:00:00. > :00:09.Tonight, Berlin's Brandenberg Gate is illuminated with the colours
:00:10. > :00:13.There's been heightened security at Birmingham's German Christmas Market
:00:14. > :00:16.following last night's terror attack at a similar market in Berlin.
:00:17. > :00:19.12 people were killed and dozens of others were injured when a lorry
:00:20. > :00:25.In Birmingham, armed police ringed the city's market,
:00:26. > :00:31.Here's our special correspondent Peter Wilson.
:00:32. > :00:35.The shutters were going up this morning, business as usual
:00:36. > :00:39.at Birmingham's Christmas Market, the largest outside of Germany.
:00:40. > :00:45.Stallholders and shoppers had a mood not of fear, but defiance.
:00:46. > :00:54.My family have been trading in Birmingham for 100 years
:00:55. > :00:57.so they've seen the Luftwaffe being here, the IRA bombing the city,
:00:58. > :00:59.so my standpoint is...nothing would intimadate me.
:01:00. > :01:01.Of course it's really sad about what happened but I think
:01:02. > :01:03.you've just got to carry on with your life.
:01:04. > :01:07.If you dwell on it too much and sit back and don't do anything,
:01:08. > :01:09.you'll just become a social hermit and never go anywhere.
:01:10. > :01:12.The security services were expecting an outrage somewhere in Europe
:01:13. > :01:17.The terror attack in Berlin nearly claimed the life of this
:01:18. > :01:23.A large truck came through, it went just past me,
:01:24. > :01:26.past my girlfriend, I think it missed me by three metres,
:01:27. > :01:29.missed her by five, it came through the entrance,
:01:30. > :01:34.hit the sides of the barriers and then carried on past us.
:01:35. > :01:38.Low-key and out of sight, police armed response teams
:01:39. > :01:41.sat in their unmarked, blacked-out cars at strategic sites
:01:42. > :01:50.One trader said the British police response was far better than those
:01:51. > :01:58.I'm from Slovakia, I'm from here, and when we have the Christmas
:01:59. > :02:02.market in our country, there's no security at all.
:02:03. > :02:11.Maybe, like, two policeman for the whole thing,
:02:12. > :02:13.so it's pretty good, yeah, I like it.
:02:14. > :02:16.These reinforced concrete bollards are here to stop any vehicles
:02:17. > :02:19.West Midlands Police say that they formed part
:02:20. > :02:22.of the original safety plan and are not part of any
:02:23. > :02:27.Every year, the city's German market has grown, now attracting
:02:28. > :02:36.Such is the scale of this event that those who wish to make
:02:37. > :02:39.a statement to create terror will also inevitably
:02:40. > :02:50.Our reporter Bob Hockenhull is at the Christmas Market.
:02:51. > :02:59.What was the atmosphere like there tonight?
:03:00. > :03:05.It was very festive and relaxed and people were having a good time. Many
:03:06. > :03:09.had come from outside the city to visit the market and they said any
:03:10. > :03:12.act of terrorism wasn't going to put them off enjoying themselves.
:03:13. > :03:17.Otherwise they've achieved what they've gone out to do.
:03:18. > :03:19.I think everybody's going to have a level of concern
:03:20. > :03:22.but at the end of the day, you can't live your life
:03:23. > :03:26.They're just striking fear into people and we can't
:03:27. > :03:32.So we've got to carry on and keep celebrating Christmas.
:03:33. > :03:38.And with heightened security, how likely is an attack?
:03:39. > :03:43.Tonight, the police have said that in view of the Berlin attacks, they
:03:44. > :03:48.will be reviewing their tactics here on a daily basis. It is worth noting
:03:49. > :03:53.that additional Bullard 's were placed before last night's charity
:03:54. > :03:57.-- tragedy a few feet from where I'm standing now, but the police say
:03:58. > :04:04.that was part of their overall plans here and wasn't in relation to any
:04:05. > :04:07.specific intelligence related to Birmingham. One security expert we
:04:08. > :04:11.spoke to earlier this evening said there's always a risk with markets
:04:12. > :04:13.like this but it has to be put in perspective.
:04:14. > :04:16.Driving your car is riskier, walking down the street.
:04:17. > :04:17.Cycling in Birmingham is a much riskier activity.
:04:18. > :04:20.I mean, statistically, you know, terrorism is way down
:04:21. > :04:22.the list in terms of risk, so, yes, there's a heightened risk
:04:23. > :04:26.but again, it's nice to see people are out tonight because we should
:04:27. > :04:27.live our lives as normally as possible.
:04:28. > :04:38.It's a cliche, but otherwise truly the terrorists have won.
:04:39. > :04:44.The market has close tonight but market holders say they will carry
:04:45. > :04:48.on as normal, opening at 10am tomorrow.
:04:49. > :04:51.Detectives say they're no closer to solving the murder of a notorious
:04:52. > :04:54.It comes after a coroner concluded that John "Goldfinger" Palmer
:04:55. > :04:57.was unlawfully killed at his home in Essex last year.
:04:58. > :05:00.He was shot six times at close range in a contract-style killing.
:05:01. > :05:05.He got the nickname amidst rumours he'd melted down gold bullion
:05:06. > :05:08.But speaking to reporters at the time in Tenerife,
:05:09. > :05:11.where he was operating a time-share scam, he denied having
:05:12. > :05:18.I'm completely innocent of any...thing to do with this
:05:19. > :05:26.In June last year, shortly after these CCTV pictures
:05:27. > :05:29.were taken, Palmer was shot six times at his home near
:05:30. > :05:33.For days, police didn't realise he'd been murdered,
:05:34. > :05:36.thinking he'd died as a result of gall bladder surgery he'd
:05:37. > :05:41.recently undergone, a mistake they've since apologised for.
:05:42. > :05:44.Today, an inquest into his death was held here in Chelmsford.
:05:45. > :05:47.The coroner, Caroline Beasley-Murray, concluded that he'd
:05:48. > :05:53.There was only one member of John Palmer's family present
:05:54. > :05:56.at the inquest and that was a man called Ashley Thilthorpe.
:05:57. > :05:59.He's the partner of John Palmer's daughter, and he's seen
:06:00. > :06:01.here on the right, leaving the hearing with Detective Chief
:06:02. > :06:09.DCI Jennings gave evidence and said the murder investigation is ongoing.
:06:10. > :06:12.One problem detectives have is the sheer number of people
:06:13. > :06:21.who might have had a motive to kill Palmer.
:06:22. > :06:24.In relation to his full conviction in 2001, there were listed anything
:06:25. > :06:28.Again, there could be 16,000 motives why he was killed just
:06:29. > :06:32.And then of course his criminality involving Brink's Mat -
:06:33. > :06:35.we know a number of people involved in that subsequent to that crime
:06:36. > :06:37.taking place have now been either killed or have died,
:06:38. > :06:39.so again, that was very much a consideration.
:06:40. > :06:41.And Hatton Gardens as well - possible involvement there?
:06:42. > :06:48.It was a line of inquiry we know that John had associated in the past
:06:49. > :06:50.with some of the people responsible for that crime who
:06:51. > :06:53.Police say someone involved in the criminal underworld knows
:06:54. > :06:55.who killed John Palmer and after today's inquest,
:06:56. > :06:58.officers renewed their appeal for anyone with information
:06:59. > :07:08.A highly respected doctor and an NHS manager have received a two-year
:07:09. > :07:10.suspended prison sentence for defrauding the NHS out
:07:11. > :07:16.Dr Ian Walton, from Womborne near Wolverhampton, and Lisa Hill,
:07:17. > :07:19.from Hagley, admitted raising a false invoice from a charity
:07:20. > :07:24.They then diverted the money, which had been set aside
:07:25. > :07:27.to cover winter pressures, into the bank account of a private
:07:28. > :07:30.The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, says he'll look into proposals
:07:31. > :07:34.which could lead to the closure of one of the Accident Emergency
:07:35. > :07:38.Health chiefs are looking at shutting the unit at either
:07:39. > :07:42.Stafford, Stoke or Burton as part of an efficiency drive.
:07:43. > :07:45.They say any specific areas of their plans will go out
:07:46. > :07:48.to public consultation, with decisions not being taken
:07:49. > :08:00.Looking after your farm can be difficult, especially if you're
:08:01. > :08:04.But one farm in Shropshire has come up with an unusual new way
:08:05. > :08:05.to protect its stock of Christmas trees.
:08:06. > :08:10.Meet Bill, Morse and Lewis, one alpaca and two llamas
:08:11. > :08:19.They've just been appointed for guard-dog duties,
:08:20. > :08:22.and while Bill the alpaca is placid, Morse and Lewis are more
:08:23. > :08:25.During the daytime they're very, very chilled-out.
:08:26. > :08:30.You wouldn't have any sort of problem off them.
:08:31. > :08:34.But at night-time, if they did catch you, you're likely to get spat at,
:08:35. > :08:36.which is particularly disgusting, and then also the potential to be
:08:37. > :08:40.The idea's been imported from South Africa, where it's quite
:08:41. > :08:44.common for llamas like Lewis and Morse to be guard llamas.
:08:45. > :08:47.I wouldn't like to...come into the yard of a night-time
:08:48. > :08:49.and see a llama facing me, would you?
:08:50. > :08:55.I think that's really unusual, actually!
:08:56. > :09:00.Especially bumping into that dark brown one!
:09:01. > :09:09.The farm wants their stock of Christmas trees protecting,
:09:10. > :09:12.and weighing around 13 stone and being six-feet tall with good
:09:13. > :09:15.eyesight and hearing, Morse and Lewis have
:09:16. > :09:19.Ultimately, Christmas trees are very, very valuable at this
:09:20. > :09:22.time of year and very, very sought-after by the right
:09:23. > :09:24.and the wrong people, so, yeah, they're making sure
:09:25. > :09:30.During daytime hours, Lewis and Morse lead
:09:31. > :09:33.pretty much a dog's life, and it looks like now the same can
:09:34. > :09:44.I'll leave you with the latest weather forecast from Wendy Hurrell.
:09:45. > :09:50.We're starting to lose some of the clear sky out there.
:09:51. > :09:52.We'll be quite well enveloped by cloud throughout tonight but it
:09:53. > :09:55.really has been a beautiful, crisp winter's day, hasn't it?
:09:56. > :09:58.Right across the region, captured as usual by our Weather Watchers,
:09:59. > :10:00.and even this evening, the sun was shining strongly
:10:01. > :10:05.A bit more sunshine through this week but there's lots more going on,
:10:06. > :10:09.most particularly Storm Barbara towards the end of the week.
:10:10. > :10:12.It's going to be turning really quite windy.
:10:13. > :10:16.But going back to the here and now, we've got the cloud starting to edge
:10:17. > :10:20.in at the moment and it will bring with it some light outbreaks of rain
:10:21. > :10:24.It was a cold start to the night so temperatures might rise a little
:10:25. > :10:27.bit as that rain comes through and then fall back down
:10:28. > :10:29.again, so between three and four degrees as we start
:10:30. > :10:34.But you will be going off to work with dry, bright conditions.
:10:35. > :10:39.The next band of rain will come through the middle part of the day
:10:40. > :10:42.towards lunchtime and this one may bring with it something a bit
:10:43. > :10:46.Temperatures are in double figures but I think as the rain goes
:10:47. > :10:48.through and any wind, it will be feeling
:10:49. > :10:55.A cold night follows on and then it returns blustery
:10:56. > :10:59.And if you're making any travel plans, you'll need
:11:00. > :11:03.the national forecast tonight, with Tomasz Schafernaker.
:11:04. > :11:07.making a journey elsewhere in the country it's worth knowing the
:11:08. > :11:13.national forecast. Over now to Tomasz.
:11:14. > :11:16.So, the weather's going to blow a few cobwebs away in the coming days
:11:17. > :11:21.and maybe a few other things, as well. How stormy is it going to get?
:11:22. > :11:26.For most of us probably not too terrible. It is, however, going to
:11:27. > :11:34.be very nasty across parts of Scotland on Friday. The clouds are
:11:35. > :11:38.racing across the Atlantic and we will see a storm by the time we get
:11:39. > :11:41.to around about Friday and then Friday night.
:11:42. > :11:44.At the moment we have a weather front crossing the country, we have
:11:45. > :11:46.had dreadful weather in the north-west, it was cold and raining
:11:47. > :11:48.in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. This band of rain will be
:11:49. > :11:49.somewhere here