BBC Local Live: Birmingham & the Black Country on Thursday 19 November 2015

Summary

Updates on Thursday 19 November 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Friday

Live Reporting

Alex Homer

Latest: Queen in Brum; Slow commutes; Councillors bid to be Labour leaderpublished at 13:07
Alex Homer
BBC Local Live
Here is a quick recap of the stories we have been running in the BBC WM newsroom:
- The Queen has visited Birmingham to officially open New Street Station
- The morning commute in the West Midlands is now the slowest it has ever been, according to government figures for average speeds
- Four candidates to lead Birmingham City Council will face the public at a hustings event later tonight
Bears' Ian Bell dropped from England squad to tour South Africapublished at 12:49
BBC Sport
Warwickshire's batsman Ian Bell has been dropped from England's Test squad for the tour of South Africa.
The five-time Ashes winner, 33, who has played 118 Tests, has not scored a Test century for 23 innings.
Image source, Getty Images
Batsmen Nick Compton and Gary Ballance are recalled, while uncapped left-arm pace bowler Mark Footitt and spinner Samit Patel are included and Adil Rashid is left out.
The Queen's visit: Prince Philip joked train announcers should speak in 'English not Brummie'published at 12:30
Network Rail operations controller Shaun Jasper, who met Her Majesty during today's visit, also said Prince Philip was "funny".
"A train announcer was stood next to me and he said 'Do you announce in a Brummie accent?'"
"She said no and he responded saying 'I suppose you've got to announce in an English accent so everyone can understand you.'"
Image source, Getty Images
The Queen's visit: 'She spoke to us all individually, which was great'published at 12:18
Shaun Jasper, 48, operations controller for Network Rail, was norminated by his boss to meet The Queen.
He said: "She shook us all by the hand. She asked me what I did and where I worked and a little about the job.
"She took time to speak to us all individually, which was great. I've worked for the railway since the day I left school, and this is just an amazing experience.
"She looked fantastic in that pink outfit."
The Queen's visit VIDEO: Royal escort leaves the citypublished at 12:05
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
The Queen has now met her waiting escort and left Birmingham.
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The Queen's visit: Her Majesty heads from New Street to the tram systempublished at 11:49
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
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The Queen's visit: 'Not something you see every day'published at 11:42
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Leanan Gunter, 17, Megan McGuin, 16, Megan McGowan, 16, and Lara Beach, 16, all from New College, Telford, have come to Birmingham New Street Station to see The Queen's visit.
Megan McGuin said: "We wanted to come because It's not something you see everyday."
Leanan said: "It feels a bit tense after the Paris terrorist attacks.
"There's armed police around, which on one hand makes you feel a bit safer, but on the other highlights the fact that there's a threat."
The Queen's visit: Official opening for the new New Streetpublished at 11:32
The Press Association are also reporting on Her Majesty unveiling a plaque to mark the official opening of the new Birmingham New Street Station.
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The Queen's visit: Escorts wait to take The Queen across the citypublished at 11:27
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
The Queen's escorts wait to take her from the Pals memorial.
The Queen's visit: Business as usual for station during Royal visitpublished at 11:18
Elizabeth Glinka
BBC Midlands Today
The Queen and Prince Philip have now made their way onto the stage which has been erected here on the main concourse at New Street Station.
The station is still in operation and 100s have gathered to watch The Queen officially open the new New Street. The Lord Mayor has just welcomed her to the city.
The Network Rail redevelopment project leader has been describing the transformation of the building, which is used by 170,000 passengers everyday.
As The Queen stepped up to unveil the plaque, a brass band began playing Elgar.
The Queen's visit: Crowds watching Her Majesty on a big screenpublished at 11:15
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
The crowds who are not inside the station are watching the Queen visit New Street station from a screen above the Pals memorial.
The Queen's visit: Wreath laying at Pals war memorialpublished at 11:13
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
Crowds have gathered to see a wreath laying ceremony at the Pals' war memorial
The Queen's visit: Choir performancepublished at 11:09
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
Birmingham City Council's choir performed for The Queen.
Security operation prepares for The Queen's arrivalpublished at 11:03
These dogs are also part of a very tight security operation for the Royal visit.
Uniformed police are stationed at every entrance to the new New Street station.
The Queen meets staff at the stationpublished at 10:52
The Queen has now arrived and is meeting some of the staff that work here and construction workers who built the new Birmingham New Street Station.
Body found in hunt for missing Kayleighpublished at 10:37
Tamworth Herald
Officers searching for missing teenager Kayleigh Haywood have discovered a body in a field in Ibstock, external.
Image source, Tamworth Herald
An enhanced security operation has been planned for The Queen's visitpublished at 10:27
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
A "substantial security operation" has been planned by West Midlands Police ahead of the visit of The Queen to Birmingham, but the force insists it has "no specific intelligence received relating to a threat to the event".
Crowd's reaction to the visit of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburghpublished at 10:20
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will soon be arriving by Royal Train into New Street station.
Security has been ramped-up there, with countless police cars and uniformed officers all around.
The Royal party will have a tour of the revamped station, before unveiling a plaque to officially reopen the station.
I’ll be talking to the crowds and taking lots of pictures of the exciting event.
Video: Armed police prepare for The Queen's visitpublished at 10:09
Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
Media caption,
Armed police prepare for The Queen's visit to Birmingham New Street Station
Latest: The Queen visits; Slow commutes; Birmingham City Council's leadership contestpublished at 10:02
Alex Homer
BBC Local Live
Here are the top stories in the BBC WM newsroom this morning:
- The Queen is due to visit Birmingham to officially open the revamped New Street Station
- The average speed of the morning commute in the West Midlands is down to its slowest ever
- Four contenders for the leadership of Birmingham City Council face the public at a hustings event tonight