18/01/2017 Midlands Today

Tonight the verdict on the Prime Minister's exit Strang. Join me now

on BBC Two. Tributes have been pouring

in to Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint, She was Vice President

of Wolverhampton Wanderers - and captained England Women's

cricket team, helping them to win In a tribute on their website,

Wolves said "Rachael's contribution to the world of sport,

the local community, and in later years politics,

cannot be measured - and neither can her seemingly

never-ending kindness She was a supreme sportswoman and

she took her cricket very seriously I shall just have to go off and see

the physio, is that all right? Arguably the most famous

female ever to play the game, her exploits

were In 1991 she struck a blow

against chauvinism persuading the very male

bastions of the game the MCC I hope I won't have antagonised

any people and it will make the MCC realise

that there are thousands of women A battle and a victory

she recalled speaking to This member is asking

for a screen to go across because I can still

see a woman there! Now it is great because I aways know

who voted against me because they turn their back on me

when I go into the Long room. will point them in

the right direction. Playing days are over,

her love for the game flowered in the community and community and

schools and tireless charity work. She was awarded an OBE in 2007

and later became Baroness Flint. But her passion for sport

embraced football. A big fan of her hometown club,

she served for many years as vice I have lived with Wolverhampton

Wanderers in my heart for all those years and to work

there is just wonderful. She passed away early

this morning after a short illness and leaves behind

husband Derrick, their son and three A pioneer of women's sport

she achieved so much and meant so much to her fellow cricketers,

footballers and to the city of Wolverhampton she was

proud to call home. Our reporter Ben Godfrey is outside

Molineux in Wolverhampton for us tonight, where flags have been

flying at half-mast. Ben, Rachael was a real ambassador

for Wolves, wasn't she? Rachael Heyhoe Flint

was a lifelong Wolves fan The club has sent its condolences

to her husband Derrick In the 1990s, she was invited onto

the board by a close friend. Working in PR, widening the appeal of

Wolverhampton Wanderers, often seen as a guiding hand around the young

players, hoping to forge their careers, sporting success avoiding

the glare of publicity. The current crop of players we were an armband

as they take on Norwich at the weekend. A book of condolence has

opened here. Tonight, I spoke to John Richards, who paid this

tribute. She had everything. She was

tireless, she was talented, she was very loyal to people. She was full

of energy, always helping other people and of course she was

Wolverhampton surrendering. She was a screw Wilf. She had time for

everybody and I just cannot believe the amount of work that she did.

The impact will be felt we beyond Molineaux, will it not?

She grew up in Wolverhampton, she was the teachers, she went to the

girls' high school. Her legacy will live on. She got freedom of the city

of overactive in 2011. The city council leader paid tribute to her

today. She is a fantastic ambassador. Her son, Ben, said she

had a profound influence in many fields, government, cricket,

politics, food bowl. Her tenacity broken glass ceilings.

It certainly did. Thank you very much.

A leading property developer has told the BBC that Chinese investors

are increasingly choosing to buy in Birmingham, rather than more

glamorous locations such as Sydney and New York.

The weak pound and the prospect of High Speed Rail is making

Britain's second city an increasingly safe bet.

With growing demand for housing, many Chinese investors are focusing

on residential projects in run down parts of the city.

Here's our Business Correspondent Peter Plisner.

Birmingham's skyline is changing fast, and where there are cranes

there's often millions of pounds spent on the ground, and a clear

This site could be next - they're selling cars here now,

but soon they'll be selling luxury apartments.

And these are the Chinese investors who are backing

the latest development at Digbeth in Birmingham.

Spending around ?150 million, the property developer who's

brokered the deal says the area is becoming an investor hotspot.

The city is growing southwards, and as a result of that the wider

area of Digbeth is really receptive to big dense schemes like this one.

And part of the reason is the proposed HS2 station

There are also plans for a Metro line.

In Birmingham's jewellery quarter, have Chinese have already

Almost 80 apartments are going up and the delegation

is eager to invest in more projects like this.

This is the second largest city in the UK, most promising land here.

And also your leader, Theresa May, will be heavily putting her focus

You've got lots of cranes here, lots of development.

The latest figures suggest that 54 major projects across the whole

of the West Midlands have been funded by the Chinese

over the last ten years, and that 23 of those have happened

And it is not just Chinese money coming to the region.

We have Canadian money invested into Paradise,

Middle Eastern money invested into the Colmore building.

And recently we did a transaction when we had South African

money being invested into an industrial property.

Birmingham civic leaders have just returned from the crown state

of Qatar and meetings with potential investors for several

A man's appeared in court charged with the murders

Eight-year-old Saros and his six-year-old sister

Leanor Endris died in hospital, following a fire at their home in

Their father, Endris Mohammed, was led into the dock today

in bandages, still recovering from the burn injuries

The 46-year-old is also accused of attempting to murder his wife.

A car has crashed into a 12-tonne pile of rubble left dumped

The driver was left shocked, but uninjured, after hitting

the mound of soil, stone, bricks and kerbs which completely

Telford and Wrekin Council says it appears to have been fly-tipped -

Two months after one of Birmingham's major water mains burst,

residents nearby are still coping with the impact.

Hundreds of gallons of water escaped last November when a three foot lead

pipe collapsed and some homeowners in Selly Oak are effectively

Every morning, Terry Josephs fears the worst.

How deep will the small lake that's appeared under his home be?

Which is 11 inches, nearly a foot of water.

The water arrived after the mains burst at the top of his road

I shouldn't have to suffer this every

So far, Severn Trent have sent in contractors to pump out

Pumping all day, it just comes back in again.

There is something wrong outside that is wrong.

It shouldn't be going back in the house.

Severn Trent have been working around the clock on the sinkhole

created by the burst pipe and say they'll be ready to start the actual

It is taking so long because we have had to start to move water around

Or primary reason is to keep the supply on to all of the customers

while we make this repair and we have

done over 500 checks in the

area and 500 inspections to be able to prepare us to do that.

It can't come too early for this student who

We are passing the road, the supermarket is

just beyond the squalor but because of the road

Just beyond this corner but because of the road closure, we have had to

drive about 15 minutes to get here. Severn Trent say as

other homes have dried out this suspect Terry's what is

you may be a pre-existing problem. Under the circumstances

they will continue In football Birmingham City

were in action tonight in their FA Cup third

round replay against Newcastle. Match of the Day follows this

programme so if you don't want to know the score,

look away now! That's all from me,

have a good night. I'll leave you with

the weather from Rebecca. Thank you

Thank you very much. The weather has next few days, no great changes over

the next few days, more sunshine on the way.

Despite high-pressure sitting across the country so only slow changes in

the weather, we have had a variety of different weathers, for example

this beautiful sunset in Southampton which was shared by