:00:08. > :00:12.West Midlands Police have launched an investigation after allegations
:00:13. > :00:15.that officers used excessive force and misused their batons
:00:16. > :00:18.after Wolves' home match against Birmingham City on Friday.
:00:19. > :00:20.A former policeman, who was at the game,
:00:21. > :00:22.says what he witnessed shouldn't have happened.
:00:23. > :00:24.But the force has defended its tactics, saying the trouble
:00:25. > :00:27.was in danger of getting out of hand.
:00:28. > :00:34.The command "show of strength" has just been issued -
:00:35. > :00:36.police officers are raining down on football fans in a walk
:00:37. > :00:48.The clashes were filmed by this retired police chief inspector,
:00:49. > :00:51.someone who used to train the police in the use of force.
:00:52. > :00:56.He says West Midlands police overreacted.
:00:57. > :00:59.There did not appear to me to be a confrontation,
:01:00. > :01:02.The threat level that you would need to justify
:01:03. > :01:03.hitting someone over the
:01:04. > :01:06.head with a baton is a very high threat level.
:01:07. > :01:08.My perception is that threat level was not there.
:01:09. > :01:11.He says the fans there were largely Blues supporters in good spirits,
:01:12. > :01:20.But the police say the trouble was between rival fans.
:01:21. > :01:21.West Midlands Police have described the flashpoint
:01:22. > :01:36.Officers had issued warnings, they say, to no avail.
:01:37. > :01:39.To prevent further clashes, they used
:01:40. > :01:40."appropriate and proportionate force."
:01:41. > :01:45.Somebody could have died from being struck on the
:01:46. > :01:50.For not walking quickly enough to a railway station?
:01:51. > :01:53.That seems to me like a really extreme overreaction.
:01:54. > :01:54.Eight Birmingham City supporters and five Wolves
:01:55. > :02:01.Sarah Bishop, BBC Midlands Today in Wolverhampton.
:02:02. > :02:04.The Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West Rob Marris has
:02:05. > :02:05.criticised his former parliamentary colleague Tristram Hunt.
:02:06. > :02:08.Speaking on Sunday Politics, Mr Marris said that Tristram Hunt,
:02:09. > :02:12.whose resignation as an MP triggered last week's Stoke Central
:02:13. > :02:21.by-election, had acted in a self-centred manner.
:02:22. > :02:26.The result in Stoke was uplifting for me.
:02:27. > :02:28.I think we need to put them in the context.
:02:29. > :02:33.The context is the political scene in this country is
:02:34. > :02:36.very volatile at the moment, and in the context that two
:02:37. > :02:37.self-centred MPs resigned early and the electorate,
:02:38. > :02:48.More than 200 people took part in a charity
:02:49. > :02:50.walk today in support of a Shropshire paramedic.
:02:51. > :02:52.Melissa Jago fell down her stairs last
:02:53. > :02:53.September and suffered critical brain injuries.
:02:54. > :02:55.She's currently undergoing intensive therapy to learn
:02:56. > :02:58.Friends turned out in Whitchurch today to help raise ten-thousand
:02:59. > :03:06.We think she probably slipped from the top of the stairs
:03:07. > :03:08.but we do not know and we will never know exactly
:03:09. > :03:19.It is just horrendous that falling down your
:03:20. > :03:23.stairs at home can cause such life changing injuries.
:03:24. > :03:25.We would like to, as part of the campaign, raise
:03:26. > :03:30.The Coventry Bees have been thrown out of the speedway's Elite League
:03:31. > :03:33.The British Speedway Promoters Association have suspended the Bees'
:03:34. > :03:35.license because of uncertainties about whether the team will be able
:03:36. > :03:38.The Bees are currently without a home track.
:03:39. > :03:41.The sport's governing body has also expressed doubts about the financial
:03:42. > :03:51.Stoke City have suffered a heavy defeat at Tottenham
:03:52. > :03:54.Stoke were over-run in the first-half,
:03:55. > :03:57.Three of them were scored by Harry Kane who then
:03:58. > :03:59.set-up his team's fourth goal for Delly Alli.
:04:00. > :04:06.Stoke supporters saw an improvement in the second half but it finished
:04:07. > :04:20.A bit of snow on the cards. That is turning colder and spring is just
:04:21. > :04:22.around the corner. Time for the forecast.
:04:23. > :04:30.It certainly was a pleasant start to the day today.
:04:31. > :04:38.We had glorious scenes but that was as
:04:39. > :04:41.We had some strong gusts of wind through the day today.
:04:42. > :04:44.For tonight, we are seeing the skies are clearing for a time.
:04:45. > :04:47.Not long before we get the next area of rain working in its way
:04:48. > :04:51.It's a chilly night with temperatures dipping
:04:52. > :04:54.We start the day tomorrow with showers rippling
:04:55. > :04:57.Some will be heavy and they are their time
:04:58. > :05:03.A touch wintry as well with some hail and thunder in there as well.