09/02/2017 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. so it's goodbye from me.

The headlines tonight: One of the biggest cold calling

The advertising company who conned people out of thousands of pounds.

The brutal, honest and awful truth is that Best cost them at their

home. They were in debt aged 80 on a pension.

Also tonight: An unbearable sight and stench of animal waste -

complaints from local businesses near an abattoir.

The Worcestershire woman who lost half her body weight in a year -

I have gone from having no confidence to having quite a bit of

confidence. To going out, enjoying life... Forget Bollywood, I'm in

West Bromwich for the UK premiere of a Punjabi film shot in Birmingham

and the Black Country. And if you think it's been

cold today, temperatures are going to drop even further

as we head towards the weekend, It has become the biggest

cold-calling scam A multi-million pound fraud

which started with a phone call selling advertising space

and resulted in people being conned The final sentences

were handed down today. Kiera Byrne from Coventry was given

a 23-month suspended jail sentence The fraud was uncovered by BBC

Inside Out six years ago. That led to a huge operation

by Trading Standards teams, unpicking the true extent

of the fraud and the families who'd For years, Jonathan Rivers

masqueraded as a legitimate businessman, employing 250 people

at twelve different offices. His company, Wyvern Media,

cold-called customers offering them advertising space

in local newspapers. What happened to my parents is

astonishing. Seven years on, it still keeps me awake at night. This

man was one of hundreds conned by rivers who used his businesses to

rip people off. Among them Jon Moyle

from Shropshire, who back in 2010 When Wyvern Media spotted he wanted

to rent out an apartment they cold-called him relentlessly,

pressuring him into Over a two-year period they took

over thirty thousand pounds. They just persist of the whole time.

I just wanted to get rid of it because I had so much else on my

mind. In reality, the adverts Wyvern Media

pressured customers into buying Most were in free newspapers

with tiny circulations. This is the rest of the property

that we seized from Derby. The five year investigation by Trading

Standards, led by Steve Wyatt became the biggest in their history. They

pick the elaborate web of companies that Jonathan Rivers used to conceal

his fraudulent activities. When you will be complicated, but we didn't

have any idea just how big this was going to get.

But justice came too late for victim Jon Moyle, who died.

The brutal, honest, awful truth is that this cost them their house.

They were in debt, aged 80, on a pension. My mother was ever so brave

and she put the house on the market for my dad, but within about a month

of that happening, February 2011, my mother died.

And Jonathan Rivers is currently serving a six-year sentence.

The manager of the investigations team at Nottinghamshire County

Council Trading Standards is James Delaney.

I spoke to him a little earlier about the work involved in bringing

This was the largest investigation that the Trading Standards team has

been involved in. It focused on a group of companies called the Wyvern

Media Group that sold advertising and published it. It involved a

network of up to 90 companies that produced 230 plus publications.

What were the challenges you faced investigating this scam?

Absolutely. They set of the business itself, how it was organised, it was

an industrial scale fraud. And the challenges that were identifying how

far this company actually reached. Won so huge distress to the victims?

Yes. The victims in that case, unfortunately, are no longer with us

today, but I have no doubt in my mind that the stress that was caused

to them through those actions will have impacted on their final years.

Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, what can people do

I would ask anybody to be extremely wary about any business who cold

calls them, especially if they try and pressurise them into making a

decision or a sale there and then. I would always advise people to do

their own research. So don't make decisions on the spot. On the

sentencing, a suspended sentence of 23 months. What is your reaction? In

terms of the sentences that were given out today, I would say we were

disappointed that they did not get custodial. However, this was part of

a much wider investigation. We have had 12 convictions now and over 15

and a half years worth of custodial sentences handed down as part of the

overall operation, so as a whole, we are extremely pleased with the

result. If you have a similar story or have

been the victim of a scam, do get in touch. You can contact us in the

usual ways. That's the plea from businesses

near an abattoir in Birmingham, who say the sight and stench

of animal waste is unbearable. Midlands Today has been shown images

of what appears to be blood outside It previously traded as Mr Meats,

but lost its licence following an investigation

by the Food Standards Agency in October 2015,

following years of complaints. The abattoir now has

a new license to operate. You may find some of the images in

Ben Godfrey's report distressing. These images appear to show

animal blood in the yard of AJ Meats in Digbeth,

an abbatoir supplying halal meat. We're told they were

taken this morning. When we arrived trade

was continuing, from the roadside there were no visible

signs of waste. But surrounding firms

have had enough. It is so bad, the smell is pungent

and stronger we all suffer around it. All the businesses are generally

suffering. We to the problems last time they would sort it out and

there will be more stringent rules in place that would stop them

starting up again. 2015, when piles of sheep

carcasses and offal appeared in the same yard, discarded

and exposed to the elements. At that time, it was run

by different company, known as Mr Meats, who were eventually

shut down by the food watchdog. So what did the new

owners have to say? We have tried on several occasions

to get an answer from the company, but as you can see, nobody is

responding. A short time later,

we were approached by a worker. He told us they were a clean

operation but added that occasionally there may be some

spillage of waste while Tonight, the Food Standards Agency

told us following complaints they have stationed an official

there this week to work They add, "In October 2016

conditional approval was granted "The FSA will continue

to monitor their compliance "with the relevant

requirements of food law." Local businessman Peter Hughes says

the authorities must be tougher. The new owners have barely been

operating to months. When the temperature increases what

is the smell going to be like then? Won they would say this is an

abattoir, there will be some smelly, inevitably? That is fine and we

understand the kind of animal smells that you would expect of an

abattoir. The real issues here are the poor controls.

Whether they like it or not, all eyes are on them.

An entire lorry-load of old fridges and freezers have been dumped

The 21 appliances were pushed off the back of a truck

The lorry was caught on CCTV but had no number plates.

The fridges have since been disposed of.

Walsall Council say it's the latest in a catalogue

of flytipping problems, which cost the taxpayers four hundred

We want them to prosper, to look good.

Nobody, at the end of the day, wants to turn down a road and see

such a dangerous site of fly-tipping without a care for any of the

The funeral of a teenager who died after a long

running battle with cancer, was held at the Coventry

15-year-old Rosie Abbott was diagnosed in 2012,

but embarked on a series of fundraising events raising more

Two years ago she won the Radio One Teenage Hero award.

Hundreds paid tribute at her funeral, including friends

Whatever's happening to her, she would just get on with it.

Everyone would just feel so happy around her.

You could be having a very bad day and

she would come down as she would just smile

She was the most incredible person ever.

Really inspirational and just really kind.

Police have released footage of a Walsall shopkeeper

The man seen here attempted to raid Kobani Stores

on West Bromwich Street using a hand gun just before midnight

Police have praised the owner of the shop who sprayed mace

in the face of the robber, who then ran off.

Officers are asking anyone who recognises

The headteacher of a school in Birmingham has written

to parents, warning them not to allow their children out

It follows an attack on a group of Year Ten pupils on Friday night,

in which a teenager was wounded with a knife.

A local shopkeeper and a cyclist were also attacked by

Our reporter Nicola Beckford is at Colmers School in Rednal now.

There was an extraordinary series of attacks last Friday in South

Birmingham and as you say, it happened at around nine o'clock, the

first attack. The shopkeeper was attacked. He was attacked outside a

shop by a mob of youths. Up to 20 of them attacked him. But he was

determined to defend his shop. It is not the first time this has happened

and he was not going to take this. So he went out to try and fight them

off, but he was set upon with hammers. They beat him to the

ground, he did not want us to show that moment. Then, a cyclist was

attacked at Macdonald is on the Bristol Road just outside. And it

finally culminated with a group of boys from Colmers School being

attacked, one was stabbed. What have the school had to say? I spoke to

the head teacher today and they are in deep shock. They say they are

recovering, but they are indeed in deep shock. He sent a letter to

parents and carers and in it, you said that until the size, identity

and group of the known, I asked you to bring your children from being

out in public after dark. In other words come he does not think it is a

good idea for children and his pupils to be all sides night

unaccompanied. I also spoke to some local people to get their reaction

about this and this is what they said.

And especially in the supermarket car park.

There, after ten at night, you will see nothing but

So where is the safety for the public around here?

There's been a lot of trouble since that college down there was built.

You get gangs and kids coming from the

But after 13 or 14, if there's two or three,

Mr Doherty, the headteacher, said these were nice boys, not boys

looking for trouble. The police said they have arrested five people for

robbery and assault and the boy and the shopkeeper are both recovering.

Thank you. Bed blocking continues to be

a problem for six health trusts in our region,

which have recorded their highest ever number of days lost to delays

in discharging patients. The incidents happen when patients

no longer need to be in hospital, but other suitable care

isn't in place. Areas affected include

the Wye Valley, But in Dudley, health services

are being radically re-organised so more patients can be kept

out of hospital. They are trying to create a ?3.5bn

ten-year contract to bring health Here's our Health Correspondent,

Michele Paduano. My hips hurt, my back hurt and I was

in terrible pain. And that was it. I was just feeling very down.

Barry Rose is one of the 2% most in need of long-term care in Dudley.

He has diabetes and severe arthritis, but isolation was also

He's one of 30 cases being discussed at this team meeting.

The last solution was to get him to a breakfast club

With the breakfast club, I can now talk to the people who I find all a

lot worse than I was. It makes me feel better. And it is the best

thing I've ever done. Simple interventions like this can

keep poorly patients out What we've seen so far is like a 30%

reduction in GP visit since the projects began. It saves probably

around ?2000 estimated based on 38 clients.

It might seem obvious to get everyone who delivers care together.

But traditionally, it doesn't happen.

The social worker works for the council.

This nurse for a mental health trust.

This man has the task of creating one ?350m

They want us to work across the organisation and within the NHS, to

work better together and provide them in much better coordinate care.

We would use the team and terminal without Walls, enabling our staff to

work effectively with each other. But there are consequences,

particularly for hospitals. These are big changes. At least ?30

million and rumour has it up to ?50 million of funding that goes to the

hospital will now go to this new organisation. And then there are

fears its privatisation, the private company taking over the whole

contract. The NHS here thinks it's

the right way to go, bringing care closer

to those who need it. A whistle-blower has claimed that

staff at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch were pressured

into admitting patients to a "virtual ward" to avoid

breaching the government's But the Worcestershire Acute

Hospitals Trust says while it's found cases of "poor recording"

by staff, there is no evidence staff were trying

to defraud the system. Thanks for joining us

on Midlands Today, we'll have your detailed weather

forecast to come shortly. Also in tonight's programme: Rolling

out the red carpet for the premiere of a film made in the Midlands

with local talent. And the mystery of the animal graves

next to a small Shropshire Church - A woman from Worcestershire's lost

half her body weight and is now free from diabetes,

after having a gastric We filmed Michelle Clayton last

February, as she prepared She told us she was doing it so she

could see her daughter grow up. I don't feel like I'm missing out

on anything, which is half the Michelle Clayton's unrecognisable

from when we filmed her a year ago. I have three or four

Slim Fasts a day. This was the mum from

Pershore preparing for her It's just a whole

life-changing scenario really. Gone from having no confidence

to quite a bit of confidence, Here you go, this is my typical

lunch, on a side plate. And that is enough

for me to fill me up. And there's no going back

to big meals, but this sacrifice means she'll get

to see her daughter grow up. She even told me I am

quite a trendy mum now. She's come back to the

Worcestershire Royal Michelle's weight loss means she no

longer has type-two diabetes. Looking at the results,

you've done really well. She's now no longer having

any treatment for her diabetes and that is a major,

major benefit for her and her future And with soaring costs

for treating diabetes, the NHS is increasing its spending

on operations like these. In this region, we are seeing

progress in more funding for this type of and it is being

recognised that these patients can benefit hugely from this

kind of treatment. For Michelle, it's time to get out

of the baggy jumpers The red carpet premiere

of a new film shot and made across Birmingham and the Black Country

is taking place in My Beloved Non-Resident

Indian is a comedy about a young man coming

from the subcontinent to the Midlands for the first time

to impress his girlfriend's mother. He soon realises the streets aren't

necessarily paved with gold. It was written and directed

by a film-maker from Shirley, and recruited around 150

local actors and crew Our reporter Amy Cole

is in West Bromwich for us now. From tonight's UK premiere

here in West Bromwich, to the film being jam-packed

with landmarks and popular sites Apologies for the loss of sound

that. Archaeologists have been racing

against time at a dig next Experts have discovered evidence

of a much larger church But they have been up

against the clock, because a wedding is due

to take place this weekend In amongst a big housing development

in Shrewsbury, there's a tiny 12th And in front of it,

archaeologists called in as part of planning conditions

who have uncovered foundation showing the church

was once much bigger. Surrounding another 17 metres

from the original church They found an ancient

animal burial ground. What we have here is a double

animal burial, which is incredibly unusual in itself and

complete with a prehistoric flints tool at the base, we have a calf

buried with a pig. This is a very large dog that

appears to have died in childbirth and is

buried with six chickens. I've never heard of

anything like it before. So this could mean these

predate the church, so they were here well before

this was consecrated ground, or there is some

other bizarre explanation. Well, there are builders

working, there's archaeologists digging,

it is chaos here! But in the church, it's

like entering a completely different Services continue as normal

amid the busyness outdoors. What do worshippers think

of the discoveries? We are absolutely

amazed and thrilled and think perhaps now our church

will be on the map. People will actually

know we are here. I grew up around here,

so it is lovely to know that this site is much richer

than we ever thought And the priest now knows his church

once had a bigger presence. Everybody has thought

this is a tiny little church and even refer

to it as a shed, totally inconsequential

and on the edge of Shrewsbury, and yet, obviously, once, it was much

bigger and much more important. The animal and some

human remains will eventually be reburied in a funeral

service and the ground will be made into a car park, but with special

building material which will be And the Archaelogical team have been

in touch with us today to say that at the end of today's dig,

they uncovered a wooden doorpost which they believe could be the key

to proving that an Anglo Saxon It'll now be sent off

for dating and analysis. Let 's receiving can return to the

film premiere. It is great that this film features some landmarks on

popular sites from Birmingham and the Black Country. Let 's talk to

the producer now. It is very showcased in the film. What did you

go to Birmingham? I've lived here the last 26 years, I am from

Wolverhampton. Basically, all the other film-makers go for London and

they underestimate the Black Country. There is so much to

explore. That is why we decided to shoot in Birmingham. Of course, it

has its world premiere and is being shown worldwide. Do you think it

will attract other Indian -based directors to maybe think about

coming to the West Midlands to shoot here rather than go to London?

Definitely. We were talking yesterday to other directors and

they are planning to shoot in Birmingham. They have already

scripted the films and they are already planning to shoot here in

Birmingham. That is great news. And also joined by this actor, who will

you will probably recognise from Goodness Gracious Me! What is it

like being in this form? You play the father of the main character's

girlfriend. I was involved from day one. He turned up with this piece of

work with the script and we looked at it and the audience he was

looking to make it four, by setting it in Birmingham... And yet the

other 50% is out in India! It has been a real joy working with the

crew that has come from India, working in Birmingham and I am so

happy that as a location, that this film has been made here. Lets hope

for big audiences both the and in India.

Yes, there have been reports. But there is the potential of this

weekend to see some snow falling somewhere. It is very cold out

there. This is a scene repeated right away across the West Midlands

Today. We had slate grey skies everywhere. It has been very cold

and temperatures only got a tee-macro Celsius in some places and

we are already in minus figures in places. This weekend, it will stay

increasingly chilly. It will be very cold. Temperatures staying around

zero. We have plenty of cloud to, and we could start to see some

wintry showers. Tonight, we still have that is delete feed drinking

game that much colder air. It is starting to establish itself and

will be a chilly night. As we see those winds blowing game, that cold

air Contin used and eye on the map because it is a very cold night. We

are starting to see the cloud squeeze out the odd shower as that

means the colder air. It is likely to fall as sleet, possibly snow. It

probably won't cause too much trouble. Temperatures of minus one.

A little better in the centre of the region. There is an ice risks

tomorrow morning, so take care. We continue to see wintry showers

through the day and it will be a cloudy day, with temperatures not

doing well at all. They should get to about 2-3 C at best, but the wind

will be stronger tomorrow, so it's will feel colder. Tomorrow night,

cold. Starting to see a little more in the way of wintry flurries as we

head over night and again, temperatures dip to minus one.

Saturday, more organised showers blowing from the east and there is

the potential they could cause snow accumulations at low levels.

Goodbye, I will be by later. OK, everyone, have you got

your bamboo sticks? If you just paint

what you want to paint, I've turned around,

my painting washes away. ..and take on

The Big Painting Challenge. Remember, you're not painting

a pond.