:00:00. > :00:00.where he was running with the ball and was then tackled to the ground
:00:00. > :00:00.and went over the line to score a try with opponents still hanging
:00:07. > :00:20.onto him. We believe the suspect was known to
:00:21. > :00:27.the family and we do not believe this was a Berkeley or robbery. I am
:00:28. > :00:30.live in Stourbridge where I have been following these horrific
:00:31. > :00:35.heartbreaking events. Take off for a new airline in
:00:36. > :00:39.Birmingham, more than 20 new destinations and 200 jobs.
:00:40. > :00:46.As Coventry City head for Wembley, we are recalling their last minute
:00:47. > :00:50.with too much rope -- with two FA Cup winning heroes.
:00:51. > :00:55.And find out why getting your foot on the first rung of the ladder is
:00:56. > :00:59.as important to amphibians as to humans.
:01:00. > :01:05.It has officially been declared the warmest day of the year so far but
:01:06. > :01:12.how warm did it get here in the Midlands? A full forecast later as
:01:13. > :01:19.well as a look ahead to the week ahead.
:01:20. > :01:23.A mother and her 13-year-old son have died,
:01:24. > :01:25.after being stabbed at their home in Stourbridge.
:01:26. > :01:28.The boy's father survived the attack and he's being treated in hospital.
:01:29. > :01:30.Police were called to the house in Greyhound Lane this
:01:31. > :01:33.morning, where they found the family with severe stab wounds.
:01:34. > :01:36.A short time later, a Land Rover taken from the house was stopped
:01:37. > :01:45.Our special correspondent, Peter Wilson, reports.
:01:46. > :01:54.The emergency services were met with a scene of horror and heartbreak. A
:01:55. > :01:58.mother stabbed to death, her 13-year-old son lay dying inside the
:01:59. > :02:03.family home. The boy's father had stab wounds to his chest and back
:02:04. > :02:09.and was found in the back garden. He remains in a critical condition.
:02:10. > :02:16.They are believed to have been inflicted by a man known to the
:02:17. > :02:18.family but not a relative. Tragically, there was nothing that
:02:19. > :02:26.could be done to save the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A
:02:27. > :02:30.land Rover Discovery taken from the house at Stourbridge crashed into a
:02:31. > :02:36.recall in a nearby road, driven by a man in his 20s. He has been arrested
:02:37. > :02:39.by the police. The Ambulance Service say everything was done to try to
:02:40. > :02:46.save the life of the 13-year-old boy. A child with very serious
:02:47. > :02:51.injuries was in cardiac arrest at the scene. He was treated very
:02:52. > :02:55.quickly and given life-saving treatment before being taken to
:02:56. > :03:02.Birmingham Children's Hospital. Sadly, despite the best efforts of
:03:03. > :03:07.our staff on scene and those at the hospital, the child has subsequently
:03:08. > :03:12.died. The house in Greyhound Lane is the home of Tracy and Peter
:03:13. > :03:15.Wilkinson. He is a 47-year-old company director stop a close friend
:03:16. > :03:22.who has known him for ten years spoke to me as news began to break
:03:23. > :03:25.that this successful Black Country businessman has lost his wife and
:03:26. > :03:32.his teenage son. I saw him just a few weeks back, what can I say? He
:03:33. > :03:38.is like any other person living in the local area, very friendly,
:03:39. > :03:46.supportive, he offered me a drink actually, so we were just chatting
:03:47. > :03:49.and he was looking to help us, he was with the Conservatives in the
:03:50. > :03:54.area, and he has been helping me for years. This part of Stourbridge is
:03:55. > :04:03.smart and quiet. Neighbours, even the local postman, were trying to
:04:04. > :04:07.take in the shocking news. It should not happen for a car that doesn't
:04:08. > :04:12.belong to anybody else. Crazy. We heard about the crash nearby and
:04:13. > :04:16.connected the two and it is just tragic. This afternoon the land
:04:17. > :04:23.Rover was taken away and the main road reopened. The man who took the
:04:24. > :04:26.Discovery appears to have been driving around the streets of
:04:27. > :04:30.Stourbridge for more than 30 minutes. He was pursued by the
:04:31. > :04:35.police. He has driven into the brick wall but also collided with a police
:04:36. > :04:40.patrol car. Tonight more flowers laid at the scene. The message on
:04:41. > :04:42.one of the bouquets speaks of an amazing family.
:04:43. > :04:44.And Peter joins us now from Greyhound Lane in Stourbridge.
:04:45. > :04:48.What are the latest developments this evening, Peter?
:04:49. > :04:58.I understand that family members are at the bedside of Peter Wilkinson at
:04:59. > :05:06.the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. School friends of who
:05:07. > :05:11.they say is Pierce Wilkinson, the 13-year-old boy, have been arriving
:05:12. > :05:16.in greater and greater numbers to lay their flowers. The school
:05:17. > :05:22.itself, Redhill School in Stourbridge, has said that it is
:05:23. > :05:26.offering trained professional counselling for any school pupil or
:05:27. > :05:30.parents who need it and I think the news here is just beginning to sink
:05:31. > :05:33.in about the enormity of what has happened here.
:05:34. > :05:35.There's been a number of major developments announced
:05:36. > :05:40.Supermarket company Lidl has opened a new warehouse
:05:41. > :05:46.In Stoke-on-Trent, 50 jobs are to be created with the opening
:05:47. > :05:51.The Hilton Garden Inn will be built as part of the Smithfield
:05:52. > :05:55.In Dudley, plans were unveiled today for a ?30 million
:05:56. > :05:58.It will offer technical degrees in construction,
:05:59. > :06:09.What we want to create is a centre in Dudley with fantastic training
:06:10. > :06:13.facilities that those young people and adults who've already got their
:06:14. > :06:16.technical skills up to level four and five can top
:06:17. > :06:19.and make them even more productive in their workplace.
:06:20. > :06:23.And a new airline arrived in Birmingham today,
:06:24. > :06:25.which has created more than 200 jobs.
:06:26. > :06:28.Jet2 will fly to 23 destinations, but all of the routes are already
:06:29. > :06:31.So travel experts are predicting a price war.
:06:32. > :06:43.There was a new kid in town on the tarmac
:06:44. > :06:46.Leeds-based airline Jet2 is expanding further south,
:06:47. > :06:50.creating more competition and more than 200 jobs.
:06:51. > :06:56.The more the merrier, I think it is fantastic. The more choice you have
:06:57. > :06:59.the better deal you can make. It is good to have more airlines.
:07:00. > :07:01.On board this brand-new Boeing, they were preparing
:07:02. > :07:05.I feel very privileged to be part of the team,
:07:06. > :07:08.part of the new operating base, and to be actually in
:07:09. > :07:14.New flight attendants Rachael from Nuneaton and Jo from Stafford
:07:15. > :07:17.say the airline's arrival has proved a good opportunity.
:07:18. > :07:20.Lots of jobs, lots of cabin crew we are taking on.
:07:21. > :07:26.And I think it is just exciting for local people to be able
:07:27. > :07:28.to travel easier to Birmingham, to get to all of their
:07:29. > :07:34.From Paphos to Prague, Jet2 will fly to 23 destinations
:07:35. > :07:36.from Birmingham this year, and there are plans to introduce
:07:37. > :07:39.The question is, can the airport cope with all
:07:40. > :07:46.The airport has had some complaints about delays getting
:07:47. > :07:48.through security and collecting baggage, so will more airlines
:07:49. > :07:54.There's no doubt over the last couple of years
:07:55. > :07:57.we have had growing pains, and this extra growth we have had
:07:58. > :07:59.has been a challenge, but we have staffed up this year.
:08:00. > :08:02.We are investing over ?100 million of our shareholders' money
:08:03. > :08:04.in new facilities, new baggage, new security systems,
:08:05. > :08:09.and the aim is to make that journey smoother.
:08:10. > :08:12.With other companies already flying the same routes as Jet2,
:08:13. > :08:14.some travel experts are predicting a price war.
:08:15. > :08:16.I will leave it up to the competitors to decide
:08:17. > :08:18.what they want to do, but we will carry on
:08:19. > :08:24.And regardless of which airline they were on, these passengers
:08:25. > :08:27.were only too happy to leave behind the rain for a few days of sunshine.
:08:28. > :08:34.Bob Hockenhull, BBC Midlands Today, Birmingham.
:08:35. > :08:36.An inquest's been hearing how a 27-year-old man killed himself
:08:37. > :08:40.with a euthanasia drug he'd bought online.
:08:41. > :08:41.Josh Smith had "meticulously planned" his suicide,
:08:42. > :08:49.His family have complained to South Staffordshire
:08:50. > :08:52.and Shropshire Healthcare bosses for not doing enough to help him.
:08:53. > :08:56.Joshua Smith wanted to get better, say his family.
:08:57. > :08:59.But he'd been troubled with depression, attempting to take his
:09:00. > :09:06.At an inquest in Cannock, his family heard how
:09:07. > :09:08.after repeated medical assessments he took his own life days
:09:09. > :09:11.before he was finally due to see a psychiatrist.
:09:12. > :09:13.He constantly heard, "I can't help you, we're
:09:14. > :09:18.going to discharge you to the next service, we're going to refer
:09:19. > :09:22.you back for some more assessment and to be asked the same questions
:09:23. > :09:25.again," and I think in the end that just all became too much
:09:26. > :09:27.and it actually added to his mental distress.
:09:28. > :09:30.Josh's family and friends searched near his home in Stone after he went
:09:31. > :09:37.By then he had overdosed on a lethal substance called Pentobarbital
:09:38. > :09:41.His body was found near a canal in Meaford.
:09:42. > :09:48.It is a euthanasia drug, but Pentobarbital has also been used
:09:49. > :09:51.in executions over in the US and in kind it's also a drug
:09:52. > :09:55.that was originally used for therapeutic reasons
:09:56. > :09:58.but in the UK it's illegal and people shouldn't be possessing
:09:59. > :10:01.The coroner, Andrew Haig, said Josh committed suicide
:10:02. > :10:06.He said whilst there were no gross failings by South Staffordshire
:10:07. > :10:08.and Shropshire NHS Trust, matters could have been
:10:09. > :10:22.The trust declined our request for an interview but they issued a
:10:23. > :10:28.statement saying whenever a serious incident like this occurs we carry
:10:29. > :10:32.it out a full investigation and make sure we recognise and learn any
:10:33. > :10:38.lessons. In this place it will include a review of the internal
:10:39. > :10:40.review and assessment process. Detectives have liaised with Customs
:10:41. > :10:46.and Excise and discovered that the lethal substance bought online came
:10:47. > :10:48.from China. Border controls will now be alerted.
:10:49. > :10:51.It's been confirmed that a troubled Birmingham secondary school
:10:52. > :10:56.will close at the end of August, despite a campaign to keep it open.
:10:57. > :11:00.People in Druids Heath called for Baverstock Academy to be saved,
:11:01. > :11:03.but the BBC's been told the official decision to close it was made today.
:11:04. > :11:05.The school's been in special measures since 2014 and also
:11:06. > :11:10.Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor has pledged
:11:11. > :11:11.8000 apprenticeships for the region if he's voted
:11:12. > :11:17.Launching his manifesto with a tour of colleges,
:11:18. > :11:20.Sion Simon said it was essential to provide a new generation
:11:21. > :11:29.He's also promised a cap on bus and tram fares,
:11:30. > :11:32.a doubling of new "affordable" homes and the creation of new jobs
:11:33. > :11:34.by reclaiming derelict land for development.
:11:35. > :11:39.We get ?8 billion worth of infrastructure spending in the
:11:40. > :11:43.devolution deal but currently there is no commitment on apprenticeships.
:11:44. > :11:46.I am saying for every million pounds that we invest in
:11:47. > :11:55.infrastructure in the West Midlands we need to deliver one
:11:56. > :11:57.apprenticeship to upskill our young people to take advantage of that
:11:58. > :12:01.investment and turn it into jobs and careers for the future.
:12:02. > :12:05.Businesses on the route of a planned 100-mile cycle ride say it will cost
:12:06. > :12:07.them thousands of pounds' worth of lost trade.
:12:08. > :12:09.Roads across the West Midlands will be closed to traffic
:12:10. > :12:13.Some residents say it will leave them trapped in their homes.
:12:14. > :12:16.The organisers say the closures are necessary for the safety
:12:17. > :12:26.The Holt Fleet near Worcester is situated on the busy A4133.
:12:27. > :12:30.It's the only way by road to get to the pub.
:12:31. > :12:34.But on Sunday the 24th of September it will be part of the 100 miles
:12:35. > :12:36.of roads across the West Midlands closed for the entire day
:12:37. > :12:42.We are being forced to shut for the day because there's no
:12:43. > :12:49.We would normally do about 250 carveries on a Sunday,
:12:50. > :12:52.and if it's a really nice day weather-wise everybody comes
:12:53. > :12:54.to sit by the river, because we're a popular spot,
:12:55. > :12:59.Starting and ending in Birmingham, the ride will pass
:13:00. > :13:01.through the Black Country, Staffordshire,
:13:02. > :13:03.Worcestershire and Herefordshire, with the whole route
:13:04. > :13:07.Velo Birmingham say the closures are necessary to facilitate the safe
:13:08. > :13:14.They say they are working closely with businesses and residents
:13:15. > :13:18.to minimise any disruption the closures will cause on the day.
:13:19. > :13:22.Andrew Jones from Collington near Bromyard said the road closures
:13:23. > :13:26.will mean people living in a 20-mile square area of Herefordshire will be
:13:27. > :13:31.Due to travel to Bristol Airport to work that day, the pilot has been
:13:32. > :13:35.told by Velo Birmingham that they won't change the route.
:13:36. > :13:38.You're basically being told by a private company seeking
:13:39. > :13:41.a profit that they're going to keep you trapped in your home for over
:13:42. > :13:44.nine hours and there's nothing you can do about it.
:13:45. > :13:48.But not everyone is unhappy about the prospect of the ride.
:13:49. > :13:50.People are going to come here, they'll do their ride
:13:51. > :13:52.here, they might say, oh, this is good cycling,
:13:53. > :13:59.let's come back and spend two weeks on holiday here cycling,
:14:00. > :14:02.it's a good place to ride, we're lucky to live here.
:14:03. > :14:06.It's an absolutely fantastic opportunity for local cyclists
:14:07. > :14:08.to use traffic-free roads and not be intimidated by cars.
:14:09. > :14:13.With organisers already asking cyclists to preregister for next
:14:14. > :14:16.year, businesses fear this won't be the only time they lose
:14:17. > :14:26.Imagine almost every night having the same recurring nightmare
:14:27. > :14:29.about a traumatic event you witnessed and at the same point
:14:30. > :14:39.It's a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder
:14:40. > :14:42.Now a therapist from Cheltenham has just finished investigating
:14:43. > :14:44.a potentially revolutionary technique to help people
:14:45. > :14:46.change their nightmares and get a good night's sleep.
:14:47. > :14:48.Here's our Gloucestershire reporter, Steve Knibbs.
:14:49. > :14:51.It is not his real name, but Peter was woken up almost
:14:52. > :14:53.every night by a recurring nightmare, reliving the moment he
:14:54. > :14:58.saw his friend killed by a propeller.
:14:59. > :15:01.Right at the end there is a clang, like a bell, which was a large
:15:02. > :15:07.propeller, and I mean large, it wouldn't fit in this room.
:15:08. > :15:12.In his own words, he said the lack of sleep
:15:13. > :15:15.Including children and grandchildren, wife, next-door
:15:16. > :15:22.It's often a difficult cycle to get out of.
:15:23. > :15:24.Justin Havens has been researching a technique called
:15:25. > :15:26.planned dream intervention, effectively teaching the brain to
:15:27. > :15:29.Resetting their sleep cycle, if you like.
:15:30. > :15:33.And you do it by creating something for
:15:34. > :15:35.your dream shelf, something to allow the dream to continue.
:15:36. > :15:38.The reason people are being woken up is because
:15:39. > :15:40.the dream is not continuing, normally because it is something
:15:41. > :15:42.Justin's three-year research involved over
:15:43. > :15:45.100 UK veterans suffering with PTSD and over half
:15:46. > :15:48.saw improvements and a drop in symptoms.
:15:49. > :15:51.One soldier dreamt every night that he was being chased
:15:52. > :15:54.and woke up when he was jumped on and dragged to the ground.
:15:55. > :15:56.He would often fight his wife in bed.
:15:57. > :16:00.But he changed the scene to a rugby match
:16:01. > :16:03.where he was running with the ball and was then tackled to the ground
:16:04. > :16:06.and went over the line to score a try with opponents still hanging
:16:07. > :16:16.All we are doing is priming the dream process, helping it on its
:16:17. > :16:21.way. We are not doing anything magical or mysterious, just helping
:16:22. > :16:25.that process. Magical and mysterious it may not be but for Peter changing
:16:26. > :16:34.his nightmares changed him for the better. It turned the gong sound
:16:35. > :16:41.from being a deathknell to, I don't know, a dinner gong or a cathedral
:16:42. > :16:46.bell, front doorbell, any other sort of Bell. It has changed my life
:16:47. > :16:51.totally. Justin is now writing up his research and plans to share it
:16:52. > :16:53.not just with military charities but also others helping those suffering
:16:54. > :16:55.from trauma. Thanks for joining us
:16:56. > :17:01.here on Midlands Today this evening. And what a beautiful day it's turned
:17:02. > :17:03.out to be weather-wise, we're looking forward
:17:04. > :17:07.to your forecast, Shefali! And why not, on what was the warmest
:17:08. > :17:15.day of the year so far? It may not have been brimming
:17:16. > :17:17.with sunshine but it boasted some impressive temperatures -
:17:18. > :17:20.find out how warm it got And I hope the weather will suit
:17:21. > :17:25.the frogs, newts and toads. It's all about building them
:17:26. > :17:33.special little ladders. Well, South Staffs Water has
:17:34. > :17:42.unveiled a new multimillion-pound treatment plant that uses
:17:43. > :17:44.ultraviolet light to turn raw reservoir water
:17:45. > :17:47.into pure drinking water. It means the company can
:17:48. > :17:49.cut back on traditional chemical treatments,
:17:50. > :17:52.such as chlorine. We sent science correspondent
:17:53. > :17:53.David Gregory-Kumar Blithfield reservoir
:17:54. > :18:02.east of Stafford. Supplying water for over 200,000
:18:03. > :18:05.South Staffs Water customers. And the treatment plant
:18:06. > :18:08.near Lichfield that turns reservoir water into drinking water has had
:18:09. > :18:21.a bit of an upgrade. This is the water treatment works,
:18:22. > :18:25.commissioned in 1952, and ultraviolent treatment plant is one
:18:26. > :18:28.of our latest investments to enhance the quality of water for our
:18:29. > :18:29.customers. So large tanks that were used
:18:30. > :18:32.to store water onsite have now been converted
:18:33. > :18:33.to the new ultraviolet Work began in 2015 and four new UV
:18:34. > :18:39.reactors have been installed. All without interrupting the water
:18:40. > :18:48.supply to South Staffs customers. This is one of the UV Chubut that
:18:49. > :18:53.will be cleaning the water. It is worth about 250 quid and there are
:18:54. > :18:55.30 in each UV reactor, this bit here.
:18:56. > :18:58.The UV tubes clean the water and allow South Staffs to reduce
:18:59. > :19:03.traditional chemical treatments like adding chlorine.
:19:04. > :19:05.Water flows over the ultraviolet lamps as the final stage of
:19:06. > :19:10.But will the customers notice a different taste to the water?
:19:11. > :19:17.We hope they will. How quickly they noticed the distance remains to be
:19:18. > :19:22.seen. Based upon the reduced level of chlorine we are using, we hope
:19:23. > :19:25.that our customers will get a better experience. That is one of the
:19:26. > :19:30.primary drivers that doing this work. -- for doing.
:19:31. > :19:32.This new facility is one of the largest in the UK.
:19:33. > :19:35.Similar technology, though on a smaller scale, will be
:19:36. > :19:39.30 years ago Coventry City won the FA Cup for the one and only time
:19:40. > :19:41.in the club's history, an absolutely cracking game
:19:42. > :19:46.On Sunday, the Sky Blues return to Wembley in the Checkatrade Trophy
:19:47. > :19:50.Ian Winter has been to meet the postman
:19:51. > :19:53.and the warehouse manager who - for their own very special reasons -
:19:54. > :19:56.would love to see Coventry repeat their Wembley
:19:57. > :20:07.It really is 30 years since this pair of Sky Blues legends won the FA
:20:08. > :20:16.And Dave Bennett reckons he's not watched this footage since 1987.
:20:17. > :20:21.I have never seen it before so it is interesting watching it. I watch it
:20:22. > :20:23.about once a week. this is the first of three goals
:20:24. > :20:29.which won that classic cup and created a unique place
:20:30. > :20:38.in Coventry City folklore. We heard just one the biggest games
:20:39. > :20:48.of our lives and I was just hoping to get down the stairs without
:20:49. > :20:52.falling down! He had been on the drinks the night before. I had
:20:53. > :20:59.sweated that out, don't worry! Throughout this troubled season,
:21:00. > :21:01.Alan Layton has been driving the Coventry City team coach
:21:02. > :21:05.to away games. Only once has he returned home
:21:06. > :21:08.with victory in League One. But this weekend, Alan will take
:21:09. > :21:19.a winning mentality to Wembley. My priority on Sunday is to get the
:21:20. > :21:29.team there safely, comfortably and as quick as I can and for them to
:21:30. > :21:33.win the cup. Have they ever done anything like it? Not in Coventry
:21:34. > :21:35.City's history. Sky Blues fanatic John
:21:36. > :21:37.Shaw is Alan's boss. 30 years ago, he joined thousands
:21:38. > :21:40.of others on the streets of Coventry to welcome home the FA
:21:41. > :21:42.Cup winning team. Not least because the family firm
:21:43. > :21:48.is taking 28 coachloads to Wembley. We obviously handle lots of big
:21:49. > :21:52.events where the clients are quite used to it but it is a bit more
:21:53. > :22:02.personal when it is your own team. How much does that give you an extra
:22:03. > :22:05.buzz? That is what makes this team. It could kick-start their careers so
:22:06. > :22:13.I hope they feel the importance of performing there, first all for
:22:14. > :22:14.themselves but also the club and the fans.
:22:15. > :22:18.But Sunday's game is tinged with sadness for both Dave and Micky.
:22:19. > :22:20.Frustration at their club's imminent relegation to League Two
:22:21. > :22:22.and disappointment that Coventry City haven't
:22:23. > :22:24.invited their most famous players to be their guests at Wembley.
:22:25. > :22:32.I think it will be 3-2, they will emulate what we did, score three.
:22:33. > :22:45.Who will score three goals for us? No idea. So relegation looks like a
:22:46. > :22:47.definite now, but winning at Wembley will be quite a silver lining.
:22:48. > :22:49.And, on Midlands Today tomorrow, we'll meet the players
:22:50. > :22:52.as they prepare for the big game, including captain Jordan Willis,
:22:53. > :22:54.a local lad who says he's been dreaming about Wembley.
:22:55. > :22:57.I'm not sure if you're a fan of frogs, toads
:22:58. > :23:01.- but the sad fact is that millions of them die every year
:23:02. > :23:03.after becoming trapped in roadside gullies.
:23:04. > :23:06.Now an experiment's under way near Coventry to try to help them.
:23:07. > :23:07.Volunteers are installing specially created ladders,
:23:08. > :23:10.which allow them to climb their way back to safety.
:23:11. > :23:16.It's estimated that an average of ten amphibians die in each
:23:17. > :23:18.and every one of the nation's 17 million
:23:19. > :23:26.Once inside, they simply cannot escape the steep sides,
:23:27. > :23:29.but now volunteers from Warwickshire Amphibian
:23:30. > :23:33.and Reptile Team have created a special ladder to change this.
:23:34. > :23:37.The ladder is made of stainless steel, and on one side is attached
:23:38. > :23:40.Quite simply, the creatures can get a grip on this
:23:41. > :23:46.We are still in the process of testing the theory,
:23:47. > :23:50.but we assume that they are actually using these things,
:23:51. > :23:53.and we've actually been able to see them climbing out of the gullies
:23:54. > :23:58.Certainly, when we go and check gully pots where we have ladders,
:23:59. > :24:01.we are not finding the amphibians in the gully pots where
:24:02. > :24:06.Solihull Borough Council is allowing them to be installed in 20 gullies
:24:07. > :24:13.It's good to know we are making a difference to the population here,
:24:14. > :24:15.so hopefully the numbers that we are getting out
:24:16. > :24:19.of the drains here will be able to get to the ponds and breed,
:24:20. > :24:21.and it will hopefully keep the population going.
:24:22. > :24:24.It's a small team carrying out the work,
:24:25. > :24:28.and, if it's to be a success, more people will be needed.
:24:29. > :24:31.About ten or 15 of us were doing drain checks,
:24:32. > :24:42.It's a pleasure to help animals, to rescue them, and we really hope
:24:43. > :24:44.that we can recruit more volunteers to check...
:24:45. > :24:48.Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile Team are calling
:24:49. > :24:51.for the ladders to become an integral part of new gully
:24:52. > :24:53.designs, and anybody who wants to volunteer is asked
:24:54. > :24:57.Kevin Reide, BBC Midlands Today, Balsall Common.
:24:58. > :25:01.So how's the weather looking for frogs, toads and newts?
:25:02. > :25:03.And indeed for cricket fans, with the county season starting
:25:04. > :25:19.Let's just say that there is some rain for the amphibians and some
:25:20. > :25:24.drier weather for the humans. I hope that all of you were satisfied with
:25:25. > :25:28.today's weather. It is a bit chilly and spitting now but in Birmingham
:25:29. > :25:35.temperatures reached 20 Celsius today, the warmest day of the year
:25:36. > :25:41.so far, and some 19s and 18s elsewhere in the region. The drier
:25:42. > :25:44.parts of the rest of the week will be tomorrow afternoon and on Sunday,
:25:45. > :25:49.meaning most of the time there is some rain around but in the form of
:25:50. > :25:55.showers. This is what is producing it, a front nestling up against us
:25:56. > :25:57.to the West. That will shift eastwards through the night, then
:25:58. > :26:02.another feature to the south by the time we get to April. That will
:26:03. > :26:09.generate and trigger some fairly hefty showers. For tonight we can
:26:10. > :26:13.see that we have some of that rain to the West, which is now going to
:26:14. > :26:18.be producing some showers, splinter showers come as it heads further
:26:19. > :26:22.eastwards. That will be on the light side, that rain, so not much of it
:26:23. > :26:27.around tonight, but a lot of cloud, which will hold those temperatures
:26:28. > :26:31.up to around 11 or 12 Celsius, so quite mild overnight. Even through
:26:32. > :26:36.the morning tomorrow we will see some showers rippling through the
:26:37. > :26:39.region and they will topple up from the south-west. Not particularly
:26:40. > :26:44.heavy. They will gradually fade through the day so by the afternoon
:26:45. > :26:49.much drier and pleasant spells of sunshine. That will take
:26:50. > :26:54.temperatures up to 15 to 16 Celsius, not quite up to today's standards
:26:55. > :26:59.but -- but very respectable for the time of year. It is competing with a
:27:00. > :27:04.stiff westerly to south-westerly breeze around 15 mph. Tomorrow night
:27:05. > :27:10.it looks dry, very clear. For the start of the week end, Saturday, not
:27:11. > :27:12.too bad but the showers will have a lot quickly, they could be heavy
:27:13. > :27:20.with some hail possible. I'll be back at 10.30
:27:21. > :27:24.with your late update. For full sets and more from
:27:25. > :28:08.the weekend,