04/04/2017 Midlands Today

The headlines tonight: Lock your doors: police appeal

to drivers in Birmingham after a spate of car

jackings and robberies in the last six months.

All I remember is him licking me straight in the eyes and telling me

to get out of the car and this knife coming towards my neck.

Police fear that teenagers are being forced to take

Also tonight: Outrage, as Cadburys and the National Trust

drop the word Easter from their annual egg hunts.

It is disgraceful because we live on earth Christian country.

It is important to remember the traditions.

It is Easter so you should just have fun with it.

Celebrating a Midlands success story - 50 years of the Range Rover.

I find out what it takes to become a best rhythmic gymnast.

And from smouldering sunsets to warm weekends -

we have it all in this week's forecast.

Something to look forward to in the forecast later.

"When he held a knife to my throat, I knew it was time

The chilling words of a woman whose car was stolen

West Midlands Police say they've been dealing with a spate

In a six month period from October last year until March,

they've dealt with 26 car-jackings and robberies.

Police are urging drivers to be vigilant and to lock

Two years ago, Nikki Law-Priddey was dragged into the road

when a thief jumped into her car and drove off.

And last year, Anthony Mathers fought off an armed gang who tried

Sarah is now using her husband's car after their top-of-the-range Kia

estate was stolen in Moseley one morning last week.

She's still so traumatised we've agreed not to show her face.

Sarah was accosted by two men - one of whom was on the driver's side

I was just holding on to the steering wheel, I don't know why. It

was my natural instinct to protect the car. Then somebody was trying to

get into the passenger door. So a second person?

Yes, he was kneeling in and pushing. Sarah screamed out the window

for help which caused both men So they backed off but then came

back and it was worse. Yes, this knife came towards me and

was near my neck and I thought I cannot do this, I have a

two-year-old son and I need to get out.

West Midlands Police says today they've arrested 11 people

and charged five in connection with a spate of car jackings

The arrests have been young males from the age of 13. There is the

suspicion that young males are being encouraged to get involved by those

who have already done it which is why it has gone on to be a pattern.

Yesterday afternoon, this Mini was stolen from a petrol

forecourt in Castle Browmich and another car was taken on Friday.

Morrisons says it's conducting a full security review of the site

As for Sarah, she's scared now when she goes out driving

And Amy joins us from the centre of Birmingham now.

This is clearly a very frightening experience, Amy?

It really is. We have spoken to about half a dozen victims and it is

not just their cards that are stolen but personal information as well.

The owner of the many said her handbag was taken which had her

house keys and also a document with her address so she has had to change

all the locks which just adds another layer of stress to this

traumatising experience. Police say it is difficult to give

advice but they advised the doors are locked, although one person did

have their window smashed. Try to get as much information as you can

but be safe and vigilant and take extra precautions.

There's been a significant rise in the number of people identified

as "modern slaves" living in the Midlands.

An investigation by the BBC found that nationally more than 400

potential victims were referred to the government

The crime involves victims being trafficked into the country

and then forced to work for little or no pay.

Eight years in captivity in the Midlands and now adjusting

Janoosh, not his real name, was trafficked

Through his translator, he explained how he worked a 12 hour

He earned ?130 a week picking vegetables and half

Everyday, nine o'clock start, nine o'clock finish.

Work, work, no money, no money, no money.

Figures show the number of potential victims of slavery

and people-trafficking across the Midlands

has increased from 362 in 2015

He was eventually taken to a safe house in Yorkshire.

This one is run by the Salvation Army and Monica has been living

She was trafficked from Albania and dumped next to the M1 just weeks

When people have been rescued from modern-day slavery and arrive

here in the safe house, there is a welcome pack, a bed,

Some have been in captivity for years so this really

They are trapped, often not by keys and padlocks

Often those threats being realised in emotional and physical abuse.

Those are the kind of things we're seeing continually.

And then at the end of the day still not seeing any pay or very little.

Janoosh was freed last year as part of a police investigation

but the message from the Government and the Salvation Army

is that there are potentially hundreds of modern slaves,

Senior Church of England leaders have accused Cadbury's

of airbrushing faith over a decision to drop the word 'Easter'

300 events - called the Cadbury Great British Egg Hunt -

are taking place at National Trust properties across the country.

The Prime Minister intervened earlier today calling

Cadbury's are saying it's nonsense to suggest they don't include Easter

This Easter, Cadbury is bringing joy to the nation.

Inside 24 hours, the search for chocolate eggs has turned

into a national debate over the way society references religion.

Even the Prime Minister's got involved.

I'm not just a Fekir's daughter, I am a member of the National Trust. I

think the stance they have taken is ridiculous.

National Trust properties are hosting

the Cadbury's Great British Egg Hunt.

In previous years they've had Easter egg trails,

so the omission of the word Easter this time around has infuriated

They are making money from selling eggs at a time of celebration

without referencing Christianity. The former Bishop of Birmingham said

Cadbury is especially spitting on the grave of its Quaker founder,

John Cadbury. Removing a reference to Easter, are brushing faith out.

Cadbury was a great industrialists but fans of Easter?

Well, that's unlikely, especially as rather that marking

traditional church festivals, Quakers see every day

as a new beginning - hence the egg, chocolate or otherwise.

Whatever your stance, this has got people talking.

I think people are getting too politically correct.

It is important to remember the religious side of celebrations.

It is a disgrace. We live in a Christian country.

The National Trust says suggestions it's downplaying

the significance of Easter are nonsense, especially

as they have numerous Easter-themed activities going on.

They maintain that it is not true that they do not include Easter in

their advertising. I actually think it would be better

to say something like they forgot to put a ten rather than this

wishy-washy response. Are you being oversensitive about

what is essentially a group of words describing a search for chocolate?

Chocolate is important, Easter is more important. This has given us a

good opportunity to talk about Easter.

Tonight, business leaders in Birmingham claim

so-called Eastergate has been blown out of all proportion.

The family of a man who was murdered at a tram stop last Friday,

57-year-old Anthony Banting was stabbed several times

after getting off a tram at Soho Benson Road in Birmingham.

The father of four had been on his way to meet one of his sons.

His family are urging anyone with information

An exhibition of ancient gold, found by two amateur treasure

hunters in Staffordshire, has attracted over 21 thousand

The jewellery, thought to be 2,500 years old,

was discovered buried in a field last December.

The artefacts will now leave the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

in Stoke-on-Trent so they can be valued by the British Museum.

With just over four weeks to go until polling,

we now know six candidates will be fighting it out to become the first

Nominations closed just over two hours ago for the election

Our political editor Patrick Burns is here with me now.

So a new style of political leadership, Patrick,

Our counterpart to London's mayor, heading a population

of nearly three million, across Birmingham,

They'll have powers over Economic Development,

Education and Skills, Housing and Transport, devolved

So now we know who the candidates will be, what can you

In alphabetical order: for the Greens, James Burn,

is a social worker, small business owner and Solihull councillor.

UKIP's Pete Durnell is an IT specialist from Warley, who also

stood for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Liberal Democrat, Beverley Nielsen, is a former

business leader turned university lecturer in Birmingham.

Labour's Sion Simon, a former Birmingham MP,

and currently one of our region's Members of the European Parliament.

The Communist, Graham Stevenson, from Coventry,

And the Conservative, Andy Street, from Birmingham,

stood down as Managing Director of the John Lewis department

store chain, in order to fight this election.

And the main contenders are getting together even as we speak,

at a debate organised by the Birmingham Mail this evening.

And we'll have three more debates of our own,

on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, BBC WM and on television,

here on BBC One, during the course of next four weeks.

And how's it shaping-up as a contest?

It's generally seen as a battle between Labour

And one of the country's foremost polling analysts says

West Midlands now looks like a draw so I think in truth what Labour have

to worry about in terms of a headline-grabbing loss is that

If they were to lose it, that is going to certainly increase

the pressure further on Jeremy Corbyn.

This contest is much more about the personalities

And that makes it even more unpredictable.

You'll find more on this, on the politics pages

It was an eyesore that infuriated local residents and now

Staffordshire County Council has started clearing up more

than 300 tonnes of waste which was dumped in a wood.

The rubbish was fly-tipped in Madeley Heath in January,

blocking a car park and a public footpath.

Here's our Staffordshire reporter, Liz Copper.

300 tonnes of waste, a serious environmental

The clean-up has begun in Walton's Wood in Madeley Heath.

Contractors have been called in to shift the mounds

This is fly-tipping on an industrial scale and this sort of activity

has been preplanned, I would suggest.

It takes a lot of organisation to get trucks in here,

so unfortunately it is considerable environmental damage.

The waste includes shredded paper and bandages.

It will be taken away to be incinerated.

The ground will also have to be scoured by litter pickers to make

This waste was dumped overnight but it will take days to clear up

Sharing that cost will be the Forestry Commission,

It is just totally and utterly unacceptable.

You can hear the birdsong in the background.

This is something that is increasing recently and certainly on a big

Already a criminal investigation is well under way.

The maximum penalty for anyone convicted of this is an unlimited

Thanks for joining us on Midlands Today, this is our top

story tonight: Drivers are being urged to lock their doors,

after a spate of car-jackings and robberies in Birmingham

Another bright and sunny day today, although noticeably cooler...Shefali

How Dusty body-swerved onto the pitch during a football

match, delayed the game for eight minutes and rather

embarrassed his owner - who was one of the players.

And 200 years on, why descendants of a renowned builder have flown

Can you believe the Range Rover's 50 years old?

A special exhibition's opening to celebrate the unveiling

of the first prototype way back in 1967 at the company's

The Range Rover is still one of Britain's biggest luxury exports,

Our transport correspondent Peter Plisner is in Solihull for us now.

So, Peter, tell us how they're marking this anniversary?

We are inside that special exhibition tonight and this is a

full-size replica of the model they tested the design on. They still use

this kind of lumps of clay as well as the computers. The first one was

made in 1970, one of many vehicles to be the Range Rover badge.

Not just a car but an entire brand - on the production line today

the latest Range Rover model called the Velar - taking its name

from the original prototype built here at Solihull 50 years ago.

And with another new model comes yet more job security for workers

It's a lovely vehicle and should sell well. It is probably the jewel

in the crown of Land Rover now. I think everybody feels there is

security in the company. The Range Rover history goes

back to the mid-1960s and a request from America car

buyers for something more Through the years they've had many

different uses incuding ambulances Roger Crathorne was one of

the original Range Rover engineers. It was fantastic working on that

project because Land Rover had been around for 21 years almost and as a

new team we could not believe our luck that we had been given this

project to work on. The Range Rover became something of

a design classic alongside these objects. It is interesting that 50

years on you can do most of those things except drive a Range Rover on

your smartphone. But what is it about

the Range Rover that's Enthusiast Chris Elliot owns one

of the first cars ever made. It's so rare he's even lent

it to the exhibition. Lovely high position when you're

driving. It was an instant success and a massive icon. There was a

black market going on with people buying them and then selling at an

increased price. It's evolved over the

years but the original Range Rover model -

now in its forth generation - So far they've sold almost two

million of them since it was first This is the Velar close up. Launched

one month ago at a special party in London and it got rave reviews from

journalists. It goes on sale later in the year, costing ?45,000.

And how important is it to the future of the company?

It is the third car to bear the Range Rover brand and in a sector

that Range Rover hasn't been in. There have been phenomenal successes

for it Jaguar's car and I guess Land Rover want a piece of the action as

well. Time to look at the big night of

football and ahead to the Commonwealth Games.

What sport requires a hoop, a ball, two clubs and six metres of ribbon?

And one Birmingham athlete has a great chance of winning a medal

for Team England at next year's Commonwealth Games.

Curtain call for Mimi Cesar from Sutton Coldfield.

Carrying one hoop and a bag full of other props.

Welcome to the world of rhythmic gymnastics.

Armed with six metres of colourful ribbon...

this is one of four disciplines that Mimi has spent hours

Hand over the top, bend and the important thing is to catch it.

but when Mimi first started doing this

she reckons her hand eye co-ordination wasn't very good.

Now, after 12 years of dedicated training

she's right up there with the very best.

She missed out on a medal last time but is determined to put that right.

It makes us determined to go out there and when that medal.

She was quite done because she was wondering if she could have done

better and that she wanted to carry on but the rest is history and she

is still here and motivated. When she's not training

or competing, Mimi loves coaching children at ten

schools across Birmingham, like this one at Fordbridge

in Chelmsley Wood. I think having any sports

personality really raises the profile so she has had a fantastic

impact. So whilst Mimi keeps her eye

on the ball, and the hoop, and the clubs and that

very long ribbon we'll keep fingers crossed

for Commonwealth Games Onto tonight's football plenty

of games and plenty to play for. But unfortunately all

the key games are down We've got Stoke and Albion playing

in the premier league. But in the Championship we've got

three of our sides in action. Birmingham City and Wolves both

need a few more points The relegation threat is even

greater in League One. Port Vale are just two points

above the relegation zone. Shrewsbury Town are already

in the bottom four they host a Millwall side chasing a place

in the play-offs. They could do without any

interlopers on the pitch. Something they know all

about at Halesowen Town! Halesowen's match against

Skelmersdale was delayed for eight If you watch the way he evades

the tacklers I think that It was especially embarrassing

for defender Asa Charlton Eventually he managed grab him

and Halesowen won the match 1-0. The portrait of a man who thought

he'd dizzyingly high monument in Shropshire has been discovered. It

was donated to the art gallery in the town and they saw a very famous

statue for the first time today. Lord Hill's kept watch over

Shrewsbury and beyond for 200 years. Standing 130 feet up,

he's higher than Nelson's Column, But the man who built the column

in 1815 is not so familiar. Warwick Horsfall is a

distant relation of builder here with his wife from home

in Australia to see the column I'm not much of a fan of heights so

I don't think I can get to the top but it is a dominant part of the

skyline. His ancestor took over

building the column And he donated the spiral staircase

which bears his name, as the man in charge of the Friends

of Lord Hill's Column explains. He has brought a gift from halfway

across the world. The portrait's been passed

through generations of Warwick's family in Australia,

though no-one knows So today Warwick gave

the portrait to Shrewsbury. The painting has been hanging on the

wall of our family Hall where I've been drawing up for a few

generations, in the corner of the dining room, so not in a prominent

position. I must admit I didn't pay its too much attention.

It was amazing, totally unexpected. We did not know it existed.

The portrait's in the museum and art gallery.

As for Lord Hill, five years ago surveyors said

So the Friends of Lord Hill's Column are trying to raise half a million

Loads of sunshine today, but not looking quite

They're saving it for the start of the cricket season on Friday.

Of course, that must be the reason. It's just a shame they cannot

guarantee it throughout the cricket season. Headwear -- scenes like this

give us a smile today. We managed to sustain the sunshine throughout the

day. It broke into the north of the region then spread it southwards.

And even in the South temperatures reached mid-teens. Things remain

settled for the rest of the week. This high pressure is going to

position itself across us as we get to the weekend and that was when we

see the wind change from a northerly to a southerly. Optimistically, we

are hoping for temperatures to rise possibly up to 20 degrees on Sunday.

In contrast, colder conditions tonight because the clearer skies

will persist. You could see a touch of frost in the countryside because

the winds will be lighter. Perhaps some patchy mist and fog in the

morning. This will disburse quite readily with the sunshine around

first thing Bartz gradually through the debut will see this high to

medium level cloud. Modric northerly winds. Tomorrow

night, cloudy conditions. -- moderate northerly winds. Brighter

spells on Friday. I'll be back at 10.30

with your late update, including HORN BEEPS

That car. John, John, you've got mud all over

your pants. Come here. I've got spit on them now,

haven't I?