0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello and welcome to Midlands Today.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06The headlines tonight:
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Tackling the growing problem of fly-tipping in Stoke -
0:00:08 > 0:00:13more than 8,000 cases this year.
0:00:13 > 0:00:20Prosecute them, fine them, whatever it is. Teach them a lesson.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24We'll be finding out how the city's trying to keep on top of the issue.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25Also tonight:
0:00:25 > 0:00:26The summer's long running bin strike
0:00:26 > 0:00:29cost Birmingham taxpayers more than £6 million.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Selling your house online is becoming so popular that this
0:00:32 > 0:00:38Solihull-based company is creating hundreds of new jobs.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43We are taking more space, creating more jobs, and we want to give our
0:00:43 > 0:00:50customers the best service.
0:00:50 > 0:00:50I'm on customers the best service.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51I'm on the programme about customers the best service.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I'm on the programme about later, talking about this place, it's the
0:00:54 > 0:01:00RSC. I'm a proper act for! -- actor!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03And it may only be midweek, but it's always good to plan ahead.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Settled today, but will it be settled tomorrow and more
0:01:05 > 0:01:06importantly over the weekend?
0:01:06 > 0:01:12A tricky one, but you may just be in luck.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Good evening.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It's a growing problem across the region and costs millions
0:01:16 > 0:01:23of pounds to clear up.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Local authorities are facing a constant battle against those
0:01:25 > 0:01:26who illegally dump rubbish.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Last year there were more than 67,000 cases of fly-tipping
0:01:28 > 0:01:30across the West Midlands - costing the taxpayer
0:01:30 > 0:01:35a staggering £4.2 million.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38In Stoke-on-Trent, the number of cases has steadily risen over
0:01:38 > 0:01:39the past three years.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41The city council insists that it IS tackling the issue,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and is taking action against people who dump waste.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But last year they had just 26 successful prosecutions.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52Here's our Staffordshire reporter, Liz Copper.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Unsightly, unpleasant and now under investigation.
0:01:54 > 0:02:01This rubbish was reported overnight.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Tim and Ashton from Stoke-on-Trent's cleaning team are on their way.
0:02:04 > 0:02:11The team's led by Dominic, and what they find isn't unusual.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14This appears to be a builder's-type place so you've got your wood,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16your plastic, your spilt paint, and generally waste
0:02:16 > 0:02:17in the wrong place.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And this is the type of thing that blights the community.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23The council's zero tolerance policy has the support
0:02:23 > 0:02:26of many families here.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Prosecute them, fine them. Whatever it is that you want to do.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34Teach them a lesson.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39It's the only way they'll learn.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42If you don't catch them, they keep on doing it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44If you catch them, prosecute them, they won't do it again.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Because it's going to hit them in the pocket.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49There are five teams working five days a week,
0:02:49 > 0:02:50clearing up after fly-tippers.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Next stop is a call to waste that's been dumped
0:02:52 > 0:02:53near an industrial estate.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Across the city, there were 26 prosecutions last year,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59but that is not the whole story.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01We now look at a proactive and reactive service,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03so we're not waiting for the residents to come forward
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and complain about fly-tipping - we're actually going out and dealing
0:03:06 > 0:03:08with environmental issues that officers see for themselves.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11To help bring more cases to court, the team's joined by Zoe,
0:03:11 > 0:03:17who collects evidence.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20It's really getting stuck in, and if there's bin bags,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25if there's cardboard, furniture and so on,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27you're lifting up the cushions on sofas...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30You're digging through the bags to see what may be in there that
0:03:30 > 0:03:31could link to a potential address.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33And after those investigations, a call.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34And questions.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35There's some rubbish in that alleyway.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Do you know anything about that?
0:03:38 > 0:03:44Enquiries will continue at this address.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Clearing up this mess costs councils money they'd rather
0:03:46 > 0:03:48spend on other services.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49It's a constant battle.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But the team fighting the fly-tippers -
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and transforming this, into this - are making
0:03:53 > 0:04:01a real difference.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Joining me now is Councillor Anthony Munday.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08He's responsible for tackling fly-tipping in the city.
0:04:08 > 0:04:16Is this a battle you just can't win?
0:04:16 > 0:04:22You could possibly say that. It's certainly going to be a constant
0:04:22 > 0:04:27battle that we've put a lot of resources in, we are determined to
0:04:27 > 0:04:33keep the streets and back alleys of Stoke on Trent as possible. We are
0:04:33 > 0:04:46proactive in this, a zero tolerance attitude to this. I hate to say
0:04:46 > 0:04:48so many prosecutions, but we've issued hundreds of £4 on-the-spot
0:04:48 > 0:04:53fines, out of the 8000 incidents you talk about, 6000 were found by our
0:04:53 > 0:04:59people and not reported.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00So you've introduced these fly-tipping hit
0:05:00 > 0:05:04squads - is that enough?
0:05:04 > 0:05:10They certainly are making a big difference, as alluded to in the
0:05:10 > 0:05:14peace there. Councils resources will only stretched too far. I think we
0:05:14 > 0:05:21are taking this prop -- this problem incredibly seriously. These five
0:05:21 > 0:05:27squads have been on the street since 2005, and they are doing a superb
0:05:27 > 0:05:32job. We had the City of Culture judges in the city two weeks ago,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35they actually said without even any prompting how clean the city
0:05:35 > 0:05:43looked...
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Are you concerned this problem will affect your bid to win City
0:05:46 > 0:05:49of Culture for 2021?
0:05:49 > 0:05:56This is a nationwide problem, it is not just Stoke-on-Trent. Obviously
0:05:56 > 0:06:02what we have to try and work hard to do is change the perception of
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Stoke-on-Trent, people's perception of Stoke-on-Trent is completely
0:06:04 > 0:06:11wrong. We are a clean, and very green city, the third green dust bag
0:06:11 > 0:06:19re-nest in the UK in terms of open spaces. -- the greenest in the UK.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23OK, let's hope that's the case. Thank you for joining us tonight.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26A jury's heard how a taxi driver killed his two young children
0:06:26 > 0:06:28in a fire at his home in Birmingham.
0:06:28 > 0:06:3047-year-old Endris Mohammed is accused of murdering his son
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and daughter who were asleep at the home in the Hamstead area
0:06:33 > 0:06:37of the city in October last year.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41He's also accused of attempting to murder his wife.
0:06:41 > 0:06:50He denies murder, but admits being responsible for the deaths.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Giles Latcham reports.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Saros, aged eight, and six year-old Leanor, killed by their father
0:06:54 > 0:06:56in October last year as they slept at the family home in
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Hamstead, north Birmingham.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01It was the half term school holiday, they'd been allowed as a treat
0:07:01 > 0:07:04to sleep downstairs in the lounge.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05There, the jury was told,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Endris Mohammed smothered them with a petrol-soaked rag,
0:07:07 > 0:07:14and as their mother slept upstairs he started a fire in the hall.
0:07:14 > 0:07:21Later, fire engulfed his car and he suffered severe burns.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22The judge Andrew Gilbart told the jury that:
0:07:22 > 0:07:27The judge Andrew Gilbart told the jury that:
0:07:37 > 0:07:44The prosecution rejected the assertion that he was suffering from
0:07:44 > 0:07:45a "Depressive disorder
0:07:45 > 0:07:47assertion that he was suffering from a "Depressive disorder "At the time
0:07:47 > 0:07:54of the killings, which impaired his ability to make rational judgments."
0:07:54 > 0:07:59He said that in interviews, Mr Mohammed said he intended to kill
0:07:59 > 0:08:03himself, but he had decided the children would be better off dead
0:08:03 > 0:08:06than living without him. The prosecution said that was to ignore
0:08:06 > 0:08:14the fact that these were happy, healthy children with a loving,
0:08:14 > 0:08:19supportive women -- mother. An asylum seeker from Ethiopia, Mr Ham
0:08:19 > 0:08:24-- Muhammad later told investigators he was struggling to find work, vets
0:08:24 > 0:08:31were mounting, and he felt a failure. The case continues. --
0:08:31 > 0:08:41debts were mounting.
0:08:45 > 0:08:56He will appear at Westminster magistrates next month.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58A senior West Midlands Police officer has been suspended
0:08:58 > 0:09:01on suspicion of an offence under the Official Secrets Act.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale faces allegations relating
0:09:03 > 0:09:05to a failure to safeguard sensitive documents, which were stolen
0:09:05 > 0:09:07from an unmarked police car in May.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09He'll appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court next month.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11A teenager from Wolverhampton has been convicted of trying to import
0:09:11 > 0:09:14explosives from the dark web with intent to endanger life.
0:09:14 > 0:09:1619-year-old Gurtej Singh Randhawa tried to buy a remote-detonated
0:09:16 > 0:09:17explosive device online.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But he was arrested in May, after the National Crime Agency
0:09:19 > 0:09:22replaced the package with a dummy device before it was delivered.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24The MP for the Wyre Forest, Mark Garnier, has apologised
0:09:24 > 0:09:27to his constituents for asking a former member of
0:09:27 > 0:09:28staff to buy sex toys.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Last week it was reported how the Conservative MP sent his then PA
0:09:31 > 0:09:33to a sex shop in Soho, shortly after he was
0:09:33 > 0:09:34elected in 2010.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37In a statement, Mr Garnier says the incident was
0:09:37 > 0:09:38reported out of context.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40He stressed that at the time, he and his secretary
0:09:40 > 0:09:42were friends, and he didn't force or pressurise her.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It's been revealed the Birmingham bin strike over the summer has
0:09:45 > 0:09:47cost the taxpayer more than £6 million.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Bin workers first walked out on 30th June, in a row over job losses
0:09:50 > 0:09:51and changes to working patterns.
0:09:51 > 0:09:5482 days later the strike was suspended, after the High Court
0:09:54 > 0:09:56granted an interim injunction against the City Council's attempt
0:09:56 > 0:09:57to make workers redundant.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00A trial is expected take place later this month, to determine
0:10:00 > 0:10:02if the authority was unlawful in issuing redundancy notices.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Well, earlier I spoke to the new leader of
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, who was officially
0:10:06 > 0:10:14voted in last night.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I started by asking him how negotiations were going
0:10:16 > 0:10:26with bin worker unions.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29We're talking to the trade unions now within Acas,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I'm quite clear that we've got to resolve this dispute.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34No-one wants to see black bags piling up on the street again
0:10:34 > 0:10:38like they were in the summer, so we've got to reach an agreement
0:10:38 > 0:10:40with the unions that they can sell to their members,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43in order to resolve the dispute and then move on from there.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45What has this saga cost the city financially?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48It's cost the city over £6 million, and I accept that that's not value
0:10:48 > 0:10:51for money for the taxpayer, that's another reason why we cannot
0:10:51 > 0:10:53have a repeat of the industrial action over the summer,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55we've got to be talking to the unions, and reach
0:10:56 > 0:10:57a resolution to the dispute.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59But can you afford for this dispute to go to trial
0:10:59 > 0:11:01at the end of the month?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Well, that's the other thing that's creeping up on us,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05the 27th of November and the possibility
0:11:05 > 0:11:13of going back in court.
0:11:13 > 0:11:19That's in no-one's interest, it'll cost the council money,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20it'll cost the unions money.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So we want to reach an agreement with the unions before we get
0:11:23 > 0:11:24to the 27th of November.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I mean, the residents of Birmingham were understandably very frustrated
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and fed up during the summer, and they want to see an end to this.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32When will they get that?
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Well, there's not a strike at the moment, collections
0:11:34 > 0:11:36are being carried out normally, so we're not in a situation
0:11:36 > 0:11:39where we've got bags piling up all over the city uncollected.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So what we need to ensure now is that we continue
0:11:42 > 0:11:44talking to the unions, that those talks are meaningful,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and we're going to be putting a proposition to the unions back
0:11:47 > 0:11:48in Acas shortly.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And I very much hope that that will allow us
0:11:50 > 0:11:51to resolve the dispute.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now, you were voted in last night, but you also have responsibility
0:11:54 > 0:11:57for finances which is normally looked after by the Deputy.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59And you're also leading the Commonwealth bid for 2022.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So are you taking on too much?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I certainly think these are challenging times.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The finance brief I had when I was Deputy Leader,
0:12:08 > 0:12:17I've taken the view that particularly with where we are now
0:12:17 > 0:12:19with finances and how critical they are to the future
0:12:19 > 0:12:22of the council, that that particular bid or portfolio has to be owned
0:12:22 > 0:12:25by the leader, which is why I've done that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27The Commonwealth Games - sport's always been a passion of mine.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Yes, there's a lot of work to be done to get the bid over the line,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and we're very much hoping that we'll satisfy the CGF on the 30th
0:12:34 > 0:12:36of November and then there'll be an announcement,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39a positive one, shortly after that, for the city of Birmingham.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41But really that bit of work on the Games is more
0:12:41 > 0:12:44pleasure than work for me, because I'm such an enthusiast
0:12:44 > 0:12:47for sport and what it can do for the people of the city.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50What's your main priority, though - the bins, or the Games?
0:12:50 > 0:12:52The main priority is settling the dispute, no question about that.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Because we cannot afford to have rubbish uncollected
0:12:54 > 0:12:57in the streets of Birmingham like it was in the summer.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Thank you very much for joining us.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Hundreds of jobs are to be created at online estate
0:13:01 > 0:13:06agent Purple Bricks.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08The Solihull-based company is expanding rapidly,
0:13:08 > 0:13:09both here and abroad.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The growth of online agents has also meant big changes in the way
0:13:12 > 0:13:13traditional estate agents operate.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Our business correspondent, Peter Plisner, explores
0:13:14 > 0:13:24the attraction of selling your house online.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32In the past, to buy a house, you chose a street,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34looked for For Sale
0:13:34 > 0:13:35boards and then went to a high street agent - job done.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38But since the advent of property websites like Rightmove, buying
0:13:38 > 0:13:42a selling a house has gone online too.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Karen and Robert Guttridge recently sold their house
0:13:44 > 0:13:46in Shirley with Purple Bricks.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51I think it was a bit of a leap of faith, because online, you don't
0:13:51 > 0:13:58know how it is going to work out. The misery you feel when you spend
0:13:58 > 0:14:07thousands on Commission...
0:14:07 > 0:14:12TV adverts like this have helped increase
0:14:12 > 0:14:15turnover at Purple Bricks - so much so that it's now out
0:14:15 > 0:14:16grown its call centres in Solihull.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Here they take more thn 3,000 calls everyday.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20Co-founder Kenny Bruce showed me round
0:14:20 > 0:14:23the companies new offices.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29We are taking more space, creating more jobs.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31There are various pro and cons of online
0:14:31 > 0:14:32vs high street agents.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35If you go online you'll pay a fixed fee regardless
0:14:35 > 0:14:38of whether your house is sold.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41On the high street it's still "no sale, no fee".
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Once the house is sold there's no commission to pay if you've
0:14:44 > 0:14:46used an online agent, but on average you'll pay
0:14:46 > 0:14:48around 1% of the sale price on the high street.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49around 1% of the sale price on the high street.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53And with most online agents, you'll pay extra for them to show potential
0:14:53 > 0:14:54buyers around your house, but viewings are free
0:14:54 > 0:14:59with traditional agents.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01The number of transactions going through online agents currently
0:15:01 > 0:15:07accounts for around 7% of all UK sales, but it is a share that is
0:15:07 > 0:15:10expected to grow rapidly, putting all the more pressure on traditional
0:15:10 > 0:15:13high street agents.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19One recent predictions suggested that 1 in 5 traditional agents
0:15:19 > 0:15:22are at risk fo going out of business - some like this Solihull
0:15:22 > 0:15:24agent are now offering the same deal as Purple Bricks.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28We could have sat back and said it's all going to go away, people won't
0:15:28 > 0:15:32stand for this, but in this day and age when people are walking around
0:15:32 > 0:15:36down the high street with a screen in front of their face, they want
0:15:36 > 0:15:43easy, cheap and value for money.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Whatever happens in the coming years, it's clear that in the long
0:15:46 > 0:15:48run the arrival of the online agents has made selling house
0:15:48 > 0:15:49easier and cheaper.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Peter Plisner, BBC Midlands Today in Solihull.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Thanks for joining us here on BBC Midlands Today.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55A reminder of our top story.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Tackling the growing problem of fly-tipping -
0:15:56 > 0:16:04there were more than 67,000 cases in this region last year.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The weather is later. Also tonight.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The power of Pudsey - the big yellow bear has
0:16:09 > 0:16:10been spreading cheer through the children's
0:16:10 > 0:16:12wards in Stoke.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14And a star-studded cast prepare to make their debut on one
0:16:15 > 0:16:23of the world's most famous stages.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Two soldiers from the Midlands are among a group of six women
0:16:26 > 0:16:28preparing to undertake a race against the clock to
0:16:28 > 0:16:36get to the South Pole.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39They're known as the Ice Maidens, and are hoping to write their names
0:16:39 > 0:16:42in the history books as the first large group of women
0:16:42 > 0:16:43to achieve this feat.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46They've been preparing for the trek for two years - and get this,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49they're bracing themselves for temperatures as low as minus 50.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Lee Maden reports.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57The Ice Maidens have hit the ice in Antarctica. And when the weather
0:16:57 > 0:17:03clears, their mission will begin. Everybody wants to make sure that we
0:17:03 > 0:17:04successfully
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Everybody wants to make sure that we successfully complete the
0:17:06 > 0:17:13expedition, but also do it safely. These pictures are from a recent
0:17:13 > 0:17:17training expedition in Switzerland, making sure they know how to get out
0:17:17 > 0:17:24of crevasses and can last the 75 days it is expected to take to track
0:17:24 > 0:17:28coast-to-coast across the continent via the South Pole.
0:17:28 > 0:17:35After leaving Heathrow, and their loved ones, 11 days ago, the Ice
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Maidens headed south, first to Chile were they told me how they are going
0:17:40 > 0:17:44to cope. It is definitely going to be
0:17:44 > 0:17:49repetitive, day in, day out, you've got to get up the next day whether
0:17:49 > 0:17:55you want to or not. You've got to carry on with the journey.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Everybody's got different ways of coping, I like to break the journey
0:17:59 > 0:18:03down into different sections. And we've got each other to help as
0:18:03 > 0:18:06well. The six soldiers will be monitoring
0:18:06 > 0:18:11how their bodies change compared to men's, in conditions of up to minus
0:18:11 > 0:18:1540. There is a really good medical
0:18:15 > 0:18:18research element, so we will be looking at how our body consumes
0:18:18 > 0:18:26energy now, and if that changes, and we have sensors detecting our heart
0:18:26 > 0:18:30rate, are breathing rate. So there is a lot of medical data being
0:18:30 > 0:18:35captured, and there will be a lot of analysis when we get back.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39250 soldiers applied to be Ice Maidens, gradually they got whittled
0:18:39 > 0:18:43down to the final six, who have now spent two years training for this
0:18:43 > 0:18:52moment. The race to the finish line is about to get underway.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55In football, Coventry City's defence of the Football League Trophy
0:18:55 > 0:18:58they won at Wembley last year is over at the group stages.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The Sky Blues beat West Bromwich Albion's under 21 side
0:19:00 > 0:19:04at the Ricoh Arena last night.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But, Walsall's victory over Shrewsbury in the same group means
0:19:07 > 0:19:09it's those two teams who will go through to the last 32
0:19:10 > 0:19:12of the competition.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14A 17-year-old gymnast from Bromsgrove is hoping to make
0:19:14 > 0:19:17a big impact at the Word Trampoline and Tumbling championships
0:19:17 > 0:19:18in Bulgaria this week.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Kallum Mulhall, who trains at the City of Birmingham club,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24has been selected as part of the four-man tumbling
0:19:24 > 0:19:28team for Great Britain.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31He's previously won a medal at the World Age Group Championships,
0:19:31 > 0:19:38but this will be his first major senior competition.
0:19:38 > 0:19:46I'm really excited, because it's my first one. It's just mainly for
0:19:46 > 0:19:50experience, but for the team it should be good because it pushes you
0:19:50 > 0:19:54further, doesn't it?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57BBC Children in Need is back next week, hoping to raise millions
0:19:57 > 0:19:58of pounds for good causes.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Today, children at the Royal Stoke University Hospital had a surprise
0:20:01 > 0:20:02visit from this cheeky chap.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Pudsey took time out from his hectic schedule to spread some cheer
0:20:06 > 0:20:06among poorly children.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Sarah Bishop watched him work his magic on the wards.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17The excitement couldn't be contained.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21The big yellow bear was here in their clinic -
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and with his eye bandage Pudsey fitted in a treat.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27This is a specialist eye unit where they care for as many as ten
0:20:27 > 0:20:35thousand children every year,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39children like three-year-old Ollie.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43It is covering his good eye, and getting his brain to function and
0:20:43 > 0:20:51use his bad eye.How does he get on wearing a patch?He doesn't really
0:20:51 > 0:20:55like it, because when recover his good eye, he doesn't really say
0:20:55 > 0:21:00much. But for seven-year-old Archie,
0:21:00 > 0:21:06celebrations that he won't have two were an eye patch any more. -- he
0:21:06 > 0:21:10won't have to wear an eye patch. His verdict on the bare's appearance?
0:21:10 > 0:21:20Exciting.Some of our children will struggle to go away and were a patch
0:21:20 > 0:21:24at home, because they don't see other children doing that, so if
0:21:24 > 0:21:29they can see other children wearing that, and Pudsey as well, it
0:21:29 > 0:21:34encourages them to go home, where the patches, and if they comply with
0:21:34 > 0:21:37treatment we get the most improvement in their vision.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Nobody knows why Pudsey wears a bandage across his right eye, but
0:21:42 > 0:21:47some say it is because he has such a big heart, he always wants to be in
0:21:47 > 0:21:50sympathy with poorly children everywhere.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Which is why Pudsey went on walkabout, spreading his charm among
0:21:54 > 0:21:59staff and patients alike. A day to remember for the children,
0:21:59 > 0:22:11and a timely reminder that Children in Need night is looming.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15As we've heard Children In Need is getting closer -
0:22:15 > 0:22:17it's next Friday in fact.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23And Nick and Pudsey are already getting into the swing of things.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31"Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have
0:22:31 > 0:22:32greatness thrust upon them".
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Certainly the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company's
0:22:34 > 0:22:36forthcoming production of Twelfth Night all have a bit
0:22:36 > 0:22:46of that about them.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48It stars comedian Adrian Edmondson, and Strictly Come Dancing
0:22:48 > 0:22:49winner Kara Tointon.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52They're both making their RSC debuts, and will be joined by some
0:22:52 > 0:22:53home-grown talent too.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Rebecca Wood's been to meet them.
0:22:58 > 0:23:06Adrian Edmondson is no stranger to comedy. There's a dead rat in there!
0:23:06 > 0:23:12But for the first time, he is trying his hand at Shakespeare.If you are
0:23:12 > 0:23:17frightened of Shakespeare, come to this one. It is very easy to
0:23:17 > 0:23:23understand and there is nothing kind of posh about it.Despite performing
0:23:23 > 0:23:28live for much of his career, 12th night is his first taste of
0:23:28 > 0:23:36Shakespeare on the stage.Sometimes people -- an opportunity comes
0:23:36 > 0:23:42through the door that puts your life in a different way. And as soon as
0:23:42 > 0:23:49this came through, I thought, I want to say yes quite quickly but that
0:23:49 > 0:23:55would not be cruel! It is a star-studded line-up, with
0:23:55 > 0:24:00another famous face making her debut, Kara Tointon.It is quite
0:24:00 > 0:24:03daunting, but I am taking every day at a time.
0:24:03 > 0:24:13She began her career in EastEnders. I questioned whether I should take
0:24:13 > 0:24:18this on at the beginning, because I thought, is it a little bit too
0:24:18 > 0:24:23much? But I did a lot of Shakespeare at school, I loved it, because
0:24:23 > 0:24:27indulgently it is really fun to do. But when you get to grips with the
0:24:27 > 0:24:31language and you start to really understand it, it is just so
0:24:31 > 0:24:33enjoyable. There is plenty of home-grown talent
0:24:33 > 0:24:45as well.It's really amazing, I grew up coming to see stuff on this
0:24:45 > 0:24:49stage, and so many performances that were so inspiring, so to be back
0:24:49 > 0:25:02here playing Viyella is a dream come true. -- Viola.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08It's all pretty nerve-racking even for seasoned professionals.I have
0:25:08 > 0:25:13to stop thinking it is rather peculiar, because you can get
0:25:13 > 0:25:17overwhelmed by the idea. So I try to imagine it is just a character with
0:25:17 > 0:25:22a few words to say, and I have fun way to save them.
0:25:22 > 0:25:30At least there's plenty time to get it right.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Time for the weather - and it's been another chilly
0:25:33 > 0:25:34day across the region - is it likely to get colder?
0:25:34 > 0:25:35day across the region - is it likely to get colder?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Shefali's here.
0:25:38 > 0:25:44Temperatures will be as varied as today's Weather Watchers pictures. A
0:25:44 > 0:25:49cold and frosty start but some real vibrant colours. We had some premium
0:25:49 > 0:25:55sunshine this morning, beautiful as it was though it turned milk year
0:25:55 > 0:25:59during the day. But all in all it was a stunning day and very dry as
0:25:59 > 0:26:05well. Which it may not be as the days go ahead. But what today was,
0:26:05 > 0:26:13the weekend has the potential to be. Just a few showers in the mix, but
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday, just wrap up warm but be
0:26:16 > 0:26:25aware they could be a few showers on the cards. We have a few fluctuating
0:26:25 > 0:26:30temperatures over the next few days, we have warm fronts, cold fronts,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and it is a front arriving by the end of Friday that could bring a
0:26:34 > 0:26:43heavy boat of rain Wizard. -- a heavy load of rain. As far as to
0:26:43 > 0:26:48night is concerned we have got a weakening front moving down from the
0:26:48 > 0:26:51North West, so we will get a bit more cloud developing through the
0:26:51 > 0:26:55night, and that will squeeze out sunlight, patchy rain here and
0:26:55 > 0:26:59there, but it is a mainly dry picture, and temperatures underneath
0:26:59 > 0:27:05the club hold up to between two and six Celsius. In the countryside it
0:27:05 > 0:27:09could be cold enough for a touch of frost. The cloud and rain will clear
0:27:09 > 0:27:13away quite quickly tomorrow morning, so it is looking bright by the
0:27:13 > 0:27:19middle part of the morning and sunny by the afternoon. And it will be
0:27:19 > 0:27:25milder too, temperatures will rise to between 12 and 14 Celsius, with a
0:27:25 > 0:27:29moderate north-westerly breeze. By tomorrow night another bout of rain
0:27:29 > 0:27:33arrives, but it will not be particularly heavy, and it will be
0:27:33 > 0:27:37quite mild tomorrow night, however it will be a largely dry day on
0:27:37 > 0:27:43Friday, some sunshine by the afternoon.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44And that's all for now.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Rebecca Wood will be back with your next update at 10.30.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Until then, have a great evening.