I'm at home with blind Dave Heeley - he may be sitting down for once -

but just wait until you hear what his next incredible

And this is the sort of scene you'll be waking up to tomorrow morning.

After a relatively mild day ,brace yourselves for a drastic drop

Whistle-blowers who gave evidence to an inquiry

into the "Trojan Horse" scandal, involving Birmingham schools,

after a decision to have their identities revealed.

Five teachers accused of being part of a plot to impose an

Islamic agenda at non-faith schools, are facing professional tribunals.

Their lawyers say they need to be able to question the individuals

Our Special Correspondent Peter Wilson has the details.

The so called Trojan Horse Saga has never been out of the headlines

since it first emerged three years ago.

There have been death threats against a Birmingham headteacher,

of aggressive Islamist influence behind the school gates.

Now today recriminations over the news that the personal details

of witnesses who gave evidence anonymously to the Trojan inquiry

The witnesses came forward under strict conditions of anonymity and

there were guarantees back in 2014 about how their evidence would be

used. Those people have now been betrayed and this has implications

in whistle-blowing cases past, present and future.

Peter Clarke, a former head of counter terrorism carried

He says he's appalled at the decision to waive anonymity.

Five teachers are facing a professional tribunal

The whistle-blowers have been sent letters

informing them "that the transcript of your evidence as provided

in the Peter Clarke investigation

will be disclosed to the respondent teachers."

We've spoken to one of the anonymous witnesses and one of the teachers

involved in this case, the witness says they fear if their identity is

widely published, both they and their family will be targeted by

extremists. The teacher told me that the whole Trojan Horse saga was

based on an anonymous letter which was likely to have been forged and

he claims that the anonymous witnesses were able to say whatever

they wanted without anything being corroborated. The association

representing nine of the anonymous witnesses acted quickly yesterday to

prevent their details being released. We would hope that the

assurances Peter Clarke gave would be maintained. We are three years on

and it seems like some of those assurances are evaporating quickly

and we would ensure that the enquiry is able to account for this.

The department of education tonight said that the tribunal hearings

into the five teachers cases must be fair and correct -

Peter Wilson, BBC Midlands Today, Birmingham.

And you can read more about this story on the BBC Birmingham website.

Fears are growing for a Worcestershire man

The family of 55-year-old Stephen Woolley

have mounted their own searches and appealed online

but there's been no sighting of Stephen since early December.

Carol Woolley tries to keep busy, but it's hard.

Her husband Stephen disappeared 28 days ago -

It's just the uncertainty, physically feeling sick and tired

not knowing what the day is going to bring, hoping today is the day that

we get some news. Whether it be good or bad, at least we would know what

we are dealing with. Stephen left

the family home in Kidderminster Half an hour later

he was at Holt Fleet on the River Severn,

north of Worcester, He's a keen walker and his family's

organised search parties in the area There is concern though

about his state of mind. Last year was a hard one for the

family and Stephen who has suffered depression in the past was suffering

difficulty trying to cope with the death of his sister. My heart of

hearts says that he's not going to come back. I hope he is but the days

go on, I feel the less likely it is. Stephen joined Kidderminster

male voice choir last year and sang to raise

funds for the hospice Matt's on social media

daily spreading the word and the comedienne Miranda Hart

one of several celebrities From his wife, though,

the simplest Steve, if you are out there, we love

you. There is nothing we can't cope with. We just want to hear from you

and we want you home. Police have been

out on the river in boats but say without a positive sighting

there's little more they can do. For the family the search goes on -

and so too the waiting. A jury has heard how a 20-year-old

Warwickshire woman became the victim by a former boyfriend

and his partner. at a flat in

Stratford Upon Avon last year. Jack Williams and

Kayleigh Woods deny her murder. Joan Cummins

has been in court today. Joan, what have you heard

about Bethany today? We were told that Bethany was a

troubled girl. She'd dropped out of college, she used to self harm but

she was very much loved by her extended family in nearby Bedford on

Avon. The jury were told she'd had a very brief relationship with Jack

Williams but with tragic consequences, she'd then introduced

him to her transgender friend Kaylee Woods with whom she was hoping to

have a baby. The prosecution said that the relation between all three

was corrugated and often volatile. Did we learn more about the specific

circumstances leading up to her death? We were told that Kayleigh

made a call to a police last year saying that Bethany had committed

suicide however, a postmortem revealed that she'd been bound,

gagged and her jugular vein had been severed. The prosecution said that

this had been a killing motivated by perverted pleasure. He said that the

evidence needed to be considered calmly. The trial is expected to

last four weeks. A loaded gun has been found hidden

in a toilet roll holder Police removed the weapon

after it was discovered in the lavatories at House of Fraser

on Monday evening. The gun has been made safe

and is being forensically examined. Part of West Bromwich High Street

is still closed this evening after a major fire broke out

in a Caribbean restaurant. Firefighters used an hydraulic

platform to tackle the blaze Flats above the restaurant

were evacuated. Officers are continuing to

investigate the cause of the fire. It has been a very severe fire

affecting the whole of the ground floor and up into the flat above

and, also, the structure is unstable now so it's quite dangerous

for people to go inside, so we're getting structural advice to make

sure we can do that safely. the world's most punctual airport

in 2016 by air travel

intelligence company OAG. It found that more than 90%

of flights from the airport arrived Over the past ten years

Birmingham has invested ?350m to improve the airport

infrastructure and is working on a further one million pound

development project to improve A trauma surgeon at the Queen

Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham is one of the founders

of CitizenAID, a new scheme designed

to offer advice and training in case they're caught up

in a terrorist attack. Professor Sir Keith Porter

says learning first aid skills, like how to deal

with severe bleeding could save lives

before the paramedics arrive. Sir Keith has spent the last few

years dealing with soldiers who've suffered terrible and traumatic

injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq and joins me now

in the studio, Sir Keith - We've created this simple system of

actions the public can perform should they be caught up in a

shooting, a bomb or similar incident. They can administer care

at the same time as remaining safe. Is it overly dramatic to prepare the

public for terror attacks? You only have to look at events of the last

few months that we are fortunate that the UK has not been involved. A

senior commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has said it is

not if but when. We are not alarming the public. When an incident

happens, people don't know what to do. This provides them with a system

so then they can go through a system of examination and treatment. What

kind of difference could this training make? We know from military

training, it's been responsible for saving many lives. And you've gained

the experience in this area from the work you have done at the Queen

Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. That's correct. Myself and partners

in the military know that this is an effective way. The most important

thing is controlling major external bleeding early on. In the first

instance, the emergency services aren't immediately going to be

present in a terrorist attack so we are riding on the public to help.

I'm absolutely confident that this will help people.

If you hit the sales in the past week,

then you probably got caught up in a big crowd.

And it's pretty frustrating when you end up separated

But what's the best way to find them again?

Well scientists at the University of Warwick have the answers.

Here's Science Correspondent David Gregory-Kumar with the results.

First we need to build somewhere to test this theory about crowds.

This German market in Birmingham will do nicely.

The big question is if A goes off to get beers

what's the best way for B to find him in the crowds?

To gain a good idea of which Chatterjee is best, I did it 100,000

times. -- which strategy. Well, at the University

of Warwick this statistician The best way to find them is to

actively seek them out and not wait around.

Nathan has run 100,000 simulations with lost virtual people

trying to find one another in a crowd.

So if the best method is for A and B to actively search for the other.

How much time could this method save you vesus searches where one

It depends on the size of the venue. At larger venues, it can be an extra

50% of the time, maybe at a weekend long festival that might be too much

time to spend. So if you lose your friends

in a crowd start searching You could find each other

in half the time it could take if one of you

stands still and waits. David Gregory-Kumar

BBC Midlands Today And you can read more

about the science behind Thanks for joining us

on Midlands Today, alarm at the decision

to reveal the identity of anonymous whistle blowers,

who gave evidence at Your detailed weather

forecast to come shortly - also in tonight's programme

- not for sale - former England striker Peter Crouch

after he scores twice in two games. And who once owned this flashy

Cadillacs fit for a president? It's been 100 years since

one of the Midlands most popular countryside spots

was donated to the National Trust. Kinver Edge on the Staffordshire

and Worcestershire border was given to the Trust

during the First World War. Now a songwriter who pens hits

for stars, including Cliff Richard and Nicole Kidman's husband -

singer Keith Urban, has written

a tune about Kinver Edge - recalling his happy childhood

memories. With neverending views, Kinver Edge

in South Staffordshire has been a place to escape and

enjoy for generations of families. The National Trust has been looking

after this place for one injured years now and a whole series of

events are planned to celebrate the centenary. -- for 100 years.

From his home studio on the outskirts of Kinver village

famous songwriter Chris Eaton has written On Kinver Edge -

Better known for writing the Christmas number one

Saviour's Day and a host of hits for the likes of Cliff Richard,

Chris divides his time between America and Kinver -

I've got fantastic memories of walking on the edge, it's always

meant a lot to me to have a sense of peace and find myself again, if you

like. It's a beautiful song. It paints a picture of the gift, really

that we've been given with Kinver Edge.

Carved into the sandstone, the rock houses

on Kinver Edge were occupied until the 1950s.

Outside Kidderminster, a woman and four children live in a cave...

Today the rock houses are a museum attraction,

but in days gone by the people living here would make the most

of tram loads of tourists who'd escaped the city smog for fresh air.

They were very entrepreneurial and they used to sell them tea, cake and

scones and even charge them to use the toilet.

Sue Wright's ancestors donated 200 acres of land to the National Trust

in the midst of the First World War 100 years ago.

The gift was from her wealthy grandfather Oliver Lee -

The handover referred to the fact that this was going to be a dream

long for the toiling masses of the people of the Black Country. It

sounds very paternalistic these days but it is something that everyone

can enjoy moving out of our cities. When it's released later this year

the song On Kinver Edge will raise money

to help the National Trust fund Time for some sport now

and in football transfer news Aston Villa have sold the striker

Rudy Gestede to Middlesbrough. The Premier League club

have paid around ?6m for the forward who scored ten goals

in 55 games for Villa. His replacement at Villa Park

could be another Boro striker Jordan Rhodes, who's been linked

with a move to the Midlands. Elsewhere, Stoke City have completed

the signing of the goalkeeper Lee Grant from Derby today

for just over a million pounds. But the Manager Mark Hughes says

striker Peter Crouch will not be

sold in the January transfer window. Perhaps not such a surprise

as the former England striker helped the Potters beat Watford last night

with his second goal in two games. On a cold night in the Potteries

the Stoke City fans were looking for a performance

to warm their bones and hearts. Five matches without a win, ten

goals conceded in the last three, above the relegation

zone before kick off. And for a while this looked

like another frustrating night Then with virtually the final kick

of the first half, Ryan Shawcross scoring

his first goal for the club in two years to lift

the spirits around the stadium. Charlie Adam had created that goal

and he was also the provider Peter Crouch had scored his first

league goal of the season at Chelsea in their New Year's Eve defeat

but this time his intervention would confirm a vital three points

and Crouch's continued worth His attributes and ability to affect

games hasn't changed. He's getting on in years, he's probably coming

towards the end of his career, he knows that. I haven't seen any

diminishing of his qualities at all. No doubt, he'd be coveted by other

teams who can see the qualities he as but he is very valued here so he

won't be going anywhere. Jonathan Walters

did have a late chance to make it three but this was a satisfying

enough night for Stoke and their fans as they moved up to eleventh

in the Premier League table. Now, he's spent a lifetime dedicated

to phenomenal fundraising feats, and Blind Dave Heeley is starting

2017 with yet another challenge. While many of us are thinking

about getting fit - Dave is preparing to take things up

a notch by taking He's starting in Edinburgh

on Saturday, he'll take part in the Great Birmingham Run

in October before finishing with the final race in Addis Ababa

in Ethopia in November. Laura May McMullan is with him this

evening, so Laura he got a big reception at West Brom on Saturday,

and it's going to be quite a year! Yes. What a year this is going to be

for Dave. I have to say, this is the first time I've actually seen you

sitting down. Usually, you are literally rolling off somewhere. In

fact, he's run an incredible 58,000 miles for charity. Last year, he

took part in the escape from outer Best Alcatraz triathlon in San

Francisco. The year before, he was running across the Sahara desert and

we can't forget his race in seven days across seven continents. How is

this going to compere? It's going to be fantastic. It's going to keep us

focused for the year. We kick off in Edinburgh on Saturday and we finish

in the Ethiopian. It's a combination of runs from five K all the way to

fun. There are 25 races in the series and the first is the

international Birmingham marathon in October. We will run a marathon in

the morning and a half marathon in the afternoon. Along with some

fantastic mates, will be trudging the streets across all of the

countries supporting the Albion foundation. We are really looking

forward to it but it's going to be hard work. I don't like to remind

you but you're going to be 60 this year. Any chance of slowing down? As

soon as Deb mentions painting the kitchen,. We've got some great ideas

and we are up for the and supporting a fantastic charity. If you've got

the New Year resolution to run and get fit, maybe you want to take a

leaf out of Dave's book. A bit much for me. Thanks very much.

It has a safe, a shredder, a fridge and a mini bar.

Not the interior of an office - but a car.

You'll have gathered this isn't an ordinary saloon -

it's a cadillac which was once owned by the President-elect Donald Trump.

It's now the prized possession of Craig Eyres,

a mechanic from Gloucester, who has restored it

Tracey Miller has been to take a look:

This is major billing, 80s style. Designed and made for one of the

world's most famous billionaires. Hi there. Hi, Donald. Thanks, Donald,

for the left. It's not Donald really. Your friend owns this car.

It was actually made for Donald Trump. It was made for him. There

were 52 of them. Two were made as prototypes and the rest were never

ordered. What's in here? It's got all the things you would have in a

mobile office. It's got a shredder, a safe, ... Besides the safe,

there's a TV and video recorder. A fridge for ice and a specially

designed drink dispenser, it will give you gin, vodka, whatever you

fancy from the bottles in the boot. The car was 30 years old and a wreck

when it was bored. We have got it together over the last nine years.

It wasn't bought for any other reason than he just liked the

Cadillac. It has more sentimental value to him than anything else.

It's an amazing piece. A little piece of history. That's the

telephone. Can I answer it? Hello. I think its the White House for you.

The limo is still a smooth run about its previous owner is now off to run

the United States. Tracey Miller, Gloucester. I feel the need shoulder

pads! Just before we get the forecast,

it's congratulations The 19-year-old has earned fourth

place on the BBC Sound of 2017 list, which showcases the best

new talent for the year ahead. Jorja

released her first track a year ago. But - she's not signed

to a label yet and still works If you're not a fan of the cold

weather, you'd better look away now. Shefali is here with news

of freezing temperatures. Today we had varying degrees of

cloud but the general trend was to clearing skies. That is a sign of

things to come. Much colder conditions to come in contrast with

today's very mild conditions. At Gloucester, 10 Celsius recorded.

This is the current situation. High pressure in charge for to light and

tomorrow. Colder air feeding in from the North. These fronts starting to

move in from the Atlantic bringing some heavy rain. Also, milder

conditions which will persist through the weekend. Mostly dry,

mild but cloudy. More cloud the further west you, brighter skies to

east. Perhaps the odd spot of rain. Tonight, the blue colours are

starting to invade across all of the region. A sharp frost as

temperatures plummet to about minus five Celsius across the south-west

of the region. In the Laurel areas, with a moderate breeze, you could

get down to minus eight Celsius. Very little moisture so there should

be mainly clear skies so we could see some icy stretches. Tomorrow

morning, we start on a frosty note. It's going to be dry and sunny.

Frost gradually starting to ease and disappear. Temperatures. All to

2-3 C. Frost forming very quickly. It's not going to be called. A front

approaching from the West introducing more cloud lifting

temperatures as we head into Friday morning. The rain arrives for Friday

afternoon. Joanne Malin will be

here with your late news at 10:30. as he explores Naples,

Venice and Florence. It's like we're walking through

a giant's armpit. We can follow the escape route

of Michelangelo. Mildred is our first student

from a non-witching family. 'I've got a good feeling

about this year.'