Summary

  • Updates from Monday 25 June to Sunday 1 July

  • Click on related stories for updates from your area

Live Reporting

  1. Fire watchers monitor Peak District as heatwave continues

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    As the hot weather continues, an operation to look for fires across the Peak District has swung into action.

    A previous fire on the Peak DistrictPeak District National Park Authority

    The national park authority says its staff along with volunteers will be at key vantage points throughout the area from now on.

    The Peak District covers parts of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and extends into Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

    The authority says the hot, sunny weather means the ground across the park is extremely dry and there's a high risk of fire.

  2. Housing and shops planned after council buy car park

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A car park has been bought by a council which says it'll probably look to turn it into houses and shops as well as parking.

    The car parkGoogle

    Tamworth Borough Council hasn't revealed how much it paid for the Gungate and Spinning School Lane site.

    But it says it made the move because the previous owners hadn't managed to carry out their own plans to revamp the area.

    Having bought it, the council says it'll probably take three to five years to develop it, but isn't looking at a huge new shopping centre or similar large retail development.

  4. Teens arrested over serious assault

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    Three teenagers have been arrested today over a serious attack last month.

    Field Street, LeekGoogle

    A 45-year-old man was seriously assaulted on 27 May on Field Street, Leek, police say.

    They add that a 19-year-old woman and two men, aged 16 and 17, all from Leek, were arrested this morning on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm and common assault.

    Officers say another man and a woman were also attacked in the incident.

  5. Baby died after being 'forcefully shaken'

    Father Ricky Walker denies murdering the six-month-old in 2016.

    Read More

  6. Stuck bullock rescued from ditch

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A bullock's been rescued after getting stuck in a ditch.

    The bullock in ditchCheshire Fire Service

    The animal had, the fire service says, ended up in muddy water on Longhill Lane, Hankelow, near Audlem, Cheshire.

    Firefighters used ropes and straps along with ramps and spades to get it free after two hours.

    The bullock being rescuedCheshire Fire Service

  7. Massive crane ready for big lift

    One of Europe’s largest cranes is in Telford to help create a new £10m footbridge.

    Read More

  8. New multi-storey car park planned for city

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Carmelo Garcia

    A new multi-storey car park could be built in Hereford to try and ease congestion in the centre of the city.

    Artist's impressionHerefordshire Council

    Herefordshire Council says at the moment, it's just looking at the feasibility of such a scheme near the bus station.

    But last year it said there was a need for more multi-storey car parks in the north and south of the city as the current ones "are not in the right location".

    The authority says, if the site turns out to be feasible, it'll draw up a business case to move the scheme forward.

  9. Baby died from 'catastrophic' injuries at hands of father'
    Breaking

    A six-month-old baby suffered "catastrophic" injuries, after forceful shaking at the hands of his father, a court has heard.

    Birmingham Crown CourtPA

    Ricky Walker, 26 denies murdering his son Kayden Walker, after the child was found unresponsive at his Bilston home last year.

    The child's mother, Laura Davis, 24, denies charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and a charge of ill treatment or neglect.

    The couple, of Kendrick Road, Bilston, West Midlands, are on trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

    Walker also denies charges of causing or allowing death and child cruelty.

    The trial continues.

  11. Carnival celebrates 50th anniversary

    Andy Giddings
    BBC News

    Shifnal carnival is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend.

    It will involve the traditional parade, with floats, and funfair in the town centre.

    More than 20 carnival queens are being reunited for the event and hundreds of photos of the event have gone on show.

    Shifnal carnival is marking its 50th anniversary this weekend

  12. Leaders urge rethink on M6 Toll rises

    Local Democracy Reporting Service
    Tom Dare

    A letter urging the owners of the M6 Toll road to reconsider price rises has been signed by the mayor and leaders of all seven metropolitan councils.

    M6 Toll

    Midland Expressway Ltd, the owners of the M6 Toll, said it would be introducing price increases to the road from 30 July onwards.

    The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has been trying to encourage more motorists to use the toll road in recent months, in an attempt to tackle congestion and air pollution on the region’s roads.

    The letter sent to company bosses today warns that these price increases risk pushing even more people away from the toll road and toward the already congested M6.

    [The price rises] will do nothing to move more vans and heavy goods vehicles off the region’s other major roads and on to the M6 Toll. This needs to happen if we are serious about improving air quality and managing congestion."

    Letter from WMCA to Midland Expressway

  14. Investigation launched into 15-vehicle fire

    Fifteen vehicles were involved in a fire, on an estate in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, police say.

    Scene of fireGoogle

    They're investigating after nine of the cars were destroyed in the blaze, at the Sapcote Business Centre, close to Small Heath Highway.

    They asking anyone with information to come forward.

  15. Increasing fees for rural ATM operators?

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Although some cash machines on busy high streets are disappearing, ATM network owner Link insists that this will not negatively affect rural villages.

    "There are 70,000 cash machines in the UK, and I'm not expecting that number to change by more than a few thousand over the next four years," John Howells told the Today programme.

    Cash machine in convenience storeGetty Images

    However, James Lowman, the chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores says this is not the case.

    He told Today that ACS is hearing concerns from "retailers in villages, in estates - not just the major high streets".

  16. Swift action urged after academy trust wound up

    Phil McCann
    Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News

    The government is being urged to move quickly to find a new academy trust to run two schools in Staffordshire.

    University Primary Academy, KidsgroveGoogle

    It comes after the University of Chester Academies Trust (UCAT) said it would close because it "cannot continue to operate financially".

    Among the seven academies it runs are the University Academy Kidsgrove and the University Primary Academy.

    The UCAT chairman said its schools would be "re-brokered" and the Department for Education (DfE) said it would "support" the move.

    The government should step in and maintain the schools to their high levels and try and get another organisation, preferably from the public sector, to take over these schools so that we can build for the future and we can build for the future fairly quickly."

    Keith Bradley, Regional schools lead for Unison trade union

  17. Toxic diet pills death dealer jailed

    Eloise Parry died after taking eight tablets containing toxic dinitrophenol she had bought online.

    Read More

  18. Moeen set to miss more Worcs T20 games to play for England

    Worcestershire's Moeen Ali is set to miss five of his county's T20 matches after being named in England's ODI squad to play India.

    Moeen Ali in action for EnglandReuters

    Moeen was already in the squad for England's three T20 matches next week and now he's been picked for the ODI series later in July.

    Worcestershire yesterday named the all-rounder as their captain for their upcoming T20 Vitality Blast campaign but said Brett D’Oliveira would takeover when he's not available.

    Warwickshire's Chris Woakes hasn't been named in the ODI squad as he's still injured but might still feature if he recovers from a right quad tear.

  20. Man hurt in shooting 'was targeted'

    Allen Cook
    BBC News

    A man who was shot in Nuneaton this morning is believed to be have been deliberately targeted, police say.

    Cordoned off road

    They say they were called to Bull Street just before 03:00 to reports a man had sustained a gunshot wound.

    This afternoon, the force says the man in his late 20s is in a serious condition in hospital.

    Several surrounding roads have been cordoned off and officers say they're treating it as an isolated incident.