BBC Local Live: Birmingham and the Black Country on Friday 7 April 2017

Summary

2 Sisters plant in Smethwick could shut
Chocolate factory gets £75m makeover
Wolves boss named manager of the month
Updates from Friday 7 April 2017

Live Reporting

BMW walkout: Union chief urges firm to scrap deadlinepublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
BBC Business News
The general secretary of Unite's urged BMW to step back from its planned May deadline to close its final salary pension scheme.
It comes as workers at the firm's Hams Hall engine plant in Coleshill have voted to walk out later this month, on 19 April, for 24 hours as part of the dispute.
Image source, Getty Images
Unite claims that BMW's intention to close the pension scheme by 31 May could reduce employees' retirement income by £160,000.
BMW said it was "disappointed" at the prospect of industrial action.
The union's general secretary, Len McCluskey, said the company's bosses "need to get their heads out of the sand" and step back from the deadline.
Paramedic continuing to support earthquake victimspublished at 15:45 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
A West Midlands Ambulance paramedic is continuing his work to help people in Nepal rebuild their lives following a devastating earthquake in 2015 which killed more than 8,000 people.
Image source, Getty Images
Phil Llewellyn has already raised thousands of pounds to help rebuild homes - as well as creating jobs for local people.
He's now planning to return to the Himalayan country later this year to distribute more funds, clothes and school materials.
Quote Message
Kathmandu is back to the state it was before [the earthquake]...but it's the remote areas that are still suffering.
Phil Llewellyn, West Midlands paramedic
Government rules out HS2 inquirypublished at 15:33 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Oral questions
House of Lords
Parliament
Image source, PA
Lib Dem Baroness Randerson says engineering firm CH2M's withdrawal from the HS2 project is a "depressing indictment" of the way it is being carried out, but Transport Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon rules out an inquiry.
CH2M's £170m contract was to develop Phase 2b, stretching from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds.
But the contract signing was delayed as officials were reportedly investigating concerns from rival bidder Mace over alleged conflicts of interest.
CH2M blamed the exit on "protracted delays and ongoing speculation".
New Assistant Chief Constable appointed at West Midlands Police published at 15:20 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
West Midlands Police has announced it has appointed a new Assistant Chief Constable , external .
Image source, West Midlands Police
Sarah Boycott will leave her current role with Cheshire Constabulary to take up the position.
She's previously worked as a Deputy Programme Director at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and spent two years working for the UN in New York.
Quote Message
The West Midlands is a challenging and complex environment and I’m looking forward to joining the team and meeting the challenges that come from unexpected incidents.
Sarah Boycott , Newly appointed Assistant Chief Constable at West Midlands Police.
Midlands judo ace set for European Championshipspublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
A Coventry sportswoman has been selected to compete for Britain in the 2017 European Judo Championships.
Image source, Mike Varey, elitepix
It'll be the first time 20-year-old Chelsie Giles has competed in the competition - which takes place in Poland later this month.
The GB judoka, who trains at the British Centre of Excellence in Walsall, is currently ranked second in the world at junior level.
Imam to meet Pope Francispublished at 14:39 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Simon Glover
BBC Online
An imam from Birmingham, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, is among four British Muslim leaders meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican this morning.
Image source, Getty Images
It's all part of an effort to improve relations between Islam and the Roman Catholic church.
The delegation is being led by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Aston Expressway death: Declan Sullivan named as man who fell from bridge published at 14:20 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Birmingham Mail
A man who died after falling from a bridge on the Aston Expressway , external has been named as Declan Sullivan.
The talented local footballer, 20, suffered fatal injuries in the tragedy in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Royals joins 2,000 people for 'service of hope'published at 13:48 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
As we reported earlier , members of the royal family have joined 2,000 people for a 'service of hope' at Westminster Abbey following the terror attack in Central London last month.
Khalid Masood, who lived in Winson Green, Birmingham, killed three people when he drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before fatally stabbing a police officer at the Houses of Parliament.
The Dean of Westminster, Dr John Hall, told the congregation the whole community had paid their respects to the victims.
Accused breast surgeon says patient believed cancer was 'inevitable' published at 13:20 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
A breast surgeon accused of carrying out unnecessary operations has described one patient in court as a "quivering mass of anxiety".
Ian Paterson, who worked at hospitals in the West Midlands, said the "troubled" man came to his consultation already convinced "he was on the way to getting breast cancer" and that nothing the surgeon told him would have changed his mind.
Image source, TRINITY MIRROR
Health worker John Ingram had what prosecutors allege was a needless double mastectomy, after claiming Paterson told him he was "on the road to developing breast cancer".
Paterson, 59, is standing trial after denying 20 counts of wounding with intent against nine women and one man relating to procedures he carried out between 1997 and 2011. The case continues.
Birmingham MP says she 'grieves' for the Labour partypublished at 13:04 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
The Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Gisela Stuart, says the party hasn't been "coherent" enough to prove it would be a better government than the Conservatives.
It follows accusations by Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, that the media is failing to report the good work the party are doing.
'Selfies saved my life' says Wolverhampton womanpublished at 12:39 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
A woman from Wolverhampton says taking 'selfie' photos has saved her life.
Image source, Cloe Jordan
21-year-old Cloe Jordan noticed a change in a mole she had since birth while looking through old photos.
After seeing a consultant to have the mole removed it was revealed she had skin cancer.
Quote Message
I went to the hospital...they just got me in for a biopsy straight away, then I had to have it removed...it turns out it was cancer.
Cloe Jordan
Warwickshire batsman 1 of 5 'cricketers of the year'published at 12:22 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Warwickshire batsman Chris Woakes has been named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year .
Image source, Getty Images
It's a prestigious accolade for the all-rounder, who has also starred for England over the past 12 months.
Also on the list, which has been published this morning, are Ben Duckett, Toby Roland-Jones and the Pakistan duo of Younus Khan and captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
Six fire engines needed to tackle 'severe fire'published at 11:56 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Fire crews have tackled a "severe fire" in the roof of a house which, at its height, needed six fire engines to bring it under control.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service says it was first called at 08:12 today to the home on Pattingham Road, Perton, external .
Image source, West Midlands Fire
More fire engines were quickly called to the scene, but they're now scaling down the number of fire crews there, external .
No-one is believed to have been injured.
West Midlands MP brands Ken Livingstone's suspension as 'shameful' published at 11:50 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Simon Glover
BBC Online
Labour's deputy leader and MP for West Bromwich East, Tom Watson, has said the decision not to expel Ken Livingstone from the party over controversial remarks regarding Adolf Hitler and Zionism "shames us all".
Image source, Getty Images
It follows the party's decision to suspend the former mayor of London for another year because of the comments.
BMW workers at Hams Hall plant will stage first strikepublished at 11:30 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Breaking
Workers at BMW's Hams Hall engine plant will walk out later this month.
Image caption,
BMW workers at the car giant's Hams Hall engine plant are set to strike over pensions.
Members of the Unite union have voted to stage a series of eight-hour 24 hour strikes in a dispute over pensions.
The first will be at the car maker's facility in Coleshill, the Mini plant in Oxford and a site in Swindon on the 19th.
In a statement, BMW says it is "disappointed" by the decision.
BMW workers to stage eight 24-hour strikes over pensions rowpublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Breaking
The Unite Union has announced that workers at BMW are to stage a series of eight 24-hour strikes in a dispute over pensions.
Image source, PA
Last week , workers at the car giant's engine plant at Hams Hall, Coleshill, voted in favour of industrial action.
It follows the announcement by the German car company that it was planning to stop their final salary pension scheme
Hundreds of Birmingham families living on '50p-a'week' housing benefit published at 11:02 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
There are more people in Birmingham living on a 50p-a-week housing benefit than anywhere else in Britain, a BBC investigation has found .
Image source, PA
A survey of hundreds of local councils revealed that 7,585 families across the country had been left with just 50p a week towards their rent as part of a government drive to get unemployed people back to work by capping their benefits.
Charities say some families affected could end up losing their homes.
Bell signs new Warwickshire contractpublished at 10:37 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Breaking
Ashes-winning England batsman Ian Bell signs a deal with Warwickshire, tying him to the club until 2020.
Read More
Wolves fan told steward he would 'bite his nose off' at away game published at 10:36 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
Express and Star
A Wolves fan who was refused entry to an away game for being drunk told a steward he would ‘bite [his] ******* nose off’. , external
Self-employed engineer Glenn Firstbrook, aged 36, of The Knoll in Kingswinford, was arrested and missed the club’s 3-1 win at Championship rivals Fulham FC.
Royals to attend 'service of hope' following terror attackpublished at 09:56 British Summer Time 5 April 2017
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will attend a 'service of hope' at Westminster Abbey later today.
It follows a terror attack near the Houses of Parliament a fortnight ago - in which Birmingham-based attacker Khalid Masood killed four people before he was shot dead by police.
The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 11:30 .