0:00:00 > 0:00:08We are back with the late news at 10.15pm.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Good afternoon. the late news at 10.15pm.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Staffordshire's Police and Crime Commissioners are calling
0:00:12 > 0:00:14on the government to end the practice of charging victims
0:00:14 > 0:00:17of domestic abuse for medical letters proving they've been abused.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Sue Arnold, who is the County's Deputy PCC says the practice
0:00:20 > 0:00:26is "insulting" and can cost as much as ?300.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Louisa Currie reports.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32It's a crime so often committed behind closed doors.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Domestic violence can be difficult to spot.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And even harder to prove.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42But is charging victims for medical evidence the right thing to do?
0:00:42 > 0:00:47Those fees are being charged so that someone can be safe.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50GPs are there to protect people, and help them.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I think it's absolutely outrageous that a victim would then be faced
0:00:54 > 0:00:57with that challenge.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00In Staffordshire, reports of domestic abuse have risen by 18%
0:01:00 > 0:01:05with more than 13,000 crimes reported over the last 12 months.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And the force is making tackling it a priority.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The problem is letters from GPs are not paid for by the NHS.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15But they take time to write and that means costs,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18which are often passed on to patients.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20You have to have evidence for any court case.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And we understand and accept that.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27But not to be charged by a GP to be able to prove that before you can
0:01:27 > 0:01:30access that legal system.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32The fundamental principle of Legal Aid is to support
0:01:32 > 0:01:36vulnerable people who can't afford to go through the system.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38The British Medical Association says victims of domestic violence should
0:01:38 > 0:01:43not need to seek a letter from any source, including a GP.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47They should be believed in the first place.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Sue Arnold is calling on the Department of Health to look
0:01:49 > 0:01:52again at the charges, or to make sure the costs
0:01:52 > 0:01:55are covered by Legal Aid.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00A report's found that the man found guilty of murdering the Coventry
0:02:00 > 0:02:03toddler Daniel Pelka refused medical treatment while in prison
0:02:03 > 0:02:07for fear he'd be recognised.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Mariusz Krezolek, who'd been jailed for life for his cruelty,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14died from a heart attack in January last year.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The Ukip party's candidate in the Stoke on Trent by-election
0:02:17 > 0:02:19has been forced to move house in Stoke.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The party says it's because of concerns
0:02:22 > 0:02:23for Paul Nuttall's personal safety.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Incidents have included hate mail being posted through the letterbox
0:02:26 > 0:02:29of his registered address in the city and intruders
0:02:29 > 0:02:32being found in the garden.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The refit of a hotel in Malvern is being used to support
0:02:35 > 0:02:37the homeless in Worcester.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Instead of skipping or selling their old furniture and bedding,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43the owners chose to donate it to a recycling business.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45And that in turn supports a local hostel.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Amy Cole reports.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Getting out of the cold, Thomas has been here for three weeks
0:02:51 > 0:02:55after being found sleeping rough on the steps of the hostel.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I used to be a chronic drug user.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Since I've been in the hostel, I haven't touched no drugs
0:02:59 > 0:03:00for nearly three weeks.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02I've been giving clean samples.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04So I'm looking well.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05And Jonathan knows me.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07My mum's here too.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09So I found it quite nice to been around family.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's given me a bit of stability back in my life again.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Jonathan runs St Paul's hostel.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It's funded purely by profits made from the sale of furniture that's
0:03:16 > 0:03:20been donated to the second chance furniture company.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We have our own onside counsellor, and we have to pay for that.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26And also allows us to pay for trips away the people,
0:03:26 > 0:03:35perhaps buy tickets to visit family and friends.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Julia and Nick are refurbishing their hotel in Malvern Morven
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and have donated a lot of bedding and tables to the charity.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It's really nice to see things being recycled, and being reused.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45If we can input back into the community in any way
0:03:45 > 0:03:48we can, I always think it's a fantastic thing to do.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Would you like to see more businesses do that?
0:03:50 > 0:03:51Certainly.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53It's important businesses give back to the area
0:03:53 > 0:03:54where they are living and growing.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57The community doing its best to help those less fortunate.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Many of us woke up to snow this morning.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So what does the forecast have in store for us tomorrow?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Rebecca Wood has the details.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Good afternoon.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It was certainly a cold start to the day.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13A winter wonderland at the top.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16We've had more snow showers even to lower levels and,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18as we head through tonight, we're likely to see them continuing,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20particularly over high ground.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The Staffordshire Morland is likely to see someone snowflakes.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We could even get some to lower levels as it meets that cold air.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28A chilly night with temperatures dipping down to 1-3 Celsius.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29More of the same tomorrow.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32A cloudy, grey day, plenty of showers, again,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35as they touch that much colder air, they are likely to fall
0:04:35 > 0:04:36as something snowy.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Clearing away, temperatures getting up to 3-4 C but it's going to be
0:04:39 > 0:04:43a bit brighter by Monday.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Before we go, just a reminder that tomorrow's Sunday Politics
0:04:45 > 0:04:48has a live debate from Staffordshire University
0:04:48 > 0:04:51with some of the candidates in the Stoke-on-Trent Central
0:04:51 > 0:04:53by-election.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Join Patrick Burns from 11 o'clock on BBC one.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00But, from all of us here, goodbye.