:00:00. > :00:14.Here on BBC One it's time for the news where you are.
:00:15. > :00:17.Families of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombs have
:00:18. > :00:20.said they're cautiously optimistic after receiving news they will be
:00:21. > :00:22.able to apply for legal aid for new inquests.
:00:23. > :00:24.The Government today announced it was changing the law.
:00:25. > :00:26.The families didn't qualify automatically for funding
:00:27. > :00:28.because the legal firm some are using is based
:00:29. > :00:31.21 people died in the bombings in 1974.
:00:32. > :00:37.1974 is a year that Birmingham will never forget.
:00:38. > :00:40.The deaths of 21 people in crowded Birmingham pubs have
:00:41. > :00:43.left their scars on the hundreds who were injured and
:00:44. > :00:50.For more than four decades they've campaigned for answers and justice.
:00:51. > :00:52.Although it was ruled that inquests into the deaths
:00:53. > :00:55.could be reopened last year, the Northern Ireland-based lawyers
:00:56. > :00:58.representing the families have worked for free,
:00:59. > :01:02.barred from claiming legal aid here on the mainland.
:01:03. > :01:29.Today, though, a significant change in the law...
:01:30. > :01:31.Julie Hambleton, who's sister Maxine was killed in the bombings,
:01:32. > :01:33.was personally called by the Minister today.
:01:34. > :01:37.He wanted me to be the first to hear the news that he is changing
:01:38. > :01:39.the law because we fall into an unprecedented territory
:01:40. > :01:42.in terms of how we fall outside the legal aid terms and conditions,
:01:43. > :01:45.and as such, he wanted to change the law so that we could apply
:01:46. > :01:47.for the same legal aid as anybody else.
:01:48. > :01:49.But there is nothing to celebrate because you cannot celebrate
:01:50. > :02:02.Bill Craig lost his brother James in the November bombings.
:02:03. > :02:04.Tonight he was relieved but still cautious about
:02:05. > :02:12.As long as nothing else is going to follow.
:02:13. > :02:14.Because we got the inquest resumed and then we had the stumbling
:02:15. > :02:19.Now we've got the money, is there something else
:02:20. > :02:23.This month the victims of the pub bombings were granted
:02:24. > :02:28.Later this year their inquests will be reopened in yet another
:02:29. > :02:37.A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder,
:02:38. > :02:39.after a man was stabbed to death on a bus.
:02:40. > :02:41.Leon Barrett-Hazle, who was 36, and from Smethwick, was travelling
:02:42. > :02:44.on the top deck of the 11A in Handsworth on Monday night
:02:45. > :02:48.Kieran Gillespie, of Wellesbourne Road in Handsworth, will appear
:02:49. > :02:59.Fire crews have spent the day at a major fire at a former paper
:03:00. > :03:02.At its height, 100 firefighters were called to the blaze
:03:03. > :03:05.at Wobaston Road in Fordhouses after it started in the early
:03:06. > :03:08.Crews have been working to protect neighbouring businesses and homes
:03:09. > :03:14.from the flames and chemicals stored at the site.
:03:15. > :03:18.A gang who groomed and raped teenage girls in Coventry have been jailed
:03:19. > :03:22.The judge said the five men had used social media to exploit
:03:23. > :03:25.Marcus Woolcock and Zahid Chaudhary were told they would be expected
:03:26. > :03:28.to serve half of their respective sentences before being
:03:29. > :03:30.Chaudhary, Waqaar Khan, Kadeem Bourne and Kenan Kelly
:03:31. > :03:33.were told they would also be placed on the sex offenders'
:03:34. > :03:42.A mother from Warwickshire's campaigning for cannabis oil
:03:43. > :03:44.to be made available for her five-year-old son.
:03:45. > :03:46.Hannah Deacon says an animal wouldn't be allowed to suffer
:03:47. > :03:49.the way Alfie does, with his severe epileptic seizures.
:03:50. > :03:52.And while the oil isn't legal here, it is used for medicinal
:03:53. > :04:02.Five-year-old Alfie Dingley in Warwick Hospital
:04:03. > :04:09.He is about to experience a mild seizure.
:04:10. > :04:12.He had 16 seizures in a row, which we had to treat,
:04:13. > :04:17.Alfie's mum, Hannah, who is from Kenilworth,
:04:18. > :04:22.Every seven to ten days, Alfie will experience
:04:23. > :04:31.It is because he has a very rare form of epilepsy, called PCDH19.
:04:32. > :04:33.When he comes out of it, he is hysterical, crying,
:04:34. > :04:37.he must have a headache, he's frightened, he's confused,
:04:38. > :04:39.he can't talk properly because obviously his
:04:40. > :04:44.When Alfie was eight months old, he very nearly did not pull through.
:04:45. > :04:47.Since then, Alfie's been prescribed a series of drugs,
:04:48. > :04:53.He is being pumped full of drugs all the time that don't work,
:04:54. > :04:55.he is being held down against his will for these
:04:56. > :05:00.You wouldn't allow an animal to go through what he goes through,
:05:01. > :05:04.Which is why she is now campaigning for cannabis oil,
:05:05. > :05:07.which has helped children like Alfie in other countries, to be
:05:08. > :05:13.If all these countries recognise this cannabis herb has this
:05:14. > :05:16.extraordinary medicinal value, surely we should move,
:05:17. > :05:23.But for people like the Deacons, it cannot be too soon.
:05:24. > :05:26.But the Conservative government is still saying it has no plans
:05:27. > :05:36.It argues that cannabis damages mental and physical health.
:05:37. > :05:39.Epilepsy is a very dangerous, dangerous illness that can kill you,
:05:40. > :05:42.and I have to have the right to use this for my son.
:05:43. > :05:44.In two weeks, she has got 1,500 signatures on a petition,
:05:45. > :05:47.which she plans to hand into the Government later this year.
:05:48. > :05:58.The luxury car-maker, Jaguar Land Rover, has
:05:59. > :06:00.reported a significant increase in production.
:06:01. > :06:05.JLR made 544,000 vehicles in 2016, an increase of 11%, helping
:06:06. > :06:08.to safeguard the jobs of the 20,000 staff employed by the firm
:06:09. > :06:13.It means the company remains the largest car
:06:14. > :06:18.manufacturer in the UK for the second year running.
:06:19. > :06:20.Labour has named its candidate to fight the Stoke-on-Trent Central
:06:21. > :06:23.Gareth Snell, who is currently a councillor
:06:24. > :06:26.in Newcastle-under-Lyme, kicked off his campaign
:06:27. > :06:30.He's one of six candidates to declare they will fight
:06:31. > :06:32.for the seat vacated by Labour's Tristram Hunt.
:06:33. > :06:44.Green Party councillors have asked Herefordshire Council to take urgent
:06:45. > :06:47.action to tackle pollution levels in the Upper Lugg river,
:06:48. > :06:49.where they claim average levels of phosphates are now seven times
:06:50. > :06:52.the limits set by the Environment Agency - damaging tourism
:06:53. > :07:00.The RAF in Shropshire says its pilots fear it's only
:07:01. > :07:03.a matter of time before one of their aircraft hits a drone.
:07:04. > :07:05.They're so concerned, they're now asking the public
:07:06. > :07:08.to contact them if they see any of the remote-controlled aircraft
:07:09. > :07:10.being flown in the area, in an effort to avoid
:07:11. > :07:18.Here's our special correspondent, Peter Wilson.
:07:19. > :07:23.They have been flying here for 100 years.
:07:24. > :07:25.There's not much that scares these men and women,
:07:26. > :07:27.but the home of the Defence Helicopter Flying School has
:07:28. > :07:38.We operate at heights below 500 feet, which is exactly where drone
:07:39. > :07:41.operators will be flying their toys, and it is only a matter of time,
:07:42. > :07:45.Drones, remote-controlled aircraft, can cost as little as ?50.
:07:46. > :07:52.30,000 were sold last Christmas by just one UK retailer.
:07:53. > :07:56.The helicopter crews in Shropshire have increasingly
:07:57. > :08:03.had to dodge the drones as they practise their
:08:04. > :08:06.We have had reported sightings in various parts of Shropshire,
:08:07. > :08:10.over Nesscliffe Training Area and over Telford.
:08:11. > :08:13.And, you know, drones are only supposed to be flown up to 400 feet.
:08:14. > :08:17.These viewings have been spotted up to 1800, 2000 feet.
:08:18. > :08:22.It is not only airfields that have seen near misses
:08:23. > :08:24.and increasing drone activity, prisons too, as criminals
:08:25. > :08:27.use the devices to fly drugs into UK jails.
:08:28. > :08:30.The RAF has grave concerns about such flights,
:08:31. > :08:33.if they were to be operating over Her Majesty's
:08:34. > :08:40.Right opposite the main entrance to the prison is an airfield,
:08:41. > :08:44.Turnhill, and the helicopter relief landing ground.
:08:45. > :08:47.So concerned are the RAF about drones that they are saying
:08:48. > :08:50.to people living in Shropshire, if you see a drone
:08:51. > :08:57.More than 50 flights a day take off from Shawbury.
:08:58. > :09:01.The helicopter crews pray that they will not be the first
:09:02. > :09:08.Peter Wilson, BBC Midlands Today, Shropshire.
:09:09. > :09:13.A Black Country cartoonist, who spent more than 20 years drawing
:09:14. > :09:15.Dan and Korky the Cat for the Dandy Comic,
:09:16. > :09:18.is to be honoured with a blue plaque at his old school.
:09:19. > :09:23.Charles Grigg lived in Langley in Oldbury,
:09:24. > :09:26.and he died at the age of 97 in 2013.
:09:27. > :09:29.The plaque will be unveiled at Rood End Primary School in May
:09:30. > :09:34.To have a permanent memorial and it has got Desperate Dan on one side
:09:35. > :09:41.and Korky the Cat on the other and a blur about Dad in the middle,
:09:42. > :09:43.it is great, it's really, really touching that they had agreed
:09:44. > :09:46.to have it at school which is kind of gone full circle, anyway.
:09:47. > :09:53.Rebecca is here with the weather - are we in for another cold night?
:09:54. > :09:59.I am afraid so, Mary. Things are steadily starting to change but
:10:00. > :10:02.today was definitely a winter wonderland out there. For some,
:10:03. > :10:07.temperatures were around about freezing, the best we did was one
:10:08. > :10:11.Celsius, for others, it has been a great day with plenty of cloud. As
:10:12. > :10:15.the head through the night we will start to see the cloud cleaving to
:10:16. > :10:18.the north, behind that we will be left with clear spells. They could
:10:19. > :10:43.get some hill fog developing. It will be a very chilly night.
:10:44. > :10:46.Once again, temperatures down to minus three degrees, a touch of
:10:47. > :10:48.Frost and sunspots. Tomorrow starts called. Low pressure begins to bite
:10:49. > :10:50.is that high pressure out of the way. The weather is changing and
:10:51. > :10:53.that will introduce milder conditions but also rain. A very
:10:54. > :10:55.cold start tomorrow and we will have freezing fog lingering and sunspots.
:10:56. > :10:57.The cloud thickens. Temperatures during the day, between three and
:10:58. > :11:00.six Celsius. We are finally making it above freezing. As we head into
:11:01. > :11:02.the weekend, more rain to come but temperatures returning to something
:11:03. > :11:03.perhaps a little more average for the time of year.
:11:04. > :11:04.weekend. It's swings and roundabouts, higher temperatures but
:11:05. > :11:15.some rain as well. Good evening. It's been dry so far
:11:16. > :11:21.this January but as it draws to a close it looks like we will see some
:11:22. > :11:25.rain at last. It's been an interesting today a bitterly cold in
:11:26. > :11:27.Norfolk, way we kept the grey cloud all day and the grey