Summary

  • Simon Johnson death: Teenage burglar guilty of murder

  • Drunk passengers 'risk death on railway'

  • Children's home TV film prompts inquiry

  • Car theft 'relay' devices seized in Birmingham

  • Cash and phones found in police raids

  • Small police stations 'could move to community buildings'

  • Council's 'ludicrous' threat to evict Christmas tree

  • More flood alerts for the West Midlands

  • Darts prepares to say farewell to unlikely revolutionary

  • Updates from Friday 15 December

  • Click on Related Stories to view stories from your area

  1. Hospital gets 'ventilator cake' thank youpublished at 17:22 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    A woman returns to the hospital that saved her life 25 years ago with an unusual gift.

    Read More
  2. Brexit 'more damaging to UK than EU27'published at 17:02 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Press Association

    Britain has much more to lose than the rest of the EU from disruptions to trade caused by Brexit, say researchers from the University of Birmingham.

    Media caption,

    Bamboozled by Brexit?

    The study says Britain is in "a very weak bargaining position" as talks on the future relationship get under way.

    According to the academics' report, regions which voted Leave in last year's referendum are among the most vulnerable to an economic hit to their incomes and growth rates.

  3. Former head teacher denies child sex offencespublished at 16:46 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Tim Page
    News Editor, BBC Shropshire

    The former head teacher of a Shropshire primary school has denied abducting a teenage boy and a number of child sex offences.

    Along with child abduction, Timothy Moule, of Cressage, is accused of offences including voyeurism, making and taking indecent images and causing a child to look at a sexual image.

    He was first arrested by detectives following an allegation of abduction of a boy from the West Midlands.

    A plea hearing at Stafford Crown Court remanded the 46-year-old in custody pending a bail application.

    There’ll be a pre-trial hearing on 6 April, with the trial set for 8 May.

  4. Birmingham crash: Brother's anguish over dead body photospublished at 16:32 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    A brother of a man who was killed in Sunday's multi-vehicle crash in Birmingham said he saw the body on social media while abroad.

    Tausif Hussain Kiani went online after his sister rang him with the news and was confronted with images of Tauqeer Hussain lying in the road.

    The 26-year-old died at the scene alongside Mohammed Fasha, 30, and Kasar Jehangir, 25.

    West Midlands Police have appealed for people not to post pictures of the scene.

    Tausif Hussain Kiani
    Image caption,

    The brother of a crash victim has criticised those who posted pictures of the dead body on social media

    Quote Message

    It's not how I'd like to see any person dead, never mind my brother. We all have family. The last thing you'd want to see while you're abroad is seeing your brother and best friend on the floor. Before you upload anything like that, think about how you would feel."

    Tausif Hussain Kiani, Brother of Tauqueer Hussain

    Mohammed Fasha, 30 and Tauqeer Hussain, 26Image source, West Midlands Police
    Image caption,

    Mohammed Fasha, 30 and Tauqeer Hussain, 26

  5. Rapist jailed over sex attacks on two womenpublished at 16:13 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    A rapist from Stoke-on-Trent has been jailed over sex attacks on two women.

    Myles Tendai Manyika (below, left), 25, from Chatham Street in Shelton, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday, for which he was given a six-year prison sentence. Earlier in December he was jailed for five years after being found guilty in September of sexual assault by penetration.

    Myles Tendai Manyika and Jonathan Jethro BenjaminImage source, Staffordshire Police

    Another man, 29-year-old Jonathan Jethro Benjamin (above, right) from Croston Street in Shelton, was also found guilty of sexual assault by penetration at a trial in September. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

    Staffordshire Police said the offences took place in 2015, with the proceedings' outcome able to be made public following Manyika's guilty plea.

    Manyika raped one woman and assaulted another who was also abused by Benjamin.

  6. Te'o set to miss start of Six Nationspublished at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Worcester's England centre Ben Te'o is set to miss the start of Six Nations because of an ankle injury.

    Read More
  7. Three in hospital after two-lorry crashpublished at 15:57 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Three people have been taken to hospital after two lorries crashed in Napton-on-the-Hill, Warwickshire, the ambulance service said.

    Lorry crashImage source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

    Two people had to be cut free from one of the vehicles after the collision on Shuckburgh Road, shortly after 10:00.

    Scene of crashImage source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

    Fire crews arrived to find one of the vehicles off the roadway in a ditch.

  8. Wolverhampton interchange images unveiledpublished at 15:37 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    New images showcasing the £150m project to revamp Wolverhampton's railway station have been released.

    Planned station redevelopmentImage source, Wolverhampton City Council

    The plans also include the extension of the Midland Metro tram line from the current final stop in the city to the railway station.

    Planned station redevelopmentImage source, Wolverhampton City Council

    The existing station is set to be demolished in May next year with a bigger multi-storey car park also built.

    The new station is expected to be completed in 2020.

  9. Thousands raised to buy Iron Age goldpublished at 15:08 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    The jewellery, thought to be the oldest Iron Age gold found in Britain, is at the British Museum.

    Read More
  10. 'Beautiful, fun-loving' mum named as sixth victim of Birmingham crashpublished at 14:56 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Lucy Davis, 43, has been named by police as the second taxi passenger who died in the multi-vehicle crash in Birmingham that killed six on Sunday.

    The West Midlands force said she was in the vehicle with her 42-year-old partner, Lee Jenkins. They were heading home after a night out and their driver was also killed.

    Lucy DavisImage source, West Midlands Police

    A tribute from the family of Ms Davis, who was from Kingstanding, Birmingham, read: "Lucy was a beautiful and fun-loving mother, daughter, sister, auntie and friend who brought happiness to the lives of all she met. Rest in Peace our Lady in Red.”

  11. The gift-filled boxes for foodbank userspublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    More than 600 gift-wrapped parcels have been donated ahead of Christmas.

    Read More
  12. Iron Age gold to be displayedpublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Ancient jewellery from the Iron Age is to be displayed in Stoke-on-Trent after more than £300,000 was raised to buy it.

    Media caption,

    Slideshow: Iron Age gold jewellery found.

    The Leekfrith Iron Age Torcs consist of gold necklaces and a bracelet and are believed to be about 2,500 years old.

    The artefacts were discovered by two metal detectorists in a farmer’s field near Leek, in the Staffordshire Moorlands, last Christmas.

    Media caption,

    Friends dig up Britain's 'oldest' Iron Age gold in Staffordshire

    They'll go on display at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery after its Friends group raised the money with the city council.

  13. Tackling stubble burning in Indiapublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Aston University hopes to reduce Indian air pollution by convincing farmers to stop burning straw.

    Read More
  14. Hospital trust names another crash victimpublished at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    The male passenger of a taxi involved in a multi-vehicle crash that killed six people in Birmingham was Lee Jenkins, a hospital trust in the city has said.

    University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said it was Mr Jenkins' employer.

    A statement to the BBC said: “The Trust extends its deepest condolences to the family of Lee Jenkins and also to his friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”

    West Midlands Police, which has not named any of the victims, said the male taxi passenger was aged 42.

  15. The mums sharing breast milk on Facebookpublished at 13:16 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    The Department of Health is coming under pressure to issue more guidance on the practice.

    Read More
  16. Two charged over house fire in which dog diedpublished at 12:58 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Staffordshire Police has charged a man and a woman with arson following a fire at a house in Stoke-on-Trent in which a dog died.

    Emergency services were called to Cumberland Street in Fenton at about 01:30 on Monday and the people inside the semi-detached house were rescued.

    Cumberland StreetImage source, Google

    There were two dogs at the property.

    One died at the scene and the other is being cared for by a local vet.

  17. Royal Blood gig phone thief used swimsuitpublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    Officers caught the "human deposit box" after snatching phones from revellers in the mosh pit.

    Read More
  18. Transport police look to recruit more anti-terrorism officerspublished at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    British Transport Police (BTP) says it's looking to recruit more officers as it scales up its counter terror operations in Birmingham.

    Armed police at Birmingham New Street

    Assistant Chief Constable Alun Thomas said: "In the current climate, we know how important it is to make sure we have specialist and highly-trained officers in the right place at the right time to keep people safe.

    "At BTP, these officers will be solely dedicated to counter-terrorism using a policing style that is engaging, public facing and reassuring, complementing local policing and will be extensively trained and supported with regular exercising across the network."

    BTP says its new units - which will have a presence at Birmingham New Street - are not in response to any specific threat to the railway.

  19. Buses diverted after crashpublished at 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2017

    BBC News Travel

    Bus services to Napton on the Hill in Warwickshire have been suspended due to a road collision in the area, a bus operator says.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post