Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Huge scrap metal fire shuts airport
Halloween pumpkin started fire that killed boy
Husband accused of murder denies anger 'uncontrollable'
Police summit over town centre vandalism
Plans to put shops on car park get approval
Haircuts for Muslim men as Ramadan ends
Government asked to reconsider West Brom's safe-standing proposal
World Cup apologies after Robbie Williams gives finger
Euromillions winner still works at Asda
'Lucky boy' kitten rescued from car's engine
Click on related stories to read updates from your area
Live updates on Friday 15 June

Live Reporting

MP defends Brexit revolt in defiance of Jeremy Corbynpublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich has defended her decision to quit as shadow defence minister and go against leader Jeremy Corbyn's party line on a key Brexit vote.
Image source, UK Parliament
Laura Smith voted for a more distant relationship with the European Union after Britain leaves the EU. Mr Corbyn had urged his MPs to abstain.
Ms Smith joined 327 MPs in voting against a House of Lords proposal for a close relationship with the EU like Norway's.
It means attempts to keep the UK in the European Economic Area after Brexit were defeated last night.
Quote Message
I represent a constituency that strongly voted to leave the EU. We have to move forward with this argument. People in my constituency voted to leave, there are legitimate reasons why they voted to leave and I think we need to start having a really grown-up conversation about this."
Laura Smith, Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich
In the papers: Claim of £300m cost for bypasspublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Hereford Times
These are some of the main headlines for the Hereford Times' website today:
Council in doghouse over parking chargespublished at 14:06 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
A main road in the town was blocked by people angry at proposals to change parking charges.
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Lecturer park killer loses sentence appealpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
A man with paranoid schizophrenia who admitted stabbing a Coventry University lecturer to death in a London park has lost a challenge against his sentence.
Image source, Met Police
Mark Loveridge, 39, of Borough Road, Mitcham, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility after stabbing Mark Loveridge near Morden Tube station in south London.
He was jailed for a minimum term of 15 years.
At the Court of Appeal today, three judges refused Loveridge permission to appeal against his sentence.
Hutton signs new Aston Villa contractpublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Aston Villa right-back Alan Hutton signs a new contract to stay with the Championship side until the end of next season.
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Parking charge protest halts town centre trafficpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Andrew Hewkin
Newsreader, BBC Shropshire
Protesters have marched through a town centre today, disrupting traffic, to demonstrate over new charges for car parking.
Earlier this year, Shropshire Council's cabinet backed proposals, external to charge people to park in Shrewsbury until 20:00. On-street parking will also go up to £2.50-an-hour.
The authority says it's part of a new strategy to replace one introduced in 2012 and aims to reduce congestion and pollution and make charges clearer and more consistent across the area. , external
But some business owners in Shrewsbury are warning the charges could be the ''final nail in the coffin'' for high street shops and want the increases scrapped.
Man wanted over machete attackpublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Police have released CCTV images of a man they want to speak to in connection with an "unprovoked" machete attack in the centre of Birmingham.
Image source, West Midlands Police
A man was hit by a complete stranger , externalat Priory Square, at about 16:30 on Friday, officers said.
The victim didn't sustain any injuries, but it could have potentially been a "very serious assault" said West Midlands Police.
Your photos: Blown away by Storm Hector windspublished at 13:22 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
BBC Weather Watchers
We're at the tail end of Storm Hector today, which has brought strong winds across the north of England and Northern Ireland.
That's meant strong winds and cloudy skies for our BBC Weather Watchers - such as Peter Steggles in Longnor, Mikesnapper in Lower Broadheath and Angus and Me in Hednesford:
Image source, Peter Steggles
Image source, Mikesnapper
Image source, Angus and me
Murdered boy's mum appeals for witnessespublished at 13:11 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Harun Jama's mother says she "wants to know who killed my son, and why they killed him".
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Body found in hunt for missing manpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
A body has been found by officers searching for a missing man in Warwickshire.
Brian Pitt, 59, was reported missing from Studley, Warwickshire, last Saturday.
Formal identification has yet to take place, but Mr Pitt's family have been informed, Warwickshire Police said, external.
The death is not being treating as suspicious.
In the papers: Murder probe arrestspublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Shropshire Star
The Shropshire Star's covering these stories today:
Steam train star of garden showpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
A 39-tonne steam train is an unlikely star attraction at Gardeners' World Live at Birmingham's NEC today.
It was painstakingly transported from the yard of the Vintage Train company at Tyseley.
Track was laid last month to manoeuvre it into place as centrepiece of the Made in Birmingham show garden.
Police seize £200K cannabis haulpublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
A "commercial sized" cannabis operation has been uncovered in Smethwick.
Image source, West Midlands Police
The plants have an estimated street value of £200,000, police say.
Tighter rules demanded on fireworks storage after deathspublished at 12:24 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Lee Blakeman
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The MP for Stafford is calling for tighter regulations on the amount of fireworks that can be stored, after two men were killed in a fire at a factory in the town.
Media caption,
Fireworks explode at Stafford fatal factory fire
The owner of SP Fireworks, Richard Pearson, 44, of Holyrood Close, was yesterday jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.
Employee Simon Hillier and customer Stewart Staples died in the fire in October 2014.
The number of fireworks stored at the unit was "up to 10 times the permitted limit", Stafford Crown Court heard.
Quote Message
If you have up to two tonnes of fireworks, they can be inspected by the local authority but two tonnes is an awful lot of explosive. We need to have real experts, such as fire and rescue authorities or the health and safety executive, come in at a much lower level of storage."
Jeremy Lefroy, Conservative MP for Stafford
Five Wasps named in England teampublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Five Wasps players have been named in the England team to play the Springboks in the second Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Image source, Getty Images
Flanker Brad Shields (pictured left), a new signing for next season will make his first England start after making his debut off the bench in the first Test defeat.
Nathan Hughes and Danny Cipriani are replacements, with Cipriani set for his first cap since 2015.
Flanker Joe Launchbury joins the team, alongside Elliot Daly, having recovered from his calf injury.
New bakery distribution site openspublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Palethorpes is opening of its new £1.3m bakery distribution centre in Market Drayton today.
The company, which employs 650 people in the town, is in the process of recruiting another 100.
Recruitment to fill the extra positions is under way and Palethorpes has released this timelapse video of the centre being constructed.
Media caption,
A new bakery distribution centre is set to create 100 jobs in Market Drayton.
In the papers: Bin service in the redpublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Birmingham Live
Some of the main stories on the Birmingham Live website today include:
Sir Jack statue unveiledpublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
John Bray
BBC News
A bronze statue of Sir Jack Hayward, has been unveiled at Molineux, depicting the former Wolves owner giving fans the thumbs up as his team won the 2003 play-off final.
Wolves managing director Laurie Dalrymple said: "Without Sir Jack we wouldn't even have a team to support.
“Sir Jack touched the lives of everyone he met, and a lot of those that he never met, and for everything he did for Wolverhampton Wanderers and the city of Wolverhampton, this statue will act as a permanent tribute and sign of our gratitude”.
A40 blocked by overturned carpublished at 11:31 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Breaking
BBC News Travel
The A40 road between Ross-on-Wye and Symonds Yat in Herefordshire has been blocked by an overturned car., external
Image source, West Mercia Police
West Mercia Police says it happened at around 11:20 and traffic's already heavy in the area.
They haven't revealed if anyone's been injured.
World Cup drink and drug driving crackdownpublished at 11:29 British Summer Time 14 June 2018
Police in the West Midlands are launching a crackdown on drink and drug driving during the World Cup.
The opening match kicks off in Russia later.
Image source, West Midlands Police
Insp Jack Boardman said the competition created "the extra temptation to go out and watch games with a drink" and officers were urging people "to be responsible".
Officers will also target those suspected of still being over-the-limit the morning after matches.
In the last 12 months, 3,086 people were arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving in the West Midlands, the force said.