Summary

  • Updates from Monday 9 - Sunday 15 April

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  1. Gold medal is 'biggest highlight of my life'published at 13:58 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Dan Pallett
    BBC Midlands Today Sport

    Alice Kinsella has had an incredible first Commonwealth Games, coming away with three medals - a gold, silver and bronze.

    The 17-year-old gymnast, who trains in Telford and lives in Sutton Coldfield, says the gold medal is the "biggest highlight" of her life.

    Alice Kinsella and medals

    She said: "My mum's been crying a lot, especially after the beam final."

    And when asked how she celebrated her medals, Kinsella said "with a chocolate brownie".

    You can re-live Kinsella's gold-winning beam routine below.

  2. Football abuser Bennell to challenge sentencepublished at 13:41 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    The ex-football coach is to challenge the sentence he received for 50 counts of child sexual abuse.

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  3. silver medal

    Silver Medal - Englandpublished at 13:37 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Men's 4x100m medley relay final

    England clock 3:31.13. So, so close!

  4. Commonwealth Games round-up: Peaty swims to silverpublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    BBC Midlands Today

    There's been more medal success for Midlands athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

    Uttoxeter swimmer Adam Peaty has won another silver medal. He swam the second leg for England in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay.

    Adam Peaty and his swimming team mates collecting their medalsImage source, Getty Images

    Cyclist Hayley Simmonds from Redditch took bronze for England in the women's time trial.

    Cyclist Hayley SimmondsImage source, Getty Images
  5. Worcester sign Scotland fly-half Weirpublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Worcester Warriors sign Edinburgh and Scotland fly-half Duncan Weir for the 2018-19 Premiership season.

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  6. Woman who regrets abortions prays outside clinicspublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Jean MacKenzie
    BBC Victoria Derbyshire programme

    Anti-abortion campaigners have been accused of harassing women outside abortion clinics across the UK.

    Some women say they are still haunted by protesters' behaviour.

    Rachel Mackenzie from Birmingham had two abortions, but now regrets them.

    "I stand outside the clinics because I don't want there to be another 'Rachel' who goes through those abortion facilities to one day regret it," she says.

    Rachel Mackenzie

    "If somebody had been there to actually ground me and say 'there are other options out there', maybe my children would be alive today."

    Rachel says that when she stands outside her local clinic she will "very quietly pray".

  7. Aston Villa: Bruce's warning ahead of Cardiff clashpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    BBC Sport

    Aston Villa take on second-place Cardiff tonight as the Birmingham club pushes to stay in contention for a play-off position.

    The pressure is on Steve Bruce's side - in fourth place, seven points behind Cardiff - which has won just once in five games.

    Steve BruceImage source, BBC Sport
    Quote Message

    Neil Warnock's been in it a long time and I've been up against him many times, so it doesn't surprise me the job he's done at Cardiff. If we play like we did against Norwich again, we'll get turned over. I expect us to be better."

    Steve Bruce, Villa manager

  8. Bentley workers threaten strike over pension rowpublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Bentley carImage source, Getty Images

    Workers at luxury car maker Bentley have voted to support industrial action in a dispute over pensions.

    Members of Unite at the firm's Crewe headquarters voted in a consultative ballot by 98% in favour of action in protest at plans to close a defined benefit pension scheme.

    The union said it will move to hold a full statutory industrial action ballot which could lead to strikes.

    Unite regional officer Phil Morgan said: "This massive vote in favour of action demonstrates the anger and strength of feeling among workers over Bentley's pension proposals."

  9. Barry Bennell to appeal his jail sentencepublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 10 April 2018
    Breaking

    Jodie Looker
    Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

    The former Crewe Alexandra youth coach and convicted paedophile Barry Bennell is to appeal against his sentence.

    The 64-year-old was jailed in February for 50 counts of child sexual abuse between 1979 and 1991.

    The judge at Liverpool Crown Court sentenced him to 31 years in prison.

    Bennell has applied to the court of appeal to get his sentence reduced.

    Barry BennellImage source, iStock
  10. Thousands of homes affected by power losspublished at 12:19 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    About 9,600 properties in Birmingham city centre have been affected by a power outage.

    That number is falling all the time, Western Power Distribution (WPD) says, as engineers work to re-route power.

    Map of power outagesImage source, WPD

    Birmingham New Street station, Grand Central and the Bullring have all been affected, but British Transport Police says trains are running as usual.

  11. Man jailed for attack on nephewpublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Victim Craig Pitts still suffers with reduced movement in his arm six months after being stabbed.

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  12. Jail for £30,000 damage arsonistpublished at 11:56 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Robert McKenzy set fire to a sofa and chair in his flat before fleeing the scene.

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  13. 'A violent offence reported every day' in student heartlandpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    BBC WM

    West Midlands Police says it's working hard to keep students safe after new figures showed an average of one sexual or violent offence reported in Selly Oak each day last year.

    And in the first two months of this year, 61 offences were reported in the area, which neighbours the University of Birmingham.

    The university says it does everything it can to support students affected by sexual violence.

  14. 'Paedophile hunter' not 'judge and jury'published at 11:30 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    BBC Radio Stoke

    A so-called paedophile hunter from Stoke-on-Trent believes he's doing the right thing and his efforts help the police.

    A BBC investigation has found that police forces across the UK used evidence from "paedophile hunters" to charge suspects at least 150 times last year.

    Text message
    Quote Message

    You see things happening and nobody is doing anything about it. So you decide to pick up the blunt yourself and run with it and that's what's gone on with myself. We are not judge, jury and executioner."

    Anonymous paedophile hunter

  15. No medal for Pozzi in hurdlespublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Stratford-upon-Avon's Andrew Pozzi missed out on a medal in the 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games as Jamaica took gold and silver.

    Ronald Levy won ahead of countryman Hansle Parchment in 13.19 seconds, with Australia's Nicholas Hough securing bronze.

  16. Power outage affecting railway stationpublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Trains are running as normal despite a power outage at Birmingham New Street station.

    British Transport Police has confirmed the loss of power and says network rail and Western Power Distribution (WPD) are working to fix it.

    WPD says on Twitter, external it hopes to have supplies back by 12:00.

  17. M5 stretch remains closed after fatal crashpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    The M5 northbound in Worcestershire is likely to remain closed until mid-morning as police investigate a crash this morning in which a woman has died.

    Drivers are warned to expect long delays on the carriageway which is closed between junctions four and three.

    M5 crashImage source, @snappersk

    Emergency crews were called to reports of a crash between a car and lorry near Frankley Services just after 04:00.

    A woman in the car died at the scene.

  18. Suspect detained after church stabbingpublished at 10:48 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    West Midlands Police said the victim remains in a critical condition, two days after the attack.

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  19. 'Unforseen pressures' see health overspendpublished at 10:47 British Summer Time 10 April 2018

    Tracey Higgins
    Journalist, BBC Shropshire

    Shropshire health bosses are blaming a number of "unforseen pressures" for pushing up their financial year end deficit to nearly £27m.

    The figures, external, announced ahead of tomorrow's Clinical Commissioning Group meeting, shows the overspend has gone up by nearly £8m from previous predictions.