Summary

  • Rail services finishing early

  • Gunman jailed for 12 years for bowling alley siege

  • Freezing weather 'worst in a decade'

  • Several train services suspended

  • Man arrested over grandmother's murder

  • Live updates from Friday 2 March

  • Click on Related Stories to view stories from your area

  1. Contactless payment at 40 city car parkspublished at 15:46 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    You can now pay for parking with a contactless card at 40 council-run car parks across Stoke-on-Trent.

    It applies to car parks in Longton, Meir, Stoke, Burslem, Hanley and Tunstall.

    Car park machine

    The authority is spending £400,000 to improve parking services for drivers.

  2. Edwards to drop players who showed lack of effortpublished at 15:36 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    James Bond
    Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire

    AFC Telford United manager, Rob Edwards, is promising to make some changes to his team after criticising the players' effort in their mid-week defeat to Nuneaton.

    He apologised to fans for the result and said some players would pay the price when they travel to Alfreton on Saturday.

    Rob Edwards

    Edwards remains confident there is enough quality in the squad to avoid relegation and said they just needed to show the right attitude.

    Quote Message

    What we have to do first and foremost is compete. One or two didn't do that and one or two may suffer for not having done that."

    Rob Edwards, AFC Telford United manager

  3. Shopkeeper takes on clown mask knifemanpublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    CCTV footage shows a tussle in which the store's wares are sent flying.

    Read More
  4. In pictures: The big freezepublished at 15:00 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    The canal in Birmingham has started to freeze, as temperatures struggle to get above -3C (27F) today, with strong winds making it feel even chillier.

    Canal

    The fountain in Priory Place, Coventry, is also looking a little icy.

    Fountain

    The freezing temperatures look set to continue until Sunday at least, according to BBC Weather.

    Fountain
  5. Hereford cafe owner steps in to help homelesspublished at 14:50 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    BBC Hereford and Worcester

    A cafe owner has stepped in to help homeless people, after an appeal by the Hereford Homeless Winter Support team.

    It was asking for help because the St Peter's Winter Shelter is due to close this month.

    Ben Holden, from the Rocket Cafe in the city, is the man who answered the call.

    Media caption,

    With a church shelter due to close this month, a cafe has stepped in to help

  6. Robbers who beat man with handgun jailedpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    Three men have been jailed for robbery after a man was kidnapped and beaten in the Smethwick area.

    Akeem Ivey-Foster, Kash Wallace and Ricardo Davis-McCannImage source, West Midlands Police

    Akeem Ivey-Foster, aged 20, Kash Wallace, 24, and 23-year-old Ricardo Davis-McCann, were sentenced to 16 years each at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.

    The victim was attacked in his own car and beaten with a handgun so violently he lost consciousness several times, West Midlands Police said., external

  7. Arson attack on supermarket investigatedpublished at 14:11 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    A fire at a Sainsbury's store in Coventry is being treated as arson, police say.

    No-one was injured in the blaze at the store in Fletchamstead Highway, which happened just before 11:00.

    SainsburysImage source, Google

    Staff from the store were evacuated after the fire was discovered on a clothing rail, said the fire service.

  8. Bamboo toothbrush better than plastic?published at 13:41 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    BBC Midlands Today

    This week BBC Midlands Today is looking at what can be done to tackle plastic waste.

    The programme's been talking to people who've got some tips for you. Today it's Jenny Derry, from Anything But Plastic, in Lichfield.

    Media caption,

    Bamboo toothbrush tip from Jenny Derry, of Anything But Plastic

    Science and Environment Correspondent David Gregory-Kumar will have more on BBC One West Midlands at 18:30.

  9. Florida shooting: Pupils get used to 'new normal'published at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    A Florida high school pupil originally from Coventry said the enormity of the recent shooting didn't really hit home until he returned to school this week.

    Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High SchoolImage source, Getty Images

    "In one of my classes I had someone who died," said Lewis Mizen, "and there was an empty seat.

    "That's when it finally begins to hit that this is serious, this is the new normal.

    "We're going to have to learn to deal with the new normal, and we're going to have to do it together, and we're going to have to do it as a community, and as a high school family.

    "But the fact that we're all here for each other, and the amount of support we've had - not just from around the community but from around the country and around the world - has been phenomenal and it's really helping us get through it."

  10. Extra rock salt delivery for council depotpublished at 13:15 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    Council gritters are working to keep main roads open and while local authorities all have their own stores of rock salt, they need topping up occasionally.

    Worcestershire council tweeted this video this morning of a delivery to its Malvern depot.

    It has also got an online list, external of the routes it grits.

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  11. Timelapse video shows office block demolitionpublished at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    The demolition of an office block in Telford town centre is complete.

    Reynolds House, in Ironmasters Way, has been removed to make way for a new, three-storey headquarters for the Housing Plus Group and it has shared this fantastic timelapse video with us.

    Media caption,

    Reynolds House, in Telford, has been knocked down to make way for new offices

    Housing Plus Group provides homes and care services in Shropshire and Staffordshire and says it is hoping to move into the new building early next year.

    This is how the site looks today.

    Cleared siteImage source, Housing Plus Group
  12. Murder probe as woman, 74, found deadpublished at 12:57 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    Anne James, described by her family as "amazing", died in "a shocking, violent attack".

    Read More
  13. More snow expected this afternoonpublished at 12:45 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    The Met Office is warning of more snow, some of it heavy, in the West Midlands this afternoon.

    It has an amber warning in place, external for parts of Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire.

    Hundreds of schools are already closed, but we're getting another wave of closures, as some decide to shut early.

    Weather warning areasImage source, Met Office
  14. Cat and kittens fround dumped in freezing parkpublished at 12:21 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    A cat and four kittens were found in freezing weather after they'd been dumped in crisp box in a Birmingham park.

    KittensImage source, RSPCA

    The animals were found by a driver after one of the kittens darted in front of her car at about 23:00 in Golden Hillock Road, close to Ackers Park in the Small Heath area, said the RSPCA.

    KittensImage source, RSPCA

    "The poor kittens could well have perished if they'd not been found by this lovely lady," it said.

    The cat, now called Disco, and her six-week-old kittens - KP, NikNak, Pringle and Skip - are being cared for by staff and doing well.

  15. Worcester sign South Africa back Venterpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    Worcester Warriors sign South Africa international centre Francois Venter on a two-year contract.

    Read More
  16. Alton Towers owners hit by terror attacks and poor weatherpublished at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    BBC Business News

    The owner of Alton Towers and Warwick Castle, Merlin Entertainments, said the company's sites attracted 66 million visitors in 2017, up 3.5%.

    Alton TowersImage source, getty

    Pre-tax profits climbed 4.8% to £271m, although revenues were hit by adverse weather conditions.

    It opened Legoland Japan last April and plans to open Legoland New York in 2020.

    Boss Nick Varney said: "The year was ultimately defined by the unprecedented spate of terror attacks in the UK and poor to extreme weather throughout the summer season in Europe."

  17. Water supply problem fixedpublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018
    Breaking

    People in the Upton-upon-Severn area of Worcestershire should be getting their water back soon.

    Severn Trent says it's found the problem which caused the water to go off this morning, affecting hundreds of homes and businesses.

    Taps

    It says a piece of equipment was frozen, but it's now been fixed.

  18. Your pictures: Wildlife in the snowpublished at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    BBC Weather Watchers

    Some of our BBC Weather Watchers have been busy uploading pictures of animals in the snow.

    Ray, who uploaded this picture of a pheasant, said give a thought to all of the wildlife that struggle to survive in the sub-zero temperatures.

    BushburyImage source, Ray
    BirdImage source, Terry Gorsley
  19. Area sealed-off for murder probe searchpublished at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 1 March 2018

    Forensic investigators are searching an area of Walsall after a 74-year-old woman died at her home.

    Scene of crime

    The woman was found collapsed at the address in Doveridge Place, Highgate, Walsall, at about 18:15 West Midlands Police said.

    A post-mortem examination will take place to establish the exact cause of death, but officers believe she died of stab wounds.

    "House-to-house inquiries were conducted last night and specially trained family liaison officers are supporting the lady's loved ones," said West Midlands Police.