Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Birmingham Commonwealth Games bid 'not fully compliant'
Lack of maintenance partly to blame for Storm Doris death
Fire in block of flats in Burslem
Pig on the loose bites woman's legs
Hospitals warn of "extreme pressures" on A&E
Updates from Friday 5 October 2017
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Live Reporting

Stephanie Barnard and Jerry Chester

Memorial for baby ashes victims plannedpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Nick Southall
Journalist, BBC Shropshire
Plans for a memorial for the victims of the baby ashes scandal in Shrewsbury are being developed.
The review into Emstrey Crematorium began after the BBC found the ashes of only one baby out of 30 had been given to families since 2004.
Bereaved parents approached Shropshire Council to erect a memorial for the 60 children whose remains were not returned between 1996 and 2012.
The council now says it's prepared to fund a memorial which will be led by the parents of those affected.
Image source, Glen Perkins
Glen Perkins, whose daughter Olivia (pictured) was one of 60 infants whose ashes weren't recovered at Shrewsbury crematorium between 1996 and 2012, said it was the one thing they had had from the council.
Quote Message
I'm sorry just doesn't work for any parent in this situation. We need something independent from the crematorium which did damage. I think to have a memorial... in a centralised location in Shrewsbury, where everyone can see, will be fitting
Glen Perkins, Father to Olivia
Shropshire Council says it "has agreed to fund a fitting memorial to all of the children and we want to work with Action for Ashes so that this would be led by the parents, rather than by the council".
Woman killed by timber blown 'like leaf' in Storm Dorispublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
A wooden panel which struck and killed a pedestrian during a storm was blown around "like a piece of paper", an inquest has heard.
Jurors heard the section of a water tank cover hit Tahnie Martin after falling from the roof of a six-storey building during Storm Doris last February.
Image source, Family handout
The 29-year-old university worker from Stafford died after suffering head injuries near Wolverhampton's Mander Centre in Dudley Street.
The inquest, being heard in Oldbury, is expected to last for up to five days.
Shrewsbury's Jules faces long spell outpublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Shrewsbury defender Zak Jules is set for a lengthy absence after suffering a hamstring injury while on loan at Chesterfield.
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PCs 'disgraced uniform' in drugs plotpublished at 15:54 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Birmingham officers Wahid Husman and Tahsib Majid plotted to steal and sell drugs for profit.
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Walsall street closed after reports of man being shotpublished at 15:48 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Armed officers were sent to Burrowes Street, in Walsall, last night after reports of a man being shot at while riding his bike.
A 43-year-old man suffered a minor leg injury, police said, after the incident at about 23:00.
The road was closed earlier while the area is searched.
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Man charged after incident involving referee at Nuneaton Sunday League matchpublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Nuneaton News
A man has been charged after a Nuneaton Sunday League, external referee was hospitalised after a match.
Clothes set on fire in flat blaze - three still criticalpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
A woman and what's believed to be her two children remain in a critical condition in hospital after a ground floor flat fire in Stoke-on-Trent.
The fire service says the fire involved an electric storage heater which was left close to clothing in the flat in Ringland Close, Northwood, on Sunday morning.
Firefighters say when they arrived at the scene they "were met with extremely difficult conditions".
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Police tell me they are going to issue statements shortly with an update.
Residents in the block of flats have been put in temporary accommodation while a structural investigation is carried out.
More repatriated travellers touch down at Birminghampublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Riyah Collins
BBC News
A second flight has landed at Birmingham Airport bringing stranded passengers back after the collapse of Monarch Airlines.
These passengers have just arrived on a BA flight from Rome.
About 110,000 customers overseas are being flown home in what the government is calling the UK's biggest peacetime repatriation.
Hugh Hefner gives Black Country widow luxury homepublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Birmingham Mail
The Black Country widow of Hugh Hefner has been left with a luxury Hollywood Hills home and millions in the bank. , external
£1.2m refurbishment of 'cracking' Iron Bridgepublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today
Diversions are in place around Ironbridge today as the latest phase in the £1.2m refurbishment of the unique monument got under way.
A massive crane has lifted scaffolding beams into place over the river.
The repair by English Heritage, external is said to be the charity’s largest conservation project as work starts to fix cracks and ground movement.
The Wharfage is expected to be closed until about 15:30.
Councillors react angrily to Shropshire parking strategypublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Whitchurch Herald
Councillors in Whitchurch have reacted angrily, external to Shropshire Council’s parking consultation, describing it as ‘cash cow’ to make money.
West Bromwich among clubs to target South Asian playerspublished at 14:44 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
BBC Inside Out
The Football Association is aiming to create 50,000 playing opportunities for Asian youngsters by next year.
West Bromwich Albion is among the clubs hoping to bring in players from across the West Midlands and has recruited four South Asian coaches to help make scouting such talent a priority.
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You can see more on this story on BBC Inside Out West Midlands at 19:30 on BBC One or via iPlayer for 30 days afterwards.
Police treating case of missing 14-year-old girl as 'high risk'published at 14:36 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Burton Mail
An urgent appeal to find a Stretton schoolgirl who has not been seen, external since the morning of Saturday, September 30, has now been upgraded to high risk, according to the girl’s sister.
Parking charges introduced at Birmingham parkpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
BBC WM
Car parking charges have been introduced at one of Birmingham’s flagship parks for the first time.
Image source, Birmingham City Council
The city council says the charges at Cannon Hill Park will help pay for improvements to the site’s car park following budget cuts.
Motorists will be charged £2 for up to four hours and £3 for the day.
Poaching by coraclepublished at 14:08 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Presenter Mary-Ann Ochota explores the story of the coracle with the help of archive film and historians.
She discovers why the coracle was the ideal boat for poaching in the 18th and 19th centuries.
It was especially popular for poaching in Shropshire in the Ironbridge area.
Monarch collapse: Hundreds of jobs at risk at Birmingham Airportpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Administrators for Monarch, KPMG, say the company employs 389 people in Birmingham.
There are about 2,100 staff in the UK who have not yet been spoken to, but KPMG representatives will be at Monarch's five bases - Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester and Leeds-Bradford - the company said.
The collapse is "devastating news for pilots", says Balpa, the pilots' union.
Brian Strutton, its general secretary, says: "The thoughts of all UK airline pilots are with our friends and colleagues in Monarch today.
"This is an extremely difficult situation for everyone involved, but especially for Monarch staff members who, in the case of many pilots, have spent their whole careers working for Monarch and are now to be made redundant."
Ban on drinking tap water liftedpublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Tenbury Wells residents have been issued with bottled water amid contamination fears.
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Protest for compassion in farmingpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Ian Perry
BBC Radio Shropshire
A group of activists have been marking Compassion in World Farming day by holding a vigil outside a meat processing plant in Telford, Shropshire.
Today's protest by West Midlands Save, external, at Pickstock Beef,and Faccenda's Chicken processing plants in Hortonwood have been organised to draw attention to what they say is the suffering of animals.
Pickstock says animal welfare and traceability is a top priority with great emphasis placed on reducing stress levels for cattle between farm and abattoir.
The Faccenda operation, which employs more than 1,000 people, says it has zero tolerance toward anything that jeopardises the health and wellbeing of the animals.
Tap water 'now safe to drink in Tenbury Wells'published at 13:35 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Breaking
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
Tap water in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, is now drinkable, says Severn Trent, external, following fears of contamination.
But residents are warned to run the cold water tap at full flow for at least five minutes before drinking.
Quote Message
We’re delighted to say that our tests results have come in and we can now confirm that the water in Tenbury Wells is safe to drink again
Severn Trent Water
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Teenager injured after being hit by car in Walsallpublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 2 October 2017
Birmingham Mail
A teenage motorcyclist has suffered multiple injuries after being hit by a car. , external