Summary

  • Updates from across the week

  1. Hospital failings led to newborn's deathpublished at 15:24 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Two-day-old Cohen Mark Joseph Cross died from multi-organ failure and a lack of oxygen.

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  2. Park memorial for Tunisia attack victimspublished at 14:57 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Birmingham's Cannon Hill Park will host a memorial dedicated to victims of the terrorist attacks.

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  3. Stirchley supermarket plan decision presents 'opportunity to move on' published at 14:42 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Alex Homer
    BBC Local Live

    Ward councillor Rob Sealey, who told residents who campaigned against Lidl's proposals for Stirchley the plans would be revoked last night, said there had been "massive strength of feeling" in the area.

    He said: "The feeling had always been the residents did not want to lose the leisure facilities there."

    The Tesco siteImage source, Google

    The revocation of planning permission for Lidl to build on the site of a gym and bowling alley follows  Tesco  dropping plans in the village 19 years after it was first proposed .

    Tesco said it made the "difficult decision" not to go ahead after a "detailed review".

    Mr Sealey said: "A lot of people see this as an opportunity to move on now. Businesses have not wanted to come to Stirchley because of not knowing what was going on with Tesco and shop keepers have been reluctant to spend and now that's changed."

  4. football

    Who was the last Baggie to play for England?published at 14:22 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Germany v England (19:45 GMT)

    So Jake Livermore starts tonight but we were thinking: Who was the last West Brom player to play for England?

    Ben Foster, of course.

    OK then, so who was the last outfield player to play for England?

    Saido Berahino? No caps.

    Kieran Richardson? No caps while technically an Albion player.

    Kevin Campbell? No caps.

    James Morrison? Scottish.

    Steve HuntImage source, PA

    It was actually winger Steve Hunt. He won two caps in 1984, before everyone in the current squad was born.

    Apart from Jermain Defoe. 

  5. Steven Sharpe to be sentenced later for stabbing murderpublished at 14:20 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Steven SharpeImage source, Gloucestershire Police

    Steven Sharpe has pleaded guilty to the murder of Camran Green, 17, who was fatally stabbed in Cheltenham.

    He is expected to be sentenced later.

    Bristol Crown Court heard Sharpe, 31, from the town, had planned to rob Camran (pictured below) of money. 

    Camran, originally from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, was stabbed in the stomach at an address in Shakespeare Road on 2 October.

    Camran GreenImage source, Gloucestershire Police/BBC
  6. Football: Villa skipper 'relieved' by winning runpublished at 14:18 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Steve Hermon
    Journalist, BBC WM

    Aston Villa skipper, James Chester, says five wins from the last six games have really lifted spirits in the changing room.

    James ChesterImage source, Rex Features

    The run may have come too late for a play-off push, with Villa 11 points off the top six with eight games to go, but Chester says it's a "real relief" to be clear of a relegation scrap.  

  7. Birmingham GP killed himself after sex attack claims from two patients published at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Birmingham Mail

    A Birmingham GP killed himself with a heroin overdose, hours after discovering he was under police investigation for sexually assaulting two patients, an inquest heard, external .

  8. Coming up on TVpublished at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Nicola Beckford
    Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

    The sister of a woman killed in the Birmingham pub bombings 43 years ago says "the truth has died" with the death of Martin McGuinness.

    We'll have more on the Midlands Today on BBC One from 13:30.

  9. Laura Mvula found out she was dropped via emailpublished at 12:53 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    BBC Entertainment and Arts

    Singer Laura Mvula has revealed she found out she was dropped by her record label Sony via e-mail .

    Laura MvulaImage source, Getty Images

    In January, her former manager met the label and was told face-to-face that Mvula's contract would not be renewed.

    But the Mercury-nominated musician, from Birmingham, told the BBC she only found out about it from a forwarded email, which was seven lines long.

    Sony confirmed the sequence of events, but declined to comment further.  

  10. Boy, 13, suffers suspected fractured ankle after being hit by a car in Harborne published at 12:32 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Alex Homer
    BBC Local Live

    A 13-year-old boy had been taken to hospital with a suspected fractured ankle after being hit by a car in Harborne earlier.

    The collision happened on the High Street at around 08:30.

    The driver of a silver Nissan Pixo stopped at the scene and gave his details to police after providing a negative breath test, the West Midlands force said.

  11. Stirchley Lidl plans will be revoked after council admits 'mistake' published at 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Alex Homer
    BBC Local Live

    Planners at Birmingham City Council say they have made "a mistake" and they will now revoke permission for Lidl to build a new supermarket in Stirchley.

    Fitness FirstImage source, Google

    In December a committee of councillors agreed it could be built on the site of a bowling alley and gym on the Pershore Road and the planning permission was issued last month.

    People in Stirchley objected on the grounds that it was replacing leisure facilities. 

    Ian MacLeod, assistant director for planning and regeneration, said the legal challenge against the council's decision with respect to sporting and leisure facilities provision had "strong merit".

    The council said today a mistake was made and it would have to look at the application again.

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  12. 'No new suspects' in paperboy murderpublished at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Police say a review of the 1978 murder of paperboy Carl Bridgewater has not unearthed new suspects.

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  13. Vision for new Wolverhampton market revealed as council submits Cleveland Street plans published at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Express and Star

    Striking black and white stalls and an imposing main entrance – the vision for Wolverhampton’s new market, external has been revealed in a dazzling first image.

  14. PC widows pension rule change 'unfair'published at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Both widows received the pensions, but one remarried prior to a change in the scheme and so lost hers.

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  15. Carl Bridgewater killing: New witness interviewed but 'nothing to progress' murder case published at 10:58 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    A new witness has been interviewed but "cannot offer anything to progress or assist the investigation" into the unsolved 1978 murder of paperboy Carl Bridgewater, police say, external .

    The Staffordshire force says it reviewed evidence following a documentary that queried an alibi given to police at the time by a man who was later jailed for a separate shooting.

    Carl Bridgewater

    Carl Bridgewater was 13 when he was shot in the head at point-blank range while delivering newspapers.

    The documentary, aired in June 2016, featured Bert Spencer - who denies having anything to do with the teenager's murder at Yew Tree Farm in Prestwood, Stourbridge - and what he decades ago told police of his movements when he was a suspect in the case.

    The force said: "Having additionally reviewed this information [from the new witness] and the forensic evidence available, we can confirm there are no new investigative opportunities and as such no new suspects. Therefore, there are no grounds to interview Hubert Spencer at this time."

  16. Birmingham pub bombings: Sister of victim says 'truth died' with Martin McGuinness published at 10:36 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    The younger sister of a victim of the Birmingham pub bombings says "the truth has died" with Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister.

    Julie Hambleton said relatives of many of the IRA's victims were still waiting for "truth and justice", following the death of the ex-IRA commander-turned-peacemaker aged 66 .

    Julie Hambleton

    Ms Hambleton, whose older sister Maxine was among 21 people killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, first offered her condolences to his family.  

    Of McGuiness, she said: ""He was very opaque and selective with the truth. With him the truth has died and that's the big problem."

    Ms Hambleton said she still hoped other former IRA members would speak about what happened during The Troubles.

    She said: "I can but hope that lips will be looser, not just for our loved ones but for everybody's sake - many of whom still after all these years have no body to bury."

  17. Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of swimming goggles stolen published at 10:08 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Louise Hancock
    Newsreader, BBC WM

    A total of £700,000 worth of swimming goggles have been stolen from a freight yard in Wednesfield, according to police.

    Four men were spotted on CCTV climbing over a gate into RJ Haulage on Nechells Lane, last Monday night and used a tractor cab - stolen from a depot in Birmingham Road, Oldbury, on 10 March - to make off with a trailer containing 40,000 pairs of Zoggs goggles.

    Anyone with information is being urged to contact the West Midlands force, external .

  18. Rail delays between Redditch and Birminghampublished at 09:46 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    Services between Redditch and Birmingham New Street are delayed due to a train fault.

    The train operator London Midland warns passengers to expect delays and cancellations to its services.

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  19. Football: Ex-Blues man Redmond thanks mother for success of England call-up published at 09:33 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    BBC WM Sport

    Former Blues winger Nathan Redmond has praised his mother after earning a call-up to the full England squad.

    Nathan Redmond at BluesImage source, Getty Images

    Birmingham-born Redmond hopes to make his senior international debut either in the friendly with Germany tomorrow night or in Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Lithuania. 

    West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jake Livermore is also hoping to make his first England appearance for five years.

  20. Child hit by car on Harborne High Streetpublished at 09:11 Greenwich Mean Time 21 March 2017

    Sophie Calvert
    Newsreader, BBC WM

    A boy has been hit by a car on a main Harborne thoroughfare in the morning rush hour.

    The collision happened outside the Fallen Angel Bakery on High Street at around 08:30. 

    We will bring you more information as soon as we have it.