Summary

  • Girl. 14, dead in Castle Vale crash

  • She was on a school trip

  • Collision between mini bus and bin lorry

  • Eyewitness heard 'massive bang'

  • Twenty other pupils involved

  • Girl attended school in Staffordshire

  • Crews called at 09:00 on Friday

  • Updates from Friday 7 July 2017

  1. Man, 52, stabbed in Handsworthpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    A man's been stabbed on the Soho Road in Handsworth.

    Police were called this lunchtime and a 52-year-old man was taken to hospital with a slash injury.

    Soho RoadImage source, Google
    Image caption,

    A stretch of Soho Road

  2. 'Socks and Chocs' helps homeless day centrepublished at 16:52 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    BBC Midlands Today

    A day centre which helps the homeless has been given a boost by another charity which supports those on the streets.

    The police officer, known as the Busking Bobby, founded 'Socks and Chocs' to provide warm clothing and chocolates for homeless people.

    Busking Bobby

    Now retired from the force, Ian Northcote heard the Reach Out Network in Birmingham had been broken in to so he stepped in to see if he could help.

    The centre had also been struggling to pay the rent so 'Socks and Chocs' has agreed to pay it for a year, meaning it will now be able to extend its opening hours.

  3. Travel app gets green light in West Midlandspublished at 16:43 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    BBC WM

    The West Midlands is to become the first place in the UK to test a new scheme designed to link public transport to from taxi to even car share schemes.

    It's based around an app which is already being used in Helsinki in Finland.

    The Whim app, external means people can plan and pay for their journeys all in one place and can include different forms of transport such as trams and even the hire of a bike.

  4. Nurse appears in court charged with drug offencespublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    A nurse has appeared in court charged with stealing from a 77-year-old man and illegally supplying him with drugs from a hospital where she worked.

    Sarah Papachristophorou is accused of supplying class C drugs Zopiclone, Tramadol and Diazepam, from Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital over a six-year period.

    Queen Elizabeth Hospital

    The 47-year-old is alleged to have taken £4,000 in cash from the victim - a man described by prosecutor Jonathan Purser in court as being in "poor health", whom she had been looking after.

    Appearing at the city's magistrates' court on Thursday, Sarah Papachristophorou, of Grange Lane, Sutton Coldfield, spoke only to confirm her name and details.

    She was bailed unconditionally to appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on 3 August.

  5. Outstanding citizens celebrated at awardspublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    Louise Hancock
    Newsreader, BBC WM

    Edgbaston Cricket Ground will host the Outstanding Citizen Awards 2017 this evening.

    The event celebrates ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.

    The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson (pictured), will be giving out prizes in five categories.

    David Jamieson

    One of those people up for an award is a mum whose son was killed in a road accident for her part in a national seatbelt safety campaign.

    Sukhi Atwal's 12-year-old son Amar hadn't been wearing a seat belt at the time of a collision in in 2015.

  6. Middlesex beat Warwickshire in thrillerpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    Middlesex earn their second Championship win of the season as they beat Warwickshire by one wicket at Edgbaston.

    Read More
  7. University of Birmingham to play role in Commonwealth Gamespublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    The University of Birmingham will host hockey and squash venues if the city is successful in bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

    LogoImage source, Birmingham City Council

    Facilities at the university would also be used for training.

    Birmingham is currently battling against Liverpool to become England's choice to go through to the final stages.

  8. Your pictures: Blue skies and green fieldspublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    BBC Weather Watchers

    It's looking like another gorgeous day, here's some pictures sent in by our BBC Weather Watchers.

    This amazing picture was taken in Kings Norton, by KarenJ, we love how the sun is just about bursting on the side of the photo.

    Kings NortonImage source, KarenJ

    Laura and Glenn took this gorgeous shot in Delph.

    If you have a picture you'd like to share, you can send it into us here and we'll feature our favourites.

    DelphImage source, Laura and Glenn
  9. Calder and Elsdon join Caley Thistlepublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    Ex-England youth duo Riccardo Calder and Matthew Elsdon sign for Inverness Caledonian Thistle from Aston Villa and Middlesbrough respectively.

    Read More
  10. Hero stab victim starts knife campaignpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    A bodybuilder who was stabbed 12 times has released a video to try to stop the growing problem of knife crime.

    Read More
  11. Watch: John Terry's Aston Villa initiationpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    Fellow Aston Villa player Andre Green has shared this cringe-worthy video of new signing John Terry having a sing song to 'Stand by Me'.

    Warning, it's not easy on the ears...

    (Click to play the video).

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  12. Woman assaulted in car-jackingpublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    A woman had her car stolen and was assaulted with a baton, West Midlands Police said.

    Police say she was targeted last night in Stirchley around 23:10, the 48-year-old woman was approached by men as she parked her car and told to hand over her keys.

    CarImage source, Central Motorway Police Group

    She was assaulted with a baton and the suspects drove off in her car.

    In the early hours of this morning police traffic officers tracked the car to Cotteridge and arrested three 17-year-old boys on suspicion of robbery and are currently in police custody.

    Police added the woman was shaken up and suffered minor injuries.

  13. A mother's fight against knife crimepublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    BBC News UK

    Rising knife crime is one of the biggest challenges facing the police, especially in the UK's major cities, but chiefs say they cannot solve the problem alone - and one mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from its dangers.

    In September 2013, Alison Cope's son Joshua Ribera was stabbed to death at a party to commemorate the life of a friend who had died in a stabbing the previous year. The 18-year-old was a well known Birmingham rapper.

    He became involved in a row over a girl which spiralled into a fight and his rival, Armani Mitchell, left the club but then returned with a knife.

    Joshua RiberaImage source, LUKE SPARROWHAWK
    Image caption,

    Joshua Ribera (centre)

    He said he wanted to cut Josh on the arm, but as he pulled the knife, Joshua raised his arm to protect himself and Mitchell plunged the knife into his heart.

    Ms Cope, an anti-knife campaigner, has now dedicated her life to convincing teenagers there is another path in life.

    Armani Mitchell is now in a category-A prison, serving a life sentence.

    Alison Cope
    Image caption,

    Alison Cope

  14. Coming up on BBC Midlands Today: Knife crime victim launches awareness campaignpublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    BBC Midlands Today

    A man who nearly died rescuing a woman who was being attacked in the street has made a campaigning video to try and counter the growing problem of knife crime.

    Will Flint from Alvechurch was stabbed a dozen times in the attack in Birmingham on News Year's Eve.

    Our special correspondent will have more on BBC1 from 13:30.

    Stabbing
  15. West Midlands ranked second in adult care servicespublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    The quality of care homes and care services has been revealed in a report by the Care Quality Commission today.

    In the West Midlands, 81% of adult social care services are rated as good, which puts the region second nationally.

    NursingImage source, Getty Images

    The report outlines what the CQC has found from over 33,000 inspections of over 24,000 care homes, home care agencies and other services across the country.

    Nationally, inspectors have found that one in four adult care services in England is not safe enough.

    The charity, Age UK, says for many families, choosing care is like playing Russian roulette.

  16. Speedway: Result in local derbypublished at 11:59 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    Mikey Burrows
    BBC WM Sport

    Bragging rights went to Birmingham in last night's speedway derby at Perry Barr.

    The Brummies beat Cradley Heathens 57-31, to go above their rivals and into the national league play off places.

    Team boss Graham Drury: "It was an incredible result, and in no way did I think it would be such a runaway success like it was."

  17. A mother's fight against knife crimepublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    One mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from the dangers of knives after the death of her son.

    Read More
  18. Nurse charged with supplying drugspublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 6 July 2017

    A Birmingham nurse has been charged with supplying drugs from a hospital where she worked.

    The 47-year-old from Four Oaks in Sutton Coldfield, is also charged with theft of money.

    West Midlands Police said she has been bailed to appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court.

    She worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was arrested by police in February 2017.