Action urged to end holiday let 'mayhem'published at 09:38 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Short-term lets, like Airbnb, are big business in the UK - but neighbours are increasingly fed up.
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Driver jailed for nine years for brothers' hit-and-run deaths
Sports coach convicted of child sex offences
Mosque hit-and-run 'may be terror-related'
GP jailed for assaulting patient
Labour expels activist over remarks to MP
Wolves reveal details of promotion celebrations
Taxi driver fined for refusing to pick up disabled passenger
Jackknifed lorry blocks M5 for several hours
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Updates from Friday 27 April
Action urged to end holiday let 'mayhem'published at 09:38 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Lanes reopen on M5 after lorry jackknifepublished at 09:36 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
BBC News TravelTwo lanes are now back open on the M5 near Droitwich this morning after a lorry jackknifed across all of the northbound carriageway.
Highways England says it happened just before 07:00 between J5 and J4A but by 09:20 they had two lanes past the scene open but add that there are long delays., external
Park and ride reopenspublished at 09:29 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Wednesbury park and ride car park has reopened, after it was closed due to the flood water yesterday.
Drivers are urged to approach the area with care and extreme caution, said Midland Metro.
Image source, Midland MetroTeenagers arrested after serious assault on girlpublished at 09:19 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Three teenagers have been arrested after a serious assault on a 15-year-old girl in Weoley Castle, police say., external
The victim was attacked by a group of youths on Wednesday, and suffered bruising and swelling.
One boy and two girls aged between 14 and 16 are being held on suspicion of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
West Midlands Police said they are looking at social media video of the assault and urged people not to share that footage.
Wakelin rues narrow Trump defeatpublished at 09:09 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Crucible debutant Chris Wakelin say he "fell short" when the pressure ramped up in his narrow defeat against Judd Trump.
Read MoreBody found in missing woman murder probepublished at 09:08 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Police searching for a missing woman have confirmed they have found a body.
Hollie Kerrell, 28, was last seen at her home in Knighton, on the Shropshiore-Powys border, on Sunday.
Image source, Family handoutDyfed-Powys Police officers are questioning a 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with Ms Kerrell's death.
Detectives said a formal identification of the body had not yet been carried out, but the coroner had been informed.
In the papers: A5 to stay closed after lorry firepublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Here are some of the stories making the headlines on the Express & Star website this morning:
- A5 stretch to stay closed through rush hour after lorry fire, external
- Clean-up begins after roads, cars and homes hit by 10 million litres of water , external
- Husband devastated as wedding ring lost during surgery, external
Schools shut after heating and water problemspublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Three schools are closed in Sandwell, but those shut yesterday due to the flooding are open as normal.
Christ Church School in Oldbury, Moorlands Primary School and Joseph Turner Primary are all closed due to a range of water supply and heating problems, Sandwell Council said.
Engineers work to clear water system after floodpublished at 08:41 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
South Staffordshire Water say teams have been working through the night at the scene of a burst water main in Wednesbury yesterday.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Image source, West Midlands PolicePete Aspley said the work carried out was not only to repair the main water pipe, but also to "flush the extensive network".
"The surge that was created by the burst has led to some localised discolouration," he said, and the company is advising customers to run their cold water taps.
Millions to be spent on double school expansionpublished at 08:30 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Kerry AshdownTwo schools are set to expand over the next year, at a cost of almost £3m, to meet demand for extra places.
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire County Council's approved the plans for Baldwins Gate Primary, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, to add an extra 34 places to its current 105 in a £530,000 expansion.
While St Stephen's, in Fradley, near Lichfield (pictured), will go from 305 to 420 pupils at a cost of £2.4m. New classrooms will be added alongside an extra playing field.
The council says both expansions need to happen by September 2019 and are in response to new housing proposed in both areas.
Town hall to host clash of Baggies boxerspublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
BBC Midlands TodayTwo West Midlands boxers are hoping that staging their British title contest in Walsall will help bring more big fights to the region in future.
Tommy Langford (pictured left) from Birmingham is making the second defence of his British middleweight title at the town hall next Friday.
He is ranked in the top 10 in the world by three of the main boxing organisations.
The challenger is his fellow West Bromwich Albion fan Jason Welborn from Rowley Regis.
Ambulance station to closepublished at 08:07 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
BBC ShropshireAn ambulance station, based in Ludlow is to close next month, and crews moved to Craven Arms.
Image source, West Midlands Ambulance ServiceWest Midlands Ambulance Service said there would be no change in the number of staff on duty, just a shift in resources.
The change follows from an initiative last year to put more ambulances in the county to replace rapid response cars.
It believes the new site for the crew is better for serving the area.
Delays in both directions on M5 due to jackknifed lorrypublished at 07:54 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
BBC News TravelDrivers slowing to look at a jackknifed lorry on the M5 northbound are causing delays on the southbound carriageway, Highways England is warning.
Image source, Highways EnglandThe lorry is blocking three lanes of the motorway at junction five, in Worcestershire, with just the hard shoulder open for passing traffic.
Drivers are being warned to approach the site with care.
Roads reopen after burst water mainpublished at 07:43 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Both Leabrook Road and Black Country New Road have reopened following yesterday's flood, Sandwell Council says.
Drivers are being warned to expect delays in the area.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceWork continues to repair burst water mainpublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Engineers have been working through the night to repair a burst water main, which caused a flood in the Black Country yesterday.
Three schools were closed, homes were left without power and rows of cars were left submerged under water after a pipe burst in Leabrook Road in Wednesbury.
The flood was three metres deep in places after the main had been damaged by workers laying a new electricity cable.
A5 to remain closed after lorry firepublished at 07:22 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
BBC News TravelThe A5 in Staffordshire is to remain closed in both directions between the B4154 Turf Island and the A460 following a lorry fire.
Image source, Highways EnglandThe road was closed at 00:30 and is expected to remain closed through the morning rush hour, says Highways England.
Jackknifed lorry blocks M5published at 07:14 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
A jackknifed lorry is blocking three lanes of the M5, northbound in Worcestershire.
Image source, Highways EnglandThe HGV has come to rest on its side between J5 for Droitwich and J4A for the M42.
Drivers are being warned of delays in the area.
Video: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 07:06 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenterWe can expect a cloudy, wet and chilly day today with outbreaks of rain and highs of 10C (50F).
Media caption, Latest weather for the West Midlands
Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:01 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
Vanessa Pearce
BBC NewsWelcome to our live service for Friday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook, external.
Chester Zoo opens new wildlife reservepublished at 01:42 British Summer Time 27 April 2018
A new nature reserve providing a protected habitat for threatened wildlife opens at Chester Zoo.
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