Summary

  • Updates from Monday 16 to Sunday 22 October 2017

  • Click Related Stories for updates from your area

  1. Why is the sun red?published at 16:10 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Charlie Slater
    BBC Weather presenter

    Fear not, it's not the apocalypse - there's a good reason why the sun was appearing red this morning.

    Media caption,

    BBC weather presenter explains why the sun is red today

  2. Motorcyclist and passenger die in head-on crashpublished at 15:32 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Claudia Berry
    BBC News

    A motorcyclist and his passenger have died in a head-on crash on the A44 outside Worcester.

    A man in his 40s died at the scene after his bike hit a Citroen C4 near Cotheridge, at about 13:40 yesterday.

    His passenger, a woman in her 40s, died on the way to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

    The driver of the Citroen which was travelling in the opposite direction was uninjured.

  3. Appeal launched for 'heart murmur' puppublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    An appeal's been launched to help a Coventry rescue dog, who survived being shut in a hot car and who now needs a heart scan.

    SheldonImage source, RSPCA

    Terrier Sheldon has been diagnosed with a grade five heart murmur, which urgently needs looking into, says the RSPCA.

    The organisation's Coventry branch is trying to raise £1,000 for a scan for the two-year-old dog.

    Sheldon the terrierImage source, RSPCA

    He's the second dog at the branch this year to be diagnosed with a heart condition, the first being Molly who had a pacemaker fitted on Valentine's Day, after the public raised £2,500 in three hours.

    MollyImage source, RSPCA
  4. Cyclist, 13, killed in bus collisionpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    The bus driver has been discharged at the scene in Telford, according to police.

    Read More
  5. Your pictures: Red sun across the West Midlandspublished at 14:48 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Gareth Roberts has sent us this image of the red sun taken in Coventry.

    BBC weather presenter Simon King said it was due to the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia dragging in tropical air and dust from the Sahara.

    red sunImage source, Gareth Roberts

    Wolverhampton City Council tweeted this image.

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  6. Cyclist dies in Stratford crashpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    A cyclist has died after his bike collided with a motorcycle near Stratford-upon-Avon, police say.

    The incident happened on the B4086 Wellesbourne Road at the junction with Pimlico Lane at around 15:45 on Saturday.

    Scene of crashImage source, Google

    The family of the 68-year-old man have been informed.

    A man in his 60s, who was riding a blue Suzuki motorbike, also suffered serious head injuries.

  7. Never mind Usain, meet Usingh Boltpublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Race entrants like to give the charity marathon runner sprint finishes due to his nickname.

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  8. Pair banned from Dudley pubs and off-licencespublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Two men have been banned from all places selling alcohol in Dudley as part of a civil injunction secured by West Midlands Police. , external

    Injunction mapImage source, West Midlands Police

    The pair from Dudley are banned from associating with each other and entering licensed premises.

    Police have the power to arrest them if they breach the conditions, which also include having only one mobile phone.

  9. Share of European Union staff leaving NHS rises following Brexitpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Alex Homer
    BBC Shared Data Hub

    Hospital in Birmingham and Burton, in Staffordshire, are among those where the proportion of EU nationals leaving jobs in the NHS is rising, while the share of those joining is shrinking.

    Generic hospital sceneImage source, Sturti

    The BBC analysed NHS Digital figures, which showed the trend in England over the past two-and-a-half years.

    Health experts say the UK's decision to leave the European Union in June 2016 was behind the trend.

    The Department of Health says new language requirements for EU nurses may have played a part.

  10. Tributes to boxing brawl stab victimpublished at 13:33 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Reagan Asbury, 19, was stabbed in the neck during a fight outside Walsall Town Hall.

    Read More
  11. City of Culture: Tour of the competing citiespublished at 13:28 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC News

    Two cities in the Midlands are going head-to-head to become the UK City of Culture in 2021 - Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent.

    All this week BBC Radio Stoke is taking a tour across the country visiting the cities that are on the shortlist, including Sunderland, Coventry and Swansea.

    This morning the breakfast show presenters Liz Ellis and John Acres are in Scotland, checking out the competition in Paisley.

    Paisley 2021 UK City of Culture flags

    Paisley is a town of course famous for its intricate fabric pattern of the same name and at one point it produced 90% of the world's thread here.

    We hope to find out by December who has been successful in the bidding process, picking up the baton from Hull to become the next UK City of Culture in 2021.

  12. Teenage cyclist killed after being hit by a buspublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    A teenager has died after being hit by a bus while cycling in Telford this morning.

    West Midlands Ambulance Service says , externalit received a 999 call to Haybridge Road in Hadley at about 08:00 this morning reporting the crash.

    The boy was found with serious injuries and airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but died shortly after arriving, a spokesman said.

  13. Your photos: Red sun across the West Midlandspublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Stephanie Barnard
    BBC News

    We're seeing some rather unusual sights outside today as a mix of dust from Hurricane Ophelia and dust from the Sahara.

    Here are just a selection of photos shared by BBC Weather Watchers.

    Red sun in the West MidlandsImage source, Shelagh
    Hereforshire red sun

    Share you photos with us by visiting our BBC Midlands Facebook page, external, emailing us, or tweeting @BBCMTD, external.

    Red sun in the West Midlands
  14. Share of European Union staff leaving NHS rises following Brexitpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Alex Homer
    BBC Shared Data Hub

    Two West Midlands hospital trusts have seen a bigger share of EU nationals leave and a smaller share of workers join from the continent since the Brexit vote, mirroring the national trend.

    A group of four young trainee nurses including male and female nurses, walk away from camera down a hospital corridor. They are wearing UK nurse uniforms of trousers and tunics.Image source, sturti

    BBC analysis revealed the pattern in NHS Digital figures for the past two-and-a-half years, which was reflected at Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

    Health experts say the UK's decision to leave the European Union in June 2016 was behind the change.

    The Department of Health says new language requirements for EU nurses may have played a part.

  15. Walsall fans 'need to back players'published at 12:34 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Walsall boss Jon Whitney says that he can deal with criticism from the club's fans, but he wants them to back the players.

    Chants of "We want Whitney out" could be heard after the weekend's 1-1 draw with Blackpool.

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    Quote Message

    I don't mind negativity towards me, but what I would say is wait until the end to make your comments. Just get behind the team, because they're trying their hardest out there."

    Jon Whitney, Walsall manager

  16. Man questioned on suspicion of rapepublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 16 October 2017

    Claudia Berry
    BBC News

    A man from Hereford has been arrested on suspicion of rape.

    West Mercia Police said the 25-year-old is being questioned following a report at the weekend, external.

    Officers are appealing for information, after the assault which is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Saturday, in the Moor Farm area of Hereford.