BBC Hereford and Worcester

A builder from Kidderminster has been jailed after taking payment for work and leaving a string of unfinished jobs.

An investigation by Trading Standards officers revealed that over a period of nearly two years he took payments of more than £53,000, said Worcestershire County Council.

Neil Cronin of Chapel Court, Kidderminster failed to complete, or in some cases even start the work.

He admitted 18 counts under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 200 at Worcester Crown Court and was jailed for 24 months.

Nicola Goodwin
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

One of Herefordshire greatest ever war heroes is being celebrated at the county's Regimental Museum, external

Lieutenant Colonel Wilkins Fitzwilliams Chipp served in the Battles of Suvla Bay, Gaza and on the Western Front in the Great War, before joining the colonial forces during WWII when he was captured and imprisoned in a prisoner of war camp in Singapore.

Image source, The Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum

Now his medals are to go on display.

Chipp is the most decorated soldier in the history of the Herefordshire Regiment and one of only two soldiers to receive triple honours from King George V at Buckingham Palace in 1919.

Image source, The Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum

The Sentinel

Among today's stories:

• The Stoke-on-Trent happy list: 26 people who make our city a better place to live, external
• 19 pictures of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire from fifty years ago, external
• Police called as 'monster' pothole wipes out FIVE cars in one hour, external

Two tonnes of rubbish has been collected from Forge Lane in West Bromwich after "extensive fly-tipping" was cleared from the roadside, a council says.

Sandwell Council said carpets, fridges, bin bags and kitchen cabinets had been dumped at the spot close to Sandwell Valley.

Following the clear-up on Sunday, the authority has installed CCTV cameras, with banners put up to warn fly-tippers they face a £400 fine if caught.

Image source, Sandwell Council

Image source, Sandwell Council

BBC Midlands Today

Olympic gold medal winner Nick Skelton will open an exhibition based on his show-jumping career in his home town of Bedworth today.

On display at the town's Heritage Centre will be trophies, riding clothes and Olympic outfits.

Image source, BBC Sport

Early photographs show Nick aged three on his pony and him competing in gymkhanas in Warwickshire.

He won individual gold in Rio at the age of 58.

BBC Shropshire

New rules covering how cremations are carried out in England and Wales have come into force.

It follows concerns about crematoria operations - between 1996 and 2012, 60 families whose children were cremated at Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury didn't have their ashes returned.

The new regulations increase transparency surrounding the whole process of cremation. For some families it was never explained that on occasion a baby's small size meant there were no ashes to return.

Campaigners still think more can be done and are calling for the government to set up an inspectorate of crematoria.

A car and a lorry were involved in the collision on the motorway in Worcestershire.

The M5 northbound between J4 and J3 is being reopened after this morning's fatal crash.

One lane will remain shut and the road will close again later for further repairs.

BBC Sport

Birmingham City, who are unbeaten in four games under Garry Monk, travel to Bristol City tonight, having moved three points clear of the relegation zone.

Blues striker Che Adams will serve the second of his three-match ban.

Monk hopes that Sam Gallagher can overcome a calf muscle problem, or it could mean another out-of-position start for Jeremie Boga.

BBC News Travel

A fault with the signalling system between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton is causing disruption to journeys through these stations, the National Rail website reports, external.

Train services may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or diverted.

Disruption is expected until 20:00.

Routes affected include Arriva Trains Wales services between Birmingham International and Llandudno / Aberystwyth / Pwllheli and CrossCountry between Paignton / Bournemouth / Bristol Temple Meads and Manchester Piccadilly.

London Northwestern Railway services to Liverpool, Virgin Train services between London and Scotland and West Midlands Railway services between Walsall / Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton / Shrewsbury are also affected.

Takara Hawthorne-Smith first went to the gym to rehabilitate and is now going to the World Championships.

BBC Midlands Today

A wildlife charity is appealing for help to monitor signs of water voles.

The number of the mammals has declined across the West Midlands due to habitat loss, river pollution and threats posed by the American mink.

The People's Trust for Endangered Species , externalis launching a monitoring programme and is asking for volunteers to record all sightings of water voles which will help in work to protect them.

Worcester News

Today's stories include:

• Instructors not paid as gym shuts down, external
• Watch window smash on giraffe's head at West Midland Safari Park, external
• Council reminds residents New Road is set to close this weekend, external

A man was stabbed and a woman sustained a head injury during "disorder" in Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, on Monday morning.

West Midlands Police said "events" began at about 06:30 when a man "carrying weapons" damaged a shop door.

Image source, Google

Five people have been arrested. The injured pair required hospital treatment.

Police are working to identify the man with the weapons as he left the scene before officers arrived.

Welsh Commonwealth Games swimmer Otto Putland had denied raping a woman who had sex with his friend.

BBC Sport

Stratford's Andrew Pozzi who hit the first hurdle in the 110m final said he "wasn't good enough".

He finished sixth in the Commonwealth Games event, with Jamaican pair Ronald Levy and Hansle Parchment winning gold and silver.

"Holly" was a victim of child sexual exploitation in Shropshire from the age of 14.

New forms will explain to parents that, in some cases, the ashes of babies may not be returned.

Fancy David Tennant's black dress pants from his 2008 Hamlet?

How about doubling up with those worn by Patrick Stewart in 2011's The Merchant of Venice?

Or just a dame's doublet? The Dench-worn garment from 2016's Shakespeare Live is available along with her hose.

The RSC garments are among those to be auctioned online on 17 April to raise funds for the restoration and redevelopment of its costume workshop, external.

Some of the items date back to the 1970s.

Image source, RSC

Firearms officers were deployed to a petrol station following reports of a shooting at the site where police found a car with a shattered windscreen.

The Audi has been recovered from the forecourt on Coventry Road, Yardley, Birmingham, for a forensics examination, the West Midlands force says.

A man received minor injuries, thought by police to be caused by the broken glass.

Officers were called at 22:50, with the suspects, a spokesperson said, driving off in a VW Golf.