Man charged with murdering six-month-old son in Walsall
Stolen van set alight causes rail chaos
Scammers target dying woman
IPCC probes crash after car fails to stop for police
Two lorry drivers deny M1 crash death charges
West Midlands businesses "negative" over Brexit
Updates on Friday 27 October 2017
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This is the scene after this morning's fire under the railway bridge outside Coventry that caused chaos on the rail network.
Police are continuing to investigate and four people are being questioned by officers on suspicion of theft of a vehicle, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and driving under the influence.
A van stolen and set alight under a bridge causes cancellations and delays on trains
Here are some of the stories headlining on the Birmingham Mail website today:
A statue of former Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin should be erected in Bewdley in the new year.
The town's civic society has raised £100,000 to get it made and had been hoping to have it put up this year.
Image source, Getty ImagesMr Baldwin was born in the town and was MP for the area for 30 years. The society is hoping the current prime minister will be able to officially unveil the statue, when it's complete.
It says another £20-30,000 is still needed to complete the groundworks.
A fifth man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the drive-by shooting of Mekel Sterling in Birmingham last month.
Police say the unnamed 19-year-old handed himself into police on Thursday.
Father-of-four Mr Sterling was shot in Great Hampton Row, Hockley on 15 September and later died in hospital.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceEarlier this week officers arrested four men in Dudley, Walsall, Bilston and west Birmingham in a series of raids.
Two lorry drivers charged over a crash on the M1 that left eight people dead are both from the West Midlands.
Ryszard Masierak, 31, of Evesham, Worcestershire, and David Wagstaff, 53, of Stoke-on-Trent, each deny eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
The crash involving two lorries and a minibus happened on the southbound carriageway of the M1, near junction 14, on 26 August.
A trial has been set for 26 February at Aylesbury Crown Court.
Mr Masierak was remanded in custody, while Mr Wagstaff was given bail.
A 17-year-old who was a passenger in a car that failed to stop for police in Birmingham yesterday has died.
West Midlands Police says, external the teenager died at the scene after the car crashed into a lorry on Church Road in Yardley at about 16:15.
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServiceA 17-year-old was arrested nearby on suspicion of stealing the car and causing death by dangerous driving.
Another 17-year-old, who was also a passenger in the car, remains in a serious condition in hospital
Tight-head prop Ben Broster, capped twice by Wales, has been forced into retirement by injury.
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Graham McGarry
Crewe Alexandra commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell wants his players to bounce back after conceding early goals.
He said "it can't be a fatal blow" for his side to concede first.
Image source, Getty ImagesCrewe travel to play Colchester United tomorrow.
Quote MessageWe get affected too much by the first goal. We've got to make sure that if we don't score it, it doesn't mean a defeat. Because you might have a bit of bad luck."
David Artell, Crewe Alexandra manager
Five new primary schools need to be built in the Shropshire Council area in the next five years, the leader of the authority has said.
Councillor Peter Nutting said demand for places is expected to increase, with more than 28,000 new homes expected to be built between now and 2036.
Mr Nutting said the need for more primary schools is "one of a number of problems" he inherited when he took over as leader earlier this year and that it could take some time to resolve.
Quote MessageIn the next five years we need five primary schools that are identified in various areas of the county and we don't have a proper plan."
Councillor Peter Nutting, Leader of Shropshire Council
The ringleader of a drugs gang has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of two charges of conspiring to supply cocaine
Staffordshire Police said 40-year-old Christopher Burns, of Hill Street, Burntwood, directed other men in the group to collect a package of cocaine worth more than £200,000.
Further police inquires uncovered more drug deals by the group of men.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceLee Crowley, 42, of Pound Road, Oldbury, Alexander Floyd, 25, of Overton Road, Hammerwich and Alfred Floyd, 26, of Scholars Gate, Burntwood were sentenced to six years’ imprisonment each for conspiring to supply cocaine.
Joseph Gregory, 41, from Rugeley Road, Chase Terrace, Burntwood was found guilty of possession and ordered to pay a £750 fine, plus £1,000 in costs.
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
More details have emerged about the damage to a bridge which halted trains and caused thousands of passengers to be delayed between London, Coventry, Rugby and Birmingham this morning.
A stolen van was set alight under the railway bridge near Brandon, outside Coventry, at about 05:30 this morning.
Railway engineers closed the bridge during peak commuter hours this morning as they assessed the safety of the structure which has opened in the past hour
Warwickshire Police have arrested four people on suspicion of stealing the van and driving while under the influence.
Two women aged 27 and 20 were arrested, alongside a 29-year-old man and another aged 25 - who are all from the Coventry area.
Here are some of the stories featuring on the Shropshire Star website today:
The railway line between Coventry and Rugby has now reopened, says Virgin Trains.
Services between London and Birmingham will resume, though extensive delays will be on-going for sometime while the timetable recovers.
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An independent investigation has found that a cyber attack that crippled parts of the NHS in May could have been prevented if "basic IT security measures" had been in place.
Several hospitals, community health trusts and GPs across the West Midlands were affected - some particularly badly.
The National Audit Office said the health service was not prepared for the Wannacry attack, in which criminals froze NHS computers and demanded a ransom - no trusts are thought to have paid.
Image source, Getty ImagesProfessor Keith McNeil, from NHS England, said some local health providers across the country hadn't followed the national procedure.
An assessment of 88 out of 236 English trusts by NHS Digital before the attack found that none passed the required cyber-security standards.
A number of high-speed rail services between Birmingham and London have been cancelled after a vehicle struck a bridge in Warwickshire this morning.
Virgin Trains services are delayed by more than an hour. Follow live updates from the train company online., external
National Rail says engineers are on site at the railway bridge between Warwickshire and Coventry after it was hit earlier this morning.
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Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
Plans for 500 new homes in Cheshire close to Jodrell Bank Observatory have been approved.
Despite initial ojections from the observatory that it could affect its telescopes.
The development is in the village of Hulme Walfield near Congleton which is about six miles south east of the two Grade I listed telescopes.
Image source, PALawn mowers, microwaves, TVs and computers are all household items which are said to affect the signal that the Lovell telescope receives.
A Cheshire East Council report said plans would "provide much needed housing" and developers behind it will also make a significant contribution to the cost of Congleton's expensive new bypass - worth £10.3m.
There will also be "Jodrell Bank mitigation measures" though there's no detail on what they are.
BBC Radio Stoke
Former Crewe Alexandra football coach Barry Bennell is due to appear in court via videolink in Liverpool today for a pre-trial hearing.
The ex-football coach is due to stand trial over alleged child sex offences in January next year.
He's charged with 55 counts against 12 alleged victims between 1979 and 1991.
Mr Bennell also had a close association with Stoke City and Manchester City during his career.
London Midland is warning passengers to expect significant delays after a vehicle hit a bridge between Rugby and Coventry.
Engineers are on site at a bridge in Brandon where the bridge was struck earlier this morning.
Trains delays in the area are now said to be in excess of 90 minutes.
Image source, GoogleQuote MessageTrains are delayed, in the wrong place and trains backing up, so if you're travelling between Rugby and Coventry expect delays. There's going to be disruption through the morning. We're going to be playing catch-up until at least lunchtime."
Francis Thomas, London Midland
Monica Rimmer
BBC News
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating after a crash involving a car that failed to stop for police.
Two people were seriously injured in the collision on Church Road, Yardley, at about 16:15 yesterday.
West Midlands Police has so far been unable to confirm if the road has reopened.
Here are some of the stories making the headlines on the Express & Star website this morning:
