Summary

  • News and sport from Monday 30 October to Friday 3 November

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  1. Money resigns as Solihull Moors manager

    Richard Money resigns as Solihull Moors manager just 26 days after taking charge of the National League club.

    Read More

  2. Hughes looks to build on Watford win

    Matt Sandoz
    Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

    Mark Hughes believes Stoke City have had a better start to the season than it might appear, saying they've had a tough series of fixtures.

    They've faced Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in their first 10 games and after conceding nine goals in their previous two games, Stoke were 1-0 winners on Saturday.

    Mark HughesGetty Images

    Hughes spoke last week about looking for a turning point in the season and is now looking to turn that win into a series of victories.

    It's not been an easy start to the season because of the quality of opposition and it needs to be noted that I feel that actually in terms of like-for-like results in comparison to last year we are actually six points better off than we were against the same teams, so we are not doing as bad as people are painting."

    Mark Hughes, Stoke City manager

  3. Fatal plane crash inquest verdict
    Breaking

    A jury has returned a verdict of death by misadventure for a Market Drayton pilot whose microlight crashed in a field near Shifnal airfield in May last year.

    The inquest into the death of Tony Crocombe concluded he was flying the dual-controlled aircraft when it stalled and spiralled out of control whilst attempting to land near Shifnal.

    Shifnal plane crash

    A verdict of accidental death was recorded for Mike Summer from Market Drayton, a passenger in the plane.

  4. 'Red Robbo' behind 523 disputes at Longbridge

    Speaking to MPs in 2000 Derek Robinson said he was proud of his Red Robbo nickname.

    "I can sleep sound at night because I never betrayed the workers I was elected to represent," he said.

    He was speaking at an inquiry looking into the demise of MG Rover at Longbridge, Birmingham.

    Derek Robinson and his common-law wife Phyllis DaviesPA

    During the 1970s, he had been convenor at the Longbridge plant which was then government-owned and home to British Leyland.

    He was behind 523 disputes at the plant.

    Mr Robinson has died aged 90.

  5. Trades unionist Derek Robinson dies
    Breaking

    Former British Leyland worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson has died at the age of 90, the West Midlands Community Party has confirmed.

    Dubbed "Red Robbo" by the media, he became known for his involvement with the strikes which affected production at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham in the 1970s.

    Derek RobinsonPA

    He also stood as a candidate for the Communist party in four general elections in Birmingham.

  6. Family's 'anguish and pain' at hit-and-run murder

    The family of Ben Morse, murdered by hit-and-run driver Nidal Alboraiki, said no conviction "will bring our boy back to us and will never take away the anguish and pain".

    Ben and his friends had been walking along Beach Street in Halesowen when a row broke out with Alboraiki. Alboraiki drove his car at the group but missed them.

    He then turned his car around and drove at them a second time, this time hitting Ben, 36, and leaving him with a fractured skull.

    Benjamine MorsePolice handout

    In a statement Ben's family said he "was and will continue to be the centre of our world.

    "We are left with a void that can never be filled and our hearts will bear the deepest scars, from which they will never heal."

    Alboraiki has been to a minimum of 15 years in jail.

  7. Hit-and-run driver jailed for murder

    A man who "deliberately mowed down" and killed a man, after an "exchange of words" has been jailed.

    Benjamin Morse, 36, was killed on 1 May when he was hit by a dark-coloured hatchback driven by Nidal Alboraiki, 21, from Halesowen. The pair had an exchange of words a few minutes before, police said.

    Nidal AlboraikiWest Midlands Police

    At Wolverhampton Crown Court today Alboraiki (pictured) was told he will serve a minimum of 15 years in jail.

  8. Man sentenced over Ben Morse murder
    Breaking

    Nidal Alboraiki, 21, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of Ben Morse (pictured) in Halesowen.

    More to follow...

    Ben MorsePolice handout

  9. Wolves to face Norwich without suspended Saiss

    BBC WM Sport

    Wolves will be without the suspended Romain Saiss for their trip to Norwich in the Championship tonight.

    Romain SaissGetty Images

    The Moroccan picked up his fifth booking of the season in the weekend defeat at QPR.

    Goalkeeper John Ruddy returns to Carrow Road for the first time since he left in the summer

  10. Motorcyclist dies following crash

    A motorcyclist involved in a crash on the A53 near Buxton on Sunday has died.

    The 49-year-old man from Leek was involved in a collision with a VW van and had been receiving treatment at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

  11. Wasps: Mullan and Daly both injuried

    Wasps player Matt Mullan is to be out of action for three months after tearing his tricep tendon in the match against Northampton Saints on Saturday.

    Elliot Daly is also out of the team and expected to undergo a two to three week period of rehab for a tear to a knee ligament.

    Elliot Daly and Matt MullanGetty Images

    The pair will not travel with the England squad for their training camp in Portugal but Wasps said its medics with be in regular contact with the England medical team.

  12. Man threatened to get dog to bite sisters

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    A man racially abused three sisters on board a train and threatened to get his dog to bite them.

    Luke Nicholls, of Hampstead Road Birmingham, also threatened to "slaughter" the women, aged 16, 22 and 23, leaving them too afraid to leave the train. Staff and other passengers tried to support them.

    The incident took place on board a London Midland service from Kings Norton to Redditch on 8 July, British Transport Police said.

    Luke NichollsBritish Transport Police

    Nicholls, 21, pleaded guilty at Worcester Magistrates Court to two counts of racially aggravated assault and was jailed for eight weeks.

    He was also handed an additional twelve weeks prison sentence for breaching other suspended sentences.

    It is never OK to be targeted because of your ethnicity or religion. We will never tolerate it and we continue to urge victims and witnesses to report incidents on the railway to us.

    PC Piotr Gass, British Transport Police

  13. Heritage railway close to hitting fundraising target

    The Severn Valley Railway hopes to hit its target of £2.5m today after raising nearly £1m in the past month.

    It has been selling £1 shares to the public since the start of November last year and set itself the target of raising the money by the end of today.

    Severn Valley Railway

    So far, the heritage railway says it has collected £2.33m, with £38,000 coming in over the weekend.

    The money will be spent on better facilities for the railway and its visitors.

  15. HS2 'got it wrong' over unauthorised redundancy scheme

    The Chief Executive ofHigh Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) has admitted the company "got it wrong" by spending almost £2m on unauthorised redundancy payments.

    Artist impression of HS2PA

    A meeting of the Commons Public Accounts Committee yesterday heard the company failed to act on orders from the Department for Transport that redundancy payments should be restricted to statutory levels, instead agreeing a more generous scheme.

    Chief executive Mark Thurston said the firm thought it had the approval for its own scheme, but hadn't and that was something the firm got wrong.

    The unauthorised payments, worth £1.76m were made to outgoing staff to coincide with the company moving its headquarters from London to Birmingham.

    HS2 is the company responsible for developing the UK’s new high speed rail network.

  17. Events venue may close after rent row

    Weddings, shows and competitions booked at Birmingham's Tower Ballroom may be hit, says the venue chief.

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  18. Playboy cartoonist's artwork to go under hammer

    A collection of cartoons that appeared in publications such as Playboy, Punch and the New Yorker are to be auctioned tomorrow.

    Auctioneer posing with cartoonsGetty Images

    Cartoonist Francis Wilford-Smith who worked under the name of Smilby, grew up in Rugby, Warwickshire before studying at the Camberwell School of Art in London, auctioneer Catherine Southon said.

    He started working with the late Hugh Hefner's Playboy magazine in 1960, going on to produce more than 350 full-page colour cartoons.

    The artist died in Herefordshire in 2009, and the collection is being sold by a descendant.

    It includes 150 lots of original drawings, unpublished material and some of his advertising designs for Guinness as well as work from fellow artists.

  20. Multiple car crash on A500

    A crash involving multiple cars is causing delays on the A500.

    The road is now being cleared but remains busy. There are no reports of serious injuries.