Summary

  • Updates from Monday 25 to Friday 29 September

  1. Your comments: 100 miles of road closurespublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Facebook

    There's been a mix of comments on the BBC Midlands Facebook page about Velo Birmingham.

    The 100 miles of road closures across the West Midlands angered some people who struggled to travel, but many said the event was a resounding success. Here's what you've been saying., external

    Velo Birmingham cyclists

    Claire Taylor, external: It's been fab for our city! We should be grateful we got the chance to hold the event. Yes there was inconvenience with road closures but it's one day out of 365 & we had plenty of notice to plan.

    Mustak Choudhury writes:, external Why do people have to complain about the Velo? They have been warned about it. It's only Sunday. Chill.

    Donald Skoyles adds:, external One day of road closures and everyone loses their minds. Yorkshire had the Tour de France leg, London gets loads of events causing road closures, Manchester gets the North Run and when Birmingham gets remembered by big event organisers, what do we do - complain, moan and whinge.

    No Velo signpost
    Image caption,

    Not everyone welcomed the cyclists

    Andy Carr-smith had to change his plans:, external So many comments of "it's one day out of the year" - My friends and I had to wake up earlier than normal so our event, booked last year by the way, could still go ahead. Fortunately for us people were willing to come earlier.

    Steve Carey adds:, external Some road diversions would have been useful rather than just closing roads!

  2. Birmingham Conservatoire given royal titlepublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    The royal seal of approval has been given to the Birmingham Conservatoire.

    The campus dedicated to music and drama has opened the doors of its new £57m home., external

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    Birmingham City University vice-chancellor, Professor Philip Plowden (pictured right), says the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire prides itself on having students from across the world - from all backgrounds.

    Professor Julian Lloyd Webber and Birmingham City University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Philip Plowden

    And the principal, Julian Lloyd Webber, agrees.

    "It's not just for rich kids. We're determined that all children have the right and we get out into the community. We've reached over 3,000 who wouldn't usually have access and we'll be doing more. It's a university for Birmingham."

  3. Fun runner diespublished at 14:36 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Chris Blakemore
    BBC WM

    A man died taking part in a fun run in Walsall yesterday.

    The man, who has not been named, was running 5k in a Walsall Rotary Club event when he collapsed.

    West Midlands Ambulance Service said he was helped by members of the public on Argyle Road. They carried out CPR before paramedics arrived but nothing could be done to save him.

    He had suffered a cardiac arrest.

  4. West Brom trio get call-upspublished at 13:40 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    West Bromwich Albion

    West Brom defender Gareth McAuleyImage source, Getty Images

    West Bromwich veteran Gareth McAuley is back in the Northern Ireland squad for the first time since he was injured on international duty in June.

    McAuley, 37, returns for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Norway. Roy Carroll and Jonny Evans also make the cut for Michael O'Neill's squad.

    Team-mates James Morrision and Matt Phillips have also been called up for Scotland.

  5. 'I just want to go on' says long serving Gareth Barrypublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    BBC Midlands Today

    West Bromwich Albion player Gareth Barry will break the Premier League's appearance record tonight.

    It's 19 years since Barry made his debut for Aston Villa.

    Media caption,

    Barry to play 'as long as possible'

    Before his time at the Baggies he's won the Premier League title and the FA Cup with Manchester City.

    The 36-year-old is due to play his 633rd game in the top flight against Arsenal this evening.

  6. Gang jailed after admitting conspiracy to supply drugspublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Three men in a drugs gang, that trafficked about £600,000 worth of heroin and cocaine into Gloucester from the Midlands, have been jailed for a total of almost 28 years.

    Two of the men were on parole from earlier drug dealing prison sentences, but were operating in the city last summer, before being caught.

    Gloucester Crown Court heard the Birmingham end of the operation was run by Majid Hussain, 36, of Smethwick while Mizanur Rahman, 25, of All Saints Rd, Gloucester, ran things in Gloucester.

    Hussain's brother, Rajid, 35, who lives in Gloucester, acted as a go-between and occasional courier.

    The three admitted conspiracy to supply drugs between May and September 2016. Majid was jailed for 10 years, Rajid for eight years and Rahman for eight years and eight months.

  7. 'Snorkelling' benefits fraudster given suspended sentencepublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Allen Cook
    BBC Local Live

    A benefit fraudster who used her disability car to avoid £15,000 of M6 Toll charges has been given an 18-month suspended prison sentence.

    A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigation found that despite claiming £65,000 in disability payments, Linda Hoey had been in paid employment since 1997.

    Photograph of Linda Hoey snorkellingImage source, DWP

    Although Hoey claimed she could barely walk, investigators found photographs of her scuba diving and snorkelling.

    The 58-year-old of Talland Avenue, Amington, Tamworth was convicted of benefit fraud in July.

    Today, she was given the 18-month jail term, suspended for two years, and a six-month electronic curfew.

  8. People line Velo routepublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Cyclists from round the country took part in a 100-mile (161km) bike road race across the West Midlands at the weekend.

    The 15,000 riders started and finished in Birmingham and went through parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

    Media caption,

    Hundreds turned out to watch the Velo Birmingham at the half-way point in Bewdley

  9. Barry to play for 'as long as possible'published at 11:50 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    West Brom midfielder Gareth Barry says "the desire is still there" as he prepares to break Ryan Giggs' Premier League appearances record of 632 games.

    Read More
  10. Birmingham is the 'crash for cash' capitalpublished at 11:49 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Birmingham has topped the UK's "crash for cash" postcode league - the second time in a year the city has featured in a table of hotspots for the crime.

    The scams are run by fraudsters who manufacture collisions with other road users, hoping to profit from insurance claims.

    Car crash

    Birmingham had 10 of the top 30 postcodes for the crime. Washwood Heath, Aston and Small Heath were the three worst postcodes for the crime in the UK.

  11. Car hits new mum and prampublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Louise Hancock
    Newsreader, BBC WM

    A 29-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after she and her newborn son were hit by a car in Great Barr.

    The woman was crossing Walsall Road with her five-day-old son, who was in a pram, when they were struck on Saturday evening.

    A34 Walsall Road, Great Barr

    The driver fled the scene and ran off in the direction of Dyas Avenue at about 18:00.

    Mother and baby were taken to hospital where they remain.

  12. Warwickshire v Hampshire: Rain could scupper startpublished at 10:22 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Warwickshire are due to take on Hampshire at Edgbaston today in the final game of the County Championship, but it looks like rain could scupper those plans.

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  13. This morning's sports headlinespublished at 10:15 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Mikey Burrows
    BBC WM Sport

    Here are the top sports stories we're talking about this morning:

  14. Patel still in the hunt for MVP titlepublished at 09:20 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Warwickshire spinner Jeetan Patel still has a chance of beating Samit Patel to retain his overall MVP title.

    Read More
  15. Open road bike ride hailed a successpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 25 September 2017

    Organisers of the Velo Birmingham say the 100-mile bike ride across the West Midlands has been a huge success.

    Velo Birmingham

    Fifteen thousand cyclists took to the streets and open roads across Birmingham, the Black Country, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

    Residents along the route were affected by road closures as cyclists were promised exclusive access.

    Velo Birmingham road closures
    Quote Message

    It's gone very, very well. Right from the beginning, from 7:30 seeing 15,000 cyclists line up to take part it's been a tremendous sight. It's been great to see crowds have come out along the whole route."

    Ian Ward, Interim leader of Birmingham City Council