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Live updates from Monday 21 May to Monday 28 May
Here are the headlines from the Worcester News today:
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
A man who was stabbed in Birmingham is thought to have been arguing about a road crash at the time. , external
Police say the victim in his 20s suffered serious injuries in the incident on Coventry Road, Small Heath.
They add that his condition in hospital is described as "life changing", while the offender's believed to have fled the scene.
A car driver is lucky to have escaped without injury after this wooden post smashed through their windscreen this morning.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceWest Mercia Police said the crash happened close to junction three of the M50.
Image source, West Mercia Police
BBC Entertainment and Arts
As UB40 founder Ali Campbell prepares to play the Coventry leg of BBC Music's Biggest Weekend this Sunday, he's been reflecting on 40 years of success.
The Birmingham reggae band have sold 70 million albums and scored three number one singles over the last four decades.
Image source, Universal MusicThey have had a turbulent couple of years, which culminated in the eight members splitting into two factions.
Ali's brother Duncan now fronts the band known simply as UB40; while the singer himself performs as UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey - alongside keyboard player Mickey Virtue and the toaster/percussionist Astro, aka Terence Wilson.
Ali Campbell's been speaking to BBC Music ahead of the event and you can read the full interview here.
BBC Midlands Today
The chief constable of West Midlands Police says he is "struggling to understand the benefits" of law changes which limit the amount of time someone can be held on bail.
Image source, Getty ImagesUnder the new measures, which were introduced in England and Wales last April, bail should only be used when deemed "necessary and proportionate" and must be limited to 28 days.
The changes were brought in to stop police bailing suspects for extended periods of time without resolution, following a series of high-profile cases.
But Dave Thompson says the new system is time consuming and could lead to more crimes being committed as they can't impose conditions on a person's release.
Worcestershire will be looking to follow up their opening One-Day Cup win with another victory as they visit Yorkshire today.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Pears started off their campaign with a 50-run victory over Derbyshire at New Road.
The match at Headingley is due to start at 11:00 and you can follow the game with local radio commentary or via the BBC Cricket website.
Stoke-on-Trent Live
The Stoke-on-Trent Live website features these top stories today:
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
Four people, including three children, had to be rescued from the upstairs of their Birmingham home after a "severe" fire broke out in the early hours of this morning.
Image source, GoogleFirefighters pulled the woman, a baby girl and two boys from the first floor of the burning building in Mintern Road, Yardley, after the blaze broke out on the ground floor of the home.
West Midlands Fire Service says a total of 13 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire.
Weed killer has been used to kill off 500 trees that were planted at a nature site in the Monkmoor area of Shrewsbury.
The town council planted the saplings in February to create a hedgerow for wildlife to live in.
It had taken five volunteers two days to plant them and the council said it was treating the destruction of the trees, which was witnessed by a person living nearby, as a "malicious act".
Image source, Helen BallThe council said its countryside team was "hugely demoralised" by the attack and it is questioning whether it is worth carrying out similar projects in the future.
Quote MessageWe see this as a malicious act of someone who clearly wants to maximise disruption on our countryside site and reduce the pleasure that the site brings to residents."
Helen Ball, Shrewsbury town clerk
A new report says supermarkets are pushing farmers in Worcestershire to provide fruit and vegetables all year round, because of Brexit and the uncertainty it's brought.
The paper, commissioned by Wychavon District Council, also highlights a potential shortage of labour once we leave the European Union.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe report says the government needs to do more work, to make sure there is a plan for food production after Britain leaves the EU.
Earlier this month, MPs heard both the government's environment and trade departments were being "left in the dark" about how to prepare for Brexit.
At the time, the government said Whitehall was "rising to the challenge".
Staffordshire Police is today offering a snapshot of what happens behind the scenes in a 24-hour tweetathon, external.
By 9:00 it said 130 incidents had so far been logged.
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The force started tweeting at 07:30 and says there'll be updates from officers as well as an insight into what they deal with and the kind of incidents they encounter.
It's using the hashtag #SP24 so people can follow the tweets.
Water company Severn Trent's admitted it's had a "challenging year" when it comes to burst pipes and was fined £29m., external
Image source, Severn TrentThe Coventry-based firm has revealed the penalty in its annual results, released today, adding that "extreme weather" caused more leaks.
It says turnover's increased to £1.69bn, up from £1.63bn in 2017, while pre-tax profits also rose to £541m from £520.1m.
The company says it's going to invest an extra £100m to make more improvements, external.
Birmingham Live
The Birmingham Live page is covering these main headlines this morning:
A Chelsea Flower Show garden celebrating the 70th anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush is to be displayed in Birmingham's Victoria Square.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilThe garden landed Birmingham City Council its seventh Chelsea gold medal - it was created by Baroness Floella Benjamin, patron of the Windrush Foundation, and Crofton nursery.
Council leader Ian Ward said the authority wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see the award-winning design.
Image source, Birmingham City Council
Image source, Backface StudiosLouise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
A mother who forced her daughter to marry a relative almost twice her age will be sentenced today.
Image source, PAThe woman duped the 18-year-old into travelling to Pakistan to wed the man, who was 16 years her senior.
Years before the ceremony, the girl was entered into a "marriage contract" with the man and became pregnant aged 13.
A jury at Birmingham Crown Court found the mother guilty of two counts of forced marriage.
It is the first time a forced marriage case of this kind has been successfully prosecuted in an English court.
Local Democracy Reporting Service
The head of a health scrutiny group is boycotting board meetings of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, because he's unhappy with its choice of chairman,
The trust recently appointed the former chief executive of NHS England Sir David Nicholson, who stepped down five years ago after the publication of the Francis report into serious mismanagement at Stafford Hospital.
County councillor Paul Tuthill, who is chair of Worcestershire’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said he had taken the decision because he had a "great deal of empathy for the people of Staffordshire".
Sir David Nicholson was in charge of the regional health authority overseeing the trust that ran Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2006.
Quote MessageI feel I can’t attend the meetings. I have a great deal of empathy for the people of Staffordshire and what they went through. There are reports of hundreds of people dying. I feel very strongly about that. It would not be appropriate for me to go to the meetings."
Councillor Paul Tuthill, Chair of Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
A woman set to race as a transgender jockey for the first time today has said she finds the prospect "daunting".
Victoria Smith, from Suffolk, won more than 250 races when she was known as Vince Smith.
She is due to start in a charity event in Warwick later.
Jockey Victoria Smith to ride first race as a woman
Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM
A road's still cordoned off this morning after a man was seriously hurt in a stabbing in Birmingham. , external
It happened just after 17:30 yesterday on Coventry Road, Small Heath, police say.
Image source, GoogleA man had to be rescued, external from a house fire in Birmingham which also engulfed a nearby van.
Image source, West Midlands Fire ServiceThe fire service says crews were called to the blaze at about 21:30 last night on Hamstead Road. , external
The fire had sent plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the air and has badly damaged the building and vehicle.
The Express and Star's covering these headlines this morning, among others:
