Boy stabbed to death near playgroundpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a boy found stabbed in Oxford.
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Boy stabbed to death near playgroundpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Surge in calls to out-of-hours servicepublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Andy Giddings
BBC NewsNHS 111 services in the West Midlands took 35,058 calls during Christmas week.
Figures released today show that around England there were nearly 500,000 calls to the advice line over the seven days.
Of those calls, which were made to both the Staffordshire and West Midlands 111 services, 19,528 were answered within 60 seconds.
Across England as a whole, a record 480,000 calls were made to NHS 111 that week.
Man in court charged with wife's murderpublished at 14:24 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Melanie Clark was found dead on New Year's Eve with a suspected knife injury.
Read MoreCoventry graduate named African of the Yearpublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
A Coventry University graduate who set up an organisation aimed at de-radicalsing would-be extremists across West Africa, has been named African of the Year 2017.
Image source, Coventry UniversityMutaru Mumuni Muqthar, from Ghana, set up the West African Centre for Counter Extremism (WACCE) after graduating from a masters degree in international terrorism at the university.
The 35-year-old, who now lives in Accra, said his education in the city had "helped me on my journey in so many ways".
Congratulating Mutaru on the award, university Vice-Chancellor John Latham said students "make a significant contribution to their communities, be they in the UK or internationally, and Mutaru’s is among the most significant and important".
CCTV appeal over food bank theftpublished at 14:04 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Police are investigating break-ins at a site that has been helping vulnerable people.
Read MoreMan dies in Paddy Power stabbingpublished at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
BreakingA man's died after a stabbing at a bookmakers in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, police say.
Image source, GoogleThe man was found with severe head injuries after officers were called to Paddy Power in Rookery Road at 12:45.
One man's been arrested.
A cordon is in place, and the road has been closed at Newcombe Road at the junction with Rookery Road.
In the papers: Murder investigation after teen stabbedpublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Some of the headlining stories on the Birmingham Mail site today are:
Stabbing in Handsworthpublished at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
BreakingWest Midlands Police say they're currently dealing with a stabbing incident in the Handsworth area of Birmingham.
We'll bring you more details when we have them.
M5 clear-up ongoing after lorry firepublished at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
BBC Midlands TodayHighways England have been repairing the M5 after a lorry was left on its side on fire near Bromsgrove yesterday, closing the motorway in both directions.
Two lanes of the M5 in Worcestershire reopened earlier this morning after a Parcelforce lorry was involved in a crash near junction four yesterday afternoon.
Despite a big clean-up operation, more repairs to the carriageway will be carried out this evening.
The blaze caused major disruption as thousands of motorists were diverted off the motorway, clogging up surrounding roads.
Despite the severity of the accident, the driver escaped with minor injuries.
Delays remain on the M5 as one lane is closed.
Husband in court on murder chargepublished at 13:20 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & WorcesterA man accused of murdering his wife at their home in Bromsgrove has appeared at Worcester Crown Court.
David Clark, who is 49, didn't enter a plea and was told he’d stay on remand until a pre-trial hearing can take place on 1 March.
Police were called to their house in Cloverdale on New Year’s Eve where they found his wife, Melanie Clark, had died of a suspected stab wound.
Missing dog found after four yearspublished at 13:13 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Zeena was found in Birmingham with serious injuries including a punctured eye.
Read MoreDog poo powers scenic street lamppublished at 13:00 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
The man who came up with the idea says it's led to a reduction in dog waste left on the hills.
Read MoreAmbulances diverted to other A&Espublished at 12:55 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is also among about a dozen across the country to divert ambulances in December to other A&Es due to demand.
Last month, 28 ambulances were diverted over a total of 15 days. No other hospital in the West Midlands diverted ambulances on any day through December, according to NHS England figures.
Ambulance delays due to 'extreme pressure'published at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands TodayThe Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has recognised it was under "extreme pressure" in the last week of December, when more than 100 ambulances were forced to wait outside accident emergency for more than an hour.
The trust also said its staff had been working extremely hard under difficult circumstances.
But it went on to say its plans for dealing with the extra demand were working and that it had been able to reduce the number of people who are waiting along corridors.
Young signs new contract as Wasps bosspublished at 12:38 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young signs a new 'long-term' contract to stay with the Premiership runners-up.
Read MoreMore time to question murder suspectpublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Detectives have been given another 36 hours to question a 43-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering a Worcester woman.
The body of 51-year-old Julie Fox, was found at her home on Carnforth Drive on 27 December and the man was arrested on 3 January.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceWest Mercia Police said officers are looking for reports of suspicious activity in the area in the days leading up to the discovery.
They are also trying to locate Julie's missing pink handbag, which she had with her days before she died.
In the papers: Police search for fire death familypublished at 12:25 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Here are three of the headlines from the Worcester News website today:
- Police still looking for family of fire victim, external
- More time for detectives to question man in murder investigation, external
- Man found unconscious in charity shop doorway, external
Hospital investigates patient deathpublished at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
Michele Paduano
Health correspondent, BBC Midlands TodayAn investigation is under way into a patient death at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
Image source, GoogleThe BBC understands it happened before Christmas, with a male patient dying in a waiting room.
There is no suggestion at this stage that the death could have been avoided and The Dudley Group of Hospitals says it cannot comment on individual patients.
It follows severe pressure on the service with 53 ambulance delays of more than an hour this past Tuesday alone.
Driver seriously hurt in police chasepublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
The 20-year-old has been left with life-threatening injuries following a crash that hurt another three.
Read MoreMissing dog found after four years with 'horrific' woundspublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 4 January 2018
A dog who went missing from her home four years ago has been found with serious injuries, thought to have been caused by dog fighting, the RSPCA said.
Image source, RSPCAThe Staffordshire bull terrier, identified as being called Zeena by her microchip, was found by a member of the public on The Leverretts in Birmingham on 28 December with "extensive" bite wounds all over her body.
Image source, RSPCARSPCA inspector Mike Scargill described the state of the dog as "shocking", surmising that she was was found by an "unscrupulous person and brutalized horrifically".
Her previous owners, who said they lost her four years ago, were very "shocked and upset", he added.
She's currently being treated at Birmingham Animal hospital, but is described as still being very ill.
