Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

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Updates from Monday 7 May to Sunday 13 May

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No 'systemic cultural problem' at council foundpublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carmelo Garcia
The failures which led to the Blueschool House overspend of almost £1m are not evidence of a systemic cultural problem at Herefordshire Council, according to a local government peer review.
The building in Hereford cost £1.92m to refurbish which was more than double the cost of the original estimate of £950,000 approved by councillors.
Shire Hall commissioned a corporate peer challenge by the Local Government Association which involved a small team of officers and councillors from other authorities spending time reviewing the council’s workings.
Teenager found guilty of manslaughter namedpublished at 14:13 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
A 17-year-old teenager convicted of manslaughter following the death of a man during a break-in has been named.
Brandon Phillips was convicted in January, alongside Oluwadaimlola Johnson who was found guilty of stabbing Simon Johnson - no relation - at his home in Netherton, Dudley, in August 2016.
The Express and Star newspaper, external reported the name earlier today, after Wolverhampton Crown Court released his name following a request.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Phillips was sentenced to 10 years in prison after the pair broke into the home of 41-year-old to steal cannabis plants.
The 17-year-old will also serve three years on extended licence.
Image source, Family handout
Market work halted by human remains findpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
The remains could be about 200 years old, Wolverhampton City Council said
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Fallen power cable blocking roadpublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
BBC News Travel
A fallen power cable is blocking the A49 at Hadnall, in Shropshire.
The road is closed in both directions between Painsbrook Lane and Ladymas Road.
Former head of NHS England appointed to struggling trustpublished at 13:53 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
A former chief executive of NHS England has been appointed as interim chair of the struggling Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, (WAHT).
David Nicholson replaces Caragh Merrick who stepped down last month after less than two years in the role.
The Trust which runs the Worcestershire Royal and the Alex in Redditch has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission.
Too good to eat? Life-size Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cakepublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
From 'Meghan Sparkle' water through to commemorative mugs - we're seeing all kinds of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle memorabilia to celebrate their wedding.
Today we bring you a life-size cake of them.
Image source, Lara Mason
If you're after the recipe, well we're not sure, but we're told it has 300 eggs, 15kg of flour, 15kg of butter, 15 kg of sugar, 50kg of fondant icing and 10kg of buttercream.... and took 250 hours to make.
Lara Mason, from Brownhills, who created the cake, says it'll go on display in November at the NEC.
It's not the first time the 32-year-old has created life-size cakes - in February she created a life-size cake versions of her twin daughters- and Prince George in 2015.
Media caption,
Amateur baker Lara Mason spent more than 100 hours recreating her daughters in cake.
Thousands of pounds taken from newsagentspublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
A man got away with thousands of pounds after threatening a staff member at a newsagents.
The man, wearing a child’s mask, burst into Martin’s on The Heathway in Shard End, Birmingham, armed with a knife early yesterday morning.
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Police say he jumped behind the counter and threatened the shop worker with violence if she didn't do as he say, before he made off on a bike with thousands of pounds in cash.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Tractor needed to haul stuck horse from ditchpublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
A horse stuck in a ditch has been winched out with the help of a tractor.
Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
The animal was hauled from the ditch, on Buildwas Road near Telford using 20 firefighters, specialist lifting equipment and a local farmer's tractor.
Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
It was unhurt after it's ordeal, which happened at about 07:45.
Confusion over drug taking causes delayspublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Lee Blakeman
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Paramedics in the West Midlands say they're struggling to diagnose some patients who've taken drugs, because they're not sure what they've taken.
The BBC TV series Ambulance last night showed why an increase in the number of designer and bespoke drugs, is making it harder for paramedics to help patients.
In the papers: Data released in hospital breachpublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Shropshire Star
Some of the main stories on the Shropshire Star website today are:
Freight container dumped in back gardenpublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Jane Sollis believes the container was taken off a lorry and winched into her back garden.
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Teen involved in break-in killing namedpublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Simon Johnson was stabbed to death when two teenagers broke into his home to steal cannabis plants.
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'I owe my career to Birmingham' - actor backs C4 movepublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
There's competition between cities in the West Midlands to become one of the regional hubs for Channel 4.
Birmingham and Coventry's bid is bed led by West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street.
He's always spoken confidently about Birmingham or Coventry having the "connectedness, the creativity and the diversity to be the natural home for Channel 4".
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The writer and creator behind the BBC series Citizen Khan, Adil Ray is backing his home city of Birmingham.
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Grade II listed entertainment venue celebrates 80 yearspublished at 12:07 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Wolverhampton Civic Hall is celebrating 80 years this weekend.
The Grade II listed music venue has hosted all kinds of artists and comedians over the years from Manic Street Preachers to funny man Peter Kay
The hall which is closed until Autumn 2020 is undergoing a refurbishment which will see some of its original features restored.
Image source, Wolverhampton City Council
While it's closed events including the Grand Slam of Darts and hosting comedians such as Saran Millican have been switched to alternative venues in the city and Aldersley Leisure Village.
Image source, Wolverhampton City Council
In the papers: Man charged over armed robberypublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Coventry Live
Coventry Live
Some of the main stories on the Coventry Telegraph website today are:
Wasps sign five Championship playerspublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Bristol fly-half Billy Searle is among five Championship players signed by Wasps for the 2018/19 Premiership campaign.
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Oztumer states desire to leave Walsallpublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Walsall midfielder Erhun Oztumer says he would like to leave the League One club when his contract ends in June.
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'It's the Olympic Games for singers'published at 11:36 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
A trip down memory lane to 1998 when the UK last hosted the Eurovision Song Contest.
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'She said yes' - Wolves player proposes to girlfriendpublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
It just keeps getting better and better for Ruben Neves - promotion from the Championship, the fans player of the season and now he's getting hitched.
Neves, who is believed to have signed a record £16.1m five-year deal with Wolves, tweeted last night "she said yes".
Judging by the photo, it doesn't look like the proposal was made at Molineux.
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T-shirt swaps help cultural understandingpublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 11 May 2018
Almost 200 T-shirts have been exchanged between British and Iraqi refugee children.
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