:00:00. > :00:07.The headlines tonight: Lock your doors: police appeal
:00:08. > :00:09.to drivers in Birmingham after a spate of car
:00:10. > :00:17.jackings and robberies in the last six months.
:00:18. > :00:22.All I remember is him licking me straight in the eyes and telling me
:00:23. > :00:24.to get out of the car and this knife coming towards my neck.
:00:25. > :00:26.Police fear that teenagers are being forced to take
:00:27. > :00:29.Also tonight: Outrage, as Cadburys and the National Trust
:00:30. > :00:36.drop the word Easter from their annual egg hunts.
:00:37. > :00:44.It is disgraceful because we live on earth Christian country.
:00:45. > :00:48.It is important to remember the traditions.
:00:49. > :00:49.It is Easter so you should just have fun with it.
:00:50. > :00:56.Celebrating a Midlands success story - 50 years of the Range Rover.
:00:57. > :01:03.I find out what it takes to become a best rhythmic gymnast.
:01:04. > :01:08.And from smouldering sunsets to warm weekends -
:01:09. > :01:10.we have it all in this week's forecast.
:01:11. > :01:13.Something to look forward to in the forecast later.
:01:14. > :01:18."When he held a knife to my throat, I knew it was time
:01:19. > :01:22.The chilling words of a woman whose car was stolen
:01:23. > :01:27.West Midlands Police say they've been dealing with a spate
:01:28. > :01:34.In a six month period from October last year until March,
:01:35. > :01:37.they've dealt with 26 car-jackings and robberies.
:01:38. > :01:41.Police are urging drivers to be vigilant and to lock
:01:42. > :01:52.Two years ago, Nikki Law-Priddey was dragged into the road
:01:53. > :01:55.when a thief jumped into her car and drove off.
:01:56. > :01:59.And last year, Anthony Mathers fought off an armed gang who tried
:02:00. > :02:05.Sarah is now using her husband's car after their top-of-the-range Kia
:02:06. > :02:10.estate was stolen in Moseley one morning last week.
:02:11. > :02:14.She's still so traumatised we've agreed not to show her face.
:02:15. > :02:17.Sarah was accosted by two men - one of whom was on the driver's side
:02:18. > :02:35.I was just holding on to the steering wheel, I don't know why. It
:02:36. > :02:41.was my natural instinct to protect the car. Then somebody was trying to
:02:42. > :02:44.get into the passenger door. So a second person?
:02:45. > :02:47.Yes, he was kneeling in and pushing. Sarah screamed out the window
:02:48. > :03:05.for help which caused both men So they backed off but then came
:03:06. > :03:14.back and it was worse. Yes, this knife came towards me and
:03:15. > :03:17.was near my neck and I thought I cannot do this, I have a
:03:18. > :03:17.two-year-old son and I need to get out.
:03:18. > :03:20.West Midlands Police says today they've arrested 11 people
:03:21. > :03:22.and charged five in connection with a spate of car jackings
:03:23. > :03:37.The arrests have been young males from the age of 13. There is the
:03:38. > :03:40.suspicion that young males are being encouraged to get involved by those
:03:41. > :03:43.who have already done it which is why it has gone on to be a pattern.
:03:44. > :03:46.Yesterday afternoon, this Mini was stolen from a petrol
:03:47. > :03:48.forecourt in Castle Browmich and another car was taken on Friday.
:03:49. > :03:51.Morrisons says it's conducting a full security review of the site
:03:52. > :03:55.As for Sarah, she's scared now when she goes out driving
:03:56. > :04:01.And Amy joins us from the centre of Birmingham now.
:04:02. > :04:08.This is clearly a very frightening experience, Amy?
:04:09. > :04:16.It really is. We have spoken to about half a dozen victims and it is
:04:17. > :04:20.not just their cards that are stolen but personal information as well.
:04:21. > :04:24.The owner of the many said her handbag was taken which had her
:04:25. > :04:28.house keys and also a document with her address so she has had to change
:04:29. > :04:34.all the locks which just adds another layer of stress to this
:04:35. > :04:55.traumatising experience. Police say it is difficult to give
:04:56. > :05:00.advice but they advised the doors are locked, although one person did
:05:01. > :05:04.have their window smashed. Try to get as much information as you can
:05:05. > :05:06.but be safe and vigilant and take extra precautions.
:05:07. > :05:09.There's been a significant rise in the number of people identified
:05:10. > :05:11.as "modern slaves" living in the Midlands.
:05:12. > :05:14.An investigation by the BBC found that nationally more than 400
:05:15. > :05:16.potential victims were referred to the government
:05:17. > :05:20.The crime involves victims being trafficked into the country
:05:21. > :05:24.and then forced to work for little or no pay.
:05:25. > :05:28.Eight years in captivity in the Midlands and now adjusting
:05:29. > :05:31.Janoosh, not his real name, was trafficked
:05:32. > :05:39.Through his translator, he explained how he worked a 12 hour
:05:40. > :05:45.He earned ?130 a week picking vegetables and half
:05:46. > :05:54.Everyday, nine o'clock start, nine o'clock finish.
:05:55. > :05:58.Work, work, no money, no money, no money.
:05:59. > :06:03.Figures show the number of potential victims of slavery
:06:04. > :06:06.and people-trafficking across the Midlands
:06:07. > :06:10.has increased from 362 in 2015
:06:11. > :06:16.He was eventually taken to a safe house in Yorkshire.
:06:17. > :06:20.This one is run by the Salvation Army and Monica has been living
:06:21. > :06:26.She was trafficked from Albania and dumped next to the M1 just weeks
:06:27. > :06:31.When people have been rescued from modern-day slavery and arrive
:06:32. > :06:34.here in the safe house, there is a welcome pack, a bed,
:06:35. > :06:39.Some have been in captivity for years so this really
:06:40. > :06:44.They are trapped, often not by keys and padlocks
:06:45. > :06:50.Often those threats being realised in emotional and physical abuse.
:06:51. > :06:55.Those are the kind of things we're seeing continually.
:06:56. > :07:01.And then at the end of the day still not seeing any pay or very little.
:07:02. > :07:04.Janoosh was freed last year as part of a police investigation
:07:05. > :07:08.but the message from the Government and the Salvation Army
:07:09. > :07:12.is that there are potentially hundreds of modern slaves,
:07:13. > :07:25.Senior Church of England leaders have accused Cadbury's
:07:26. > :07:27.of airbrushing faith over a decision to drop the word 'Easter'
:07:28. > :07:32.300 events - called the Cadbury Great British Egg Hunt -
:07:33. > :07:35.are taking place at National Trust properties across the country.
:07:36. > :07:37.The Prime Minister intervened earlier today calling
:07:38. > :07:42.Cadbury's are saying it's nonsense to suggest they don't include Easter
:07:43. > :07:56.This Easter, Cadbury is bringing joy to the nation.
:07:57. > :07:59.Inside 24 hours, the search for chocolate eggs has turned
:08:00. > :08:01.into a national debate over the way society references religion.
:08:02. > :08:10.Even the Prime Minister's got involved.
:08:11. > :08:19.I'm not just a Fekir's daughter, I am a member of the National Trust. I
:08:20. > :08:23.think the stance they have taken is ridiculous.
:08:24. > :08:24.National Trust properties are hosting
:08:25. > :08:25.the Cadbury's Great British Egg Hunt.
:08:26. > :08:27.In previous years they've had Easter egg trails,
:08:28. > :08:30.so the omission of the word Easter this time around has infuriated
:08:31. > :08:43.They are making money from selling eggs at a time of celebration
:08:44. > :08:47.without referencing Christianity. The former Bishop of Birmingham said
:08:48. > :08:53.Cadbury is especially spitting on the grave of its Quaker founder,
:08:54. > :08:57.John Cadbury. Removing a reference to Easter, are brushing faith out.
:08:58. > :09:00.Cadbury was a great industrialists but fans of Easter?
:09:01. > :09:02.Well, that's unlikely, especially as rather that marking
:09:03. > :09:04.traditional church festivals, Quakers see every day
:09:05. > :09:06.as a new beginning - hence the egg, chocolate or otherwise.
:09:07. > :09:11.Whatever your stance, this has got people talking.
:09:12. > :09:19.I think people are getting too politically correct.
:09:20. > :09:26.It is important to remember the religious side of celebrations.
:09:27. > :09:29.It is a disgrace. We live in a Christian country.
:09:30. > :09:31.The National Trust says suggestions it's downplaying
:09:32. > :09:33.the significance of Easter are nonsense, especially
:09:34. > :09:44.as they have numerous Easter-themed activities going on.
:09:45. > :09:51.They maintain that it is not true that they do not include Easter in
:09:52. > :09:56.their advertising. I actually think it would be better
:09:57. > :10:01.to say something like they forgot to put a ten rather than this
:10:02. > :10:05.wishy-washy response. Are you being oversensitive about
:10:06. > :10:10.what is essentially a group of words describing a search for chocolate?
:10:11. > :10:17.Chocolate is important, Easter is more important. This has given us a
:10:18. > :10:19.good opportunity to talk about Easter.
:10:20. > :10:21.Tonight, business leaders in Birmingham claim
:10:22. > :10:23.so-called Eastergate has been blown out of all proportion.
:10:24. > :10:26.The family of a man who was murdered at a tram stop last Friday,
:10:27. > :10:29.57-year-old Anthony Banting was stabbed several times
:10:30. > :10:34.after getting off a tram at Soho Benson Road in Birmingham.
:10:35. > :10:37.The father of four had been on his way to meet one of his sons.
:10:38. > :10:39.His family are urging anyone with information
:10:40. > :10:45.An exhibition of ancient gold, found by two amateur treasure
:10:46. > :10:49.hunters in Staffordshire, has attracted over 21 thousand
:10:50. > :10:56.The jewellery, thought to be 2,500 years old,
:10:57. > :10:58.was discovered buried in a field last December.
:10:59. > :11:01.The artefacts will now leave the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
:11:02. > :11:11.in Stoke-on-Trent so they can be valued by the British Museum.
:11:12. > :11:13.With just over four weeks to go until polling,
:11:14. > :11:19.we now know six candidates will be fighting it out to become the first
:11:20. > :11:23.Nominations closed just over two hours ago for the election
:11:24. > :11:27.Our political editor Patrick Burns is here with me now.
:11:28. > :11:29.So a new style of political leadership, Patrick,
:11:30. > :11:37.Our counterpart to London's mayor, heading a population
:11:38. > :11:39.of nearly three million, across Birmingham,
:11:40. > :11:43.They'll have powers over Economic Development,
:11:44. > :11:46.Education and Skills, Housing and Transport, devolved
:11:47. > :11:52.So now we know who the candidates will be, what can you
:11:53. > :11:59.In alphabetical order: for the Greens, James Burn,
:12:00. > :12:02.is a social worker, small business owner and Solihull councillor.
:12:03. > :12:06.UKIP's Pete Durnell is an IT specialist from Warley, who also
:12:07. > :12:10.stood for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
:12:11. > :12:12.The Liberal Democrat, Beverley Nielsen, is a former
:12:13. > :12:15.business leader turned university lecturer in Birmingham.
:12:16. > :12:19.Labour's Sion Simon, a former Birmingham MP,
:12:20. > :12:23.and currently one of our region's Members of the European Parliament.
:12:24. > :12:25.The Communist, Graham Stevenson, from Coventry,
:12:26. > :12:30.And the Conservative, Andy Street, from Birmingham,
:12:31. > :12:35.stood down as Managing Director of the John Lewis department
:12:36. > :12:39.store chain, in order to fight this election.
:12:40. > :12:42.And the main contenders are getting together even as we speak,
:12:43. > :12:45.at a debate organised by the Birmingham Mail this evening.
:12:46. > :12:48.And we'll have three more debates of our own,
:12:49. > :12:52.on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, BBC WM and on television,
:12:53. > :12:56.here on BBC One, during the course of next four weeks.
:12:57. > :12:59.And how's it shaping-up as a contest?
:13:00. > :13:02.It's generally seen as a battle between Labour
:13:03. > :13:07.And one of the country's foremost polling analysts says
:13:08. > :13:15.West Midlands now looks like a draw so I think in truth what Labour have
:13:16. > :13:17.to worry about in terms of a headline-grabbing loss is that
:13:18. > :13:21.If they were to lose it, that is going to certainly increase
:13:22. > :13:28.the pressure further on Jeremy Corbyn.
:13:29. > :13:32.This contest is much more about the personalities
:13:33. > :13:35.And that makes it even more unpredictable.
:13:36. > :13:37.You'll find more on this, on the politics pages
:13:38. > :13:45.It was an eyesore that infuriated local residents and now
:13:46. > :13:47.Staffordshire County Council has started clearing up more
:13:48. > :13:50.than 300 tonnes of waste which was dumped in a wood.
:13:51. > :13:53.The rubbish was fly-tipped in Madeley Heath in January,
:13:54. > :13:59.blocking a car park and a public footpath.
:14:00. > :14:01.Here's our Staffordshire reporter, Liz Copper.
:14:02. > :14:04.300 tonnes of waste, a serious environmental
:14:05. > :14:09.The clean-up has begun in Walton's Wood in Madeley Heath.
:14:10. > :14:13.Contractors have been called in to shift the mounds
:14:14. > :14:18.This is fly-tipping on an industrial scale and this sort of activity
:14:19. > :14:22.has been preplanned, I would suggest.
:14:23. > :14:25.It takes a lot of organisation to get trucks in here,
:14:26. > :14:28.so unfortunately it is considerable environmental damage.
:14:29. > :14:31.The waste includes shredded paper and bandages.
:14:32. > :14:34.It will be taken away to be incinerated.
:14:35. > :14:38.The ground will also have to be scoured by litter pickers to make
:14:39. > :14:44.This waste was dumped overnight but it will take days to clear up
:14:45. > :14:51.Sharing that cost will be the Forestry Commission,
:14:52. > :14:58.It is just totally and utterly unacceptable.
:14:59. > :15:02.You can hear the birdsong in the background.
:15:03. > :15:11.This is something that is increasing recently and certainly on a big
:15:12. > :15:17.Already a criminal investigation is well under way.
:15:18. > :15:21.The maximum penalty for anyone convicted of this is an unlimited
:15:22. > :15:32.Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this is our top
:15:33. > :15:40.story tonight: Drivers are being urged to lock their doors,
:15:41. > :15:42.after a spate of car-jackings and robberies in Birmingham
:15:43. > :15:47.Another bright and sunny day today, although noticeably cooler...Shefali
:15:48. > :15:55.How Dusty body-swerved onto the pitch during a football
:15:56. > :15:58.match, delayed the game for eight minutes and rather
:15:59. > :16:01.embarrassed his owner - who was one of the players.
:16:02. > :16:04.And 200 years on, why descendants of a renowned builder have flown
:16:05. > :16:17.Can you believe the Range Rover's 50 years old?
:16:18. > :16:20.A special exhibition's opening to celebrate the unveiling
:16:21. > :16:23.of the first prototype way back in 1967 at the company's
:16:24. > :16:33.The Range Rover is still one of Britain's biggest luxury exports,
:16:34. > :16:36.Our transport correspondent Peter Plisner is in Solihull for us now.
:16:37. > :16:46.So, Peter, tell us how they're marking this anniversary?
:16:47. > :16:53.We are inside that special exhibition tonight and this is a
:16:54. > :17:00.full-size replica of the model they tested the design on. They still use
:17:01. > :17:05.this kind of lumps of clay as well as the computers. The first one was
:17:06. > :17:08.made in 1970, one of many vehicles to be the Range Rover badge.
:17:09. > :17:12.Not just a car but an entire brand - on the production line today
:17:13. > :17:14.the latest Range Rover model called the Velar - taking its name
:17:15. > :17:19.from the original prototype built here at Solihull 50 years ago.
:17:20. > :17:22.And with another new model comes yet more job security for workers
:17:23. > :17:36.It's a lovely vehicle and should sell well. It is probably the jewel
:17:37. > :17:37.in the crown of Land Rover now. I think everybody feels there is
:17:38. > :17:40.security in the company. The Range Rover history goes
:17:41. > :17:42.back to the mid-1960s and a request from America car
:17:43. > :17:45.buyers for something more Through the years they've had many
:17:46. > :17:48.different uses incuding ambulances Roger Crathorne was one of
:17:49. > :17:59.the original Range Rover engineers. It was fantastic working on that
:18:00. > :18:04.project because Land Rover had been around for 21 years almost and as a
:18:05. > :18:09.new team we could not believe our luck that we had been given this
:18:10. > :18:15.project to work on. The Range Rover became something of
:18:16. > :18:21.a design classic alongside these objects. It is interesting that 50
:18:22. > :18:25.years on you can do most of those things except drive a Range Rover on
:18:26. > :18:27.your smartphone. But what is it about
:18:28. > :18:29.the Range Rover that's Enthusiast Chris Elliot owns one
:18:30. > :18:33.of the first cars ever made. It's so rare he's even lent
:18:34. > :18:43.it to the exhibition. Lovely high position when you're
:18:44. > :18:49.driving. It was an instant success and a massive icon. There was a
:18:50. > :18:50.black market going on with people buying them and then selling at an
:18:51. > :18:52.increased price. It's evolved over the
:18:53. > :18:54.years but the original Range Rover model -
:18:55. > :18:56.now in its forth generation - So far they've sold almost two
:18:57. > :19:13.million of them since it was first This is the Velar close up. Launched
:19:14. > :19:17.one month ago at a special party in London and it got rave reviews from
:19:18. > :19:28.journalists. It goes on sale later in the year, costing ?45,000.
:19:29. > :19:33.And how important is it to the future of the company?
:19:34. > :19:42.It is the third car to bear the Range Rover brand and in a sector
:19:43. > :19:50.that Range Rover hasn't been in. There have been phenomenal successes
:19:51. > :19:52.for it Jaguar's car and I guess Land Rover want a piece of the action as
:19:53. > :20:01.well. Time to look at the big night of
:20:02. > :20:02.football and ahead to the Commonwealth Games.
:20:03. > :20:07.What sport requires a hoop, a ball, two clubs and six metres of ribbon?
:20:08. > :20:11.And one Birmingham athlete has a great chance of winning a medal
:20:12. > :20:13.for Team England at next year's Commonwealth Games.
:20:14. > :20:16.Curtain call for Mimi Cesar from Sutton Coldfield.
:20:17. > :20:20.Carrying one hoop and a bag full of other props.
:20:21. > :20:30.Welcome to the world of rhythmic gymnastics.
:20:31. > :20:32.Armed with six metres of colourful ribbon...
:20:33. > :20:35.this is one of four disciplines that Mimi has spent hours
:20:36. > :20:49.Hand over the top, bend and the important thing is to catch it.
:20:50. > :20:55.but when Mimi first started doing this
:20:56. > :20:57.she reckons her hand eye co-ordination wasn't very good.
:20:58. > :20:59.Now, after 12 years of dedicated training
:21:00. > :21:13.she's right up there with the very best.
:21:14. > :21:23.She missed out on a medal last time but is determined to put that right.
:21:24. > :21:28.It makes us determined to go out there and when that medal.
:21:29. > :21:31.She was quite done because she was wondering if she could have done
:21:32. > :21:32.better and that she wanted to carry on but the rest is history and she
:21:33. > :21:34.is still here and motivated. When she's not training
:21:35. > :21:36.or competing, Mimi loves coaching children at ten
:21:37. > :21:43.schools across Birmingham, like this one at Fordbridge
:21:44. > :21:53.in Chelmsley Wood. I think having any sports
:21:54. > :21:55.personality really raises the profile so she has had a fantastic
:21:56. > :21:58.impact. So whilst Mimi keeps her eye
:21:59. > :22:01.on the ball, and the hoop, and the clubs and that
:22:02. > :22:03.very long ribbon we'll keep fingers crossed
:22:04. > :22:04.for Commonwealth Games Onto tonight's football plenty
:22:05. > :22:12.of games and plenty to play for. But unfortunately all
:22:13. > :22:14.the key games are down We've got Stoke and Albion playing
:22:15. > :22:18.in the premier league. But in the Championship we've got
:22:19. > :22:21.three of our sides in action. Birmingham City and Wolves both
:22:22. > :22:24.need a few more points The relegation threat is even
:22:25. > :22:27.greater in League One. Port Vale are just two points
:22:28. > :22:30.above the relegation zone. Shrewsbury Town are already
:22:31. > :22:33.in the bottom four they host a Millwall side chasing a place
:22:34. > :22:37.in the play-offs. They could do without any
:22:38. > :22:43.interlopers on the pitch. Something they know all
:22:44. > :22:47.about at Halesowen Town! Halesowen's match against
:22:48. > :22:52.Skelmersdale was delayed for eight If you watch the way he evades
:22:53. > :22:59.the tacklers I think that It was especially embarrassing
:23:00. > :23:05.for defender Asa Charlton Eventually he managed grab him
:23:06. > :23:25.and Halesowen won the match 1-0. The portrait of a man who thought
:23:26. > :23:33.he'd dizzyingly high monument in Shropshire has been discovered. It
:23:34. > :23:35.was donated to the art gallery in the town and they saw a very famous
:23:36. > :23:38.statue for the first time today. Lord Hill's kept watch over
:23:39. > :23:40.Shrewsbury and beyond for 200 years. Standing 130 feet up,
:23:41. > :23:42.he's higher than Nelson's Column, But the man who built the column
:23:43. > :23:50.in 1815 is not so familiar. Warwick Horsfall is a
:23:51. > :23:52.distant relation of builder here with his wife from home
:23:53. > :24:09.in Australia to see the column I'm not much of a fan of heights so
:24:10. > :24:10.I don't think I can get to the top but it is a dominant part of the
:24:11. > :24:14.skyline. His ancestor took over
:24:15. > :24:23.building the column And he donated the spiral staircase
:24:24. > :24:28.which bears his name, as the man in charge of the Friends
:24:29. > :24:36.of Lord Hill's Column explains. He has brought a gift from halfway
:24:37. > :24:39.across the world. The portrait's been passed
:24:40. > :24:43.through generations of Warwick's family in Australia,
:24:44. > :24:44.though no-one knows So today Warwick gave
:24:45. > :24:55.the portrait to Shrewsbury. The painting has been hanging on the
:24:56. > :25:00.wall of our family Hall where I've been drawing up for a few
:25:01. > :25:07.generations, in the corner of the dining room, so not in a prominent
:25:08. > :25:11.position. I must admit I didn't pay its too much attention.
:25:12. > :25:13.It was amazing, totally unexpected. We did not know it existed.
:25:14. > :25:14.The portrait's in the museum and art gallery.
:25:15. > :25:17.As for Lord Hill, five years ago surveyors said
:25:18. > :25:21.So the Friends of Lord Hill's Column are trying to raise half a million
:25:22. > :25:27.Loads of sunshine today, but not looking quite
:25:28. > :25:36.They're saving it for the start of the cricket season on Friday.
:25:37. > :25:42.Of course, that must be the reason. It's just a shame they cannot
:25:43. > :25:55.guarantee it throughout the cricket season. Headwear -- scenes like this
:25:56. > :25:59.give us a smile today. We managed to sustain the sunshine throughout the
:26:00. > :26:07.day. It broke into the north of the region then spread it southwards.
:26:08. > :26:13.And even in the South temperatures reached mid-teens. Things remain
:26:14. > :26:17.settled for the rest of the week. This high pressure is going to
:26:18. > :26:24.position itself across us as we get to the weekend and that was when we
:26:25. > :26:31.see the wind change from a northerly to a southerly. Optimistically, we
:26:32. > :26:38.are hoping for temperatures to rise possibly up to 20 degrees on Sunday.
:26:39. > :26:43.In contrast, colder conditions tonight because the clearer skies
:26:44. > :26:51.will persist. You could see a touch of frost in the countryside because
:26:52. > :26:56.the winds will be lighter. Perhaps some patchy mist and fog in the
:26:57. > :27:00.morning. This will disburse quite readily with the sunshine around
:27:01. > :27:03.first thing Bartz gradually through the debut will see this high to
:27:04. > :27:34.medium level cloud. Modric northerly winds. Tomorrow
:27:35. > :27:35.night, cloudy conditions. -- moderate northerly winds. Brighter
:27:36. > :27:37.spells on Friday. I'll be back at 10.30
:27:38. > :27:40.with your late update, including HORN BEEPS
:27:41. > :28:05.That car. John, John, you've got mud all over
:28:06. > :28:09.your pants. Come here. I've got spit on them now,
:28:10. > :28:12.haven't I?