Summary

  • Live updates from Monday 6 August to Sunday 12 August

  • Click on related stories for updates from your area

  1. Tributes left for 'our angel' midwife Samantha Eastwoodpublished at 08:51 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    Tributes and flowers have been left outside the Royal Stoke University Hospital, after the body of missing midwife, Samantha Eastwood was found on Saturday.

    Flowers

    The body of Ms Eastwood was discovered when police searched rural ground near Caverswall, Staffordshire, on Saturday, eight days after she was last seen.

    Flowers

    University Hospitals of North Midlands chief nurse Liz Rix described Ms Eastwood as "an absolutely dedicated and committed midwife" and a much-loved part of the team.

    One tribute simply says: "Our angel midwife. There are no words."

    A man charged with her murder is due to appear at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court later.

  2. 'No serious injuries' in four-vehicle M6 crashpublished at 08:40 British Summer Time 6 August 2018
    Breaking

    A crash causing delays on the M6 in Staffordshire involves four vehicles, one of which has overturned.

    Crash sceneImage source, Central Police Motorway Group

    The ambulance service said five patients are being assessed at the scene, but "thankfully" there doesn't appear to be any serious injuries.

  3. Tributes paid to 'beautiful, brave, kind-hearted' boypublished at 08:32 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    Tributes have been paid to a 16-year-old boy who has died days after getting into difficulty in the sea off the coast of Gwynedd.

    Tributes

    He has been named locally as Blake Ward from Dudley.

    Two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old were airlifted after getting into difficulty off Tywyn North beach on Tuesday.

    One person described Blake as a "beautiful, brave, kind hearted, clever boy" on social media.

  4. Overturned vehicle causing severe M6 delayspublished at 08:21 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    BBC News Travel

    An overturned vehicle on the M6 northbound in Staffordshire is causing delays of over an hour, said Highways England.

    The main carriageway is closed at junction 14 with a diversion in operation via the exit and entry slip roads.

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  5. House of Fraser store closures to go aheadpublished at 08:13 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    House of Fraser is pushing ahead with plans to close almost half of its stores, including six in the Midlands, after settling a legal row with a group of landlords.

    House of Fraser, WolverhamptonImage source, Google

    The landlords had argued slashing rents on remaining stores was unfair to them, putting the rescue plan in jeopardy.

    The deal means the retailer can go ahead with its plan to close 31 of its 59 stores in January - including ones in Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

    However, the deal will not be enough to safeguard House of Fraser's future, with it now urgently seeking fresh investment in order to survive.

  6. Investigation continues after deer shot deadpublished at 08:00 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    A criminal investigation is continuing after 15 deer, including a pregnant doe and three fawns, were shot dead in a Worcestershire field.

    Edward Brown with deer

    Edward Brown, who chairs the Wyre Forest deer management society, said it was "carnage".

    The deer were discovered in a field on the edge of the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire on Saturday morning.

    Mr Brown, said he cannot understand why the carcases had been left in the field, calling it "unbelievable".

  7. Boy due in court charged over fatal crashpublished at 07:50 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    A 16-year-old boy is due in court charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a teenager died when the car he was in hit parked vehicles.

    Scene of crashImage source, Google

    The 17-year-old boy died when a Volkswagen Golf crashed in Weston Street, Walsall, on Thursday.

    The 16-year-old has also been charged with driving without a licence, no insurance and failing to stop at the scene.

    He is due at Dudley Magistrates' Court.

  8. Rise in cost of rural crimepublished at 07:38 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    The economic cost of rural crime in the Midlands has soared by a third in just a year, the highest rise seen in the UK.

    Farmer digging earth banks

    The insurer NFU Mutual says the region's economy took an £8.8m hit in 2017 with vehicle theft now reaching "epidemic" levels.

    Farmers are resorting to "medieval" fortifications such as earthworks to protect their property, it said.

  9. Woakes 50 helps Bears beat Northantspublished at 07:29 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    BBC Sport

    England all-rounder Chris Woakes' brilliant 57 from 23 balls helped Birmingham Bears beat Northamptonshire in the T20 Blast.

    Chris WoakesImage source, Getty Images

    Woakes hit six fours and four sixes as the Bears made 187-7, with the Steelbacks falling short on 170-7 despite Josh Cobb's 103.

  10. Man due in court charged with murder of midwifepublished at 07:18 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    A man is due in court charged with the murder of midwife Samantha Eastwood.

    The body of the 28-year-old was discovered when police searched rural ground near Caverswall, Staffordshire, on Saturday, eight days after she was last seen.

    Samantha EastwoodImage source, Samantha Eastwood

    Michael Stirling, from Stoke, is due to appear at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court later.

    Several newspapers are reporting the 32-year-old, of Cromer Road, is the brother-in-law of Eastwood's ex-fiancé John Peake.

    Two men, aged 60 and 28, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender have been released on conditional bail.

  11. Video: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 07:08 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    Alex Hamilton
    BBC Weather

    Today looks set to be dry with a good deal of sunshine and highs of 29C (84F).

    Media caption,

    Latest weather for the West Midlands

  12. Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:02 British Summer Time 6 August 2018

    Vanessa Pearce
    BBC News

    Welcome to our live service for Monday.

    We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.

    We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external