23/01/2017 Midlands Today

Welcome to Midlands Today. so it's goodbye from me,

The headlines this lunchtime: As the Prime Minister pledges

new support for industry across the region, we will be

getting reaction from staff at a manufacturing firm.

What's important for us is to make sure they have cross-bench support

with Labour and it doesn't change every four years when we

More than 1,000 miles across Antarctica.

A group of army reservists from the Midlands finally

Birmingham tennis player Dan Evans could be top 50

As soon as I lost, thoughts turned to home and getting back.

It's been a long time out here and I'm ready to go home now.

The Prime Minister and her cabinet are meeting in Cheshire this

lunchtime, discussing proposals for a new industrial

strategy after Britain leaves the European Union.

They want to tailor policies to suit different sectors of the economy,

with a focus on boosting training in technical skills,

The industrail stategy we will be committing to driving very hard,

to spread the opportunities right across the country, and to drive not

just jobs but really good, well-paying jobs in all part

It's going to be a big part of our strategy.

Our Business Correspondent Peter Plisner is at a company

in Birmingham that has already expanded and is looking

ahead to further growth under the new strategy.

Here, they make warning lights and sirens. They have expanded taking on

new workers and moving into a new factory. Will the strategy help or

hinder? What do you think of the strategy we have seen? As far as it

goes, it is great. We need crossbench support. 15 or 20 years,

otherwise we can't plan on that. It allows us to invest long-term.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds for plant and machinery. If we know very

far in ten years' time, we will commit to it. Would you expect the

industrial strategy to deliver grants for companies? It would be a

great help. We are all a bit worried about Brexit and what happens after

believe the European Union. Do you think an industrial strategy is the

right way to go? Essential. It needs to include the whole country, all

the nations and regions. Does the strategy help the country? It is

planning for equipment, capacity, if we know when we are going to be in

ten years, we can invest to sit at and hit those targets. Thank you.

Many feel something like this is needed. And developing more skills

to close that so-called skills gap. Tasers were used by police

in the West Midlands more than anywhere outside

of London in 2015. Official figures show that

officers deployed the weapon The devices have been found to have

played a part in the deaths of two men in England,

with ongoing investigations Officers in Staffordshire

and the West Midlands force now wear Rail services on a busy commuter

line were badly affected this morning after an articulated lorry

smashed into a bridge, The crash happened at around half

past seven near Blake Street station, in the Sutton Coldfield

area, disrupting services on the Cross City line,

causing delays and some It has taken 66 days,

crossing the most inhospitable Six army reservists

from the Midlands have completed a 1,100 mile traverse of Antarctica,

a feat only ever achieved This morning, one of the team

managed to call his Facing temperatures of minus 50,

a team from the Midlands has conquered the snowy splendour

of the Antarctic. Among them, Doctor Jamie Facer-

Childs based at Queen Elizabeth This morning, his sister

in Selly Oak was able to congratulate her brother

as she received a call How is your body feeling? It is

holding up, that is the main thing. Not how I felt before we started. We

have got something right in what we have got something right in what we

have done. In just over two months,

Jamie and his five fellow army reservists have crossed

Antarctica on foot. Their team Spear 17 often having

to endure whiteout conditions. What did you find the hardest? Just

how cold it got sometimes. You're going along and your hands start to

get freezing cold. You have your warmest gloves on and they are still

called. Before going to Antarctica,

Jamie and the team hoping their expedition

will raise ?100,000 for ABF, Tennis, and Birmingham's Dan Evans

will return home tomorrow from Australia heading for a place

in the world's top 50. The 26-year-old achieved his first

ever tour Final in Sydney. And then reached the fourth

round of the Australian Open Evans' best ever run

in the Grand Slam was ended in four sets by the Frenchman Jo Wilfried

Tsonga. Can you please welcome,

from Great Britain, Dan Evans. The rise of Birmingham's Dan Evans

has been one of the stories of this His French opponent

Jo Wilfried Tsonga is the 12th seed and regularly reaches the latter

stages of Grand Slams. The first set went to

a tiebreak and Evans won it. The opening game of

the second set was an epic. But Tsonga finally broke

the Evans serve and with it The Frenchman soon

levelled the match, Although Evans continued

to fight hard, he said That the efforts of the past

fortnight were catching up with him. Evans just couldn't break

the Frenchman's serve, and after nearly three hours

of tennis, Tsonga was So Evans didn't quite reach

the quarter-finals but he's enjoyed What's happened here has

been a hell of a ride. As soon as I lost, thoughts turned

to home and getting back. It's been a long time out

here and I'm ready to go home now. Dan Evans has savoured his time

in Australia, even taking in some big bash cricket with free tickets

from Kevin Pieterson, He is still only 26 and he will now

get invitations to the best Life may never be

the same for Dan Evans. Plenty of cloud around as we make

our way through the next few hours. That is kind of a theme

for early on this week. Some fog thrown into the mix as well

certainly as we make our way But generally dry and

occasionally bright as well. So it's actually an

improvement on last week. As far as this afternoon goes,

you can see a lot of cloud around. At times, the cloud will

thin and break to allow Temperatures, four or five,

maybe 6 degrees at absolute best. Overnight tonight and into the early

hours of Tuesday morning, an awful lot of fog building

into the picture. First thing tomorrow morning,

visibility on the roads Some freezing fog patches thrown

into the mix as well. Keep across your local BBC radio

stations for the latest on the travel situation

in the morning. The fog could take a while to clear,

but once it does we are in for a generally fine,

dry and cloudy afternoon. Temperatures again around

five or 6 degrees. That is very much the way

on Wednesday as well. Albeit with probably more sunshine

and blue sky thrown into the mix. There is all that nasty wet

and windy stuff they are. There is all that nasty wet

and windy stuff there. It looks like we will stay away

from the wet stuff this week, Finally, do you fancy becoming

a lock-keeper on the regions canals? If you do, you need to watch

Midlands Today at 6:30pm on BBC One. Have a good afternoon

and thanks for watching. a free five-a-side tournament

that's for everyone. For more information,

go to the Get Inspired website. If they have a fear of water,

God help them. To break someone physically... Agh!

..is not a problem.