Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Thousands of Carillion jobs at risk
Updates from Monday 15 January
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Live Reporting

Vanessa Pearce

Police commissioner 'angry' over policing 'begging bowl'published at 18:45 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
Cheshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) says the government's proposed hike in council taxes to pay for policing isn't right.
David Keane's embarking on a county-wide consultation tour, external from today over a funding shortfall in the Cheshire police budget.
Image source, EPA
He says he understands why people aren't happy to be asked for more money from council tax following a “woeful” cash settlement from government.
The Home Office announced in December a potential £450m in extra funding for police in England and Wales in the next financial year.
It would be facilitated through PCC's getting the power to raise the portion of council tax which goes towards policing by £12 per household annually.
Quote Message
I feel angry about the fact I have to go out again to my public, to my electorate, with a begging bowl to give them a good service in the future."
David Keane, Cheshire PCC
Nuneaton MP gets local government post in reshufflepublished at 18:43 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
MP for Nuneaton, Marcus Jones, has been made the Conservative Party's vice chairman for local government following Theresa May's reshuffle.
Image caption,
Theresa May outside No 10 today with new Conservative Campaign HQ team, including Marcus Jones MP (far left)
You can follow live details of the reshuffle here.
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Food bank 'overwhelmed' at response to burglarypublished at 18:41 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Phil Maiden
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Staff at a Worcestershire food bank say they've been overwhelmed by the response from the local community following two break-ins within hours of each other.
Image source, Kidderminster Food Bank
Food, money and a laptop were stolen last week from Kidderminster Food Bank, based at Baxter United Reformed Church on Bull Ring.
Since then, volunteers say they've been inundated with offers of help and thanked on Facebook , external"kind and generous folk".
Four charged after car bonnet fallpublished at 18:39 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Ellie Underhill, 20, died a week after the fall in a supermarket car park on Boxing Day 2016
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Level crossing set to closepublished at 18:37 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
A level crossing in Walsall is to permanently close, external as part of improvement works to the railway between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley.
Image source, Network Rail
The upgrade and electrification of the line means that the Bloxwich crossing will close from Saturday 13 January.
A new bridge at Central Drive provides access over the railway for motorists, with a new pedestrian footbridge set to open later this year.
Network Rail said that in the interim, a minibus service would be provided to ferry people from one side of the crossing to the other.
Rail disruption to continue into the eveningpublished at 18:36 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC News Travel
Disruption to the line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham could continue until 21.00 GMT, external, the National Rail website reports.
Emergency services are dealing with an incident near the railway between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton which is causing disruption to journeys between these stations.
Services may be cancelled or delayed.
Hollywood tech is digging safer gardeningpublished at 18:35 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC Breakfast
Equipment usually used in the production of animated Hollywood films is being used to help map the movements of gardeners while digging.
Research from the University of Coventry and the Royal Horticultural Society reveals that bad technique can as much as double the load on the joints in the body.
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Norovirus outbreak at community hospitalpublished at 18:32 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Allen Cook
BBC News
A Herefordshire hospital's been shut to visitors due to an outbreak of norovirus., external
Image source, Google
Wye Valley NHS Trust has made the move at Leominster Community Hospital.
It says some patients at the site are affected.
Black smoke forces funeral service evacuationpublished at 18:29 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Allen Cook
BBC News
A service had to be evacuated today after black smoke started billowing into a crematorium.
Image source, Google
Warwickshire Fire Service says it was called to reports of a fire at the Nuneaton Crematorium , externalearlier.
A spokesperson for the crematorium says the smoke came from a duct from their cremator and was caused by a technical fault.
They say no-one was hurt and, after around 10 minutes, the service was allowed to continue with other services rescheduled.
Road set to be raised as £1.2m flood scheme gets under waypublished at 18:26 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Work gets under way today on a £1.2m scheme , externalaimed at preventing flooding on a road in Worcester.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
A bus battles flood water on New Road, Worcester, in 2014
The 12-week programme will raise nearly 200m of road, cycle paths and footpaths by 38cm (15 inches).
Worcestershire County Council says it's confident the plans for New Road will keep it open for longer if there are floods such as the major ones in 2007 and 2014.
The works mean a lane is closed next to the cricket ground along with restrictions on the river bridge., external
In the papers: Demolition plans for shopping centrepublished at 18:23 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Shropshire Star
Among the Shropshire Star's stories on its website today:
Council's budget consultation draws to a closepublished at 18:20 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Sarah Robertson
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Consultation over Stoke-on-Trent City Council's plans to save £10.5m, external ends today.
The authority's proposals include a four percent rise in council tax, cuts to service for homeless people and 35 job losses.
It says it needs to balance its books and help pay for demands on adult social care.
The budget is to be debated by councillors before a final decision next month.
Trains cancelled and delayspublished at 18:17 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
A couple of services between Birmingham and Shrewsbury have been cancelled. Check before you set off.
In the papers: Attacker jailed after fracturing skullpublished at 18:13 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
The Sentinel
Among the stories on The Sentinel's website today:
Cabinet reshuffle: Bradley gets Northern Ireland rolepublished at 18:07 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC Politics
Staffordshire Moorlands MP Karen Bradley is the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, under Theresa May's reshuffling of her cabinet.
She was previously the culture secretary.
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'We're going to look after you'published at 18:07 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Leukaemia patients begin their treatment at a new £3,4m centre in Birmingham.
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Travel: Rail services haltedpublished at 18:02 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC News Travel
Rail services between Birmingham and Shrewsbury are being disrupted.
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Moeen Ali out for 13 as England's Ashes tour ends in more miserypublished at 17:58 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC Sport
A miserable Ashes tour for Worcestershire's Moeen Ali continued as he was out for 13 today as England finished their series with a huge defeat against Australia.
The hosts bowled the tourists out for 180, winning the match by an innings and 123 runs to complete a 4-0 series triumph.
Image source, Getty Images
England captain Joe Root spent the morning in hospital with severe dehydration so Moeen Ali started the day at the crease with Jonny Bairstow but was lbw to Nathan Lyon.
Your pictures: A frosty startpublished at 17:50 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
BBC Weather Watchers
Our BBC Weather Watchers have been out early capturing frost across the region.
This was taken by Laura and Glenn in Delph, Brierley Hill.
Image source, Laura and Glenn
This was taken in Hilderstone, Staffordshire, by Jayenbee.
Image source, Jayenbee
And we love this stunning image of the sunrise, taken in Barlaston, Staffordshire, by jon.
Image source, jon
'Significant damage' to lamppost in A38M crashpublished at 17:45 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2018
Allen Cook
BBC News
A lamppost was badly damaged in a crash a crash on the A38M this evening in Birmingham, external.
West Midlands Fire Service says it happened at around 16:40 on the way into the city and the post now needs to be "made safe". No-one was hurt in the incident.
Image source, West Midlands Fire Service