Summary

  • BBC presenters accused of indecently assaulting boys

  • More claims in shamed breast surgeon case

  • Gang 'hid crack cocaine in Kinder eggs'

  • Panos Pavlakis resigns as Blues director

  • Three held after man shot in shoulder

  • Updates from Friday 19 May 2017

  1. Murder suspect remanded in prisonpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    A 21-year-old man has been remanded in prison after being charged with the murder of a man who died in a suspected hit-and-run earlier this month.

    Benjamin Morse, 36, died on 1 May when he was hit by a dark-coloured hatchback at around 12:15 on Cherry Street, Halesowen.

    Nidal Alboraiki appeared before Dudley magistrates this morning and was also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

    Benjamin MorseImage source, West Midlands Police

    He is due to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court tomorrow.

  2. Eleven charged over jail drone drug plotpublished at 15:33 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    The suspects stand accused of flying illegal substances, weapons and other banned items into jails.

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  3. 'WW2 device' found in garden 'made safe'published at 15:18 British Summer Time 18 May 2017
    Breaking

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC Local Live

    A device suspected by police to be a WW2 artillery shell has been "made safe" following its discovery in a garden in Dudley earlier, the West Midlands force says.

    Stickley Lane in Lower Gornal was closed off and some homes evacuated.

    Officers were alerted at about 11:20, with bomb disposal experts called to the scene.

  4. Bogus workmen's slow digger getawaypublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    Thieves making off with the £25,000 machine are caught on CCTV.

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  5. How many World War Two devices are left to be unearthed?published at 14:39 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    A suspected World War Two device has been found in Dudley.

    Their discovery triggers a military response.

    Neighbouring buildings and streets can be evacuated, with cordons put in place as the army's bomb disposal experts go to work. It happened within the last few days in Aston.

    The vast majority of unearthed devices are German bombs dropped from the air, although old shells have been found close to former munitions factories and artillery ranges.

    But how many of these devices are there?

    Large bomb found in AstonImage source, West Midlands Police
    Image caption,

    The large bomb found this week in Aston

  6. Road closure and evacuations over another 'World War Two device' findpublished at 14:28 British Summer Time 18 May 2017
    Breaking

    It's the second discovery this week of what police have just described as a suspected "World War Two device" - and it's again closed a road.

    This time it's in the Lower Gornal area of Dudley. Police have cordoned off Stickley Lane.

    A spokesperson for the West Midlands force said: "Officers were alerted at around 11.20am today after a resident uncovered what is thought to be an old artillery shell in a garden."

    Some houses have been evacuated as a precaution. Bomb disposal experts are to examine the find.

  7. Another 'bomb' found - this time in gardenpublished at 14:11 British Summer Time 18 May 2017
    Breaking

    Within two days of the Army's controlled explosion of a World War Two bomb in Aston, the Black Country gets in on the act.

    No word yet on the type of device other than suspected ordnance, described as "small".

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    Police are talking to bomb disposal experts. And here they are on the way...

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  8. CEO Wyness dismisses Villa budget fearspublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness is confident of signing transfer targets within manager Steve Bruce's budget.

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  9. Eleven charged after weapons and drugs smuggled into prisonspublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    Alex Seftel
    BBC Local Live

    Eleven people have been charged with conspiring to smuggle items into prisons

    It follows an investigation by West Mercia Police, external and the prison service into how things like drugs and weapons ended up at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire, HMP Hewell in Redditch, HMP Birmingham, and HMP Featherstone in Wolverhampton.

    HMP Stoke HeathImage source, Google

    The offences, in some cases dating back to 2015, included throwing items into prisons and using drones to drop them over walls.

    Nine men and two women have been bailed to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday.

  10. County ins & outs 2017published at 13:21 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    With the 2017 county season here, keep up to date with the latest signings, departures and rumours ahead of next season.

    Read More
  11. Commonwealth Games 2022: London withdrawal leaves Liverpool and Birmingham in runningpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    BBC Sport

    London has withdrawn interest in hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, leaving Birmingham and Liverpool as the UK's potential candidate cities.

    Victoria Pendleton and Anna MearesImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester had already said it did not want to host on its own, but the city could still stage some events as part of a successful bid from Liverpool.

    Australia, Canada and Malaysia are also interested in hosting the Games, which were stripped from Durban in March.

    A decision on a formal UK bid will be made later in 2017., external

  12. Spat-at police could make arrested people wear 'hoods'published at 12:27 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    More than 100 West Midlands Police officers have been spat at in the last 12 months, according to the Police Federation.

    Chief Constable David Thompson says the force is to consult on whether to introduce so-called spit guards.

    Spit hoodImage source, HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY

    What are they? They are made from a mesh fabric and are put on offenders during an arrest when they have already started spitting or biting or if there is a clear risk of them doing it.

    In February, two police forces - Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary - announced that all of its front-line officers would be issued them.

  13. M6 crash: Lanes re-openpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    The M6 southbound is now fully open after long delays this morning between junctions 5 and 4a.

    Several lanes had to be closed following a spill on the carriageway in the morning rush hour.

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  14. Prisoner absconds from Hollesley Baypublished at 10:59 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    A 29-year-old man has been reported as missing from Hollesley Bay Prison, external, near Woodbridge, following a roll call this morning.

    James FryerImage source, Suffolk Police

    James Fryer is serving an indeterminate sentence for robbery and receiving stolen goods, and is believed to have connections in Birmingham, officers say.

    Members of the public are advised not to approach him, but to call the police immediately.

  15. Delays continue on the M6published at 10:30 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    Delays continue on the M6.

    Two lanes of the southbound carriageway remain closed between junctions 5 and 4a following a multi-vehicle crash earlier this morning.

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  16. Campaign to save 'vital' part of West Midlands' industrial historypublished at 10:24 British Summer Time 18 May 2017

    BBC WM

    A group of campaigners say a building in Lichfield played a vital role in the industrial revolution in the West Midlands.

    Sandfields Pumping StationImage source, Google

    The Lichfield Waterworks Trust, external is looking to raise £2.8m to preserve and redevelop the Sandfields Pumping Station.

    They say they want local people to get behind the campaign and turn the building into an education or community centre.

    Quote Message

    This building is incredibly important because it tells the story about ordinary people. It's got a very sort of rich social history, it saved the industrial revolution. I always call it the Black Country's most important piece of industrial heritage that's not in the Black Country."

    David Moore, Chairman of the Lichfield Waterworks Trust