06/03/2017 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight... the BBC's news teams where you are.

A hotspot for Islamist terrorism - nearly one fifth of all offenders

in the country come from the West Midlands.

It's not going to go away any time soon.

It is highly likely that there will be a terrorist attack

We'll also be hearing from a former Far Right leader who's now

Pupils are offered counselling at a Birmingham school

after a 9-year-old boy died from a suspected allergic reaction.

Everybody's very sorry for what's happened so I'm

here to support my children as well today who are very sad.

As the struggling Sky Blues appoint their fourth

manager of the season, we'll be live in Coventry asking

Wacky and eccentric, he once rocked classical music.

Now 60, Nigel Kennedy speaks ahead of his Birmingham

And with everything burst into bloom, spring seems

It's certainly warming up but there's rain, too.

Get all the details with me in the forecast later.

"Extremism is never the answer - the cost to you, your

family and your community is often horrific."

The words of Nigel Bromage, who spent more than 20

years as an active member of Far Right organisations.

He's now spreading a message of peace and helps combat

It comes as a new report from an anti-extremism Think Tank

paints Birmingham as a hotspot for Islamist terrorism.

It claims 18% of all Islamist terrorist offenders in the UK have

80% of those were based in Birmingham.

And 74% of the Birmingham offenders were from the Hodge Hill

Our special correspondent Peter Wilson has been investigating.

20 years ago, Nigel Bromage was spouting hate at

He's returned for the first time since turning his back

Within a very short time the Cock Inn came a hotbed

It was our area where we controlled it, really.

I'd slowly been groomed and embraced in national socialism,

The only terror attack to be carried out in recent years

bombs targeting mosques in the West Midlands.

A racist, he also murdered grandfather Mohammed Saleem.

But it's Islamist extremists who have gathered most headlines.

One Think Tank this week publishes a report saying that 39 convicted

terrorists came from the city, three quarters living in a small,

One of the things we noticed was that offenders living

in Birmingham tended to come from areas that were highly deprived

and also very segregated with a large Muslim population,

Heightened security around Birmingham's Christmas market,

armed police in unmarked cars amid fears of a

The German market may be long gone but the terrorist threat

Across the country, some 13 terrorist plots have been prevented

over the last four years but West Midlands Police don't

want to tell you how many people they've arrested,

It is not going to go away any time soon.

It is highly likely that there will be a terrorist attack

Those attacks are not focused on particular locations

or particular places, they could affect any community

anywhere and therefore every member of every community needs

to understand that threat, needs to understand that risk

and have the confidence to be able to report anything suspicious to us.

I'm welcomed at a mosque in Balsall Heath.

The threat of Islamist terrorists may be real but it's

austerity and job cuts that really worry people.

Those people who kind of want to be radicalised or those

people who are vulnerable, I guess, to extremist radicalisation

or however you kind of want to coin it or phrase it are going to be

snapped up by those people in those dark corners of society

or on the Internet where, you know, the mosque or the Muslim

community can't actually be expected to have a say or control.

Open your eyes to hate is a video released now to highlight

Nigel Bromage is taking his message into schools

We need to understand that extremism is never the answer.

Dialogue is and it's very much if we don't understand a community

we have to sit down with them and we have to learn.

He says that if one man can change then so, too, can a city.

Peter Wilson, BBC Midlands Today, Birmingham.

Police are urging people to report any suspicious activity

or extremist material to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800

Pupils at a school in Birmingham are being offered counselling

He collapsed at the Al Hijrah School in Bordesley Green

on Friday after suffering a suspected allergic reaction.

Our reporter Amy Cole is at the school tonight.

This must have been a terrible shock, Amy?

For some of the parents I spoke to, dismay and sadness, but then

there are parents who still don't know about this tragedy.

We understand the child had a food allergy, and had suffered a bad

I spoke to a pupil earlier who was in the same year group

as the boy and she said her Mum was around at the time

My mum was quite shocked and basically he had fish allergies

so he ate it and the came unconscious and it took five minutes

to find the injection and by the time his breath had

stopped so they called the ambulance.

We must stress that it's not known if the boy was allergic

to fish in particular, or indeed some other food type.

The injection that Hafsah mentioned was because the boy was suffering

He was taken to Heartlands Hospital where he later died.

A parent I spoke to this morning whose daughter has a nut allergy,

which she says the school is aware of, had decided to keep her child

at home today and was keen to speak to teachers.

Just wanted to make sure before I can send her again so this

is an eye-opener that everyone not to treat these things lightly.

Is there a lot of shock amongst parents?

Just to show my condolences because the child was a Al Hijrah

schoolchild and I'm sure everybody is very sorry about what happened,

so I'm here to support my children as well today who are very sad

As you'd expect, an investigation is underway.

The school has published a tribute to him on their website.

It says the boy, who has not been named, was a very popular member

of the class and will be missed by everyone.

Arsonists set fire to a car used by boxing star Floyd Mayweather

during a visit to Birmingham at the weekend.

The people carrier was parked outside the Park Regis Hotel,

in Broad Street, when it was attacked at half past

Former world champion Mayweather had been meeting fans at the nearby

A man's appeared in court in Warwick after a pensioner was assaulted

37-year-old Carl Pinder is accused of murdering Patrick Redmond,

following an alleged altercation at Riley's in Hertford

Pinder is due in court again in April.

A Cheltenham woman who was told she may not survive without a third

liver transplant is recovering in hospital after a donor was found.

Alex Keel had the transplant last Wednesday.

She's set to become the first patient in the UK to receive

pioneering stem cell treatment to help her body accept the organ.

Her family have described the donor on social media

Alex is being treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

A BBC investigation has found evidence to suggest the introduction

of a so-called "clean air zone" in Birmingham might

The proposal is supposed to cut nitrogen dioxides

in the atmosphere which mainly come from diesel engines.

But Inside Out has found that similar schemes in Germany haven't

Exhausts pump out quite a few nasties.

Some, like carbon dioxide, are thought to harm the planet,

but others are said to harm you and me.

Top of the list is nitrogen dioxide, most of which comes

Now, the government's solution comes from Germany and, here it is.

It's an Unwelt, or an environmental zone.

This one in Munich is one of 47 across Germany.

Only vehicles that have passed the most rigorous emissions tests

It's meant Germans have had to replace their old diesel

This is one of the measurement stations we have in Munich.

Dr Jozef is from the German research Centre for environment and health.

So, despite scrapping all those old diesel vehicles,

the levels of nitrogen dioxide in Munich still well

Which begs the question, why introduce controversial clean

A clean air zone will address some of the problems

What I need to understand and need to be clear

on is whether restricting it to commercial vehicles only

will address the problem of whether we have to look wider.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs did not

respond directly to our findings on clean the zones.

The government is due to update its quality

But if you own a diesel, it might not be good news.

So, our noses do a great job of catching much

We asked our science correspondent for the facts and he is here now.

How does the pollution affect us? So, our noses do a great

job of catching much But smaller particles slip

past the nose and can go on to damage our lungs

and our heart. And the very smallest particles may

even get into our brain. There's plenty of focus

from the Government on Birmingham because the traffic

and so the pollution But there's no cut off point

for pollution and its effects. So wherever you are if there's any

traffic at all it is having If you take an average human life

span, let's say just under 80 years, then the effects of pollution

from traffic is to knock six But is there anything we can do

to claw those lost months back? Well, yes, and you'll also

be tackling the wider If you give up driving a car for say

a short journey of say two miles and you're walking that journey

instead, then you're probably doing some physical activity,

which is great for your health personally, but you'll also have

reduced the emissions So exercise will boost your life

span and make a difference Now, next month the Government will

put forward its new clean air plan. But as we saw in Ayo Akinwolere's

report, some of the ideas they may suggest haven't worked out

as well as people had You can find more about all this

on the BBC website, go to bbc.co.uk And you can see more on this story

on Inside Out West Midlands at the usual time of 7.30pm tonight

here on BBC One. They don't own their own stadium,

they're heading into the fourth division of English professional

football and today Coventry City appointed their tenth

manager in as many years. So can Mark Robins finally be the

man to turn their fortunes around? Our sports editor Nick Clitheroe

is outside the Ricoh Arena now. Why have the club changed

managers yet again Nick? Well, they say desperate times call

for desperate measures and the Sky Blues are certainly

at their lowest point Relegation looks inevitable

and the appointment of Mark Robins is being sold as a chance

to rebuild the club. Just a warning, my report

contains flash photography. When Russell Slade was appointed

Coventry manager in December, he was supposed to be the man

to save them from They may have drawn at Shrewsbury

on Saturday but that still left them 13 points from safety with 11

games to go. His replacement is Mark Robins,

who managed the club for five months He's been given a contract that

extends beyond this season I think it's promising if he's

planning for next season already Hopefully the owners

back him this time around. It's like, you know,

they say rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

when the ship's going down. I think we all know

that the problems are Without a change of ownership,

nothing's going to change. It's that issue of the

club's owners, SISU, There have been frequent fan

of protests against them but they show little sign of selling

up or major investment in the team. Rebuilding Coventry's fortunes

on the pitch against that backdrop will be a massive test

of Mark Robins' managerial talent. It's no exaggeration

to say the problems facing They only have a lease to play

here at the Ricoh until the end of next season and there's no real

sign of them finding a permanent There are also debts

of more than ?40 million. The Sky Blues Trust say it's frankly

embarrassing for the club to be on its fourth manager of the season

and have urged SISU So plenty for Mark Robins to talk

about when he meets the media As a committed football fan I really

feel for Coventry City supporters going through such turbulent times,

I know what it is like from experience.

Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this

An independent report says nearly one fifth of all Islamist terrorism

offenders in the country come from the West Midlands.

Well, what a beautiful morning it was today.

I walked for miles in the sunshine, but was it a false dawn?

To some degree, yes but we musn't be too down hearted,

We may not have had as much sunshine as today

but there's rain for the blooms that are already bursting into life

Also this evening, off the wall and wacky when he shook up the world

of classical music some 30 years ago - we're talking to Nigel Kennedy

It's a race against time to save a rare and historic

piece of Wedgwood pottery for the Midlands.

Fundraisers need to raise more than ?450,000 to stop

a vase made by Josiah Wedgwood himself some 250 years ago

from leaving the country and keep it in Stoke-on-Trent.

ARCHIVE: In a factory where craftsmanship dates back

Think of some of the famous pottery names that came out

of Stoke-on-Trent and Wedgwood will almost certainly be

Josiah Wedgwood changed the way ceramics were made and his designs

As his fame grew, he moved from Burslem to a brand

new purpose-built factory in Etruria, where on its opening

Now, a fight is underway to keep one of those in the city it was made in.

Something he conceived, made, touched, held in his hands.

It's that important, it's absolutely unique.

For 35 years it was on loan to the Potteries Museum

and Art Gallery, but now there's a hole in the exhibition where it

used to sit because last year it was auctioned by Christie's

We have the finest ceramics museum in the world.

What other reason than that reason could you have than to keep

It gives it more identity identity to be here.

It means a lot to this city and to this museum.

The government has put a temporary stop on it leaving the country,

but to keep it here is going to cost almost ?500,000, and there's not

This isn't the first time the museum has had to raise funds to keep

important artefacts here, like the Staffordshire Hoard

and of course the famous Ozzie The Owl found on the BBC's

So far, enough money has been raised to unlock a grant

from the Arts Council and the local authority are confident they'll

It has been on show that long in this museum,

quite a number of years, so really it should be kept here.

It's sad to see it, you know, it's been sold to an overseas bidder.

At a time when budgets are tight, campaigners are hoping people

in the city will help to keep this important historical

item where it can be enjoyed for years to come.

Rebecca Wood, Midlands Today, Stoke-on-Trent.

We've already heard about the change of managers and the turmoil

Dan's here with the rest of the sport and a fantastic day

Full house, they are nearly safe, not quite yet, though. They have

made a huge stride to premiership football with a thumping win over

Bristol. Just one side will be relegated and yesterday's game was

between the bottom two. It was expected to be tight and tense but

Worcester's 41-24 victory leaves them seven points clear of restore

with just five games to go. The players in the dressing

room knew it, too. But if there were any nerves

in the Worcester camp, they were almost immediately

quelled. It took them just over a minute

to score a penalty try. It was like getting

a seven-point headstart. Bristol were rocked and Worcester

took full advantage. Scrum-half Francois Hougaard

pouncing on a loose line-out His dash from another line-out ended

with a try for Bryce Heem. A bonus point for scoring four tries

was secured before half-time. Worcester built a lead of 36-10

before a bit of a wobble. When Bristol winger Tom Varndell

intercepted to score, Bristol suddenly had bonus points

in sight themselves. But any thoughts of a comeback

were finally killed off when Wynand Olivier scored

their sixth and final try. The 41-24 victory making it a day

to savour for the Warriors. I love it, it's a great bunch

of guys and quite sad where we are at the moment

at the bottom but we've got a really special thing going hand

just watch this space, Big places is certainly

where Wasps are heading. They remain top of the Premiership

after winning 24-3 at Bath. Australian Kurtley Beale

with another stand-out performance. But Gloucester coach Laurie Fisher

hinted he may step down after their crushing home

defeat to Harlequins. They had a 12 point lead with eight

minutes left but conceded two late But at Sixways, they're hoping that

yesterday's victory will give them a chance to do it

all again next season. So, a pretty breathless

weekend of rugby. But Villa fans are perhaps sleeping

in the beds a little easier now. Three wins a week for Steve Bruce's

side have lifted them away Their latest victory came

at Rotherham on Saturday. That was also the scoreline

at Stoke City in the Premier League. A straightforward

afternoon for them. Marco Anautovic scored twice

as they beat Middlesbrough. And in League One Walsall

were also 2-0 winners. They beat Oldham in

League One on Saturday. The Saddlers in mid-table

but Port Vale and Coventry in big Something to celebrate

in athletics at the weekend. Yes two golds at the European Indoor

championships in Belgrade. Birmingham-based high

jumper Robbie Grabarz and Stratford's Andrew Pozzi

in the men's 60 metres hurdles. Pozzi really benefiting

from a good run without injury. Let's hope he can carry

the good form in the summer. And on Friday we reported

on Birmingham's first ever Lauren Johnson made

her debut on Saturday. He was the man who brought classical

music to a new generation, he's one of Aston Villa's most high

profile fans and he's just To celebrate his landmark

birthday and career so far, Nigel Kennedy is performing a gala

concert at Birmingham's Because it's time now in my life

to say thank you and just to recognise how much luck I've had

in playing music and In the world of classical

music, Nigel Kennedy He remains the best selling

violinist of all time. A child prodigy who grew up

in Solihull, he's about to return to Birmingham for a Gala Concert

to celebrate his 60th birthday. It is kind of like my voyage

through, or a large part And so there's quite

a lot to put together. Nigel will also be performing some

of his own new compositions, like this piece called Solitude,

Dedicated to Yehudi Menuhin, who It was written and inspired during

Nigel's time living in Malvern. I think a lot of composers have been

influenced by nature. Elgar's music is very much

influenced by the Malvern Hills. So I've been tracking around

the hills just in the same way that Elgar might have been and it made

some quite profound As well as music, there's one other

major passion in Nigel's life. I mean, it's more like lion

cubs at the moment! Everyone said oh, it's

the end of the world, I prefer playing

in the Championship. We've got the Bluenoses,

we've got Wolves, we've got, like, Forest and Derby,

I mean going to them or Sheffield Wednesday,

going to clubs like that going to Bournemouth and Watford,

mean which league is bigger? So having hit the big 6-0,

what about the future? Well, I have done a landmark

birthday just recently and like the one thing it has

helped me focus on is are we going to win the FA Cup

or going to win a major trophy, Nigel's Gala Celebration concert

is at the Birmingham You can see more of that interview

on our Facebook page. If I tried to play a violin,

I'd make it rain in five minutes. I'm afraid not, it can't go on. How

-- however today was brimming with signs of life but a sunrise like

this is always a great way to start the day. It sets up the rest of the

day on a good fitting. But we had a lot of blue skies and sunshine right

across areas and we had flowers here in Warwick and scenic views across

Shropshire as well. Things are changing and that is by the end of

tomorrow. We have a frontal system pushing in from the West through the

course of tomorrow night and that will set the ball rolling on a

downward slope for the rest of the week. In summary, this is how the

rest of the week is looking. We have spells of rain, some sunshine

tomorrow but it is going to turn milder from Wednesday onwards and

then windier into the weekend. This evening we have a few showers

scattered about the region. They are starting to feeding from the

south-west. They will gradually fade away late on the night leaving clear

skies and in the countryside just a spot of frost here and there.

Generally temperatures will be down to four or five Celsius. They sell

you start to the day tomorrow. We will hold onto sunshine, just a

bitter cloud milling around. That sunshine will turn hazier as a cloud

starts to drift in from the south-west. Initially high cloud and

it won't stop those temperatures from rising to between highs of

eight to 10 Celsius with light south-westerly winds. Looking ahead

to tomorrow weeding to the macro evening and overnight we have heavy

rain pushing in from the west stretching right across the region

and this will last much of the night. With the Carling mile night,

temperatures a minimum of six Celsius. It is mild to begin with on

Wednesday but it should be largely dry. Rain out of the way, leaving

behind a light scattering of showers and then those systems start to move

Thursday onwards from the south-west.

I'll be back at 10.30pm with your late update.