Updates from Monday 12 to Friday 16 March
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With more chilly weather forecast for the coming week, let's just take a minute to bask in today's sunshine with some images of spring uploaded by BBC Weather Watchers.
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Image source, Thornhill Watch
Image source, Pix ElatedTwo street racers caught speeding at almost 90mph in a 40-zone in torrential rain have been handed suspended jail sentences, police say., external
Image source, West Midlands PoliceThe West Midlands force said Zulfikar Ahmed-Baig, 25, from Lozells, and 26-year-old Christopher Hudson, from Marston Green, admitted breaking an injunction which bans so-called car cruising across Birmingham.
According to the force, traffic officers spotted them jostling for position and racing on the A47 Heartlands Parkway on Sunday night.
Sgt Martin Williams said: "[Their actions] were totally senseless: they were driving at high speed, far in excess of the limit, despite the awful driving conditions and standing water."
The two men appeared at Birmingham County Court on Monday and were given six-month suspended prison sentences.
A deal to deliver 215,000 homes across the West Midlands by 2030-31 has been announced by the Chancellor.
During his Spring Statement to the Commons, Philip Hammond said the region had "ambitious plans".
He said the project was facilitated by a grant from the land remediation fund.
The region's mayor, Andy Street, had this to say:
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There are currently 75 confirmed cases of measles across the West Midlands, health chiefs say.
Image source, Getty ImagesPublic Health England in the West Midlands said the region was the only area of the country with an "ongoing outbreak".
It said a contributing factor was a lack of uptake in the MMR jab.
A statement read: "Mostly we don’t see this, as the MMR vaccine is part of the national schedule of children’s vaccines, however sometimes we get clusters arising from those who have not been immunised."
The cases are said to be largely concentrated in parts of Birmingham and Solihull.
Laraine Astle was struck during Saturday's clash with Leicester City.
Read MoreThe Royal Stoke University Hospital and Stafford's County Hospital are urging the families of patients who are fit to go home to collect them today.
The NHS Trust running the sites says both are at full capacity, and there are long waiting times for people who need to be admitted.
Image source, Getty ImagesStaff are phoning the families of patients who are fit to be discharged.
Here are three headlines from the Shropshire Star today:
A 40-year-old man from Tamworth has been arrested after what Staffordshire Police are calling a "two-hour rooftop siege" in the town yesterday afternoon.
The force said during the stand-off, tiles were ripped up and thrown from the roof of a house in Alfred Street on to the road below.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe street was cordoned off and neighbouring properties were evacuated, with occupants sent to a nearby boxing club while officers attended the incident.
Police said the arrested man remained in custody.
More than 700 new homes could be created on land close to Coventry city centre, according to plans unveiled at the property development show, MIPIM.
Image source, CDPThe proposed £100m development, off Abbotts Lane, is the largest site designated for housing close to central Coventry, the local authority says.
Image source, CDPThe proposals for the 5.5 acre site are being put forward by Complex Development Projects (CDP) which has recently developed Fargo Village and Electric Wharf in the city.
CDP is launching the proposals at MIPIM to seek UK and International investor partners to help deliver the project.
He caused damage whilst trying to park it and left the vehicle for others to find, a force says.
Read MoreSpecialist teams are continuing to search land near to where a teenager disappeared more than 20 years ago.
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It's a private investigation team that is searching for Nicola Payne at Coombe Abbey Country Park, Warwickshire.
A number of items have already been recovered, but nothing "significant", says Peter Faulding from Specialist Group International.
He said: "It is now about looking for evidence, looking for evidence relating to Nicola’s disappearance, so perhaps something connected to her, something she had with her, as well as, of course, crucially looking for Nicola."
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City remain in the Premier League relegation zone after they were beaten 2-0 by division leaders Manchester City last night.
Two goals from David Silva kept the Potters in 19th place.
Image source, Getty ImagesManager Paul Lambert said they were up against one of the best teams in Europe, but praised his players, saying "we stuck right at it".
Quote MessageThe way [City] play the game, they make the pitch really big when they have [the ball] and really small when they don't have it."
Paul Lambert, Stoke City manager
A Special police officer has been sacked for not reporting "serious damage" he did to a police car when parking it at a police station.
Staffordshire Police said Acting Special Sergeant Luke Goodyear was found in breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour following a misconduct hearing held on 8 and 9 March.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe force said he caused the damage while trying to park the marked car at Uttoxeter police station and then returned it to Burton police station, leaving the damage for others to find, rather than reporting it.
Due to the age of the vehicle and the extent of the damage, it had to be written off, police said.
Quote MessageOfficers, both regular and special, have a unique responsibility when in charge of police vehicles. This unfortunate incident is a timely reminder that we expect the highest levels of honesty and integrity from all staff and volunteers and we will act accordingly if someone falls below these exacting standards."
Deputy Chief Constable Nick Baker, Staffordshire Police
"Holly" was a victim of child exploitation in Telford from the age of 14.
Read More
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Precinct shopping in Coventry during the city's post-war years is to be celebrated in an exhibition as part of a major arts festival.
Image source, City Architects/Coventry ArchivesThe exhibition is curated by Photo Archive Miners, external, a Coventry group, and is part of the Shop Front Festival;, external the city's first significant arts event since winning City of Culture 2021 status.
Image source, Richard SadlerThe photographs were taken by Coventry City Council architects and renowned photographer Richard Sadler and document changes in the city during the 1950's.
Image source, City Architects/Coventry ArchivesThe exhibition runs from 15 to 31 March at Artspace Arcadia Gallery in the City Arcade.
The widow of West Bromwich Albion football icon Jeff Astle said she was left terrified when she was struck by a cigarette lighter at a match at the weekend.
Laraine Astle told BBC WM "real tough measures" had to be used to stop fans throwing missiles at games.
Image source, Getty ImagesShe said: "I’ve never seen anything like it, since Jeff came to the Albion.
"I’ve followed them for 54 years.
“What I witnessed, and the distress and hurt it caused, the only way you’re going to stop it is real tough measures.
“Put them in prison and ban them for life."
West Midlands Police said five people were arrested following the disturbance at The Hawthorns.
Managers at the hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford are hoping the chancellor's spring statement will contain news of funding for a reorganisation of services in the county.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust wants consultation on plans for an overhaul that would cost about £300m, but the consultation can't move forward until it knows there is money to make it happen.
The plan would involve some of Telford's accident and emergency department, plus women and chldren's services, moving to Shrewsbury; while planned care would move in the opposite direction.
Quote MessageI'd be very excited and very keen to get on the consultation as soon as we hear about the funding if it's a positive message. If it's a negative message, that's going to be a very big headache for the local health economy. We're going to have to go back to the drawing board and look at the fundementals again."
Dr Julian Povey, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group
What is it like being a mum and son at construction college, and would they go into business together?
Read MoreA woman told the Victoria Derbyshire programme earlier she was raped by multiple men in Telford.
The woman, who appeared anonymously, said she was the victim of a grooming gang and was first abused at the age of 14 and had two abortions.
She said her phone number was sold by boys her own age to older men, who bombarded her with calls.
Telford MP Lucy Allan has called for an independent inquiry.
Here's a clip from this morning's programme in which a journalist claims there could be 1,000 victims.
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BBC Sport
Britain's Menna Fitzpatrick and guide Jen Kehoe from Stoke-on-Trent claimed a Winter Paralympic silver medal in the women's visually impaired super combined event.
Image source, ReutersThe pair were second after the super G run and despite a storming slalom effort they were unable to get the better of Slovakia's Henrieta Farkasova and guide Natalia Subrtova, who were winning their third gold medal.
Fitzpatrick, 19, was born with congenital retinal folds and has no vision in her left eye and limited sight in her right, but started skiing aged five.
