25/01/2017 Midlands Today

The levels of violence had happened in that prison everyday frighten the

hell out of me. A new scheme aimed at reducing

the number of attacks on West Mercia And as the number of rough

sleepers continues to rise, a former football boss explains why

he set up a homeless hostel. I couldn't see any way of helping

them unless you get a bit close to them and they have got confidence in

you. There are claims this lunchtime that

large numbers of officers at Birmingham Prison have been

going sick or leaving their jobs because of increasing levels

of violence in the jail. Last month, a riot at the prison saw

inmates gain control over four wings, causing damage estimated

at more than two million pounds. Our special correspondent,

Peter Wilson is outside Peter, who's making

these allegations? It's the former head of the prison

officers Association, he says that up to 60 members of staff have gone

sick since the riots and that riot so prisoners attacking members of

with fire hoses and paint. Brian with fire hoses and paint. Brian

the levels of stress that prison the levels of stress that prison

officers are facing. The levels of violence that happen in that prison

everyday frighten the hell out of me. I have seen staff badly

assaulted, I have seen staff assaulted the point where they would

no longer wish to come back to work and have walked away from the job.

It is widely believed that drugs may have played a role in this? That's

right, I have been speaking to an right, I have been speaking to an

independent mentors who talk to young people inside this jail. His

name is Lloyd Robinson. They can influence other prisoners inside,

they are quite powerful people, if they are truly the sentences, and

they have no hope, then that becomes their life and therefore they

organise where they are and take advantage of any vulnerabilities of

authorities saying? I have been authorities saying? I have been

speaking to G4S who run the prison, they say two thirds of staff who

transferred from the public sector to them six years ago are still here

stop I have also been parking to the stop I have also been parking to the

independent monitoring board and were just when Dales who heads that.

Things are back to normal, Things are back to normal,

everything I would expect to see is happening, they has been good work

done by officers, the biggest issue in prisons remains that drugs

coming, remains that prisoners on occasion can be volatile within

prison, that is part and parcel of prison, that is part and parcel of

prison life and what they have to deal with. Because of the riots, all

the keys and locked inside the jail are having to be changed and that

continues today. A new scheme is being launched aimed

at reducing the number of attacks The area's Police and Crime

Commissioner says the initiative - which is called 'Behind the Badge' -

is all about changing attitudes to his officers.

Elizabeth Glinka reports. For many officers dealing with the

threat of violence is part of the job. Attacks don't just happen in

our inner cities. PC Sherry Clifford our inner cities. PC Sherry Clifford

was just five weeks out of training would she was kicked in the face

outside a club. The pain was excruciating, not me out for a few

seconds and then it was more, have seconds and then it was more, have

to get back up because he is still fighting. I had a full on kick

through the face, I lost a tooth and a large factor down the side, I had

a massively swollen face for about three or four weeks, and now I'm

campaign aims to highlight the campaign aims to highlight the

impact of violence on those wearing the uniform. We are a very large

rural force so we do have a lease officers out there, sometimes

want to make sure the community want to make sure the community

plays their part. In 2016 the first treat body cameras would have been

shown to reduce attacks on other part of the country. And from day

one officers received the sort of training. National figures show that

there is an attack on a police officer every 20 minutes and here in

the West Mercer area, over an 18 month period, there were 850 salts.

However well trained, not everyone trusts the police and the job

remains unpredictable. Officers have suffered a variety of injuries,

can be traumatic and officers have can be traumatic and officers have

the bin lid with the injuries they may have suffered. The hope is that

the number of those injuries can be reduced.

Last year the former Stoke City manager Lou Macari helped to set up

a temporary homeless hostel, in conjunction with the council.

It was only intended as a two-month trial -

but thanks to his campaigning, it's still in operation.

And as new figures show today, the need is there, with the number

of rough sleepers across the region on the rise.

Lou Macari says vital support is needed to help get

It's probably our best guess of the month. I couldn't see any way of

helping the money to get close to them and they have got a bit of

confidence in you. And then confidence in you. And then

gradually, they start to tell you all about themselves. Without

knowing about them, you can't help them. We have that bit of banter,

then I go home, walk out the door. Then I go to a nice warm home, I've

got a job that week, money in my pocket... And leave them here and

they haven't, you know. It somewhere safe to sleep. It somewhere you can

get a hot meal, a shower. And it somewhere that you can get support,

you can speak to the staff here. It makes a massive difference. Without

this place... It's nice to come here and call it home. You connection

call it home. Trying to describe it to them where we are, getting

around, ten years from now, let's say... It's that one-way system in

Stoke! The ring road. He just keep going round and round it and

of people staying here have been of people staying here have been

round the system for ages, the same system as you have talked about,

round and round and eventually we have got to try and get them into

another system, which is the normal way of life. We can help them try

and achieve that, that would be brilliant.

It's been announced that the international singing star

Celine Dion will be performing in Birmingham this summer as part

She'll be taking to the stage at the Barclaycard Arena

on July 27th for a series of concerts which will see her

return to the UK and Europe for the first time in eight years.

Tickets go on sale on February the 3rd.

It seems our weather watchers have mastered the art of making the frog

looked good, the Southeast was the most prone to it today. However, we

are looking at quite a clear line dividing the boundary with cloud and

clear sky, you can see this from a satellite picture, this mass of

cloud and rain bearing, which will affect us by the time we get to

Friday and Saturday. Cloudy conditions to the east this

afternoon, brilliant sunshine for Central and western parts of the

region. Heading into this evening and overnight, that cloud will start

to extend across the western parts, we have colder air undercutting that

say temperatures will plummet stop that would lead to a widely

widespread frost. It's going to be a widespread frost. It's going to be a

frosty start to the day on Thursday, quite a cloudy one, with a few snow

grains but mostly dry conditions. Temperatures very cold, in some

places 0 degrees. That's all from us. Have a good

afternoon. Should've seen Hillary's face.

She was stood there with Bill. Because she's going to an

event to celebrate a job that she didn't get and the

person closest to her, to reassure her, to tell her it's

going to be OK, is a person who's already had

that job. Yeah. She must be thinking,

"Where can I go?" It's just pain,

but it doesn't feel like pain, it feels much more violent,

dark and exciting.