:00:00. > :00:00.Hello, and welcome to Midlands Today.
:00:00. > :00:08.Under severe pressure hospitals across the region struggling
:00:09. > :00:26.to cope, with patients forced to wait hours in A
:00:27. > :00:28.Hospitals in Dudley, Stoke-on-Trent and Walsall have been
:00:29. > :00:33.Two men jailed for growing cannabis
:00:34. > :00:36.with a potential street value of a million pounds
:00:37. > :00:54.And after the coldest night of the winter so far,
:00:55. > :00:57.things are beginning to warm a little as we approach the weekend
:00:58. > :00:59.but not before another numbing night of sub-zero temperatures.
:01:00. > :01:22.Pressure is mounting at hospitals across the Midlands as accident
:01:23. > :01:25.and emergency staff struggle to cope with growing numbers of patients.
:01:26. > :01:26.Ambulance crews say they're experiencing long delays getting
:01:27. > :01:29.patients into casualty departments and hospitals in three areas
:01:30. > :01:33.In Worcester the situation is improving, but problems persist
:01:34. > :01:35.with stories of patients waiting in corridors for treatment.
:01:36. > :01:48.From there, our Health Correspondent Michele Paduano reports.
:01:49. > :01:59.This was done immediately. Ten in mind as emergency Department. This
:02:00. > :02:02.morning on a high level of you. According to the ambulances are more
:02:03. > :02:12.than 500 hours of delays as sweet vilification. Doctors orders in you.
:02:13. > :02:16.Obviously we have more patience in losses and in a few minutes. We
:02:17. > :02:26.expect this will have an effect over the next few weeks. The situation is
:02:27. > :02:32.beginning to ease. But earlier this week the corridors were filled with
:02:33. > :02:42.people. The BBC has learned of the death of the last. A man fled into
:02:43. > :02:44.the corridor and size station. They terminally ill woman spent 35 hours
:02:45. > :02:47.in a terminally ill woman spent 35,000, though, and one hanged
:02:48. > :02:51.themselves on the board. There is nothing to live this directly with
:02:52. > :02:57.pressures, they that admits they have been busy.
:02:58. > :03:03.Some people are waiting a long time. We are sorry for that, but it's the
:03:04. > :03:08.intense pressure that your lender. It's not just us, there are other
:03:09. > :03:12.half of the fourth the 20 really vision. -- thereafter others across
:03:13. > :03:15.the country. And Michele joins us now
:03:16. > :03:17.from outside the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Michele,
:03:18. > :03:33.what's the position there now? I've just checked the accident and
:03:34. > :03:39.emergency department. They were for ambulances outside and I'm told
:03:40. > :03:43.numbers inside are reducing. They haven't got to corridors full as
:03:44. > :03:49.they had previously. This is still a concern. Two years ago an emergency
:03:50. > :03:54.doctor was called in due to concerns of the and emergency department. The
:03:55. > :03:58.Care Quality Commission put them in special measures 18 months ago due
:03:59. > :04:02.to the inadequacies of the accident and emergency department. Before
:04:03. > :04:08.Christmas Day was a health Summit of this department. They still haven't
:04:09. > :04:16.managed to get it right. There is going to be a review across the
:04:17. > :04:20.whole of Worcestershire of services. There is talk that they do need a
:04:21. > :04:25.system wide way of dealing with this problem. So why is it we are
:04:26. > :04:33.experiencing these precious right now is that well, we have an ageing
:04:34. > :04:37.population which is causing travel. We are not getting more money to
:04:38. > :04:45.deal with it. Over Christmas you get a perfect storm. You can't get
:04:46. > :04:51.people treated elsewhere all get people into the system. This year it
:04:52. > :04:52.has been with an normal. One doctor tweeted that he felt that
:04:53. > :04:55.you were coming off NHS. A shire horse breeder and a former
:04:56. > :04:58.landscape gardener have been jailed for their involvement
:04:59. > :05:01.in a "sophisticated" and "commercial" cannabis factory
:05:02. > :05:09.in barns at a farm in Staffordshire. The court heard how police
:05:10. > :05:11.seized plants and packages of the drug worth hundreds
:05:12. > :05:13.of thousands of pounds. A third man will be
:05:14. > :05:16.sentenced at a later date. This is police footage
:05:17. > :05:20.of what was described in court as a sophisticated and well
:05:21. > :05:22.established commercial cannabis Detectives say it has
:05:23. > :05:28.the potential to produce Stafford Crown Court heard how
:05:29. > :05:34.police these plans and packages It was located here at Newchurch
:05:35. > :05:43.near Burton upon Trent. Police say the cannabis factory
:05:44. > :05:46.at this remote location had been It's believed plans
:05:47. > :05:52.were afoot to expand Martin Young, on the right,
:05:53. > :05:59.paid ?28,000 a year to rent the farm He was jailed for three
:06:00. > :06:06.years and two months. Ian Locke, wearing a hat, was jailed
:06:07. > :06:09.for two years and three months. The court heard how the former
:06:10. > :06:12.landscape gardener from Newport in Shropshire has moved to the farm
:06:13. > :06:15.shortly before police raided. The court heard that
:06:16. > :06:19.Raymond Nicholls from Birmingham hasbeen diagnosed with cancer,
:06:20. > :06:24.and will be sentenced later. All three men admitted cultivating
:06:25. > :06:26.cannabis and possession The rural location enabled them
:06:27. > :06:34.to work in a specific way. And to continue their business
:06:35. > :06:38.without being overlooked by any other buildings,
:06:39. > :06:41.or any other traffic, really. They have nursery rooms for plans,
:06:42. > :06:45.and they also had preparation rooms that were specifically built
:06:46. > :06:48.behind hay bales. The recorder, Michael Ellson,
:06:49. > :06:51.said that although involved, Young, Locke and Nicholls were not
:06:52. > :06:54.the overall directing minds behind The court heard that another man
:06:55. > :07:01.is still wanted by police. A Birmingham Labour MP and former
:07:02. > :07:08.Cabinet minister says the Education Secretary should
:07:09. > :07:11.intervene to defend the anonymity of witnesses in the so-called
:07:12. > :07:15.Trojan Horse Affair. Whistle blowers who gave evidence
:07:16. > :07:18.to the inquiry into an alleged Islamic plot in schools
:07:19. > :07:21.were told their names But now the Education Department's
:07:22. > :07:25.considering releasing their identities to lawyers
:07:26. > :07:28.representing teachers who're facing Our Political Editor
:07:29. > :07:33.Patrick Burns is here. So, is the pressure
:07:34. > :07:38.mounting on the Government? It's certainly mounting
:07:39. > :07:39.on Justine Greening. The Education Secretary is accused
:07:40. > :07:42.of "making a complete mess of this" by the Labour MP who represents two
:07:43. > :07:47.of the five defendants facing It's nearly three years now since up
:07:48. > :07:56.to 50 whistle blowers gave evidence to the inquiry into an alleged plot
:07:57. > :07:59.to instil hardline Islamic influences in inner city
:08:00. > :08:07.Birmingham schools. They were told their identities
:08:08. > :08:15.would be protected. But now the department's lawyers
:08:16. > :08:17.have written to them to say their names may after all be
:08:18. > :08:33.disclosed to the I want the Education Secretary to
:08:34. > :08:37.get on with this process which is descending into chaos. You've got
:08:38. > :08:44.teachers accused of very serious offences, they leave Viacom also,
:08:45. > :08:52.British justice. But we've got at 250 came forward on the proviso they
:08:53. > :08:57.were guaranteed anonymity. -- at 250 came forward.
:08:58. > :09:00.Liam Byrne tells me several witnesses are his constituents.
:09:01. > :09:03.They've contacted him to tell him they fear for their own security
:09:04. > :09:12.and they feel betrayed by the Government.
:09:13. > :09:15.So the two big questions: what will this do for the "whistle
:09:16. > :09:26.blowing culture" which we keep being told is to be encouraged.
:09:27. > :09:29.And did the head of that inquiry, Peter Clarke, have full authority
:09:30. > :09:42.to offer them anonymity in the first place?
:09:43. > :09:47.It's not clear what Peter Clarke offered anonymity about. It was in
:09:48. > :09:56.relation to the enquiry he was conduct. He says he offered that no
:09:57. > :10:00.information would be shared. But it's not clear that he was in a
:10:01. > :10:02.position to offer anonymity disciplinary proceedings taken
:10:03. > :10:06.disciplinary proceedings taken against people.
:10:07. > :10:08.The Department of Education say they're not putting
:10:09. > :10:11.anyone up for interview, but they tell me it's
:10:12. > :10:13.critical that the tribunals are conducted correctly.
:10:14. > :10:16.But because these proceedings are in progress it would not be
:10:17. > :10:19.As you may have heard in this news hour, the renowned campaigner
:10:20. > :10:22.for the rights of victims of sexual violence, Jill Saward,
:10:23. > :10:28.She waived her right to anonymity after she was raped
:10:29. > :10:30.during a burglary at her father's vicarage in Ealing in London
:10:31. > :10:33.in 1986, she was the first rape victim in the country ever
:10:34. > :10:39.She'd been living in Staffordshire for many years and died in hospital
:10:40. > :10:45.It is part of my past now, when I talk about the rape it
:10:46. > :10:50.The victim of what became known asthe Ealing vicarage rape,
:10:51. > :10:53.Jill Saward was just 21 when she was attacked by burglars
:10:54. > :10:56.who broke into her father's vicarage in Ealing in West London.
:10:57. > :11:02.The case was the focus of a massive media attention,
:11:03. > :11:05.not least because the perpetrators of the rape received shorter
:11:06. > :11:08.sentences than a man who was only convicted of burglary.
:11:09. > :11:11.The judge told the court that her trauma had not been so great.
:11:12. > :11:14.She and her father, who was also injured,
:11:15. > :11:23.I didn't want them to destroy anything else.
:11:24. > :11:24.So forgiveness gave me that liberation, that
:11:25. > :11:30.Neither at the time, and as far as I've been able
:11:31. > :11:33.to examine my sensations since, not once have I felt
:11:34. > :11:39.In 1990 she waived her right to anonymity and co-wrote a book
:11:40. > :11:43.She became a campaigner for the rights of victims of sexual
:11:44. > :11:48.She regularly appeared in newspapers and television.
:11:49. > :11:50.Recently she argued against a campaign to grant
:11:51. > :11:54.anonymity to people accused of sexual offences.
:11:55. > :11:56.I think it's important that the moment somebody
:11:57. > :12:01.is questioned we are made aware of the name of that person.
:12:02. > :12:04.So that it can encourage other people to come forward.
:12:05. > :12:06.So many people have been convicted because other
:12:07. > :12:13.The family announced her death with deep shock and sadness.
:12:14. > :12:17.They said she dedicated the past 30 years of her life to helping others.
:12:18. > :12:24.And tonight people have been paying tribute to Jill Saward.
:12:25. > :12:28.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said she was a heroic
:12:29. > :12:32.and remarkable campaigner for the victims of rape,
:12:33. > :12:34.and Jeremy Corbyn has said she was a courageous campaigner
:12:35. > :12:37.for the rights of sexual assault survivors.
:12:38. > :12:41.Her work led to crucial changes in the law and attitudes.
:12:42. > :12:44.The Attorney General said it was only after her attack
:12:45. > :12:47.and campaigning that the law changed to so that victims could challenge
:12:48. > :12:57.JCB has won one of the biggest single orders in its 71-year history
:12:58. > :13:02.a $142-million dollar deal to supply the United States Army
:13:03. > :13:09.The Staffordshire digger maker will produce more than 1,600 rough
:13:10. > :13:11.terrain forklifts for use around the world including loading
:13:12. > :13:17.and unloading aircraft and shipping containers.
:13:18. > :13:28.The family of a man badly injured in an attack in Birmingham two years
:13:29. > :13:30.A Coventry charity which helps people with benefit difficulties
:13:31. > :13:32.says it's expecting homelessness to increase as benefit
:13:33. > :13:36.As many as 800 families in the city are set to loose
:13:37. > :13:39.The government says these cuts are fair and necessary,
:13:40. > :13:41.and will help encourage more people back into work.
:13:42. > :13:45.She's already being sanctioned after being overpaid in benefits,
:13:46. > :13:50.and with the new cuts will be ?136 pounds per month worse off.
:13:51. > :13:59.Providing for her three children is becoming increasingly difficult.
:14:00. > :14:02.I've put a fake smile on my face every day so they think
:14:03. > :14:28.An estimated 800 families already struggling with those ?100 a week
:14:29. > :14:33.from their income. Staff believe it will push some of them to the brink.
:14:34. > :14:40.Families have been made homeless by the cat already. This will continue
:14:41. > :14:43.to happen. They won't be able to pay for their food or fuel bills. They
:14:44. > :14:47.But government says the new system is fairer and provides clear
:14:48. > :14:49.incentives for claimants to find work.
:14:50. > :14:54.It adds that the total benefits a family can now claim
:14:55. > :14:56.is the equivalent of a ?25,000 per year salary.
:14:57. > :14:58.But with few qualifications and children to raise alone,
:14:59. > :15:08.Helen Portsmouth can see no way out of finding a decent job.
:15:09. > :15:19.A constant black hole. With no end. No light at the end, should I say.
:15:20. > :15:22.It's just everybody around me is forward.
:15:23. > :15:24.The cuts are coming, and are being applied in stages.
:15:25. > :15:27.In Coventry they begin on January 16th, in Birmingham on January 23rd.
:15:28. > :15:35.The weather's been a major talking point in the last 24 hours,
:15:36. > :15:38.bitterly cold, the coldest of the winter so far, I'm hearing.
:15:39. > :15:40.And it's produced some magnificent pictures.
:15:41. > :15:49.I was spoilt for choice today so it seemed a shame not to show a few
:15:50. > :15:52.The sun and frost seem to have brought out the best
:15:53. > :15:57.From the Manor born, this beautiful frosty morning scene
:15:58. > :16:03.from Wolverhampton to the babbling brook and woods of Staffordshire
:16:04. > :16:05.and the swans looking as cool and calm as ever cutting
:16:06. > :16:08.through the ice at Kenilworth in Warwickshire.
:16:09. > :16:10.We've got more lovely pictures to come in the forecast later,
:16:11. > :16:14.but if you'd like to join the hoards of people already signed up
:16:15. > :16:16.as weather watchers, we'd love your contribution.
:16:17. > :16:20.All you need to do is got to bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers
:16:21. > :16:27.Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this is our top
:16:28. > :16:29.story tonight: Hospitals across the region struggling to cope
:16:30. > :16:31.with the number of patients, as they're forced to wait
:16:32. > :16:36.Also in the programme this evening: Hardly ideal
:16:37. > :16:39.weather for new born lambs, but no fewer than 11 have arrived
:16:40. > :16:46.And how come heavy metal legend Tony Iommi's written a choral piece
:16:47. > :17:03.Construction work on the National College for High Speed is gathering
:17:04. > :17:06.pace, as you'd expect at a place with a name like that!
:17:07. > :17:09.It's costing more than ?20 million to build and it's claimed to be
:17:10. > :17:12.the first all new further education college in the UK since
:17:13. > :17:15.the 1990s.The complex, in Birmingham, will take its first
:17:16. > :17:18.students in September and our Transport Correspondent,
:17:19. > :17:22.Peter Plisner has been given exclusive access.
:17:23. > :17:25.It might look like just another building rising up from the ground,
:17:26. > :17:27.but the new National College for High Speed Rail promises
:17:28. > :17:29.to revolutionise training of the railway engineers
:17:30. > :17:35.It's very much emulating what you would get in the
:17:36. > :17:38.And this is the new colleges Chief Executive, Claire Mowbray,
:17:39. > :17:41.she can't wait for the first students to arrive.
:17:42. > :17:44.We're looking to train people aged 18 and over, we
:17:45. > :17:47.are looking to engage with people in employment
:17:48. > :17:50.within the rail sector, but also those people who are
:17:51. > :17:53.leaving, maybe, college or school and they want to come into the rail
:17:54. > :17:57.industry and start to get trained to go into employment.
:17:58. > :18:02.And this is what the new college will look like when it's finished.
:18:03. > :18:04.In Birmingham they'll specialise in management
:18:05. > :18:07.and digital technology, while a second new centre
:18:08. > :18:13.in Doncaster will deal with design and construction skills.
:18:14. > :18:16.It is the first sector focused college that we've got.
:18:17. > :18:26.brand-new start from scratch college since 1993.
:18:27. > :18:32.There will be a cafe and a glass sided workshop.
:18:33. > :18:34.There will be an atrium there with stairs up to
:18:35. > :18:37.There'll be 3000 students studying here when it's
:18:38. > :18:42.And with the first students arriving in September the new college
:18:43. > :18:45.is certainly going up fast, construction work only started
:18:46. > :18:49.in May and the man in charge says it's certainly a challenge.
:18:50. > :18:51.This one is slightly more challenging than
:18:52. > :18:54.others because it's been a quick start-up.
:18:55. > :18:57.From conception to getting onto site.
:18:58. > :19:04.While most students will eventually work on HS2, the new college
:19:05. > :19:07.will also play a leading role providing civil engineers
:19:08. > :19:16.A sheep farmer in Staffordshire's celebrating the arrival of 11 lambs,
:19:17. > :19:19.despite the usual breeding season for ewes being in the spring.
:19:20. > :19:23.It's thought two escaped rams in the summer are to blame
:19:24. > :19:30.This little one is the result of a bit of early passion in the
:19:31. > :19:35.You would normally have to wait until spring to see newborn
:19:36. > :19:39.lambs, but at this farm in Staffordshire 11 have come a long
:19:40. > :19:44.Well, we kept the tups away from the ewes.
:19:45. > :19:47.We didn't want any accidents, they were two
:19:48. > :19:55.field away, but nevertheless the tups got into the
:19:56. > :20:01.surprise, at the end of November when there was a lamb in the field.
:20:02. > :20:04.We thought, the tups would never have caught the news for the
:20:05. > :20:06.short space of time they were in that field in July.
:20:07. > :20:13.This lamb that Deborah is holding now is number seven of the 11, born
:20:14. > :20:18.three days before Christmas Day, and a real cutie.
:20:19. > :20:21.Lambs are normally timed to be born when the grass is
:20:22. > :20:25.starting to grow, fortunately mild conditions mean there is some
:20:26. > :20:27.grazing to be had, so the new offspring are let out
:20:28. > :20:37.It's a beautiful day, we've got a lovely frosty morning.
:20:38. > :20:41.And on top of that we've got a lambs running around, really happy.
:20:42. > :20:44.It's nearly six weeks since the first lamb was born, Deborah
:20:45. > :20:48.still can't get over the lengths the tups went to to reach the ewes.
:20:49. > :20:53.They went from all the way over there, through there, through the
:20:54. > :20:57.And ended up at that gate, then got to
:20:58. > :21:01.Even though she loves the lambs, Deborah
:21:02. > :21:13.This year the tups will be put a mile away from the ewes.
:21:14. > :21:16.And we'll make sure there is no way they could
:21:17. > :21:18.actually sent these ewes, or indeed, anybody else's ewes.
:21:19. > :21:21.So clearly, any further misplaced passion won't get
:21:22. > :21:31.Bob Hockenhull, BBC Midlands Today, Staffordshire.
:21:32. > :21:34.One of the world's great rock superstars has written a track
:21:35. > :21:38.Tony Iommi, guitarist with Black Sabbath, said he wanted
:21:39. > :21:41.to 'give something back' to his home city.
:21:42. > :21:44.Ben Sidwell's at the Cathedral, where the track was played
:21:45. > :21:46.in public for the very first time this evening.
:21:47. > :21:57.Ben, this is quite a different direction for Tony, isn't it?
:21:58. > :22:03.You could say that. Gone are the guitars and hard-rock, replaced by
:22:04. > :22:10.something tranquil and ecclesiastical. In a moment I'll be
:22:11. > :22:11.speaking to the man himself, that phrase I've been finding out about
:22:12. > :22:15.the track. He's the man who, along
:22:16. > :22:18.with the rest of Black Sabbath, But Tony Iommi's latest
:22:19. > :22:23.composition is very different. I've done stuff with instrumental
:22:24. > :22:36.acoustics, but to do something like this, for Birmingham, to be involved
:22:37. > :22:41.with the Dean and the choir, this whole thing, I've
:22:42. > :22:47.really enjoyed it. The track How Good It Is,
:22:48. > :22:58.has seen the formation of a very While Tony's written the music,
:22:59. > :23:02.it's the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Reverend Catherine Ogle
:23:03. > :23:06.who's composed the lyrics. Every cathedral loves to be in place
:23:07. > :23:10.of gathering where people are To bring together
:23:11. > :23:20.different sorts of music, different genres, and create
:23:21. > :23:22.something beautiful and harmonious Especially written for
:23:23. > :23:25.Birmingham Cathedral, this afternoon its composers got
:23:26. > :23:27.to hear it in situ for The combination of the choir
:23:28. > :23:36.and the music that Tony put To be able to listen to it,
:23:37. > :24:04.especially in the situation as well. Well, you may be able to hear the
:24:05. > :24:08.music playing in the cathedral. Let's speak to Birmingham's answer
:24:09. > :24:12.to Lennon and McCartney. This is something you wanted to do for
:24:13. > :24:17.Thurman, why was it so important is that I'm from Birmingham.
:24:18. > :24:21.I think it's a great thing to be involved with. Certainly being
:24:22. > :24:28.involved with Catherine and doing something with the choir.
:24:29. > :24:31.It was very different for me. It's an unlikely partnership, how did you
:24:32. > :24:36.get together? We matched mutual friend. We talked
:24:37. > :24:45.about doing something then, didn't we? And that's what happened.
:24:46. > :24:50.Let's speak to the Dean of Birmingham, the very Reverend
:24:51. > :24:55.Katharine. For you this is a significant find photos of you. Tony
:24:56. > :24:58.and Black Sabbath finished touring next month, you leave them on
:24:59. > :25:04.Sunday. Yes, that this is a lovely project,
:25:05. > :25:07.the culmination of so much work. The cathedral brings people together and
:25:08. > :25:11.sometimes surprising people off altogether to make something
:25:12. > :25:17.beautiful. We are proud of this project.
:25:18. > :25:23.Will you will together again? Will you be on the new South album?
:25:24. > :25:28.Who knows, this was a great project. -- Black Sabbath album. His song is
:25:29. > :25:31.available so get on the Internet where you can find it.
:25:32. > :25:34.I should think sales of scrapers and de-icers rocketed today!
:25:35. > :25:48.But I'll say it till the cows come home,
:25:49. > :25:55.your pictures today were Fab - u - lous!
:25:56. > :25:58.From fields to tree lined roads and vistas of distant hills,
:25:59. > :26:01.everything sparkling in frost and sun but the headline from last
:26:02. > :26:07.night was the temperature, the coldest spot in the region
:26:08. > :26:10.was pershore in Worcestershire with lows of -7.
:26:11. > :26:15.The cold place in England was Benson in Oxfordshire at -8 making it
:26:16. > :26:21.the coldest night of the winter so far for England but this is how
:26:22. > :26:26.things progress as we head towards the weekend,
:26:27. > :26:30.a bit of rain to get through tomorrow but it opens up
:26:31. > :26:32.the way to much milder conditions and drier ones too as
:26:33. > :26:46.You can't ask fairer than that, could be a bit cloudy but a small
:26:47. > :26:53.price to pay for saving on the heating bill.
:26:54. > :27:08.A widespread frost as temperatures plummet. -12 -4000 fifth still very
:27:09. > :27:14.cold. Cloud edge in from the west. It will be a frosty start tomorrow
:27:15. > :27:19.and cold as well. Gradually the cloud invades from the West and
:27:20. > :27:24.takes over, removing the sunshine. Like patchy rain in the afternoon.
:27:25. > :27:30.It could be heavier in places. You can see very little of it around.
:27:31. > :27:36.Milder tomorrow with Pfizer five to six ounces 50 today's as we look
:27:37. > :27:39.further ahead, that rain clears stewards into Saturday followed by
:27:40. > :27:43.lots of love the arts'. I'll be back at 10:30
:27:44. > :27:55.with your late update. We're looking for someone
:27:56. > :27:59.who can sing, someone who can move. Someone who can keep an audience
:28:00. > :28:01.on the edge of their seat. Something like this
:28:02. > :28:06.could change my life. When you're born to perform,
:28:07. > :28:27.Let It Shine... Magical new drama...
:28:28. > :28:35.The Worst Witch. Shall we? Absolutely.
:28:36. > :28:40...DI Goodman... It's been lovely, our little holiday
:28:41. > :28:45.romance. ..is back on the case.