Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Updates from Monday 5 March to Sunday 11 March 2018
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Live Reporting

Asylum seeker and mother 'fear for life' over deportationpublished at 15:37 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
An asylum seeker who's been living in Stoke-on-Trent says she fears for her life if she's deported back to Botswana.
Image source, Opelo Kgari
Opelo Kgari and her mother Florence, who live in Burslem, were temporarily saved from deportation at the last minute on Saturday after her MP Ruth Smeeth says she intervened. , external
They're now being held at the Yarl's Wood Centrel, in Bedford,, external and Opelo told BBC Radio Stoke their future was still uncertain and she doesn't want to leave.
The Home Office says it only returns those with no legal right to remain in the UK, including foreign national offenders and failed asylum seekers.
Quote Message
My mother and I have fears of returning due to distressing circumstances that have arisen over the years while being here in the UK and we do fear for our lives
Opelo Kgari, Asylum seeker
In the papers: Investigation into car blaze in fieldpublished at 15:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Allen Cook
BBC News
Here's a look at some of the top stories in local papers and hyperlocal news sites in Staffordshire and Cheshire:
- Nantwich News - Police probe after fire crews tackle car blaze in Nantwich field, external
- Burton Mail - Pupils warned not to walk home alone after men approach two boys, external
- Staffs Live - Women express importance of International Women’s Day, external
Lorry driver cleared of dangerous driving over M1 crashpublished at 14:58 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Breaking
BBC News
A second lorry driver involved in a collision on the M1 last August has been found not guilty of causing the deaths of eight people by dangerous driving.
David Wagstaff, 54, of Derwent Street, Stoke-on Trent, had though admitted to careless driving charges at Reading Crown Court.
Wagstaff was on a hands-free call at the time of the crash and had told the court he wasn’t concentrating.
Yesterday, Ryszard Masierak, 31, Barnards Close, Evesham, who was driving another lorry and was twice over the drink-drive limit was convicted of eight counts of causing death by dangerous driving and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
New Look to close stores in the West Midlandspublished at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
BBC Business News
Five New Look stores in the West Midlands are among 60 set to close, external with the loss of 980 jobs.
The company's announced a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) today as it tries turn its fortunes around.
Image source, PA
New Look has blamed high rents and challenging trading amid a "difficult retail environment" for its CVA.
The retailer aims to close 60 of its 593 UK stores including:
- Burton-upon-Avon Mens
- Hanley Mens - Intu Potteries
- Rugby
- Shrewsbury Mens
- Stratford-upon-Avon
Creditors will vote on whether to accept the CVA on 21 March. The arrangement allows a company to abandon unprofitable stores and reduce rents on its remaining outlets.
In the papers: Call for roadworks probepublished at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Shropshire Star
Here are some of the stories on the Shropshire Star website today:
- Council leader calls for probe into roadworks, external
- Overnight A&E closure could force patients out of county, external
- Shops closed and 3,500 homes hit in power cut, external
Call for more community orchardspublished at 14:14 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
There has been a call for more community orchards in Worcestershire to allow people to grow their own fruit.
Worcestershire councillor Richard Udall wants to get the idea debated at county hall and says it will give more people access to healthy food.
Image source, Getty Images
Mr Udall says Worcestershire County Council has plenty of spare land which could be put to better use.
Quote Message
What I want is free access to orchards where people can go and enjoy the trees, enjoy the woods and actually pick their own produce. We've got wonderful amounts of land available in Worcestershire which is owned by the county council where we could do this
Councillor Richard Udall
Man breaks wrist after being 'thrown over bonnet' by carpublished at 14:00 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
A man's suffered a broken wrist after he was hit by a car at a nature reserve and thrown over its bonnet, police say., external
Image source, Google
Image caption,
Entrance to nature reserve
The 51-year-old was at the Whitfield Valley site in Ford Green Road, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday evening when it happened.
Officers say a 19-year-old man from the city's been arrested over the incident and released while inquiries continue.
Mothers still living with pain of sons' stabbing deathspublished at 13:51 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
BBC WM
Two mothers have told BBC WM how they struggle on a daily basis with coming to terms with the deaths of their sons in two, separate stabbings in Birmingham.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Lynne Baird's son Daniel, 26, died outside the Forge Tavern, Digbeth last summer while Debbie Leonard's son Alex, 22, (pictured) died five days earlier in Woodgate Gardens.
The two mothers came together for the first time to talk about the impact of knife crime as part of a week-long BBC WM campaign over the issue.
Quote Message
The physical pain is in the pit of your stomach, so deep and it's like ripping the inside of your stomach out and you can't stop it and your whole body is just like jelly
Debbie Leonard, Mother of stab victim
Ex-minister backs cannabis plea boypublished at 13:44 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Sir Mike Penning appeals for the six-year-old boy with epilepsy to be given a special licence.
Read More
Folk award for Nick Drakepublished at 13:41 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Nick Drake is going to be inducted into Radio 2's Folk Hall of Fame.
The award will be accepted posthumously by his sister, the actress Gabrielle Drake, at the station's folk awards in April.
Image source, Bryter Music
The three albums by Nick Drake, who was from Warwickshire, especially 1972's Pink Moon, have influenced artists including Norah Jones, Beck, REM and Elton John.
'Further austerity' expected as council tax rise approvedpublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
Council tax is going to rise by 4.99% in Sandwell as the authority's leader says they're "preparing for further austerity" in the future.
Image source, Google
The increase was unanimously voted through by councillors last night., external
The authority says it's managed not to cut services by finding other ways of saving and making cash.
Quote Message
We have to look to diversify our income. We are working on how we co-locate services to save further money and such like. I'm not expecting more money to come from the government any time soon. It is preparing for further austerity
Steve Eling, Leader of Sandwell Council
In the papers: Car stolen in under 60 secondspublished at 13:20 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail's covering these main headlines today:
Plea for police help 'landed woman in immigration centre'published at 13:10 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
The government's promising to investigate how a woman from Birmingham was placed in an immigration centre after calling the police for help.
Image source, SBNA
The woman, who was living in Yardley, was sent to the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre, in Bedfordshire, after contacting officers fearing her ex-husband was trying to kill her.
Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said she'd look into the case after the woman's MP, Jess Phillips, raised the case in the Commons.
Quote Message
A woman in my constituency rang the police because of a threat to kill her from a violent ex-husband. She was taken to Yarl's Wood, not to a place of safety. We detained a woman who was a victim
Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley
Police officer arrest over 'corruption'published at 13:10 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Three men are arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
Read More
In the papers: Return of speed cameraspublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Coventry Telegraph
The Coventry Telegraph's covering these main headlines today:
Ex-West Brom striker Hughes moves againpublished at 12:52 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Veteran former West Brom and Coventry striker Lee Hughes joins Evo-Stik League Premier Division strugglers Halesowen.
Read More
In photos: Sunrise colours West Midlands' skiespublished at 12:48 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
BBC Weather Watchers
The dry, bright start for much of the West Midlands has brought some great early morning photos from our BBC Weather Watchers today.
These three are from users Videoman in Leek, Staffordshire; Ella Mentry in Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire; and Marguerite, in Ellesmere, Shropshire:
Image source, Videoman
Image source, Ella Mentry
Image source, Marguerite
Secrecy around locations of potential badger cull sitespublished at 12:39 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Allen Cook
BBC News
The locations of possible badger culls in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire are being kept a secret.
Image source, PA
Natural England says it's because of the sensitivity of the issues surrounding Bovine TB and culling badgers., external
It says it's had applications or "expressions of interest" from eight counties including those three.
A two-week consultation on potential culls has begun.
My Telford storypublished at 12:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
Students at Hadley Learning Community on life in Telford ahead of its 50th birthday.
Read More
'Exterior damage' to hospital after firepublished at 12:19 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2018
The fire at University Hospital Coventry this morning caused "exterior damage", West Midlands Fire Service has said.
It was alerted at 08:22 by a fire alarm in an outbuilding in the hospital's west wing, near the maternity unit.
Station commander Mark Hudson said a full investigation would be carried out, but it appeared the fire started in a flue pipe which ran up the side of the building.