Gang jailed over gun smuggling plotpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
The men imported the guns from France to Birmingham in order to sell them to criminals in the UK.
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Gang jailed over gun smuggling plotpublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Fish rescued as river dries up in heatwavepublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
More than 130 trout and salmon are saved after river levels plummet.
Read MoreArea sealed off after suspected WW2 explosive foundpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Breaking
Allen Cook
BBC NewsPart of Redditch has been sealed off after a suspected World War Two explosive was found. , external
The 50m (164ft) cordon's around Lea Croft Road and police say explosive experts have been informed.
Good Samaritan search after stabbingpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio StokeA man has been stabbed in the chest in Stoke-on-Trent., external
Image source, GooglePolice say the 59-year-old was attacked on Thursday evening in Blurton in either Dennington Crescent (pictured) or Finstock Avenue.
Officers say he wasn't badly hurt, but needed hospital treatment, and they're now trying to find a man who came to his aid but left before they arrived on the scene.
Outside help considered after '200 grass fires in a month'published at 12:35 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeFirefighters from other parts of the country could be brought in to help fight grass fires in Staffordshire in the coming weeks.
Staffordshire Fire Service says it has recorded 200 grass fires in June (almost 100 in one week alone) and is meeting today to look at asking for help with further blazes expected as the heatwave continues.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceIt comes as fire crews are still battling a large fire in the Staffordshire Moorlands between Thorncliffe and Shawfields, near Leek, which, at its height, covered approximately half a sq km (0.2m).
This morning, they say they've scaled down the number of crews fighting the blaze from seven to two.
Chief constable 'humiliated' junior officerspublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC NewsA hearing has been told the former chief constable of Cheshire Police demeaned and humiliated lower-ranking staff and officers in the force.
Simon Byrne relentlessly applied a continuous pattern of bullying against often much more junior officers that he wasn’t impressed with, according to the case against him which opened this morning in Warrington.
John Beggs QC added that none of the allegations against Simon Byrne were likely to amount to gross misconduct in isolation.
Mr Byrne denies the allegations and it’s now been revealed that his contract as chief constable expired two weeks ago.
This afternoon the first witness against him will be the force’s acting chief constable Jeanette McCormick.
Events mark Armed Forces Daypublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Armed Forces Day was marked over the weekend, with serving members of the forces, veterans and cadets gathering across the region.
Image source, Dudley Council
Image source, Dudley CouncilThousands gathered at Himley Hall, in Dudley - the centenary special also marked the centenary of the formation of the Royal Air Force.
In the papers: Anger at parking charge changespublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Stoke-on-Trent LiveThe Stoke-on-Trent Live website features these headlines today:
Wasps sign Georgia prop Zhvaniapublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Premiership side Wasps sign Georgia international prop Zurabi Zhvania from Stade Francais ahead of the 2018-19 season.
Read MorePair jailed after weapons found in hotelpublished at 11:46 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Two teenagers have been jailed after being caught carrying weapons in a Birmingham city centre hotel., external
Image source, West Midlands PoliceTe-Jay Robinson, 18, of no fixed address admitted possession of a firearm and an offensive weapon, as well as Class A drugs, after being found in a room at the Radisson Blue Hotel, by officers acting on intelligence, police said.
He was sentenced to seven years at a young offenders institution at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceHis 17-year-old accomplice, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution.
Det Con Chris Smith said: “We caught this pair red-handed carrying the weapons, which have now been safely removed from our streets."
Arson attack on cycle trackpublished at 11:34 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
A fire on a cycle track in Walsall was deliberately started, West Midlands Police said.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceOfficers attended the site, off Station Road, leading to Pelsall Lane yesterday afternoon.
"Be warned," Brownhills Police tweeted, external, "if we find out who sets these fire they will most certainly be dealt with by police".
Traveller injunction weighed up by High Courtpublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Illegal traveller camps in Wolverhampton could be evicted quicker, if an injunction is approved by the High Court, external.
The City of Wolverhampton Council said it had faced three separate traveller camps in the past week alone, with one still remaining at Heath Town Park.
Image source, Wolverhampton CouncilIf supported by the High Court, the injunction would give the council the authorisation to evict travellers from 60 council sites across the city.
The local authority said it could save money on lengthy court proceedings and on clean-up costs.
Water drained from canal stretch twicepublished at 11:18 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
A lock could have accidentally been left open by holidaymakers, a canal society says.
Read MorePart of road reopens after massive footbridge liftpublished at 11:09 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Allen Cook
BBC NewsOne of the main routes through Telford has partially reopened after a new £10m footbridge was lifted into position at the weekend by one of Europe’s largest cranes.
Image source, Telford and Wrekin CouncilThe crossing links Telford Central with the town centre and the lift was completed at 03:55 on Sunday morning., external
Telford and Wrekin Council says the northbound side of the A442 has reopened, external although the southbound side's shut for now, due to having the huge crane on it.
Image source, Telford and Wrekin CouncilThe process will then be repeated in September, external for the main bridge span to be lifted into position, the local authority says.
In the papers: Officers investigate teen stabbingpublished at 11:00 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Birmingham LiveSome of the main stories on the Birmingham Live website today are:
River Severn warning as heatwave continuespublished at 10:42 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Allen Cook
BBC NewsThe hot weather is leading to more calls to police about people swimming in the River Severn or disused quarries,, external West Mercia Police says.
At least two people have died swimming in lakes and rivers in the last week, including 13-year-old Ryan Evans in Staffordshire.
Image source, GoogleOfficers say they received calls about four men going into the river on Saturday in Bridgnorth after "several" alcohol drinks.
With the heatwave set to continue, officers are urging people to stay out of open water due to the potential dangers of cold water shock, strong currents and disease.
Are we facing a hosepipe ban?published at 10:34 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Media caption, Tips on saving water in the hot weather.
Rising demand for water in the UK heatwave means utility firms will consider whether to put a hosepipe ban in place.
People are being urged to reduce their water usage to prevent restrictions being put in place.
Shropshire beaten in semipublished at 10:27 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
Shropshire’s hopes of a reaching their third Knockout Trophy final in eight years were ended with Sunday's 123-run home semi-final defeat by Cheshire at Bridgnorth.
Gurjit Sandhu and Alexei Kervezee both took three wickets as Cheshire made 254-9 from their 50 overs. But then Shropshire were bowled out for just 131 inside 28 overs.
Image source, Stuart Dunn - Shrewsbury ChronicleVictories over Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Norfolk had helped Shropshire top their group to earn home advantage at the last-four stage. But that counted for little as Cheshire gained revenged for their three-day Minor Counties Championship defeat by Shropshire five days earlier.
Cheshire will now meet Devon in the final at Wormsley on Wednesday 29 August.
Plea to track down staff who helped stop death crash pairpublished at 10:16 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
The aunt of two boys killed in a hit-and-run incident, has written a "massive thank you" to two maintenance workers who helped track and detain the driver and passenger of the car that hit them.
Image source, Family HandoutCasper and Corey Platt-May, aged two and six, were hit by a car in Macdonald Road, Coventry, while walking to a park on 22 February.
Robert Brown, 53, admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous drivingand was jailed for nine year, whilst passenger, Gwendolyn Brown was jailed for six months after admitting a charge of assault intending to resist arrest and trying to leave the scene.
A post on Chelsea Platt-May's Facebook page, external appealed for help to track the two "wonderful human beings" who "videoed them as proof of their actions and stopped them by taking their car keys".
"Unfortunately I have left it too long to say a massive thank you to them, and I can't remember their names", she posted.
Man rescued from lamp-postpublished at 10:02 British Summer Time 2 July 2018
A man who had climbed a 10m (32ft) lamp-post, had to be rescued by firefighters using a hydraulic platform.
Image source, Handsworth FireThe man was taken to hospital after the incident, which happened on Holly Road, Handsworth at about 22:00 on Saturday night.
West Midlands Fire Service tweeted , externalthe man was under the influence of an illegal high, and the incident could have "ended very differently".