:00:00. > :00:16.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight:
:00:17. > :00:20.If all the pensioners take advice off me, and I mean that,
:00:21. > :00:23.is that when people come to the door, don't open the door.
:00:24. > :00:25.Colin Bennett was the victim of a so-called distraction burglary
:00:26. > :00:27.when thieves talked their way into his home.
:00:28. > :00:38.Why ask? The school that has had five minibuses stolen in the last
:00:39. > :00:39.month. I am here for the challenge says Harry Redknapp after his
:00:40. > :00:41.Thursday at Birmingham city. After I said yes, I looked
:00:42. > :00:43.at the fixtures and thought, "It's an even bigger challenge
:00:44. > :00:53.than I thought it was." His 37th coming up this weekend and
:00:54. > :00:54.his last, the 80-year-old who has ran every London Marathon since it
:00:55. > :00:56.began in 1981. And after a touch of frost last
:00:57. > :00:58.night where temperatures hit freezing in one or two spots,
:00:59. > :01:01.time for a change - there's milder weather
:01:02. > :01:03.on the way with some rain. "I keep looking at her photo
:01:04. > :01:15.to say I've let you down." The words of a heartbroken widower,
:01:16. > :01:18.who was duped by a team The so-called "distraction burglars"
:01:19. > :01:23.tricked their way into 80-year-old Colin Bennett's home
:01:24. > :01:26.in Sutton Coldfield to steal his late wife's wedding ring,
:01:27. > :01:31.jewellery and over ?3000 in cash. Today he invited our reporter
:01:32. > :01:34.Ben Godfrey into his home in the hope of getting
:01:35. > :01:52.back his wife's precious belongings. I've let her down. I've let her
:01:53. > :01:55.down. I talked to her now, and ICI have let you down, and I have.
:01:56. > :01:57.Colin Bennett first set eyes on Irene at school
:01:58. > :02:02.They went on to have two children and were married for over 50 years
:02:03. > :02:06.She had dementia, and Colin nursed her.
:02:07. > :02:09.Her wedding ring - symbolising their enduring love -
:02:10. > :02:27.I cried. I just can't stop it, you see what I mean? It breaks my heart.
:02:28. > :02:29.If I told you, I am a very hard man normally, but this has just pulled
:02:30. > :02:35.me up hard. -- apart. Last Wednesday morning,
:02:36. > :02:36.at around 11 o'clock, a man called at Colin's door falsely
:02:37. > :02:39.claiming to work for Severn Trent. After seeing an ID badge, Colin
:02:40. > :02:43.let him in but left his door ajar. The trickster ran the tap
:02:44. > :02:45.in the kitchen for twenty minutes while his accomplice sneaked
:02:46. > :02:47.upstairs and began rifling An 18 carat gold chain,
:02:48. > :03:05.earrings and three thousand two All that money was meant for your
:03:06. > :03:08.son, Neil? It was Neal's benefit money, ?1200 of my pension.
:03:09. > :03:10.Colin couldn't pay it into the bank because he's recovering
:03:11. > :03:21.One of the burglars is described as white, five tall in his late 20s,
:03:22. > :03:24.wearing a dark baseball cap, a dark jacket and grey jeans. Detectives
:03:25. > :03:29.want to speak to anyone who may have been offered some of Colin's
:03:30. > :03:33.positions for sale in the last seven days. Colin, what advice would you
:03:34. > :03:37.give to people who don't know what you know now? I am saying to all the
:03:38. > :03:43.pensioners, if we want to break it, and we are the only people that can
:03:44. > :03:49.do it, we have got to say to these people, if they are telling lies,
:03:50. > :03:50.the book thereof. -- they will clear off.
:03:51. > :03:52.Colin Bennett speaking to Ben Godfrey.
:03:53. > :03:55.And if you have any information that can help West Midlands Police,
:03:56. > :03:57.you can contact them via the non emergency number 101.
:03:58. > :03:59.Two well known cattle breeders say compensation for farmers whose
:04:00. > :04:01.livestock is affected by TB isn't nearly enough.
:04:02. > :04:04.Last December Staffordshire farmer Ernie Durose had almost his entire
:04:05. > :04:09.herd slaughtered to stop the disease spreading.
:04:10. > :04:12.Tomorrow, Michael Brown from Herefordshire will send one
:04:13. > :04:15.of his best breeding cows to be culled.
:04:16. > :04:17.He says he'll only get back a fraction of her value,
:04:18. > :04:23.Nicola Beckford joins us live from the farm in just a moment,
:04:24. > :04:30.Michael Brown is counting down the hours with this cow.
:04:31. > :04:33.He says she's one of the most perfect cows he's ever bred.
:04:34. > :04:38.But she's tested positive for bovine TB and now she's one of two cows
:04:39. > :04:44.When she started to develop, she was obviously an elite cow.
:04:45. > :04:48.She stands out, to me, in amongst all the others I've got.
:04:49. > :04:53.Michael's been breeding prize-winning cattle
:04:54. > :05:00.He says that DEFRA have completely underestimated his cow's true value.
:05:01. > :05:03.They bring farmers, get full value for their animals,
:05:04. > :05:10.and I'm getting a paltry amount of ?1,857 for a cow that's worth...
:05:11. > :05:15.I mean, what the future might have held for her,
:05:16. > :05:20.she could be worth infinitesimal amounts of money.
:05:21. > :05:23.But the department say they have a well-established system
:05:24. > :05:26.in place for determining compensation for TB affected cattle,
:05:27. > :05:29.which takes into account an animal's pedigree,
:05:30. > :05:35.It's not just the cull that's a problem on this farm.
:05:36. > :05:37.DEFRA have placed a ban on moving any cattle,
:05:38. > :05:41.including these bulls, at the height of the selling season.
:05:42. > :05:46.By the time it's lifted, it'll be too late to get a good price.
:05:47. > :05:49.And it's not just here that's been hit by TB.
:05:50. > :05:52.This Staffordshire farmer lost almost his entire herd of Guernsey
:05:53. > :05:56.dairy cattle to the disease before Christmas.
:05:57. > :06:11.Obviously I want nothing to pay for that, so that comes out of me.
:06:12. > :06:27.It's very strange getting up in the morning and having no cows to milk.
:06:28. > :06:30.Back in Herefordshire, Michael has accepted
:06:31. > :06:32.that he will lose two of his best pedigree cows.
:06:33. > :06:35.What he can't come to terms with is the compensation pay out.
:06:36. > :06:38.The cows will be sent to abbatoir tomorrow and slaughtered on Friday.
:06:39. > :06:40.And we can join Nicola at Michael Brown's farm now.
:06:41. > :06:42.Clearly an extremely frustrating time, a worrying time
:06:43. > :06:46.for cattle breeders, Nicola?
:06:47. > :06:49.It certainly is a very worrying time.
:06:50. > :06:51.TB still affects hundreds of beef and dairy farmers
:06:52. > :07:02.In the last 12 months up to January 2017, there have been
:07:03. > :07:05.nearly two million TB tests carried out on cattle
:07:06. > :07:08.And 7,528 cattle have been slaughtered as a result.
:07:09. > :07:10.This is an issue of great concern to the National Farmers
:07:11. > :07:13.Union who echo the sentiments we've heard here in Herefordshire
:07:14. > :07:16.While the NFU is supporting its members and welcomes
:07:17. > :07:19.the progress being made to make England TB free, it says there
:07:20. > :07:24.are some things money can't buy - like a herd which has been improved
:07:25. > :07:32.by years of good breeding and genetics.
:07:33. > :07:39.are being advised to avoid travelling to and from
:07:40. > :07:44.There are no trains running in or out of Euston at the moment,
:07:45. > :07:49.due to a line-side fire which has damaged signalling equipment.
:07:50. > :07:51.The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has paid tribute
:07:52. > :07:53.to a Birmingham University student who was stabbed to
:07:54. > :07:57.23-year-old Hannah Bladon from Burton on Trent
:07:58. > :07:59.was attacked on a tram at the weekend.
:08:00. > :08:02.She was taking part in an exchange programme at the Hebrew University -
:08:03. > :08:05.she'd been studying there since January.
:08:06. > :08:12.A 57-year-old Palestinian man has been arrested.
:08:13. > :08:17.Our thoughts are also with the family and friends of Hanna, who was
:08:18. > :08:20.murdered injuries alone last week. Workers at BMW's engine plant have
:08:21. > :08:22.been staging the first in a series of strikes today
:08:23. > :08:25.in a dispute over pensions. Members of Unite, at
:08:26. > :08:26.Hams Hall in Warwickshire, are taking part in a 24 hour
:08:27. > :08:29.stoppage over plans to end The union says some members
:08:30. > :08:49.could lose ?160,000 We are out to achieve the company to
:08:50. > :08:52.go into negotiations and find a resolution and what the long-term
:08:53. > :08:56.could be on the pensions. We are fighting to keep the pensions open
:08:57. > :08:59.in some form or shape and we have given the company many solutions but
:09:00. > :09:00.we are just ignoring them at the moment.
:09:01. > :09:15.BMW says it wants to resume negotiations.
:09:16. > :09:22.Elected in 1997, she told supporters in an e-mail she knew when it was
:09:23. > :09:23.time to stand down. Whoever is elected as the Labour candidate will
:09:24. > :09:26.have my full backing, she said. The Labour MP for Wolverhampton
:09:27. > :09:28.South West, Rob Marris says he won't stand in the General Election
:09:29. > :09:30.on June eighth. Mr Marris, who was born
:09:31. > :09:33.in the city, has been He lost his seat in the 2010
:09:34. > :09:37.election to the Conservatives The new Birmingham City manager
:09:38. > :09:42.Harry Redknapp says he's facing a big challenge to keep them
:09:43. > :09:45.in the Championship this season. His arrival follows the resignation
:09:46. > :09:51.of Gianfranco Zola, with Blues just three points above
:09:52. > :09:53.the relegation zone. Our sports editor Nick Clitheroe
:09:54. > :09:55.was at Redknapp's first media conference today,
:09:56. > :10:01.and he's at St Andrews now. There is some flash photography
:10:02. > :10:11.coming up. He was bubbly and confident as we
:10:12. > :10:16.have come to expect but Harry Redknapp is 70 years old, he hasn't
:10:17. > :10:20.managed for two years and he told us his last coaching sessions was with
:10:21. > :10:24.the team of under ten in the park over the road. But he just loves the
:10:25. > :10:28.game, it took him 15 minutes to accept the offer from Birmingham
:10:29. > :10:29.city and the hardest part was telling his wife.
:10:30. > :10:32.When I got home, half past two in the morning, my wife was asleep.
:10:33. > :10:36.I said, "I'm going to Birmingham end of the season."
:10:37. > :10:41.Everybody I know thinks I'm mad, but I'm here.
:10:42. > :10:53.So what does he think is the key to keeping Birmingham up?
:10:54. > :11:00.He is targeting one win from these three games, maybe four points, but
:11:01. > :11:03.takes comfort from the fact that in 2002 he took over Portsmouth with
:11:04. > :11:06.five games to go, kept them up and the next the league. He was asked if
:11:07. > :11:09.blues stay up, which he stay on? I met the representative
:11:10. > :11:11.the other day of the owners and they seem good people,
:11:12. > :11:13.ambitious people, got big So I think there's no reason,
:11:14. > :11:17.if we survive this year, which I'm sure we can,
:11:18. > :11:28.that the future's good. The first of his three games is
:11:29. > :11:34.against Aston Villa on Sunday. The Villa striker will miss that game,
:11:35. > :11:42.Jonathan Kodjiia, despite having his ban reduced from three bands to
:11:43. > :11:45.wonder. He is embarking on a new error at Saint Andrews and you can
:11:46. > :11:46.see more of his press conference on the Midlands today Facebook page.
:11:47. > :11:49.In rugby, the Wasps forward Joe Launchbury has been surprisingly
:11:50. > :11:51.left out of the British and Irish Lions squad
:11:52. > :11:54.His club team-mate Elliot Daly is included, though,
:11:55. > :11:56.along with the Worcester centre Ben Te'o.
:11:57. > :12:02.He'll become the first player from the Warriors
:12:03. > :12:06.A school in Kidderminster is struggling for transport
:12:07. > :12:09.after having five minibuses stolen in the last eight months.
:12:10. > :12:15.The ContinU Plus Academy caters for youngsters who've been excluded
:12:16. > :12:17.from other schools or struggled in mainstream education.
:12:18. > :12:20.Two of the buses that bring them to school were stolen over Easter,
:12:21. > :12:24.This is the only minibus left at the Continu Plus academy
:12:25. > :12:30.in Kidderminster a school that sets out to give children a second chance
:12:31. > :12:33.in Kidderminster a school that sets out to give children
:12:34. > :12:36.Some of them take some persuading to return to the classroom
:12:37. > :12:38.and the transport that picks them up is crucial.
:12:39. > :12:42.So the theft pictured on CCTV of two of their three minibuses
:12:43. > :12:48.over the Easter break has upset everybody.
:12:49. > :12:55.I did actually cry. It is heartbreaking and devastating and
:12:56. > :13:01.it's not just that, the kids, the rely on this transport. Whoever they
:13:02. > :13:04.were, they came prepared cutting through a padlock, removing tracking
:13:05. > :13:08.devices from the vehicles and dumped them in a flower pot and then
:13:09. > :13:10.manoeuvred around the ball out that the school had installed last summer
:13:11. > :13:12.after the first theft. Three minibuses were stolen that
:13:13. > :13:16.time - this was one of them. The head and her staff have pruned
:13:17. > :13:19.spending elsewhere to top up the insurance pay out and buy
:13:20. > :13:31.new vehicles and now We are incredibly sad about it. Our
:13:32. > :13:35.transport is a lifeline for our children to come to school. We
:13:36. > :13:38.keirin about them very much, we want them here and educate them and look
:13:39. > :13:39.after them and we can't at the moment.
:13:40. > :13:42.Without the buses a big part of school life it's outdoor trips
:13:43. > :13:56.I was disgusted because it happened in the past. The depend on the bus
:13:57. > :14:00.because the need to get to kayaking destinations, for example. I feel
:14:01. > :14:01.awful because I can't get to and from school and it's affecting my
:14:02. > :14:02.learning. Police are carrying
:14:03. > :14:11.out forensics tests It's important the public get in
:14:12. > :14:15.touch with us if they've seen these vehicles, the art sign read and
:14:16. > :14:16.vehicles, it would be unusual for them to be seen outside the
:14:17. > :14:17.immediate area. The school's motto is
:14:18. > :14:19.we will work it out. With the summer term starting
:14:20. > :14:22.on Monday, this a problem When Birmingham became
:14:23. > :14:27.the first city to stage the People's Marathon in 1980,
:14:28. > :14:31.Dale Lyons jumped at Little did he know, that he'd
:14:32. > :14:35.soon become addicted On Sunday, in London,
:14:36. > :14:41.Dale is hoping to complete the 100th and final marathon
:14:42. > :14:44.of his athletics career. Birmingham's cherry blossom
:14:45. > :14:52.was looking beautiful. And Dale Lyons was
:14:53. > :14:55.blooming marvellous too. Having just celebrated his 80th
:14:56. > :14:59.birthday, Dale's decided that Sunday's London Marathon
:15:00. > :15:02.will be his last. because only 11 people can claim
:15:03. > :15:07.to have been ever present since it And Dale is proud to be part of this
:15:08. > :15:14.select group of marathon runners. It's such a status symbol,
:15:15. > :15:17.in a way, and it's basically And over the past 36 years,
:15:18. > :15:25.Dale has proved it by tossing pancakes along the 26 mile route,
:15:26. > :15:28.or carrying an egg on a spoon, or doing anything to
:15:29. > :15:33.raise money for charity. So this year he's running to help
:15:34. > :15:36.people like Warren Newman, who's Just one of many who will benefit
:15:37. > :15:42.from this ?14 million centre, the new HQ of the deaf
:15:43. > :15:51.blind charity, Sense. I'm really proud of him
:15:52. > :15:54.running to raise money for Sense and for charity,
:15:55. > :15:56.and it's so great that this If people like Dale and what he's
:15:57. > :16:03.done is absolutely amazing, but everybody like him just making
:16:04. > :16:05.possible a really fantastic So if you're planning to watch
:16:06. > :16:10.the London Marathon on Sunday, keep an eye out for Dale
:16:11. > :16:13.in his distinctive running vest, as he prepares to run his 100th
:16:14. > :16:18.and final marathon at the age of 80. Not with all of the London
:16:19. > :16:26.Marathon crowd around me. No, I'm afraid I'll
:16:27. > :16:35.need it on the day. An ex-prisoner who shot to notoriety
:16:36. > :16:49.as one of only two men ever to escape from Shrewsbury Jail has
:16:50. > :16:52.been back behind bars today. Walter Groom escaped in 1961,
:16:53. > :16:57.he was on the run for six days. Today he returned to the former jail
:16:58. > :17:00.to explain to our reporter Joanne Writtle how he's to become
:17:01. > :17:03.a tour guide for a day to talk Walter Groom never thought he'd
:17:04. > :17:08.want to go back to jail, but 56 years after escaping,
:17:09. > :17:11.he's brought his wife Barbara back Graham Goodwin was a
:17:12. > :17:19.prison officer here. Walter's escape from
:17:20. > :17:23.here is legendary. Walter was known and spoke of over
:17:24. > :17:27.the years, because being the only Older officers that
:17:28. > :17:33.were here at the time and as I came here in the 80s,
:17:34. > :17:48.those stories would get relayed. This was Walter aged 25, he served
:17:49. > :17:53.three sentences for breaking into shops and in amongst the lines of
:17:54. > :18:01.cells, Walter finds his own. And there was no sanitation. There was
:18:02. > :18:05.only a part to do your bit thin. In 1961, Walter escaped with another
:18:06. > :18:08.prisoner, the only two ever to manage it. I was approached by
:18:09. > :18:16.another prisoner and he was desperate to get out. I thought,
:18:17. > :18:21.that would be a challenge. It took 16 days to plan and in basic terms
:18:22. > :18:25.this is what happened. There was a man out here and we had to go down
:18:26. > :18:33.there and remove grills, the tunnel led to another manhole and out into
:18:34. > :18:38.the yard. We need a human ladder to get out of the wall. Can you believe
:18:39. > :18:44.and know you did it? Noel, looking at it now, I can't. His wife has
:18:45. > :18:53.written a book about it. He turned his life around when they met. The
:18:54. > :18:58.couple's two sons only learned of their father's notoriety as adults.
:18:59. > :19:04.I wanted to make a new life for myself, always wanted to do that. I
:19:05. > :19:08.succeeded in the end. It was hard going, but I did it. Walter was
:19:09. > :19:10.captured after six days on the run. Today he doesn't need to scale walls
:19:11. > :19:15.to get out. Assya Shabir has what's
:19:16. > :19:17.known as Butterfly Skin. It's a rare condition that causes
:19:18. > :19:22.agonising blisters across her skin When she was born,
:19:23. > :19:28.her parents were told At 29, Assya from Yardley
:19:29. > :19:35.in Birmingham has fulfilled a lifelong ambition
:19:36. > :19:37.to skydive. Her inspirational blogs on social
:19:38. > :19:40.media are full of fun and hope for the future and tonight she's
:19:41. > :19:43.sharing her story with us. I'm Assya, I'm 29 and
:19:44. > :19:49.I have junctional EB. This is my cameraman
:19:50. > :19:52.and this is my instructor. I get internal and external
:19:53. > :19:57.blistering from head to toe. Some days it's really good, some
:19:58. > :20:03.days I'm unable to move completely. I've never felt so beautiful
:20:04. > :20:15.in my life, like ever. Yeah, I'm really happy,
:20:16. > :20:21.excited more than anything! I think my excitement
:20:22. > :20:32.is overriding my nerves. When I was born, I was supposed
:20:33. > :20:35.to be born in Birmingham with EB. This is nothing, it could be much
:20:36. > :20:51.worse, so I am thankful I think the landing
:20:52. > :20:58.was the best bit. I just want to show everyone with EB
:20:59. > :21:05.with the condition that I have that you don't have to stop
:21:06. > :21:08.because of your condition. You can do what you want,
:21:09. > :21:14.when you want and how you want. There are more videos about Assya
:21:15. > :21:17.on the BBC news pages and the Midlands Today facebook
:21:18. > :21:21.page, the address is on screen now. And I'm pleased to say Assya's
:21:22. > :21:35.with me in the studio. Hello. Hello. You put up with so
:21:36. > :21:39.much, how do you keep so cheerful and positive? It is the people I'm
:21:40. > :21:43.around, my family and friends and my faith in God. It gets me through
:21:44. > :21:50.each and every day, knowing this is just a test for me and my beliefs,
:21:51. > :21:55.this is a test and may hereafter is going to be much better. You have
:21:56. > :22:06.done the skydive, do you have plans for the next outing? I would love to
:22:07. > :22:11.do another one in Wales, it looks amazing, the longest running Europe.
:22:12. > :22:17.In your day to day life, what's it like? What is the reaction from the
:22:18. > :22:20.public? How do your family called? It is difficult, because some days
:22:21. > :22:24.are worse than others, to the point where I can't get out of bed.
:22:25. > :22:30.Sometimes I'm stuck to the bed, it is harder for my family to see me in
:22:31. > :22:37.pain. On outings, sometimes you have to ignore the public. Society as
:22:38. > :22:43.well, it's like that saying goes, ignorance is bliss. They don't see
:22:44. > :22:47.past what they see and sometimes it's hard. I struggle when people
:22:48. > :22:53.speak to my family and I am standing right next to them. It's like, I can
:22:54. > :22:57.speak. It's lovely to meet you and talk to you. Congratulations, you
:22:58. > :22:58.raised 2000 from the skydive. Thank you.
:22:59. > :23:02.So how's the weather looking for skydivers across the Midlands?
:23:03. > :23:10.A picture of calm at the minute here but if you are hurtling through the
:23:11. > :23:15.skies at that altitude, a whole different story. Take a look at
:23:16. > :23:22.this, a picture of tranquillity at Warwickshire this morning, a lovely
:23:23. > :23:27.sunrise. Plenty of sun right sunshine. That cloud slowly filtered
:23:28. > :23:31.favourite so by the end of the day this is what it looked like. Milky
:23:32. > :23:37.white guys but not really producing very much rain. There is a distinct
:23:38. > :23:42.lack of rain right now. Even over the next couple of days, even though
:23:43. > :23:46.we have lots of cloud around, it is still going to be a mainly dry
:23:47. > :23:51.picture, just the odd aspect of rain here and there. Enough to dampen the
:23:52. > :23:59.ground or perhaps not at all. It will warm up in spite of the cloud.
:24:00. > :24:02.A couple of cold front flooding in from the north-west for tonight and
:24:03. > :24:06.tomorrow and later on Friday, that's what's producing that light rain.
:24:07. > :24:12.High pressure to decide about keeping most of the rain at bay.
:24:13. > :24:16.Tonight, it is going to be a cloudy picture. The cloud is across
:24:17. > :24:21.northern parts of the region right now. Clear skies towards Central and
:24:22. > :24:25.southern parts. If you are looking out for the asteroid hurtling past
:24:26. > :24:28.Earth over the next couple of days, that is your best chance of seeing
:24:29. > :24:32.it if you're in the size of the region, but it's not visible from
:24:33. > :24:36.the naked eye, only visible through a telescope. Later tonight, the
:24:37. > :24:39.cloud syncing southwards, it should stay largely drive us places but it
:24:40. > :24:44.will produce rain across the north of the region. The south-east stain
:24:45. > :24:48.clearest of all, but unlike last night where we had a touch of frost
:24:49. > :24:53.and temperatures near freezing, tonight is much milder, eight or
:24:54. > :24:57.nine Celsius. Overall, it's going to be a cloudy day. That cloud
:24:58. > :25:00.continues to sink southwards and we will see a bit more in the way of
:25:01. > :25:08.rain elsewhere. Not just in northern parts but in very minimal and mostly
:25:09. > :25:09.dry conditions. Highs of 14 to 15 Celsius. It will be milder.
:25:10. > :25:13.I'll be back at ten thirty with your late update.
:25:14. > :25:41.Have a good evening. Bye for now.
:25:42. > :25:45.the most that have ever voted for anything in this country,