Pub bombing families 'to get legal aid'published at 18:52 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
A proposed change in the law paves the way for lawyers to apply for funding.
Read MoreSummary
Murder-accused in court over bus stabbing
Pub bombings: legal aid breakthrough
Woman appears in court in connection with teen's shooting
Schools close after water main bursts
Aston Villa hint at more signings
Updates from Friday 27 January 2017
Pub bombing families 'to get legal aid'published at 18:52 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
'Despicable rats' sex abuse ring jailedpublished at 18:06 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
A gang of five men who trafficked six teenage girls for sex abuse in Coventry are jailed.
Read More'Legal highs' Black Mamba and Spice are now illegal drugs with hefty penalties warn Lichfield policepublished at 17:45 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
The possession of so-called legal highs now comes with punishments of up to five years in prison, external, Staffordshire Police have warned.
'Masses of paper' still burning say fire servicepublished at 17:32 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
"Masses of paper is still burning" at a factory in Wolverhampton, the fire service says.
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServiceThe blaze started at Alliance Paper and Tissue off Wobaston Road just before 23:40 last night.
They say it is "under our control" and there's a "plan in place to protect the environment when fire-fighting restarts later."
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServicePub bombings: Where we are nowpublished at 16:44 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Alex Homer
BBC Local LiveFamilies of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombing victims have been applying for legal aid to cover the costs of lawyers for the inquests that are reopening 43 years after initial proceedings were halted in the aftermath of the atrocity.
One of the families has had a conventional legal aid request granted already - those relatives are represented by Liverpool-based Broudie Jackson Canter.
Today the Minister overseeing Legal Aid Sir Oliver Heald QC has made a decision paving the way for Belfast-based solicitors KRW Law to apply, despite their headquarters being outside the jurisdiction of the scheme.
Families had wanted to use KRW Law because of their experience covering IRA matters - the group is widely acknowledged to have been behind the double bombing on 21 November 1974.
The original hearings, opened days after the attacks, had not been continued after the jailing of six men, whose convictions were later quashed.
But, in 2016 a senior coroner concluded they should resume as there was a "wealth of evidence" that should be heard.
The next preliminary hearings are in February.
Family 'torn apart' by Tunisian attackpublished at 16:37 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Family of pensioners Denis and Elaine Thwaites say they were killed by an "evil and twisted" ideology.
Read MorePub bombings: Inquests to resume next monthpublished at 16:31 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsThe inquests into the deaths of the 21 people killed by the IRA in November 1974 are due to resume later this year.
Preliminary hearings are expected to take place on 23 February in Birmingham.
Image source, BBC/PAGovernment amends legislation to allow pub bombing families legal aidpublished at 16:18 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsThe firm representing the families of those who died - KRW Law, which is based in Belfast - hadn't been able apply for legal aid because it's in a different legal jurisdiction to England and Wales.
Peter Thornton QC, the former chief coroner for England & Wales, told a preliminary hearing in Birmingham that there was a "compelling case" for funding to given.
Campaigners had argued that they were at a disadvantage and the government should intervene because of the exceptional nature of the case.
Today, it announced an amendment to legislation which will allow the situation to be resolved in time for the next hearing in February.
Pub bombings: Law firm will apply for fundingpublished at 16:07 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsKRW Law is representing most of the families of the pub bombing victims.
A spokesman for the firm said it would be able to apply for legal aid funding, as soon as a proposed new amendment to the Civil Legal Aid Procedures Regulations bill was made law.
Image source, Getty Images'Travesty' to be denied legal aid on technicality says Minister for Legal Aidpublished at 15:55 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsThe Minister for Legal Aid said it would be a "travesty" for families to be denied "justice because of a technicality".
"Which is why I have taken the decision to change the regulations around inquest funding," MP Sir Oliver Heald QC said.
"This will remove any barrier from the families’ solicitors in applying for legal aid funding for the inquest."
Government intervenes to grant pub bombing families legal aidpublished at 15:50 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsCampaigners for the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings have been told their lawyers will be able to apply for legal aid to represent them at new inquests.
The government has intervened to remove legal barriers which had stopped their Northern Ireland based solicitors from applying for funding.
The inquests into the deaths of 21 people who were killed by the IRA in November 1974 are due to resume later this year.
Image source, Getty ImagesPub bombing families to be granted legal aidpublished at 15:37 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
BreakingPhil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC NewsCampaigners for the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings have been told their lawyers will be able to apply for legal aid.
More to follow.
Tunisia inquest: 'I thought this is where I die'published at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Sarah Campbell
BBC NewsA man was separated from his wife and family as a terrorist gunman ran amok and thought "this was where he would die", an inquest has heard.
Image source, PACraig Wilkinson was holidaying at the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse in June 2015 with his wife, in-laws and friends including Elaine and Denis Thwaites, the former Birmingham City player in the 60s and 70s, when shooter Seifeddine Rezgui struck.
Mr Wilkinson became separated from his wife and family and hid in a bush near the spa area, he told the hearing.
He remained in the spa with 20 or so others until staff came to say it was now safe. He then frantically looked for his wife. "I saw bodies covered with towels. Blood on the pathways," he said.
He described his relief at finding Sharon, but later went back to the beach and realised his friends Elaine and Denis Thwaites had been killed.
Warburtons fined £2m after employee fell and broke his backpublished at 15:20 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Bakery giant Warburtons has been fined £2m after a worker fell from a mixing machine and broke his back.
The Bolton company admitted breaching Work at Height Regulations.
Father-of-one Andrew Sears was cleaning a mixing machine at its Wednesbury bakery in November 2013 when he lost his footing and fell nearly two metres, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.
He suffered a compression fracture to his spine, and was dismissed in December 2015 after a second lengthy period of sick leave.
An HSE investigation found workers were not properly supervised and no training had been given on cleaning the mixers from height.
Warburtons were also ordered to pay more than £19,000 in court costs.
Image source, GoogleThe Express & Star newspaper reports that the Wednesbury plant now employs some 400 staff, manufacturing millions of loaves a week, external.
Quote MessageFalls from height is one of the biggest killers in the workplace and even falls from fairly low levels can be extremely dangerous. Mr Sears' life has been changed forever but he his injuries could have been more severe.
Mahesh Mahey, Health and Safety Executive inspector
Calls to secure future of Dudley lollipop patrolspublished at 15:16 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Campaigners have called for assurances over the long-term future of school crossing patrols in Dudley after the, external council's U-turn on axing funding for the next year.
University launches Centre for Brexit Studies alongside wishlist for the economypublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Rob Mayor
Black Country Political Reporter, BBC WMA university has launched a Centre for Brexit Studies alongside a wishlist of things the West Midlands needs to get from the government in order to make a success of leaving the EU.
Birmingham City University (BCU) hopes the new centre will promote engagement between Leave and Remain standpoints, while providing collaborative opportunities for businesses and professional groups.
The report meanwhile makes three key points. It claims more investment is needed in infrastructure, such as expanding broadband services, and to close the skills gap so there are enough people to fill roles in the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is still struggling to recruit people.
Another area for improvement, it says, is transport - tackling a bottleneck slowing down how products fashioned in the West Midlands get to their destination.
Professor Alex de Ruyter heads up the Centre for Brexit Studies and said the way the UK measured its economy needed to change because the West Midlands currently is "overlooked" for investment.
Football: Wolves striker Dicko confident he can end goal droughtpublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
BBC WM SportWolverhampton Wanderers striker Nouha Dicko says he is confident his run of 17 games without a goal will end soon.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Mali international has not scored for the first team since his return from over a year out injured but this week signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract.
Tunisia inquest: Eye-witness describes 'pandemonium'published at 13:49 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
Sarah Campbell
BBC NewsDavid Hill was on holiday with former Birmingham City footballer Denis Thwaites and his wife Elaine when the couple were killed in the Tunisia terror attack.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn a statement to the inquests in London, Mr Hill described how the group had been relaxing on sun loungers close to the front of the beach at about midday when the gunman opened fire on a nearby tourist.
He described "pandemonium" and "screaming" as people started to realise what was happening.
He added the gunman appeared "confident".
Flames engulf paper and tissue warehousepublished at 13:22 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
A major fire has destroyed a factory in Wolverhampton, with 100 firefighters battling to put it out.
Read MoreCCTV catches Asda driver ramming carpublished at 12:51 Greenwich Mean Time 26 January 2017
An Asda delivery van driver is caught on camera ramming a parked car out of its way and driving off.
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